Our latest adventures take us behind the scenes of a recital. Guestblogger E.S. Cheah reflects on her performance with City Dance Corps' "A City Tale".

Everyone talks about the high of performing. The adrenaline that goes through your body that makes the show go by in an instant. But no one tells you what to do with the performance low as soon as the curtain is closed. You spend weeks building up to those moments on stage, and when they are complete, there is a strange sense of loss. You all of a sudden wonder what you are going to do with your free time, and you instantly feel sad that you won’t spend hours with the group of performers you’ve created a special bond with.

Even though I’m feeling low, I can only smile upon reflection of the final performance. It can only be described as exhilarating and the energy backstage was infectious. After every group performed, they got a round of applause from the cast. We got everything from smiles, to high-fives and hugs from dancers that I had only met a week ago. I briefly wrote about how this type of event brings people together, but there was not one person on stage that I wouldn’t want to perform with again.

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, you know the basis of a group class is energy exchange. Performing works on the exact same principle, but on a larger scale. There are two waves of energy, those exuding from the performers to the audience, and the audience giving energy back to the performers. From the stage, this energy (or lack of) is easily felt, and that is part of the joy of being on stage. I’ve heard dancers talk about audiences being part of the performance, but I’ve never really understood it till this weekend. Even though you were dancing to a veil of blackness, you could feel the audience supporting us through our numbers.

I’m not sure when I will be able to perform next, but after this experience I know that I HAVE to soon. I feel lucky to live in a city where, as an adult, I can continue to enjoy these experiences. And above all, I’m grateful that the dance community in Toronto continues to be so inclusive of anyone that wants to dance.

If you’ve ever had a desire to get up on stage, I encourage you to look into City Dance Corps “performance” series. They do 2 shows a year that are “all-inclusive”, allowing any level of dancer experience to participate. If you don’t have that desire, just remember that even if you’re in the audience, you are an important part of the show.