Moscow Sunset (and other views from my window)

(tip: for better enjoyment, admire views while listening to Shubert’s Serenade on Youtube)

Much Ado About Nothing

Drama, drama, drama… Every time something even remotely significant takes place at the theatre, it has to be supported by a fresh batch of gossip, scandalous revelations, and whispers in the changing room.. To be honest, most days it feels like I’m on the set of Gossip Girl rather than in a ballet company..

News here travel faster than light –  you can trust the artistic director to know everything before it even occurs. Are you pregnant? In a new relationship? Planning to quit? Fractured your bone? He knows. Everyone knows. In fact, everyone has already formed an opinion about it and it is now old news.

What is especially amusing about this, however, is the following: while intimate information and personal news are common knowledge and are instantly devoured by all company members, regardless of rank or age, actual work-related information is absolutely impossible to get hold of. This means that, if you want to know, say

(a) what time class is tomorrow

(b) when you will be flown to Hong Kong for 2 months

(c) where to go to get your miniscule paycheck (to be discussed later in detail:P), 

you are out of luck, dear friend. It is proven 100% more effective to rely on your senses rather then attempting to find out, or, god forbid, ASKING about anything. Instead of a coherent reply, all you will get is some hind of waving hand gesture, a nod, or another question. It is absolutely pointless.

It must be said, however, that all this adds a constant sense of excitement to the daily routine, as in..”I wonder what is going to happen next??” On multiple occasions over the past few months, I would be walking down the corridor only to find an A4 sheet taped to the wall in some dark corner, telling me that tomorrow morning we were flying to such-and-such location and returning a week from tomorrow. Oh, the joy of the unknown;)

Konnichiwa. Hajimemashite.

Yesterday, I went to the festival of Japanese culture at the State Tretyakov Gallery at ЦДХ..

Surprised to see so many people, it must be due to Japan’s never-ending popularity in Moscow (though it’s mainly the sushi Russian people are so obsessed with).. Personally, I felt that it wasn’t up to it’s potential, it could’ve been made a much more interesting and exciting event.. The program consisted of some exhibitions, anime and movie showings, a sushi-making masterclass & lots of souvenir stands..Of course, visitors also had the opportunity to buy pre-made sushi sets, which they took advantage of (judging by the enormous line of people eager to buy one)

а я иду, шагаю по Москве..

As it always happens, I neglected this blog for a good few weeks before returning back to it. But no worries! Here is a quick summary of what happened to me while I was away from the computer:

Luxembourg! —>

Well, that was quite an intense trip for me, since it was my first ever tour with the company :O Also difficult because we had to dance on an outdoor stage in terrible weather! Think 2nd act of Giselle (A full stage of Wilis’ straight from their graves, forcing Albrecht to dance till dawn) in pouring rain and a thundering night sky. Come to think of it, you couldn’t find better weather to fit the ballet’s atmosphere if you tried! Unfortunately it wasn’t so good for us dancers, haha… having to run from the changing rooms to the stage through muddy grass and trying (unsuccessfully) not to soak our costumes completely.. Also, when it rained during rehearsal on our second day, the rain blew down one part of our backdrop set.haha:)

(this picture was taken during a bus trip at dawn)

Anyway, in our free time we explored ‘la région des Ardennes Luxembourgeoises!’, which was quite nice, especially the lovely fresh air after Moscow (what a chaaaange!)

After Luxembourg, we also had one show in Oostende, Belgium. Our hotel was located in the center of Brussels (such a beautiful cityyyy!!), and since we only had like, 15 minutes to walk around before leaving for the theatre on the day of the show (and our flight to Moscow was the next morning), we decided to give up 5 hours of sleeping after the show before the bus arrived to take us to the airport, and devote them to a long nighttime walk around Brussels. Even though I was exhausted and sleepy, I’m really glad we did that, because the feeling of being in these streets at night, with hardly anyone around…it was just amazing, inexplicably wonderful.

(I’m the 6th girl in the left row on this picture:p)

A few weeks later, our company went on tour to Germany with Swan Lake..Once again, an open-aired stage.. On the way back, it so happened that all 50 of us, including our management, missed our return flight to Moscow. We ended up getting an entire day off in the town of Dusseldorf!!:p

 

Moscow: ———–>

Finally, we had 20 shows at the Russian Academic Youth Theater (RAMT), as part of the Summer Ballet Seasons festival..Which, naturally, was quite exhausting, since we had no days off, but also an amazing and rewarding experience. I loved working in RAMT (lovely building)..Our repertoire at the festival was Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty & Nutcracker, over and over again:)

 

then, we were given 10 days to revive ourselves and our bodies, which I used to fly to Cyprus and catch up with my old friends, classmates, and surroundings. I am now back to Moscow, and have 2 days before I have to go back to work.

Moscow, Moscow, Moscow..every time I return from somewhere, I have to get used to it all over again.:S