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December 24, 2004
Time Flies when you’re Dancing
Christmas Already?
I can’t believe it’s Christmas already. I always have a sick feeling in my stomach when I see Christmas cards and wrapping paper appearing in the shops in August,
but now I wish I’d bought everything then. At least I wouldn’t have to fight my way through the crowds in central London. Where do all the people come from? Oxford street is like a rampant river, I just hope all the shoppers come to the ballet.
Since August so much has happened, here are some of the highlights.
With English National Ballet I toured to Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol and Southampton performing Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet and Christopher Hampson’s Nutcracker. Men in Tights – the television programme I did a year ago - was nominated for two television awards. (The Grierson award for most entertaining documentary and The Royal Television Society award for best Network feature or documentary) and I visited Manchester Grammar school for boys to talk about ballet, and my experiences training shipyard workers.
A costume change is as good as a rest
Performing in Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Romeo and Juliet is a very hectic experience. Some performances I may have up to nine costume changes and be on stage or changing costume during most of the three hours of the performance. The fight scenes can get very dangerous but luckily there have been no knockouts or stabbings that I’ve heard about. The last time the company performed this production in 2002, on the opening night, three of the ladies in the company went off injured after the first scene. Two of them had head-butted each other and one of the ladies had twisted her ankle. There was a frantic period as the show had to be recast but fortunately the rest of the show ran without a hitch. During the latest tour, as far as I’m aware, nothing as dramatic took place. Although I did manage to get a black eye from one of the dancers during one of the fight scene rehearsals, but then I stabbed him. It was Mercutio after all.
Daniel Jones and Arionel Vargas rehearsing Tybalt and Romeo's fight. Photo © Daniel Jones
Time Flies when you’re Dancing
After three weeks performing Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet, we had one week in London to rehearse the Nutcracker before travelling down to Southampton. It wasn’t a very long rehearsal period so everyone had to do their homework. Homework for a dancer means watching the company’s video of the production during breaks, or asking someone else in the company if they don’t mind teaching you the steps in their spare time. This is especially difficult for the new company members as they probably haven’t even seen the production.
The opening night went very well, and hearing Tchaikovsky’s Christmas melodies once more was a delight. It’s now twenty years since I first performed in the Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker as a child at the Royal Opera House. Time flies when you’re dancing.
A nice place for a cup of tea. Photo © Daniel Jones
A Royal treat
At the end of the week in Southampton, we had a Christmas party on stage at the Mayflower theatre. The dancers put on their own cabaret show which included a special awards ceremony presented by Andre Portasio and Ivan Dinev. They were very glamorous hosts and to close the cabaret Ivan showed off his pointe work skills with his own version of the sugar plum fairy.
The following week, to celebrate our return to the London Coliseum, English National Ballet were invited to tea at Buckingham Palace in the company of our Patron - His Royal Highness, The Duke of York. It was a truly delightful afternoon and the dancers magically made all the cakes disappear. As we sipped tea in the central room of the palace we peered through the window onto the balcony where the Royal family appear on special occasions. It was a nice place to celebrate, and actually, the tea wasn’t bad at all.
A Very Merry Christmas
I am now well and truly into the Nutcracker season and it’s lovely to back at the London Coliseum. The theatre looks glorious and it’s a pleasure to be here. From dressing room 14, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
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