Mountain View Solstice Dancers: Rehearsal 6

Last night we began outside! Jessica and Diane and Mark decided to take advantage of the gorgeously warm and light-filled evening by having us set our waltz partnering pattern on the paved promenade outside Celebration Hall.

However, figuring out when, and in what directions, the different quartets were meant to set off took some doing. Plus, truth be told, I think we were generally friskily distracted by being outside. If June 21 is anything like last night--complete with a lovely crescent moon--we're going to have some serious competition for spectators' attention. Nonetheless, Jessica and Hayley persevered (kudos to them both for dealing with such aplomb and forbearance with our chaotic and roady bunch--although Hayley did have to tell us to be quiet more than once last night, generally we get very few of the kind of dressings down for misbehaving we routinely received from Emily during LGC rehearsals).

After trying the waltz pattern a few more times with the music blaring from a portable speaker Mark had hooked up, we then did a trial run-through of our walking entrance. This starts from the bike bath that bisects the northern and southern sections of the cemetery--which is a long way away from where we're meant to end up, near Celebration Hall, at the end of this sequence. We may be sprinting during the last part of it.

After a short break, it was back inside to learn a new partnering phrase, one that incorporates some of the contact improv-style movement we experimented with in previous sections. Specifically, there is a finger and head sequence that involves some tricky transferring of weight. Suzie and I managed fairly well, although we were slightly off in our counts each time. And there were a few bumped foreheads.

Diane told us at the end of the rehearsal that we are behind in our rehearsals--only two months to the performance! So we definitely have to pick up the pace from here on in. We still have 15 or more minutes of the piece to set. Apparently we'll be finishing with the Part song next week--although I'll miss that, as I'm going to be away in Montreal.

I'll just have to practice in my hotel room with the videos.

P.