Behind the Scenes

1.000 small and big mishaps in 60 years of stage magic

 

When the curtain rises, the magic begins and everything seems perfect.

The music starts, the spotlights find their designated positions on stage as if by magic, and the dancers’ movements are soft, fluid and expressive. The audience sees grace, lightness and perfection. Scenery appears and disappears as if by magic, scenes flow seamlessly into one another, and the dancers enchant with their entrances and exits to the music.

But behind the scenes, the world sometimes looks very different.
 

There, a pointe shoe is re-laced at the last second, a missing crown is frantically searched for, or a costume is salvaged with safety pins. underskirts or entire costumes vanish, the music starts a moment too early, props suddenly collapse or are on the wrong side of the stage, curtains get stuck or won’t open at all, or one of the children vomits on the way to the stage and a replacement must be found within seconds.

In the 60 years of the Oremek-Reeves Ballet School, there have been countless such moments. Minor mishaps, major excitement and situations where improvisation was required – with a pounding heart and yet a graceful smile.

The emergency kit is expanded year after year, and yet in moments like these, improvisation, quick thinking and decisiveness are still required. Because the most important thing in such moments is to preserve the magic of the stage.

My dancers don’t just learn steps and choreography. They learn to stick together at the right moment, to react spontaneously and to radiate calm even in the midst of chaos.

The audience often – thank goodness – notices none of this.

They see only the magic on stage.

And perhaps that is the real art of it.

Behind every seemingly perfect performance are people with heart, passion, nerves, team spirit and sometimes (or even ALWAYS!) a great deal of talent for improvisation.

When we look back on six decades today, we remember not only the grand performances, costumes and stage sets.
 

We also remember the little stories behind the curtain. Moments that had everyone in a panic at the time and which we laugh heartily about today.

Even the best, most meticulous and sophisticated planning cannot foresee a missing skirt, a technical glitch, a loose staple or a performer falling ill. But it is often precisely these unexpected moments that remain in our memories forever, shaping a team and bringing us closer together.

So, since 1966, a certain amount of chaos behind the scenes has naturally been part of our ballet school’s history. We learn from this, because situations like these make us stronger and help us move forward in life. (Even if I could well do without them 😉)

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The emergency kit – just like our wealth of experience – gets a little bit bigger every year. Because we have been dancing with heart, passion and total commitment since 1966, giving our very best year after year. ✨
 

A heartfelt thank you goes to our entire backstage team – the lifesavers in times of need, the quiet helpers behind the curtain and the backbone of every single performance.
 

You are fantastic! 💖
 

Warm regards,

Jasmin