While I sadly did not have the chance to attend any of the numerous cultural events happening on campus this past week and weekend (gotta love those spring allergies), I did get to attend a very interesting event today when I helped backstage at my sister's dance recital. It was my first year in this role; usually I'm one of the dancers onstage. Being on this side of things really let me be able to observe the recital more closely and see what an event it really is. While everything looks like it is running perfectly to the audience, the backstage area is really quite chaotic. There are dancers in all states of dress running around, hairspray and glitterspray flying through the air at every turn, frantic moms dashing up and down the stairs, and the backstage team shouting and waving their hands in order to command attention and retain order. The scent of hairspray is mixed strongly with the sweet combination of sweat and Gaynor Minden shoes. The air is hot and thick, not only because of all of the bodies compacted into one area in my case but also because of the fact that our auditorium is not airconditioned. With music of all types blaring throughout the space, the dancers can't help but be excited and antsy, dancing their nervousness out backstage as they practice their numbers one last time before they go on.
Through all of this, though, emerges a fantastic show that is fun not only for the audience to watch but for all of those involved in its production. Taking a bow onstage with everyone involved at the very end of the program was as rewarding for me tonight as it was last year when I was still a dancer in the show, because I knew that I had still been very much a part in the recital's success.
I've worked a couple crew positions at dance shows here at college and it's intense. The pressure can be as bad as performing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love Gaynors :)