Soldiers, Angels and Mice, Oh My!

I must start this post by saying, I lied.  I told my daughter I wouldn't post a picture of her in her costume on my blog this year...but while laying in bed this morning I had this idea and I just had to run with it.  

Nutcracker is tonight!!!!  

Once again IU is live streaming this production.  Tonight and tomorrow at 8pm and tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm, you can tune into your computer and watch the Nutcracker for free!  Here's the link:  The Nutcracker

It won't go live until just before the production.  

Officers lead their troops off the elevator.

Angels getting their wings, halos and blush!

Baby mice heads

I've been helping back stage this week with dress rehearsals.  Having an older child in the production, she hasn't had roles where parent help is requested or required.  The older girls are able to do what they need to do without being told.  I was asked to help this year with a younger group of kids.  I've been having a blast!

Hope you can tune in.

~Hootie

How to get into the Christmas Spirit...

...watch The Nutcracker Ballet! Details to watch it on-line, for free, below.

Several years ago my daughter created this picture for an art class project. Every fall the elementary school Art teacher, at our school, organizes all the students to participate in a fund raiser. The original artwork gets sent away and transformed into garden flags, note cards, magnets, pillow cases...etc. My daughter's artwork is a scene from the Nutcracker. We are looking at Clara's pointe shoes and the back ground features all the roles that the pre-college ballerina's, here at IU, perform.

*****

When my daughter was in second grade we took her to watch The Nutcracker. She was mesmerized and said, "I want to do THAT!" So we found out what she'd need to do to 'do that' and her ballet lessons began. The following October she had her first audition for her dream and has been dancing in IU's production of The Nutcracker ever since. We figured out this is her seventh year to dance on stage in December. She has danced as a Mother Ginger child, Clara's friend/party child, a solider, an officer, a Trepak and this year she adds a role traditionally performed by the college freshman...an adult mouse! For several years now she has danced in two roles at each of the four performances.

The lessons learned from this discipline are numerous: team work, time management, how important sleep and good eating really are, following directions, counting on others (like your mom to help in a pinch), and what it takes to achieve a dream just to name a few.

This past Monday through Thursday has been tech week. Each day my ballerina has been living at school for 6 1/2 hours, at the Musical Art Center for 7 1/2 hours and then at home for the remaining 10 hours.

It's show time tonight! My holiday treat to my readers is to share the web address for Indiana University's Jacob School of Music live streaming of The Nutcracker. Times for the production are tonight and tomorrow night at 8 pm EST, and tomorrow and Sunday at 2 pm EST. Here's the link: Watch IU's 52nd Annual Production of The Nutcracker; click here. This link becomes active just minutes before the curtain goes up! I will be watching on-line tonight and then attending both of the 2 pm performances...lucky me! I can't wait!

Enjoy friends and Happy Holidays! :)

Live!...minutes ago

While I on my treadmill, and my sister at work, we both got our fill of the Nutcracker dessert?  Can't think of a word that rhymes to put here!  

Thanks Bean!  Here's a photo my sister nabbed from the live performance of NC, just minutes ago.  

My baby is the one on the front row, far left!  

:)

Secret to Share, but ACT QUICKLY!!! Sat. & Sun. ONLY!

So, tonight was the first night of IU's Jacob School

 of Music's

 Nutcracker.  My daughter

 is a lead officer and soldier in it and after I picked her up tonight, she's only in the first act, she asked if we were watching it on-line.

  Bad Mom!  I didn't even think about this!  

But, there are three more performances, and you all could possibly see it on-line...even in Vienna!  Here's the link:  Nutcracker.  Tomorrow at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm all Bloomington time, you can watch the production free and live!   Sorry, you'll have to each figure out the time conversions.  Go to the above link and click on the "Streaming Video" Nutcracker picture on the right upper-hand corner of the page.  

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So, I'll admit that I did copy and paste this from both my family blogs.  I am feeling a bit braggy, but one shouldn't watch this because my daughter is in it.  They should check it out because it's a beautiful performance.  IU has a contract with Sony, so they have received all new cameras on campus.  I watched a bit of the performance after my daughter was home and it is great!  It's a wonderfully clear picture.  

How lucky to be able to watch something as incredible as the Nutcracker to put one in the Christmas spirit.  Grab a cup of coffee or tea and snuggle up with your computer!  You really will love it!  

:)