On the Road With Nutcracker - Part 3

​Katie is back with her final blog from the Company’s BC Tour!

KATIE BONNELL

We’ve reached the last city on tour! Van City: the land of rainy days, amazing lattes, and the hardest run of shows thus far. In 72 hours we will have completed 3 full ballet classes, 3 warm ups, 4 hours of rehearsals with the Vancouver kids, and 5 shows of Nutcracker. Woo boy. Double show days are possibly one of the most dreaded aspects of company life, and we have 2 in a row to finish off our tour. There’s a certain art to putting on a lively matinee yet pacing yourself enough to have energy for the evening show. I think the key to finding this balance is in the few hours we have in between shows. My routine involves a small protein shake as soon as I’m finished dancing, followed by a good dinner with some green tea for a caffeine boost. Here’s a photo of some of the girls resting and refuelling. Double show days are extremely difficult, but they are also extremely rewarding when you get through them. What’s the most physically demanding thing you’ve ever had to do?