Grace was cast in two roles - one of Clara's friends in the Act 1 party scene and a Russian dancer in Act 2. She and the other dancers have been putting in numerous hours for rehearsals since October to prepare for the performances that started this weekend.
One of the amazing things about BTO's show is that the dancers perform at the Akron Civic Theater, an historic venue that was built in 1929. It is one of the prettiest theaters I have ever seen and one of only 16 like it left in the United States. When you are inside, the ceiling really looks like the night sky.
As a parent volunteer, I had the opportunity to be on the stage steaming Mother Ginger's dress -
- and backstage where I got to see how a production with over 100 dancers is produced. Part of that was seeing the seamstresses working on 190 costumes, wigs, shoes, etc.
The first day we arrived at the Civic for rehearsal, Grace said, "I have been here to see the shows, but I am so excited that I get to dance on that stage!" So cute and it makes all the effort to get her to dance class worth it.
The Russian/party girls (ha!) share a dressing room. There are 16 of them in a room built for 1/2 that number. So, this is what it ended up looking like.
Costume fittings go from this...
...and this....
...to this!
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| Anna, Grace, Allison |
It was really fun to watch how close the girls get since they spend so much time together during the days leading up to the performances.
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| Grace and Quinn Prado |
Grace looked beautiful in both of her costumes but I loved the girly curls for the traditional party scene.
The Russian dance a fast-paced, acrobatic performance in Act 2. That is the costume the girls wear at the end of the show. They are allowed to come out to the audience to greet guests and sign autographs.
We have another week of rehearsals (3:00-10:00pm!) and another weekend of shows to go!
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