backstage

(It seemed appropriate to make reference to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in retelling the fun that was had when The Royal Ballet School joined the School of Richmond Ballet here in Richmond for an exhilarating weekend of collaborative performances!)

Listen my bloggers and you shall hear
Of when the Royal Ballet with Richmond did appear;
For three days in a row we gave shows free of flaws,
With audiences on their feet, all we heard was applause.

One if by stage left, two if by stage right;
with students in the wings our shows did delight.

Ready to valse with high legs and fluid arms; In our weekend day adventure our viewers were charmed, For the Richmond folk's hearts we uplifted and warmed!

Following a fantastic weekend performing Giselle at the Carpenter Theater at Richmond Center Stage, we trainees and apprentices at the School of Richmond Ballet (SRB) concentrated full force on preparing for our performances with graduating students from one of the most renown ballet schools in the world. As novices in the professional dance world, all of us were thrilled to have the opportunity to shine front and center, representing our very own Richmond Ballet to the best of our abilities. As the performances approached, we all felt prepared to put our best foot forward (whether it be dressed by pointe shoes, character shoes, or Russian boots) in the three pieces that we presented: an expert from Act II of Giselle, Valse Fantaisie, and the Russian Character Suite.

When performance week began we were filled with nervous excitement anticipating the arrival of our guests. The students of the Royal Ballet School (RBS) arrived on Wednesday after a long plane flight into New York City, followed by a bus ride down to Richmond. These 17 and 18-year-old RBS students-- a few of whom actually came from the United States, but most from various regions of Europe-- sounded tired but also excited about the events to come. We had the chance to meet and share stories with some of them the following day in between rehearsals and when they joined us in ballet class. They shared the same enthusiasm and nerves we did!

The next three days were a whirlwind of sweat, adrenaline, costume changes, and thrills. We performed five times over the weekend, alternating RBS and SRB pieces throughout each program, both groups taking every possibly opportunity to watch and learn from the performances of the other party, frequently cheering one another on from the wings. We also enjoyed receiving the royal treatment (pun intended) as we celebrated with a gala reception at the beautiful Bull and Bear Club on Friday, kicked back at a RBS/SRB dinner social hosted by our very own BRAVO team on Saturday, and joined the Richmond Ballet family in showing our visitors Richmond’s finest in historical beauty at the Tuckahoe Plantation on Sunday.

Throughout the rehearsal and performance process that weekend, we took pleasure in having the chance to visit with the dancers from the Royal Ballet School and hear about life as a student of ballet on the other side of the Atlantic. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much we had in common with one another. These are young, eager, vivacious dancers just like us, who shared the same daily struggles, passions, and joys that we all encounter in the world of dance. Just like us, they have put in countless hours of training, dealt with painful injuries, and are now finally seeing the fruit of their labor as their careers begin to take flight. Regardless of our diverse upbringings, the same traits of discipline, dedication, and, most of all, zeal for the indescribable delight of dance had brought us to unite on the same stage for this unique occasion. I'm sure our audiences could sense this common denominator of dedication to a dream that is finally coming to fruition for the next generation of professional dancers. Unanimously the students of RBS and SRB share a love for dance: it surrounds our thoughts and our aspirations; it is our most preferred activity. Eagerly we look forward to encountering more amazing opportunities like this one, and look forward to cheering one another on in the future as we endeavor to awaken and uplift the human spirit through dance from sea to shining sea!