13 December 2012
BUNHEADS: Poly’s dedicated Riverside Ballet Arts’ ballerinas rigorously rehearse to perform their annual Nutcracker production.
By Kira Roybal, Staff writer
Nothing says it’s time for the holiday season like strolling through Downtown Riverside’s Festival of Lights while sipping hot chocolate that tenders your chilled nose and listening to the music that winds through the crisp air; or frantically searching for just-the-right presents for everyone on your Christmas list; or patiently waiting for those gloomy winter days even though that California sun never seems to go away.
But something is missing here. What could it be?
Oh, but of course – the holiday season could not be in full swing without Riverside Ballet Arts’ annual performance of David Allan’s The Nutcracker. This year’s performance will include guest dancers Clara Blanco and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba of the San Francisco Ballet.
The Nutcracker, a child-like yet emotionally powerful ballet, tells the story of a young girl named Clara who dreams that her toy nutcracker becomes a real prince and takes her on a journey to a land of snow and sweets after he battles the dreaded Mouse King.
The final production is magical and the dancing looks effortless, but behind it were hours of rehearsals. The week preceding the performance, which is on December 15 and 16, is the most hectic; the dancers in the show do not even have time to go to school.
Natalie Ethell (12), one of the ballerinas in the show, explained that the rehearsals begin at 3:30 p.m. with an hour and a half ballet class. Then the dancers must drive to RCC’s Landis Theater to rehearse the ballet until the doors close at 10:30 p.m.
Ethell said that she plans to do her schoolwork during the morning hours at home, but there’s also the little problem of getting enough sleep in order to stay energetic. “I really don’t know when I’m gonna find time [to finish my schoolwork].”
However, schoolwork is not the main focus of the week for these dedicated dancers; they have a show to put on. Ethell said she will be performing seven different parts in The Nutcracker, including the corps de ballet, the waltz solo and the Arabian dance. “My favorite would probably be Arabian. I really like doing Arabian,” Ethell said.
Ballet may look very graceful and effortless, but it does not come without blood, sweat and tears. A dancer’s feet go through a lot of wear and tear: blisters, calluses, bunions and toenails falling off and bleeding skin are just a few of the sacrifices their feet have to make in order to bring beauty to the stage.
Besides worrying about how much their feet may hurt, ballerinas must also be ready to handle frenetic situations behind the spotlight. From dashing backstage for costume “quick changes” and dashing back to the stage wings to get ready for the next dance to nervously hair spraying pointe shoe ribbons to keep them in place, the dance world behind the stage is one the audience rarely sees. Ethell said that one of the most stressful situations under these time constraints is when she has to run and bump into people standing in her way backstage as she rushes to the stage.
Ethell said that during her regular ballet classes she goes through a pair of pointe shoes every two weeks. Imagine how much that costs – $40 to perhaps $100 per pair of pointe shoes. For this year’s performance, she will have to use three pairs of pointe shoes. “They’ll probably be dead by the end.”
Ballet is not just for the dancer; the performances are made especially for the audience. “[The Nutcracker] is sparkly,” Poly student Melissa Bustos (11) said. “It reminded me of when I was a kid.”
Despite all of the stress and pain that comes with putting on a ballet production, the satisfaction that comes with the roar of the audience is what every dancer seeks. “Being able to perform – that’s why I go to [ballet] class every day,” Ethell said.
“I love […] knowing that it’s something not many people do,” Ethell said. “When you look at our school, there aren’t a lot of dancers, so it’s pretty unique.”