All of my good friends know that I have a great LOVE for chocolate, specifically Godiva chocolate! While in college, I started what became a weekly ritual called “Godiva Friday”. During my sophomore year, I often found myself overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to accomplish each week. Balancing rehearsals, auditions and homework along with daily academic and technique classes became very challenging. I have a great ability to multi-task, however, I often found that at the end of the week, I wasn’t taking enough time for myself to ‘be’ and ‘enjoy’ being me.
As a student in the Ailey School/Fordham University, BFA program, I bounced back and forth between the two campuses numerous times throughout the day. The Ailey building was where all of the dance classes and rehearsals were held, while the academic classes were held five blocks up the street at Fordham University. Between the two schools are the Shops at Columbus Circle, where I often went to window-shop in between classes. Conveniently, a Godiva chocolate boutique is located within the shopping center. Somehow, I found myself in the chocolate lovers paradise every Friday, at about the same time each week.
Just prior to my final class or rehearsal of the week, I would stop by the store and purchase a few of my favorite truffles, to enjoy on the subway ride home. My classmates quickly began to notice my habit and eventually the term “Godiva Friday” was coined. I used “Godiva Friday” as a little weekly incentive. With the chocolate, I would celebrate getting through the week. It was the one thing that I did for myself, no matter what, every Friday, just to take some time to sit back and reflect on the fact that I have survived another week, was accomplishing my dream of living in New York City and working hard at becoming a strong professional. Despite everything that happened that past week, including something someone may have said that wasn’t very nice, an audition that I didn’t do well at or received a less than favorable grade on a paper, I continued to take the time to distress and come back to reality that everything is going to be ok and that I survived the week. I used this time to reflect on the week’s challenges and accomplishments and recharge for the week to come.
Years later, even-though I’m on tour, I continue to partake in “Godiva Friday” every week. Monday is our day off at Wicked and our Friday is the equivalent to a ‘normal’ person’s (one who has weekends off) Wednesday “Hump-day”. While on tour with Wicked, we perform eight shows a week and Friday is our midweek hump. Come Friday night we will have completed half of our week’s performances. Never the less, some way, some how, I find some Godiva chocolate and I take that time to prepare and motivate myself for the remainder of the weeks performances.
It’s amazing what a simple piece of succulent chocolate can do for our spirits! When was the last time you had a little Godiva in your life? Go get some and celebrate whom you are and all you’ve done this week! You deserve it!
Happy “Godiva Friday”!
