Leaving Base: West Coast on Tour
| 04:41 UK time, Wednesday, 17 October 2007
We're about to go on tour! OMG. So not ready. Final costume decisions just made yesterday, but I still have to see whether or not I can button my coat. And I have to buy a pushup bra (much pushing up needed). Still confused about whether I should be wearing green or black sox, too. OMG. Packing is next. Less said on that subject, the better.
I'm ready with the dancing. I hope I am ready with the body. I've done the wheelchair maintenance. I've got all the spares. Just need to switch my tyres. Red for blue. Or maybe not?
Travelling with West Coast is interesting: 8 wheelchairs (two per user) -- two of which are power. Then, there are multiple sets of legs. We occasionally travel with a sofa (seats three), some large picture frames, and 8 stilts (no, don't ask). Then, there's the batteries. Then, there's the regular luggage, topped up with costumes. And finally, the people. (Take that, Ryan Air! Or, rather, not. We probably wouldn't be allowed to board a Ryan flight. There's too many of us).
Passing through security is always amusing. The partner of one of us stands protectively over us, daring the TSA people to be jerks. "Can't she just ..." "No, she can't. Won't." We all have our different requirements; I have learned that the process goes easier if they slide instead of pat. This is, apparently, a major deviation from policy, and it always requires clearance from a "manager/supervisor." Grrr.
Boarding? Ha!
I'm not sure what to expect from the tour itself. We will be gone on and off from October to May; we leave on Saturday and are gone for almost a week. Literally, we fly out on Saturday, return Tuesday late, are home on Wednesday, drive out on Thursday (6 hours!!), and return Sunday. Wednesday is reserved for laundry, sleep, PT, and other wellness practices. When we arrive on Saturday, we have an hour or two to unload, then we are called to the theater for teching, rehearsing, more teching and .... Sunday, we perform, once I think. Other days, we perform more often. Here's a sample day:
9:00 am Dancers arrive in theater for Student Performance
10:00 – 10:45am Student performance in Theater #1
11:30 am - 12:30pm Student performance in Theater #2
1:30 - 3:00pm Master Class on stage
5:00pm Company Meet in hotel lobby and depart for airport.
I hope we all come back liking each other as much as when we leave.
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