A Ballet Education Book Collection THE SWANS OF THE LAKE CHAPTER 1-2 | Page 2

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CHAPTER ONE: PRESSURE
Sounds of thunder echoed through the empty theater; pure percussion. Slowly the
lights are brought up creating a haze across the stage, dimly lighting the elaborately
painted backdrop. Then from out of nowhere, women dressed as swans appeared on
their toe shoes, moving birdlike back and forth in a frenzy. “STOP. STOP. STOP. Amelia,
you are out of line and Daria you are supposed to be a swan, not a crow,” a deep voice
came from the darkness. Sitting in a sea of worn out red velvet chairs, the Artistic
Director yelled into the mic, “Francis, go find someone from the costume department,
you are spilling out everywhere. Have you gained weight or something.” All of the
swans looked at her, embarrassed for her, and dreading what was to happen next. The
air was cold and awkward; they stared out into the darkness trying to find where the
voice was coming from. Francis began to panic, and before another word could be
said, she ran off into the stage wings fighting back all of her tears. “Take twenty
minutes ladies, and when you come back let's go from the top of the second act. And
try not to be a mess. This is Swan Lake, not Duck Pond,” his voice was the voice of God
in the theater. It put fear into everyone because you never knew if he was going to be
in a good or bad mood. He transformed at the theater, in the ballet studios he was like
a father figure; demanding but nurturing. In the theater, he was a reckless tyrant who
held your career in his hands and your future in his eyes. That is the thing about a
career in ballet; it is always uncertain and pending on the whims of an artistic director.