The Allure of The Stage
Reflections on getting back into performance season, by Allison Trumbo
I am driving to ChiArts, after a full day of work, for the first Nutcracker rehearsal in 3 years. In past years, this would be routine for performance season. But this year I realized I had been lacking something: community, seeing Music House families in person… seeing my students in person, and making music collaboratively with others. I feel anxious to get to the theater and to see my students after such a fun class in person last week. Other families are parking around me and there's a rush to get in, an aura of jitters and excitement around me. There's a feeling of pride that I sense from myself and from families around me- to be a part of a tech rehearsal.
As I walk into the theater, the lighting tech, Mark, greets me warmly “So nice to see you!” and a group of teachers with wide smiles and full iced coffee walk in behind me, laughing together and excitedly saying “hi!”- clearly looking forward to seeing their students. I stop to look around the theater and admire everything: parents help move set pieces around on the stage, students quickly get into ballet shoes and run to the green room to get into costumes.
Director Kathleen and Producer Jeanne discuss the schedule for the day near the stage and hand out copies to teachers. Mark adjusts the lighting several times, and Drosselmeyer warms up on the stage, doing turns, pirouettes and sautés. I walk backstage to the green room to check in on a student who is not only dancing in the show but also performing in the orchestra, to see what we need to do about her costume. I see Ashley- costume director- problem solving a students quick costume change, students finding their big frilly dresses and tutus on racks and quickly changing. The older pointe girls are giggling in the hallway. Alexa, a teacher, is playing a game of Doggy Doggy Where’s Your Bone with the Le Petit students to keep them occupied, and Lucy is helping a student to find her costume.
I walk back to the Orchestra students who are trying on their blazers and my student Phoebe (11) says “wow, there's something about a rehearsal on stage, isn’t there?” She took the words right out of my mouth. My sister Ashley phrased it perfectly: You don’t realize what you were missing until it’s gone. It has been 3 years since we have been able to collaborate in this way.
The thrill of performing and being part of a production- a community of other performers and artists with the same end goal- is thrilling. We’ve missed out on it in the past years, and now that it’s back…it feels amazing. There’s a feeling that everyone knows exactly what they are doing, everyone loves this place, and they’ve made it here- at the end point- and everyone has the same shared end goal: a beautiful performance. And it’s a beautiful, exhilarating thing.
See more pictures from Nutcracker rehearsals and performances here!
