Remember, this took place in 1986. Back before the advent of small, cheap digital cameras, it wasn't common practice to photodocument one's life. Taking a picture meant 35mm film in rolls of 24 exposures, 36 if you were a big shutterbug. Having that film developed was expensive enough that you didn't take pictures of just anything.
True, dancing with La Scala wasn't an everyday occurrence, but neither was it the first time I'd performed live before an audience of thousands. To be honest, it didn't occur to me to take any pictures backstage.
I can provide one bit of verisimilitude, though. You know how beautiful and graceful ballerinas look on stage, how ethereal and diaphanous? Well, when they are all lined up behind the curtain on stage right, waiting to use the rosin box, they're all business - they look like they're working.
And they smell like sweat and hairspray.
Hi from twitter and from Marisa's Out of Order Alice.
ReplyDeleteAm following your blog. I quite like it! :)
I have to laugh Tony - under this blog post - the first listed post under "you might also like:
ReplyDelete"drugs, needles and two cups of coffee"
... is that what I would need to cope seeing a photo of you doing ballet?
*wink*
Mari: Welcome, and I'm glad you like my blog!
ReplyDeleteJodi: Oh no, I was rather charming in my costumes, and rather graceful in my steps. At least, that's how I remember it...
I remember '86 VERY well. And you're right about photography back then; it was a huge pain in the ass. Remember the photo disks? *LOL*
ReplyDeleteMight have to pass The Honest Scrap Award to you that I recently received from @portiaalex to see what other little gems we might uncover.
Cheers.
Besides the sweat and hairspray, you forgot to point out that they change in the hallways too, being too rushed to go elsewhere sometimes.
ReplyDeleteLaura: Very true, I forgot about that. There's precious little room for modesty backstage, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt was an basic rule of theater etiquette that just because you saw someone strip to their underwear (or less) in front of you in the dressing room didn't mean they were either easy or at all interested in you.