As kind of a sequel to the "Day in the Life" story, I am going to share with you another little known part of the dancer's life... Theater Life. You see, we spend 4-6 weeks in a studio rehearsing as described in the previous article, but at the end of this, we actually have to perform the things that we have been working on so tirelessly. This is the Theater life. It is the greatest and worst time for a dancer. Greatest because you get to perform, and let's face it, why do this profession at all if you don't get to perform it for others. For me, sharing the enjoyment I got from dancing with an audience was what it was all about. Sure, I would beat myself up over a bad show, but when I took it into perspective, it was just about giving something to the audience.

It is the worst time because it is perhaps the most exhausting time for the dancer. We don't just show up at the theater at night and perform. We are there bright and early in the morning starting our day with ballet class, then moving on to rehearsal for most of the day. While the ballets are already set, we have to stage them, meaning, adjust all we have done in the studio to work on the stage. This can mean doing parts of the ballet several times to get it right. Plus you have to alternate with other casts so that everyone can get a feel for the stage. Rehearsing with a mirror in the studio and dancing on an open stage are two completely different things. It throws off your balance, your depth perception, and can be down right scary! I remember the first time I walked on to the Metropolitan Opera House Stage. I just stood there for about 5 minutes. I was dumbstruck. The house was immense. The stage bigger than anything I had ever danced on. I have never been so scared and so exhilarated in all my life. That is forever burned into my memory. Many dancers feel like this every time they step on to a stage. For some people, the thought of standing up there for all the world to see is terrifying, but for a dancer, it is home. You finally break free. There is no one sitting up at the front of the room. No one to stop the music to make you do it again. Granted you will get pages and pages of notes after every show, but when the curtain goes up, it is just you.

Enough of the sentimental stuff though, let's get down to the real dirt. Truth is, dancers are an odd bunch. We like our pattern, routines and most especially our superstitions. I talked earlier about the whole pointe shoe thing the women have, but men have their share of quirky habits as well. There are all kinds of things that are taboo in the theater. I should mention that this is true not just with dancers, but actors, singers, musicians, and from what I have heard professional athletes as well. Some of the most common being, no whistling in the theater, no wearing purple, this is an Italian thing. Some opera guy died while wearing a purple cape on stage so the color is now jinxed. Performances on the 17th of the month are bad luck. This is another Italian thing, they are really particular about all of this stuff. A cross over from the acting circle is to never, ever under any circumstance say the name Macbeth in the theater. Rumor has it that the theater will burn down at the mere mention of the play. It is always referred to as "The Scottish Play". Other things are more personal. Some people have a routine they do from the moment the enter the stage door. Places at the barre for warm up, a set way of putting on make up and doing their hair are a few others. Before actually going on stage some people will knock the floor three times, some make the sign of the cross, while others spit on the floor and hope for the best. Whatever their thing is, everyone has something.

While we are talking about backstage, let's try and conjure up a mental picture for all of you who have not had the pleasure of venturing into the backstage realm. As you enter the theater's stage entrance door, you can almost hear the "Twilight Zone" music start to play. You enter a strange dimension where time seems to disappear. This is mostly due to the fact that there are no windows in the the place, the only clocks are backstage, most of them are counting down the show, and you spend the majority of your time in the dark. There are lots of lights, cables, wires and scenery which give the show that illusion of effortlessness. Like the colors changing and backdrops coming in and out happen due to magic. You should know, though, that they are not happening because of magic, they are changing because 10 stage hands wearing all black are clamoring around backstage pulling ropes and yelling at us to get out of the way. They can be somewhat scary at first, but give them a few beers after the show and they are as gentle as puppies.

Backstage during a show is a great place to see the performance through the dancers eyes. It is stressful, but at the same time quiet and meditative. Everyone is respectful of each others space needed to mentally prepare. We are all supportive, cheering and clapping and encouraging each other both on and off stage. It is also the best place to see what is really going on on stage. In any given show, there are a number of jokes, pranks, and games being played both on and off stage. Thanks to the orchestra pit between the stage and the audience you can't hear talking or laughing. Often times we are talking to our partners or talking each other through a particularly difficult section. Sometimes we are just bored and are talking about where to go after the show. "Nutcracker" is the worst. You perform 20-50 of the same show night after night, by the end your body could do it even if your head fell off. This is when things get very boisterous on stage. Pull out those binoculars next time your significant other drags you to the ballet. There is always a show within a show if you look closely.

I hope I didn't scare anyone off with this little exposé. I am just trying to share with you our lives, strange that they are. The theater, for me, will always feel like home. To walk off the street through a door that transports you to a wonderful world where time and space seemed to stop and you get to do what you love to do most of all, and then share this passion with a house full of willing recipients, how great is that for a job?