How I’m spending my summer: 3 dancers share

July 14, 2017

Did you know our company dancers get the summer off? BalletMet’s season normally begins in August and runs through May, when the company gets a chance to travel, rest or dance with summer companies before coming back to the studio to prepare for our first performance.

Here, we asked three company dancers to share what they’ve been up to this summer.

[image_with_animation image_url=”12769″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In”]Carly Wheaton

Hello from California! I’m currently rehearsing with Julia Adam Dance in Bolinas, Calif. JAD puts on two weekends of shows every summer that combine community, art and food. Each evening includes a farm-to-table dinner, followed by a performance in the great outdoors of West Marin County. This is an extra treat because I get to perform in my hometown. The shows put on by JAD are choreographed by Julia Adam. The outdoor setting and the meal are orchestrated by Julia’s husband, Aaron Lucich. Each year, there’s an elemental theme that carries throughout the evening. Past themes have been water, earth and air. This year’s theme is SOLIS: exploring our relationship with fire and energy.

Photo (left) by Sandy Lee

[image_with_animation image_url=”12771″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In”]Michael Sayre

The first three weeks of my summer were full of dance, starting with a guest performance at my first dance teacher’s school in South Bend, Ind., and then performing in The Benefit here in Columbus at the Davidson Theatre. After that, weddings! One in Denver, one in Memphis (BalletMet dancers Sarah Reimold and Miguel Anaya), and one in Columbus (former BalletMet dancer Samantha Lewis and Greg Eyen). In between, I’ve spent time with loved ones and have done a little bit of beach-going in Cape May, N.J. while visiting my grandmother, and in Lake Michigan. At this point in the summer, it’s time to focus once again on getting back into the studio and getting ready for our 17/18 season!

[image_with_animation image_url=”12770″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In”]Kristie Latham

The absolute highlight of my summer was traveling to New Zealand with my boyfriend. During our two-week stay on the North Island, our grit was tested by rainy, mountainous hikes and bike rides through the “bush,” though the truest test was the day we went canyoning. We ascended 1000 feet up the Pinnacles in Coromandel and rappelled and cliff-jumped down seven waterfalls. What an unforgettable experience! New Zealand is breathtakingly beautiful.