Mornin'

Is it really Thursday already?

Things are really getting under way for the Russian rep now. All three ballets are being rehearsed/created every day, making for lots of interesting music floating through the hallways (and lots of counts floating around in my head).

We finished learning Rubies corps yesterday, which is a pretty big step. It's very complex and to have it all finished and in the cleaning stage this quickly means it will look that much crisper on stage. Rubies principal is going great! I'm getting to dance with Yuka, something that doesn't happen too often (Zais and Il Nodo are the only 2 that come to mind), but is always so much fun. She really knows how to communicate what she needs from her partner, which makes it easy to give her exactly what she wants and make her look good.

Our first group Raymonda rehearsal was yesterday afternoon, and my neck is a little sore from it. There are 2 tricky shoulder sits (where you lift the girl, set her on your shoulder, then walk), and fortunately my partner is light (not that any of the girls are heavy...), but still, doing those lifts over and over really can take a toll on your neck muscles (not to mention the joy of tutu-burn, the undersides of those things are SO scratchy!). Anyway, I'm very excited to be dancing with Anne in Raymonda. She and I danced together so much last year, but not at all this year. It feels very comfortable partnering with someone who you've worked with a lot. We don't have to analyze too much, and we're usually on the same page without really having to talk about it. It makes for a very low-stress situation (which is always preferable). Also, she's just a lot of fun. :-)

Ok, I need to finish my coffee and then head to work. I've got Rubies principal all morning, and then Raymonda all afternoon. I thought I'd leave you with a group shot of OBT with the visiting companies, and Barney: The White Bird.