NYC's Summer Secrets

Summer used to be my busiest time for ballet - I'd run off to an intensive (or 2...or 3) and dance all day long, everyday. Now, as a freelance professional dancer my seasons are reversed. This spring I was going nonstop, performing something new every other week. This summer, things are *quiet* for once.

I shouldn't complain - during the busy season (and upcoming Nutcracker season...) I'd kill for a day off after going weeks without so much as a free Sunday afternoon. And I do admit I'm enjoying the extra sleep. But...I'm getting restless. I've been back to taking class a lot, which I haven't been able to do basically since before my surgery a year ago. After my recovery I jumped right into performance mode and only took warmup classes or lower level classes because they fit my schedule. But I'm really enjoying focusing on technique for a little bit and getting feedback from some of the wonderful, knowledgeable, fun teachers I trust whom I hardly ever have time to take from.

Also luckily rehearsals start tonight for our Performing in NY Showcase at Ailey at the end of the month (which also means lots of admin work, since I'm assistant director of the whole shabang), but besides that I've been trying to find ways to enjoy the city in the heat.

I've seemed to discover 2 hidden NYC summer spots in the past two weeks that have been great fun without the crazy crowds I would've expected: Randalls Island, and Rockaway Beach.

I spent my birthday last Sunday playing mini golf at Randalls Island. It was a piece of cake to get there: a 10 minute shuttle van ride with no traffic. At $11 round trip leaving on the half hour most of the day, it was super convenient. And when we got there we didn't have to wait or anything. Being one of the few mini golf places around NYC (and only $7/game), I expected it to be packed on a sunny Sunday. Wrong! Why doesn't anybody know about this place? In addition to the mini golf with a fun waterfall, they have a driving range, batting cages, a ping pong table, old school board games (I won at Parchisi :), and a yummy restaurant/bar with comfy chairs that make you feel like you're enjoying your own private backyard. It was a great place to spend the day - so if you're bored in the city, go!

Then yesterday I spent a Groupon I had bought a while ago: roundtrip ferry tickets to Rockaway Beach in Queens. American Princess Cruises offers a 75-minute boat trip around Brooklyn on the weekends leaving from Wall Street. We took the 11:45am ferry out and there were not even 10 people on the entire boat. Amazing! And it's not a small boat, either (a little bigger than the water taxi). It was so nice to enjoy the sunshine and water with great views of the city. They have a cheap snack bar, too.

After passing the majestic Verrazano Bridge and cool Coney Island, we arrived in Rockaway. Because I was totally unprepared with directions, we ended up walking way out of our way before finding the beach, but good thing it was a nice day! There's not a whole lot around, though the beach itself is beautiful with big waves. It was my first (and probably only) trip to the beach this summer and even though I'm not a sit-in-the-sun person, I really enjoyed walking through the water. There's not so much as a hot dog cart for what seems like miles and miles, but if you pack a picnic it's great trip!

Recovery: Days 32-35 - 5 Weeks, Frustration, & Floor Barre

Today marks 5 weeks since the surgery!

It's been a long 5 weeks, too. Especially this past week or so I've been getting extremely antsy and more frustrated by the second at not being able to do anything. I watch Fall for Dance or Nutcracker rehearsal or Rodeo rehearsal for a November show and it *kills* me not to be able to move. It's complicated...

Part of it is that I'm tired of sitting still. Part of it is that dance is my form of expression - of love, frustration, joy, and concentration - and I have no other effective outlet for that right now. Part of it is seeing so many friends moving on happily and improving while I've lost so much strength. Part of it is desperately missing the daily-ness of class and I'm missing out on all that happens there.

The last one is about the only problem I can solve at this point. Even though my physical therapist said I should just start gentle yoga when I get out of the boot, I couldn't take it any more. I started yoga last week (nothing standing up though) and after that I was like a bat out of the cage. I've taken two classes a day for the past 3 days - yoga, pilates, and floor barre.

Now that I've found some options I feel like I'm finally making progress. It feels SO good to work my muscles again after so long off. Ah, that soreness is wonderful, haha. Saturday I took back to back pilates classes at DNA's Free Class Day and afterwards my abs were burning, but I felt so strong. Yesterday I also did double pilates. I'm not sure why I ever stopped taking pilates (no time?) but I really ought to keep up with it even when I'm healthy because it's such a good alternative workout with really focused muscle work.

Sunday in addition to yoga I tried floor barre. It was an interesting class...I've never taken it but it was nice and low impact. You're laying on your back basically the whole time and it targets the rotation and turnout muscles. I enjoyed it, but I think if I'm gonna have to start paying big bucks for classes (why oh why are classes so expensive in this city?!) I want something more physical that wears me out, haha.

Anyway...I go back to PT tomorrow after a week off from him and I'm really hoping this is the end of the giant boot. Then next Monday I see my doctor again and that's when we should start strengthening. The foot hasn't been too bad, though it does sort of hurt in the usual place if I flex and plie...hmm. In my head I'm hoping that means another week or so before I can try basic barre. It'll probably be longer but...fingers crossed.

Cool Classes Coming Up in October

Matthew Bourn'e "Swan Lake"

While daydreaming about all the classes I'm going to take when my foot gets better I've come across a few really cool special classes coming up in the rest of October...if you're in the city, you should go...

I love how great companies that are touring to New York are starting to hold master classes lately. It gives dancers as dancers more experience being seen by different choreographers, and it gives dancers as audience members more insight into the company's artistic process and vision. Love it.

*Sat. October 9

Free Class Day at DNA! Check the schedule here. I'm going to try to make it to one of the yoga/pilates classes just because it's free!

*Sun. October 17

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet is offering a workshop for $60 than includes a ticket to one of their upcoming performances at The Joyce. 10am-1pm is for Advanced, and 2-5pm is Advanced/Professional. The first portion begins with a warm-up and the second portion incorporates the principles and techniques of choreographers whose work will be presented at The Joyce. The workshop culminates in phrases of Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer's own work, which relates to the techniques that inspire him.

*Wed.-Fri. October 20-22

Matthew Bourne Repertory Workshop at Peridance! So cool! It coincides with the company's performances of his famous all-male "Swan Lake" at City Center. The class is open to both men and women.

*Fri. October 22

Master class with les Ballets C de la B at DANY Studios
10am-12pm.

*Mon. October 25

Master class with the amazing Wendy Whelan of NYCB! Sounds like a great opportunity offered by MMAC studios from 7:30-9pm. Oh how I'd love to go...MMAC is also offering a "Bring a Friend" discount to get your class free through December, though I'm not sure that applies to master classes.

*Fri. October 29
Another Cedar Lake class at DANY.

Gaga Classes with Batsheva!

Ohhh to be healthy!

This is super exciting, so if you're not injured like I am, you should GO.

DANY Studios, which is connected to The Joyce, is holding a new master class series this fall/winter with different groups who are performing at The Joyce. First up: Batsheva Dance Company.

Ohad Naharin himself will be teaching on October 1! Other classes are with company members.

I took a Gaga class a few summers ago and it's a very interesting technique that is not offered here all the time (although it looks like Peridance has started offering it regularly...). It's very freeing and feels good on the body. I'd love to take class with the master himself...

Class Schedule:

September 24

September 27

October 1

10am-12pm

DANY Studios

305 West 38th Street, NY, NY

(the old New Dance Group studios)

$15/class, open level

Later in the season they have master classes with Cedar Lake, the Trocks, Garth Fagan, and more. I'm SO jealous of all you healthy dancers who can go! More details here.

Also it looks like Peridance has added regular Gaga classes. Info here.

Ballerina Boot

Tonight I stopped by class briefly to pick up some paperwork for our next show (their next show...since I can't dance...) and I was bombarded by ballerina stickers on my boot :)

It was fun to see everyone!

Watching 5 minutes of pointe class and all of Nutcracker rehearsal today made me want to dance SO bad. I cannot wait until I have fully recovered...

Fall Downtown = Cheap Dance @ DNA

The Lower Manhattan Arts League is hosting it's 2nd annual Fall Downtown Festival. That means dance institutions like Battery Dance Company and Dance New Amsterdam are offering cheap dance events and classes next week!

To celebrate and inaugurate the Fall Downtown 2010 season, each of the 11 participating cultural organizations will host a kick-off event at its venue(s) on Tuesday, September 21. Launch events include surprise performances, world premieres, workshops, happy hours, gallery openings, free giveaways, discounted tickets, and more.  The detailed launch events are listed here.
Some highlights I hope to get to:
Next Tuesday Sept. 21 is the kickoff! An excuse to schmooze...

*Looks like Battery Dance is co-hosting a launch event at Access Theater at 8pm, with free drinks and performance by company dancers.

*Dance New Amsterdam is offering $12 classes all day on Sept. 21 with promotional code FALL10. DNA offers a variety of techniques and styles, including Modern, Contemporary, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Flamenco, Pilates, Thai Massage and more.

*Later on October 7-8 DNA presents RAW Material - a juried performance series that encourages burgeoning artists to bring new work to a live audience, experimenting with new ways of crafting their work. Mentored by Artistic Advisor Gus Solomons, Jr., this season¹s artists include Randy Burd; Sumi Clements/Summation Dance; Moriah Evans and Sarah Beth Percival; Gorgas/PoMoMojo; Joanna Kotze; and Dawn Robinson.

*And on October 9...FREE CLASSES! DNA welcomes dance lovers from all over to take part in the organization's second annual FREE Class Day!, which provides a spectacular array of technique and wellness classes at a range of levels, from amateur to professional, for an entire day, free. Culminating the day of free classes, DNA will present a one-of-a-kind performance event showcasing the diversity of DNA's faculty.

A whole bunch more events and performances are happening downtown throughout the season as part of the festival. Check out their website (which doesn't seem to be updated yet...)

Free Dance Classes!

Well, donation-based...but that's basically the same thing.

If you're in the city and looking to try a new technique, save some cash, or just add some more classes to your schedule, check out Liberated Movement.

Liberated Movement™ is a grassroots initiative that provides donation-based dance classes in New York City. Professional and up-and-coming teachers/choreographers host a variety of styles such as ballet, street jazz, hip hop, ethnic dance, etc. at Battery Dance Studios in Tribeca. Suggested donation is $5 but feel free to give what you want! Classes are open to all levels.

Liberated Movement™ classes are for everyone. We especially want to serve those who have not taken dance classes before, and offer them a supportive, welcoming environment where they can gain a basic knowledge of different styles without having to spend large amounts of money or make serious commitments.

I've been teaching for them this summer, and it really is a great environment. They have some cool styles that are worth a try, especially because of their price tag! As a teacher I have to tell you, the bigger the donation the...better, haha. But seriously, $5 or not, these classes are worth it. I particularly recommend their ballet and theater dance classes - fun!

Check out their schedule here, and if you go tell them I sent you :)

small world!

I'm way behind on blogging and have many things to post about when I get the time, but I had to share this right away...

Since my usual teacher is away for the month, I've been taking class with some other teachers here and there (a separate post will come to tell you of the wonderful torture I received from Madame Darvash...), and this week I've been taking form Judy Rice.

I come out of the dressing room to stretch right before going into class and I see Judy sitting and talking with a very dancer-looking guy. I do a double take, and he's wearing a Winger t-shirt. Then I remember a post on The Winger a few months ago about when Judy Rice first came to the city to teach.

And who wrote that post?
Our very own Matthew Murphy, whom I have been in contact with A LOT online through the Winger and through our work for movmnt but I have still never met in person. We've missed each other at blogger meet-ups and had yet to be introduced face to face.

Until today!

As I pulled out the barre and stretched my (bad) Achilles he walked past and we were both like, um...finally he asked what my name was and we realized it was indeed our time to meet. Too funny! He only stayed for barre so we didn't get a chance to talk or anything afterwards, but it was an ironic way to finally meet. Small dance world!

Nice to meet you Matt!

modern, & teaching

Two things to post about today to make up for yesterday's lack of blogging...

-This morning we had company class with RKB, our last one before their performances next week. It was such a good class...but it was modern, which I haven't done in quite some time. I'm going to be sore, but it was wonderful to not be at a ballet barre as a warm up for once, haha. Like when I first took her class in January, I noticed how different their style is and how not used to it I am, but things I picked up before started coming back. I really enjoyed the change of pace...probably should branch out more often but I barely get time to do enough ballet for myself (it's never enough actually - and some would argue I do too much..)...hmm something to think about.

-I went back to teaching right after rehearsal. I was out sick last week, and the kids have school vacation next week, so it's a little stressful knowing we only have 2 more rehearsals til they're onstage! The piece still needs a lot of tweaking, but I'm sure we'll pull it together in time. I noticed as we were going through and having come right from that modern class how much of an influence the people I've worked with have had on me, both in the way that I teach and the choreography itself. Sometimes I listen to myself babble on and I think, Oh my God, I'm [my teacher]! Funny stuff. Oh and we came up with a name for the dance today: "Let it Go." I actually let the kids determine the name because I couldn't think creatively of a title today. Many of the movements are about release and freedom within the body, and I'm always saying 'just let it go...' so it seemed fitting. I'm getting excited for them now that we're discussing lighting and costumes and such...this is my first time being in control of those issues. eek!

Off to night class the rest of the evening. My life is so funny right now. I have days where I'm writing all day, working at my internship, not even a flashing thought of dance goes by. And then I have days like today where I get up at the crack of dawn (well, it feels that way) to be in class before rehearsal, before teaching, before multiple other classes, and it's just dance dance dance. What's odd is that I love BOTH kinds of days...I'm just hoping they can coexist a little longer.

differences in technique

I took class today with the teacher I took with a few weeks back who is super Balanchine...and it was good, but interesting because I was noticing some of the big differences in technique with different teachers.

First of all, I really like taking a Balanchine class because it's so fast and it works me really hard and gets the inner thighs and all the right muscles working quickly - but there are some things that are just so off the wall opposite from classical technique that it makes me laugh to hear the teacher emphasize them where other teachers would scream out against them. It's only small details, but they're important things that I try to pick up on. One of the benefits of the position I'm in at the moment is that I can take class with whomever I want and experience many different styles and stuff, but sometimes that can be even harder since you need to know which things each teacher prefers. Interesting.

So I spent most of my day in class there and then at my usual class I take. I've been on an energy kick or something the past few weeks because I've been dancing way more than is probably necessary at the moment...but I love it, haha.

Anyways...the rest of the weekend is devoted to writing since today was a dance day. Many things due in the coming week so I better get to work!

monthly private lesson

Today since my teacher came back from her week-long vacation (seemed longer!) I had my monthly private lesson with her. It really should be called more of a torture session than a "lesson" haha. She says so herself.

It was great though. I'm going to be majorly sore. Since I don't have a variation that I'm working on at the moment, we did more class type stuff to get deep into little details I caught in myself while watching my audition video footage. I showed her some of the video on my ipod and together we really picked some things apart. It was painful, haha, but really good. Being tortured is good once in a while haha.

I took class beforehand since I didn't have time to take class yesterday and I didn't want Monday to feel like Monday since I thought I'd have to be filling in during rehearsal. But I came home to an email saying reharsal tomorrow is cancelled. So there goes that plan, haha. Good though, because I have more time to get some work done since a lot has piled up the past week.

Pretty busy week ahead this week as well. Tuesday and Wednesday I get to fill in for people during rehearsal, Wednesday I teach as usual, Thursday and Friday my boss at the New Yorker is away so I get to be him and do his jobs so that should be good (and slightly stressful). Next weekend I'm going home for all of 48 hours for Easter. Should be fun.

new class and more

Today was another super busy day.

I had rehearsal again this morning, and it was fine. Two of the dancers are going to be out next week, so I'm going to have to fill in for one or the other most days next week - so I had to really watch close today and try to learn everyone's choreography and traffic patterns. It's kind of hard with this piece becauase a lot of the phrases are similar with just minor changes in order and spacing for each person, so remembering who does what, when, and where is a challenge. Hopefully I'll get it all straight by next week, although all of them are still in the learning phase as well so I don't feel too bad.

After rehearsal I ran up to work with my high school kids. Since I was late from rehearsal their usual teacher gave them the warmup, so I just jumped into my choreography. We decided this week would be a review week, to go over everything we had done so far. They definitely needed it, and it seemed to be a productive rehearsal. I'm looking forward to moving on with the rest of the dance. The school is having trouble finding space for their performance in May, however, because they have basically no budget to rent anywhere (their usual place is being renovated). So if anyone knows of affordable performance space to rent for a night in May, let me know!

After that I came home to answer numerous emails and calls, etc. Sometimes I sit at the computer for hours and I have nothing to show for it really, but I am so busy as I sit there writing email after email about various projects. It doesn't help that my computer is super slow and keeps dying on me :( ugh.

Then later tonight I tried a new open class that I've never been to before. Since the usual teacher I take with (obsessively) is away this week, it was time for me to branch out. I am really glad I did tonight, because I found a great teacher! She is super Balanchine, which I haven't experienced in a few months now. It was SUCH a good class. Minus the fact that I'm still slightly out of shape, it went really well. I can already feel my inner thighs burning thanks to the strict Balanchine barre of a zillion tendus. As much as it is kind of a pain (literally and figuratively) I realized tonight that I kind of do miss that work. There aren't many other true Balanchine open classes in the city, and as much as I love my usual teacher (and the extensive benefits of her class) I feel like I need to have a little kick once and a while to push me in the way that tonight's class did. I'll definitely be going back later this week and whenever else I get a chance. Not only was the class good (and small...10 people or so! nice...with BIG studio) but she herself was nice and energetic. She asked me where I trained and told me to come back again. I'm glad I took a chance tonight, and I most definitely will be returning.

After my long day I came home to still more emails and calls. No complaining though :) Tomorrow is another crazy busy day, but luckily the weekend is pretty quiet.

choreography week 5

Today was another class of work with the high school kids I'm working with. We have a tentative performance date for May 16, and it's taken us a month to get a minute into the dance. Eek! So I knew it was time to crack down today and get lots of work done.

Luckily the kids were up for it. Because there are so many of them and we work in a very small studio, I had to break up the choreography into small groups so that they don't kill each other. I let the other groups sit down as I taught the phrase I was working with to a few of them at a time, so it kind of got noisy at times. I'm glad they listen to me though when I ask them to listen or pay attention. Since I'm only a year or so older than a lot of them I thought it might be difficult to be in the authority position, but fortunately it's all working out.

By the end of the rehearsal we did indeed get a lot done...almost a whole additional minute of choreography! It's fun to see them getting the steps and trying...when things work out it's like, yay! The piece is coming along...we have time.

Aside from that, the majority of the rest of my day was spent in class. Pointe class in the morning was quite good, because my teacher is trying to get me to work differently so that my foot will heal. Sometimes when I'm discouraged I feel like she can read my mind...she knows just what I need to hear, and I'm so thankful for that.

Originally my plan was to take a week off from class beginning tomorrow to rest my foot, since I'm going away for the weekend and all. BUT now that I found out I have rehearsals next week that plan is off. However while I AM away Friday-Monday, I won't be taking class so at least that's a few days...

I'm really looking forward to getting away...

audition: ABT summer intensive

Today I had my audition for ABT's summer program. It was both for their normal 6 week program and also their 3 week collegiate program...and it went surprisingly well.

The age group was 16-22 so I fell somewhere in the middle, which was nice. There were a zillion people there though (actual number, somewhere around 80) so it was cramped, with a LOT of small groups for center work. I seriously don't know how they can see and judge people like that. I've always wondered that and have come to realize that a lot of rejections, not just me but other people as well, come more from the fact that they just don't SEE you rather than the notion of bad dancing/technique.

Anyways I was actually fortunate because I happened to be the LAST one to register (I wasn't even late..I guess a lot of people had pre-registered so I ended up last) so I was in the last group and the way the numbers worked out there were only 4 of us instead of 8. So hopefully that means they got to see us better.

Class itself was pretty simple. The only annoying part was having to keep myself warm and aware of the combination while waiting for 20 other groups to go before me. Such is life at an audition, though.

For my first of the season it wasn't so bad. I had a decent class. I should hear from them in about a week to see if I got in. We'll see.

Afterwards as I was leaving I ran into my friend and former Residence Director from my high school studio! I haven't seen her since I went to visit for my friends' graduation back in June, so that was exciting to see her unexpectedly! She was with some other students coming up for the audition. I miss her!

Anyways, it was a long day and a long weekend.
Tomorrow movmnt comes out. Head to Barnes and Noble!

attempt at choreography, week 1

Today was my first day wearing the hat of choreographer for this group of NYC public high school kids' spring performance. Their regular teacher is a teacher I had last semester at MMC and she asked me to come work with them.

Okay, I've taught before. My family runs a local school and I started helping teach when I was all of ten years old. And last year I was an assistant teacher at BAE with the little little kids. HOWEVER this is my first foray into being the actual main person in charge in the studio. And I like it!

Haha. If you know me you know that I'm not a very loud person. But somehow I managed to find a teacher tone today. I had to give them a short warm up class before diving into the choreography, which I was not exactly prepared for. It went fairly well though...making up combinations on the spot was interesting...it seemed to work somehow.

After they did barre I took them to the center of their quaint little studio space and we started with some choreography that I very thoughtfully tried to come up with yesterday in my bite sized apartment. I didn't get a chance to actually do any of my ideas full out, and the students aren't all actual dancers, so I was a bit concerned. It went quite well though...we got through most of what I had prepared and even though I took it down a notch level wise, they seemed to get it all and be enjoying themselves. They liked my music too, haha (it's the theme song from American Beauty...I danced the first pas de deux I ever performed to it one summer way back when and have loved the soundtrack ever since).

Anyway it was definitely a new experience but one I'd like to continue pursuing...this teaching/choreography business. I'll be working with them all this semester so it will be fun to see their progression!

Besides that today was really really busy...class all morning (good turning day for once!?) and then had a meeting at school later...I'm tired haha. Teaching for an hour and 45 minutes straight requires a huge amount of a different kind of energy that I'm not used to at all. It's different than what I use to take multiple classes every day. I have to get used to this!

a good return

Tonight, after much anticipation, I went and took open class back at my old studio for the first time in 6 months.

Even though it's so close to me and I recently was offered free classes there since I'm working on their newsletter, I never go up there. I don't exactly know why, but I was kind of nervous heading in tonight. It's so familiar and yet so unfamiliar because I'm not actually a student there anymore and people have grown up and teachers have changed, etc.

I'm really glad I finally went though. First of all, class itself was good because unlike my usual classes I take, there were only 10 people in it. Granted it's a MUCH smaller studio, but it's nice not having to dodge around people all the time. And combinations and stuff felt good because it was all the old stuff I did repeatedly for 2 years, but now that I've moved on and changed some ways of doing things in my technique (to keep my body healthy, among other reasons) I really noticed the things I do differently. It was a good class, especially compared to the particularly bad class I had yesterday (my own fault...don't push when you're too tired).

Anyways I'm also glad I went because I got to see one of my favorite teachers I've ever had, whom I haven't seen since I left over the summer. It was a warm welcome back... even though I didn't see everybody there I probably should have said hi to.

Now that my schedule is shifting to the spring semester soon and things are (only a little bit) calmer I think I'm going to try to get up there more to take class. The dance world is too small not to maintain relationships with people and places you come from. At least, that's my positive attitude for tonight :)

A few memories from my time as a student there:

In Balanchine's Raymonda Variations (me on front right)...probably my favorite performance moment ever happened during these performances in spring '06


in Bournonville's Napoli, staged by the incredible Nikolaj Hubbe of NYCB...that one was fun because we had tambourines, haha


this past spring in Balanchine's Diverimento No. 15...pretty costumes :)

workshop's done

Today was the last day of the workshop I was doing with that contemporary company. We put together a whole 8-minute dance we learned bits and pieces of over the last week and ran it in groups...3 times in a row, back to back! Talk about stamina. It felt oddly wonderful after the last run, like I had pushed so hard and almost "felt something" as was encouraged a few days ago. Quite tiring though, needless to say.

This was such a great opportunity and I'll try to post more about it when I get the energy. I don't know if/when I'll get to work with them again, but I'm so grateful to have been able to do so the past few weeks. I need to start doing more of that kind of work...

Anyways...tonight I'm planning on taking open class at my old studio, which I have been....dreading doing for unexplainable reasons. But I think I need to suck it up and go, so I'm on my way.

Countdown: 48 hours til I finish college.

digital dance class

This article in the Times is brilliant...Merce Cunningham classes offered online. Dance and technology merge once again. How cool! I can't wait to see the videos they do, even though I'm not really familiar with his work. It would be great if more master teachers did something like this so that people outside of New York (and those of us here as well!) could learn from them without the hassle of a big master class.

The separation from technology does eliminate that immediate feedback factor of class, but nowadays you're lucky (or, me anyway) if you get attention at all in a class like that.

Anyways, go read about it.

Parsons & rehearsals

Today was another looong day, as always.

I had another set of rehearsals with Rebecca Kelly, this time with the whole company. The piece we did yesterday that I had learned from the video I know pretty well, but today they went through 3 or 4 other dances that I'm clueless about! It's great choreography and all her older dancers know it all, so it was basically just for them to go over it and get it back in their bodies for Monday's APAP showcase...so me and the other 2 new dancers hung in the back mostly. I felt bad that they had to stop and teach us some of the combinations and such, but it's definitely a challenge trying to follow along! Let's put it this way - I'm glad I'm just understudying for now and I don't have the pressure of performing after just these rehearsals.

After 3 hours of that my brain was quite fried, but I still took class all afternoon. It was decent.

Then tonight I went to see Parsons Dance to review for Explore Dance. Some of it was really really good, and some of it was really really not. Real review to come on Explore Dance soon.

I'm super tired tonight...I'm going through one of those phases where I dance more hours than I sleep. And last time I did that I pretty much got burnt out. Luckily it's only for a few more days...though I'm so grateful for the opportunity to understudy!

PS- Welcome new readers from The Winger! Feel free to go through the blog archives to catch up...a ton of stuff is going on...

2 days of firsts

The past two days have been insane!

Okay, first things first: official Cedar Lake review here on Explore Dance
And most recent post about the event on The Winger

Moving on...

Yesterday was my first day at The New Yorker, and today was my first with Rebecca Kelly Ballet. How exciting...

The New Yorker was good from the start. The people are nice, and they put me to work right away. I guess their other intern can't start for another few weeks, so they really need all the help they can get right now. I had to go in again this morning when I wasn't planning to in order to get more work done. It's nice to know that you're needed, even if it's just for doing intern-type work. More details on all that to come. I go back next week.

Today after working there for a bit I had my first day of rehearsals as an understudy/apprentice with Rebecca Kelly Ballet. It went really well! The first rehearsal was a piece I learned a bit of during the audition back in November, and she had asked me to look at it on youtube. . I've been trying to learn it from the computer screen all week, and it definitely helped...we only had an hour, and they two who are actually performing it (at APAP at City Center on Monday) have done it before, so me and the other new person were kind of struggling in the back. I think I got it though, by the end of the rehearsal. I went back a little later to learn a pas de deux. No partner to work with, but still started to get it in my body. It's such great choreography. More rehearsals over the weekend...will update soon.

After ALL that I headed back to class as I usually do on Friday nights. It was exceptionally good tonight. For those who don't know, I usually take two classes back to back and am usually totally dead by the end but go on to have either partnering class or rehearsal afterwards (yes, until 11pm...long story, but it works for us). Tonight was really good though, and rehearsal was super fun! We're working on a group part from Swan Lake for a mini-showcase in February. So fun.

Anyways, that was today. Crazy busy as always, but I love it that way. Busy weekend ahead, too, including rehearsals and a review of Parsons Dance...