Scottish Ballet dancer Louisa Hassell fills us in on life on the road as the 40th Anniversary Season comes to an end.
We’ve just had the last two weeks of the autumn season, performing at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen and Eden Court Theatre in Inverness. All of us except the newer dancers are all really used to touring to these venues. The trip always starts with a three-hour coach journey up north, all of us hoping that someone bought a decent DVD with them. It’s completely up to us where we stay, many of us preferring self-catering so that we can cook after the show and don’t need to get up too early for breakfast!
Kara McLaughlin and Bethany Kingsley-Garner get ready for the show.
Mark Kimmett shows them how it's done!
Aberdeen’s Her Majesty’s Theatre was the first venue, and after Edinburgh ,and it feels like one extreme to the other. Where Edinburgh feels big, Aberdeen feels small which can prove quite a challenge in adapting the movement so you have enough space to dance and not bash into other people. The stage is also raked meaning that it slopes slightly downward, making everything feel very different as it’s like dancing on a mini hill. It always feels like we’re just getting used to it when it’s time to move on!
Bethany Kingsley-Garner and Paul Liburd backstage at Eden Court.
Lorena Fernandez Saez warms up.
I did some more work with the Education department this week helping out with some workshops and talks. It’s great to be able to explain a little about the show and the repertoire before they come to see it, hopefully helping people to get more out of watching the performance.
Education Officer Emma-Jane McHenry and Louisa (in yellow tshirts) lead a dance workshop at Danscentre, Aberdeen
Inverness was the next and final leg of the autumn tour with performances at Eden Court. As I wasn’t performing on opening night, I watched the performance listening to the audio description service provided by the Education department for the blind and partially sighted. It was as amazing way to enjoy the performance and I think the service is a wonderful way to help visually impaired people enjoy the experience of going to the theatre. The language that was used was so descriptive and expressive, I could imagine how people would really get pleasure from this service. The performance was fantastic and greatly enjoyed by the audience. The audience are quite close to the stage in Eden Court compared with other theatres so it feels a more intimate experience between the dancers and those watching.
Keeping dressing rooms tidy is difficult!
So the autumn season is over and it has been a great success. I think that everyone is ready for a change now though and work is already underway for the Christmas season. The casting is up, rehearsals have started, so it's now time for The Nutcracker!