Bilateral Achilles Tendinitis

© Mayo Foundation

That's what the doctor says is causing the pain in my heels. Per the Mayo Clinic website:

Achilles tendinitis is caused by repetitive or intense strain on the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. This tendon is used when you walk, run, jump or push up on your toes.

Cuz ballet dancers don't jump or push up on their toes, right?

The soundtrack to my dance career

In the mid 1980s I was taking an adult ballet class at a local community center, and a group of us regularly went out to dinner after class. When the 1985 movie "A Chorus Line" was released, there was much discussion of the pros and cons of the movie versus the movie and the Broadway production from which it was adapted. I remember our instructor, Eva, was highly disappointed in the movie, but I've forgotten exactly why. Having not seen either version I didn't have much to contribute to the discussion. I soon acquired the soundtrack on CD, and later the movie on DVD, but still haven't seen a live production.

At various times during classes or rehearsals I've found myself hearing tracks or seeing snippets from this movie in my head. One recurrent scene where a male dancer is looking down at the stage as he dances. Zach yells, "Boy in the headband, keep your head up... Headband, head up!" The dancer responds by snapping his head up, but two seconds later he's looking down again. Yeah, I'm guilty of this too frequently, though I'm trying to break myself of the habit.  As one of my instructors likes to say, "The floor and your feet are still down there even if you're not looking at them."

The Audition: Nutcracker Edition

Having not learned my lesson this spring, I decided to audition for the supporting cast of a local compay's production of The Maryland Nutcracker this afternoon.

The Audition

Today, I auditioned for a supporting role in a ballet production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

I haven't auditioned for any sort of theatrical production in over 40 years, and never one that involved dancing. It's an odd feeling. In class, the instructor is watching to provide corrections. In an audition, you're being evaluated for suitability for a performance; basically a job interview.