The Nutcracker has descended! Everyone in Butler’s dance department is in the full flush of performance preparations. I’m waiting for our warm-up class before our first dress rehearsal now, having just finished a run-through in costume in Clowes Memorial Hall. Here’s a brief snapshot of the first half of production week:

Clowes Memorial Hall

Monday. In order of appearance: Help load-in at Clowes (hanging drops, hanging lights, putting down the floor), break, physics class, load-in, lunch, load-in, warm-up class, dinner, spacing rehearsal, finish dinner, do homework.

Tuesday. Errands around campus in the morning (dropping off documents and returning library books and that sort of thing), homework party with a friend, ballet class, get food, run-through in costume, eat food, warm-up class, dress rehearsal. Homework?

Wednesday. Morning off = homework. Physics, warm-up, tech rehearsal in costume, dinner, warm-up, dress rehearsal. Homework.

This is what I am supposed to be doing as far as I know. Production week is always fairly hectic, and schedules change. The trick to a successful production week? Be ready early, carry extra food, and go with the flow.