Notes for Sunday March 6 + O Canada Details

Hi everyone!

We won't be be all in rehearsal together again until March 6, but here's what we'll be working on so you can be preparing in advance:

1:15 By Call Session: A2.S2 - Speaking Roles Only
1:45 Physical Warm-up - FULL COMPANY ARRIVES
1:55 Vocal Warm-up
2:05 Virita Criosa 2+3 Music
2:25 Virita Criosa 2 Blocking
3:05 Virita Criosa 3 Blocking
3:45 Break
4:00 Corazon de espinas + O Vos Omnes Music
4:30 Blocking/Scene Work

Reminder that for the March 6 rehearsal, Virita Criosa 2 & 3 must be memorized.

O Canada Video

Thanks to everyone who can do the O Canada video! Here are the deets:

Date: Saturday Feb 27

Time: 4-6 pm

Location: Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, 6199 Chebucto Rd. We are on the top floor in the Lillian Piercey Concert Hall

Dress: black tunic, boots, leggings

Hair: Can be up or down but must be off face and must look very tidy and put together

Makeup: Basic film makeup (foundation, mascara, blush, lipstick). Remember that there may be closeups of your face so makeup should look good up close.

Christina and I are running an XYE rehearsal in the space from 1-4 pm so if you arrive early please enter quietly.

The Bell Sisters

And finally, we'd love it if you stayed to watch The Bell Sisters! It's at 7:30 pm in the same venue as we're doing the video, and tickets are only $10 for Xara members. XYE would be SO happy to see you there and it truly is a wonderful, heartwarming show that you will love.

Cancion de jinete Choreography Guide

Hi! Choreography guide for Cancion de jinete is now posted!

Rehearsal Notes - February 21

Act 2 Scene 1

After Las Amarillas, Adela hides behind the screen. On Magdalena’s line, Gallery returns to seats (nearest seat possible) - Servant goes behind the screen.

Gallery - choose a “watching” position, which you will hold throughout the following scene. When Poncia says “You mean for Pepe el Romano”, shift to a new position and then hold until Cancion de jinete.

Cancion de jinete - Video

First three systems (mm 1 - 10)

• Gallery stand up at the beginning of the piece. Sisters & Servant come from behind the screen to join the Gallery.
• Team Adela move to sit on the floor in front of Adela.
• Gallery move to be in a two group formation behind Adela (Kallie, Leah & Sara in the front)

Mm 11 - 16 First position & hold

Mm 17 - 22 Second position & hold

Mm 23 - 26 Third position & hold

On the repeat of measures 11 - 26, three new positions on the same measures.

Mm 27 - 28 Team Adela stands, Gallery return to a neutral standing position

Mm 29 - 34 Gallery spreads out, sort of in a double U formation

Stumblethrough Video - Act 1 through Act 2 Sc.1 (end of Cancion de jinete)

Reminder, all videos can be found here.

All blocking notes can be found here

Virita Criosa 1 (repeat) + Las Amarillas Choreography Guides

Hi everyone!

Choreography guides for Virita Criosa 1 (repeat) and Las Amarillas are now posted!

Notes for Sunday February 21

Hi everyone!

Great work yesterday! We are moving right along with all of our music memorization and blocking for this show - thank you all for your hard work! This coming Sunday we are going to do our first STUMBLE-THROUGH of the first half of the show! :D As well as work on some new blocking and scene work. Here's the plan:

Sunday Feb 21
1:15 Physical Warmup
1:25 Vocal Warmup
1:35 Cancion de jinete Music
1:50 A2.Sc1 Blocking + Cancion de jinete Blocking
2:50 Music: Virita Criosa 2+3
3:05 Break
3:20 O Canada
3:30 Review

• Miserere 
• Kyrie 

4:00 Stumble-Through A1.Sc1 - A2.Sc2 (end of Cancion de jinete)
4:45 By-Call Session with Speaking Roles Only - FULL COMPANY LEAVES

• A3.Sc 1 
• A3.Sc 2 
• A3.Sc 4

As you can see it's a full schedule but very productive! Reminder that Cancion de jinete is to be memorized for this week. Reminder that alto 1s are on snack!

O Canada RecordingJust a reminder to check in with Krystal if you are doing the O Canada recording and need a tunic and/or boots. Christina will be posting a spreadsheet to the Facebook group this week that will help us know who has which pieces, so please keep an eye out for that!

The Bell Sisters - Xara Youth Ensemble - Feb 27, 7:30 pm
Again just a reminder that tickets for The Bell Sisters are now available! We would love to see as many of you there as possible. They are only $10 for Xara members, and Kallie will have them available at next Sunday's rehearsal for you to purchase! Support the baby Xaras and our fellow XCTE members who are involved!! :) Performance is at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, the same place we'll be doing our O Canada recording earlier that day!

Rehearsal Notes - February 14

La Luna Asoma

FYI - I have numbered the measures for ease of identifying when choreography happens. I recommend you do the same ;-)

Mm 1 - Martirio & Amelia team enter and meet in the centre, downstage

Mm 6 - Magdalena team stands, Martirio & Amelia teams turn to look. Adela team moves to the chairs that are upstage in the Gallery

Mm 11-12 - Adela enters, and her team joins her. Everyone else turns to look at Adela in her green dress.

Mm 12 - 17 Individual actions in sister teams (see video)

After Mm 17, there is a break for text

After text, come back in with singing at Mm 18.

Mm 18 Adela team moves forward

Mm 19 Magdalena, Martirio & Amelia teams move forward

Mm 20 All teams part to leave space for Servant’s entrance upstage

Mm 21 Excited energy (Pepe is coming!)

End of piece : Scurry to the Gallery (closest available seats), Team Adela stay in place until others are seated and then return to the Gallery

Virita Criosa Part 1 (REPEAT) - Act 1 Scene 5

Mm 1 - 4 Watch Angustias enter

Mm 5 - 8 Angustias team join Angustias, Gallery right hand on heart, left hand on thigh, pushing with both hands

Mm 9 - 12 Gallery lean in, hands crossed on thighs (“Oh, this is interesting…”)

Mm 13 - 16 Gallery shift uncomfortably in seats

Mm 17 - 20 Gallery remains still while Team Angustias has movement

Mm 21 - 24 Bernarda movement score. Gallery grab at one another for support

Mm 25 - 28 Gallery stands

Mm 29 - 32 Scandalized reaction from the Gallery

Mm 33 - 36 Angustias wipes off her makeup, Gallery watches her.

Mm 37 - 40 Poncia crosses to join Angustias. Gallery returns to sitting, team Angustias rejoin Gallery, Sisters remain standing ready to enter.

ACT 2 SCENE 1

While the text is being spoken, Gallery stands one by one to move to two-line formation across the back of the stage.

Las Amarillas

Mm 1 - 4 Focus is on Angustias

Mm 5 - 36 Gallery observes as the sisters do a movement score (yay! musical chairs!)

Mm 37 - 45 Everyone leans in towards Poncia. On the “percolate” section, Gallery can look at one another.

Mm 46 - 50 Gallery leans back to standing, sisters have a movement score

Mm 51 - 59 Gallery fills in the space behind the sisters, walk on the claps. Sisters and Poncia can start clapping in this section.

Mm 60 - 63 Everyone turns to face the audience

Mm 64 - End Everyone turns back to face the centre. Drop hands immediately after the final clap, not too abruptly.

Sorry, no video of Las Amarillas - my iPad was apparently too full to record any more than 30 seconds…. Grrr...

Notes for Sunday February 14

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for a great rehearsal on Sunday! And a special thank you to Erin, as always, for your amazing notes, videos, and the new document that tracks the blocking for us. You are amazing!!

This Sunday we will start with a by-call session for speaking roles to work on three scenes, then the full company arrives at 2pm to continue blocking and music work:

Sunday February 14

1:15 By-Call Session with Speaking Roles

• A1.Sc 5
• A2.Sc 3
• A2.Sc 4

2:00 Physical Warmup - FULL COMPANY ARRIVES

2:10 Vocal Warmup

2:20 Finish La Luna Asoma Blocking

2:40 Virita Criosa 1 (repeat) Blocking + A1.Sc 5 full company blocking

3:15 Las Amarillas Music

3:35 Break

3:50 Las Amarillas Blocking + A2.Sc 1 blocking

4:55 Music:

• Cancion de jinete
• O Vos Omnes
• O Canada

Reminder that Las Amarillas is to be memorized for this week. And reminder that soprano 2s are on snack!

O Canada

We will work on the O Canada arrangement this Sunday. We will be wearing tunics and boots for this filming. Krystal is now our Xara Wear Coordinator - she will be checking in to make sure that everyone who is planning to be there for the filming has a uniform (thank you Krystal!)

Virita Criosa 1 + La luna asoma Choreography Guides

Hi everyone!

Choreography guides for Virita Criosa 1 and La luna asoma are now up - click here to access!

Reference Recordings

Link to all the reference recordings for House of Bernarda Alba:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-PHAkmzRweCcmZER1M2WXFfUTQ

Rehearsal Notes Feb. 7

Homework reminders:

Las Amarillas is to be memorized for next rehearsal (Feb 14th) including clapping

BLOCKING NOTES

End of O Frondens Virga

File into new Gallery positions on the Women’s lines. Back row stay standing behind chairs, front row sit down. Be engaged watchers of the action occurring on stage.

Virita Criosa Part 1 - Video

Mm 1 - 4 Gallery all stand, Bernarda choreo behind the screen. Adela and Amelia are standing.

Mm 5 - 9 Angustias enters from upstage right, Magdalena & Martirio stand

Mm 9 - 12 Angustias’ team forms behind her

Mm 13 - 16 Angustias & team shake head

Mm 17 - 20 Angustias & team right shoulder shrug, right hand presses down

Mm 21 - 24 Angustias & team turn to face stage left

Mm 25 - 28 Angustias & team right shoulder shrug and turn back to face centre. All other sister teams join their sisters.

Mm 29 - 32 All teams react to Bernarda’s anger towards Angustias (hits her with the stick)

Mm 33 - 36 Team Angustias cries. Other teams react to Angustias crying.

Mm 37 - 40 Two steps backward, start on right foot. Downbeat of 37, downbeat of 39.

Cut-off - Bring right foot to join left foot.

On Bernarda’s line, all go into the Gallery. You have returned to being an observer of events. Sit with your sister team. See below :

La Luna Asoma - Video

FYI - I have numbered the measures for ease of identifying when choreography happens. I recommend you do the same ;-)

Mm 1 - Martirio & Amelia team enter and meet in the centre, downstage

Mm 6 - Magdalena team stands, Martirio & Amelia teams turn to look. Adela team moves to the chairs that are upstage in the Gallery

Mm 11-12 - Adela enters, and her team joins her. Everyone else turns to look at Adela in her green dress.

Mm 12 - 17 Individual action in sister teams

After Mm 17, there is a break for text

After text, come back in with singing at Mm 18.

I've also added a new Video for Kyrie because there were so many people missing the first time I recorded it. I've left the other video active as well.

I've created a Bernarda Alba playlist with all of the choreographed pieces in order. You can find it here

Kyrie + O Frondens Virga Choreography Guides

Hi everyone!

Choreography guides for Kyrie and O Frondens Virga are now up - click here to access! Reminder that blue text is stage directions that we have added. Purple text is what we are trying to translate into movement. Please use this guide as you are rehearsing the Kyrie this week. It will help inform the emotions that should connect with every action.

Any questions, let me know!

Notes for Sun Feb 7

Hi everyone!

Thank you for your hard work at yesterday's rehearsal - I know there were some challenges with so many people missing, but those of you who were there champed it! :)

Here's the plan for this Sunday:

1:15  Warmups

1:30  Music
3:15  Break
3:30  Block A1.Sc3
3:50  Virita Criosa 1 Blocking
4:30  La Luna Asoma Blocking
5:20  Run Kyrie with blocking

Reminder that for this Sunday, Virita Criosa Section 1 and La Luna Asoma need to be memorized. We will also be working on Las Amarillas and Cancion de jinete. We will also be working on the arrangement of O Canada that we will be recording on February 27.

A general reminder that if you missed this last Sunday's rehearsal, there is a lot of blocking to catch up on. Please review Erin's comprehensive notes, and check in with your section mates if you have any questions.

Also reminder that Soprano 1s are on snack!

Schedule

We have added two rehearsals to the spring schedule in order to help us prepare for our run-out performances. The first is Friday, May 13 from 6:30-8:30pm, and the second is Sunday, June 5 from 1:15-5:30pm. They are now in the Google Calendar. 

If you are one of the people who has already let us know that you cannot perform at the May 14 rehearsal, you do not have to attend the May 13 rehearsal. 

Thanks everyone and see you Sunday!