This was the first time I had performed en pointe, and the culmination of ten months of ballet after an eight year hiatus. I cannot believe how much I have fallen in love with ballet. I love analyzing movement to get the steps correct, I love making things look effortless and seeing movement and art combine, I love the mental discipline that goes into preparation, I love the costumes and makeup, I love the way dance is phrased to classical music. I enjoy ballet so much and am so glad that I am doing it again. Ballet has helped me become a better pianist, conductor, and organist. With all that goes on with the right and left sides of the body, I have been a better multitasker and it has helped me in cueing/cutoffs in conducting and has helped me in pedalwork for the organ. Being able to phrase, express, and move has helped me breathe new life into my interpretations in piano as I can see music is more than what you hear with your ears.
I was freaking out a week before the performance as I was forgetting choreography, getting last minute changes to choreography, adding things to the finale, and falling out of turns and other technical things. I basically made up my mind that failure is not an option and stayed after class to go over things with Rena. During the dress rehearsals I would find every spare time to 'mini-drill' (a technique I learned in piano) the movement into my muscle memory.
It paid off because by showtime I was having the time of my life dancing and expressing the music.
I did not expect to be sweating buckets or dehydrated after our seven minutes on stage before running back for a quick change. I sucked down water and wondered if I could make it through the first act. It was extremely hot on stage and I guess I forgot that little detail since the last time I danced.
My mom and dad, grandma, aunt, and cousin watched me dance and I was so glad they came.
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