To all my Nutcracker children:
We did it! As with any worthwhile endeavor, the satisfaction and pride
of our accomplishments are well worth the intense effort, dedication, focus, and
sacrifice we all put in over the past three and a half months. I am so proud of
you all, each and every single one of you, for being as committed to making
OBT's 2014 Nutcracker superb as I, Shari, and Olivia were. You have all now
experienced a taste of the life of a professional dancer, and I believe, because
I saw it happen on stage night after night, that you have all grown as a
result.
I know that rehearsals were sometimes tough and intense. Everyone
had to make sacrifices (your families also deserve special thanks!), but I hope
the pride and joy of being a part of a professional ballet company's major
production far outweighed the challenges.
Please enjoy a much needed, and well-deserved, rest over the next
several days, and savor the satisfaction of jobs so very well done. Your
performances this Nutcracker season were excellent, and I was genuinely pleased
and proud to see you all shine. Maintaining a high standard of performance over
the course of a long run isn't easy, and I can honestly say that the final shows
you delivered were the best--- proving your powers of concentration and
professionalism.
Congratulations, and thank you! You brought Balanchine's choreography
to life, following the footsteps of generations of young dancers before
you.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday break, and a 2015 of happiness, good
health, and dance!
With love,
Gavin
