What are dancers typically doing right before opening curtain?

[Matthew]

I saw the Kirov in La Bayadere on opening night here in DC Tuesday. Divine. But in the 25 minutes before the curtain lifted, I wondered what the dancers were doing. I'm sure it differs from person to person, but would we see much scurrying about? Meditating or guided imagery? Cracking of jokes? Resting on chairs? Stretching muscles? Throwing up because of anxiety?

All of the above? (A Washington Post preview article said the powers that be forbade any non-member backstage during the dance of the Shades.)

So, just what is the general mood in the run-up moments before the start of the show?

[Mel Johnson]

Probably any of the above, less sitting in a chair for the women. Tutu, you know.

[stinger784]

For me this is a very private issue. A lot of dancers have their own private wacky, to you, rituals that we do before the curtain goes up. I will let you in on one of my secrets. Before every run of a show when I first get into the theatre, I like to go out to the empty stage and look out into the empty audience. Think White Nights when Misha visits his old theatre and fools around on stage. It is something very soothing and comforting for me. That is just one of the few, cough cough, many things I do before the curtain goes up.

[dancersteven]

Probably not much scurrying about, if it ain't in place by now, you likely can't fix it in in the next 5 minutes. . .

In under rehearsed pieces, there might be some trying of "that one thing" that never quite worked right in rehearsal. Ask stinger784 how much rehearsal I get!!

I will add some checking of the costumes and some kissing of your partner and wishing of "Good luck" (in many forms :blush: ) to your list, but you have it mostly right. Less throwing up than you might think. The general mood is usually optimistic and energized, but likely less stressed out than many people think. At least we all want to act confident and assured, if only because we want our partners to think we are confident and assured.

If I had to venture a theory, I would say that the did not like any observers backstage during the Kingdom of the Shades scene partially because of backstage space. That many girls in tutu's take up an awful lot of ground, even at the Kennedy Center. . .

[Mme. Hermine]

i was backstage during the shades at the met a couple of Kirov engagements ago, and even there it can get really tight, not only with the corps but with upcoming and outgoing bits of scenery and props. not on topic, but one teacher who was talking to me said, in creative english, 'you see - first one - my wife!' while miming a very tired shade...

[87Sigfried87]

I saw the Kirov in La Bayadere on opening night here in DC Tuesday. Divine. But in the 25 minutes before the curtain lifted, I wondered what the dancers were doing. I'm sure it differs from person to person, but would we see much scurrying about? Meditating or guided imagery? Cracking of jokes? Resting on chairs? Stretching muscles? Throwing up because of anxiety?

All of the above? (A Washington Post preview article said the powers that be forbade any non-member backstage during the dance of the Shades.)

So, just what is the general mood in the run-up moments before the start of the show?

That's what I personally do before performing:First I eat and drink something energetic but light at the same time;then I put on the costume and start the make up.When I'm made up I wear something that keeps me warm over the costume and start warming up:I first do some excercises of barre à terre,then stretching and then some little jumps and aplombs.In the end,half an hour before the curtain lift I turn my I-Pod on,with the music of the ballet i'm going to dance,and revise the parts of the choreography I'm not sure about and rehearse the most tricky passages or difficult combinations and steps to check if I do them well.If I have to dance a pas de deux I also rehearse the lifts once,not to get too tired before the show.Ten minutes before the start I have to get isolated to concentrate and,if I have to play a particular role,to get in the character.

As an intimate ritual I always pray God for the performance to go well.

That's what I do,but any dancer does more or less the same.Maybe some have other rituals or things to do but the "programme" doesn't vary that much ;-).

Resting on chairs is not good because you get cold and when You are cold on stage you can't stand on your feet!Throwing up...I've never seen dancers throwing up because of anxiety,because if you do this job,you get used to anxiety.

To answer your last question about the mood I'd say: we are always anxious and getting crazy before starting,you feel like you don't know the choreography you rehearsed 1000 times,you don't want to talk to anyone if not strictly necessary and you are about to drive crazy if you think you missed something:-).

[diane]

It has been a very long time.. but I remember making sure my pointe shoes were not going to slip off of my feet in any way, shape or form.

Of course, we would have had a "barre" one hour before curtain, and most of us would have been in the theater quite awhile before that, for makeup, etc. etc. Costumes usually got put on shortly before the curtain went up.

For me, it turned out to be better to NOT try out something technical shortly before curtain, for if it did not work, then I would get nervous.

As has been mentioned, things are not going to get any better right then!

Oh, and then there were the normal going-around-and-spitting-over-people's-shoulders types of things going on. :blush:

-d-

[Mel Johnson]

Used to be, that "Shades" was a standalone. With a lot of companies having full Bayaderes now, most of the activity has already been done before the first curtain-rise. Now, they're mostly all in performance gear, which runs all the way from, "Oboy, let's do this" to "What, again?" There are a lot of people in the show, so lots of different behaviors.

[SanderO]

I am can understand how there could be nervousness and anxiety if one felt that they or the cast or partner was not fully prepared. I think that might be what many who do not perform think of a stage fright. I am not a performer and so I can project what this might be like. YIKES.

On the other hand, I am sure that many performers love being on stage and the experience is transformative and they can't wait for the curtain to rise and for them to appear under the glare of stage lights.

Since the house is usually so dark and the light so bright, typically, it must be rather impossible to see the audience, and regardless see any reaction in any but the few close up... after all most of the audience requires binocs to see the performers facial expressions. Of course there is the applause at the appropriate times. So, in a sense being on stage might be like going into one of the interrogation rooms with a one way mirror, you can't see those who are observing you, but you know they are right there.

Then of course, there is the issue that you need to perform the work and be into it and not distracted by the reaction to it by the audience... a strange dichotomy. You perform for them (and you) but you don't want them to break the moment and the concentration by being too present. I find it hard to imagine what that emotional space must be like... and then of course, the performers come and go off the stage into the wings, back down to "reality", perhaps waiting for another turn. When you think of 20 or 40 or more even, people working as one on that stage creating those exquisite illusions of reality or the reality of illusions, it boggles the mind.

Performing dance on stage appears very emotionally (and of course physically) demanding, doesn't it? Or is it ever just fun?

[Mel Johnson]

Oh, yes, it's a lot of fun, and Bayadere provides a lot of endorphin spikes for all levels of the company, including the few students who are onstage as supernumeraries.

[Ostrich]

I wondered what the dancers were doing

Um..praying, maybe? :blush:

[87Sigfried87]

ISince the house is usually so dark and the light so bright, typically, it must be rather impossible to see the audience, and regardless see any reaction in any but the few close up... after all most of the audience requires binocs to see the performers facial expressions. Of course there is the applause at the appropriate times. So, in a sense being on stage might be like going into one of the interrogation rooms with a one way mirror, you can't see those who are observing you, but you know they are right there.

Then of course, there is the issue that you need to perform the work and be into it and not distracted by the reaction to it by the audience... a strange dichotomy. You perform for them (and you) but you don't want them to break the moment and the concentration by being too present. I find it hard to imagine what that emotional space must be like... and then of course, the performers come and go off the stage into the wings, back down to "reality", perhaps waiting for another turn. When you think of 20 or 40 or more even, people working as one on that stage creating those exquisite illusions of reality or the reality of illusions, it boggles the mind.

Performing dance on stage appears very emotionally (and of course physically) demanding, doesn't it? Or is it ever just fun?

It's true that you don't actually see the audience,or at least the single person....you can't!but When you walk on stage,even if you were blind,you'd feel the audience.When I'm on stage,I imagine there's a camera with a close up on me all the time,so that I do not forget being expressive only because i'm behind someone else or so....The audience doesn't really distract you as you don't really look at it!you just stare at an imaginary point in the darkness of the audience trying to express your feelings,with your own eyes,to that specific point.

Getting in and out of a character as you walk on or off stage is like when you are a child and you play a game in which you are someone else....as if a child is playing Zorro with his friends and suddently Mum calls him to go home and he gets back to being himself and goes home...at least to me!It's a game:-) a very demanding one of course!!!

[Hans]

I read in an interview that just before a performance of "Kingdom of the Shades," ABT's corps stands in a circle and links pinkies.

[SanderO]

Can someone explain the spitting over the shoulder custom?

[diane]

That is done in the two German-speaking countries which I know well - Germany and Austria.

I am not sure where it really started, but it appears it has to do with the jealousy of evil spirits and was a way of keeping the bad-things away.

The evil-spirits would come running/flying when they heard a good-wish; so in order to keep them at bay, one would have to do something, such as spit out three times, turn around three times, knock on wood (three times:-)) or whatever, to raise the protection of the good-wishes.

Some people think that the words "toi toi toi" (pronounced toy-toy-toy) come from saying the German name for devil three times, but not the whole name. (Teufel)

Who knows for sure?

-d-

[Mel Johnson]

If you're a Shade or a Wili, ANY unity exercise is a good idea! Swans are less so, as the choreography uses more visual variety, which is one of its many strengths.

I hadn't considered the "toi" as being more than echoic of the act of spitting, but the "Teufel" idea is a good one and probably works into the etymology somewhere. In the eastern part of Germany, it used to be "ptui", but then, where my ancestors came from was SO far east that sometimes it was Germany, sometimes it was Austria-Hungary, sometimes it was Russia, and now it's in Poland! Diane is right about avoiding the Evil Eye (mal'occhio). Spit if you don't have any salt to throw over your left shoulder!