MSDE’s annual recital, “Ballet, Boogie, & Broadway,” kicks off in just under 5 hours. We had an excellent dress rehearsal last night, I got to leave my costumes on the premises so I don’t have to carry them over there again today, I have all the correct shoes in my bag, and (hopefully) the things I wore and then washed last night are dry now. Daniel’s stuff is packed and ready to go and the video camera is charging. Here is what I learned at dress rehearsal:
- It’s great to NOT be in 12 different numbers (as one of my young fellow dancers is) because that’s exhausting and you sweat a lot. But being in only 3, widely spaced apart, as I am, is slightly too few. You get all cold and stiff in between. I’m going to feel silly carrying in legwarmers and a shrug when it’s 90 degrees out, but I’ll be doing it and wearing them anyway!
- If you have my haircut (razor-cut pixie, no 2 strands the same length) and have to slick it back to look like a ballerina, the secret is to wet it and then slather on gel like there’s no tomorrow. When your ballet number is over and you have to unslick to look like a modern or ballroom dancer, re-wet it from another dancer’s spray bottle (bless you, E. J.) and rearrange with a comb. Be prepared for Horror Hair when you brush it all out later. Shampoo twice the next morning (buy one of these in advance to use when it’s all over).
- Draw your eyeliner wings on carefully lest your husband/dance partner point out to you–after it’s too late, of course–that they are incongruent.
- Something’s wrong when you regret things that haven’t happened yet.
- If you are planning to wear a wig, bring it with you!
- There’s no crying at recital. Mostly.
- He may not agree, but it was worth it for our Widow Simone to shave his goatee.
- The big kids are so talented, the little kids are so adorable, and we’re just lucky to be up there with ’em.
Recap/photos/video coming soon!