FIRST WEEK OF REHEARSAL
Friday, February 18th – This was the first day I had the opportunity to go and see the rehearsals, which had started on Monday February 13th. I drove up north of Dublin to the troupe’s ‘home from home’ in Meath. The troupe are staying in a pleasant country hotel, and rehearsals are held in the marquee tent attached to the side of the main building, usually used for weddings and large parties. The marquee is an ideal space, big and bright, with carpeted space for practice off the main stage area, room for costume racks, TV and DVD set-up, computer, etc. – and also a little chilly in February, needing frequent heating from big portable gas heaters.
As soon as I arrived I was made welcome. The dancers I had met before smiled and greeted me, and Gili Ben Ari, a talented Israeli dancer who had come last year to visit the Irish dance class I take at the Olive Hurley School in Dublin, came over straight away to talk to me. He told me everyone was settling in well and things were progressing fast. That was confirmed with my first glance to the stage area, where choreographer Richard Griffin was coaching some of the girls in one of the troupe numbers. After quick chats with the production manager, Alan Whelan, and a couple of other dancers who remembered me from audition day, I found a chair, got my camera out, and settled down to watch the action.
The troupe had been assembled not only from the Dublin auditions, but also from more auditions that took place the following weeks in London and at the All-Ireland Championships in Killarney, Co. Kerry. The resulting group is truly international – dancers from Australia, the US, South Africa, Hungary, Taiwan, Scotland, England, and Ireland. I looked round at the gathering of dancers and thought, ‘Wow! Look where Irish dancing has gone!’
I asked Alan what the schedule was like, and learned that since rehearsals began on the previous Monday (February 13th) they have been working a 7-day week, with rehearsals starting at 10 am and running through to 1 pm, when they stop for a soup and sandwich lunch in the hotel restaurant. After lunch they resume at 2 pm and work until 6, when dinner is served. At 7.30 pm they return for another two to two-and-a-half hours! Already, four days into the routine, the strain of such intensive dancing is taking its toll and the dancers have a physiotherapist coming in daily. But all queried are quick to say they are still having a ball!
Today, Friday, it was the battle scene that was being worked on, and the combat moves caused much amusement – the steps might be a challenge, but it would take more time to get the acting going and add the fierce expressions! I was interested to see how pieces of tape stuck to the portable dance floor marked regular spots along the front of the stage, so each dancer could see exactly where they had to be at given points in the number.
Offstage, dancers not involved in that scene worked on other segments. Caroline Harney had only landed from Australia that day, but was already learning as fast as she could to make up for lost time. I was amazed to see how fresh she looked and how much energy she had, but she laughed and said she thought she must be running on adrenalin! She was waiting for the ‘crash’ I think, but was still flying when I left well after dinner that evening! Kristyn Fontanella, from the US, who will dance the lead role of Aisling, managed to combine rest and learning very cleverly, sitting in front of a TV screen watching one of her routines on the DVD of the original show and stepping them out with her toes and hands as she watched. Several of the dancers slipped outside for ‘fresh air breaks’ now and then – i.e., a quick cigarette! And I thought such healthy and athletic young people would never have such weaknesses!
In the afternoon, the physiotherapist came in to treat anyone in need. Before he left he gathered the cast for a little talk. Stretching, warm-ups and cool-downs are part of all dancers’ days now, but he wanted to talk also about eating. He was keen to encourage frequent nourishment, saying four-hour gaps between meals is too much when taking such strenuous exercise. He recommended plenty of fruit, especially bananas and apples, and at least three litres of water in the day. He also cautioned against fizzy drinks, tea and coffee, and alcohol – not banning them, but advising moderation and stressing the importance of extra water to compensate for their dehydrating effect.
Through the day, at lunch and in the brief ‘take-five’ breaks, I talked to the dancers and took photos for a portrait gallery of the troupe. I had met a few of them before when they were dancing in other shows, and it was great to catch up. South African dancer Johnathon Tweedie has taken on a lead role in this show, the part of Lorcan, which is very exciting; a natural showman, I have no doubt he will make a great success of it. Dermot Cullen, from London, England, who will dance the other male lead, Cuan, brings World Champion technical standards to the role, and the two promise to make an impressive team. On the female side, Kristyn Fontanella, from Connecticut in the US, has ballet skills and experience of a number of the big shows behind her, making her ideally suited to the role of Aisling. The final lead, the ‘bad girl’ Rhiannon, Scottish dancer Jordan Osborne has dark exotic looks and a dance style to match, and I can’t wait to see the two of them develop their roles.
Not all of the cast came to the show through the Dublin auditions I had attended, and Ashley Miller, from Australia, had perhaps the most unusual story to tell. He had come to Ireland on his first-ever trip outside his native country to compete in the All-Ireland Championships. He was suffering with a foot injury and had not expected to dance as well as he did, and had been really pleased to achieve a recall in his event. But even this event was not the highlight of his trip: Maggie Townsend attended the All-Irelands on the look-out for more male dancers for the show. To his delight, Ashley was accepted after a brief audition, and instead of flying home with his family after the week was over, he found himself heading for Meath and the upcoming tour with Gaelforce Dance! His foot injury was still niggling though, so I have fingers crossed that all will go well for him with this unexpected exciting adventure.
I spent a very enjoyable day with the company, and could not believe how welcome they made me. At dinner, I was even declared an honorary member of the troupe! I hated leaving for home, especially since they were now working on the wedding scene and making great progress. They had learned about four and a half group numbers, out of ten for the entire show. On Monday I called one of the dancers to check in and see how things had gone over the weekend, and heard that progress was so good they had been given the morning off – or almost, since a hairdresser came to give haircuts and highlights to all who needed to complete their stage-ready appearance! They had covered two more of the group numbers over the weekend – and all the big numbers are lengthy and demanding, so this was an impressive achievement!
By my next visit on Tuesday the 21st, much of the organisation will have been completed. Passport and visa details will all have been sorted out, more tour dates finalised, and equipment made ready for freighting out ahead of the troupe. Even the costumes are to be shipped out to await the troupe’s arrival. As I heard all about the developing plans, I realised more and more what a fascinating and complex jigsaw puzzle it is putting together a touring show, and I’m already looking forward to Week Two of the rehearsals.
Author: Ann Margaret Keller
Editing: Louise Owen
