New Blog. Nerve Wracking – Just Do It!

Excitement filled the air and there was a buzz about the place.

It was a scorcher of an afternoon. The sun was beating down with not a cloud in the sky to soften the relentless heat.
People were pouring into the foyer of a small school theatre. They were queuing for tickets and to buy programmes; looking at the raffle prizes and buying tickets. And there was a queue at the theatre bar too. Cold beer and chilled Rosé where selling like hot cakes, if you’ll pardon the metaphor!
I was working Front of House with my colleague and we were busy – and it was hot and noisy!

But I’m ahead of myself. I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned that I have a ‘Saturday Morning’ job. I work for my sister-in-law’s Dance Studio looking after all the little girls in the cute ballet outfits – and last weekend was Showtime!
Showtime is held every two years and it is so exciting and a lot of fun.

The Dance School puts on a variety show every two years as my sister-in-law believes that performing on stage is an important part of learning to dance and every pupil dances on stage. This is an experience that lots of the children will remember for a long time to come.

For many of the smaller children, it’s the first time they’ve done ‘dressing up’ live on stage, with costumes and make-up. It’s really exciting but it can be nerve racking too!

If Front of House seemed like chaos, it was minor in comparison to the (apparently) disorganised chaos backstage: Mum-Helpers were getting tiny tots dressed: the ‘big girls’ scraping and gelling unruly curls into ballet-buns. Other’s attaching wings, noses and hats! And the noise! It’s incredible how much noise little-people can make!

Slowly, chaos turns to order. Excited parents; proud gran’parents; dutiful aunts and supportive friends all filed into the small theatre. Front of House was suddenly empty.  We drew breath – it was time for us to go Back Stage.

Back stage the adults were getting ready.

This is something else I don’t think I’ve mentioned – I take tap classes. There are five of us in my class and we’re all do very well in practice, but are nervous about getting all the right steps in the right order when we go on stage.

Time was passing, and I couldn’t put it off any longer! I had to get ready too: put on my costume and makeup and put flowers in my hair.

Suddenly the voice of Jerry Lee-Lewis singing ‘Great Balls of Fire’ filled the air. This meant we were up next! The heat in the wings, as I was waiting to go on stage, was unbearable.  Great Balls of Fire ended! The lights went off – and we were ‘On’ and ‘Do You Love Me’ blasted out of the huge speakers.

The next 3 minutes and 4 seconds is a sort of a blur. I tapped this way and that, stamped and clicked and generally did enough of the right things to get to the end!

The audience was very kind.  Almost as soon as the music started, they started clapping to the music. I really appreciated this. Those 3 minutes and 4 seconds seem to go forever! But once it was over, we sighed and laughed and congratulated ourselves on getting through it as well as we did.

It was a very good weekend. I certainly achieved dancing on stage and we gave huge pleasure to loads of  families and friends.  The children did something out of the ordinary and forged strong bonds, giving them a greater sense of belong in our small community.

And we had fun.

I often write and tell you how to create the things you want in life. I remind you to do this, that and the other. I tell how to deal with your negative feelings but one thing I don’t often do is …

Remind you to HAVE FUN!