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Written by David Hochoy
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We started doing our educational outreach this week. We developed "The Dance Show" a few years ago for our Young Audiences performances. This is a show that we take to the schools and perform in auditoriums, cafeterias and classrooms. It tells the children exactly what are the elements that comprise dance ("shapes moving through space to a beat"), and allows them to experience firsthand the magic of a live performance. I think that our dancers do a brilliant job with it, since it takes another part of their talent to reach out to student populations who are so in need of education and enlightenment. The show is also always evolving as dancers rotate in to replace ones who are leaving. This week Brittany and Caitlin went in and were immediately fantastic!
We finished learning all of "Au Moulin Rouge; La Goulue" and it felt good to finish. After a run thru I explained to the dancers how difficult a piece it was, since it requires the entire cast to "beat themselves up" during the climactic song "Milord." I have to say that in the rehearsal process insisting on refinement is simultaneously the most difficult and most rewarding thing for me, because I am frequently amazed by the dancers' capabilities and their ability to grasp the essence of my demands, and in turn to be able to give me (and themselves) what I want, and what is required if we are to go the extra mile from ordinary to extra-ordinary! |
