• Home
  • About Nina Amir
    • Rent My Brain
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
  • Contact
  • Summer Intensive Handbook
  • Nutrition for Dancers
  • Certified High Performance Coaching
    • Certified High Performance Coaching for Dancers (GROUP)
    • Certified High Performance Coaching for Dancers (PRIVATE)

My Son Can Dance

One Mom's Musings About Boys in the Dance World

SemperOper Ballet Goes On Tour: Julian’s Experience and Tips

November 13, 2014 by Nina Leave a Comment

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Email
  • More
  • Skype
  • Pocket
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
10414523_10152793679267436_4775363645500604661_n
Julian Amir Lacey and Chantelle Kerr rehearsing at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, France. (Photo by Ian Whalen Photography)

It’s an exciting thing to have your son perform on the European stage. It’s  even more exciting to have him perform in the United States as a  professional for the first time, appearing on the same stage graced by  so many fabulous dancers before him.

Last month Ron and I took a  trip to New York City to see Julian dance at City Center in his  U.S. debut. The performance was part of SemperOper Ballett’s 2014-1015  international tour, which began in New York and continued in St. Pölten, Austria, and Paris, France. It will end in Antwerp, Belgium, and Barcelona, Spain.

In fact, the company has rarely toured. So, this tour is a big deal in general. The company performed William Forsythe’s Neue Suite,  and Julian danced two pas de deux. He wasn’t on stage long, but it was  worth the trip across the country to see the performance.

Julian Lacey, Chantelle Kerr - Neue Suite - Paris - Foto Ian Whalen (IMG_2175)
Julian Amir Lacey and Chantelle Kerr rehearsing Neue Suite in Paris. (Photo by Ian Whalen Photography)

One of the two pieces Julian performed was choreographed by Forsythe  originally on Desmond Richardson, who co-founded Complexions  Contemporary Ballet. Julian considers Richardson one of his teachers and  mentors, since he spent two summers at the Complexions Summer  Intensive. The fact that he was dancing a role created and performed by  his renowned mentor gave the experience special meaning as well.  Richardson attended several New York rehearsals and worked with Julian  and the whole company prior to the performance.

Since some of you,  or your sons, may one day have the opportunity to go on tour, I asked  Julian to share a bit of information about what it has been like for  him. Here is that interview.

What is it like to take a piece on tour and perform on different stages?

Taking  a piece on tour is both stressful and exciting. First, traveling to and  from the venue is fairly exhausting no matter how you do it. We have  gone both by plane and bus, but at the end of traveling everyone ends  up fairly tired.

On the other hand, traveling and living with  your colleagues can be fun! It seems to bring the group together,  creating a kind of a family.

Additionally, once you’re in a  particular city, it’s fairly exciting. I enjoy taking class and  rehearsing in new places. Occasionally the venue won’t have the best floors, or something like that, so you have to be careful. But I enjoy the experience—traveling to new places and being paid to do what  you love—that’s not the worst thing in the world.

How do you adjust to the new venues quickly so you can perform your best?

I  think having a routine in the morning before class—sticking to it even  when you are on tour—and making sure to remember it’s still work is also  important. It’s easy to think you’re on vacation, but your body is used  to the routine you have when you’re not on tour. Yes, your routine or  schedule changes a little, but I always try to do what I normally would  do.

The stage is another story. At the SemperOper we have a very  large stage, so the majority of stages we go to are smaller, which is  both good and bad. It’s bad because you have less space to work with and  in. That means you have to redo some spacing aspects and such. On the  good side, you don’t have to travel as much as you dance!

You need to figure out how hard the floors are, so you don’t hurt yourself. That’s very important.

What was it like to come back to the States and perform in NYC for the first time?

Coming  back to New York and performing was a very interesting experience. I  enjoyed it quite a bit, but it was also my first tour, so I felt a little  overwhelmed, I guess. It was nice to have some of my former teachers  see me dance as well.

The company goes to Antwerp on  February 20 and to Barcelona 0n February 27.

Twitter This
Usuario: Password: cargando...

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Email
  • More
  • Skype
  • Pocket
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

The Dancer's Mom: Nina Amir

My Dancin' Son: Julian Amir Lacey

Search

MYSCD

Click here to join the Facebook Community!

Have questions?
Need support?

Rent my dancin’ mom brain!

http://mysoncandance.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Fotolia_31175717_V_S.mp4
Click here to Purchase on Amazon.com

Popular entries

  • How to Wear a Dance Belt (Or What A Mom Might Have to Teach Her Dancing Boy…)
  • A Dance I Can’t Do Alone: Winning the Top Dance Blogs Contest
  • What Issues Do Your Dancin' Boys Struggle With?
  • Vote My Son Can Dance the BEST DANCE BLOG of 2010
  • How to Know When It’s Time to Change Dance Studios

Recent Posts

  • What You Need to Become a World-Class Dancer
  • Don’t Blame Your Failure on Lack of Dance Talent
  • Dancing Boys Need Our Support
  • 10 Tips to Help You Push Yourself or Your Dancing Son to the Next Level
  • What is High Performance and Why Do Dancers Need It?

Recent Comments

  • Karan Patel on Boost and Sustain Your Dancer’s Energy Levels
  • galaxydanceacademy on 10 Tips to Help You Push Yourself or Your Dancing Son to the Next Level
  • Nia Hayes - ShunCy on Creating a Performance Reel for Dance Job Auditions
  • Mike George on You Can Now Order My Brother Can Dance© Dance-Related T-Shirts! Purchase those Christmas and Chanukah Gifts for Boys/Men Who Dance Today!
  • rose on Empty Green Fields of Raw Talent…After 11 Years of Dance Training?

Categories

Archives

Blogs About Dance and Boys

  • 4Dancers
  • Ballet for Men
  • Boys Ballet
  • Dance Advantage
  • Dance Bloggers
  • Dance View Times
  • Great Dance
  • Tights and Tiaras

Keep Your Son Healthy with Usana Vitamins and Products

  • Usana Vitamins

© 2023 · Nina Amir

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.