Backstage at SAB’s 2023 Workshop Performances

While our Workshop Performances may be thrilling for the audience, the energy is especially exciting backstage too. From pre-show prep to cheering each other from the wings, the backstage stage experience is truly magical for any performer, and even more so when it represents the conclusion of another SAB Winter Term. After a full school-year’s worth of training, our students are able to take all that they’ve learned and apply it on stage in a way that is incredibly fulfilling. We invite you to get a sense of what it’s like for our performing students with this special look backstage at Workshop & the view from the wings! 

@sab_nyc

As we wrap up our exhilarating weekend of Workshop Performances, we wanted to share a quick look back at all the fun our students had backstage at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater! #BackstageVibes #sab #schoolofamericanballet #ballet #ballettok #backstage #pov #dance #pointe #balletperformance #onstage #performance #fyp #SABWorkshop2023 #SABWorkshop

♬ original sound – School of American Ballet

In the days leading up to the performances, our students have several tech and dress rehearsals in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center. These rehearsals not only allow for vital adjustments with spacing, costumes and lighting, but also give the dancers a chance to get acclimated to the stage. It’s their opportunity to get comfortable in the space, hear the orchestra for the first time, and work through some pre-show nerves before the audience arrives. What’s more, rehearsals allow our students to have several memorable days backstage without the same level of pressure as a performance, and for most performers, just being backstage is a lot of fun! Just watch as a handful of our students share their personal pre-show rituals…

@sab_nyc

Our annual Workshop Performances start tomorrow! In anticipation, we asked our student performers to share their pre-show rituals. See what they had to say… #ballet #sab #fyp #schoolofamericanballet #pointe #dance #SABWorkshop #SABWorkshop2023 #performance #backstage #preshow #preshowprep #preshowrituals #dressrehearsal #ballettok #ballerina #taylorswift

♬ original sound – School of American Ballet

A huge part of the backstage experience is in the getting ready and our students are given tutorials on how to best apply stage makeup before their week in the theater. Stage makeup needs to be bolder than what one wears on a typical day to allow the performers facial features to stand out under the bright stage lights.

And of course everything comes together when they get into costume…

@sab_nyc

The 2023 Workshop Performances are finally here and our students are ready to take the stage, complete with perfect costumes! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Follow our Instagram story today for more backstage and behind-the-scenes moments. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #SABWorkshop2023 #SABWorkshop #ballet #SchoolofAmericanBallet #Balanchine #Bournonville #performances #costumes #costumetransitions #tutu #pointe #dance #ballettok

♬ original sound – School of American Ballet

But perhaps one of the most endearing aspects of the backstage experience for our students is the opportunity to watch and cheer each other from the wings. This unique view of the stage, mere inches away from the dancing, is special in it’s own way. Performers can feel the supportive energy from their peers on the sides of the stage and onlookers can soak up the magic of the live performance in an extraordinary way. In fact, George Balanchine was known to stand in the front wing to watch his company dancers perform and it’s not hard to see why.

Congratulations to all our performers, faculty, and staff on a successful Workshop!