I did it! I survived my first solo! For all my nerves and anxiety, the moment I actually got on the stage brought me a brilliant clarity and I just danced. I reviewed the video afterward and definitely noticed some spots where I messed up or didn’t reach hard enough (like my big grand jeté)… but overall it wasn’t terrible. My port de bras is definitely the one thing that I have going for me. If my legs don’t always listen to me, at least my arms do. Haha! And of course my solo burned off all my stage fright so my group dance went off without a hitch– no nervousness at all! I definitely had some issues controlling my balance, and even stumbled a tiny bit in one spot. I guess that’s just the performance aspect of ballet.
I had a huge turnout of friends and classmates from my graduate school come to show their support. I was absolutely floored and elated! One friend even brought me a little bouquet of daisies! I was so happy I could just explode. My school really outdid themselves supporting the dance “department” (it’s really just a section of their campus rec and wellness center) and letting us art students express ourselves in a different way. They had prize giveaways, an art gallery, a professional light guy, pro videographers and photographers, and even refreshments!
Videos and more details coming soon!
