NYC Premiere!

Tonight is the NY premiere of New York Export: Opus Jazz, The Film, at Alice Tully Hall. This will be my first time watching it in its entirety. When I began this blog, I had imagined that I would write about the whole process, from rehearsing and filming, to editing and post production work, but soon after filming, I began to feel like I was having a baby, and I wanted to be surprised by the finished product. Tonight I will finally learn if it's a boy or girl. I never understood how parents could wait until birth to know if they'll have a son or daughter, but I get it now. I was able to hear from others that the "baby" was healthy and developing fine and that was good enough for me. But what I heard the most, and will hopefully have confirmed tonight, is that this "baby" is hot.

I've known Ellen Bar since I first moved to New York, she was one of my freakishly close friends that would spend nearly every waking second together. She always intimidated me with her dry sense of humor and staggeringly high SAT score. (I still remember what is is, but won't share it here) Sean and I became close after a few years of working together. He has happily remained one the most neurotic of friends, perfectly balancing his colt like energy with a near comatose state of exhaustion.

I have watched them pour their souls into this film, thrilled by successes and defeated by set backs. There were times when you just didn't want to ask how things were going because you could feel the stress and you knew that this film was always forefront in their minds. At times it seemed that giving up was the only way forward but they pushed ahead and have produced a film that will bring Jerome Robbins back in to living room just like when his Ballets USA was dancing Opus Jazz on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.

Working on this film has been the most fulfilling experience that I've ever had as a dancer. I wish that it wasn't over so that I could do it again. I am so proud of Ellen and Sean for following their vision and never giving up. Congratulations to them and to everyone else who helped to bring this film to life.