Glabe feels ready at the one month mark

With the Masters of Fine Arts Concert already only one month away, Heather Glabe is making all of the necessary preparations and sacrifices for the piece, while still managing to have some fun.

Last time we spoke with Glabe, there was still a minute left to learn in the piece she’ll be performing in, The Art of Breathing. She was feeling anxious and excited about performing in the MFA Concert, and not too much has changed. The anxious feelings are still there, but Glabe described an overwhelming surge of confidence as the concert draws nearer. This in part could be because of the dance’s quick and positive progress.

A photo of the Cal State Long Beach dance center,

which includes the Martha B. Knoebel Dance

Theater, seven studios, and an assortment

of other spaces. Photo Credit: Nichole Hamilton.

“The dance is finally finished!,” said Glabe. “What Jessica is now going to have to do is go back through the piece and really develop it. You have to make the whole work connect from the beginning to end.”

While the dancers managing to complete that last minute of the dance in under a month is astonishing, even more so is Glabe’s composure. When asked about any nerves or jitters regarding her performance, Glabe remained calm and collected.

“I'm actually feeling quite confident actually about this upcoming concert,” said Glabe. “The most challenging part of this dance in particular is that there are 16 dancers in the cast. This means that sometimes the spacing can be challenging when onstage. Hopefully we'll get enough rehearsals on the actual Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater stage, where the concert takes place, so that it won't be a problem. “

While Glabe is dedicating herself completely to the piece, she’ll be utilizing her time off from school for Spring Break to head back to her hometown of San Francisco for a mix of work, and play.

“I’m so excited - there are no rehearsals for this piece over Spring Break,” said Glabe. “I'm going to be going up to San Francisco on Friday to attend a rehearsal on Saturday for a show that I have coming up in June. It’s going to be so much fun because I miss all of my San Francisco friends. I'll also be using this time to work on my own choreography, and my next project for the next MFA concert in the fall."

Glabe is utilizing her time to perfect her dancing, while using her break to take some much needed time off. Glabe has numerous practices, costume fittings, and dress rehearsals in the coming weeks, so keep following to see how Glabe deals with the pressure as the concert draws nearer.

The MFA Dance Concert 2011 runs from April 28-30 in the Martha B. Knoebel dance theater, located near the Walter Pyramid, on campus. The above link provides more detailed information on ticket purchase information, and the times available.