Elenora Morris at the Prix de Lausanne – Day 6 – Selection Day!

Today was selections day.  I was obviously excited last night, but after taking a hot bath and watching some Pride and Prejudice with my mom I slept wonderfully!  In the morning I felt ready to perform my variations for the jury!  Since I didn’t have to be at the theater until lunchtime, I got to have a nice breakfast with my mom and spent the morning stretching and listening to music.

When we got to the theater, I did my make up and pinned on my gorgeous tiara while the 15-16 year old candidates performed their variations.  The atmosphere was definitely very exciting today, with cameramen and nervous parents everywhere, and dancers rushing around left and right in costumes and makeup.

After the younger candidates finished performing, we had a short warm-up class onstage, just enough to make us warm and supple but not intense enough to tire us out. Then I put on my pointe shoes and practiced bits of my variation on the rake until the stage manager told us that we had to leave the stage.  Feeling warm and ready, I put on my beautiful tutu (Thank you Janet Campbell and all the PBT seamstresses!) and waited backstage!  We performed in numerical order, but the boys and the girls alternated with each variation, so I was set to be thirteenth.  Finally, my turn came!  My variation went well and I had a wonderful time onstage.  It was an honor to dance in such a beautiful venue and an experience I will never forget!  And the rake turned out to be a blessing in disguise: I actually found my variation to be easier on a slanted surface!

Next I changed for my contemporary variation.  I had a long break so I listened to my music and marked the choreography, making sure to go over all the changes from our rehearsal with the choreographer yesterday.  Then my turn came to go onstage.  Once again, the variation went well!  I felt free in the choreography and enjoyed getting into the movement.

Overall I was very happy with my performance. We had the rest of the afternoon off, so I rested in my hotel for a while and visited a chocolatier to buy souvenirs.  Then we headed back to the theater for the results!

As most of you already know, I did not make the finals.  Only two girls from my class made the finals, and the male candidates dominated: 14 boys were chosen!  I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed.  But despite the results, I had a wonderful time dancing in the selections and I am so thankful for the amazing experience I have had this week!  Tomorrow I have one last class for the networking forum in which directors from schools all over the world will observe us and pick out candidates that they like.  Then I get to watch the finals and enjoy the rest of my time in Switzerland!

Today I was also interviewed for a videoblog, which should be out by tomorrow.  It will give you a closer look at my day!

(Attached is a picture posted by the Prix.  I am on the top left.  From the performance today!)