I've often wondered just what goes on behind the scenes to bring the dance we see on stage to fruition. Of course the real hub of all activity is the rehearsal studio; this is where the creative grunt work goes on and the spit and polish finally gets applied. Catching Hampy in a happy mood (ie pub) he agreed to let me sit-in on some of the preparations for Country Garden. It proved a real eye-opener and far more interesting than your average performance!

In reality it's impossible to give an exact account of what goes on because so much is happening at times and everybody - dancers, teachers, pianists, notators - obviously have their own ways. So here is an unstructured brain dump of what you might have seen of Country Garden coming together with less than 2 weeks to its premiere.....

From outside you hear the plink of the piano hammering out a well-known tune by Percy Grainger. Wait for a break. Head round door. Nothing, but nothing, prepares you. Dancers are scattered all over and in all manner of positions, none of them as you or I would sit though. Legs everywhere. Some dancers seem uninvolved while others are gulping air having just tried getting it right for the umpteenth time. Hampy is giving instructions and quizzing and advising dancers because obviously it is not yet looking how it should. Slowly close the door. Nobody seems to know an outsider is there.

Dancers wind back. "AND...." the 1,2,3 is not needed the 'and' being sufficient to get the piano going. At the side, one of the dancers is reading a book, legs 180 degree out and gently stretching and circling feet and ankles which seem to have a life of their own. It's absolutely amazing! Hampy keeps an eye on the 4 boys and 4 girls while smiling my way, gesturing to a corner and bringing a chair over. A nod - he looks reasonably happy. Notator looks hard at the dancers and hard at her pencilled hieroglyphics. Something amiss perhaps. The ensemble dancing is in fact all over the place and ends in a total shambles. Its seriously grim, and these are professionals! My god, it dawns on you, the ability to create pretty patterns and do things together is not a natural gift - sheer bloody hard work.

How to put it right? Everybody starts contributing their bit. Hampy demonstrates what he recalls. Notator agrees (after consulting the sacred notes). A stream of individual comments emerge. Everybody is constantly, constantly using their hands and arms to count the movement and steps. The book-reading girl is now up on point and limbering up. She is wearing the most horrible kit. In fact they all are. Nothing matches and there are holes and torn bits everywhere. Do they have no pride, you think! But it's the professional ballet dancer grunge look and no dancer would be seen any other way. The 8 try again and get at least a note further before the inevitable anarchy.

This is the first cast. Second cast watch intently - or at least some do. But it's not obvious who everybody is in the studio. Some at any rate mimic and dance at the side. When not dancing most dancers seem to constantly check their understanding of the moves - more use of the universal counting with hands and arms. Sometimes they mark with their legs as well. They also gaze into the middle distance, glaze-eyed, at the same time. Dancers talk to dancers in the same piece, second cast has the odd word with first cast. If there is a lull, dancers thinking of another part entirely will consult with the notator or each other. The notator is/was a dancer and often demonstrates while consulting the Benesh squiggles. But a couple of seconds of dance seems to require several looks and checks.

"AND..." Relative success and we get to a solos part for boy and girl, complete with the odd lift. The others shuffle to the side. Most are wearing big plastic knickers outside their tights. They must suffer from cold bums! Or is it that they just want to cover up something that worries them; nobody is more body-conscious then dancers. Whatever, the knickers make them look slightly surreal. A principal girl is having real problems getting the solo right. It's not technique, its getting the brain around the sequence of moves. Goodness knows how many dances are crowded in her brain and muscles.

Suddenly it becomes clear that nobody, Hampy included, is quite sure what the moves are. The Notator earnestly looks at the Benesh and demonstrates. Vague recollections emerge. Second cast look flummoxed. "AND.." we try again. No - body won't do it. Its not natural! A dancer walks in, lost in thought and straight past everybody. Obviously remembering what he has been taught elsewhere. The studio seems to be the only way to some other rooms. What a place!

The principal suggests a change, Hampy suggests a change, Notator suggests a change and other principals suggest a change (it seems anyway). For 15 minutes all concentrate on getting this key bit right for 1 dancer. For 13 minutes everything is wrong. Sweat pours, frustration builds but calm prevails. Nothing unusual here. Other dancers joke and murmur, two even kiss briefly in a corner. Everywhere there are piles of shoes and knick-knacks. Some dancers occasionally change shoes. What battered feet they have, no wonder they seldom wear sandals in public. "AND..." some success and appreciative nods. The principal briefly smiles even. Or was it all a cruel mistake? Keep trying.

Notator sees a mistake, rubber comes out and one strange squiggle is replaced by another. The video rolls; Hampy needs some bedtime viewing obviously. Dancers go in dribs and drabs and others waddle in from time to time. Goodness knows why 'cos some seem to sit and do nothing. Perhaps second cast, or do they just like the piano plinking away. Perhaps hoping that everybody else will get injured and they can have an extra slice of the man. Shoes, tops and bottoms are constantly adjusted and arms continue to mark the moves as they try and remember their stuff. There is still much lying about with their feet up. Lots of feet up. Lots of stretching. They can do anything with their bodies it seems. They are like the big cats you see on the television lounging around so relaxed

The notator smiles. "AND... thank you" everybody is too knackered, and with some progress made that bit gets put away for a day or two. Other dancers spring up, or more often, get up rather leisurely - there's an appearance that it's all so hard. Girls try limbering up on point - a tall girl nonchalantly shuffles from side to side getting her shoes bedded-in. So amazingly tall and as a simple movement so utterly beautiful. It's odd because it seems that everything, the room, the dancers in their grunge clothes, their manner etc looks dowdy and uncared for. Only when the piano plays does beauty genuinely emerge. The instant the piano stops, every scrap of beauty dies in an instant. It's like a rejection of all that ballet is about.

The boss, Derek Deane, puts his head round the door. Come to nick steps again is the universally held belief! He watches for a while; goodness knows if he thinks it good or bad, though obviously everybody wants to impress in their own way. I even find myself straightening up in the chair.

Rehearsals continue and my feet stretch out only to be withdrawn as all the floor space seems needed by first and second cast both getting it together. A dancer coming towards you in full flight is both intimidating and wondrous - even in oversize plastic pants!

The second hour is up and we reach the end of the slot. Hampy hurries away to rehearse for his part in Who Cares. Instant switch from boss to minion. Progress has been made. Lifts are now a bit more in unison, a solo has been conquered, the hieroglyphics have been honed and the counting hands and arms have forced sequences into tired muscles and brains. Hampy is happy, but there will still be changes yet and a complete run though is days away or only a week before the premiere.....

I would like to thank Hampy and all involved in Country Garden rehearsals for allowing me such a privileged view of a working rehearsal. I have to say I think you all deserve far more money for doing what you do (and I'm sure Derek has the necessary arrangements in hand!!).