CHS ballet supernovas Skyy Lippo (left) and Sylvia Hurlburt pose for a post-dance pic last year. (John Fisken photo)
The rumors are NOT true.
No tights, folks.
Coupeville High School athletes Cameron Toomey-Stout and Joey Lippo will be stepping up and onstage in this year’s Whidbey Island Dance Theatre production of The Nutcracker.
But, while the CHS guys (and some South Whidbey athletes whose names don’t really matter to my core Coupeville audience) will be joining Coupeville ballet veterans Sylvia Hurlburt, Skyy Lippo and Jessie Johnson in this year’s event, they have — so far — resisted all calls to slap on some tights and get me some major page hits.
Punks…
But A) it’s possible I really don’t understand the world of dance and B) I digress.
Back in reality land, as memories of Coupeville High School’s recent theatrical production of Stage Door (it starred a bevy of Wolf athletes like tennis ace Sebastian Davis and softball slugger Veronica Crownover) still linger, The Nutcracker is about to take over your life.
Performances are set for Dec. 11-13 and 18-20 (two shows on Saturdays) and tickets are going fast at http://www.widtonline.org/
So, why should you go, other than to avoid getting a purple nurple from Sylvia Hurlburt if you fail to show for a second straight year?
Wait, was she only speaking to me…
While I try to figure that out, we turn over the mic to proud papa (and closet Pittsburgh Penguins fan) Joe Lippo:
It’s time. Time for bumps and bruises received in practice to be ignored, aches and pains tempered with Motrin, and ankles to be taped.
Time to suit up and get out there and make the crowd happy!
Is it the start of hockey season? NO! It’s time for “The Nutcracker.”
Sylvia Hurlburt, Joey Lippo, Cameron Toomey-Stout and company will be turning in track shoes, football spikes and baseball cleats for two weeks of … dance?
That’s right, and Skyy Lippo, Island Dance Company Captain, is in charge.
She and Faith O’Brochta (the other captain of the company) are both old hands at this, with over 20 (yes, TWENTY) performances of “The Nutcracker” between them.
They know how it’s supposed to go, and they will not accept anything less than perfection, which is really the only way in the dance world.
Its either perfect, or it’s wrong. Period.
This isn’t the JV version of “The Nutcracker” either, this is the “start rehearsals in September” version.
Instructors are very vocal, and become more so as the show looms inexorably closer.
Some quotes from dancers and directors alike:
“STOP. What are we doing?? Contrast that with what we are supposed to be doing!”
“Take it from the top. 5 … 6 … 7 … CAN ANYONE HEAR ME COUNTING???”
“Spacing people…SPACING!!!”
“We are so not together.” “Where are we on this? The top…? OK, FROM THE TOP THEN!!”
“Is anyone paying attention? To anything?”
“Can anyone hear me? I said, can … hey turn that down. Can you hear me now?”
So, whether you know your Arabesque from your Croisé or not (and I mean, c’mon, what are you, a provincial rube?!? Spend some time on Wikipedia, folks), respect the work being put in and get your rear in a seat come show time.
Otherwise, I give Sylvia all of your addresses and the nurpling begins…
