Many of you ask why I'm not on stage more during our shows. I have several answers to that. 1) Every time I take the stage and am not backstage directing traffic the show slows down and something goes wrong. Back stage I am the traffic controller. I keep in constant communication between the sound booth, lighting, the stage hands and curtain man, the emcee and the performers. If just one of those communications are missed between a single number then something goes wrong. The music starts early...the emcee isn't sure when the next act is ready....the curtain is still opening when the act has started...we're missing a prop...All of the components rely on the stage manager. And that would be me. 2) I always put my own numbers off until the very last second because I'm too busy putting together group and solo choreography for the rest of the girls, cutting music and putting together the lineup, putting together sound, lighting and stagehands directions, gathering costuming and prop pieces, working with the venue on marketing and ticket sales, getting merchant together and pricing it out, and updating social media. My solos are the absolute LAST thing I think about. They're such an afterthought that it's not fair to the audience OR me. 3) I'm getting too old for this shit. Everything hurts all the time and I'm losing out to gravity. It's a young woman's game, and I no longer qualify. 4) This was ALWAYS my intention. I never wanted to spend the rest of my days on stage. I enjoy the production end more than the performance end...I always have. My intention was always to dance a few years, build up a strong troupe, then slowly back off stage. I have 9 other girls that would LOVE to be on stage all damn night. It's my intention to give them as much time in the spotlight that they want and deserve. My time has come and gone. I'm certainly ok with it. In fact, I'm thrilled. I just hope everyone can be as happy for me as I am.
G
