Words From Gavin, bonus edition!

    Friday and yesterday my students danced their end-of-year performance of Paquita. It's a very challenging ballet that requires not just crystal-clear technique but also style, verve, theatricality and confidence, and they did an impressive job on all fronts!

    My co-teacher and I spent months barking orders like drill sergeants to stay in line, be precise and straighten up-- and point feet and turn out heels and carry arms and pose just so. We joke that when it finally gets to showtime, sitting quietly in the audience feels bizarre. My urge to holler out corrections had to be squelched.

        Here are a few pics. If you ever have the chance to see the full production of Paquita (it's most commonly only performed in an abridged version, without the storyline of Act 1), you should. The music is marvelous and the choreography powerful.