Dear Sanna - Awkward

We had an extremely random rehearsal today. It was for a ballet we did at the beginning of the year a few times, haven't done for months, and will do a LOT in a few months. It is the same one where I really don't do much, but was "second cast" for a part I really wanted. This is the one where I need to be really together with my opposite, etc. It seemed like we were a solid second cast who would probably never perform, but we weren't so sure.

Then this rehearsal happened the other day. First of all, the dancer who I replaced in a few ballets this year returned a few weeks ago. Nobody is quite sure what this means. Maybe she will take back all her old parts, and the other dancers and I will be kicked out of our spots. Only time will tell. In this case a few of us guessed that she and another higher ranking dancer in the company would step into this part, bumping first cast down, and kicking me and my friend out of second cast. So when the higher ranking soloist came to me and asked if I heard she was doing the part, I was disappointed. Until she explained that we were doing it together. But that means my very good friend who I used to dance with was taken out, and I knew this would crush her. So I couldn't even be happy. I just felt horrible.

They didn't even have the decency to tell us properly. Everyone had to find out through someone else, nobody exactly sure what was happening and why. My friend cried a lot, and I felt helpless. I was afraid to even try to comfort her, because maybe she just really didn't want to see me at this point.

Of course later when she was a little better, she told me of course it's not my fault and she's not mad at me, and I know it's not, but it's still such a hard position to be in, and also really new for me. I am much more used to being on the other side, usually faking happiness.

Anyway on the bright side the director still likes me enough to place me with this other dancer in the part I really wanted! (Did I mention we are first cast and the original first cast is now second?) I am not counting on it, but hopefully it will last and I can really work on this part and learn to enjoy this ballet for once!

Janie

Attention Performers Who Stress Eat.

You are invited to attend The Golden Fork, an extraordinary eating experience designed to STOP stress eating. This Five Step Solution makes returning to the table easier and increases your love for food and eating again.

the feeling of being unsatisfied is partly due to the stress, fast eating that is bad news for the digestive tract, health and stress. You can slow down.

If you eat too much, inahle the wrong foods, or eat a certain food too much this class will help you to increase your awareness for what your body, mind and heart needs. Do you know there are seven kinds of hunger? They do not need to be satisfied with food?

Anxiety about performing sends many performers to the sugar cookies, or causes them to eat too much or not enough. This seminar teaches how to be satisfied with a less, especially during performance season. (This is not a treatment program for eating disorders.)
Read more about it here. (on-line seminar available soon.) Email me if you are interested in information. This class is held in Pittsburgh,PA in Jan. 2010.

http://www.mentalperformances.com/?section=mindful_eating_practice

Sanna Carapellotti, MS CHt
Your Performance Coach.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and lots of good rest !

Love you all,

Sanna

Dear Sanna - dancing alone

This is a very busy performance time for me. I have shows every day this week, sometimes more than one each day, but I love it. It's nice to get into the swing of things and perform the same show for a while, as opposed to our usual random shows of various programs. I was a bit nervous for the first show, but since I am understudying a major role, in reality I am not dancing THAT much, although I still have a nice part.

Anyway my partner for one section happens to be the one guy in the show who switches, since when he is not dancing with me he is doing the principle role, so I basically have half the amount of rehearsals with each partner. Unfortunately, this can be confusing, especially when the guy who danced the principle role the first show had to dance with me for the second show without ever getting a run-through. Something was bound to go wrong, and it did when I did a pirouette and realized my partner was not there to catch me. I landed okay and improvised a little pose while everyone around me went into a shoulder sit and continued with the rest of the dance. It was a little embarrassing, but I am not really upset about it, especially because I have a soft spot for the guy who left me. Oh and I forgot to mention in the same show, a different partner had me completely off my leg to the point I had to whisper to him left! left! in the middle of the stage. So embarrassing. A great show for me really. But amazingly instead of the typical hysterical reaction from the director, telling me I need to hold myself or just generally being mad about things going wrong, I actually was praised on my professional way of handling the situation, and my partners didn't get it too bad either. It was my lucky day, apart from the fact that my partners tipped me over and forgot about me.

Janie

Holiday Disciplines - Hi, Tom,

I agree with you. I was wondering the same thing! However, magazines set their editorial calendar based on what they think is best. The magazine article should be out very soon.

Do you have any specific questions? There are many ways to manage. I can address your specific question, or situation and speak in general terms.

Thank you for your comment! I appreciate it!

Sanna

Raising the Barre on Your Attitude

Read my most recent article in DANCER Magazine:

Raising the Barre On Your Attitude!

Written by your truly in the November issue.

There is a lively discussion about how Instructors can read your mind, how to 'read' yourself better in the studio and two exercises for you to directly witness how the body does not lie.

Check it out - HERE!

Happy Nutcrackering!

Sanna Carapellotti, MS CHt

Mentalperformances.com

PS - You do not want to miss next months issue where I interview three dancers about how they discipline themselves through the holidays. I was impressed by their strength! By the way, I am always looking for dancers to interview. If you are interested, let me know and I will consider you for future articles, or events. Sanna@mentalperformances.com

Dear Sanna - understudying

I think I mentioned at the very beginning of the year that I had the honor of understudying one of the leading roles in the ballet we are, actually just now, about to perform. Well a lot has happened since then. The first cast of this role was changed for a different role, and another dancer became the first cast. Nobody mentioned me, but I assumed I was still the understudy.

It is very strange though, because I'm not even sure there have been more than 2 scheduled rehearsals for this part, and one of them literally said "learn from the video in the small studio," so even the girl who will dance the role is barely rehearsed. Often times, she will run the variation or watch the video or rehearse on her own time, which is good, but I feel weird about asking for my own private rehearsals, and they almost never tell me when she is going to practice.

So I find myself just watching her all day, and throwing on my pointe shoes to practice in the back behind her every time she works on something. In general I just feel stupid, but also it is my responsibility to learn this, first of all in case something should happen to the first cast and I have to go in, but second of all for my own good in case I am miraculously asked to dance the role. It would be a shame for the artistic director to actually cast me and then I can't perform because I don't know the part or didn't rehearse it well.

But I decided to stop being upset about this, and see it as a learning experience for myself. Chances are I won't perform this part, but I am going to appreciate the fact that I even have to opportunity to learn it (above any of the other girls who could be understudies), and work to dance the best I can, and if I am ever given the chance I will have done everything I could, and if not this time, I can get a lot out of learning this choreography and character. Every time I dance I can learn a little more about myself and improve.

Janie: Watch Me -

Janie and everyone who reads this,

Look in the mirror and love yourself.  You can't be perfect (unless you are photoshopped!) Do the best you can whether you are in the core, or lead, and anywhere in between. It doesn't matter where you stand. Put yourself out there as if you are performing through every show the last time for your life.  

Free your inner dancer ~   

Every performance is your opportunity to get better and better, to grow more certain and to do what you love.  Take that part of your to the stage.  The more you love yourself, the stronger you are through the highs and lows of performing. You keep dancing until you decide to stop. You know how hard you can work and what is demanded. Watch those ahead of you who are stars. Learn from them and how they work. Take "KNOW" for an answer.

Be excellent. As the curtain goes down, you can raise your arms high to say you did it. Someone is watching.

My besr to all of you through Nutcrackers and Winter performances.

I LOVE YOU ALL for making me smile, laugh and cry ...

Sanna Carapellotti, MS CHt

Dance Mom, Performance Coach and Therapist

Mentalperformances.com