Jessicas Ballet Life

The food

The food here in Perm has been very... interesting... I will say that I am not used to having rice for breakfast...

This was our breakfast the one morning... Sausage and I can't even tell you what else, but it didn't taste so bad, We are full for many hours.

This was something that Thoriso got for lunch the one day. He thought it was a dessert, but when he bit into it, he said it tasted like mash potato. James had a taste and couldn't figure out if it was mash potato or custard, was a very funny moment and just wanted to share it.

Another mornings breakfast, rice and a bright pink sausage (",)

We are loving the experience here in Perm, something new and exciting happens everyday and we are learning something new all the time, whether it be something related to ballet or a new Russian word (we are really struggling with the language). I was put in the company girls dressing room, so after rehearsal I wanted to go change, to discover that the room was locked. Now I had to rush around the theatre (which is 6 stories) to find the key. Then I ask a lady whose face is familiar to help me, but guess what, she can ONLY speak Russian! So here we are running to the key room asking more Russian people for the key that is not there, then being taken to the changeroom and get spoken to in Russian and I have no idea what she is telling me, then she just takes my clothes, locks the room and we go back to the key room and discover that my name is no where on the competition dressing room list. But I remember the directors assistant telling me that I must use dressing room 438, but now how do I tell her this... Anyway, she makes a phone call and after much Russian chatting she takes me back to the same dressing room and points to the table with the mirror and says "for blush". I just nodded and said thank you in Russian which I'm not even going to try and spell ;)  

The day before Round 1 for us

Last night we had our stage run which Thoriso recorded for us to see. Well let me tell you, anything that could go wrong, went wrong... But it was 21:55 at night and we had been up since 7:00, so we were very tired, which was part of Thoriso's strategy. He says that he wanted us to feel the most tired we have ever felt so that when we perform, with the nervous, fatigue and stress it will never feel as bad as it did during that run. Even today was so much better than yesterday. I can see that James is a bit nervous, maybe a lot, but I know that we are going to dance the best we ever have tomorrow afternoon.

So far from the competitors that I have seen ( I don't want to make myself too nervous by watching these amazing dancers) the men are absolutely amazing!!! I won't watch the girls ;). These men have the most beautiful feet and legs, they do the most stunning turns and jumps without any fumbling around. Pure, clean beautiful ballet!!! I know James is going to do so well tomorrow as he has a presence and character on stage that no one else has :).   

I will let you know how we do tomorrow (",), please think of us tomorrow at 12:00