Brittney Feit joined TBII this season after studying ballet with Edward Ellison. She placed 3rd in the semi-finals of the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix, as well as 1st place with her ensemble. This year, Brittney has joined the main company to dance in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Taming of the Shrew. Last week, Brittney was chosen as one of two TBII members to understudy for Jorma Elo’s Slice to Sharp. We caught up with Brittney after rehearsal and asked her what it is like to understudy one of the soloist roles in an Elo ballet.
Brittney in Company class, photo by Rosalie O'Connor.
Well, Monday morning, I walked into Studio C for company class and sat down near my fellow TBII dancers. One of them said to me, "You must be so excited about Slice to Sharp rehearsal!" I hadn't even looked at the board yet - I was called to rehearsal along with my friend Carrie Ruth, who is also in TBII. We were very excited to say the least… we would be working with guest stager Nancy Euverink and would get to observe some of the company's finest dancers learn and prepare this Jorma Elo ballet.
Early in the day I was called last minute to a rehearsal with Soo Youn, Ashley, Alfonso, Ma and Claudio. They had already started so I just had to dive in head first. It was probably for the best - no time to get nervous! We learned the beginning of a pas de deux, breaking down each moment to perfect the shapes and transitions. All the while we worked without music, so the steps could be mastered before the challenge of timing came into play. I was very happy because my partner was Claudio, who I had worked with for a long stretch of time to understudy Marie in the Nutcracker and also performed with in the Winter Celebration Gala.
Brittney Feit and Claudio Cocino, The Nutcracker, photo by Julie Shelton.
Brittney learns Slice to Sharp with fello TBII and Tulsa Ballet dancers.
Brittney in Company class, photo by Rosalie O'Connor.Well, Monday morning, I walked into Studio C for company class and sat down near my fellow TBII dancers. One of them said to me, "You must be so excited about Slice to Sharp rehearsal!" I hadn't even looked at the board yet - I was called to rehearsal along with my friend Carrie Ruth, who is also in TBII. We were very excited to say the least… we would be working with guest stager Nancy Euverink and would get to observe some of the company's finest dancers learn and prepare this Jorma Elo ballet.
Early in the day I was called last minute to a rehearsal with Soo Youn, Ashley, Alfonso, Ma and Claudio. They had already started so I just had to dive in head first. It was probably for the best - no time to get nervous! We learned the beginning of a pas de deux, breaking down each moment to perfect the shapes and transitions. All the while we worked without music, so the steps could be mastered before the challenge of timing came into play. I was very happy because my partner was Claudio, who I had worked with for a long stretch of time to understudy Marie in the Nutcracker and also performed with in the Winter Celebration Gala.
Brittney Feit and Claudio Cocino, The Nutcracker, photo by Julie Shelton.
I can tell that working on Slice to Sharp is going to be a great learning experience for me. Already I feel that I am learning to move in a way that is foreign to me, whether faster than usual, or just altogether different, and I know this will allow me to mature as a dancer. The past week wasn't easy - I'm sure I'm not the only one with throbbing feet at night, but I can honestly say that between Elo's exciting choreography and Vivaldi's beautiful music, I am having so much fun!
Brittney learns Slice to Sharp with fello TBII and Tulsa Ballet dancers.
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