Confessions of an anxious ballet pianist day #20: Too much attention
As a pianist in a ballet class, being ignored feels awkward—but too much attention is even worse.
Confessions of an anxious ballet pianist day #19: Being late
Anxiety about turning up late for class or rehearsal is so basic to being a ballet pianist (for me, at least) that I almost forgot to add it to my…
Confessions of an anxious ballet pianist day #18: Page turns
I’m not a particularly tidy or obsessive person, except when it comes to scores that I have to play from. If it’s for a performance, I’ll want to know exactly…
Confessions of an anxious ballet pianist day #16: Rehearsal marks
Above is a little fragment of daily life as a ballet accompanist – keeping your ears open while a rehearsal is going on so that when the choreographer or coach…
Confessions of an anxious ballet pianist day #15: Tempo
One way or another, tempo is at the heart of most of the anxieties in this advent calendar. Playing for ballet is like driving on a busy motorway in torrential…