In the spirit of the holidays - Part 1 (8 wild moments)

Chanukkah bush and the Jewish nutcracker my mom made me

 In the spirit of the holidays, I have decided to make two lists. This first list is written in the spirit of Chanukkah. Being a secular super Jew (maybe that is an exaggeration),  I am quite aware that the Festival of Lights is well past, but lets keep the celebration going. In honor of the 8 days and nights that the oil burnt bright, I am posting 8 wild moments I experienced while freelancing this year from Philadelphia to Alaska and all the way back to South Carolina.

Super Jew???

1.  One of my wildest experiences while freelancing this year happened while dancing with Alaska Dance Theatre in Anchorage. I was set to dance on live television for Alaska LIVE with Bernadette. About 30 minutes prior to airing across the state, I rehearsed a solo that I performed as Cassio in Othello. Nobody noticed that I rehearsed facing the wrong direction. When my live segment was coming up, they finally realized that they had told me to face the wrong way. The new space was very odd and I was dancing on concrete. Let's just say I winged the whole thing very well.

2. During class at one of my gigs, a dancer sprained her ankle. The director leapt out of their office and said, "You will hate me for this, but you must grab a belt, put in your mouth, stand up, go to barre, and do 100 tendues with sprained ankle. NOW GO!" Let's just say I about died and had to leave the room. (PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!)

3. Three words - Disco search lights during the Sugar Plum variation. While I'm on Nutcracker...performing at a mega church, the addition of English, Italian, and a love pas de deux between Clara and Drosselmeyer, the spilling of dry ice onstage and instead of cleaning it up immediately raising the curtain, a drill team of ridiculously talented gingerbabies, instead of the curtain falling after bows Gangnam Style starts playing and the whole cast does the entire dance, and performing 3 shows of Chinese and 15 shows as the Cavalier.

On set - Itchiest beard ever!

4. During class onstage, a chipmunk snuck onstage through an open stage door. It ran amok around and through dancers feet for about 5 minutes. Never heard little girls scream so loud!

5. I swore I'd never mention this, but in the name of fun and good humor, performing in a dance film that was essentially Nutcracker mixed with Alice in Wonderland and a hint of Little Drummer Boy on acid. Think techno-Nutcracker music with elephants screaming in the background in the month of July. Shhhhhh...don't tell anyone I was ever in it!

6. Performing an open rehearsal in New York City at the 3-room studio/home of the 95 year old choreographer. Dressing room = pantry, lobby = bedroom/dining room, dance studio = dance studio.

Preparing for the live taping

7. After performing my solo on Alaska LIVE with Bernadette (#1 on this list), I immediately sat down to be interviewed live by Bernadette herself. When I sat in my stool, it immediately collapsed while somehow landing on the pole that held the seat up. I was able to balance the seat without it falling by squeezing my legs and pushing down as hard as I could. I did this for the entirety of the 4-minute interview. Lets just say that the crew applauded me when we went to commercial and my legs killed me for days afterwards.

8. Jumping into Neopolitan in Swan Lake with about 2 minutes notice that the original dancer had injured themselves at the end of the first act. Then the staff realizing there was nobody to perform my other part. I performed both parts in every show.

Stay tuned for a 12 days of Christmas inspired post in this 2-part blog series!

Meet your link to getting hired - Lauren Menger

Often, when you are sending out emails, marketing yourself as a valuable freelance dancer to different companies, your emails are not going straight to the artistic director. If you are sending your info to a larger company, you will most likely be communicating with the company manager or the assistant to the artistic director. This is not typically the case, though, with smaller sized organizations. I have found that smaller companies who utilize freelance dancers don't typically have the finances to hire a massive network of administrators to handle everyday business. What often happens is one very respected and responsible dancer takes on a more administrative role and helps the company out with certain tasks. Taking on this responsibility can be very valuable, as it offers some great work experience outside of dancing and it saves the company some money. I have had a few great experiences working directly with a dancer while I am setting up work. The best part of this interaction is that you are already developing a direct relationship with somebody that you will eventually be dancing with before you arrive. Recently, prior to signing a contract to dance with Festival Ballet Providence in their production of Swan Lake, I communicated with a dancer about everything from contracts to housing and travel. Meet Lauren Menger.

Lauren in Balanchine's Apollo (Photo: Gene Schiavone)

The professional dance world is very small. And when I say small, I mean really, really small. I was performing in a festival with Seiskaya Ballet while solidifying work with Festival Ballet Providence. I mentioned, in passing, that I was communicating with a woman by the name of Lauren Menger during a conversation with the directors and fellow guest artist, Boston Ballet's Boyko Dossev, when all of their eyes lit up. Lauren was raised at Seiskaya Ballet. I knew that we were connecting through our email conversations, but this new connection really helped seal the deal. I find that I always end up befriending dancers that take a greater position in companies beyond their role as a dancer. This is not only because they are an integral part in me getting hired. I find that these dancers are intelligent, ambitious, interested in the greater picture of the organization beyond their own status, and proactive in creating work experience that may help them when their dance career ends. I have great respect for that. Needless to say, Lauren and I became great friends and supporters of each other during my five weeks in Providence. I pulled her aside and asked if she would be willing to speak about her dual role as a dancer and liason to the artistic director for my audience and, to our benefit, she agreed.

Lauren performing Swan Lake (photo: Gene Schiavone)

What is your position with the company and how long have you been doing this/these jobs?
 
I am a Company Dancer here at Festival Ballet Providence and have been dancing full time here for the past seven years. We do not have official ranks. In addition to my role as a company dancer, I am called Production Manager in the playbill, but in all actuality it is more like an Assistant to the Director position. I have been in this position for the last five years.

How did you fall into your current position as an assistant?

Towards the end of my second year as an apprentice here, the company became short staffed in the office. Mihailo (Misha) Djuric, our artistic director, needed help with a few odds and ends. He didn't want to hire another person because he felt a colleague of mine and I were capable of the job and could split the duties. That year we were each assigned specific jobs. We were given an hourly rate and it was a nice small addition to our income. The following year my colleague was preparing to retire, so I incurred her duties. The next few years were big transition years for the company. We lost an executive director, who was incredible at her job, our production manager, two marketing people, and a slew of other administrative workers. I had a business minor from my time at Indiana University and had no problem picking up odds and ends that needed to be taken care of. This company has always been extremely loyal to the dancers and has never cut our pay. They have had to sacrifice office workers for the good of the dancers. Since this is the case, I help Misha out, filling in these gaps whenever possible.

What specific responsibilities do you have outside of being a dancer with your company?
 
Outside of the company my responsibilities include, but are not limited to: ordering, budgeting and distributing company dancers' shoes, answering all auditioner correspondence, coordinating truck rentals for load in and load out of the theatre (this includes my husband, fellow dancer Roger Fonnegra, driving them on occasion), assisting with all dancer/staff relations, communicating important information with the dancers whenever needed, communicating and helping out new hires, assisting with travel arrangements for guests, and assisting Misha whenever he needs help. I have also created and organized fundraisers, contributed to a blog, and helped sell tickets/ads.

What do you do to help dancers that are coming in as guest artists?
 
I try to make their transition as seamless as possible. I fill them in on the odds and ends of dancing with Festival. I have offered up my house as a place to stay when we can, assist with driving them places, answer all their emails/questions, take care of their shoe needs, and keep them updated with all company info.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as an assistant?

At times, my job as assistant can be time consuming, but in the end it is actually very rewarding. One thing that the director and I have always shared is our desire for the arts and more importantly our company in Rhode Island to succeed. One doesn't really realize how much work it takes to put on a production until you really are behind the scenes of it. This company has so many talented artists and dancers. It gives me great pleasure to know that I was part of the hard work that went into getting them on stage. My work often goes unrewarded externally, but personally it makes me feel good knowing that I can put forth my efforts into something larger and more meaningful than just myself.

What advice would you give to dancers who are looking for guest work? How about once they arrive to dance with a company like Festival?

My advice to dancers looking for guest work would be to make it evident from the get-go what type of work you are looking for. I would also say to not be shy about sending your materials out, even if companies are not necessarily seeking guests. I usually keep an e-file of dancers who send me their info to go through when we need them. When they arrive to work, I would say that being flexible is the best quality to have; and not necessarily the ballet type. ;) Be ready to give up some of what you are used to, either stylistically or personality wise, to mesh well with the staff and company. Also, be open; companies like ours really enjoy having other people come and perform with us, and being friendly can't ever hurt.


Lauren was one of the most positive aspects of my time in Providence. Companies are very lucky to have certain people that are willing to give as much to the organization as they do to their art. After finishing her 7th season with Festival, Lauren and her husband Roger decided to take a great leap across the country to join Ballet Idaho, where they will both dance. Lauren is also taking on a major role teaching in the school, all while finishing up a Master's degree in Elementary Education.

Living with a Host Family

I hear a low rumble and there are trees flying by my sides. I hear kids screaming and I'm feeling pretty tired. Yet another engagement as a freelance dancer has come to an end. I can't help but feel nostalgic about the past 4 weeks as I glide on my way home on what is becoming a regular experience with Amtrak. The performances of Swan Lake with Festival Ballet of Providence went well. I had some memorable experiences, including about 3 minutes notice that I was dancing a featured role on opening night due to another dancer's injury. I got to see yet another dancer put an exclamation mark on a beautiful career. But the memories that I will hold dearest to me in this experience will be the ones that I shared with my host family.

Often, when I am dancing as a guest artist somewhere that isn't close to home, housing will be provided for me. There is an array of options that an employer can provide. From a hotel, to an apartment, to housing you themselves. If you will be staying for an extended period of rehearsal and performance, the most common thing to do is to place a dancer with a host family. Living with a host family requires one to be very open to new experiences and willing to adjust one's habits.

I am always a bit nervous about spending more than a couple of days with people that I have never met before. What if we don't get along? What if they have expectations of me that I can't meet? What if I need more personal space? I have found that the best thing to do before arriving for your stay is to be open about your biggest concerns with whomever is setting up your housing accommodations. For instance, I need to be positive that my host family is going to be comfortable with who I am as a person. I always request a gay-friendly household and ask that I am placed with more open-minded people. The last thing I want is to show up and find that my temporary home is not comfortable with my lifestyle. It is always slightly uncomfortable to bring up this personal information, but it is better to address it prior to arriving than to live in a bad situation for a month. I also try to make sure that my host family has wifi, as having internet access is very important to me. If you are open about what will make you most comfortable, you are more likely to have a good experience. I also try to have some direct interaction with my host family before I arrive. Before I traveled to Alaska, I skyped with my host "mother." We got to see each other and feel out our personalities. I was able to ask questions and get a quick, direct answer. If Skype isn't an option, phone, Facebook, and email are valuable tools.

So, the day has arrived and you have been traveling all day. You may be exhausted from travel and you probably want to get situated. No matter how tired I am, I always try to sit down and have an extended conversation with my hosts. They have been gracious enough to allow me to stay with them and it is good to break the ice from the start. Remember that you probably already have something in common, a passion for the arts. Ask about their relation to the organization you are dancing for, but be sure to focus on getting to know them as people, too. After we spend some time together, I try to get a acquainted with my surroundings.  If it isn't too late, I always go for a short walk around the neighborhood. I find that I can settle down faster if I have a clearer perspective of where things are. Just make sure you know how to get back home (and if it is -15 degrees outside, don't keep the code to the garage door in your phone…because it will shut down in the cold and you will have to be creative in getting back inside the house). Now that you've settled in, how do you function in your new environment?

Every person has different habits and different comforts. Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible, but be respectful that you are not in your own house. Don't walk around in your underwear. Don't go out for drinks with friends and exceed your limit. Be cautious the first couple of days and really feel out each situation. Make sure that it is clear whether you are buying your own food or if it is alright for you to scavenge the refrigerator. Also be clear if there are certain rooms that you can't enter. Try not to assume that things are a certain way. If you are unsure, it is always best to ask. Although, these things make living with a host family sound uncomfortable, in all reality, most situations turn out to be very enjoyable and you can still keep most of your habits. For instance, I am not a morning person. I don't like to talk when I have just woken up. I will have a short conversation in the morning, but not much more. As a small hint to this, if I don't have my own space to eat breakfast, drink my coffee, and go online, I will wear a hoodie with the hood up until I have sufficiently woken up. It is a gentle barrier that gives me space to be quiet and wake up. Obviously, you don't want to be rude and do this all day long, but you can find ways to feel that you have your own space.

Some host families are just providing a place for you to stay and do not require or want much interaction, while others want to accept you as one of the family. I have experienced both situations and have been comfortable with both. My most recent experience was with a wonderful and generous family in Providence, Rhode Island. They not only provided a beautiful home, but they are great 

My host family's home in Providence

people that made me feel welcome, comfortable, and like I was a part of the family. This family went above and beyond the norm to make sure that I was comfortable. Delicious home-made dinners, a ride anywhere I needed or wanted to go, support, and friendship were only a few of the luxuries that I experienced during my stay with this family. During my time in their home, they were gracious enough to share what it is like to host a dancer.

April, Lily, Jesse, Jeff, & Jacob (Lily & Jacob are Jesse's siblings)

Who are these host families that so generously open up their home and privacy to complete and total strangers? Sometimes, they are donors for the company. Sometimes their kid dances in the school. There are many reasons why a host family may take an artist in to reside with them. April and Jeff, my host "mother and father," have had a relationship with Festival Ballet of Providence (Festival) for quite a while. Their daughter, Jesse, started training in the school nearly 10 years ago. She is finishing her final year in Festival's school and will be attending the Joffrey Ballet trainee program in Chicago beginning this fall. As Jesse grew up in the organization, April became more involved with the ballet. First, volunteering to assist with shows and eventually joining the board of the company. Although, she is no longer on the board, she continues to be a great advocate for Festival. When I asked The Fam, as I call them, why they chose to host a dancer, April mentioned that one of the ballet's admins called her up to see if she knew somebody who would be willing to host a dancer. April thought "We could do that. We have an extra bedroom and are close to the studios." Jeff loves having guests at the house and wanted to be supportive of the ballet since it has been so instrumental in Jesse's development. They wanted to do what they could to help out.

The Fam had never hosted an artist before. They didn't have any major concerns about having a dancer in the house. The only minor worry was having an adult male around that they didn't know, given that Jesse is only 17 years old. After speaking with the director of Festival about me and doing some research on Facebook, they felt more than comfortable having me stay with them. Through their research, they were happy to find that we had more in common than just ballet. April also mentioned that, "All of the dancers I have met have been really great people. There is a sense of dedication and passion for something that keeps them very focused and real. I have an enormous respect for a group of people that are doing something just because they love it and have been able to ward off all other conflicting messages that this is a hard profession and just did it anyway. The dancers that I have met at Festival, I find to be very honest and very real." For these reasons, April felt very comfortable letting not a stranger, but a dancer stay in her home for a month.

April, Jeff, Jesse, and I spent a lot of time together. The meeting place of their home is a huge, self-designed kitchen. The layout makes it the perfect meeting place for the family and is a great venue for easy discussion. We enjoyed many laughs as we got to know each other and shared different experiences with one another. The time we spent together was very real and I feel that we gained a lot from each other. Jesse told me, "One thing we got from Barry staying with us is that there are many other companies outside of Festival. We have been offered a greater peak at the ballet world. I feel more educated." April also mentioned that she really enjoyed that "the common thread was the knowledge and excitement around ballet. I loved to hear about and watch performance footage that you had done.  I liked hearing about your creative process in choreography. I also appreciated hearing how you figured out how to deal with the harsh aspects of dance, like dancing in pain, expectations of companies, expectations of fellow dancers, and how you processed that and have been able to figure out how to be good with that and still be true to yourself." I gained a broader view on many things. Aside from our many passionate discussions about ballet, I gained a greater respect for family. Each family functions differently and I really respected April and Jeff's approach when it came to running their family. It was special to form a big brother bond with Jesse. I also learned that, although I am not a dog person, puppy's can be cute and I can live with one (The Fam brought a new puppy into their home two weeks into my stay).

Rosie - The Fam's new puppy

I feel we all gained a lot from this experience. Not every host family situation is as smooth as the one I just experienced. But you can drive your experience by being clear about your needs prior to arriving and being malleable to other people's ways of living once you have arrived. In the end, you can grow so much by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and you can make lifelong friends in the process. I will close this entry with a gem of a quote that my dear Jesse left me with at the end of one of our conversations. I feel it is very inspiring for anybody that is thinking about freelancing.

"It is really nice to see dancers outside of Festival, especially because I'm going away to the Joffrey trainee program. I respect freelance dancers now and feel more comfortable and secure to leave home now that I have a bigger view of the dance world. Freelancers are brave, they could potentially be unhappy and homesick. It is nice to get to know somebody who is real and has been in the dance world outside of Festival. When I'm nervous about something, I think of my brother. Now, I feel comfortable that I can think about you when I'm nervous about going somewhere else."

Jesse & me backstage on opening night with FBP

Returning to my Roots in Providence

Festival Ballet of Providence

At the moment, I am dancing in Providence, Rhode Island with the Festival Ballet of Providence. We have finished all of our studio rehearsals and will be entering the theatre this coming week to perform Swan Lake. When I became a freelance dancer, I swore that I would never dance in the corps of a story ballet again. I also swore off the old style Russian training that helped build my foundation as a dancer. Little did I realize how valuable an experience returning to my roots would be.

The number one question I've gotten since I arrived in Providence was, "How did you end up here?" Well, my life partner is secretly (or not so secretly) a genealogy nerd and just happens to be related to the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams. As a Chanukkah gift, I bought us tickets to visit Providence over the holidays. While walking around the city looking for all things "Roger Williams," I was thinking to myself, "What am I going to do for this week's work search?" I remembered reading about the Festival Ballet of Providence in Dance Magazine a while back. I thought to myself, "I could work here." When I got back to our hotel room, I did some research and sent my info to the company. I think it is funny because even though I sent my information, I never expected to work in Providence, let alone 4 months later. But here I am in my third week dancing with the company.

Springtime in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is a beautiful place during the springtime. It has a colonial city center with more suburban neighborhoods closeby.  I am staying on the eastside of the city, where it is more suburban. There are grand houses and amazing, flowery streets with trees in full blossom. It's ironic to be here during this season, as I feel like I am in my own spring awakening. When I was approached by Festival (as the dancers call the company), I was in the final stage of recovery from a back injury. I knew I wasn't strong enough to perform a leading role. I needed a place that would ease me back into shape. Festival's dancer assistant contacted me and offered for me to join the company for their production of Swan Lake to dance in the corps of the first act and a divertissement in the third act. Although my goal as a freelance dancer is to expand my repertoire and experience, this opportunity is just what I needed.

The style that Festival trains in is heavily influenced by the Vaganova syllabus. Most American ballet companies are influenced by this Imperial Russian technique, but have grown in different directions. I trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and am very familiar with this technique, though, I haven't been versed in this style for nearly ten years. Vaganova classes can feel very rigid and are often extremely hard, focusing on pure technique and building strength around their ideal, regal port de bras. I tend to prefer classes that have more movement and flow. After ten years away from this style, I was reluctant to return to it. But I have been surprised to watch my strength grow over the last few weeks. My jumps are bigger, my balance is better, and I even did two clean triple tours in class the other day (something that I haven't even attempted in years). Although, I sometimes modify certain combinations to remain true to the dancer that I want to be, I try to push myself out of my comfort zone to expand my reach as a dancer.

Another aspect of my career that I didn't expect to revisit was dancing in the corps of a full length ballet. In these ballets, dancers tend to dance less while standing and gesturing more. A minimal amount of partnering and moderate level of dancing was a great crutch to ease myself back into shape after recovering from my injury. It allowed me to build strength, so that I can be fully prepared for future work. Not only that. I was given a great reminder of how enjoyable it can be to dance with a larger group of dancers. There is much more interaction in the corps and you feel like you are accomplishing something as a team, which can be harder than dancing a solo or duet. This experience has reminded me that dancing in a corps can be fulfilling and therapeutic.

All in all this experience has been greatly valuable. Not only has it given me the benefit of time and built my strength, but it has given me perspective on where I came from and where I am going. I now value my time in the corps a bit more since I am no longer dancing in it full-time. As a corps member, I felt like I was wasting my career when I should have been dancing more challenging roles. But looking back, I now remember a synergy onstage with my fellow corps members and a feeling of complete team effort. That team effort was not only a part of the job, but it was something that each of us wanted to contribute for each other. And in the end, perhaps, I will seek out those grueling Vaganova classes that I avoided for way too long. I look forward to using this experience as I pursue more challenging roles with a healthy body, new-found strength, and greater respect for my history.

Want to know more about Festival Ballet of Providence? Check out the company here: Festival Ballet of Providence