My Other Country

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Irgentetwas Geht

When I mentioned that dancing in the musical was a part of my job here in Kassel, my friend, the playwright Stacey Engels put it best: "I love how we end up doing things in life we never expected to be doing."

Some Highlights:

Dancing with Sharks

Dancing with Sailors

Dancing in a Swimming Pool

Dressing Like a Schoolgirl

Dressing like a nun

Dressing Like a Gypsy

Dressing in Latex

Makeup, Wigs, Breast Enhancement, and People to Help You with It

Good Company

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Premiere: The Rite of Spring

Last night was our premiere here in Kassel. The 900 seat house was nearly sold out. The conductor gave a thumbs up sign before he went down to the pit. Johannes was nervous and handsome in a suit. The dancers got soaked. The orchestra stayed dry.

And how did it go? I have no idea. I got back to the dressing room and felt empty. This is usually the case after performing. Last night, I washed the makeup off my face, put on a party dress and gradually felt myself returning, as if I'd been in an alternate universe for the last 36 minutes. The dressing room was warm and filled with women and chatter. I was trying to find my hairbrush, deciding between the earrings or the necklace. The dancing was over, I was back to being Lillian and trying to get used to the idea.

Each piece is a world. This is why I love dancing Johannes's work. I live in that world, breathe that air, feel those emotions, see people around me as if for the first time. Isadora always describes it as the Life-or-Death aspect of dancing in a Johannes Wieland piece. In that world, everything feels like a life or death decision. As if every action, every look, every lift, is a NOW, and everything is hinging on that NOW. And then, 36 minutes later, I'm in the shower, and it's all disappeared.

This is where Fred comes in. Last night at 3:30am after leaving the party and biking home in the cold, we were sitting in the kitchen eating spinach sauteed with garlic. Devoted Husband and Dance Fan that he is, he broke it down. I've reprised his comments here with the New Yorkers in the crowd in mind.

The Zagat's Guide to The Rite of Spring:

Don your "basic black" "life preserver" and "get ready to get tanked." Add "eight brides" in "shabby chic" white "taffeta" to "strains of Stravinsky" and it's "next stop: Prune Fingers." If "Paris, 1913" "floats" your "dinghy," "There's a riot Goin' on" in "gray, pleasureless Kassel." By "curtains" you'll want to "cancel the engagement" and "send back the cake." (27, 25, 28)

As for the rest of the audience? They wouldn't stop clapping. We bowed for 15 minutes.

A regional news service has a cool video story on Sacre here:
http://www.hna.de/hnavideos/00_20071019144900_Das_Staatstheater_tanzt_Strawinskys_Meisterwerk_.html

Here are some photos from the piece, in chronological order: