New Year's Eve and Day are two wonderful occasions to be overly sentimental and incredibly sappy. For a dancer, it's important to feel happy about all of the things you accomplished in dance this year, but set long term goals that you are actually willing to work on (not like those cheesy new year's resolutions that no one will stick to anyways). Here are my current thoughts during this year's celebrations...

While I still have many goals I want to accomplish in the new year, I think it's safe to say I had a pretty good year in dance. Here are some of my favorite dance memories from 2016...

2017 is going to be an insanely busy year for me. I am going to be a junior at BSU in the Spring and I'm getting ready for a hard semester. My next adventures are to dance in BSUDC's Spring show Dance Kaleidoscope and to choreograph James and the Giant Peach for Amesbury Children's Theatre. On top of that, I will be taking a wide range of dance courses and staying involved with NSO (NDEO Student Organization). Dance has pretty much taken over every minute of my life, and at times it is stressful, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Here are my long term goals for the year...I can't wait to look back on these in 2018 and see which ones I've accomplished:

• ​Raise my dance major GPA
• Improve my flexibility
• Stop being afraid of turns (especially en pointe)
• Get my left foot to wing correctly
• Dance in a musical
• Learn choreography quicker (especially in modern)
• Don't let the stress of being a dance major get to me too much

Now it's time to make a plan for how I am going to bring these words to life. It's great to set goals for yourself, but remember that they won't become reality over night and they will need constant time and attention to accomplish them. Dancers: what are your resolutions? Feel free to share them with me in the comments section! 

Wishing all of my readers (2,394 of you by the time I wrote this article's first draft) and all performers out there a happy and healthy new year! I hope your dance dreams come true and you lose yourself in your love of dance. Thank you for reading my blog these past few months; there will be more to come in 2017! Xo, Becca Santone

Backstage at PMA Theatre Guild's Damn Yankees

     All performers are in a love-hate relationship with tech week. It's a great time to make last minute corrections, get used to performing on the stage, and bond with your cast mates, but it's also a hectic, time consuming, and stressful few days of your life. Here are  some tips on how to get through your next tech week...

Plan Ahead
As soon as you get your schedule for tech week, take it off work. It's also in your best interest to get any other work done that you can before tech week. The last thing you need is to be on stage stressed out about the 10 page paper due the day after closing night. Make sure you know your call times and what you need for each day. Plan your transportation arrangements ahead of time. Pack a bag with hair/makeup/costume stuff so you don't have to run to CVS at the last minute (even though you will probably end up making a pit stop before the show anyways). The more prepared you are for tech week, the more focused you can be.

Stay Focused
It's important to concentrate on your performance during this week. Arrive in plenty of time to warm up and get ready to go on stage. If there is a lot of chaos or drama going on backstage, bring some headphones or read a book to destress. It may also benefit you to put your phone on airplane mode and don't let outside drama or social media distract you. If you must get your social media fix for the day, try making some funny snapchats backstage or promoting your show online.  AVOID DRAMA AT ALL COSTS! When you're involved in the performing arts, you learn how to deal with drama. There will be clashing personalities, lashing out, and a community of built up nerves for your upcoming performance. The best thing to do is to keep your opinions to yourself (don't comment on other people's work, unless you are the director and it is contructive criticism OR you have a positive or encouraging comment), do everything your director asks of you, and remove yourself from every dramatic situation you might fall into. Support your fellow cast members, because they are just as stressed out as you are.

Stay Healthy
The last thing your cast and crew needs is for you to be run down come opening night. Your immune system is weaker when you're stressed, so it is important to stay healthy during tech week. This means eating healthy and on a regular schedule, going right to bed when you get back from rehearsal, and taking medicine for any symptoms you may have. 

Bring Snacks
You will get hungry during rehearsals, and will probably be willing to eat anything you find backstage. Try and pack plenty of healthy snacks for you to munch on while waiting to go on stage. The last thing you need is to be ordering a greasy pizza at 11pm because you're emaciated. On that note, make sure you are careful if eating in costume, and try to pack less messy snacks (ie fruit snacks and pretzels instead of Cheetos and Doritos).

Bond with Your Cast
While there can be a lot of tension and drama backstage, try and make some fun memories during tech week. Take some selfies, play some music, and encourage your cast mates during this stressful time. Some crazy stuff can happen during rehearsal, so learn to laugh and bond over these things instead of freaking out, talking crap, or getting yourself worked up over them. If you tend to be shy or are the new kid in the company, try bringing candy and snacks for everyone or packing things you may not need but someone else might, such as wipes, cotton balls, extra tights, or nailpolish remover. Being a helpful and kind person is a way to gain popularity backstage.

Get Pumped
While working hard during tech week, remember what you are working for...opening night! Performances are one of my favorite parts of dance and theatre, and nothing beats the thrill of doing what I love in front of a sold out crowd. Focus on how much your hard work will pay off during this week, instead of getting frustrated with it all. 

Some random, unexplainable one-liner tips from my own tech week experiences:
Stay caffeinated
Let your family and friends know you will be MIA all week
Pack feminine products, no matter what time of the month it is (if applicable)
Wear fuzzy socks
If you have to wear falsh eyelashes, DO YOUR MAKEUP EARLY
Hairspray keeps ribbon tied together
Clear nailpolish stops tights from running/ripping any furthur
Pack an extra of EVERYTHING
Have gas in your car
Bring a phone charger
Hug your cast mates
Don't do anything you might get injured doing (ie jumping on a trampoline, ice skating, etc.)
Stay quiet in the wings
Help your cast mates with quick changes, and plan out your own if you have any

This week I split my time between two tech weeks, and with the help of my rehearsal assistant and directors, I managed to pull it off. Tech weeks are always stressful and time consuming, but it's only one week of your life leading up to an awesome performance. Things have a way of working themselves on stage, so stay calm, be prepared, and have fun during your next tech week.