Oregon Ballet Theatre

Can it be? Four weeks back into the season already?? I can hardly remember that I was on layoff a month ago.

We finished learning Emeralds on Friday. Elyse Borne has been here for the past week and a half staging the ballet (how fantastic to have her here again! Elyse staged Nutcracker for us back in 2003). Emeralds is a 30-minute long immersion in lush, velvety, sumptuous music and dancing, all contained in the warmth of a jewelbox setting. To the audience it should feel like entering another world, completely removed and very, very far away from the chaos and pace of life outside the theater. Elyse has been urging us to explore and find ways to create that effect without becoming monotoned or in other words... boring. From what I've seen from my fellow dancers in rehearsals, the ballet will be mesmerizing.

The choreography relies heavily on certain steps that create that effect, when done well. Unfortunately, bouree-ing around as much as is required in Emeralds is a painful process, especially when we're aiming for an ethereal look. My feet were as grateful for the weekend and two days out of pointe shoes as they have ever been!