Wednesday, March 26, 2008


Hello, and welcome to the latest source of insight into the inner workings of Oregon Ballet Theatre. I'm Gavin Larsen, one of the dancers with OBT, and I am really excited to be able to escort you into the studio, backstage, and through the halls of OBT so you can get a peek at what we're doing when we're not actually onstage giving you a performance. You'll see how all the different departments of our organization work together to put that show onstage, what goes on before, during, and after a performance, and how it looks from the vantage point of each area of OBT-- artistic, production, sales, development, the school, and more. I like to think that we're going to get you, as an audience member, out of your seat so you can see how it looks from OUR side of the footlights.


I'd like to start by explaining why it is that I am the voice, or the narrator, of this journal. I have a unique and somewhat unusual viewpoint on the goings-on at the moment because I am currently joining you in watching from the sidelines. I injured my ankle exactly four weeks ago today while taking company class. It was just an ordinary day, a typical class before a routine afternoon of rehearsals-- until I began to prepare to do a step in class and heard (and felt) a snap in my ankle that was utterly bizarre and terrifying. It turned out to have been the rupture of a ligamentous structure that covers the tendons in the ankle (a better prognosis than if a tendon itself had ruptured). I had surgery a week and a half later to pin the tissue back to the bone from which it had snapped. I've just graduated from the post-surgical splint into a hard cast, and am looking at two more weeks like this before I can start weightbearing again, wearing a walking boot. It's going to be a long haul through rehab this summer, but I can do it--- one step at a time.


So, in light of my current situation, I'm going to use this opportunity to walk with you (so to speak) along the way from classes, to rehearsals, costume fittings, physical therapy sessions, production meetings, development events, marketing efforts, and of course, into the wings of the theater. I'll also keep you updated on how my own recovery goes as I progress so you can see what it means for a dancer to be injured, how we deal with it.


I hope you enjoy the tour! I know that I will.

1 comment:

  1. Goodmorning Gavin,

    I am very sorry to hear you injured yourself dancing and do hope you have a full and speedy recovery. I always love watching you dance! You're extremely graceful and add a delicateness (that a word?) to the dance you're doing. I do understand your new found frustration at PAM as well. I tore my ACL, meniscus and cartilage in my knee right before the holidays doing martial arts and had to get used to a somewhat slower pace of life for awhile. I too was in a wheel chair after surgery for about 3 weeks total and I NEVER figured out how to turn that thing around (much less pop wheelies in in) :) Anyways, I understand where you're coming from. And, while it's a disadvantage that you're not able to dance, it's a joy from my standpoint that now you have a little more free time to let us, the audience know what your world is like. Just yesterday I got to go to my second brown bag and it was extremely interesting to see how dancers prepare (and oh how tiny the women look!) :)

    I look forward to reading your posts.

    sincerely,
    Seth

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