After and e-mail from Philip; yesterday became one of those days. Dione and I were on the phone frantically in the afternoon. With the way we were chatting you'd think that something huge happened--but really all we were excited about was the video below of Daniel Ulbricht and Megan Fairchild. I'm sure Dione will pass it on to the Mobile Ballet girls, who still swoon when they talk about him.

As posted, I traveled back to my hometown to see the Mobile Ballet'sproduction of "Coppelia." I'm learning that my taste is fickle--a few years ago I saw the ballet and detested it, only to return to it and like it much more.

My little sister Dione, pictured above with Lauren, danced in the "Work pas de deux" with Billy Blanken (a modern dancer in New York). I had a short trip full of traveling mishaps, but spent yesterday admiring the Mobile skyline, flying across Mobile River to visit friends on the other side of the coast, and enjoying the breezy 70 degree weather. My hometown is such a gem.

Now I'm back and ready to hit the Philharmonic on Wednesday evening (hopefully).

She's in the video (wearing the wine colored "Carmina Burana" costume) along with the students and a few other Mobile Ballet dancers. It's the cutest thing, and I love how when Lauren asks the students to be "ballerinas" and Dione does a pirouette!

I asked her to bring me my cassette player. I had a tape of "The Nutcracker" music I bought from a bargain bin at a local drug store. By that year, I'd performed in "The Nutcracker" for two years in a very small role with the Mobile Ballet.

While I waited to heal I played my tape. I started to dance around the small bathroom space, recalling all the "Waltz of the Flowers" choreography in midsummer. Then I looked down at my foot, I was mid-susu and didn't realize it. I was healed.

That was the first time I thought Tchaikovsky was synonymous with magic.

This fueled my lifelong obsession with the Russian composer. That winter at a rehearsal for "The Nutcracker" I stepped out of the stage door to view snow flurries falling, a rarity in Mobile. On stage dancers were rehearsing to his romantic and glistening "Sugarplum and Cavalier pas de deux." It was another magical moment amplified by his work.

I experience obsessions in phases; darting frequently from one art form, musician, art movement or author to the next. I fall helplessly in love with someone or something, just long enough to learn everything I can about it before settling on another. I've gone through my "Turandot" phase, where I listened to the opera night and day and sung all the parts in my living room with a Chinese fan, and my Puccini phase which followed shortly after. There was the Bournonville phase, when I rented all of his ballet videos from the university library, the Angel Corella phase, the Philip Glass phase, etc. But I've always been in my Tchaikovsky phase. It is the only one to never leave me.

In studying the composer I read his letters and diaries. Tchaikovsky wrote of New York City, which makes me particularly happy to share that with him. I see signs of him everywhere. He remarked about the sizes of the buildings, the people on the streets. He conducted the opening of Carnegie Hall, and when I pass it (which is rare) I see him standing outside in my mind.

Today I was flipping through a gigantic volume of his letters and stopped on a quote from him about the city.

"The view was splendid but I felt quite giddy when I looked down on Broadway," he wrote.

This morning after breakfast, I turned on the television and an episode "Chamber Music Showcase" was on CUNY titled "Glass Man." The episode was all Tchaikovsky: photos of his life, portions of his Serenade for Strings, and beautiful panorama's of Russia.

There was not one detail in the film about Tchaikovsky's life I didn't already know. I find that most biographies of him (or anything written about him) are exaggerated. Sure, he suffered from illness and nervous breakdowns, but do not let anyone convince you that he was a "mad-man" or a fragile piece of glass, as the episode suggested.

I find within his letters great reason, compassion, and wit. He was someone who found joy in simple morning walks, mass, and solitude. In my mind, I see Tchaikovsky the same way I see myself, as a person with the inability to laugh at myself, who takes any small misfortune to be a sign that the end of the world draws near, only to wake the next day feeling fine.

His photographs are amazing. I'm especially fond of one he took of my sister, viewable here and the dozens of shots he got of ABT's Maria Riccetto and Blaine Hoven. My favorite one is this one!

Cute little waltz girls! I used to be one of them.

"Nutcracker" Billy Blanken and Marina Yasuda have a brief chat on stage.

My sister Dione and Billy Blanken--on stage husband and wife.

Dione in "Pary Scene."

Shannon Kendall in "Arabian."

ABT's Blaine Hoven and Caroline Frey as the Snow Prince and Snow Queen.

Blaine and Caroline again. Blurry, but I like it.

A blurry shot of Dione and ABT's Blaine Hoven.

Dione partnering with Blaine (she requested it).

Tonight, for lack of a better phrase, was a blast. My mother, father and myself went out to see the evening performance of Mobile Ballet's "The Nutcracker." My sister Dione, a principal dancer with the company, performed and when I wasn't rooting her on I was giggling with my father and jumping for joy over the artistry of ABT's Maria Riccetto.

 Dione danced as a "mom" in the first act and as the "Spanish Queen." Marina Yasuda debuted this year as "Clara" and I adored her enthusiasm on stage. Caroline Frey was the "Snow Queen" with Blaine Hoven before and during the "Snow Scene." Caroline has an amazing extension, and her soft accents were refreshing in a piece that dancers usually make severe.

In the second act I was itching to see Maria Riccetto. I had flashbacks of last year, when David Hallbergswept NYCB's Rachel Rutherford across the stage. My heart sunk once thinking that he could be here, but when Blaine and Maria began their pasI just melted. Watching Maria brought upon the same feelings I get watching Julie Kent. When I watch Kent perform I really see every emotion inside of her just pouring on stage. It was the same for Maria, she moved with such an ease, such control. She's my new ABT favorite, I think.

After the show, mother, father and myself ran back stage for photos with Dione. We walked up to Maria and took a photo together. She pointed at me and my sister.

"Are you twins?" she asked.

"Nope, just sisters." I said. I complimented her a dozen times (and squealed privately to myself because we'd met her).

Blaine was chatting with his friends, and we approached him. Dione had told him earlier that whenever I make a post about him on my blog, I get tons of readers. This is true, whenever I check my stats, the most searched for dancers are he and Daniel Ulbricht.

 "I need a picture, Ariel needs more hits on her blog," she joked to Blaine. Everyone laughed and I held up the camera.

"I read it," Blaine said. Dione took another partnering Blaine in first arabesque (it came out blurry). Supposedly between shows, Dione and Blaine had talked about the blog and he said that he and Matt and "a few other people" read it (I should get him to do an endorsement--kidding). I grilled Dione all night about who those "few other people" were, but she shrugged and said she didn't know.

After a dozen more photos we went home and Dione and I gossiped until midnight. Dione told me that backstage Maria came to their dressing room to borrow a hair brush ("We should sell that thing on Ebay!" Dione exclaimed), she and Blaine took a bunch of silly pictures during the party between shows, and Maria told Dione that her matinee performance was "good." Supposedly, Maria and Blaine were doing all sorts of ABT before performance rituals, like blowing kisses and some little jump-kick-thing that Dione showed me later in the living room--how cute!

A favorite. The Sugar Plum Fair, Clara, and the Nutcracker at the very end of the "Waltz of the Flowers." (View larger by clicking here. )

The Waltz of the Flowers dancer in the finale. View larger here.

Dione at center in the Spanish tutu (which also serves as the "Black Swan" tutu when they produce "Swan Lake") in the Finale. View larger here.

Dione in the finale. (View larger here.

Dione and almost the entire company! View larger here.

2. Dione and I were home alone early this week, my parents were in New York. As we often do when we are left alone, we danced around the living room and choreographed a "ballet-version" of the popular "Soldja boy" dance, and then later adapted a "Balanchine version."

3. This afternoon I was sent to a salon for my ritual pre-New York-grooming session (arched eyebrows and Blair Waldorf curls). Under the hair dryer I read my signed copy of Terry Teachout's "All in the Dances." I made a note to never read a signed book in a public place again--it was like wearing Comme de Garcons to a county fair.

4. Tomorrow the public performances of "The Nutcracker" begin. Dione rehearsed this morning with ABT's Maria Riccetto.I was in an exam at the time, but dying to sneak in and see her dance with Blaine Hoven. However, I will get to see her perform tomorrow night! She's with ABT so as we say in Mobile: "She's with ABT, she has to be good."

5. My most magical moment last week was hearing Maria Callas' voice echoing Puccini aria's in Starbucks.

6. They put up the casting for NYCB's "Nutcracker" for the week I'm moving in. What's up with the "Special casting" for their 2000th performance? I should e-mail Philip. He would know.

The dancers greet "Clara" (Marina Yasuda) and the "Nutcracker Prince" (Billy Blanken) at the Land of the Sweets. (View it larger by clicking here.

Angels greet the Sugar Plum Fairy. (View it larger.)

Shannon Kendall as the "Arabian." (View larger here.)

Lauren Woods as a "Mirliton." (View larger here. )

The Sugar Plum Fairy and the little Waltz girls. (View larger by clicking here. )

More to come!

This movement effect was a total mistake--but I love the way it turned out, especially since the tutu's, arms and legs are all moving at once.  (To view it larger, and with better quality, click here. )

My sister Dione, at dead center. I finally caught her making a pleasent face on stage.  (To view it larger click here. )

Another snow scene picture. (To view larger, click here.)

I'm really quite pleased with the batch of photos I took. I few are still blurry (I'm having shutter speed issues) but the rest I love.

Here are a few...more coming definitely....

This first one is of Caroline Frey, a young dancer with Mobile Ballet and ABT's Blaine Hoven (who also used to dance with Mobile Ballet).

Shannon Kendall and Bobby are pictured here in the first act, as the "Toy Dolls."

Guests at the party in the first act pause as the clock strikes eight and the Drosselmeyer appears!

All photos by me.

I took the photo below last year after the performance. My sister and a bunch of the dancers stood around on stage in their costumes chatting!  

2. I heard from a little bird that the NYCB dancers who were here for "A Gala Evening" have been "raving about Mobile." Supposedly they loved it here. I would too if I were treated to dinners in museums and lavish parties every night like they were! Hopefully this will result in more similar productions in the future.

3. From my own prying, I found out that Kathryn Morganwas cast as the "Sugarplum" in NYCB's "The Nutcracker" on Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. Dione and I are seeing if we can make this performance. Mobilians: Kathryn used to dance with Dione in the Mobile Ballet Company.

4. I almost had a heart attack when I read Matt Murphy's post on his blog Ranting Details. They're coming out with a "Center Stage 2!" Can you believe it? Dione and I discussed this topic at length, and since Matt can't give out any details about the film, we guessed that maybe this recent TV Dance craze will be an important element--for example, guest appearances by "So You Think You Can Dance" judges and dancers. If not that, we wondered if they would continue with the same story line--will Jodi Sawyer still be dancing in Cooper Nielsen's new company? Will she still be dating Charlie? Will they have dozens of little ballerina kids? Worst case scenario: a film about a straight-laced ballerina who like to tear-it-up doing hip-hop every once and a while. I pray it's not like that at all.

5. In addition, more life-altering news came from Matt--David Hallbergsaw me on Matt's Facebook and said "Hi!" I nearly fainted with joy--he's my most favorite dancer ever!

6. Mobile Symphonyexecutive director Stephen Hedrick came out with a coffee table book called "Tall Tales and Sonnets of the South." According to a press release I received today, it's written in "hillbilly haiku." Interesting.

7. I learned Friday that Alexandre Hammoudi is no longer dancing in Mobile Ballet's "The Nutcracker." Blaine Hoven will dance his role, in addition to his role as "Cavalier."