Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
MATT INTRODUCED YOU TO SOME
OF THE STUDENT PERFORMERS WITH
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF BALLET,
AND WHILE MOST OF THE ACTORS ON
STAGE ARE STUDENTS, THEY WILL BE
JOINED BY PROFESSIONALS,
INCLUDING DEBRA, A WESTERN NEW
YORKER WHO GREW UP DANCING AT
THE ACADEMY AND HAS GONE ON TO
STUDY AT THE SCHOOL OF DANCE IN
NEW YORK CITY AND WE HAVE TO
THANK HER SO MUCH FOR WAKING UP
EARLY WITH US BEFORE HER FIRST
DANCE CLASS.
SHE'S JOINING US LIVE.
GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU?
GOOD MORNING.
I'M DOING WELL.
HOW ARE YOU?
I'M DOING WELL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR
YOU?
IS YOUR HAIR ALL READY UP FOR
DANCE CLASS?
YES.
WE START EVERY MORNING AT 9:00
O'CLOCK WITH AN ACADEMIC CLASS,
SO EITHER MUSIC OR LIBERAL ARTS,
WHETHER HUMANITIES, ETHICS, THEN
WE HAVE BALLET EVERYDAY FOR AN
HOUR AND A HALF.
AFTER THAT, WE HAVE PARTNERING
CLASS OR WE HAVE A MODERN
TECHNIQUE, AND THEN FOR AN HOUR
AND A HALF, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE
LUNCH FOR ABOUT 50 MINUTES, THEN
AFTER LUNCH WE HAVE AN AFTERNOON
CLASS FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS WHICH IS
MORE OF AN ELECTIVE STYLE, WHICH
IS ELEMENTS OF PERFORMING,
BALLROOM, COMPOSITION CLASS,
THEN AFTER THAT IS THREE HOUR OF
REHEARSAL.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE REHEARSALLING REHEARSING FOR
OUR SHOW.
AFTER THAT, WE HAVE ABOUT A 50
FOR AN HOUR DINNER BREAK.
IF WE'RE IN OTHER WORKSHOP
PIECES, WE HAVE REHEARSAL FOR
ANOTHER TWO HOURS, SO MY DAY IS
BOOKED FROM 9-9 OR 9-10, THEN
HOMEWORK AFTER THAT.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT
DANCING?
WHAT DO I LOVE ABOUT DANCING?
YES.
MY FAVORITE PART IS
PERFORMING.
TO ME, IT'S A SELFLESS ACT AND I
LOVE TO GIVE BACK TO THE
COMMUNITY AND THE AUDIENCES, AND
I LOVE TRAINING AN TAKING CLASS,
BUT I FEEL THAT'S PREPARATION TO
TAKE ON THE WORLD.
SPEAK OF YOUR LOVE OF
PERFORMING, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO
COME HOME THIS WEEKEND AND
PERFORM IN THE NUTCRACKER.
TELL US WHAT YOUR ROLE WILL BE
AND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO COME HOME
TO WESTERN NEW YORK AND PERFORM
FOR YOUR HOMETOWN AUDIENCE?
WELL, I WILL BE PLAYING THE
ARABIAN PRINCESS WHEN THEY
TRAVELS TO ALL DIFFERENT PLACES.
IT'S SUCH A BLESSING TO COME
HOME.
I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THEM
BRINGING ME BACK.
I LOVE TO REENTER THE STUDIO,
NOW THAT I'VE BEEN AWAY BECAUSE
MY APPRECIATION FOR HOME AND FOR
THE PEOPLE THERE AND MY SUPPORT
SYSTEM IS SO MUCH GREATER
BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH
YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU LEAVE IT.
I LOVE TO SEE THE LITTLE KIDS
AGAIN AND TO BE THERE FOR THEM,
AND I HOPE TO BE A ROLE MODEL TO
EVERYBODY AT THE STUDIO STILL
AND THAT THEY CAN FOLLOW THEIR
DREAMS AS WELL.
IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO COME
HOME AND PERFORM, ALSO TO SHOW
WHAT I'VE LEARNED, BUT TO BE AN
INSPIRATION TO THOSE THERE AND
TO BE ABLE TO DO CLASSICAL
BALLET WITH THE NUTCRACKER