audience
      and
      the
      dancers
      (is
      what's
     
     
      important).
     
    

    
     
      M:
      What's
      the
      difference
      between
      the
     
     
      choreographer
      and
      the
      artistic
      director?
     
     
      J:
      Well,
      André
      (artistic
      director)
      pretty
     
     
      much
      oversees
      the
      whole
      production.
     
     
      It's
      quite
      stressful
      for
      him
      because
      he
     
     
      sits
      in
      the
      audience
      and
      he
      stresses
     
     
      about
      whether
      we're
      dancing
      well
      or
      if
     
     
      we're
      on
      the
      right
      marks
      on
      stage,
      if
     
     
      the
      lighting,
      the
      music,
      if
      everything
      is
     
     
      going
      well.
      That's
      up
      to
      him,
      and
      also
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he's
      taking
      notes,
      giving
      us
      corrections.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      choreographer,
      Galina,
      is
      not
      with
     
     
      us
      this
      time.
      She
      will
      be
      on
      the
      next
     
     
      tour.
      She'll
      watch
      it
      from
      the
      technical
     
     
      and
      artistic
      point
      of
      view.
      And
      then
      the
     
     
      guest
      teacher
      again
      will
      give
      us
      more
     
     
      corrections
      and
      if
      something
      doesn't
     
     
      work
      he'll
      come
      help
      us
      and
      get
      us
      to
     
     
      fix
      it
      and
      get
      it
      ready
      for
      the
      next
      per-
     
     
      formance.
      Johnny
      Chang
      the
      ballet
     
     
      master
      is
      with
      us
      right
      now.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      It's
      all
      part
      of
      the
      process.
     
    

    
     
      J:
      Exactly.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Actually
      the
      Goblin
      is
     
     
      performing
      tonight
      as
     
     
      well,
      he's
      in
      the
      waltz.”
     
     
      -Jennifer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      M:
      I
      was
      wondering
      what
      the
      differ-
     
     
      ence
      was
      between
      principle,
      first
     
    

    
     
      soloist,
      second
      soloist,
      and
      corps
      de
     
     
      ballet
      ?
      You
      yourself
      are
      a
      second
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jennifer
      Welsman
     
     
      [6]
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      soloist
      and
      I
      always
      have
      the
      image
      of
     
     
      the
      principle
      dancers
      playing
      the
      prin-
     
     
      ciple
      roles.
     
    

    
     
      J:
      Because
      we're
      such
      a
      small
      company
     
     
      we're
      very
      fortunate
      in
      the
      fact
      that
     
     
      even
      if
      you're
      a
      second
      soloist
      you
      get
     
     
      chosen
      to
      play
      a
      principle
      role.
      We
     
     
      only
      have
      two
      female
      principles
      right
     
     
      now,
      which
      on
      a
      tour
      is
      quite
      challeng-
     
     
      ing.
      But
      it's
      great
      because
      even
      if
     
     
      you're
      in
      the
      corps
      de
      ballet
      you'll
      get
     
     
      to
      do
      a
      fairy
      variation
      and
      you
      get
      to
     
     
      -be
      busy
      all
      the
      time.
      That's
      what
      I
     
     
      love,
      because
      I'll
      do
      Aurora
      tonight
     
     
      and
      then
      on
      the
      other
      cast
      I
      get
      to
      do
      a
     
     
      fairy
      variation.
      I
      prefer
      to
      be
      busy
      and
     
     
      keeping
      on
      stage,
      whereas
      with
      most
     
     
      companies,
      if
      you're
      a
      principle
      dancer,
     
     
      you'll
      do
      one
      out
      of
      every
      four
      shows.
     
     
      To
      try
      and
      keep
      your
      body
      in
      shape
      in
     
     
      class,
      it's
      just
      not
      enough.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Arf!
      Arf!”
      -Elly
      (the
      dog)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Haha,
      cute”
      -Marieve
     
    
   
   
    
     
      M:
      Your
      company
      has
      travelled
      all
     
     
      over,
      but
      not
      so
      much
      to
      Africa.
      You've
     
     
      gone
      to
      Egypt,
      but
      are
      you
      planning
      to
     
     
      do
      more
      of
      Africa?
     
    

    
     
      J:
      It's
      actually
      very
      funny
      that
      you
     
     
      mention
      that,
      because
      there's
      talks
     
     
      right
      now,
      it's
      very
      up
      in
      the
      air
      of
      us
     
     
      actually
      going
      to
      South
      Africa
      and
     
     
      Capetown.
      We're
      one
      of
      the
      most-
     
     
      toured
      companies
      in
      the
      world
      and
     
     
      that's
      another
      one
      of
      the
      most
      amazing
     
     
      parts
      of
      this
      job
      because
      I
      don't
      know
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      pointe
      shoe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      when
      I
      would
      have
      come
      out
      to
      the
     
     
      East
      Coast
      except
      for
      with
      dance,
      you
     
     
      know,
      we
      don't
      have
      that
      much
      time
     
     
      off.
      I
      think
      we're
      actually
      going
      to
     
     
      China
      again
      in
      the
      new
      year,
      it's
      in
      the
     
     
      talks
      as
      well.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      What
      do
      you
      think
      of
      the
     
     
      Confederation
      Centre
      of
      the
      Arts’
     
     
      stage?
      Is
      it
      smaller
      than
      you're
      used
      to?
     
     
      How
      does
      it
      compare
      to
      what
      you're
     
     
      used
      to?
     
    

    
     
      J:
      We
      were
      in
      Halifax
      last
      night
      and
     
     
      the
      wings
      here
      give
      you
      a
      lot
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      room
      to
      run
      on
      and
      off.
      When
      we
      were
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      Sackville,
      when
      we
      ran
      off
      the
     
     
      wings
      you
      could
      hear
      our
      tutus
      scrape
     
     
      against
      this
      board
      and
      it
      was
      not
      that
     
     
      pleasant
      but
      you
      have
      to
      manage.
      The
     
     
      space
      (here)
      looks
      really
      nice
      and
      we
     
     
      haven't
      been
      able
      to
      have
      our
      sets-
      in
     
     
      Halifax
      they
      couldn't
      have
      our
      set
      in
      ~
     
     
      the
      back
      because
      there
      wasn't
      anything
     
     
      to
      hang
      it
      from.
      I
      was
      looking
      at
      that
     
     
      (here)
      and
      it
      makes
      it
      that
      much
      better
     
     
      for
      production
      to
      have
      the
      full
      produc-
     
     
      tion.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      Ok,
      you
      were
      the
      China
      Doll
      on
     
     
      [the
      children's
      show]
      Toy
      Castle.
     
    

    
     
      J:
      (Laughing)
      I
      was
      wondering
      if
      that
     
     
      would
      come
      up.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      So
      what
      was
      that
      like?
     
    

    
     
      J:
      It's
      so
      different
      from
      dance.
      In
     
     
      dance,
      if
      you
      go
      to
      gesture
      at
      someone
     
     
      you
      actually
      look
      at
      them,
      but
      on
      TV
     
     
      you
      can't,
      because
      you
      can't
      see
      the
     
     
      character's
      faces,
      so
      you
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      very
      open
      to
      the
      camera.
      You're
      just
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “transformed
      into
      this
      doll
      on
      a
      set
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      was
      such
      an
      amazing
      cast
      to
      work
     
     
      with.
      It's
      such
      a
      different
      world
      than
     
     
      the
      other
      world
      of
      dance.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      It's
      unlike
      any
      other
      children's
     
     
      show
      that
      I've
      seen
      before.
     
    

    
     
      J:
      It
      was
      so
      fun,
      it
      was
      so
      fun.
      The
     
     
      choreographer
      was
      so
      much
      fun
      to
     
     
      work
      with
      as
      well.
      There
      were
      long
     
     
      days
      but
      I
      wish
      I
      could
      do
      that
      again.
     
     
      There
      were
      actually
      talks
      of
      there
     
     
      being
      a
      movie,
      but...
      Yeah,
      it's
      as
      fun
     
     
      as
      it
      looks.
      Actually
      the
      Goblin
      is
      per-
     
     
      forming
      tonight
      as
      well,
      he's
      in
      the
     
     
      waltz.
      |
      wish
      we
      could
      do
      that
      again....
     
     
      Oh
      hey
      Tara.
     
    

    
     
      M:
      And
      then
      a
      little
      dog
      walks
      in
      with
     
     
      principle
      dancer,
      Tara
      Birtwhistle.
     
     
      Tara:
      Hello,
      Jen.
      Hello.
      Quiet
      Elly,
     
     
      quiet.
      -
     
    

    
     
      Elly:
      (while
      groping
      my
      leg)
      Arf!
      Arf!
     
     
      Art!
     
    

    
     
      M:
      Haha,
      cute.
      Anything
      else
      you
     
     
      would
      like
      to
      add?
      What
      is
      performing,
     
     
      to
      you?
     
    

    
     
      J:
      It's
      amazing.
      Whenever
      I'm
      finished
     
     
      performing
      a
      role
      I'm
      ready
      to
      go
      out
     
     
      and
      do
      it
      again
      because
      I'm
      just
      ready
     
     
      to
      go
      again.
      It
      always
      goes
      by
      way
      too
     
     
      quickly.
      .