Welcome to Barre None, my new video blog exclusively on Huffington Post. I'm Sara Mearns and I hope to be your tour guide into the world of classical ballet. You might ask yourself, "Why a video blog that goes behind the scenes of a classical ballet dancer's daily life?" Because what you see on the stage does not begin to capture what ballet or our lives are all about. You see the performance, but what you don't see -- the rehearsals, the costume designs, the frazzled nerves, the learning of a new ballet, the constant travels around the world, the injuries and the oftentimes long, painful road to recovery that lead us to wonder if this is the injury that can end a career -- it's all a part of what we do and who we are.
I'm only one dancer, but I hope that by giving you a window into my life as a principal ballerina at New York City Ballet, a door will be opened to more interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm for this artform that I, and so many others, love and work so hard for. So come on in, pull up a seat, and join me every Friday. You'll have a great time. I promise. Barre None.
Breakdowns and Breakthroughs
Have you ever had one of those moments where you know you are part of something great but you just don't know how to express it or explain it to anyone without making them feel jealous or envious? That's what's happening to me right now. I also feel I don't want this experience to end; I want every project I do to be like this. This meaning "A Dancer's Dream" with the New York Philharmonic.
We did a complete run through of the production today for the first time with the entire production staff, administrative staff, musicians, conductors, costume/wardrobe ladies, camera men, director, choreographer, and stage manager. I mean, you name it, they were in the room. My face was purple by the time we got through it and that was with a three-minute break for me to catch my breath and with the end of the ballet not yet completed. It was definitely a breakthrough moment for me to get through something of this magnitude. I was then able to sit and rest to watch the second half of the production, which is an entirely staged puppetry act. I was completely blown away and mesmerized by the puppets and how the puppeteers maneuvered all the pieces and parts all over the stage. It was like magic. None of these rehearsals has included the film material that will be shown above during the entire night.
This is what I mean about being a part of something so exciting you can't even put words to it, being a part of something I might not ever experience again in my lifetime or in my career. The rehearsal process is almost over and we move into the theater on Monday. Then, a different adventure will begin which brings the story to life on stage with live music. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it. I'm so glad I'm able to express my happiness with you and I hope when and if it comes back to the New York stage, you will be able to see it. If not, it might be coming to you!
If you haven't already, visit the "Giants Are Small" Facebook page to see behind the scenes videos and photos of the whole process and a very funny web series featuring yours truly acting on camera with a puppet!
See you next week for the opening!
Check out last week's video blog here.
You can find Sara Mearns on twitter here: @nycbstar2b.