He got a real job - at the "apprentice level" - that's what they call the first two years of being in a Real Company.
But he made it.
He's with Ben Stevenson in the Texas Ballet Theater.
He was in the home stretch of his first year when Covid19 hit. So the season cancelled and he was home with us - since March 2020.
But they continued to honor his contract. He was paid right through the season.
And he is headed back to Texas this weekend - even though it's unlikely that they'll have much of a season, bc Covid is raging through our country - with Texas, stubborn Texas, hard hit this summer.
It's unclear if they'll even try to have a Nutcracker - but oh I hope so.
He's so happy.
The Company is so psychologically healthy. Stevenson is a genius. And it's an honor to dance for him.
We are glad he's finished his training in Boston - a good two years, plus a couple of extra summers.
He told us he's glad he chose this profession, even though the Arts have been decimated by Covid.
I hope he stays with Texas. Every year, it's always a question - at least for the first few years.
No more auditions, we hope.
The part between trainee year and first year of employment is excruciating. It involves making sure you have your audition videos, your upload to the right medium for submission of said videos, your head/body shots, your ability to dance a contemporary as well as a classical piece. And then you need to come from the correct studios, and then you really need to dance in front of them, not just submit materials. We flew him everywhere and he found Texas while auditioning in NYC. And of course, Texas wanted to know within about 48 hours, and of course, he had no idea what to do - but decided that this was the place, bc of the way it felt. It was a good move.
And so, back to Texas, headed down to this - this Covid Zone. But he's got to get a car registered there, since he left in a flurry over four months ago when this disease took hold, and it's expired, so now he's got to get a Texas driver's license, and bc the state is locked down - omg - it's too much to explain.
We'll need to help him a little bit.
He's grown up well.
He loves his job, and he's been happy in this company which has felt like a family.
We just need to continue to pray and hope that he stays healthy and well - that we all do. And that our country somehow returns to a state of normalcy and grace.
He decided to be a Ballet Dancer and nothing else.
He didn't want to be an actor though he's damn handsome.
And his physique turned out really really well:
And now he's 17
And now he's moving to Boston.
To be a ballet dancer.
I cannot believe as a mother how incredibly hard this is.
He's so happy he can hardly breathe.
He tries to be polite about it to his dad and me.
He no longer goes to high school - that really stopped a couple of years ago - he just goes online and does these packets, but he mostly dances at the professional company here, who wanted to keep him.
They understood that after ten years of training, he has to go. He can't be seen as Little Boy Kidster here at his company. He has to leave them and he has to leave his Mom and Dad.
Still not planning on college, but we knew that a few years ago.
He leaves in June.
We live in the West. It's so far away, can you know how far it is? It's as far as you can go driving without falling into the sea.
I have never loved a single human being as much in my entire life.
Here's the thing, Boston didn't even make him audition for this traineeship. They just asked him to come once they saw him dance one summer.
No audition for this one, the biggest thing so far.
This is the last thing before The Real Job, which might come from this last traineeship, this last chance to be someone's student.
Wish him luck for me, you mothers and fathers out there.
Wish me and his dad luck too.
How do you stand this? He's moving so far and he's not thinking about moving back our direction for awhile. His wings unfolded on that back of his. And his eyes are looking up up up.
The Talent Agency phoned at 2 PM to tell me that DB had a movie audition for some Fantasy/Sci Fi thing on the internet. Happily, some movie company saw DB somewhere - I think from a previous video audition, and now want him again. The thing is, he needed a NEW video audition, and he needed one TODAY. Right now. (Do these people think that everyone is a stay-at-home-mom?) I had a meeting that was unavoidable and so Darling Husband agreed to make the trek. I phone DB. "But I'm at a basketball game - and if I leave, they will think I've been kidnapped." It took a moment to realize that he rode the bus from school to some other location for the game. At this point, I had to turn it over to DB and DH to work out details with Talent Agency.
Apparently they did. He's just hit the door, asked for a ham sandwich. He said his role is that of a shape shifter, and that the REAL shape shifter is "some old man" but that apparently one of the forms he shifts to is to a boy. Sounds cool to me. DB had no time to tell me more, because as I type this he is shoving the ham sandwich in his face with one hand, and putting on ballet tights with another (this is a feat you'd just have to see). And now, he's headed out the door with his dad to ballet. I suppose we will hear if he will be cast as this shapey-shifter-y thing soon enough. Assuming that there's funding for the project and that they like him and that now that he just got braces, they still want him, and and and..
And speaking of ballet: Kids who dance with schools associated with professional companies at the level DB does are, at some point, expected to try for summer dance programs out of state. Last year when DB was 13, he auditioned for only two: The School of American Ballet in New York City (Balanchine's school - the one that the New York City ballet supports, located in Lincoln Center) and Houston Ballet, which is quite the top notch school, apparently (because the local Ballet Teachers here told us so, because of course, how would we know anyway). He got in Houston, and not in NYC. And so he went to Houston for almost 4 weeks. It was really really hard to get back on the plane and leave him there for us. He, on the other hand, waved us off with a "go have dinner or a date or something, because I've made these new friends here and we're going to the cafeteria." I think we could have put him on a Grayhound Bus and he would have been fine. That said, it was hard for us with him GONE.
I asked one of his teachers about the experience and what to tell him beforehand. After talking with her, I sat him down and said "This is the first time you are going someplace where no one loves you. Where no one has your back. Where no one is particularly interested in your welfare. You will need to keep your wits about you, and to seek comfort in yourself and also in us, if you want to call us anytime. You will not know anyone and this is the first time you will be completely on your own. Dad and I have every confidence that this will be a great thing for you and that you not only will be fine, but that you will love it." He looked at me levelly and then said "It's the beginning of my leaving home for real isn't it?"
Oh my God. I cried later, away from him. DH cried all the way back from Houston on the plane, because he is a Big Softie.
This year, we had more notice about these programs. He auditioned for Long Beach, California (they apparently take the kids to China for part of the summer), Chicago, Austin, Pittsburgh, Houston, and New York.
And he got in them all. ALL, and re: Austin, Pittsburgh, Houston, and New York, WITH SCHOLARSHIPS (which saves about $5,000 - yes. I know. $5,000. Right?)
Of course, New York was the last audition and when he got the email he didn't whoop or holler (DH and I did) he just looked all beam-y and got a little tearful.
So, he's headed to New York for the summer. Five weeks. FIVE.
I know we raise our children to leave us without a backward look, but oh the time - it's just going too fast.
Way to go DB. Way to dance your butt off. Maybe you'll get this ShapeShifter Movie too.
OK, so Wednesday, when I went to drop off the voucher payment thing from the Head Lice Commercial to the Talent Agency Office, they told me that Darling Boy has an audition for a small movie filmed in our state. The word "Bully" is in the title. This time, however, he is going for the role of the Bullied, not the other way around.
In any event, I did get to update his resume so that the first category is "Acting" and has the Head Lice Commercial proudly listed there. It's the only thing that's under the category and then there's another category called "Theater" which now that I think about it, looks stupid - because aren't they BOTH "Acting" or in the same category? I will have to ask the Talent Agency about how to make it look less stupid because they are walking out the door and I'm not about to mess with it now.
In the meantime, I looked up the production company and it seems that this film is a joint venture between two very religious film making outfits, but their religions are very different from one another. I find that in and of itself, hopeful because as organized religions go, especially ones that are traditional and opposite of one another, there could be trouble.. They have made a couple of small movies that run on the Cable TV channel that shows inspirational things for their viewers. I think the casting call will be large but it's worth a shot. It's another thirty minute plus drive, and again, in the snow. This time, Dear Husband will be taking Darling Boy for his noon call. I just shoved them out the door, with DH saying "Wait, let me get my coffee" and DB saying "He is the slowest person on the planet. It's as if he slows down right before it's time to leave to go anywhere." But they are now out the door.
Interestingly, Husband was nervy last night - asking DB if he had "practiced his lines" and so forth. Usually that Anxiety Projection Mechanism belongs to me, not Husband. This time, I got to be the one who said "I have utter confidence in DB and he knows what he's doing." Mind you, it's usually the other way around, with me being Princess of Neurotic Land and him being all disgustingly Zen.
So. A religiously based film. This would be lovely to get, if only to get the Porny Lice Ad out of his hair, so to speak.
Well, as you may have guessed, he did not get the Franklyn Covey Fighting Over a Piece of Pie Short Movie role. It's been about a month now. He has been rehearsing Nutcracker roles and assisting a little bit in rehearsals - that's what seven years of Nutcracker will do for you. He can dance all the parts now - all the kid parts and all of the adult parts - in Act I, including the Bear and Doll, which is a feat if I say so myself.
So, on Friday night, we get this call from The Agency asking about his availability to act in an ad that will be shown on YouTube - you know, those little ads that you hate when all you want to do is watch some funny cat on YouTube and you have to slog through fifteen seconds of ad before you happily click "SKIP AD" and move on to your weird cat video? You know, like this kind of Weird Cat Video?
Yes, like THIS.
Anyway, we have now learned that it's filming NEXT week, not tomorrow, this Head Lice Film and that they have sent his head shot (har har) over to the... to the people who are making an ad about HEAD LICE FOR CHRISSAKES.. to see if he looks the part. How does one look the part for a Head Lice Ad? In any event, apparently there will be a classroom full of children listening to a boring lecture a la 1960's style from a teacher who drones on and on about the sexual habits (this is true by the way) of those cunning head lice. Because it's apparently a little racy, they are filming the children and the teacher separately. My kid is fourteen. I am not worried either way. What would be sort of funny is if his first Actual Paid Gig was the Head Lice Gig. I am fantasizing about his Future Wikipedia Page which notes that he got his start in the Lice Arena.
He again is nonplussed and not stressed about the Lice Ad at all. He's into school and this new girl who at least makes good grades and has watchful parents, and who likes him back, so that's something. He thinks about going out for the wrestling team because "I'm like the smallest person there and because I'm fit, I might be able to win or something." He dances and studies and watches videos of other people playing videogames while he laughs like mad. I once went in to watch with him and lo and behold, watching other people play videogames on YouTube is actually quite hilarious if a) they are boys and b) they are British. I wonder what the British use for Lice Treatment?
Now my head is starting to itch. I'll let you know the Outcome of the Great Lice Commercial, of course. Perhaps I can find a way to post it here for all of you to enjoy.
Looks like after a frantic day of getting him on video to READ THE PORNY HEAD LICE LINES (Holy Hell) - they decided they want him. "He got his start in.. Head Lice.." However, it's unclear exactly WHAT DAY they'll use him. We moved Heaven and Earth to find another dancer to replace him tomorrow night in Nutcracker - (THANK YOU PROFESSIONAL COMPANY PEOPLE!) and yet these folks feel a bit loose in their production schedule or whatever you call it. Still, it's $350.00! Yay for him! I guess we need to go set up some kind of bank account where he can save for college with it.
So, Watch This Space. He may have gotten his first non-dancing, paying gig after all!
Wow. Well, this was an experience. We are given instructions to have him dressed in "earth toned" and sortof "preppy" clothes - a la a Wes Anderson movie.
Like this:
So, of course, he doesn't have clothes like these, but we winged it with what we had. The director put him in his french blue and white striped shirt with an unusual collar and under it, put a wrinkled, bright red shirt. He looked completely odd. There was another child there - she was being fitted with a "bald cap" and there were a couple of other kids there as well. Three of the children had never acted or worked before. One, a girl, got completely overwhelmed and cried but was brought round by chocolate and an Excedrin. Two boys - near relations - perhaps cousins, were lovely, stereotypical 10 year olds. One tall and horrid. One short and had loveliness potential except that he was egged on by the Tall Horrid Boy who seemed to need a Ritalin IV drip. The mother wrung her hands and rather ignored them. DB was miffed because they caused bedlam.
In the beginning, we were to drive to a town about 40 miles away to a small old school building. It was used as some kid of Charter School of the Damned and I felt it was perfectly creepy and perfectly perfect for something that is Wes Anderson-y. The director, the crew - all of them - SO YOUNG! Like early 20's young. But they had energy and verve and focus. The CFO of the corporation that was associated with the Head Lice Removal Product was there. He was very "hail fellow well met" and gracious. That left me with the Other Parents of the Nice Little Boy - let's call him "Scooter" and the mother of the Wild Cousins and two different parents that drifted in for Bald Girl and Tearful Little Girl.
And the ACTOR. The Main Actor had flown in from LA. He had lived in Utah before, but had relocated. To my immense surprise, the ACTOR was a) someone I recognized from small roles in movies I Had Actually Seen and b) was as generous with him time, advice, and kindness to parents and kids alike. He said very nice things about all of the children, except for the Ritalin Duo, where he kept graciously silent. It was fun to meet a true working actor and find him to be as normal as anyone with that kind of crazy life could be. I tried to avoid watching the taping. For some scenes, they wanted the parent present, as your child said things like "What's pubic lice?" and so on. DB was unruffled by any of it. He was mostly interested in the Food Table that was provided. I chatted and played my "Dorky Sad Mom Game" (according to my kid) on the I Pad.
Call time was at 2:30. Filming started about 3:30. We finished at 1:30 in the morning. 1:30! In the MORNING! Apparently because the time went over the allotted 8 that you are supposed to do, there will be some extra money - a little, coming DB's way.
Director was - direct. Focused. Intense. Reminded me precisely of a Border Collie except that he just couldn't let things alone. I think he was worried that because it is the holiday season, and because this commercial is running on a tight deadline, he needed to get every last possible permutation of This Kid Saying That Line. When we finished, I asked DB - "Well?" He was beaming.
And then we drove home those 40 miles and ran into an ice storm - and watched as a car flipped and landed on its roof, another car spun out - and me, going about 50 by this time, shouted "JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL" and somehow, some way, pointed out little car directly between these dangerous obstacles and wove our way - no brakes allowed, they were useless, all the way through that maze and made it out the other side. DB and I were both silent. I broke into chatter about my AMAZING DRIVING SKILL. We exited the freeway and took side streets, all literally a single unbroken ice sheet - all the way home. Shaking. Laughing. Thanking God in earnest.
No school for DB today. He's exhausted, emotionally and physically. I'm not letting him out of bed - where he still is, and it's 11 in the morning. Nope. He's staying put. Because he has a Nutcracker tonight and most every night until the End of the Run (December 30). He can go to school tomorrow.
This morning, I just stood over his bed and watched him sleep. I would trade all of this Audition Stuff in a heartbeat if I knew that it meant I could keep him completely safe all the time, every time.
But in the end, what an experience! This ad will run on YouTube. The last ad these guys did got 21 MILLION hits. I checked. 21 MILLION? How does that happen? But head lice? We shall see. My head STILL itches!
:::::: LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!!::::: HERE IT IS! THE HEAD LICE AD!! ::::::::::
(notice that it's MUCH less racier than the Original Ad. No "What's Pubic Lice?" line from Darling Boy, who is the one in the middle, with the blue and white stripey shirt over a weird red collar. Notice how fab The Actor was in this piece though. I really like him alot.
Well, the DB did not get the Role of the Bully. But he did look pretty mean, with his hair all greased back and his jeans rolled at the cuff, 1960's style. Today, we got a call from the Agency asking him to audition for an Industrial Video for a company that is locally based and that is all about advancing a kind of philosophy that seems to me, loosely based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Concepts. There isn't much to the script. It's him and another kid, fighting over a piece of pie, and then coming up with a way to make the piece of pie bigger, so that they can both have enough.
Hmm. At least he likes pie. So no memorization of lines or anything. He continues to take all of this in stride. Right now, as I write this, he is - where else - at ballet class. When he gets home at about 9 PM he has a BOOK REPORT that is DUE TOMORROW (yes, he has known about this all term. Of course he has.) The Book is "1984" by George Orwell. As you may know, it's a slog of a read with a totally buzz kill ending as Winston Smith takes it on the jaw, so to speak. He has three pages left and was mad at the book as we went to ballet class tonight at 5. So when he gets home he has to write the book report - but wait! That's not all! He also has to write an email to his choir teacher, explaining that despite his telling her about it last week, someone played a joke on him and removed his Choir Folder from its slot. He was bummed and I am bummed because of course, I think he's known about this longer than he admits - and of course, the End of Term is Friday and of course, all of the Choir Assignments were in said folder. Sometimes I think we need to try to stop him - to keep him home and have him just be a Regular High School Kid - but the ballet is something he's good at and he loves. But it takes SO. MUCH. TIME. And then there's rehearsals to boot for Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty and and and. This Ballet Company really uses the boys and I worry that they are going to use him up sometimes. But he doesn't complain and so maybe I'm just projecting my own worry onto him. I need to knock that off.
And then this audition thing for Friday. He looked tired and bummed tonight on the way to class. Perhaps the thought of an audition will perk him up. I have to ask my secretary (whom I love and adore) to take him to this one - and he will miss school for it. I wish I was a stay at home mom and that I could just take him to everything. But things didn't work out that way and my job is to make sure there is a home and a roof and so forth. Besides. Honestly, I think it's easier for him when I'm not the driver and the Person Who Waits. My dear friend/secretary Janet (who is more like a family member than many family members) took him last time. The audition lasted all of 90 seconds - he was in and out. So perhaps he won't miss too much school this time.
We are ticking them off, one by one, these auditions. Watch this space.
Today, the Talent Agency Called. Huzzah! Darling Boy's photo is finally up on their website, and they are sending him on an audition at 9 AM TOMORROW (which by the way, is During School and also During a Time that Neither His Father Nor His Mother can make sure he Gets There). This audition is for a small part as A Bully in a local television series.
If you knew DB, you would know that he is the farthest thing from a Bully there ever was. Ever. He's never been very big and he's not very - lurchy, I guess is how you'd say it, and he's a really nice kid. He also is a soft hearted guy. When he was little, I took him to see one of the Harry Potter movies - the one where Cedric Diggory gets killed. He was about what, 8? It just KILLED him.
This is the kid who, like his mother, tears up when happy, sad, or angry. He hates it and doesn't want you to see it, not to mentioned TALK to him about it. He's a kind kid who has been known to tell the School Bully to lay off the kid who's kindof weird. But he's not a suck up and he certainly doesn't always tell me what he's doing. If he DOES tell me, he usually prefaces it with "Now, don't get all upset.." which of course, makes me a) defensive, b) suspicious and c) sortof upset but then paradoxed so I can't BE upset - at least not outwardly. He is in the ninth grade and is in high school. He loves it. He has made friends with these older boys who, as I learned recently, take him in their car and they all go out for lunch. I learned this and of course, peppered him with questions, e.g. "Whoaretheseboyswhataretheirnamesdidyouwearseatbeltsdon'tlietomeaboutthatwhopaidwheredidyougo?" and on and on. He was all smiley- reassurances that these are "Good Boys, mom, they are the President and Vice President of Choir!"
I went to Parent Teacher Conference and asked the Choir Teacher about them. They are good boys. Phew.
So how can my DB play a bully? The Talent Agency thinks he's a "good actor - he'll be perfect for it."
I am to make him look like someone from the 1960's. I think I will wet his hair back and put him in a white tee shirt and jeans.
Bully? Hmm. As he reminds me, "I'm gonna go on a hundred of these before I ever get anything, Mom, so just Chill." (I didn't think I was acting "UnChill.")
Maybe I'll push him around a little when he gets home from Ballet Class, just to get him in the Bully Mood. Heh.
