I realize it has been quite a long while since I have posted here.
I have been going through a lot since the Spring, personal and artistic burn-out.
Combined with the abrupt departure of one of my teachers-personal issues kept her from completing the last 4 weeks and the news that my long time teacher and friend Ms. Jil would be moving this fall and the overall lack of motivation among my students sent me into a period of questioning whether or not I would continue to do this.
Our Spring performance went very well though-it was in fact good-a rare moment when I actually feel as though I like what I’ve done. I chose Carmina Burana-interesting, challenging and not what the audience expects. I like that. It just so happened that there was a tornado that day-so we didn’t have the biggest audience and was actually lucky I had all of my dancers! Then 2 days later they all went off to their summer programs and I know they were as tired as I was.
So most of my summer has been spent with my family and throwing myself into DIY projects around my house.
My personal strength and faith in myself was totally gone-probably a couple of months before the show. This is not typical of me-I am everyone’s rock-but this time literally everything in my life was falling down around me. And so when I think it can’t get worse, I have a huge flare up with my rheumetoid arthritis. And right down at the bottom I am-and I remember that the RA was the reason I started dancing. Life is full of ups and downs, but you have to keep moving or you’ll stop. And so in realizing that-I will make it through everything. I also realize that teaching is a lot harder than being a dancer. Your students do not realize how much of yourself you give to them. So I decided to take class all summer with the kids and give in a different way and get some of myself back. Then there it is, that joy, I remember why I do this.
Enzo and Sofi, sunrise on Tybee-finding their inner dancer.
It was March 12, 2008.I know it was almost a month ago.
My friend’s sister goes to this school and here is the Gala performance that her sister and her friends started to raise fund for DRA last year. Last year they had a dancer from Bill T. Jones and this year was us, MGDC.
from MGDC, Oliver Tobin spoke about DRA, opened the program and MG’s Satyric Festival Song was the opener for this evening.
It was such a fun night.
This performance was formed with students from this school at Friends Seminary, dancers are from 8 years old to senior in High school. Those 8 year old dancers, themselves choreographed short dance! Amazing!
There is a dancer teacher who takes care of all age students. Wow I could not believe how much energy they have. when everydancers are there, waiting to start, well it was vibrating energy…
what they see and what they created was timely intresting. Their movement and try some serious dancing and more. One girl who danced Indian/Ethnic dance mixture who does not study with anybody but came up the idea to dance this, and now she is thinking about attending some classes. A tap dancer who performed improvisation was amazing too. He was proffesional level. It was very toughing that one girl with crathces was dancing with her friends. She danced everything her friends are doing. Lay on the floor, pick up other dancer, and running around. They were all equal. Dancers are having fun and you can tell they are having great time.
When I was dancing Satyric, I heard somebody said, “it is scary…” I don’t know may be the LOOK that I made was that way??? Oh well, but they responded very interestingly well.
Last year they raised $2000 for this gala, and this year they raised $1600! This is great but it does not matter how much they made. It is great that those students( dancers) did something for NY community and they were aware what is in our field and the field that some of them are going in need a lot of support. and they are actually doing something very important.
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted! Let me try to do a little catching up! Not that I ever really take a break, I tend to operate at a very hectic pace, but, I’ve gotten into the full swing of regular classes at the studio and have also been preparing for some major and minor events.
My schedule is a little tight this year. I decided to limit my children’s classes to 10 students. This is good and bad; good because I have created a very focused learning environment with a lot of individual attention—bad because I am feeling like I am outgrowing my space. I don’t have the time or space to open up new classes and I am seriously lacking in the beginner beginner class area. I do like this however– I wanted a smaller focused school full of kids who really want to dance and this is what I have-I just need about 20 or 30 more of them!
A couple of weeks ago, we were asked by the city to perform and give a class in Forsyth Park, to promote dance as a way of keeping fit. Well, I love dancing outside, but-they didn’t give us anything to perform on, so we danced in the grass. Fun, except it had been raining for days and it was very very wet!
We actually had a great time and also learned some belly-dancing with the Lotus Dance Company.
I have also started rehearsals for our December show “Swingin’ at Club Sweets’. This is my Nutcracker. Never allowing myself to get bored, I had to create a show that would challenge me and wanted to give the students and Savannah something ‘different’. I have live jazz musicians and the set is a speakeasy club. More on this in a future post…….
I have some talented students who will be going to the Youth America Grand Prix in February. It is an overall good learning experience for them. Well the learning starts now and we have been working on a few variations and I have chosen what I think shows them best. I also need to give them each a Contemporary piece, which, like last night-I stay up at all hours of the night listening to music, looking for that perfect fit for each personality.
Next week we perform outside again, at the Richmond Hill Seafood Festival. I look forward to this one. It is in a huge beautiful park, has incredible local seafood and amusement rides for the kids. AND we will actually get to dance on a stage!!!
You may remember me talking about Doug’s semi-secret creative members club LVHRD (pronouced LIVE HARD) before. It’s the one where they throw events where architects battle to create models live on stage, fashion designers compete to create the best dress in an hour, and for the past two years, individuals have battled for the title of Dance Champion.
The first year of LVHRD’s DNCHRD (pronounced DANCE HARD) featured the wonderful Mr. David Hallberg as a judge. Last year, both Gia and I had the opportunity to see and comment on the competition from a front-row judge’s seat as well. This year, the format is entirely different….
“Three DJ’s go head to head in a round robin tournament where you provide the vynl. Awards for best dance crew will be up for grabs, so bring your favorite record and be ready to dance your ass off.”
The main event is on Tuesday SEPT. 25TH (also Doug’s bday), but TONIGHT at an East Village bar called B-Side, there wil be a Pre-Party, where you can meet the competing DJ’s. Also, if you bring some vintage vinyl tonight to the official Pre-Party, you will be granted free admission to the main event on the 25th.
I’ll be there tonight, and next Tuesday.
I’ve already got my vinyl - Doug E Fresh - in honor of you know who.
Ok, so this video was actually filmed during last season, in fact, it was in the middle of a performance during intermission after I had performed Balachine’s “Raymonda Variations” (I’m still in costume) and going into Anthony Tudor’s “Lilac Garden”. My fellow dancer Daniel Baker and I made up this um… “piece”… Enjoy.
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