Tonight, students and company members arrived at the spacious SPAC for our technical rehearsal. Students ran Panorama, while company members did Maple Leaf Rag.
While everyone was performing onstage, I took some video of the company members performing Maple Leaf Rag. You can watch the entire video of Maple Leaf Rag here. The night really flew by – before I knew it, we were back home. I believe the performance captured on video reflects that swift quality.
Feel free to add your own thoughts on tech rehearsals! Looking forward to a great evening of performances!
One Comment
Tech rehearsal and the performance at SPAC was an amazing experience for me. Growing up in Saratoga, I’ve attended countless events at SPAC, from huge musical concerts with guests including Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Maroon 5, and the likes, to smaller music festivals, to graduation ceremonies, to huge rehearsals and performances of the New York City Ballet when they’re in residency, etc. All of these past personal experiences have had two aspects in common: 1) people I idolized for various reasons were onstage, right in front of me, in person, and I was so excited by that!, and 2) I was never onstage with them. This time, things changed, and I have literally sat in bed and just pondered how lucky I am to have been granted this opportunity this summer. Thinking about it, I’ve gotten to dance with my greatest mentor in the dance field, a current member of the Graham company, as well as with another member who has individually made the most lasting physical and mental impact on my dancing thus far (through a previous experience). This performance was set on not just any stage, but on the stage where I’ve sat in every section of the audience on numerous occasions and dreamed about dancing on since I was about 8 years old. I shared this stage with the amazing members of the Martha Graham Dance Company, by whom I will be inspired by for the rest of my dancing years, as well as with 35 fellow dancers who are just as serious and excited about dance as I am. As an additional side note, just watching the company members and rehearsal directors rehearse and “goof off” backstage made the concept of dance as a profession so real and possible, I was just thrilled by it. The experience, topped with a gorgeous setting that means more to me personally than most other places on Earth, was inspiring, empowering, and humbling all at the same time. It is absolutely an experience I will never forget.