Ottawa Tour - Day 1 Recap

The first day of Pennsylvania Ballet's Ottawa tour has arrived!

We all met at the Merriam Theater at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to board our bus and after a brief roll call we were off!

The beginning of the bus trip

While on the bus, some dancers sewed pointe shoes, others just enjoyed the visual entertainment of our movie picks for the trip, "Bridesmaids" and "Elf".

We finally made it to Ottawa at 7:30 p.m., ahead of schedule! We got our room keys, found our roommates, and settled in before dinner.

Evelyn Kocak, Edward Barnes, me, Daniel Cooper, and Ian Hussey

Next we headed to the Byward Market, or Marché By, grabbed a bite, and strolled around. This area is very quaint and has a ton of interesting restaurants and cafes. I definitely want to check it out on our breaks in between rehearsals!

Byward Market

After a long day, we headed back to the hotel to get into our nightly routines. After a communal ice session we all parted ways until tomorrow, our first day in the theater. Time to rest up!



Icing

-- Company Member Holly Lynn Fusco

 

Behind the Scenes at the Comcast Holiday Spectacular Shoot

Company Member Holly Lynn Fusco writes about the experience.

It may have been 80 degrees outside on October 9th, but inside of the Hill Theater Studios in Paulsboro New Jersey, it was nothing short of Christmas, as I and eleven other Pennsylvania Ballet dancers participated in The Comcast Center's Holiday Spectacular video shoot for The Nutcracker!

Once settled and warmed up, our first step was to get our makeup done. The professional makeup artists used special cosmetics from France on us for the high-definition filming so our faces looked fresh and radiant in the bright lights. Next we got our costumes on and headed downstairs to the set.

A view of the set from above.

On set, we individually brought our Nutcracker characters to life; Snow, Spanish, Tea, Marzipan and Candy Cane. Filmed in slow motion with a very special camera situated on the floor, we each spent about half an hour tweaking our movements for the ultimate product. There was even a fan that was incorporated to have a wind effect! After executing our steps, we checked the slow motion playback monitor. Even the little nuances which you never would think to be visible to the audience were brought to our attention and adjusted so we looked the best we could!

I am eagerly anticipating the first time I see the Comcast Holiday Spectacular, as this type of shoot was a first for me! It is always a thrill to see the end product after a shoot of any sort, as there is always editing, and add-ons that can make the whole package come together! The show runs Thanksgiving Day through New Years Day 10 am- 8pm. I'll see you there!

Lauren Fadeley and I getting ready.