Ballet Class starts tonight!

I am so excited for tonight! It will be teaching my first ballet classes. The first class is going to be a little crazy. I'll be teaching sixteen 3-4 year olds beginning ballet. The next class is smaller, about seven 5-7 year olds.

So I know there are going to be wild, hyper, socially inexperienced little kids running wild. Hopefully I will be able to keep them in control. I have had a few experiences teaching little kids in primary at my old LDS wards and they were out of control. One time, I was subbing as the chorister. It went a little south but the kids loved when I knocked over a box of markers with my overly enthused leading... I don't know if that was good or bad...

Anyways, I will hopefully maintain more control during these ballet lessons. I'm not worried about the second class. It's the first one that I'm afraid of. I feel a little like Maria in the Sound of Music when she is going to meet the VonTrapp family... "I must stop all these doubts all these worries. If I don't I just know I'll turn back..." (see, those theatre people really got to me).

I'm rambling now. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow :)

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Red Noses in Review

Saturday, March 27 was the final show for Red Noses. It was amazing. The show went really well but the best part was what happened afterwards. We all changed out of our costumes and hurried back into the auditorium for the techie show -- a roast of the actors and our performances. They used a few props and costume pieces to establish their identities and made fun of the show and us. It was in a word hilarious.

After the techie show, the cast presented gifts (all arranged by our lead, Jared who played Father Flote) to techies, the Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager, and to the Theatre Department heads, Nina and Michael Vought (who I've blogged about before). Jared had found a page from a 14th century book of hours illuminated manuscript with a song whose lyrics were similar to the themes found in Red Noses. It was beautiful. We all thanked Nina and Michael for such a wonderful run and basked in the sunshine of love and gratitude.

One of the cast members, Charlie who is a Westminster alumni and who graciously fed us salad from Mazza every night (thank you Charlie!) made copies of a poem that has a history with the Westminster Theatre Department all the way back to 1964. (I'll add it later).

Then we helped clean up the dressing rooms, and some of us helped strike (take down the set) while we had a wonderful party in the black box. Nina and Michael provided food (YUM) and Harry Cross Jr. was DJ (fabulous!) We danced and laughed and ate. It was a wonderful close to a wonderful show.

I will miss the theatre. I will miss those crazy loud people and the singing and dancing and proclamations of "You're amazing!" "No, you're amazing!" I will miss the magic that an audience brings and the unity created in the cast when you take that magic and give it back.

God bless the people of the theatre!

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Shameful admission

I burst into a song from "Oliver!" the other day during rehearsal. Unprovoked. I started it.

*hangs head* Am I becomming a drama kid? Maybe.

But then, when we were getting warmed up before dress rehearsal, we had a dance party with musical music playing. And I didn't know ANY of the songs so I think I'm safe for now. I can be drama without being loud-musical-drama-song-bursting, right? But a rare song burst is ok, isn't it?

My perception of reality is starting to get a bit blurred from spending five hours a night in rehearsal for the past two weeks. But I'm having so much fun. I will be sad when it is over. And I will miss my loud, crazy, overly dramatic castmates.

And if I haven't already told you, come see the play! C'est fantastique! Last night was opening and it was incredible to perform with an audience laughing and feeding our energy.
Get your tickets here. :) Click on 'Red Noses'

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