The Last Day of Rehearsal

Today we all gathered at our Rose Building studios to finish rehearsing Opus Jazz. Once again we were joined by former Opus Jazz dancer turned ballet master, Eddie Verso, to polish up the ballet.

It's great to see things coming together finally. I have been in this ballet since N.Y.C.B. had its' premiere of it back in 2005 and over the years the cast has changed many times. Some of these rehearsals can be tedious since some of us have learned these dances long ago and now we are re-teaching things to some new dancers. But it is still valuable to tighten up what you already know and get things looking even better for filming.

Cast changes to a ballet that you have danced for a long time can normally go by unnoticed. One day you may look to your left and see a different dancer, but the dance still stays the same and you don't really think twice. Opus Jazz it not one of those ballets. When a new member joins the cast the ballet changes. We are not blank dancers filling a costume that fits, nor are we dancers playing a character from a story that will never change. We are playing ourselves. This is not a usual occurrence in the ballet world. We are use to either being the paint on a choreographers' canvas, or playing a role in a story. Now, a different cast member can seem foreign and a little confusing at first. Almost like initiating a new gang member, it takes some time for a new cast member to truly fit in and become accepted. I think today we reached that point, or are close enough to go forward.