1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,080 Hello and welcome to Drinks at the Bar, a podcast where we 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,960 breakthrough the 4th wall and discuss everything about dance 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,680 and the theatre industry. My name is Paul James Rooney, a 4 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,160 dancer, choreographer and dance teacher based in Copenhagen, and 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,040 I am your host of Drinks at the Bar. 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,360 Today I am joined by my regular guest host, the sleek, 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,440 sophisticated showgirl that is Damien Lee Stoke. 8 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,320 Hi everybody, I'm Damien Lee Sturt, director of the Dancer 9 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,200 Studio London, classical ballet teacher and actor with the Royal 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,560 Ballet. Here we will discuss everything 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,000 from hearing backstage stories, touring shenanigans, to deeper 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,320 issues like body image training, the reality of being a freelance 13 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,600 dancer, and much more. With guest professionals, we are 14 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,800 here to share our knowledge, experience, and help you with 15 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,000 any questions or problems you may have about dance and 16 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,960 navigating the dance world. Oh, Bonjour. 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,160 You are back from Liverpool. I'm back from tour. 18 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,519 I've been on tour all week. It's been amazing. 19 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,440 And yes, I was speaking in my Scout accent pretty much all the 20 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,720 time. It's my favorite. 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,200 How was it? How was it being back on tour? 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,960 It was brilliant, a little surreal at first, but in the 23 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:21,200 best way. You know what it's like getting 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,160 a call to meet at the station and then you board the train 25 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,040 together that I think there were 97 of us at the station. 26 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:33,200 So it's a huge undertaking for Amy, who's the lovely and 27 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,880 amazing company manager. But it was seamless. 28 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,920 I think she organized pre boarding, which I didn't even 29 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:44,080 know you could do in London. OK, that and and it was it was 30 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:45,960 brilliant. We arrived in Liverpool. 31 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,960 It was a 10 minute walk to the hotel. 32 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,560 Lovely hotel, lovely room. Couldn't have asked for a better 33 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,880 set up. And yeah, I just had a really 34 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,640 great week. Where are you performing? 35 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:02,280 We were at the Empire Theatre, which is basically just next 36 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,600 door to Liverpool Lime Street Station, so a different venue, 37 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,800 but because the only time I've ever performed in Liverpool 38 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,320 actually was with the Johann Strauss Gala that was at a 39 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,280 concert hall. So it was really lovely. 40 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:18,120 And I did get quite emotional actually on the first day 41 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,200 because I had the morning free because my granddad was 42 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,400 originally from Liverpool and I haven't been to Liverpool since 43 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,880 he passed. And it was just really, really 44 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,320 lovely to be there. The sun was shining. 45 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,040 We were really lucked out on the weather actually. 46 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,240 It was cold, but it was beautiful weather. 47 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,320 And just to see the sights of Liverpool, I, I really hadn't 48 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,960 taken into account how amazing the city was. 49 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,840 So it was a really, it was a brilliant week, yeah. 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,400 Lovely to be honest. Manchester, Liverpool, 51 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,080 Birmingham have had so much money infused into them. 52 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,120 They're completely different places to what they were when we 53 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,760 were kids. Honestly it felt like Manhattan 54 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,720 to me. The built the architecture, it 55 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,920 was just, it was great. They've, they've done an amazing 56 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:03,160 job at building, building this, this city up and, and, and 57 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,520 maintaining that like the lovely heritage architecture. 58 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,040 And in fact, my lovely friend Natalie, who's a makeup artist, 59 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,000 she, she lives in Chester. So she, she came over on the 60 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,520 last days on Saturday. We had lunch after my first show 61 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,760 and then she watched the evening performance. 62 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,520 But in between, when we grabbed a bite to eat, we actually ended 63 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,680 up at a place that felt very American and the food was 64 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,680 delicious and and honestly felt like I was in Manhattan. 65 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,800 It was, it was lovely. Oh, that's really lovely. 66 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,320 And now I'm back in London, I've had another fitting for my 67 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,560 costume today with Royal for the Ausie Pova programme. 68 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,360 So that's very exciting. Seeing this costume getting 69 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,480 built is just, it's exciting. You'll see when I'm allowed to 70 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,240 take photographs once the show has opened. 71 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,480 It is like, I'm so excited and so lucky. 72 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,080 I think at one point today there were five people like just 73 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,240 working on my costume. Oh wow. 74 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,920 And it does feel actually lovely to be back in ballet tights and 75 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,520 some ballet shoes. It's it's, yeah. 76 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,840 Especially after a week with E&B where it, you know, that was an 77 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:13,520 acting role. So it's nice. 78 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:14,960 Yeah. And I think actually with the 79 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,600 Sleeping Beauty that we did with E&B, it's so Kenneth McMillan 80 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,240 version of Sleeping Beauty, which is beautiful. 81 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,840 But the costumes, I think we're wearing the original costumes 82 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:31,800 from the piece was created. The ballet was created in 1973 83 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,920 or 573 or 75. And I think they're the original 84 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,280 costume. So it's nice to be like in black 85 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:42,520 tights for this new production. And some ballet, some ballet 86 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,560 slippers. You're wearing Elfrida thorough 87 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,400 goods. Original. 88 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,640 She's so tiny. Oh my gosh, I would never get 89 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,560 into get into her costume. But you said that actually 90 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,760 Alfredo was there. Yes, I, I mean, I could be 91 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,680 completely wrong giving you this information, but I heard that 92 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,080 Kenneth gifted her the ballet or, or the Macmillan estate. 93 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,080 I don't know, I'd need to Fact Check that. 94 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,480 But I think that's the reason why she was there restaging it 95 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,160 basically. So she was there every day for 96 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,360 rehearsal. So much energy, but I still have 97 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,800 this image ingrained in my mind of her wearing those. 98 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,480 Do you remember those Peach teaching shoes like Greek 99 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:23,400 sandals? Grecian. 100 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,280 Sandals, Yeah. Absolutely. 101 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,360 And the amazing feat and, and she had kind of like a warm 102 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,400 brown chestnutty hair when she used to teach at Yorkshire 103 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,520 Ballet seminars and, and you know, so it's lovely to see her. 104 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,880 And there were a few familiar faces and lots of new faces. 105 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:40,800 So it was great. Fantastic. 106 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,920 Oh, lovely. Well, I had a little photo shoot 107 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:46,960 and video shoot yesterday. Oh yeah. 108 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,800 I saw so tell me about that if you can. 109 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,040 If you can share. Well, I have a song that I'm 110 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,560 releasing in January, so I was doing some kind of video footage 111 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,320 and photographic for that. Yeah, really exciting. 112 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,680 But in relation to that, I went out to buy some new foundation 113 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:08,840 because I'd run out of foundation and everything. 114 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:14,400 And I always forget your your skin does change colour through 115 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,840 your life, like because I've changed shades throughout my 116 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:20,280 whole career. So people out there, if you're 117 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,280 young and you've been in the industry, maybe just check your 118 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:25,080 make up every so often. Maybe it doesn't. 119 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:26,480 It's not your true colour anymore. 120 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,920 But I am now an N2IN face and body. 121 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,280 Oh lovely, I mean it's a lovely foundation. 122 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:37,080 And if any anyone has any queries, you can always ask 123 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:43,680 Auntie Denise, I'll match you. But it's now called Studio 124 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,520 Radiance. Yes the formula has changed. 125 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,560 I mean face and body from Mac was one of the earlier 126 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,000 foundations, it wasn't the 1st. That was Studio Fix, which I 127 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,960 still love. They've also changed the formula 128 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,760 to that, which annoyed a lot of people anyway, that's a whole 129 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,480 other segment. But face and body is lovely 130 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,400 because it basically it's water based or it certainly used to 131 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,800 be, but it replicates skin. So it goes on and looks like 132 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:09,920 skin. So it's it's very popular with 133 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,440 so lovely in the industry and you know, and like for fashion, 134 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,720 fashion models and things that Fashion Week, you know, I 135 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,040 remember polishing the body, legs and arms with face and body 136 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,320 because it's a great body makeup, but but it does come 137 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,160 off. So it's not transfer proof. 138 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,480 I think it's transfer resistant, but it's a great, it's a great 139 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,720 product. It's great because it's, I would 140 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,520 say it's great for a guy because it's not very makeupy. 141 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:34,960 Yeah. It's you can't really tell 142 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:36,000 you're wearing anything. Yeah. 143 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,680 It's sheer, it looks like skin, but if you do tend to have 144 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:46,120 oilier skin, I would say you'd still need to powder over, not 145 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,120 all over. You might need to, you know, in 146 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:53,360 areas, but you know, I have I have dry skin, so I I don't tend 147 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,440 to need to powder even though I use the powder foundation, but 148 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:58,440 that's different because I'm moisturizing and that's about 149 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,000 skin care. This segment is has taken a 150 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,600 turn. My mouth is now. 151 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:10,000 Closed so yes, I was just interested that, you know, my 152 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,640 skin colour has changed yet again and I got a lovely a 153 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,520 lovely makeup artist in the shop colour match me and put it on. 154 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,920 It was literally could not see that I was wearing any makeup. 155 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:20,720 It was lovely. So I'm really happy with this 156 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,760 new colour. Yeah, that's, that's my, my past 157 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,800 couple of days have been buying makeup and doing a photo shoot. 158 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:29,840 Well, that's fun, isn't it? Who doesn't? 159 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,919 Who doesn't enjoy shopping for makeup and having the photo 160 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:36,080 shoot and singing and dancing? You know, exactly, I get so 161 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,000 excited with photo shoots and video shoots because I get, so 162 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,400 I'm so interested in like the whole composition and I don't 163 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,720 just enjoy having my photo taken. 164 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,760 It's the whole like setup of it. And it's, you know, my ideas are 165 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,520 working with the photographer and coming up with the whole, 166 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,920 yeah, the whole idea and what we're going to do and how we're 167 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,040 going to lie to it and what's the props going to be and all of 168 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,000 that kind of stuff. Like, I love the whole process 169 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,040 of it from beginning to end. So yeah, very exciting. 170 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,640 And also, you know, having creative control is very 171 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,800 attractive, isn't it from a lifetime of being a dancer where 172 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,560 we're told what to do a performer do this, stand here, 173 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:16,080 you know, feel this smile, don't smile. 174 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,400 It's lovely, isn't it, to, to step into those kind of grown up 175 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:23,280 shoes and basically curate your own experience. 176 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,440 I I love it. I mean, it's one of the main 177 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,640 reasons why I, you know, have released a song every so often, 178 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,480 you know, released some music is because it is something that I 179 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:36,000 can have complete control over and I can decide and it can be a 180 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,320 yeah from start to finish. It's 100% my say and it's nice 181 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,640 to have that kind of passion project alongside, you know, 182 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:48,680 like you said, going to work and getting told stand in line, do a 183 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:52,640 polka, do a mazurka, don't drop your fan and go. 184 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:55,640 Yeah, it's a good healthy balance, isn't it? 185 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,720 It's a nice way to it's a nice way to live. 186 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,480 Well, have you got yourself a drink, Denise? 187 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:03,320 I do, actually. I thought I was going to have a 188 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:08,160 gin and tonic, but it's so cold. I've opted for a warming glass 189 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,800 of Beaujolais, which is, well, it's really because that's all 190 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:16,360 we had in the house. So what about you? 191 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:19,240 I have got myself an elderflower spritz. 192 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,800 Oh, how quaint. Well, the Limoncello spritz let 193 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,880 me down. Yeah, we weren't feeling that 194 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,640 and I don't think it was. It was a good try but didn't hit 195 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:30,680 the mark. But no. 196 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,280 But no. So I've got the elderflower 197 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,800 spritz and it's I've already taken a sip. 198 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,000 I'm sorry. Cheat. 199 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,760 But it's, it's quite botanical, but in a nice way. 200 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,080 It doesn't taste like I'm drinking potpourri, but it's 201 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:44,800 it's nice, great anyway. So cheers. 202 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:52,120 Botanical. Before we move on to what we're 203 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:56,200 supposed to be talking about, I wanted to say I saw on the 204 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,960 Internet the other day, I can't remember who it was. 205 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,000 And I even if I could remember, I wasn't going to name and 206 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,840 shame. But there's a, a company, a 207 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,960 person that is holding workshops, technical workshops 208 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,600 for kids, for students, and they were holding a ballet workshop 209 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:16,280 for 10 to 18 year olds. I then looked into it because I 210 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,440 thought, OK, yeah, that's fine. You can have a workshop for 10 211 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:20,920 to 18 year olds. And then I would expect to then 212 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,400 look online and see the 10 year olds are at 2:00, the 14 year 213 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,720 olds are at 5:00. And whatever it is, but it's one 214 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:32,280 class with all the same people in that class. 215 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:37,240 And I thought, how on earth can you have a 10 year old and a 17 216 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,800 year old in the same class for ballet, a professional technical 217 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,080 ballet class, a 10 year old and a 17 year old? 218 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:45,720 I thought that was. What? 219 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,480 Yeah, I mean, I see your point. I mean and I'm and I'm glad that 220 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:54,720 I'm not teaching that class. I do have a class coming up next 221 00:11:54,720 --> 00:12:01,000 month for 13 to 17 year olds. However, I have outlined for 222 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,720 example, for my class that the minimal level should be 223 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,440 intermediate foundation slash or equivalent. 224 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:13,200 So it's within a structure of skill set because yeah. 225 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,320 And 10 year olds are very different to 13 year olds, 226 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,960 extremely different. And an adult is 18. 227 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,000 So you know, is the class. So technically, I mean, I don't 228 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,520 even know if you, you're allowed to have 10 to 18 year olds in 229 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,160 the same class because basically it's chill. 230 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,480 It's a child's class. And then the second you turn 18, 231 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,120 you're classified. You know, if in terms of 232 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,960 safeguarding, which is why I keep mine very separate. 233 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:41,400 My, my age is separate not just for from the perspective of 234 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,640 ages, but also skill set. And also you want to make the 235 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,800 class as comfortable for everybody. 236 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:52,960 So already in my mind, I have classes and exercises 237 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:58,280 percolating of OK, well, 13 to 17 is still quite a wide 238 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,040 spectrum and they have to be exercises. 239 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:02,440 We've discussed this in the past. 240 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:06,520 You have to be able to offer the opportunity for the student to 241 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,400 adapt an exercise based on your skills on their skill set right 242 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,080 you. Can say to some of those people 243 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,880 in the in the 13 to 17. For example, you can say right? 244 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,600 You this group say Group A just a nice clean single Group B try 245 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,360 for a double. But you guys do double frapping. 246 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,520 You do the fondues on Demi point like when it's 13 to 17. 247 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,520 It's not that I just thought 10 year olds with 18 year olds was 248 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:35,880 very extreme because like even growth wise, like you going on 249 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,160 points, you should not be going on point at the end of age of 10 250 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,240 years old. And I don't know, I just felt a 251 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:45,000 little bit sorry to be rude, but cash Cowie. 252 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:50,120 Yeah, well, it's a little extreme for me that age group 253 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:55,560 and I wouldn't want to be a 10 year old in class with 1816 254 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:58,080 seventeen year 18 year olds around me. 255 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,520 And on the other side of that, I don't I wouldn't want to be an 256 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,080 18 year old with sharing a sharing a bar. 257 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:09,520 Yeah, it's too extreme for me. But yes, I suppose, I guess from 258 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:13,200 a business perspective if you're trying to cram in as many. 259 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,520 Well, that's all I could think of it was. 260 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,200 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's hard. 261 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:24,120 I think planning for children's classes is, is it Definitely. 262 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:28,640 I have found it takes more planning time and orchestration 263 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,680 because you do have to, and again, we've spoken about this 264 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:36,160 recently, you have to make sure that all of your safeguarding 265 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,800 criteria is aligned. Yes, it's so it takes more work 266 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:42,200 to build 100. Percent. 267 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,400 To build one of those classes that has kids, basically. 268 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,520 So, yeah. So yeah, I wouldn't, I wouldn't 269 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:55,000 wish to to teach such a massive age bracket in the same class. 270 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,040 Yeah, because it's kind of what we've, we've spoken about before 271 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:02,760 of having these open classes which are general level, say 272 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,040 what is general level? Because they I've seen some 273 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,760 classes advertised which is come as a professional come as a 274 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,840 beginner. Like that can't be the same 275 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,920 class. If I would say a general level 276 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:22,520 would be maybe not beginner, beginner and up to intermediate 277 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,520 general in advance could be in the same class. 278 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:28,440 But an absolute beginner and an absolute professional can't 279 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:33,040 really be in the same class. It puts a lot of work on the 280 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,200 professional themselves. Then they may as well just do 281 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,320 their own class. Like if I'm coming to a class 282 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,560 and it's a very basic level, I'm not really getting that much out 283 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,120 of it, if that makes sense. No. 284 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,880 And I think a general class, I mean it's different. 285 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,360 So I offer a general. I talk. 286 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:53,320 I'm like you're talking about me. 287 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,600 I feel like very attacked. Oh my God, I'm so sorry. 288 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:56,160 I don't. I don't. 289 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,000 No, I'll. That's not what I mean. 290 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,160 You you understand what I'm trying to get. 291 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,400 At yeah, I'm only teaching. Yeah, it seems very cash carry. 292 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,800 It's all I can see and I'd see it being, yeah, not beneficial 293 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,520 for for the customer. No, because it isn't so you 294 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,080 know, my adult classes are set at general level and if you go 295 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:17,200 into the Dancer's Studio London website, you can there's a 296 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,960 breakdown of each level from beginner all the way through to 297 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,320 professional. So you can see where you place 298 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:29,240 yourself And then next to each workshop will be, you know, the 299 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,640 skill set you need. So for example, my my concept of 300 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:37,360 general is your intermediate foundation, intermediate 301 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:43,520 advanced ballpark area with a minimum an absolute minimum of 302 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:48,280 two years of recent ballet training. 303 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,120 Exactly. That's not a beginner. 304 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,360 I need exactly. And it does say also on most of 305 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,200 the classes, if you feel this workshop isn't suited for you or 306 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,320 you're unsure, write to us and ask us and we can, you know, go 307 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,400 into a bit more detail. But you do need to understand 308 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,680 the ballet vocabulary because otherwise you're just going to 309 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:10,880 be left behind and it's going to be too difficult and you're not. 310 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,000 And it's a waste of your money as a as a customer. 311 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,480 Totally because you're going to feel self-conscious, 312 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,119 intimidated, which is the opposite of how we want you to 313 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,160 feel. We want you to feel safe and and 314 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,400 have a lovely, lovely time. A little challenge is always 315 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,760 good. We need to be challenged, but 316 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,160 you should, you should feel you've accomplished something 317 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,400 and it should be a positive experience. 318 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,520 So, and I, I think from experience, having done 319 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:42,360 different levels of classes at certain central London studios 320 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,320 depending on my age. So as a professional dancer, I 321 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,000 would go for the pro class because that's what I needed. 322 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,560 But you would still find, I would still find dancers in that 323 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:56,240 pro class that were almost kind of beginners plus, you know, so 324 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,640 it's very, it's very difficult for the person who's leading the 325 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,600 class to control who's who's coming to the class. 326 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,320 But there's also a responsibility on the person 327 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:09,680 who's coming to the class to be realistic. 328 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:14,040 And that's where it comes down to these advertisements I'm 329 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,400 seeing on social media where you have to stipulate where, where 330 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,360 it where general. General is completely fine to 331 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:23,360 say like how you use it. That makes sense. 332 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,240 But if you're if you as a business are saying that general 333 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:32,320 is everything from beginner to professional in one class, you 334 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,200 can't be a beginner beginner because I need to teach you what 335 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,320 first position is that person can't be in the same class as 336 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,160 Darcy Bussell. Agreed. 337 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,760 Sorry, random side note, but it's these things that I see on 338 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,800 social media recently that I don't know. 339 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,680 I just get a little bit frustrated because I, as a 340 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:55,760 freelance teacher, someone going around teaching, seeing bad 341 00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:00,280 teachers or bad setups, and it's just being, I know we have to 342 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,640 earn our money and I know we have to have a business, but it 343 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,360 just seems like a bad business. Agreed. 344 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:11,080 And I, I think for me, if I'm seeing, you know, poor 345 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:18,160 communication online in kind of publicity or Facebook post or an 346 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:24,880 Instagram post or wherever it is, if it's too general, then it 347 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,680 doesn't give me much confidence that the teacher really 348 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,320 understands the concept of teaching multi skilled and multi 349 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,560 level dance students or attendees. 350 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:40,000 If, if you're not a student, you know, I think just be really, 351 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,200 really clear what you're offering. 352 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,200 And if you can't be clear what you're offering, then it does 353 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,600 come across as as money grabbing. 354 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,920 Let's let's just get as many people in as possible. 355 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,920 But for me that would not be an enjoyable environment because 356 00:19:54,120 --> 00:19:56,200 people would get in the way and it was. 357 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,680 It's just an annoying experience if you're not surrounded for 358 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,600 everyone, everyone in involved. So yeah, I think communication 359 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,840 and understanding what you're offering is key. 360 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,480 But we you know. You can't do the work for them, 361 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:11,760 you know they have to. They have to create their own 362 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,640 concepts and and classes and put the work. 363 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,360 And this isn't an episode to say how great the dancer's studio in 364 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:23,520 London is. But however, however, but what I 365 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,360 think is, is really nice about your, your social media 366 00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:30,320 presence, for example, is that yes, I can read what you've 367 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,280 written, but also a picture tells 1000 words. 368 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,600 I can look at the level or the standard of the people in the 369 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:41,480 photo graphs and I get straight away what this is. 370 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,440 You don't have a picture of Marionella on point doing, you 371 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,200 know, a video of Marionella doing 32 Fuetes and oh, that's 372 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:50,880 what I'm doing this week. Like, that's not what you're 373 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:52,280 doing. And so that's not what you're 374 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,440 showing. And yeah, I will get off my high 375 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:58,440 horse now and move on to the episode. 376 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,800 And that's very kind. It's, it's great to hear some 377 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,200 feedback. I think I, I, you know, I do 378 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:10,600 spend a lot, if not all of my free time thinking about 379 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,400 workshops, classes, you know, choreography, the choreography 380 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,680 of setting up a class, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 381 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,800 But even to the point, you know, like you've just mentioned, if 382 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,320 you know, for example, if I'm offering a ballet class at 383 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,040 general level, I've stipulated what the the level of that class 384 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,360 is. I'm not going to post an image 385 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:33,720 to accompany the workshop criteria with something 386 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,080 unrealistic. So it probably will be the 387 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,720 person in the image will probably be an adult dancer and 388 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:45,400 most likely not on point or not showing something fantastical 389 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,840 because that's not what the class is about. 390 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,560 So yeah, anyway, moving on because so far we haven't 391 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,640 discussed anything that's on our script. 392 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:59,920 Right then, well, today I wanted to tell you the origins of a 393 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,760 couple of theatre superstitions, rituals, histories kind of 394 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:04,840 thing. Brilliant. 395 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:10,440 Well, I think in that case we must start with chuckers. 396 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,600 Yes, OK everyone, school in session. 397 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,160 Get out your notepads. So here we go for those of you 398 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:21,240 who maybe don't work in England or in the ballet world. 399 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,240 Chuckers, chuckers, chuckers, however you want to say it, 400 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:30,640 during the 90s and 2000s, it was a massive thing, way of saying 401 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,400 good luck in the ballet world, especially English National 402 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:36,240 Ballet. Yeah, it's a good luck thing 403 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,400 that is still said nowadays. And I have researched and I have 404 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:46,920 found out that chuckers comes from Australian slang, which 405 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,880 would make sense why it is in ENB because there's so many 406 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,720 Australian dancers. It's Australian slang for 407 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:56,240 chicken. So basically they were saying 408 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,040 chukas because this is what they think. 409 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,000 Obviously you can never be 100% sure but this is what my 410 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,960 research has taught me is that they said chukas because it's a 411 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,120 full house so we can afford a chicken dinner. 412 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:14,280 Oh my God, I never knew that. Yeah, I never knew that. 413 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,240 And actually it's, it's so entwined with with English 414 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,440 National Ballet that is certainly and for you and I, I 415 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:27,240 think that was our first taste of, of, of company life. 416 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,520 Even when we were kids, we were the Elizabeth Taylors of the, of 417 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:32,760 the ballet world. The. 418 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,200 Shirley Temple. The Shirley Temples. 419 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:41,080 Yeah, we certainly heard that working for the company and IT 420 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:46,320 and in fact, last week I heard it backstage and it warmed my 421 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:50,960 heart because I don't really recall ever hearing it at the 422 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,480 Opera House. It's quite specific to English 423 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,200 National Ballet and the dancers that then perhaps go on from 424 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,640 English National Ballet and then share, you know, share the the 425 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:03,280 tradition, the superstition. But but I certainly didn't know 426 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:07,120 really why we were saying it. You know, the the history of it. 427 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:10,800 But how funny? I even think that maybe Hampi 428 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,320 said it last week in his interview. 429 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:14,520 I have a feeling like listening back that he might have even 430 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,280 said chuckers at one section. Yeah. 431 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,320 But yeah, so we now have enough money to have a chicken dinner 432 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,760 because the house is full. So that's where that comes from. 433 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:29,160 You like us to that? So next thing, this one I love. 434 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:34,880 So the French say mad and lots of English people have started 435 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,240 doing it as well, like lots of nationalities now say it as 436 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,360 well, mad instead of instead of saying good luck. 437 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,840 And if you do not work in the theatre industry, you don't say 438 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,000 good luck. So basically all of these are 439 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,840 different ways of saying good luck because it's supposed to be 440 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,840 bad luck to say good luck. So. 441 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,560 So the French say mad. Do you know where that comes 442 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:59,160 from? Tell me so. 443 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:05,200 Back in the day, even before your time, the audience would 444 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:09,240 arrive by horse and cart, right? So I'm nodding. 445 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,240 She's nodding. You remember it well. 446 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,040 I'm just having flashbacks of, you know, horseshit on my 447 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:21,160 pedicab so. Basically you would say mad 448 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:25,360 because you would hope the streets outside aligned with 449 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:28,680 shit because that means that it's a full house and there's 450 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,360 loads of people. So you're saying mad because you 451 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:35,040 hope there is lots of mad all over the street outside the 452 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:36,800 front of the theatre because it meant that there was loads and 453 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,400 loads of horse buggies, meaning lots and lots of people have 454 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,280 come to see the show and. I suppose lots of like rich 455 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:47,360 people because they were the only ones that would, I guess, 456 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:51,680 turn up in a horse and cart. So the rich, you know, 457 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:55,360 aristocracy of, you know, of those times. 458 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:57,720 And hopefully you can bag yourself a husband as well. 459 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,200 Well, exactly. That's what I was going to lead 460 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,200 on to because then of course of that time, you know, the the 461 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:10,320 ballerinas would be wined and dined, you know, by the rich 462 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,280 clientele. And, you know, they weren't, 463 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,240 they certainly weren't earning a living through their, you know, 464 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,040 paycheck at the Opera House. So they would rely on the 465 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:22,920 kindness of strangers, let's say, you know, to facilitate 466 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,680 their glamorous lifestyles. It was a great time. 467 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,800 OK, break a leg. Do you know where this comes 468 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:37,080 from? Break a leg. 469 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,280 I mean no, and I have had access to this script all week. 470 00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:45,360 However, I wanted the element of surprise and no. 471 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,960 But I actually you haven't looked at it because I also 472 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,960 didn't write it in there. I wrote down what I was going to 473 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,880 talk about, but I didn't say the meaning so I could hold court. 474 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,520 Oh, OK, well I well in that case, soon as you've outed me, 475 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:03,400 then I obviously glanced the script. 476 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:12,840 Fine, moving on. Oh my God of all knowledge. 477 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,680 OK, so break a leg. I'll break your leg. 478 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,000 OK, break a leg. This is not from me looking up. 479 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,960 This is from what I remember. So it's probably completely 480 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:29,600 wrong. I think break a leg comes from, 481 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,200 again, wanting a full house and stuff you. 482 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,840 It's more the we want the performance to go really well. 483 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,720 We want it to go so well that everybody claps their hands and 484 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:42,600 stamps their feet and they stamp their feet so hard that they 485 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,360 break a leg. Oh, OK. 486 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,240 We're hoping the audience break their legs, basically. 487 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:50,600 Exactly, exactly. And actually thinking about it, 488 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,920 just going on from good luck, I don't know about you, but I 489 00:27:55,200 --> 00:28:00,880 generally don't say good luck at all in any context because I 490 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:07,680 think we're so accustomed to not saying it backstage that, you 491 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:12,040 know, we find alternative ways to say have a great show, IE, 492 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,640 yes, have a fantastic show. And if somebody says good luck 493 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,640 to me, I think, isn't it bad luck to respond to somebody 494 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,840 saying good luck? Well, that's what I was going to 495 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,160 say. In Denmark, I've heard people 496 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:29,120 say cat befra, which mean, which basically translates to cat 497 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,680 backwards and cat is tac. So thank you. 498 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,720 So basically you're saying the word thank you backwards and 499 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,680 you're saying thank you backwards so you're not having 500 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:40,720 to say thank you. Does that make any sense? 501 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:42,000 Yes. So they acknowledge, they 502 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,400 acknowledge it, but they but without having to say, yeah, 503 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,000 thank you. Yeah, exactly. 504 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:50,680 But I don't know. And I did look around, I 505 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:54,640 couldn't really find out why the Danish people say poi, poi. 506 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,760 I don't know where that comes from because that's also very 507 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,400 similar to is it the French as well? 508 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:01,800 They say toy, toy. Toy. 509 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:03,120 Toy. Yeah, absolutely. 510 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,360 So I've heard toy toy and I've heard poi poi and I, I don't 511 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,520 know if it's just kind of random noises and it doesn't mean 512 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,160 anything because obviously Merritt is a word and break a 513 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,560 leg is a sentence. But yeah. 514 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,680 It's interesting that, I mean, we sound like mad, absolute mad 515 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:20,920 artists, don't we? With all of our kind of lingo 516 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,760 and superstitions. But it is part of the drama. 517 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,680 And you know, if you ever found yourself backstage, you know, 518 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,200 most people say actually the show is happening backstage. 519 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,840 All of the choreography that happens backstage and the 520 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:38,480 interactions and the drama, it is a lot of fun. 521 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:42,000 And there's something very fulfilling and rewarding when 522 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,600 you've done a show long enough and you've got all the mechanics 523 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,840 of where you need to be, at what time quick changes you get into 524 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:51,880 a routine. You know, certainly for a show 525 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:56,760 that's kind of long running and it's, you know, it's so much 526 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,960 fun. It's don't get me wrong, it's an 527 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,880 absolute delight performing on stage to a live audience. 528 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,520 But there's something the buzz of backstage with your, you 529 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,960 know, dancers around you and your friends and, and the 530 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:14,040 routine and the discipline and the focus that it requires. 531 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,280 But there are still moments where you can have fun. 532 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,120 And it's just the whole experience is really. 533 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,000 And those moments when you're in the green room and you're having 534 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,880 a giggle, I mean, it's always with James you're having, you're 535 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,000 having a giggle with James in the dressing room and then you 536 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,280 hear the music and you peg it from the green room and you're 537 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,880 literally a laughing on stage bum in character. 538 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:40,320 Those moments, I just love it. The backstage moments are, I 539 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,040 mean, from, from what I've, when I've spoken to lots of my 540 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:45,560 friends who have, who are now teachers, all completely left 541 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,880 the dance world or whatever. The thing they miss the most is 542 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,600 not the dancing, it's the dressing rooms. 543 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:56,120 It's the rehearsals, but not the rehearsals, the chatting at the 544 00:30:56,120 --> 00:31:00,320 back of rehearsals. You know, it's all, it's all 545 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:02,840 that kind of part of it that they miss. 546 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,760 It's not the actual physical dancing or ballet class or 547 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,280 performing. It's more the camaraderie or 548 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,400 the, yeah, the whole company feeling and the gossiping in the 549 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,200 dressing room when you're doing your makeup and. 550 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,520 Yeah, I loved all of that, as you well know, because it was 551 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:22,800 you and I doing lots of fun in the dressing room. 552 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:27,120 And it's amazing how much energy energy you have, isn't it, as a 553 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,160 younger dancer? Because if you think about what 554 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:34,120 you're expending on stage, all that energy and yet, but it's, 555 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,520 it's the endorphins, isn't it? So it kind of Revs you up. 556 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:41,040 So you're just on a high all the time. 557 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,720 And then it takes a while to kind of wind down. 558 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,320 And that has never left me. I still cannot get to bed early. 559 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,960 It's just part of my, you know, my mechanics now I'm just, I 560 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,600 just stay up late. I try not to eat too late. 561 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,200 You know, particularly I'm not performing, but I cannot shake 562 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:04,800 off that post performance kind of routine of needing some time 563 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:09,160 to kind of just ground myself before I'm ready to sleep. 564 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:10,920 It's just able now. I don't think it will ever leave 565 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,480 us. Well, we're still on stage. 566 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,320 But I think also, I mean, the thing about the dressing room 567 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,520 and having that energy in the dressing room, obviously it 568 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:19,760 depends on what show you're doing. 569 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,320 But for example, when you were doing, I don't know, the Taran 570 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:27,320 tellers in Napoli that kind of like buzz backstage can Rev you 571 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,680 up because then we're supposed to be on stage in a Taran teller 572 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:31,520 having energy and having a party altogether. 573 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,600 And it does help you arrive at the character. 574 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,600 Now, obviously, maybe I wouldn't be pissing about in the dressing 575 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:42,600 room just before I go on stage if I was doing a dying scene and 576 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,240 something like, yeah, sometimes it does help you get into 577 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,280 character or get the energy and everybody coming together. 578 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:52,360 And because I'm not that performer that stands in the 579 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,080 green room and hold hands with everybody and says a prayer all 580 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,920 together before I go on stage. And I'm not that person. 581 00:32:58,480 --> 00:32:59,840 And that's fine if you are that person. 582 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:01,920 Everyone needs their own thing before they go on stage. 583 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:07,920 But I'm I'm not a let's all center energy, OK, and then go 584 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,880 on stage. No, that's sorry. 585 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,160 That's not me. No, you were more, you were more 586 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:17,880 stage door having a cigarette. I was more stage door with gappa 587 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,280 sand have a cigarette put it out. 588 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:25,320 I can hear bum bum but I'm bad up but get on stage. 589 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:28,360 Good times. Those were the days. 590 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:34,840 We haven't discussed whistling, whistling just in general. 591 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:42,160 How do you feel about whistling? Well, I will say that when I 592 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:47,720 hear people whistling backstage, it does make me irate because 593 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,840 I'm so kind of like old school. And again, it's like what we 594 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,200 spoke about with turning away from the bar and all this kind 595 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,920 of stuff. Like if you don't say it, that 596 00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,240 it's not going to pass on to the next generation. 597 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:02,680 So if these people have not been told don't whistle backstage, 598 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:04,360 they're going to whistle backstage. 599 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:06,280 Why can we not whistle backstage? 600 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:12,239 Denise, tell us all. Well, my interpretation is that 601 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:17,120 way back when, that's how the crew would communicate, you 602 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:22,239 know, for flying in the cloth or for changing or switching up set 603 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:26,719 or, or or lighting perhaps. And, and so in order to not 604 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:30,960 miscommunicate, you would only whistle in a specific way to 605 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,480 communicate with what needs to happen at that said time. 606 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:38,080 So if you were randomly whistling, you could be saying 607 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,360 all sorts of things. I mean, it's not really that 608 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,320 trendy to whistle anyway, you know, It's not like everyone's 609 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:48,400 has the the urge to whistle. However, if you're not 610 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:52,520 accustomed to those traditions and superstitions, it'd be quite 611 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:57,320 easy just to kind of passively whistle and then have a very icy 612 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,560 glare from Paul James Rooney backstage. 613 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:05,320 I think it has to do with something to do with sailors 614 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,120 used to do that when they were pulling ropes and maybe 615 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,560 technicians back in the day were sailors when they were on shore 616 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,040 or something like that. There is some sailor stuff you 617 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:14,920 can hear. I've done a lot of research for 618 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,880 this episode. From Sailor stuff. 619 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:20,960 Moving on. I will. 620 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:29,080 So I will say though, jumping on from from that is also the 621 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:34,160 Scottish play, like Macbeth. And some people don't even like 622 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:36,920 saying it like we're saying right now, like they already be 623 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,000 like, oh, it's a Scottish play. You mean like, no, I mean 624 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:40,400 Macbeth. I'm not doing a show tonight. 625 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:43,720 And that comes from, from my understanding that comes from 626 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:48,280 Macbeth is a very technical play, especially back in the day 627 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,560 before there was all these fancy fantasy machines and whatever. 628 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,320 There's lots of fighting, there's lots of swords. 629 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:58,960 And it was just a play that had lots of injuries involved in it. 630 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:03,360 So it's kind of, you didn't say Macbeth backstage because that 631 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,960 play kind of has, it's kind of a very unlucky play. 632 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,400 There was always lots of injuries. 633 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:12,760 It's kind of always haphazard. That might not be the word 634 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,720 accident prone. It was a very accident prone 635 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:17,760 play. There was always things going 636 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,320 wrong in Macbeth because it was so technical and because there 637 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:22,080 was so much fighting and all this kind of stuff. 638 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,320 It was injury prone. And so that's why you didn't say 639 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:28,840 the Scottish play. And also following up from that, 640 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,840 when I was looking online I found this. 641 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:35,600 So it says if someone accidentally says it. 642 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,440 Tradition. Say it to me. 643 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:39,920 Say it. No, I can't. 644 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,240 I can't. It's like, no, because I can't 645 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:45,160 say the word that I can't say. You know that film, that horror 646 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,440 film where you say his name three times? 647 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:52,880 It's related to sugary bon bons? I don't want to say it. 648 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,040 I'm don't say it, I'm home alone here. 649 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,320 However, if someone accidentally says it, tradition dictates they 650 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:07,200 must leave the theatre, spin three times, spit, swear and 651 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,160 knock before re entering to dispel the curse. 652 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,520 My flamenco teacher used to make us do that. 653 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:17,000 If we whistled in the classroom. Oh God, she would make us go 654 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,640 outside the studio. Cheryl Wexler, she used to make 655 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,400 us go outside and do exactly that. 656 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,160 Turn around, spit on the floor, swear before you came in again. 657 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:27,280 Oh wow. I mean, I kind of secretly love 658 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:31,640 it, but that I mean that's high maintenance even for me. 659 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,080 Talking about Cheryl Wexler, I will just quickly sidebar on 660 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,320 this. So she was my flamenco teacher 661 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:40,960 and she taught me a lot of flamenco, funny enough. 662 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:47,040 A lot of flamenco. So she taught us flamenco and 663 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:49,920 something that she did tell me was that, for example, 664 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:54,680 Bournenville, where I'm now in Denmark, Bournenville's got lots 665 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,240 of his ideas for his technique and for his style of dancing 666 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:00,560 from the national dancers in Spain. 667 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:03,160 They do lots of like Little von de Jaan's, they call them Marone 668 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:06,840 fans and lots of small battery and footwork and lots of that, 669 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:10,880 like Escuela Bolero School of dancing in Spain is where 670 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:14,040 Bonneville got inspiration for all of his quick footwork and 671 00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:17,080 his, you know, 11 de Jean Sotte's and his ceases and all 672 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:19,680 that battery and all that kind of intricate footwork comes from 673 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:21,800 Spanish national dancing. Oh. 674 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,280 How fabulous. And it does make sense if you, 675 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:25,720 if you think about it, doesn't it? 676 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:29,480 The quick footwork and the, you know, the, the dynamic how, how 677 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:32,840 interesting. Yeah, you know, we can talk 678 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,560 about it for ages, like serendipity and how your life 679 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:37,640 works. But like, my first job, my very 680 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:41,000 first job when I graduated school was. 681 00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:42,960 I'm sure it's still out there. So you can find it. 682 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:47,800 But there is a teaching video for these Escuela Bolero 683 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:51,400 exercises. So like a full on ballet class 684 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:54,480 with castanets. And I'm demonstrating all the 685 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:57,400 exercises. So they're doing like pirouettes 686 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:00,640 with castanets and double tours with castanets and all this kind 687 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:04,920 of old fashioned national dancing Spanish stuff. 688 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:09,680 And I'm wearing black tights to below the knee, white tights 689 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:12,520 underneath that with black ballet shoes. 690 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:16,560 And then Fast forward, because it knows how many years, I then 691 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,760 moved to Denmark and I ended up doing Bonneville every single 692 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:23,120 day of my life. It was written in the stars. 693 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:25,840 It's got nothing to do with the fact that she can't turn and 694 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,760 she's really short because Bonneville loves nothing more 695 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,240 than a double. Follow the work. 696 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:36,680 So we if you are like me and you are short, you like battery and 697 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:39,120 you can't turn. Have a go on these castanets. 698 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,440 Have a go on these castanets and I'll see you in a couple of 699 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:47,800 months. So one other thing I'd love to 700 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:53,840 just chant about briefly is this concept, this idea of having a a 701 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:58,840 ghost light or having a single light that remains on stage even 702 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:01,680 after all the dancers and the crew and the, you know, the 703 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:03,960 audience after everyone has gone home. 704 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,520 This idea of having a light on stage and. 705 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,520 We have left the theatre before that happened, so I've never 706 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,280 really witnessed it, but I, my understanding is that it's kept 707 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:20,040 on practically. It's so that if any maintenance 708 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,160 were to happen, or for the people that are coming into the 709 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:25,120 theatre, I suppose at early doors to do whatever they need 710 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:28,800 to do, it's so they can see and then they can, you know, add 711 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:30,840 more light, ETC. They don't. 712 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,840 Fall on in the. Exactly, Exactly. 713 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:35,440 But also, I think there's some kind of superstition about 714 00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:40,560 appeasing the, the spirits, the ghosts of of the theatre, you 715 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:44,520 know, particularly for these old, old historical theatres. 716 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:50,160 But again, I don't believe I've ever witnessed seeing a in real 717 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:51,960 life. Perhaps in, you know, film and 718 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:55,320 media, you know, there are reference references to it, but 719 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,000 I just wondered if you'd ever seen or. 720 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,680 No, I've never seen it. I think I've, I, I don't know if 721 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:03,480 it is quite an American thing actually, but I have. 722 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:05,600 I have not. I've never experienced it 723 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,880 myself. I've heard many stories about 724 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:10,800 actual ghosts, not just ghost lines. 725 00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:13,520 I've never experienced a ghost myself in my entire life. 726 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:17,080 But there's always stories about ghosts and theaters. 727 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,960 There's one in in Tivoli in the pantomime theatre. 728 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:25,760 There's like a big black fly that flies around and they 729 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,320 always say it's one of the old Columbines. 730 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,000 Her spirit is in this fly. So whenever there's a family on 731 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,800 stage, you can't kill it. It's dead Columbine, you got it. 732 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:37,360 So don't kill a family. And I'm like, no, it's just 733 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:38,800 because we haven't aired out this theatre. 734 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:40,360 And that fly has been flying around for years. 735 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:47,200 So pantomime theatre, pantomime theatre in Tivoli, where I 736 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:52,080 worked and where where I worked with Sean is a kind of a Chinese 737 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,560 building in the middle of Tivoli Gardens. 738 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:59,240 The architect of that is the same architect as the one who 739 00:41:59,240 --> 00:42:02,480 did is called the old stage, the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera 740 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:04,520 House in the center of Copenhagen. 741 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:07,000 That's the same architect. And funny enough, he did it in 742 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,080 the exact same year. An architect creating those two 743 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:14,720 buildings, which are completely different styles and completely 744 00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:18,080 different, you know, sizes and everything about them is 745 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:20,040 completely different. It was the same architect in the 746 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:24,080 same year, which I think is kind of amazing because the old stage 747 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:26,680 where the Royal Ballet is, is a very, I don't want to say 748 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:29,280 stereotypical because it sounds, it makes it sound awful, but 749 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:32,880 like, you know, a classic Opera House, what it looks like. 750 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:36,360 And then you've got these Chinese Theatre with the front 751 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:38,800 curtain is a Peacock that opens its tail and it's like, you 752 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:40,720 know, completely different ends of the spectrum. 753 00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:42,240 But yeah, same architect, same year. 754 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,640 Quite interesting. I'm busy for the architect. 755 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:49,120 My goodness. I mean, I'm sure you know he was 756 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:50,960 it, did you say a male? Was he a guy? 757 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:54,880 Yeah, I'm sure he had a team, obviously, but I'm quite 758 00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:56,360 lucrative. I would have thought, you know, 759 00:42:56,360 --> 00:43:00,840 he was obviously the architect of the season, so good for him. 760 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:04,480 But yeah, I've seen the Tivoli Theatre and it's far from 761 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,560 traditional and it's beautiful, but very, very different. 762 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,120 Yeah, and it's the rake on that stage. 763 00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:16,560 My God, it's very raked. Every time I go on a stage now 764 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:19,920 that is raked like this is nothing, this is nothing. 765 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:23,000 Go dancing Tivoli. I remember I was actually funny 766 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:27,360 story before we close up completely this episode, we were 767 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:31,240 on tour with Danish Dance Theatre and there was a solo at 768 00:43:31,240 --> 00:43:34,840 the beginning of the show that I shared with another guy. 769 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:38,400 We would like alternate who does it each each night and it wasn't 770 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:42,400 going to be my night. And we were flying to Bonholm, 771 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,680 which is a Danish island and we were at the the airport in 772 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:49,320 Copenhagen and our flight is delayed by like 3 hours. 773 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:54,040 And it was a one night show, fly to Bonholm, stage it, tech, do 774 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:56,320 the show, sleep the night, fly back. 775 00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:00,280 So we're at the airport and I don't even think it's snowing in 776 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:05,320 Copenhagen, but the the flight is delayed by three hours and 777 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,720 then it gets delayed by another hour and it's because of snow. 778 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:13,160 We eventually fly and the flight is like 30 minutes. 779 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:15,960 Like it's a very, very, very quick flight. 780 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:20,160 And we arrived, we touched down in Bonholm and yes, the snow is 781 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:23,240 up to your knees. It's absolutely crazy. 782 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:27,360 But we are so delayed. The tour manager says to us, 783 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:33,240 we're going to have time to get to that stage, maybe space one 784 00:44:33,240 --> 00:44:36,280 or two things, and then you have to change and then we do the 785 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:38,680 show like there's no time to do anything. 786 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:41,160 And obviously the technicians also need to set the stage up. 787 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:44,480 And yeah, there was no time. And I remember the tour manager 788 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,760 says to me, he's like, Paul, you're doing the solo tonight. 789 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:49,400 It's like, oh, why? What's happened is someone 790 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:51,120 injured? It's like, no, it's a rake stage 791 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:54,080 and you're used to it. So you've done enough rake 792 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,360 stages in your life, so get on that rake. 793 00:44:56,720 --> 00:45:00,880 Get out there, girl. And again on home gone down 794 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,160 like, oh, this isn't a rake. Nothing after panto. 795 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:07,480 I can do anything after that rake stage I. 796 00:45:07,680 --> 00:45:11,440 Stood on that stage with you when I, I visited a few times to 797 00:45:11,440 --> 00:45:15,160 see you in Denmark and it is a severe rake. 798 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:19,280 It really is. It's it's a huge skill to be 799 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:22,760 able to dance on that stage. It really is and. 800 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:24,080 It's things that you don't think about. 801 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:27,520 Like for me, lots of Bournonville ballets end with an 802 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:31,040 on to Don Pirouette. Like lot end of part of seas, 803 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:34,360 end of Taron tellers, end of lots of his, you know, Napoli 804 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:35,440 solos and all that kind of stuff. 805 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:37,560 Lots of them end with an on to Don pirouette. 806 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:42,480 And so I got so used to like spotting really high up on on to 807 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:44,520 Don pirouettes. And I remember up until like 808 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:47,680 quite recently when I go to do a class like staring at the 809 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:50,040 ceiling when I'm doing on to Don pirouettes because I'm so used 810 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:53,040 to doing it, like retraining myself to not be on a rake has 811 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:56,760 been more of an issue. Pirouettes on a rake were 812 00:45:57,360 --> 00:45:58,960 something that I learned quite quickly. 813 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,880 But the hardest thing is, like what we spoke spoke about a 814 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:05,160 couple of weeks ago, Coupe Jetes or Jetty Alonso, like going 815 00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:08,120 around the room because you're going down the hill and then 816 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,920 you're going up the hill. Tricky, tricky. 817 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:13,360 Listen, you've, I know we have to wrap up this episode, but 818 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:20,600 you've just reminded me of when when I joined Swan Lake, we did 819 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:24,720 AUK tour, we did a national 10 week tour, right? 820 00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:28,200 That was that was the first thing we did after a glorious 821 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:31,440 six weeks of rehearsal, which is unheard of now. 822 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:36,000 But we had six beautiful weeks. And there's a moment in Swan 823 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:40,600 Lake, and I think it must be act one, where the bed this huge, 824 00:46:40,600 --> 00:46:43,720 the Princess bed is already set on stage, so it's locked in 825 00:46:43,720 --> 00:46:46,160 position, but we have to turn it. 826 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:50,240 Four of the dancers have to take a corner of the bed each unflip 827 00:46:50,240 --> 00:46:55,960 the lock, turn the bed and push the bed upstage and then lock. 828 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,440 And then we disappear and then we're on our next scene. 829 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:02,560 But I think I don't know whether we didn't have time to do it in 830 00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:06,040 the tech rehearsal or whether, whether I don't know what 831 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:12,480 happened, but the bed started to roll towards the orchestra, the 832 00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:16,920 live orchestra in the pit and the panic. 833 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:20,000 And eventually, of course, we managed to hold it in place 834 00:47:20,240 --> 00:47:22,560 lock. But the weight of the bed, even 835 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:25,080 though it was locked, it still kept pushing forward. 836 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:28,040 So I mean, that could have been horrendous, but I don't think 837 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:30,680 the the show was stopped. I think we kept going. 838 00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:34,440 But those moments, you know, it's, it's amazing how just a 839 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:38,920 slight shifting gradient on a stage can really alter the 840 00:47:38,920 --> 00:47:42,560 entire dynamic of whether it's yourself or the set, but you've 841 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:46,160 just unlocked that memory from three years ago. 842 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:52,200 Well, I do hope that you have all learned something today. 843 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:54,560 Some useless facts to tell at dinner parties. 844 00:47:54,640 --> 00:47:55,680 That's what you're supposed to say. 845 00:47:56,360 --> 00:48:01,720 Excuse me. Excuse me? 846 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:04,960 Cut. Cut. 847 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,720 Well, I do hope that you have learnt something today. 848 00:48:08,720 --> 00:48:11,520 Some useless facts to tell at a dinner party. 849 00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:14,320 And please tell everyone at that dinner party that you learnt 850 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:17,440 those facts and much, much more from your favorite podcast, 851 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:18,560 Drinks. At the bar. 852 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:19,880 Yeah. Please do. 853 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:21,960 All right, darling. Lots of love. 854 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:24,920 Lots of love, take care and speak to you again soon. 855 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:28,560 Speak to you soon, bye. Bye bye. 856 00:48:29,240 --> 00:48:29,440 Bye.