After an exciting first season with a company that typically runs a mile with every donated inch , the summer break felt like I'd suddenly been sent to detention where I should sit and think about my actions over the past season. By July I was finally used to the hectic schedule and the exciting shows we were always performing, when suddenly the break left me not knowing what to do with myself.
Immediately after the last shows of Beer and Ballet, fellow dancer Alexandra Cunningham and I participated in the 'Applegate studio company's' production of the Firebird where Alex danced the title role and I was Prince Ivan. Over the following few weeks we rehearsed the pas de deux and the various mime sections and had the privilege of working with some really fun kids. The dancers training with Lisa Applegate made such fun monsters in the final scene and the senior girls created elegant princesses. After dancing so many fun solo roles with Sac Ballet it was great to work on a pas de deux from a story ballet, where I could strengthen partnering skills as well as develop the character of prince Ivan, a part unlike anything I've danced before. 
Having said all that, I also had the opportunity to get painted in blue, where a muscle-suit and lip-sync the words to an Aladdin classic 'Never had a friend like me!' in their Disney dances piece. This was a collection of Disney inspired dances that opened the show. It was a real experience going absolutely crazy as the genie from Aladdin; surrounded by harem dancers and having glitter shot down from above, only to then frantically wash off the thick blue make-up and prepare for the more serious, classical ballet 'the Firebird'.
After an action packed month, I then spent a week with family in Chicago before a month of catching up with old friends in London. A camping trip in France for 11 days with family in weather conditions that weren't always so dry was testing at times but generally nice- I learnt I'm not the best at camping! Returning to Chicago a 21 year old was liberating and a bit too much fun, by this time I was very much looking forward to another season in Sacramento. In a matter of days, an opportunity to choreograph for the Utah regional Ballet was arranged which meant I got to experience a week in Orem, Utah and choreograph on a new bunch of dancers I had never seen before which was a really awesome week!
It's great to return to the Sacramento family and dive straight into dancing at full force again. Looks like it's gonna be a good one... watch this space!
Rex Wheeler
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