janvier

January was mostly consumed by rehearsals for the New York Dances program, where we finally got a chance to set aside Nutcracker and focus fully on Jerome Robbins' Moves and Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs. I had a fantastic time working on both, and loved getting to do Moves every show -- there was something really powerful about performing a ballet without music, a tension that exists between you and the other performers and the audience, where everyone is drawn in by the simplicity of the piece. In just leotards and pink tights (which I don't know that I've worn since I was in school and required by dress code), with a black backdrop and no accompaniment other than the sound of pointe shoes on the floor and the dancers exhaling together, Moves has had everything pared away until only pure dance is left. I was worried sitting in silence for a half hour would be hard for the audience, but most of my friends who came actually found it to be the most engaging piece of the evening. 

Me, Lucille, Juliana and Tanya on stage rehearsing Moves

Sinatra I rehearsed (as second cast) a lot, even getting to do the costumiere in the studio (in Oscar de la Renta, no less), and am going to get a chance to perform in March at St. Pierre-et-Cuisine, an old church turned cabaret theatre. Valerio hurt his back the week before the shows, and so Paola ended up performing with Julian with only 3 days of rehearsals (meaning run-throughs on stage, not real working rehearsals to really get to feel each other). It was hard to see my partner usurped by another woman ;) -- but mostly really exciting/nerve-wracking to watch Julian perform so well under a lot of pressure with almost no preparation. Mostly in consisted of me sitting in the wings watching on the monitor with little bounces every time they got to a hard lift or section, and then a sigh of relief after it went well every night.  

Julian and Paola in "All the Way"

I also got news the weekend before we went into the theatre that Lily Gallacher, an adorable little girl at home, passed away. Lily was the little sister of Nancy, who had been one of the baby mice when I was Mother Mouse in PNB's Nutcracker six years ago, but I have stayed in touch with the family since them, and you couldn't possibly think of a more open and loving family.  There's nothing good about this story, no person to be mad at or long list of a full life's worth of accomplishments... just her beautiful smile and loving presence and gratitude that all of us around her got a chance to benefit by being close to her joyful spirit while she was here. But it is also times like that, of loss particularly, but also the other big moments, of joy or fear or disappointment, that make you realize how far away home is.  Not that it isn't lovely here, and skype is a marvelous invention, but it also is too far to just pop back whenever someone needs you. Those of you working on teleportation devices, step it up, would you?