One of my favourite gigs of recent years is playing for the company of dancers that does the Raymond Gubbay Strauss Gala (choreographed by Christopher Hampson). In intensive rehearsal periods, I’ve noticed that companies & choreographers end up speaking in ballet shorthand, so if you come in in the middle of it, you need a translator.
Last year, I kept hearing Chris refer to a ‘Widow Twankey arabesque’ while marking exercises during class.
Mystified, I asked “What’s a Widow Twankey arabesque?”
“Oh, it’s BEHIND you…..” he said, in his best pantomime audience voice.
