BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Star gets a backstage pass as the National Ballet prepares to perform Sleeping Beauty,
Tucked away in a dressing room, a young dancer cries in her tutu.
In a mirror-lined rehearsal hall, ballerinas huddle together for a selfie. Walking offstage, a male dancer curses loudly. One ballerina calls The Sleeping Beauty a “must” in a classical ballerina’s repertoire.
“I love the purity of it. There’s nowhere to hide . . . there’s nothing distorted about it,” says principal dancer Sonia Rodriguez. “You have to have a very clean technique.” It’s ballet 101, she adds. Away from the flawless, beautifully choreographed scenes onstage, the Star got a rare behind-the-curtain glimpse into the honest, playful and sometimes painful vignettes that unfold backstage one night before opening day.
The National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Sleeping Beauty opened on Wednesday and runs until June 20. Shoes To customize pointe shoes to their liking, female dancers use hammers, glue and X-acto knives to break them in. Some prefer a harder shoe and will apply hardening glue to the inner toe or the bottom sole. Others stuff lambswool into the tips, cushioning their toes.
Female dancers typically go through at least one pair of pointe shoes per performance.
Spending countless hours on their tiptoes, dancers often encounter foot problems such as lost toenails, blisters, ingrown toenails, bunions and corns. “I can’t get pedicures,” says first soloist Tanya Howard, since those soften her nails. “(The nail) always cracks. It’s the worst pain.”
Costumes
Fittings for the 100-plus dancers and their 240 costumes began a month and a half ago. Most dancers will share a costume with another dancer who is performing the same role, even the principal dancers. This can be tricky when dancers are different sizes, said assistant wardrobe co-ordinator Grant Heaps with a chuckle.
Some of the costumes are from the company’s premiere performance of The Sleeping Beauty in 1972. The name of the original ballerina to wear a tutu is often written in the waistband. Aside from their beauty, there are monetary reasons why costumes are still used: a basic white tulle tutu costs upwards of $1,500. They’re worth even more after embellishments and embroidery are added in-house.
Hair and Makeup
Each dancer is responsible for applying their own makeup to match the makeup sketch for their character. Luckily, MAC Cosmetics, a ballet sponsor, sends in makeup artists for instructional sessions and provides the makeup.
The company’s hair and wig staff use between 20 and 50 bobby pins to attach headpieces to hair, depending on hair thickness and length. Some dancers find it uncomfortable, but it’s better than the alternative. “I had a hairpiece fly off once,” says one dancer.
Rehearsal
Some dancers appeared relaxed while others were visibly tense, repeatedly practising footwork and clenching their jaws.
Second soloist Jordana Daumec said there’s less pressure at a dress rehearsal, but she likes to bring “a little something special” for the audience. “I usually add a little bit more personality or I try to push something that I know I’m really good at.” The dress rehearsal is the first night for dancers to test their costumes, makeup and hair under stage lights.
“It’s so you know exactly what to expect,” said Harrison James, making his Sleeping Beauty debut as Prince Florimund and still getting accustomed to his fake ponytail.