When I got up this morning, I was really glad that the sun was peeking through the clouds and that the downpour that we had driven into last night had stopped. Today was a dancer free day, which was really nice as it gave us some time to acclimate to the high altitude—a luxury that we haven’t had on our past two tours to Vail.

Even though there was no required work today, the company offered the dancers an optional class. Most of us decided to take class to work out the stiffness that had set in from the travel day and see how our lungs were adjusting to the mountain air. Luckily for me, class felt pretty normal, despite a slippery floor. It was also fun to have members of New York City Ballet in our class.

After class it was fun to see the Company dancers enjoying their day around Vail—sunning, swimming, hiking, and barbecuing. Hopefully this free day will pay off and make the shows this weekend feel closer to what we’re used to, especially since these ballets are not easy at sea level. — Benjamin Griffiths

Featured photo: A PNB dancer rehearsing onstage in Vail, Colorado, photo © Lindsay Thomas.