After what seems an eternity of examining and planning myriad details, the first day of rehearsals for Romeo & Juliet is suddenly here. Both the dancers and I are experiencing the nervous energy of “breaking the ice” mixed with tremendous exhilaration. I peer through the window into the studio as our dancers are hard at work in Carinne’s rigorous company class. Glistening with sweat, they look hungry, focused, and ready to go.
I suspect many people imagine we start at the beginning and work our way through in a sequential order. Actually, we’ll start with a patchwork of the most difficult dances long before connecting scenes. Much of this first day will be spent on the famous Balcony Pas de Deux. It is an iconic moment in the ballet and the most difficult duet as well. The music is so glorious that I elected not to edit it to a shorter version as do many choreographers. The challenge is to sustain the passion for over a full nine minutes! It takes enormous stamina, so it’s a logical place to begin. Near the end of the rehearsal day, we’ll tackle one of the sequences in the Market Scene that involve almost all the dancers in the company. Teaching steps to smart dancers is the easy part, it’s the details of refinement and quality that take time and care.
I hear the applause signaling that class is over. Let’s begin day one of Romeo & Juliet.
Ron Cunningham
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