BOSTON
BALLET
SPAIN TOUR 2007
Diary of the Tour
by Sarah Wroth, Boston Ballet corps de ballet member
August 17, 2007
I am sitting here wiggling my toes in the sand
in Palmanova, a small beach in Mallorca. The water is green and
when you dive beneath the surface, you can open your eyes easily to
look at the rocks settled on the sand. A string of sails decorate
the blue horizon creating a changing postcard for us to look at. It
is really hard for me to grasp how lucky I am to do what I do. I
dance classical ballet. We work long hours, we board buses,
airplanes and death-trap ferries, but there is so much beauty in it
all. Ballet onstage is a release, ballet class is a release and if
that wasn’t enough, on tour, we have the opportunity to rest
our muscles on some of Spain’s most picturesque beaches. Good
friends, hot sun, bottles of water and hotel towels- what more do
you need on a day off?
Tomorrow we rehearse and perform La Sylphide in
Mallorca. We are sold out. We are excited. It is really strange
only performing one show here. When you think about it, there is a
certain nervous energy for the first show of a 10 show run we
normally perform in Boston. There is a reciprocal release and
explosive passion that accompanies the final show. So…. My
thinking is, most shows on tour (when we are only doing one show in
a city) end up being a buffet of energy and excitement dependant on
how the individual dancer reacts. There have been one- show times
where I was nervous and faced stomach butterflies telling me that I
had a huge weight of responsibility to be perfect. Then there were
shows like the last in Perelada, where I and virtually everyone
onstage had the free energy of an 8 year old at recess. We were
free and confident and being reunited with some important Boston
fans (our loyal Trustees, Overseers and supporters) helped so much.
It was like having cheering family members at a recreation tee-ball
game. They made us feel so good and knowing it was our last Spanish
fling with the Balanchine show made for an amazing show. After the
show we put on our finest clothes that have been saved in a special
corner of our suitcase. Even the crew, who has worked like dogs
this tour, got special haircuts from Jason (wigs and makeup) for
the occasion. The ham and cheese was plentiful and there was just
enough champagne to make the hungry dancers giggle and joke the
whole bus ride home.
Bus to plane brought us to Mallorca. When we
stepped out of the airport the mystical golden light of Spain was
there to greet us. Mallorca is special. No wonder German tourists
flock here in the August heat. I am going to stop writing now and
reapply the sunscreen so I am not the only red sylph in the second
act.
Back to Tour Diary
Diary of
the Tour
A dancer's view
through the online diary of Sarah Wroth, Boston Ballet corps de
ballet member.
Notes
from Spain
Artistic
Director Mikko Nissinen sends you his updates straight from
Spain.
Photo Gallery
Behind the Scenes on tour...catch the
dancers and production crew as they prepare for each
festival.
Boston
Ballet va de gira por Espana
Boston Ballet estará de gira durante seis semanas en
España apartir de Julio del 2007.