Demo at the Interpets

Well, many things've happened today.

I got to the venue well before the demo time. Parked my car at the parking as arranged by JAPDT.

Ristue came to help me to carry bags and props and dogs and I could settle every thing nicely at the doggies space next to the ring. There were enough time for me to look around and I put Dono in his crate and took Dada for shopping.

Then I could have a time to get dogs into the ring so that Dono would know about the ring. As exactly the information paper given to us said the ring floor was rubber carpeted and the size was a bit more than 8m x 10m with the fences around.

When Rue Ogiso and her dog Terra arrived the casual meeting was held as to how and when we the performers step into the ring and how WE the performers should give the cue to start the music and so on ....

Then we were told that the ring was not the one in front of us but it was on the stage at the far end of the venue. Rue and I looked at each other and hurried to the stage.

It was the raised stage about 80cm higher than the floor and three sides were open to the audience. It had no fence around and the floor was rather slippery matting. But the worst was it was a very small stage about 5m x 8m. That WAS small.

The demo was from 12:45 and at 12:40 we were told that we could get into the stage before the demo and Rue and I with dogs hurried to the backstage.  Dono peeped in to the stage thru the curtain and I was about to get into the stage I realized that there was still a lady talking to the audience so I stopped suddenly and stepped back a bit. My weight was about on my right heel when I felt something below my heel and Terra made a big scream.

No, No, I did not step onto Terras paw. Maybe I touched it and she screamed, I soon lifted my right leg and, I had a fall. It was not a fall on the floor as  we were on the small staircase to the stage. I fell into the small gap between the staircase and the desk next to it.

We were lucky and Terra and I were both OK. And the MC lady started our demo. We had to go!

Now, my prop the bench was on the stage and I had to adjust it where it should be with thinking how to move in this small stage without letting Dono fall out of the stage. I decided where and gave a cue to Dono to sit behind the the bench. It was when I was about to sit on the bench the music started without waiting for my cue. Embarrassing....

Things would never go as planned. 

The performance was not a good one. As I reflect back I made many mistakes. I could not pay enough attention to Dono when I had a fall. I was not kind enough when I changed the choreograph because the stage was too small to move. Then I should not have started if I was not ready anyway.

Dono's music is "Life is a cabaret". Certainly it is.

I'm at home now and the dogs are deep asleep. Thinking back what happened, still it was nice to meet Ristre and Rue and Terra and Rue's sister and her husband, and many many others.