#your close-knit ballet company performs when they can—where they can

[suguwu]

...pantalone & ballet dancer reader

[swanlake1998]

Article: When—and How—You Should Be Stretching Throughout Your Dance Day

Date: June 29, 2021

By: Meghan Keeney

Ballet class is pretty predictable: There are always pliés, tendus, dégagés and so forth. Usually before center, the instructor gives a quick stretch break to "do whatever you need." Many dancers use this time to sink into their splits.

But should you be stretching directly after engaging your muscles at barre? We spoke with experts to determine the optimal time to stretch—and how you should change your approach throughout your dance day.

Before Class

It's important to have a pre-class routine to set up the body for success and to avoid injury. However, sitting in a butterfly position or the splits is not an effective warm-up. The few minutes before barre isn't the time to hold a static stretch; instead, it's an opportunity to physically prepare the muscles for the class ahead with easy dynamic movements.

To properly warm up, Dr. Sue Mayes, director of artistic health at The Australian Ballet, says the focus should be on mobilizing the muscles and joints, rather than stretching. She adds that an efficient before-class routine should start to engage the muscles. "Dancers might do some exercises where they're contracting. For example, a single-leg bridge for the hamstring," says Mayes. This pre-class time is about gradually building up to a larger range of motion.

After Barre (Before Center)

You made it through barre, and you have a few minutes to stretch before center. In order to avoid injury, it is essential to elongate the muscles before you tackle bigger movements, like grands battements. However, there are much more effective ways of stretching the hamstrings than passively sitting in a forward fold. Mayes suggests using dynamic exercises rather than stretching to mobilize the areas that may have felt tight at the barre. For example, if you have tight hamstrings, Amber Tacy, a personal trainer and founder of Dancers Who Lift, recommends movements like a hamstring scoop, where you flex one foot and in a scooping motion bend over toward it repeatedly. To prep for adagio, Mayes suggests dancers try holding the leg in devant or in à la seconde. Once there, see if you can let go and maintain the height of the leg without the support of your hand.

Michelle Rodriguez, physical therapist and founder of Manhattan Physio Group, warns that overstretching can reduce strength in the muscle, which can lead to a lack of control in center combinations. "You want to have the balance between the ability for the muscle to have this really nice extensibility and elasticity, but then it has to have the ability to contract again and generate force and power," she says. "When a muscle becomes too elongated, it actually loses power."

Tacy explains that it comes down to the sarcomeres in our muscles. "If we're engaging our muscle fibers, we're taking the little sarcomeres, which are these tiny communicators within our muscle strands, and they're moving close together to move as a unit effectively." However, when you immediately stretch out after engaging the muscles at barre or in a conditioning setting before class is over, Tacy says you've done yourself a disservice. "You had them where you wanted them, then you stretched and gave them a completely different signal."

If you jump into dancing again after static stretching, your body might not be able to perform to its full potential strength. The muscles will likely not be as engaged as they were before you stretched them out. Even worse, you face an increased risk of injury when you suddenly switch back and forth between extreme contracting and stretching, explains Tacy.

Mayes adds that at The Australian Ballet, company members focus more on strengthening than stretching. Its artistic-health team believes that a little bit of tension in the muscle is good: "We want them to be more like a spring than a piece of spaghetti," she says.

After Class or a Conditioning Session

While static stretching during class can decrease muscle power directly afterwards, Tacy says stretching at the end of a conditioning session, like a core workout on your day off, will not inhibit muscle growth. If you still have class or a rehearsal later in the day, static stretching might not be the best answer. Mayes explains that this is because the muscles still need to be prepared to work.

If you have a chunk of downtime between class and rehearsal, use the break to reenergize and refuel your body, says Mayes. Just make sure you leave enough time before your next class or rehearsal to reactivate those muscles with another dynamic warm-up.

At the End of the Day

Finally, the day's end is the best time to take advantage of static stretching. According to Tacy, this is a great way to allow the muscles to relax after a day of work. If you've spent a lot of time engaging your muscles, she explains, the fibers have been tightly knit. "When we gradually relax, we're saying, 'Okay, now you guys can separate.' "

Moreover, deep stretching to gain flexibility should be reserved until all dancing and conditioning is done—but when the body is still completely warm. Before you pack up your bag and leave the studio, take the time to cool down and stretch. This is also the most effective time to roll out your muscles and home in on tight areas.

No matter the time of day, says Tacy, stretching and mobilizing the body is all about choosing what is optimal over what is adequate. With a smart approach to stretching, you'll be both limber and strong.

[thesimperiuscurse]

ALL OF THEM. For Eva

🍁 Where does your OC go when they need to have some time to themselves? Would they ever have their own “comfort corner” filled with all the things they like? Do they have a favourite spot outside that feels like its theirs and theirs alone?

Eva rarely seeks time alone. Her profession means that much of her time is dedicated to working by herself, but she’s very much extroverted and prefers to be in the lively company of loved ones. If she’s in distress, her first reaction is to reach out for her family, especially her mother Cherry, which is where she finds the most comfort. There are many places she loves in the wilds of California, and the ocean is where she can always find peace, but even then she doesn’t feel like there’s a spot where she can be truly alone—the birds and deer and the murmuring of trees are as conversational company as any. 

🍂 Does your OC enjoy hugs? What do they do as a show of affection for: their friends, their family, their significant other(s) or for strangers? Over all what are they like with receiving affection from others?

Although in the professionalism of ballet she comes off as a steely and work-obsessed person, she’s cuddly with those she trusts. She gives hugs freely to all her friends and family, who in general are openly affectionate, so that’s just the way she grew up. Her ‘love language’ is physical affection. 

🌻 What little things do they notice about people or the world around them that make them happy? What tiny little treasures do they find in the normal every day that makes the world seem a little brighter for them?

She finds an infinite number of beautiful and simple things in nature—the blueness of the sky, the smell of the earth after rain, the soft whisper of the ocean washing back and forth across sand. Living in the city only amplifies her senses in picking out the tiny signs of emerald life amongst the hard urbanscape. She is far less likely to notice such little things of beauty in people, because frankly she cares more about nature than humanity, but that is until she met Mako. She notices more tiny details about him than she'd care to admit, like the way he always blushes when she says something nice to him, or how his dimples twinkle whenever he’s happy. 

🌾 Describe your OC through the eyes of someone absolutely head-over-heels in love with them.

There’s a radiance to her that feels like the golden summer sun, the dawn that rises from every night, breathtaking; she has an infectious energy and unabashed joy that has the extraordinary ability to bring smiles to people’s faces, far more than she realises; an open kindness and gentleness to her touch unlike anyone else; life, passion, freedom, love, strength, beauty, courage, light, everything that he is not. 

💐 How does your OC handle being unwell or forced to rest in bed? Who cares for them and in what ways? Does your OC enjoy being doted on or are they a terrible patient? Reversed: is your OC good at taking care of others who are ill or in need?

She hates being sick. Anything that slows her down, brings her below her painstakingly achieved peak athletic performance, frustrates her greatly. She rarely catches trivial illnesses like colds due to her hardened immune system, but when she injured her Achilles Heel the previous year, she was forced to stop dancing and rest, which she handled really badly. Her temper dropped sharply to the point of lashing out. In terms of taking care of other people, she doesn’t consider herself as a particularly tender and gentle care-giver (her mom and sister Fawn are the fussy doters in the family) but later on she may surprise herself. 

🌿 What way does your OC show that they care without using words? What way do others show your OC that they’re cared about without using speech?

Eva does have trouble articulating her feelings through words (at least, in an eloquent way) so she almost always communicates love through physical touch. This ranges from absentminded fingertip-brushes and shoulder bumps to baby koala cuddling. In reverse, Mako also has difficulty with verbal expression (though for another reason than being linguistically challenged) and over the past few chapters has been slowly learning how to return affection in their own wordless language. 

🌳 What is your OC’s favourite way to relax after a stressful day? Do they have a favourite book to curl up with? A hobby? Or do they have a nice bubble bath and have an early night to bed?

Almost every day is physically stressful for her, because dancing up to eight hours on end really does a number on her legs. As both the Nationals and academy production draws closer, she has to spend more time on caring for her health, so in the final hour of each night she relaxes with an ice bath for her calves and a long shower, soothing balms massaged into her muscles followed by heat packs, precious time chatting with her family, and then conks right out to sleep.  

🌲 How deeply does your OC feel? Are they typically empathetic or do they have a hard time connecting with others in this way? What are they like when offering support and comfort to someone they care for?

Eva is deeply empathetic, even more than Misha. She is capable of absorbing and feeling emotions as viscerally as if they were her own, which stems from her growing up amongst nature, listening deeply to all the movements and patterns of the earth. However, unlike Misha, she doesn’t have the social intelligence / self awareness to always understand the emotions or control her reactions to them. Her tunnel vision can mean that she’s often too preoccupied with herself to notice what's going on with other people. Her sympathy also has a very short rein. 

🌺 What does your OC do to calm down when they’re scared or after a nightmare? Do they have any special comfort items or need to be reassured by a specific person? How do they handle this if they’re alone?

She’s not a fearful person and never gets nightmares, but there are occasional times when she can get extremely stressed due to complications in ballet. Again, she’s always reassured by her parents. Since she’s a bit far away from them now, the steady quiet of her partner is a calming influence. She’s never been alone in her life, so in that case... we shall see. 

🥀 How would your OC decorate a notebook or journal? What kind of things are written in there? Could you give an example of a nice entry?

She doesn’t have the patience to keep a journal. Tried once when she was a kid, kept it for three days, and never touched it again. 

🌼 Who are this characters friends and found family? How did they meet, how long have they been friends for, could they ever be something more than just friends? What do they look for in a friend or a romantic partner?

Her best friends are Mako, Sasha, Piper, and Misha, and they’ve all been a tight-knit group of friends for one semester now. They are actually her first close friends out of her extended family, because her competitive nature and differences from ballet traditions always made her a bit of a loner, despite her natural friendliness. In the professional setting she spends most of her life in, she’s never on the lookout for making friends, and romantic partner wise, she’s never cared for that either. 

💫What is your favourite fact about this character and why?

I really like her sensory depth. The strength of which she feels things and her constant movement is enjoyable to write. 

☄️ Does this OC deserve better treatment from you? Do you make them suffer just a little bit too much? Be nice to them!

I have been super nice to her... so far. She’s sailing high on competition wins and lead roles right now, which isn’t to say she isn’t suffering for it, but she’s used to being the best and has become comfortable in that position. 

🌠 On a scale of 1 - 10 how baby is your OC? 

She is a hardcore and mature person for her age, as the intensity of pre-professional ballet required her to grow up fast. However, she does have a childish streak that shines through when she’s very excited, and most vividly in the safe calm of her partner. Her peak baby moments are when she’s sleepy or cold and half-consciously snuggles as deep as she can into Mako’s arms. She’s also dumb as fuck but lets not count that. 4/10. 

💦 If you as the writer could erase one traumatic event from this OC’s life what would it be and why?

There haven’t been any traumatic events in her life yet, because she’s been sheltered by her parents, who try their best not to let their own traumatic pasts cycle into their children. I think that’s the key difference between Eva and her partner, and the very different ways they deal with their very similar ballet-centric lives. 

[peachesandsodas]

Le papillon (ballerina!oc x photographer!kihyun) - 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | word count : 2519

“ You know how it feels like? When those butterflies decided to flutter inside you and your heart starts to beats fast? I never felt those before-- but-- it feels nice. It’s warm, and comforting. “

listen to this while reading

Sun light peeks in through the gaps of white, linen curtain, and the sound of rustling branches slowly wakes Jooyeon up. Her eyelids flutters awake and a faint groan escaped from her lips as she stretches her limbs on the bed. Pushing herself up, sitting straight and her eyes landed on the clock, sitting nicely on the night table next to her bed.

06:45am

Good, still have some time to get proper breakfast before I'm out, she thought. Jooyeon walked out from her bedroom, greeted by a smell of earl grey tea brewing in the kettle pot, and her mother cutting some fruits on the kitchen counter. "Good morning, my little princess." Her mom greeted with a warm smile. Jooyeon smiled shyly, approaching the island bar and took a seat on the stool. "Mom, don't call me that.. I'm already 23 years old.." Jooyeon replied yet smile still painted on her sleepy face, tying her long maple-coloured hair into a messy bun. "23 or 50, you're still my little princess." Her mom chuckled softly, handing a plate of well cut fruits to Jooyeon and a cup of peach yoghurt topped with granolas for her breakfast. "I heard the audition for the upcoming concert is today?" Her mother asked, Jooyeon is busy with her yoghurt so she replied with a nod. "Hopefully the audition goes well, hmm? I know you've been waiting for this moment to come."

It's been years since she joined the SRBA (Seoul Royal Ballet Academy), she started her ballet journey at such young age and it leads to where she is right now. She jumbled between school and ballet, until she graduated college then she start being a ballerina full time. It is a tough job, 6 days a week with 9 to 10 hours of schedule in the Academy. Being the resident company dancer has been tough, tons of auditions, exams, and hitting the 3 year mark in the Academy put a little bit pressure on Jooyeon's shoulders as she is known as one of the dancers who is a strong candidate as a principal dancer in the Academy. So, she has to make sure she nailed this audition after years of dedicating her time to rigorous trainings.

"I will do my best in the audition, okay?" Jooyeon replied, this time with a smile as bright as the spring sun and giving her mother a highfive.

- - -

07:53am

"Yo. Kihyun. Got the camera ready? We have to leave soon and get to the Academy."

Kihyun quickly walked out from the studio's office, fingers busy tapping onto his phone screen, replying some messages regarding to his upcoming solo exhibition, which will follow through after the ballet concert project that he got in the first place. "It's settled near the sofa in the lobby. I thought Minhyuk already told you, Hyungwon?" Furrowing his brows yet his eyes never left the phone screen. The tall lad who called Kihyun just before, Hyungwon, shrugged his shoulders, "Nope, he didn't told me that things are in place, he just went out to get some coffee." He said, passing by Kihyun who's still busy with his phone and walked out from the studio. "Yah. I think your hand got some superglue or something, that phone never left you since last night." Hyungwon teased before he disappears to the studio's lobby.

(kakao)Kihyun: Hyung, make sure the Academy will sponsor the exhibition.

(kakao)Hyunwoo: I'm discussing it with Hoseok right now, we'll make sure it will happen, okay? Just need some talking and more sweet-talking with the board members before we could sign off the papers.

(kakao)Hyunwoo: But for now, make sure we give our best to their project first.

(kakao)Kihyun: No worries. See you tonight.

Kihyun slipped his phone to his pants pocket, rushing to the lobby and get his camera gear along. Heading to the Academy with the help of Hyungwoon and Minhyuk (who's now hands are full with coffees and pastries).

It took him years to finally be able to set up his own photography studio, alongside with a great team consists of his college friends. Kihyun being the founder of KH-Visuals working as the resident's head photographer; Hyungwon and Minhyuk both are his college friends majoring in Photography and Hyunwoo, Hoseok working as the agency's admins helping out their fellow friend to manage all the schedules, clients, projects, and everything behind the scenes. Thanks to Hyunwoo's connection to the performing arts circle, they landed a project with Seoul Royal Ballet Academy to photograph behind the scenes of the upcoming concert, in vice versa, the Academy will provide sponsorship to Kihyun's first solo exhibition.

He hopped into the car and took a seat behind Hyungwon who already called shotgun, while he put some faith in Minhyuk to drive, heading straight to the Academy in this bright morning.

- - -

08:16am

"Oh my gosh, it's audition day."

"I'm nervous."

"Who do you think will be chosen this time?"

"I don't know, I heard there are so many strong candidates this year."

"I think it has to be Jooyeon, she's been auditioning since day 1 and this has to be her moment."

"What title are we going to bring to this concert?"

"I heard it's an original play from the Academy?"

"Let's just do our best."

"Oh she's here."

Jooyeon entered the Academy halls, and the whole resident dancers' eyes are now landed on her, yet she shrugged it off. "Good morning, Jooyeon, ready for the audition?" One of the younger resident asked, Jooyeon simply smiled and nodded at her. "Just gonna do my best, and let the board members decide." She said, heading straight to the studio she always use for warming up and some lone time. "Yeonie! Hey, wait up!" A female voice heard behind her, and tugged onto jooyeon's white knitted sweater that covers her black leotard. "Heejin? Hey! You're back from the Russia exchange?" Jooyeon pulled her long-time-no-see friend into a tight hug, almost crashing Heejin's lungs. "T-too tight.. Yeonie--" Heejin tapped Jooyeon's back and a hearty laugh heard from both of them. "Damn, I miss you so much. Oh hello, soon-to-be principal dancer. Yes, I am back, but just for vacation and then I have to go back to Russia. Ready for the audition today, my little princess?" Heejin teased, now walking next to Jooyeon to the skylight studio. "Seriously, now you're like my mother. You should stop. And for the audition.. I don't know, we'll see later on. Will you be watching though?" Jooyeon replied, opening the studio's door and Heejin quickly walked in. "I will be watching the audition, and try not to scream your name too loud. You know me and my loud cheering voice." Heejin sat down on the floor with her back resting onto the mirror behind her. "Which almost got you kicked out by Madam Lee? Iconic." Jooyeon laughed, placing her bag next to Heejin. She changed her pants, and wrapped herself with her lavender-coloured chiffon skirt. Taking out the worn out pointe shoes from her bag, she started to wear it, tying the laces properly before standing up and stretching her leg muscles and her body. Heejin watched Jooyeon closely, admiring her childhood friend that already grows so much even after being separated for only a few months. Jooyeon did a few warming up routine, a few pirouettes until her eyes landed onto a familiar figure that walked pass the studio.

The guy who took a photo of her last week. Walking alongside with two other men, bringing a large bag and they walked straight to the Academy's auditorium studio. After their small eye contact last week, he piqued Jooyeon's curiosity, is he the new resident's photographer? Jooyeon could feel the warmth aura that radiates from him, even though he was outside the studio last week, but she felt comfort from his gaze.

"Yo. Jooyeon, you're not spotting at the right place." Heejin called out, snapping Jooyeon's attention back. "Uh? Sorry. Where were we?" Jooyeon cleared her throat, continued by Heejin who pointed out a few corrections to her.

- - -

"Oh, so this is what it feels like to be surrounded by cute dancers-- why hello." Minhyuk winked at a few dancers who's standing on the hallways, earning a few giggles here and there, Hyungwon just shook his head in embarassment, fastening his pace to stay a little bit far from Minhyuk, and Kihyun still busy with his phone as they walked through the hallway led by an older women who works as the receptionist, approaching the auditorium studio. "The audition will be held here, I was informed by the board members that all of you will start the project today? Make yourself feel like home, young gentlemen. Just make sure to always wear the staff badge whenever you're around here. So you won't get kicked out by the security." The older women said, leaving the three at the auditorium studio. The huge and high ceiling amazed them, mirrors and barres was set on the center of the auditorium, ready to welcome the resident dancers who is going to take the audition today. They took a seat on the second row from the front, prepping their camera so they're ready to start the day.

"Kihyun. Yo. You gotta let go that phone, man. Who are you texting?" Hyungwon nudged Kihyun with his elbow, "Hyunwoo hyung, he's meeting soon with the Academy's President. I just need to make sure that they get this proposal right." Kihyun sighed, now grabbing his camera from his bag, checking the lens and took a deep breath before letting it out into a long sigh.

Will she be here? Is she going for the audition today? Should I approach her and ask for her name? I really can't get her out from my mind since the first time I saw her. Kihyun's thoughts running wild and he unconsciously tapping his feet in nervousness. Minhyuk saw this antics and tapped Kihyun on the shoulder. "If you're still thinking about the butterfly girl last week, you got months to be spend here and you can just find her easily." Minhyuk said, which feels like he can read Kihyun's mind. "We'll see about that." He said, straightening his posture on his seat as soon as the auditorium door's swung open.

Resident dancers coming into the auditorium, and they immediately took their positions on the barre, ready to start company warm ups. Followed by the board members, concert director, producers, and the whole team. They greeted each other before approaching Kihyun and the others. "First time experiencing life in the Academy, gentlemen?" The directore smiled, and Kihyun replied with a soft chuckle as he nods. "I believe you'll take great photos, so, be comfortable, okay?" "No worries, sir. We'll manage." Kihyun replied.

There she is. The butterfly girl, he calls. His heartbeat starts to rise and he could feel sweat forming on his palms. She's donned with loose white knitted sweater covering her black lace leotard and wrapped with lavender-coloured chiffon skirt that he still remember she wore it last week. A worn out pointe shoes donned on both of her feet; and just the way she stands radiates so much charisma. And the way she smiles to others and the way her eyes shaped into a crescent moon as she chuckles just made Kihyun's heart went even more crazier than before.

He doesn't even know her name, personally, why did he feel things like this?

Kihyun distracted his thoughts by taking a few photos of the resident dancers, the directors, with a help of Hyungwon and Minhyuk as well.

- - -

Heejin took a seat near the directors and she waved her hand to Jooyeon, which caught both Kihyun and Jooyeon's attention. That's the second time their eyes met, only in a split second and Jooyeon smiled at him; more like both to Heejin and Kihyun. Heejin took notice at Jooyeon's smile and glanced behind, finding that Kihyun actually froze on the spot with camera still on his hands. Heejin turne around to flash a teasing smile at Jooyeon and back to Kihyun, clearing her throat to snap Kihyun back to reality. "You should get your head in the zone, bro. Go take some photos of my little princess will you?" Heejin teased, chuckling softly as she returned to face the resident dancers.

Kihyun startled but then he smiled and nodded, continuing to take photos and stealing some glances towards Jooyeon.

As a few repertoire passes and bodies fully warmed up, the director taking the resident dancers' full attention; "We will start the audition in 5 minutes, oh, I'd like to introduce all of you, these are the project photographers that will take shots behind the scenes on our progress towards the concert, because we will be having a photography exhibition led and curated by this man here, Yoo Kihyun. Helped by his team, Hyungwon and Minhyuk. Okay, now all of you can get ready for the audition. Thank you." The director introduced Kihyun and the others, he bowed slightly to the dancers and vice versa.

"Kihyun. Yoo Kihyun." Jooyeon faintly repeating his name as she prepared herself for the audition. "He's your type, isn't it?" Heejin sneaked behind Jooyeon, making her startled. "Heejin-ah! Seriously, you're making my life shorter every single time. And please stop, I'm not interested." Jooyeon said persistently, taking off her knitted sweater and passed it to Heejin. "You know, he seems nice. He just really drawn into you, I must say." Heejin chuckled, nudging Jooyeon's elbow. "I know, I know, you're still traumatised after the last relationship, but you gotta loosen up a bit, princess. Okay, go get the audition and nail the role. I'll be watching you." She pulled Jooyeon into a tight hugh before rushing back to the seats.

Kihyun walked past Jooyeon, who's busy stretching her legs on the barre. Mustering up his courage, he stopped, turning around to take a photo of her. "Hey, is it okay if I took a picture of you?" He asked politely, "Oh? Yeah, sure, it's okay." Jooyeon smiled at him, now with his figure closer to her, she could see the small details in his features. His sharp jawline, his high cheekbones, the eyes that twinkles whenever he smiles, oh, his gummy smile that brighten up a day. Suddenly, she could feel a blush forming onto her cheeks and she looked away trying to not be so obvious about it and focus on her stretchings. Kihyun breathed out a thank you before pressing the shutter click as he got a photo of Jooyeon once more.

"By the way, good luck for the audition." Kihyun said, before leaving Jooyeon to regain her focus once more. She only smiled at him but it is enough for Kihyun to feel like his day just got better today. Also, for Jooyeon, she couldn't help but widen her smile as soon as Kihyun said a simple word of encouragement and got this spark of energy inside her. Perhaps, this will be a good day.

[ryoshan-a]

ok. listen i know i havent been here in ages and this isn’t an original idea but hear me out:

RWBY as a live action tv series, and our characters as the actors, actresses, and crew.  

set in our world modern verse. featuring a small production company, employing and casting crew and actors from all over the world. not convinced yet? here’s why y’all should indulge me: 

your muse canonically dead or afk? not anymore!! they produce the show now. or write it. or just hang out on the set when they’re free. 

your muse a villain and hard to rp with other folk? not anymore!!! let them be pals with the most unlikely of other people. see how they deal with fndm hating their character. (or loving their char too much)

your char an oc? nOT ANYMORE. theyre canon chars now. maybe they write the show. direct. tell qrow off when he almost posts spoilers on twitter. ANYTHING

whats a crossover? the ocs you rp with are now actors/crew in their own universe’s movie/game/tv show. the chars from other fandoms are actors/crew in their source’s show/movie/game. 

your ship a rarepair u jump through hoops to put together? not anymore!! their actors are shacking up. 

lbr we’re all suffering the hiatus. who needs canon material for this!! they’re in shooting for the eps that’ll air in october. 

seriously, how easy would it be to get,, literally the entire community involved in something like this. TAG ME IF YOU DO!!! i wanna see what folk come up with!!

still not convinced? here’s some ideas i came up with, with the help of @iruzurru and @rosescattered. obv if i mention your muse and you wanna get in on this dont feel like you have to follow these!! these are just meant to inspire™

under the cut, cause lONG: 

taiyang and summer club together every year to fund a holiday for the entire cast and crew to celebrate the end of a season. they buy out an entire plane for the journeys and instigate travelling songs 

taiyang is a writer for the show who played ruby and yang’s dad more as a cameo, but got given more scenes when the character proved rlly popular 

summer is a writer too. noone, not even tai knows she’s gonna be playing summer when she shows up later in the show >:3c 

emerald and cinder being best friends who play up icly for the fans. emerald throws down on twitter with anyone who harrasses cinder for playing a baddie 

winter wasn’t an actor originally. she writes novels, but she was on set one day waiting for weiss to finish shooting so they could go to lunch. 

she was given first dibs on an audition to play weiss’ ic sister and nails it. weiss insists she’s not even acting, she’s just Really Like This 

winter writes fanfic of emerald/cinder on ao3 for shits and giggles dont @ me. noone knows its her bc she uses winter’s ic callsign as a username and ppl just assume its a winter fan

this is yang’s first big acting job, but she’s Known in celebrity circles because her mom is the Very Famous Raven Branwen.raven’s a household name 

raven subsequently gets cast as her real mom because it just makes sense and would boost the series’ popularity following her guest appearance at the end of volume 2 

qrow is very vocal about his character’s storylines and supports charities relating to substance abuse. he frequently finds himself in twitter discourse with fans because he loudly discourages romanticising his character 

this gets him accused of hating his character, which he doesn’t. fandom either loves him or hates him 

qrow and raven arent siblings but they might as well be because they’re so fking close and roast each other on twitter all the time 

neo’s actress is actually a really famous opera singer who’s breaking into acting. this gives rise to the popular fanon that neo actually can talk and has a bitchin’ voice but chooses not to. 

emerald’s an orphan. she bounced around kids homes and developed a great talent for lying in the process. hearing a drama teacher describe acting as ‘lying really well’ sealed the deal for her career choice. she’s had bit parts and lives in a shitty apartment until rwby becomes her first big break. 

coco was a big actress in france. she came to america seeking to break into hollywood, and found it pretty difficult. she’s emerald’s roommate, and it’s emerald who tells her about the opening for a member of team cfvy and pushes her to audition. 

ilia has to wear one of those green screen suits all the time so they can animate her scales. yang gets a selfie with her every time she’s wearing it. takes upon takes have been ruined by blake and sun laughing at her. 

it annoys ilia at first. then, she starts to find it funny. then, she gets her own back by purposefully making people laugh. she does the yoshi mlem every time she cracks her whip. 

pyrrha’s actress routinely gets bit parts and cameos in future volumes bc the cast and crew love her so much they want her around all the time. she’s like 50% of the reason a comedy mini-series where nothing bad happens exists alongside the main series. 

the entire cast and crew rallying around cinder after v3 when the fan backlash comes from pyrrha’s onscreen death. they throw a party after to celebrate pyrrha and cinders great performances. its a greek theme

team rwby, smartasses that they are, all come dressed as achilles with little papier mache arrows stuck in their heels

weiss is a Career Showman. she started off in ballet, then moved to broadway, then onto the bigscreen. she’s had a huge amount of success despite how young she is, and was continually pushed to land greater and greater roles. she suffered a very publicised breakdown because of the stress. 

she ‘disappeared’ in the showbiz scene when she went to live with winter in her remote little writing shack in the middle of assfuck nowhere to recharge. 

rwby is her first acting job since then. she was hesitant to start back at all, but finds herself extremely supported and refreshed by the small, close-knit production. 

blake’s had to work twice as hard for every role she’s ever landed due to being an ethnic minority. her professionalism makes her seem closed off and cold, so she hasn’t made many friends. she has a small, devoted fanbase, though.

summer is one of those fans, and has always wanted to cast blake in something. her character was written with her in mind, and summer was elated when blake accepted the proffered audition and subsequent role in rwby. 

ruby is summer and tai’s daughter!! they are not shy at all about saying that her part was written For Her. they don’t apologise for it either fuck u they created this show they cast who they want. 

the red trailer only initially existed for ruby to do a screentest of her character. it was so well produced and nailed so hard they made it promotional material and wrote the white, black and yellow ones to go with it. 

ruby grew up reading her parents’ stuff and writing her own, too. in school, she wrote, directed and produced an entire play for her classmates, but never thought of acting until her parents suggested she play the lead in this new show they’ve been thinking about. 

ruby and yang met on set. they’ve been thick as thieves ever since. 

...AND SO ON I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY GUYS 

[yegarts]

“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Jean Grand-Maître, Co-Artistic Director, Alberta Ballet

Engage, entertain, challenge with ideas, and inspire with beauty. They’re the things goals are made of—and, quite possibly, the cloth Jean Grand-Maître’s cut from, too. Heralded as one of the greatest Canadian choreographers and artistic directors of his generation, Grand-Maître has been bringing a new aesthetic and audience to the Alberta Ballet since being appointed Artistic Director in 2002. By 2007, following a life-changing collaboration with Joni Mitchell, Grand-Maître launched a new series of acclaimed Portrait Ballets, inspired by the greatest singer-songwriters of our time. This Thursday, March 31, marks the Edmonton premiere of PHI, Grand-Maître’s final offering in what’s become one of the most successful series in the company’s history. Ovation worthy? Absolutely! But as far as legacies go, an even greater one might be this: knowing that his talent not only brought people to the ballet—it brought them together. Today's “I Am Yeg Arts” story belongs to Jean Grand-Maître. What does community mean to you, and where do you find it?

The idea of a caring, tight-knit community can sometimes feel like an idealist’s dream these days. But when you are in the theatre and surrounded by your fellow citizens, all feeling the same emotions, you realize that we are all so similar and that we are indeed a community woven by our culture and arts. The catharsis you can often feel in the theatre, when an entire group of individuals are resonating the same emotions, is the most powerful way to bring people together.

Tell us about your connection to the YEG arts community.

I have been Artistic Director of the Alberta ballet since 2002, so I have had a close relationship with the major performing arts organizations of the city for 20 years.

You’re celebrated as one of Canada’s greatest choreographers, but what would you say is your greatest strength as a storyteller?

In Montreal, during the 1980s and the 1990s, theatre flourished and became extremely innovative in all the facets of storytelling, including sets and costume lighting—fusing art forms and creating productions that were futuristic and aesthetically challenging. I studied theatre, saw hundreds of productions, and attended rehearsals in order to understand how we can tell a story in our time.

What are you most excited for audiences to experience with PHI, and what do you look forward to most with each performance?

If I can engage them, entertain them, and inspire them with great beauty, while also challenging them with ideas and questions that relate to our modern human experience, I feel I will have achieved my goal.

In what ways have you seen Alberta Ballet grow as an organization in its culture and storytelling? And in what ways has it held true to traditions?

Ballet is an art form that was born in the courts of France, and making this form of artistic expression relevant in the Canadian prairies was no easy challenge. But if you look at it, ballet has a code of movements, not unlike a dictionary, you can mould it into any aesthetic and transform it into a medium that is extremely relevant to anyone, anywhere.

Over the years, Alberta Ballet has survived by remaining relevant to its audiences across Alberta, embracing its history and creating narratives based on the ethos of the people of Alberta. If you can feel the energy of the audience and what they need to see and what can challenge them in positive ways, you will remain significant. Alberta Ballet has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception, as has our school, which now enables us to produce larger ballets and to inhabit the large Jubilee Auditoriums in proper fashion.

Tell us about someone who’s been a mentor to you.

The playwright John Murrell, with whom I had the privilege of spending precious time during his last years. He shared with me so much wonderful advice from his own experience in the arts, and his rare wisdom and his extraordinary knowledge of the history of all art forms was a blessing

What makes you hopeful these days?

The next generation, the growing awareness of the importance of inclusivity, diversity, reconciliation, equality and of compassion—the goodness of the people I meet every day.

Tell us one of your favourite memories from your time with Alberta Ballet.

Creating The Fiddle and the Drum with Joni Mitchell, from 2006 to 2009. Following this creation, we remain very close. Having such a genius as a mentor was the highlight of my career. It was the most mind-opening and transformative creative process I have ever experienced, as I was being inspired by this extraordinary woman.

Your portrait ballet series is a testament to stories inspiring stories. What do you hope your own story will inspire?

I’ve always imagined myself as a mix between the crazy old Don Quixote and a gentle motivator who tries to inspire a group of people to head in one direction, inspired by compassion and beauty, with the goal of creating something that will inspire positivity and the realization that there is good in humanity.

As you look forward, what’s next for you?

Much rest, less stress, painting, gardening, much more reading, visiting museums, attending the performing arts and, hopefully, funding some projects along the way to keep me close to the dancers and the theatre. Being closer to my family has also become much more important now.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! Click here to learn more about Jean Grand-Maître, the Alberta Ballet, and PHI, which runs in Edmonton, March 31 to April 2, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

Jean Grand-Maître

Jean Grand-Maître has been hailed as one of the most outstanding Canadian choreographers and artistic directors of his generation. After a decade creating contemporary ballets for such leading North American and European companies as Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, the National Ballet of Canada, the Norwegian National Ballet, the Stuttgart Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, the Bavarian State Ballet, The National Ballet of Cuba, and Teatro alla Scala, he was appointed Artistic Director of Alberta Ballet in 2002.

In 2007, following a close two-year collaboration with Joni Mitchell, he launched a new series of acclaimed Portrait Ballets inspired by the greatest singer-songwriters of our time. This remarkable series has become one of the most successful in the company’s history, bringing new audiences to the theatre and offering a new esthetic in ballet narrative and design. Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and The Drum was followed by close collaborations with Sir Elton John, k.d. lang, Sarah McLachlan, Gordon Lightfoot, and the Tragically Hip. His latest portrait ballet, PHI, explores humanity’s growing addiction to technology in this contemporary sci-fi ballet, inspired by the music of the late, great, David Bowie. Photo credits: All photos by Paul McGrath

[aelixandra]

Dreaming On Your Feet: Chapter 14

Read on Ao3!

Summary: Aelin Galathynius is one of the newest company members of the Rifthold Ballet Theatre, and she is eager to make all of her dreams a reality. She has the talent, the ambition, the walls no one can get past, and the thick skin that no one can get under. Except for new principal dancer Rowan Whitethorn. He’s arrogant, talented, and infuriating - and they just might have more in common than they think.

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Chapter 14: Lines

7:00 AM on Monday dawned bright and early, but blissfully, Aelin’s alarm had not gone off.

After three performances, Eudora had announced that the whole company would be given two days off to recover before the next round of rehearsals began.

So right now, after two more emotional shows of Giselle, Aelin was relishing some dreamless sleep.

Well, except for the three times she dreamed of the dance she had shared with Rowan at the after-party.

The truth is, Aelin, that I’m the happiest I’ve been in two years.

Warmth spread through her when she recalled the light in his pine-green eyes, the quiet happiness in his expression, the cracks in his walls that he reserved just for her.

There had been a time during one of the performances where she had glanced offstage and had seen Rowan, and there was something like awe on his face.

And for the first time in a while, she though she just might be doing something right.

. . . Was that her alarm going off?

Aelin slowly opened her eyes to see the morning autumn-gold sunlight filtering through the blinds. She smiled and rolled onto her back, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back. She tossed the covers off and stretched again before getting up, glancing a look at her phone clock. 8:15 AM, on the dot.

The group had made plans to have a good, old-fashioned fall day. They’d spend the morning at an apple orchard about 45 minutes away, then come back and bake some fall treats before having a bonfire on the roof.

It was going to be a great day.

* * *

Aelin heard Lysandra call from her bedroom. “What are you wearing?”

“Long-sleeve shirt, cardigan, jeans, and boots!” Aelin called back, getting her selected items from her closet. After her jeans, she pulled on a burnt-orange, long-sleeved shirt, shrugging a knit, light-brown cardigan over it. She topped it off with a cream-colored scarf before taming her long hair into a fishtail braid that laid over one shoulder.

Lysandra appeared in the doorway wearing black leggings, a raspberry-colored tunic top, and a tan vest. “Do you think this is okay?” she asked.

Aelin nodded. “It’s not super cold yet, but there’ll be a breeze since the orchard is a lot of open space, you know? So as long as you’re comfortable.”

Lysandra looked thoughtful for a moment. “This should be fine.” She gave Aelin’s outfit a once-over and smiled. “And you look great, as per usual.”

Aelin laughed, miming tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You know, I do what I can.”

Lysandra laughed as she pulled out her phone, scrolling through some texts. “Aedion and Dorian both say they’re ready. I haven’t heard anything from Rowan since yesterday, though.” She peered at Aelin from under her eyelashes. “I think he’s still coming. Do you want to go bang on his door and see if he’s ready?”

“Sure.”

Maybe that response was a little too quick . . . Aelin caught the sudden glint in Lysandra’s eye but chose to ignore it.

He and I are friends, after all.

Aren’t we?

Yes?

Yeah –

Aelin calmed her racing thoughts. “I’ll go see what’s up,” she said, grabbing her purse as she headed out the door.

“Meet you downstairs in ten,” Lysandra said after her.

* * *

Aelin made her way to Rowan’s apartment. She raised her hand and knocked a few times.

There was a beat of silence before he answered back. “One sec!” She heard his footsteps padding to the door.

Then the door opened.

Aelin sucked in a surprised breath.

Rowan was there, all right, already dressed in jeans.

But he was still missing a shirt.

The first thing Aelin took in were the muscles, sculpted and powerful. His shoulders, his chest, his stomach – did he have an ounce of fat anywhere?

Then there was the tattoo.

It was on the left side of his upper body, beginning just below his collarbone before extending onto his shoulder and almost to his elbow. Wicked-looking, it almost appeared to be a language of some kind, an ancient one that she didn’t understand.

It was beautiful.

He was beautiful.

She felt her fingers twitch, wanting to trace every line, every word –

Rowan inhaled sharply.

She forced herself to meet his gaze. His eyes were wary, guarded – just like when the two of them had first met.

Something was wrong.

“What do you want?” he asked, a slight edge to his voice.

She felt herself wince. “I – I just came to see if you were . . . still coming with us.” She hated how she sounded, but she felt . . . small. Something had set his walls right back up again,

His gaze was still hard, and she could sense his tension. “I’ll be right down.”

“Rowan –”

“I said I’ll be right down.”

Unbidden, hot tears prickled behind her eyes.

And Rowan shut the door in her face.

Aelin stood there for a moment before hastening down the hallway, scrubbing the tears away.

After the past few months, after the weekend of Giselle, after everything they had shared –

She thought they were friends.

Or even -

Had she . . . imagined it all? The strength of his touch, the warmth of his smile, the light in his eyes?

It was supposed to be a fun day. Now she was heading out to her car with a pit of dread in her stomach.

Oh, gods.

What had she done?

----------

Rowan stood there for a moment, staring at the door he had just closed.

Right in her face.

He cursed at himself the minute it closed.

She had never seen him shirtless before, which meant she had never seen the tattoo.

The tattoo that remained concealed during class and rehearsals and performances, the tattoo that was for him alone. The tattoo that told the story of Lyria and his failure to protect her, to be there for her.

And when Aelin saw it . . .

She didn’t know what it was, what it said. But she knew that it was another piece of him, something she hadn’t yet discovered.

He had seen her eyes trace every line of it, analyzing and puzzling it out. But there was a softness to her gaze, a softness that made him wonder what he would have done if she had put her hand on his chest again – but on his skin this time, on the piece of the tattoo right over his heart . . .

He had furiously shut those thoughts down, retreating behind his walls once again.

Without even knowing it, she had seen the mistakes and failures that he wore on his skin, the crushing weight that carried with him everywhere – a weight that had lifted over the weekend, when he had danced Giselle with her.

Aelin hadn’t flinched at the sight. She hadn’t flinched at any part of who he was.

And he had shut the door in her face.

Coward. He was a complete and utter coward.

Rowan let out a frustrated groan as he stomped to his bedroom closet, pulling out a simple white t-shirt and a green flannel button-down. He yanked the white shirt on over his head, furiously rolling up the green sleeves of the second shirt to his elbows.

He needed to get himself together. Today was supposed to be fun, wasn’t it?

He grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys, doing his best not to slam the door on his way out. He tried to calm his raging heartbeat as he made his way to the stairwell.

Today had to be a good day. He would make it a good day. For himself, for Aelin, for the people who had welcomed him into their circle and had helped him adjust to life in Rifthold. He owed them that much.

Especially Aelin.

He only prayed that he hadn’t already forfeited the day to hell.

[jeremystrele]

Alice Mere · Costumier, The Australian Ballet

Alice Mere · Costumier, The Australian Ballet

Dream Job

by Elle Murrell

Things I learned going BTS at The Australian Ballet: #1: Tutu’s are stored upside down. #2 they’re surprisingly weighty. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Alice Mere (right) works her dream job as Costumier at The Australian Ballet. She’s pictured here with her colleagues Cutters Ruth (left) working on a tutu for the forthcoming The Sleeping Beauty, and Etai (centre) crafting belts for Spartacus. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The 32-year-old studied an Advanced Diploma of Fashion Design and Technology at TAFE in Adelaide before graduating from Fine Arts -Production (Design Realisation) from Victorian College of the Arts in 2016. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Since she was a young girl, Alice has loved to make costumes, in particular, period and historical designs. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The Australian Ballet Production Department’s fabric dyeing supplies, with testing ballet slippers alongside a headpiece from a past performance. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

History-buff Alice also did ballet when she was a young, but gave it up just before graduating to her pointe shoes! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Alice and her colleagues have just started on costumes for Spartacus, which is a new show opening in September. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Around half of Alice’s making is done by hand, the rest by sewing machine. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Racks of tutus. ‘I’ve worked on them but I haven’t made one from scratch yet… it is something I definitely want to learn how to do because it is ‘the ultimate costume’ – very special, not something you wear anywhere else,’ tells Alice. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Working on part of a leotard for Spartacus. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

When you walk into the Production Department of The Australian Ballet on Melbourne’s Southbank, clouds of upturned tutus and bejewelled bodices grab your attention. But then, you notice how quiet it is. Every wall of the open-plan floor is lined with racks of ornate costumes or rolls of materials, and these encircle row upon row of cutting and sewing tables. Yet, within this brightly lit, bustling workplace, there is a pervading sense of calm productivity.

This dichotomy begins to make sense when I meet softly-spoken ‘Costumier’ Alice Mere, and a number of the ‘Cutter’ colleagues with whom she works closely. Sewing awe-inspiring garments for our national ballet, they all verify, is one of the most pleasant and rewarding ways to spend your day.

The 32-year-old has been doing this for the past eight months. Twenty-seven years prior, you would have found her making tutus for her teddy bears, period costumes for Barbie dolls, or fashioning a particularly memorable mermaid’s tail from a pair of old leggings!

In-between all of that, Alice completed an Advanced Diploma Fashion Design and Technology, took time out to explore the world (including a two-year stint living in London), graduated from VCA with a degree in Fine Arts – Production, and even ran away with Circus Oz (…well, kinda).

The dedicated costumier interrupted some Spartacus leotard sewing to chart the inspiring pathway that’s lead her to The Ballet.

The most important verb in the get-your-dream-job lexicon is…

You have to work hard. You also need to have enthusiasm and just put yourself out there and see what happens.

I landed this job by…

I lived in a small South Australian town called Port Lincoln until I was 14 and then we moved to Adelaide. My mum was very crafty – she sewed our clothes, knitted, and all of those kinds of things. So, from as early as I can remember, I was always sewing scraps of her offcuts together.

In my early 20s, I studied Fashion Design and Technology at TAFE in Adelaide (2005-2008), which was a practical, three-year-long Advanced Diploma. In our final year, I took work experience at the State Theatre Company, and for the first time, I realised I wanted to work with costumes rather than in fashion. In my fashion-focused course, we started with the price-point and worked backward, often using the same patterns and tweaking them. Costume-making felt more creative to me, and you would never know what you were going to get to do next.

After TAFE, I just wasn’t sure how to get into it costume design, so I kind of forgot about it for a while. I have a seven-year-gap between my studies, where I travelled and supported myself with different hospitality jobs.

When I came back and moved to Melbourne a friend recommended that I look at courses at the Victorian College of the Arts and, AMAZINGLY, I got in! For Fine Arts -Production (Design Realisation) the application was a folio application, two interviews and a group interview, so that was full on! For the folio, you could choose between three plays and then you had to design costumes or set or props and do a presentation. I chose Cloud 9, and I designed all of the costumes for the entire play. Afterward, I realised that they only really expected you to do one!

The course was, again, mostly practical, and we learned how to design and make costume/sets/props, predominantly for theatre and dance. I did an internship with Circus Oz, almost full-time for five weeks. It was really interesting and the functionality was very different to what I had done before. For example, the trapeze had to have part of the neck covered, other costumes needed a little pocket with some protective foam over the spine, and you couldn’t have anything that may catch with a lot of people twisting around one another!

After graduating from the VCA in 2016, I was freelancing as a Costume Maker for about six months, taking work with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Circus Oz, and a few days at the Victorian Opera – mostly gained through word-of-mouth recommendations. I sort of assumed I’d be freelance for a long time, as there aren’t that many full-time jobs around for makers. But I sent out my CV to the companies I really wanted to work for on a permanent basis –The Australian Ballet, The Melbourne Theatre Company, and ABC – anyway. I tried not think about doing this too much; my email wasn’t very formal or long-winded, more like: “This is my CV. If you need a hand please give me a call.”. I just got it out there.

Months went by and then out of the blue I got an email asking if I was available to work on The Australian Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland for a few months. I was surprised and so excited. It was pretty hectic. There was quite a bit of overtime and I just tried to work hard and be as efficient as possible. At the end of that job, it just so happened that one of The Ballet’s full-time staff was leaving and I was offered a longer contract. I’ve been here ever since!

A typical day for me involves…

I’m definitely more of a morning person, so I like to get up early and (most of the time) ride my bike to work from my home in Brunswick, so I’m really awake and can start by around 7:30 or 8am. It’s really amazing that we have this flexibility to start when we want to (within reason) and it means I can get home early, walk my greyhound Louie, and have those extra hours to potter around, run errands, cook a nice dinner etc. I always try to meditate in the evening as well. It just helps me to relax, stress less in general, and is a really nice way to just reset at the end of the day.

Work each day is really varied, and it depends what show we’re working on. As a Costumier, I work under the Cutters. They interpret the Designer’s sketches and do all the patternmaking and cut the fabric, then delegate the construction of the garments to the Costumiers. So I spend a typical workday sewing, either on a machine or by hand; it depends on what needs doing.

For example, we just finished working on Merry Widow (see costumes in the film below), which has pre-existing costumes that need to be fitted and altered to new dancers, as well as lots of repairs.  There are lots of big ball gowns, and feathers in the hair, fans and gloves… it’s very decadent! Now we’ve started on Spartacus, which is a new show opening in September. For this show, all the costumes have to be made from scratch. There is a lot of Grecian style draping, flowing fabrics; it’s going to look beautiful!

The most rewarding part of my job is…

This might sound too obvious, but after working on a show for weeks or even months, when you finally see all that hard work up on stage in a performance it’s so rewarding.

I always take a different friend with me each time and point out the little bits I contributed to. It makes you so proud to have been a part of the spectacle.

On the other hand, the most challenging aspect is…

There are constant challenges, but that’s not a bad thing at all. There are so many different ways of doing things, and so many techniques and processes to learn; I don’t think you could ever know everything, which is really lovely and humbling.

The culture of my workplace is…

… supportive, friendly and easy-going. Everyone seems happy to be there and just gets on with their work. Usually, everyone is working on something different, and we all sit at our machines and listen to podcasts throughout the day (I like My Favourite Murder, The Dollop, a lot of audiobooks and lecture series… anything historical I find fascinating).

It feels pretty relaxed most of the time, but when we’re getting closer to a show opening, everyone pulls together and works hard to get everything done.

On Job Day at school, I dressed up as…

I’m not sure we had one, but I was always playing dress-ups or making costumes for my toys. So, I should have figured out that being a Costume Maker was an actual job way earlier than I did!

The best piece of advice I’ve received is…

… ask questions, lots of them! Never be afraid to ask because you feel that you should already know how to do something. There are so many ways to do things and you’re never too old or experienced to learn a new skill.

In the next five years, I’d like to…

… keep working as a Costumier, gaining skills and experience, and eventually, I’d like to try working as a Cutter. I love pattern-making, I find it oddly soothing – there is definitely a satisfaction when you have something flat as paper and then you turn it into 3D. I’ve got much more to learn before then!

  The Australian Ballet’s ‘The Merry Widow‘ is currently showing in Sydney until May 19th, followed by Canberra from May 25th to 30th, and Melbourne from June 7th to 16th. Visit Australianballet.com.au for more information on upcoming performances.