Are You Ready for Your Audition?

By Sonia Simone

When I was about 20, through a series of complete flukes, I got a job working as a costume assistant for the U.S. tour of a small Russian ballet company. This was before Glasnost, Russians were exotic creatures in those days. We had the FBI come and ask us questions, it was all very interesting.

I didn't know anything about dealing with costumes, but my friend K who got me the job did. We were traveling with the ballet company across 21 U.S. cities in 10 weeks. As it turned out, we didn't have any of the union waivers we needed to actually work on costumes, so mostly we screwed around and chased boys and drank too much.

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Flickr Creative Commons image by Andrew_Baron

Comments

[Evan]

I think every post is an audition - and maybe every comment we leave too!

[Michael Martine]

Love the pic.

I think we've all blown a few auditions in our time. Trouble is, at the time, we don't know if it's a good part or a bad one.

But at least if we pass, we then get the right of refusal.

[Janice C Cartier]

Sonia,
I had to laugh at(with) this one. My first rule of thumb is "First, ya gotta show up."
And you made me fondly remember my grueling time doing sets and being a "texture bunny" with the New Orleans Opera. I am smiling sweetie..so been there....:)
Good post. What a great "call to entry."
.

[James Hipkin]

Opportunity is everywhere if you are paying attention. BTW, what happened to K?

[Christine Kane]

Very nice! Bravo!

A ballet company choreographed a ballet to my music - so I was on a tour bus with them all over the country months at a time for about two years.

I spent much of the time with the costume folks - cuz they were a hoot. (Plus, I felt like a giant next to the dancers. I needed to hang out with real bodies!)

Anyway - what amazes me is how much we can each remember about the tiniest details of seeing someone speak, or how they offer to help, or how they approach us. Showing up is huge.

(And I'm not embarrassed to admit that I've had my share of being "K" in my life too!)

[Lizthefair]

I love what you have to say about the Law of Attraction. I hadn't thought about it that way but I think you are likely on to something there.....

[Sarah]

Wonderful post! More and more, I realize the importance of being ready for every day of my life, and accomplishing each task the best I can. You just never know when that great opportunity will be coming around spying on ya! :-)

Thanks for the thought provoking read.

[Sonia Simone]

@James, I don't know what happened to K! She came to my (first) wedding with the same guy she had the hot date with. After that, history is silent. :)

@Christine, oh yeah, I've been K a whole bunch of times.

@Lizthefair, that whole question fascinates me. I don't accept that everyone with problems somehow "invited" those problems, but I also see am amazing difference in how folks deal with what gets thrown at them. I figure it's worth trying to figure out how to swing at a curve ball with some grace (and once in awhile, who knows, even hit it).