Interview regarding theater week featuring Lauren Sekela, Brandywine Ballet dancer and blogger:
1.) We just witnessed the passing of theater week for the fall performances, meaning rehearsals moved out of the studio and onto the stage. How does your daily routine change once you move into the theater?
For me, theatre week is all about being organized! Driving to campus, taking classes all day, getting to the theatre for warm-up, and then rehearsing until 9:30p.m. takes discipline and organization. The next day, I do it all over again. I need to remember when leaving home in the morning to take with me everything I will need for the next 14 hours: food, class needs, all my dance supplies and a large dose of sanity. Theatre week is exciting and exhausting – but so rewarding.
2.) It must be rewarding to get out of the studio and onto the stage. What is your favorite thing about getting to the theater? What is the most difficult transition? And, 3.) now that rehearsals have moved to the stage, are there some things that work great in the studio, but do not translate as well to the stage, which require the choreographers to make changes? Is it difficult to implement changes, once you have learned a dance a certain way, or is it usually such a natural change that it easily falls into place?
Performing on stage at the theatre brings true life to the performance pieces. Everything is individualized to each piece such as lighting, props, the volume of the music and how it reverberates within the theatre walls. It is no longer just choreography. The pieces come “alive” in the theatre space. For myself, transitioning from studio to stage requires an adjustment to spacing on stage, placement of props, and the placement of the wings. With rehearsal time in the theatre at a premium, corrections move fast and the intense rehearsal schedule mandates that company members become acclimated to the necessary adjustments quite quickly. At first this can be difficult but it then quickly becomes muscle memory.
4.) How soon in the rehearsal process do you switch from rehearsing in studio gear to your actual costume and make up? Is it ever more difficult to perform the choreography you have learned in full costume and make up, and/or under the bright lights of the stage?
Approximately one week before a performance, we will progress from rehearsing in studio gear to our actual costumes, full make-up and hair. Although some dancers find it more difficult to dance in costume – especially if the costumes are cumbersome, I have not had that experience. I feel being on stage with costumes, lights, full hair and make-up requires me to dance as though it is an actual performance. Costumes are more than a cover for the dancer’s body to a performance. They can enhance or obstruct the choreography. By rehearsing in costume, the costume becomes an extension of your body, expressive range, and dance.
5.) How do you stay relaxed during theater week when the stakes become much higher as the opening performance nears? There must be increasing stress levels, do you practice yoga, meditate, read, or have any other relaxation methods that come in handy? And, 6.) do you find that you’re more aware of your general health and well-being during theater week in terms of sleep, diet, and general outlook on life? Can you share with us some steps you take to stay focused and in good spirits.
Theatre week is a whirlwind and can raise ones stress level. My days go pretty much non-stop from waking up at 6:30 a.m. until generally midnight. Between college classes and rehearsal requirements, I try to eat healthy, drink a lot of water, and get at least 6 hours sleep. My IPOD is full of “escape” music such as Radiohead and Paramore that I listen to when I have a few minutes to relax. Being on stage lifts my spirits so it is a good balance for any stress that may come my way.
7.) Some performers are very superstitious about performing, do you have any superstitions or pre-performance rituals?
Prior to a performance, I am quiet and like to listen to music through my iPod. This allows me to focus on what is calming, while tuning out all the activity around me. I use this time to walk through my technique in the pieces I will be performing. I find this enhances my artistry and self-confidence, while I prepare for that final moment before entering the stage to perform.
8.) What is your role in this fall’s performances? How does it compare to your role in last fall’s performance?
For the performance this fall, I was a soloist in Christopher Fleming’s The Phantom and a featured dancer in Nancy Page’s Mozart’s Requiem. Because I feel that my awareness and sensitivity of ballet technique and the art form in general has evolved over the last year, these roles felt even more mentally and physically demanding.
9.) Who among your dance peers, mentors, family, or friends is most helpful and reassuring during theater week? Do you have a go-to person when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Or do you have a book, film, music, or memory that consoles you?
My mom and the consistency of seeing my friends everyday at the theatre are very reassuring during stressful times. As I mentioned before, listening to my favorite bands both inspire me, and get me excited for performing!
