Jarkko Lehmus Diary

A Happy Bunny Roast

I wasn't a particularly happy bunny last time. I felt very strongly about the whole process and wanted it to be as good as possible. A couple of extra rehearsals and some pep-talking later the piece was on stage. Spacing was a breeze and the ligting came together pretty fast as well thanks to Grahame Coyle, the techie, being on the ball. I was happy to wish the dancers good luck for the show and let the piece from my hands. It was theirs now.

Watching a show as a choreogiraffe is always strange. You're nervous and excited, but there's nothing you can do anymore. You're just sitting there while other people are doing the work that your name is attached to. As dancer it is much easier: you make the best of what you are given and if the choreography is rubbish, it's not your fault. Being on stage you still have your spoon in the pot all the way to the end. Being a choreographer... Imagine that you've got a bunch of your friends over and you're cooking for them, but you're not eating yourself. It's like being a commercial chef. You're getting paid for cooking people food, you do your best, but the only thing you've got to go on how well things are received is the customers' faces.

So there I was all dressed up building a nervous patch of sweat on my seat. The piece kicked off and was over before I knew it and the crowd went wild! I was so happy for the dancers. I was relieved for myself, but the main thing was the kids on the stage. A job well done then.

Other than that the work has been keeping me just busy enough. Stephen's piece is just about getting there. It'll be a bit puffy once it's all done... The Trisha Brown people came in today and we've got a provisional casting for the piece. It'll be something a totally different again. I'll be in the thick of it, but we don't know all the details yet. As long as I'm not the bloke who stands the whole 25 minutes facing upstage...

Outside work I've cultured myself by talking about the finer points of stalking haggis with the Phoenix guys in Stirling and feeling moved by the arty Belgians of Les Ballets C de la B in the Tramway. It's good to feed the brain a bit to stave away the cabin fever.

Ten days of work left and I'll be getting on the bike to burn some rubber around some pretty Alpine passes. I might have to get my day-glo Speedos, the horned helmet and shades out and go for a little summer skiing on the glaziers. That'll be a Kodak moment...

Posted by Jarkko at May 29, 2007 06:40 PM