This Weekend Mommy Disappeared

Mommy #2 DISAPPEARED for 3 whole days this past weekend. I should have known the signs. . . her BARREL of building stuff appeared, she went shopping for extra snacks, and long discussions with Auntie D. Happens every year and it ALWAYS catches me off guard. In our house, this is called Showcase Time. It is the time of year when Auntie D's ballet studio puts on its annual showcase. Mommy and Aunts B & T danced in it at one time. . . Cousin K and Cousin E danced in it at one time . . . and my Mommy #1 danced in it until she started university. So this show is very very important to our family.

Mommy spends one weekend helping sort and distribute costumes. The sorting takes a long time. Aunt B helps too. This year, because of her back, Mommy couldn't do quite as much so Auntie D and Aunt B had to do a little more. But that is how FAMILY (even extended family) works.

Then the real fun begins. . . SHOWCASE WEEKEND. It is held here.

Santa Clara Convention Center

Unfortunately and fortunately it is located near here, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers, Levi Stadium.

And they had a game. Bummer. It made getting to the shows difficult. But people made it happen.

View from Convention Center parking toward Levi Stadium

Friday ALL DAY was move into the theater and set build day. It is a lot of work. But at the end, the sets really make the show and Mommy says it is a labor of love. 

This is what the sets looked like this year. From
the audience seating the "buildings" look
3D

The next two days were even longer and Mommy left early in the morning and returned late at night BOTH DAYS!!! She was pretty tired too. I missed her a LOT, even though she did come home to SLEEP.

 

The audience view

There is NOTHING like being onstage. The whole atmosphere buzzes with excitement and expectation. With THREE shows, anything can happen. I can tell you - a LOT of MAGIC happens.

Behind the scenes - Mommy's point of view

Dancers awaiting their turn to dance

Mommy says she gets a lot of satisfaction from SHOWCASE. The culmination of all of the hard work is so worth it. And the dancers take away even more - confidence and pride in performing; satisfaction in doing their best; and a sense of camaraderie and family with people NOT in their families. It is really really special.

The Showcase went very very well and pretty much everyone is pleased with all they accomplished. Mommy is already planning on what she will do differently next year.

If it ain't broke, Mommy, DON'T fix it!

This is my FAVORITE part of being in the THEATER . . . gazing out at the audience and DREAMING . . .

Busy Ballerina

I am pretty sure - well at least I hope - that you noticed I have not been around much over the last couple of weeks. Well it is that time of year when the ballet studio Mommy #1 attends has its annual showcase. We all get very involved with the show - we do everything from sort costumes to helping with the sets. I also help backstage as the official reminderPUG not to RUN. . . not to TALK. . . not to chew GUM. . . and that kind of thing. It is amazing what a little pug can accomplish.

It is also a crazy time of very little sleep, light meals on the run, and nonstop activity. It is tiring - but I LOVE it so much. Nothing makes me happier than standing on the stage and looking out at the seats. Really! It is the ONLY time I am not too afraid of shadows.

So this year, the theme was THE STORYTELLER. The character, The Storyteller, weaves a tale of fun and intrigue as it all unfolds onstage. I played the small village girl who alerts the Princess to trouble. It was so fun.

Here I am preparing to go onstage for the next to the last dance of the show. The last dance has all the sets put back onstage.

Then we stay to STRIKE the stage. This is when we younguns get to jump on and smash the paper sets. It is a gas and a good way to let off all that tension you build during the show.

Yesterday we took a day off of school and work to just sleep, snuggle, and catch up on movies. It is such a fun time - I cannot wait until next year.