Nutcracker Casting 2018!

A few days ago, the casting for this year’s production of The Nutcracker was released. My friends and I had been discussing the possibilities for weeks now, and we had all been anxiously waiting to find out if our predictions were accurate.. I have been cast as a maid, the snow queen, and marzipan. I had never imagined that I would have been selected for these roles, and I am incredibly thankful.

The enchanted forest of snow has always been one of my favorite scenes out of the entire ballet, and I am absolutely honored to have been cast as the queen. I had always hoped that I would perform marzipan someday, but I never expected it to be so soon…

My very first rehearsal is Tuesday. Wish me luck! 🙂

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Enjoy the Ride

“Life is a roller coaster. You can either scream every time you hit a bump or you can throw your hands up in the air and enjoy it.”

~Unknown

After a hectic road to get here, I am so pleased with how the performance turned out last night. I choreographed two separate dances within an incredibly short time span, and they both turned out so much better than I had ever imagined. I was faced with many challenges and issues that caused me to completely rework my initial vision, but I quickly recovered and my dancers pulled off an exceptional performance. I danced a few ballet variations and contemporary group pieces as well, and I am content with them. Of course, they were definitely not perfect, but it made me absolutely elated to have been approached by audience members after the show. It makes me so glad to know that they enjoyed witnessing my contribution to this beautiful art. I always remember how fortunate I am to dance under those lights, and I thank The Lord for giving me the opportunity and ability to do what I do.

Dance.

Exploring Nashville

Despite the wet, windy weather that took over Nashville, we still had a great day exploring Music City. We visited the Ryman Auditorium (“the mother church of country music” since 1892), line danced, and experienced lots of live music. I am so lucky to have seen Preston James perform that night… He made Blake Shelton’s team on Season 11 of my favorite singing competition, The Voice! He is so amazing, and I am so fortunate to have seen this 17 year old star perform right in front of me.

Thanks, Nashville!

Tribute to Daisy

I never thought that I would enjoy performing this variation. Canary Fairy had always been one of least favorite classical ballet variations, and I never imagined myself performing it in front of hundreds of people. Surprisingly, I adored portraying this vibrant character, and I was upset when I took the final bow. My costume was glowing… My gold crown was shining…

This was such a wonderful Tribute to my yellow Daisy Bird, and I had a lovely time as the Canary Fairy in this weekend’s production of The Sleeping Beauty.

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I am shocked to announce that all of the performances have finally come to a close. After spending over 12 hours in the theater yesterday, we were able to whirl through two separate ballets in one weekend. Each show definitely had its own challenges, but I think that is one of the most exciting things about performing live (you never know what you are going to get!) I am so proud of ALL of the casts, because they were all absolutely stunning. This was a fantastic weekend, and I am so fortunate to have been blessed with the opportunities that I had been given. Have a great week! 🙂

Honored

Despite all of the stress and pain that lies behind the curtain, it was such an honor to bring Swan Lake to that stage tonight… This is one of my favorite ballets to watch, and it makes me so grateful to be a part of it. I am beyond thankful to have been cast as one of the four swans, because this is an opportunity that I may never get to have again. I am so happy that I am able to perform this weekend and do what I love with all of these wonderful people… It doesn’t get much better than this.

Midweek Madness

One heck of a lot of work. Two dead pairs of pointe shoes. Three full show run throughs… These last three days have taken a lot of effort to plow through, and we are mentally preparing ourselves to be back in the theater Friday night.

This has been our week so far:

One hour we are drowning in the lake of countless other swans, and the next, we are royally waltzing across the courtroom to greet Princess Aurora. Then, we face an immediate tempo change to rehearse our guest choreographed modern pieces. Every now and then, we are given spare time in an open studio to practice understudied roles or to go over choreography that occasionally slips the brain.

*We have one day left in the studio… Am I the only one who finds that insane?

Balancing Life

Wow, I apologize for my lack of activity on WordPress this past week! Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to read your posts or write my own lately. Not only that, I had to read and write so much for school that I temporarily lost all motivation inspiration to blog; however, I am back now! I should be able to “balance” my schedule a little better after working a full weekend, and I hope to be super active next week to keep you all updated on the pre – performance posts (as usual). I have no doubt that I will have a lot to say and rant about as the weekend looms closer. I hope that you all are doing well. Happy Saturday! 🙂

*Also, good luck to all of my friends competing this weekend! After all of the hard work, I have no doubt that you are going to shine under those lights. I am super excited to hear the results, and I will keep you in my prayers.