Interview 4

Name: Sophie Barnett 

Nick-name: Soph

Age: 19

Sight:

“When I dance it is usually on stage. There is a lot I take in without realising. The contrast between the white of my tights and the black paint of the stage. The bright lights and the faint images of faces in the crowd. The mist of the dry ice and the fluid and smooth movement of the other swans that move around on the stage.”

Touch:

“The tightness of my attire I feel keeps me in line. It’s like the tights help me to stay strict with my movements. I can feel my toes being suffocated within my shoes, especially when I’m on Pointe. I can feel the heat of the lights on my face and the I can feel all of the eyes of the audience watching me”

Hear:

“other than the music that is playing, everything is silent. The audience, the stage and the dancers. Even back stage the silence is scary. It’s like the nerves of the dancers has run off with their voices.”

Taste:

“before going on stage I get nervous, when I get nervous my mouth dries up. This is all I can taste as I am backstage in the wings. If there is dry ice on stage while I am dancing, the taste of that will normally stay in my mouth for the duration of my routine.”

Smell:

“The smell of new tights is a quite distinctive smell that enjoyed. The smell of new shoes and the dry and poisonous smell or hair spray and make up are quite distinctive smells that, on the other hand, I didn’t enjoy”