So it doesn't seem possible that as of this Sunday I will have completed the second week of my eight week program! Ahhhhhh time is flying by! And I seriously can't believe that I've been living here for almost 3 weeks now. I love how I've been busy here but also in a relaxing way. It's been AMAZING not to have to think about anything but dancing. I've never been able to commit myself to dance so fully with everything else that goes on in life, so this has been lovely. :)
Let's see, updates, updates, updates...
This week we really got into the swing of our program. We have a set course now that we've had advising meetings with faculty and have picked our areas of concentration (mine being "jazz" which they categorize contemporary/lyrical/modern under). So each week we have to take 10 classes, whenever we want: 4 from your area of concentration, 2 ballet, 2 diversity (outside of your concentration), and 2 electives (can be anything you like including classes in your concentration). Unfortunately our weekly master classes and choir rehearsals also count as classes so that takes two out of what I can choose. It's quite overwhelming trying to figure out what classes I'm going to take! There are soooo many I want to try and so many amazing faculty members to train with! This week I took a couple ballet classes with Natalya Stavro again (I like hers), a couple lyrical with Derek Mitchell, a contemporary with Brice Mousset, a tap with Germaine Salsberg, a jazz with Shelia Barker, and a hip hop (God help me) with Bev Brown. My classes continue to be amazing and challenge me in new ways every day. I definitely feel myself getting stronger but there are still so many things I want to work on in the next 6 weeks.
In addition to classes we had an injury prevention seminar at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries and a dance nutrition seminar a few days later. The Harkness Center is amazing because all the doctors are specially trained to treat dancers. They understand the strains dancers put on their bodies daily and they know the importance of being able to continue to dance, so they have done a lot of researach just for the dancer's body. They gave us a lot of interesting advice and pointers so that we can dance with less chance of injury. The nutrition seminar was along the same lines; the dietitian gave us specific information on how to eat right to maximize our focus and energy for dancing all day. So even in addition to my technique classes, I'm really learning a lot!
This morning was the my first Showcase rehearsal with the student who is choreographing our dance, Amanda. It's going to be a really good piece (set to "Details in the Fabric" by Jason Mraz!) so I'm excited. I'm also hoping to get in at least one other piece. Amanda and I have actually started to become good friends. We have been in a lot of the same classes and she lives near by, so that's good. Today, after rehearsal and class, the two of us went shopping around the 34th street area. She was helping me look for a birthday dress, which I am having no luck finding. Boo. Luckily I still have a month! haha. We went into Macy's which I hadn't attempted up until now because it's so daunting! haha. It's literally its own city! We spent a good amount of time in there and tried on some ridiculous dresses! Then we decided we needed to treat ourselves to some Ben&Jerry's (right there in Macy's world) since we've been working so hard. I feel like I haven't had ice cream in so long! It tasted so good and we were very content! haha. Then we went over to Bryant Park and there happened to be some live music so we sat, relaxed, and chatted while listening (side note: I've become obsessed with Bryant Park. I consider myself a regular there haha. Of course it's not as big and pretty as Central Park, but it's so close to me which makes it easy to go there often. I also like how you still seem like you are in the city at this park, but you also get the calmness. And the park is gorgeous!! I took my lunch there yesterday after class and just stayed there for a good 2 hours reading. You just feel so refreshed afterwards. Though I do miss the beach!!). It was a really fun day and as we were walking back to our apartments a storm rolled in! Downpour, thunder, lightning, wind--the works! Luckily I wasn't going anywhere important and I didn't have to stay dry so it was actually a lot of fun! It had been so hot today (finally!) that it was actually quite refreshing. I did have an umbrella, but it did no good considering it was raining sideways (I thought of Ollie-- for those of you who get that ;) hahaha)!! People were waiting in store doorways and hiding anywhere they could to stay dry but for some reason I was loving the rain and not caring that I was wet. Needless to say, I was fully soaked by the time I reached The Web.
So I think that about updates you on events from this past week. Tomorrow morning we have another master class, this time about performance. Then I'm going to be seeing Natalie since she has her cousin's apartment in the city for the weekend! We'll find something fabulous to do on a Saturday night in the city :) And I'm looking forward to Sunday--my day of rest! I planned my schedule right so that I won't have to take any classes Sunday. Ahhhhhh yes. So that'll be a chill day and Amanda and I may go to the MET.
Peace!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
whirlwind!
Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Thanks to everyone who has written back to me! It's so great to hear from you all :)
So yes, the past few days have been quite the whirlwind! There is so much I could write about but I'm going to try to keep this brief (key word: try). Here are some of the highlights...
Wednesday we had our placement class which was kind of nerve racking since it was run like a formal audition. The 70-or-so of us had to learn different dance routines in about 15 minutes and then perform them in groups of 11 in front of a panel of 11 faculty members of BDC. We are talking big name dancers and choreographers, here. Each of the judges had one dancer to watch when we performed; and who do I get as a judge? A hip hop teacher. Awesome. We had to learn a ballet combination first and that went amazingly. I felt like I nailed it! I was really on balance, I landed all my double turns well, and my extension was pretty good. So I was feeling great after that. However, then things went down hill-fast! Next we had to learn a "street jazz" piece. I thought I had it pretty well until the choreographer turned the music on. I was doing it at the tempo he had been teaching it and when I looked up from the first step I was doing, he was already about five steps ahead of me. So yeah, it was a super fast, super technical hip hop-ish piece and I was lost. That went horrendously when I had to perform it for the judges. Then we finished out with a tap routine which I got pretty well. Still didn't feel very comfortable with it (never have with tap). Luckily this whole ordeal was only done so that the faculty could recommend levels for us in different styles while we dance at BDC. I got good marks for ballet and pretty good marks for tap (better than I thought), the hip hop was of course terrible but I knew I'd be taking beginner level classes for that haha. The only thing was this ridiculously hard placement class had me second guessing whether I should even attempt the crazy Pre-Pro audition on Friday. Our director told us it would be even harder and there wasn't one style I would feel comfortable with. I was feeling kind of down and like I was going to make a fool of myself.
But in the end I decided that I should just do it. I knew I wasn't going to make Pre-Pro but I really needed to just suck it up and go to the audition. This experience has made me realize that I have very very little experience with auditions and if I ever want to get anywhere with dance I really need to work on auditioning. I need to work on having the confidence to really perform what I am taught even when I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. So I reluctantly got up for yet another 8 am call to the studio on Friday and pushed my nerves aside and went through with the audition. It was really hard but I'm glad I made myself do it. We first learned a pretty long theater dance to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which was really fast and complete with singing. hahaha funny sight I'm sure. And I hadn't worn my character shoes in probably a year, so they tore all the skin off my heels during that number. woo woo! After that we learned a hip hop routine with Jared Grimes which was very different from the one on Wednesday. I felt like I understood this one better, but I still felt ridiculous when I tried to execute it. I need more gangsta in my blood (Karyn, I need lessons! haha). The tap part ended up being really rushed because we were running out of time, so we learned a quick couple 8 counts and then performed it..but without music, which made it harder. So I was glad I did it, but I didn't make Pre-Pro. Which I'm actually happy about, because they said those should be the people about ready to step into the professional world in every sense, and I am no where near that!
In addition to the auditions, I've been taking classes every day. Took a tap on Wed and a hip hop on Thurs. Those were very challenging for me haha. But I'm so excited to be trying new things and becoming a more versatile dancer. They are really stressing that with us; that we can't make it by only being able to do one style really well. And tonight we had our first choir rehearsal. Oh dear. haha. We are supposed to be learning 3 songs (2 from Spring Awakening!) to perform in the showcase on August 9th. And they are going to be a cappella! We are talking about a group of dancers who, for the most part, have never had any vocal training or experience in their lives! This should be interesting...
All of this dancing and getting up really early to get to the studio by 8 am all week had really started to take a toll on my body. A couple days ago I woke up with what seemed like the start of a cold. So I took a lot of Zicam and tried to sleep and nap whenever I wasn't dancing and luckily I think I beat it! Which was good because I was really looking forward to today (Saturday) because Ryan had planned a while ago to come visit me.
So today I had my first master class with a guy who is performing in the cast of 9-5 right now on Broadway! He taught us original choreography for the show which was so much fun! We just have such great opportunities here, it's awesome! Then I took the subway to Grand Central for the long awaited reunion with Ryan haha. Then we went to lunch at this place I walk by everyday and think is really funny. It's called Burgers and Cupcakes. Yup, you read that right! haha. Such a random combination that it intrigued me everytime I walked by. So we had a nice lunch there and then headed up to the Museum of Natural History since it was, yet again, a rainy day. We saw a show at the planetarium and then walked around the museum for a good chunk of the day. When we got out it had stopped raining (finally!) and we were able to walk around Central Park for a good hour or so. Walked paths, climbed rocks, got muddy, awesome time! Then I had choir rehearsal and Ryan met up with some friends. After that we had dinner at this really nice Italian restaurant, Nizza, and by the time we got out it was after 9 pm. We walked down by the Hudson for a bit (in the rain again) and then headed back up to Grand Central so he could catch his train by 11. So it's been a very busy, but awesome day! :)
So much for the short and sweet writing...I'm so bad at this haha. I think that about does it for now. Finally have a day off from dance tomorrow and my body is rejoycing!
So yes, the past few days have been quite the whirlwind! There is so much I could write about but I'm going to try to keep this brief (key word: try). Here are some of the highlights...
Wednesday we had our placement class which was kind of nerve racking since it was run like a formal audition. The 70-or-so of us had to learn different dance routines in about 15 minutes and then perform them in groups of 11 in front of a panel of 11 faculty members of BDC. We are talking big name dancers and choreographers, here. Each of the judges had one dancer to watch when we performed; and who do I get as a judge? A hip hop teacher. Awesome. We had to learn a ballet combination first and that went amazingly. I felt like I nailed it! I was really on balance, I landed all my double turns well, and my extension was pretty good. So I was feeling great after that. However, then things went down hill-fast! Next we had to learn a "street jazz" piece. I thought I had it pretty well until the choreographer turned the music on. I was doing it at the tempo he had been teaching it and when I looked up from the first step I was doing, he was already about five steps ahead of me. So yeah, it was a super fast, super technical hip hop-ish piece and I was lost. That went horrendously when I had to perform it for the judges. Then we finished out with a tap routine which I got pretty well. Still didn't feel very comfortable with it (never have with tap). Luckily this whole ordeal was only done so that the faculty could recommend levels for us in different styles while we dance at BDC. I got good marks for ballet and pretty good marks for tap (better than I thought), the hip hop was of course terrible but I knew I'd be taking beginner level classes for that haha. The only thing was this ridiculously hard placement class had me second guessing whether I should even attempt the crazy Pre-Pro audition on Friday. Our director told us it would be even harder and there wasn't one style I would feel comfortable with. I was feeling kind of down and like I was going to make a fool of myself.
But in the end I decided that I should just do it. I knew I wasn't going to make Pre-Pro but I really needed to just suck it up and go to the audition. This experience has made me realize that I have very very little experience with auditions and if I ever want to get anywhere with dance I really need to work on auditioning. I need to work on having the confidence to really perform what I am taught even when I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. So I reluctantly got up for yet another 8 am call to the studio on Friday and pushed my nerves aside and went through with the audition. It was really hard but I'm glad I made myself do it. We first learned a pretty long theater dance to Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious which was really fast and complete with singing. hahaha funny sight I'm sure. And I hadn't worn my character shoes in probably a year, so they tore all the skin off my heels during that number. woo woo! After that we learned a hip hop routine with Jared Grimes which was very different from the one on Wednesday. I felt like I understood this one better, but I still felt ridiculous when I tried to execute it. I need more gangsta in my blood (Karyn, I need lessons! haha). The tap part ended up being really rushed because we were running out of time, so we learned a quick couple 8 counts and then performed it..but without music, which made it harder. So I was glad I did it, but I didn't make Pre-Pro. Which I'm actually happy about, because they said those should be the people about ready to step into the professional world in every sense, and I am no where near that!
In addition to the auditions, I've been taking classes every day. Took a tap on Wed and a hip hop on Thurs. Those were very challenging for me haha. But I'm so excited to be trying new things and becoming a more versatile dancer. They are really stressing that with us; that we can't make it by only being able to do one style really well. And tonight we had our first choir rehearsal. Oh dear. haha. We are supposed to be learning 3 songs (2 from Spring Awakening!) to perform in the showcase on August 9th. And they are going to be a cappella! We are talking about a group of dancers who, for the most part, have never had any vocal training or experience in their lives! This should be interesting...
All of this dancing and getting up really early to get to the studio by 8 am all week had really started to take a toll on my body. A couple days ago I woke up with what seemed like the start of a cold. So I took a lot of Zicam and tried to sleep and nap whenever I wasn't dancing and luckily I think I beat it! Which was good because I was really looking forward to today (Saturday) because Ryan had planned a while ago to come visit me.
So today I had my first master class with a guy who is performing in the cast of 9-5 right now on Broadway! He taught us original choreography for the show which was so much fun! We just have such great opportunities here, it's awesome! Then I took the subway to Grand Central for the long awaited reunion with Ryan haha. Then we went to lunch at this place I walk by everyday and think is really funny. It's called Burgers and Cupcakes. Yup, you read that right! haha. Such a random combination that it intrigued me everytime I walked by. So we had a nice lunch there and then headed up to the Museum of Natural History since it was, yet again, a rainy day. We saw a show at the planetarium and then walked around the museum for a good chunk of the day. When we got out it had stopped raining (finally!) and we were able to walk around Central Park for a good hour or so. Walked paths, climbed rocks, got muddy, awesome time! Then I had choir rehearsal and Ryan met up with some friends. After that we had dinner at this really nice Italian restaurant, Nizza, and by the time we got out it was after 9 pm. We walked down by the Hudson for a bit (in the rain again) and then headed back up to Grand Central so he could catch his train by 11. So it's been a very busy, but awesome day! :)
So much for the short and sweet writing...I'm so bad at this haha. I think that about does it for now. Finally have a day off from dance tomorrow and my body is rejoycing!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
small fish, BIG pond
So it has been quite a few days since I last updated everyone which is good because it finally means I've been busy! woo! So here are some quick updates on what went on this weekend.
Friday night I braved using the subway for the first time. It isn't that I'm afraid of the subway, I just feel like I don't understand it yet and I'm always nervous I'll go in the wrong way and end up somewhere else and I won't know how to get back. Anyways, it went fine and I made it to Union Square to meet up with Rachel and Ana for dinner. We went to this amaaaazing Vietnamese restaurant and had the best pad thai ever! I felt the chop sticks were part of the experience and, even though I struggled, I never asked for a fork! haha. Saturday I went out with a couple of the girls in my building (one being from Wheaton). We went into some stores for a while and then headed over to Madison Park for a BBQ Festival. It was intense! Sooo many people and there were tents everywhere with BBQ companies from the south who come up for this every year. There were dead hogs just stretched out right in front of us and you could see them cook it. Kinda gross at times but also a cool experience (sorry vegetarians..). We got pulled pork sandwiches and they were delicious! Then I walked to Grand Central around 5:00 and bought a ticket to Bronxville to visit my friend Natalie. Had a lovely home-cooked meal at her house and hung out with her and her friends. I took the train back on Sunday afternoon to get ready for orientation!
So Sunday night was just a "meet and greet" type thing. There are about 70 of us in the program so it was kind of overwhelming to figure out who you were going to talk to. They told us a little about the program, collected our tuition (bye bye $$), and then we had to play an ice-breaker game. For those of you who don't know, I HATE ice-breakers. With a fiery, burning passion. I think they are dumb and they make me so nervous. Anyways, it wasn't too bad, minus the fact that there are so many of us and they had us all get up and play this game so it took forever! I left really excited to get this show on the road.
Yesterday (Monday) we had a more in depth information session where they went over rules and regulations and policies and such. Then they gave us our BDC Intern class cards and we were all set to start taking class! This week we get to take whatever we want (though the amount of classes is restricted) so that we can try out different levels/teachers/styles and see what we like. I took ballet with the same teacher at 12 yesterday and it went better than the first time haha. Then I hung out at BDC for a few hours going around to the different studios (there are five in the building) and observing different classes. There are huge observation windows in all studios which is awesome. It's amazing how much there is going on at BDC all the time. It seems like no matter what time of day it is there are always a ton of classes going on and they are always jam packed with dancers. It's such an amazing atmosphere to be immersed in. I'm learning so much already just watching. I came back to my room around 3:30 and hung out and had dinner and then went back to BDC at 8:00 because I was going to take another class at 9. From 9-10:30 I took a lyrical jazz class with Derek Mitchell and let me tell you, I got my ass kicked! It was awesome! haha. He was so intense and worked us super hard and I loved it. I sucked at times, but I loved it! Pretty much the whole first half of his warm up was done on releve (like on your tip-toes, for you non-dancers) so you had to balance hard core! My calves were in knots/still are haha. He also gave a crazy ab and arm workout and THEN we got up to learn a dance. By this time my muscles were so shaky! But the dance we learned was so great. I really love lyrical and this dance was right up my alley. It was way more difficult than anything I'm used to, but I really enjoyed the challenge. I also love watching everyone around me dance. I'm learning so much just by being surrounded by phenomenal dancers and it's pushing me to work harder than I ever have before.
Tonight I'm going to take a contemporary class with another teacher (at 6:00) and Julie Kapur is actually taking it, too, so it'll be fun to see her! (She's a Wheaton alum and comes back every year to set a piece on the dance company). It's really a dream come true to be able to dance like this every day and I'm definitely going to be a much stronger dancer and person after this experience. Tomorrow we have our placement audition and Friday is the Pre-Professional track audition, so I'm getting a little nervous...(especially since I just found out that the Pre-Pro audition will be evaluated on our execution of three styles, none of which are my specialties: theater dance w/ singing, hip-hop, and tap....say what?!?! so we'll see how that goes...).
Hope everyone is doing well, miss you all!
Friday night I braved using the subway for the first time. It isn't that I'm afraid of the subway, I just feel like I don't understand it yet and I'm always nervous I'll go in the wrong way and end up somewhere else and I won't know how to get back. Anyways, it went fine and I made it to Union Square to meet up with Rachel and Ana for dinner. We went to this amaaaazing Vietnamese restaurant and had the best pad thai ever! I felt the chop sticks were part of the experience and, even though I struggled, I never asked for a fork! haha. Saturday I went out with a couple of the girls in my building (one being from Wheaton). We went into some stores for a while and then headed over to Madison Park for a BBQ Festival. It was intense! Sooo many people and there were tents everywhere with BBQ companies from the south who come up for this every year. There were dead hogs just stretched out right in front of us and you could see them cook it. Kinda gross at times but also a cool experience (sorry vegetarians..). We got pulled pork sandwiches and they were delicious! Then I walked to Grand Central around 5:00 and bought a ticket to Bronxville to visit my friend Natalie. Had a lovely home-cooked meal at her house and hung out with her and her friends. I took the train back on Sunday afternoon to get ready for orientation!
So Sunday night was just a "meet and greet" type thing. There are about 70 of us in the program so it was kind of overwhelming to figure out who you were going to talk to. They told us a little about the program, collected our tuition (bye bye $$), and then we had to play an ice-breaker game. For those of you who don't know, I HATE ice-breakers. With a fiery, burning passion. I think they are dumb and they make me so nervous. Anyways, it wasn't too bad, minus the fact that there are so many of us and they had us all get up and play this game so it took forever! I left really excited to get this show on the road.
Yesterday (Monday) we had a more in depth information session where they went over rules and regulations and policies and such. Then they gave us our BDC Intern class cards and we were all set to start taking class! This week we get to take whatever we want (though the amount of classes is restricted) so that we can try out different levels/teachers/styles and see what we like. I took ballet with the same teacher at 12 yesterday and it went better than the first time haha. Then I hung out at BDC for a few hours going around to the different studios (there are five in the building) and observing different classes. There are huge observation windows in all studios which is awesome. It's amazing how much there is going on at BDC all the time. It seems like no matter what time of day it is there are always a ton of classes going on and they are always jam packed with dancers. It's such an amazing atmosphere to be immersed in. I'm learning so much already just watching. I came back to my room around 3:30 and hung out and had dinner and then went back to BDC at 8:00 because I was going to take another class at 9. From 9-10:30 I took a lyrical jazz class with Derek Mitchell and let me tell you, I got my ass kicked! It was awesome! haha. He was so intense and worked us super hard and I loved it. I sucked at times, but I loved it! Pretty much the whole first half of his warm up was done on releve (like on your tip-toes, for you non-dancers) so you had to balance hard core! My calves were in knots/still are haha. He also gave a crazy ab and arm workout and THEN we got up to learn a dance. By this time my muscles were so shaky! But the dance we learned was so great. I really love lyrical and this dance was right up my alley. It was way more difficult than anything I'm used to, but I really enjoyed the challenge. I also love watching everyone around me dance. I'm learning so much just by being surrounded by phenomenal dancers and it's pushing me to work harder than I ever have before.
Tonight I'm going to take a contemporary class with another teacher (at 6:00) and Julie Kapur is actually taking it, too, so it'll be fun to see her! (She's a Wheaton alum and comes back every year to set a piece on the dance company). It's really a dream come true to be able to dance like this every day and I'm definitely going to be a much stronger dancer and person after this experience. Tomorrow we have our placement audition and Friday is the Pre-Professional track audition, so I'm getting a little nervous...(especially since I just found out that the Pre-Pro audition will be evaluated on our execution of three styles, none of which are my specialties: theater dance w/ singing, hip-hop, and tap....say what?!?! so we'll see how that goes...).
Hope everyone is doing well, miss you all!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Here Comes the Sunnn!
Metaphorically and literally! haha. Yes, for the first time since I've been here the sun is peaking out! And I'm so excited! On top of it I'm feeling great and looking forward to the weekend!
So I just got back from my first dance class at BDC and it was awesome! I was worried about choosing a level because I didn't want to be in over my head but I also didn't want to spend $18 and be bored. It was between the Advanced Beginner ballet class and the Intermediate ballet class...I would have chosen the Intermediate one without hesitation if I had been dancing for the past month, but I wasn't sure how much my body would freak out. But in the end, I decided it was better to challenge myself than settle, so I went with the Intermediate ballet at 12:00 with Natalya Stavro.
**Note, it was at 12:00...for some reason I had it in my head all morning that it was at 12:30 so after breakfast I lounged around chatting with people online etc. and luckily around 11 I looked at the schedule and realized it was at 12! And I had wanted to make sure I could get there early because I knew I would have to register, get a card, pay, and I wanted to be able to stretch a little. So I got ready extremely fast, still pinning a bun in my hair as I ran out my door as it slammed shut I realized I didn't have the right keys! Uggggh (you see it's the most complicated key system here...you have your room and closet key on a ring that can't leave the building. You have to use your mailbox key to lock them in your mailbox every time you leave. Only the mailbox key can leave the building-pain!) So I slightly panicked, contemplated waiting until I got back from class to ask at the desk downstairs but then I heard the heavenly sound of the vaccuum around the corner! I knew the housekeeper was probably there and she has keys to all the rooms to get our towels and sheets and stuff. So I ran over there and found her and she was very nice and let me in so I could grab my keys and run! Phew.
By now it was about 11:20 so I knew I had to get to the studio in record time. Made it there in 10 minutes without running (hah! not 30 minutes this time, Mom haha), got in the elevator and was extremely excited! I had plenty of time to do everything I needed to and I was able to stretch and watch some of the previous ballet class (which I was glad I opted not to take). When that class ended we filed in and I overheard someone say something about the intern program so I went over to her and asked if she was doing the Summer Intern Program and she is. It was great to meet someone! She's been here a few days, too, and it was assurring to hear her say she has been feeling like I have. Good to know it's not just me haha.
As the class started and I stepped up to the barre, I felt home again. I have missed dance so much lately and I was finally back in my element! There were about 35 people in the class and the teacher was very nice and ran a wonderful class (Cheryl, if you are reading this, she reminded me of you but with a Russian accent. haha. So that made me feel a little more comfortable with her). And of course the studioi was beautiful! Oh, and having a live piano player really makes such a difference. It was so awesome! The piano player was this older woman who wore huge sunglasses the entire time and it was pretty comical.
The class wasn't over my head but was challenging at times due to the fact that I haven't danced and my flexibility is a little shot. haha. My balance was on which I was happy about, but every time I tried to hold my leg in the air my hips were cramping bigggg time. I'll definitely be hurting tomorrow but I actually can't wait! haha. Oh man, and we did a reeeeeally slow (about 12 8-counts) adagio which was painful (for those of you non-dancers, an adagio is a slow combination you do after the barre warm-up which usually consists of a lot of holding your leg in the air in different positions for long amounts of time). I got complimented on my turns, along with some corrections, which I was happy about because it means the teacher notices you and wants to help you do something better. The hour and a half seemed to fly by and before I knew it it was over. I walked back with the girl I met, who is living on 34th like me but a few blocks up. I can't explain how great it felt to dance again. Now I just want the program to begin because I just want to dance all the time!
Tonight Rachel Hacunda and her friend Ana are coming into the city since they don't live too far away and we are going to try to grab something cheap to eat and walk around the city. I'm so excited for social interaction with people I know! haha. And I was invited by the girl I know in my building to a BBQ sometime tomorrow so I think I'll go with them to that. And then tomorrow night I'm taking the train right outside of the city to have dinner at my friend Natalie's and then we'll probably go out. And then the program starts Sunday! So yeyyy I have a life again. haha. Okay well this was a really long post, but I figured my first class deserved a lot of attention and detail. I promise I won't make you read this much every time! haha. I'm off to eat lunch on the fabulous roof here which has gardens and such. Tootles!
So I just got back from my first dance class at BDC and it was awesome! I was worried about choosing a level because I didn't want to be in over my head but I also didn't want to spend $18 and be bored. It was between the Advanced Beginner ballet class and the Intermediate ballet class...I would have chosen the Intermediate one without hesitation if I had been dancing for the past month, but I wasn't sure how much my body would freak out. But in the end, I decided it was better to challenge myself than settle, so I went with the Intermediate ballet at 12:00 with Natalya Stavro.
**Note, it was at 12:00...for some reason I had it in my head all morning that it was at 12:30 so after breakfast I lounged around chatting with people online etc. and luckily around 11 I looked at the schedule and realized it was at 12! And I had wanted to make sure I could get there early because I knew I would have to register, get a card, pay, and I wanted to be able to stretch a little. So I got ready extremely fast, still pinning a bun in my hair as I ran out my door as it slammed shut I realized I didn't have the right keys! Uggggh (you see it's the most complicated key system here...you have your room and closet key on a ring that can't leave the building. You have to use your mailbox key to lock them in your mailbox every time you leave. Only the mailbox key can leave the building-pain!) So I slightly panicked, contemplated waiting until I got back from class to ask at the desk downstairs but then I heard the heavenly sound of the vaccuum around the corner! I knew the housekeeper was probably there and she has keys to all the rooms to get our towels and sheets and stuff. So I ran over there and found her and she was very nice and let me in so I could grab my keys and run! Phew.
By now it was about 11:20 so I knew I had to get to the studio in record time. Made it there in 10 minutes without running (hah! not 30 minutes this time, Mom haha), got in the elevator and was extremely excited! I had plenty of time to do everything I needed to and I was able to stretch and watch some of the previous ballet class (which I was glad I opted not to take). When that class ended we filed in and I overheard someone say something about the intern program so I went over to her and asked if she was doing the Summer Intern Program and she is. It was great to meet someone! She's been here a few days, too, and it was assurring to hear her say she has been feeling like I have. Good to know it's not just me haha.
As the class started and I stepped up to the barre, I felt home again. I have missed dance so much lately and I was finally back in my element! There were about 35 people in the class and the teacher was very nice and ran a wonderful class (Cheryl, if you are reading this, she reminded me of you but with a Russian accent. haha. So that made me feel a little more comfortable with her). And of course the studioi was beautiful! Oh, and having a live piano player really makes such a difference. It was so awesome! The piano player was this older woman who wore huge sunglasses the entire time and it was pretty comical.
The class wasn't over my head but was challenging at times due to the fact that I haven't danced and my flexibility is a little shot. haha. My balance was on which I was happy about, but every time I tried to hold my leg in the air my hips were cramping bigggg time. I'll definitely be hurting tomorrow but I actually can't wait! haha. Oh man, and we did a reeeeeally slow (about 12 8-counts) adagio which was painful (for those of you non-dancers, an adagio is a slow combination you do after the barre warm-up which usually consists of a lot of holding your leg in the air in different positions for long amounts of time). I got complimented on my turns, along with some corrections, which I was happy about because it means the teacher notices you and wants to help you do something better. The hour and a half seemed to fly by and before I knew it it was over. I walked back with the girl I met, who is living on 34th like me but a few blocks up. I can't explain how great it felt to dance again. Now I just want the program to begin because I just want to dance all the time!
Tonight Rachel Hacunda and her friend Ana are coming into the city since they don't live too far away and we are going to try to grab something cheap to eat and walk around the city. I'm so excited for social interaction with people I know! haha. And I was invited by the girl I know in my building to a BBQ sometime tomorrow so I think I'll go with them to that. And then tomorrow night I'm taking the train right outside of the city to have dinner at my friend Natalie's and then we'll probably go out. And then the program starts Sunday! So yeyyy I have a life again. haha. Okay well this was a really long post, but I figured my first class deserved a lot of attention and detail. I promise I won't make you read this much every time! haha. I'm off to eat lunch on the fabulous roof here which has gardens and such. Tootles!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
City Living!
Hey everyone! Well I made it to NYC yesterday and I'm all moved in to my room in a building on West 34th. The location is really nice and only like a 15/20 minute walk to the studio I'll be at every day.
The trip here was fairly easy. My family rented a van and we piled allllll my stuff in it. I was glad that my mom, dad, and sister all got the day off to come with me :) With a borrowed GPS, we made it here with no problems by 2:30 (minus a little bit of traffic here and there). Checked in and brought all my stuff upstairs to the 5th floor (and my dad couldn't stay upstairs because they don't allow any men past the first floor...ummm a little old fashioned I'd say). I actually have a gorgeous view out my window. I luckily have a room that looks out over the gardens that are part of the building's property. So I have a good amount of trees in my view instead of just buildings, which is nice! After leaving all my stuff in the room (to deal with later) we walked to Times Square and went to the ESPN Zone to have lunch/dinner. Then we went to BDC so I could show my family the studio and where I'll be spending my days this summer! Got back to the apartment building and I was given a tour of the building to learn where I could go, what the rules were everywhere, where I couldn't put my feet on the couches, what is considered appropriate dress, and where boys are and are not allowed. All of this from a woman who was switching between English and Spanish the entire time...so I HOPE I got it all down. We'll see...
After the tour I was feeling quite overwhelmed and thennnn I had to say goodbye to my family. Coming here I knew I was going to be nervous but I never imagined I'd cry. I was fine when I went to college freshman year, never cried, but for some reason saying goodbye here I got all choked up and couldn't say "bye" without starting to tear up. So luckily my family realized it and just left quickly. I got up to my room and balled. Not gonna lie. I'm just overwhelmed and scared and don't know anyone yet and don't know how to get around and don't know how to be a real person. hahaha. Lame, I know. But I'll be fine soon. I also just feel lost without a "schedule." I'm so used to running around from place to place, that having all this free time in a new environment is strange to me. I haven't known what to do with myself. But I know it will get better and I'll get into a routine here. I think I might take an open class at BDC tomorrow and Saturday and then I have the first meeting for my program on Sunday night. Just seems like so much time between now and then! haha.
This morning I met up with a girl who goes to Wheaton who is also staying in this building. We had breakfast in the building's dining hall and I met one of the girls she has been hanging out with. Everyone has all day internships though so no one is around right now and then everyone goes out to bars at night. I really wish I had already turned 21 like everyone else I know! Oh well, soon enough!
And now I think I am going to go out and walk around. I haven't been to motivated to do that yet today since it has been raining on and off. I really wish some nice summer weather would just get here already!
The trip here was fairly easy. My family rented a van and we piled allllll my stuff in it. I was glad that my mom, dad, and sister all got the day off to come with me :) With a borrowed GPS, we made it here with no problems by 2:30 (minus a little bit of traffic here and there). Checked in and brought all my stuff upstairs to the 5th floor (and my dad couldn't stay upstairs because they don't allow any men past the first floor...ummm a little old fashioned I'd say). I actually have a gorgeous view out my window. I luckily have a room that looks out over the gardens that are part of the building's property. So I have a good amount of trees in my view instead of just buildings, which is nice! After leaving all my stuff in the room (to deal with later) we walked to Times Square and went to the ESPN Zone to have lunch/dinner. Then we went to BDC so I could show my family the studio and where I'll be spending my days this summer! Got back to the apartment building and I was given a tour of the building to learn where I could go, what the rules were everywhere, where I couldn't put my feet on the couches, what is considered appropriate dress, and where boys are and are not allowed. All of this from a woman who was switching between English and Spanish the entire time...so I HOPE I got it all down. We'll see...
After the tour I was feeling quite overwhelmed and thennnn I had to say goodbye to my family. Coming here I knew I was going to be nervous but I never imagined I'd cry. I was fine when I went to college freshman year, never cried, but for some reason saying goodbye here I got all choked up and couldn't say "bye" without starting to tear up. So luckily my family realized it and just left quickly. I got up to my room and balled. Not gonna lie. I'm just overwhelmed and scared and don't know anyone yet and don't know how to get around and don't know how to be a real person. hahaha. Lame, I know. But I'll be fine soon. I also just feel lost without a "schedule." I'm so used to running around from place to place, that having all this free time in a new environment is strange to me. I haven't known what to do with myself. But I know it will get better and I'll get into a routine here. I think I might take an open class at BDC tomorrow and Saturday and then I have the first meeting for my program on Sunday night. Just seems like so much time between now and then! haha.
This morning I met up with a girl who goes to Wheaton who is also staying in this building. We had breakfast in the building's dining hall and I met one of the girls she has been hanging out with. Everyone has all day internships though so no one is around right now and then everyone goes out to bars at night. I really wish I had already turned 21 like everyone else I know! Oh well, soon enough!
And now I think I am going to go out and walk around. I haven't been to motivated to do that yet today since it has been raining on and off. I really wish some nice summer weather would just get here already!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
the countdown is on!
So this is my first blog post ever! Kinda strange, I feel like I'm not going to know how to write this...but then again, I've always been a journal-keeper so maybe it'll be kind of like that. I'll do my best to update this every so often with fabulous tales of my experiences and escapades from my summer in New York City!
Tomorrow marks one week until I move into the Big Apple. I've never been so excited about anything! And the nerves are starting to kick in, too! I'm nervous about living on my own in the city, a COMPLETELY new environment, and about dancing at Broadway Dance Center (BDC). I recently received my orientation schedule and started to freak out. There are apparently 75 dancers in this Summer Intern Program I was accepted in to. The info I received pretty much told me that I'll be judged from the moment I step into the studio on the 14th. From our group of 75 they will then be further separating us (there's a more advanced level of the program called the "pre-professional track"). There aren't really many differences between the two groups, but it's the dance world so of course they want to segregate and make cliques haha. And it would be nice to get into the more advanced track, but I don't know. I think I'm going to be very overwhelmed and intimidated when I get there (especially considering I haven't danced in over a month! ugh) but I'm also not backing down and I'll give everything my all. So we'll see.
Oh yeah, I also found out that the director of the program really wants us to take advantage of voice lessons at BDC to make ourselves more marketable in the dance world...HAHAHAH. I don't sing. When are people going to learn this? But they want us in this choir thing, oye. Comical.
So the next time I post I'll most likely be in NYC. Me, a city girl?...crazy! Can't wait to get this adventure started! Tootles!
Tomorrow marks one week until I move into the Big Apple. I've never been so excited about anything! And the nerves are starting to kick in, too! I'm nervous about living on my own in the city, a COMPLETELY new environment, and about dancing at Broadway Dance Center (BDC). I recently received my orientation schedule and started to freak out. There are apparently 75 dancers in this Summer Intern Program I was accepted in to. The info I received pretty much told me that I'll be judged from the moment I step into the studio on the 14th. From our group of 75 they will then be further separating us (there's a more advanced level of the program called the "pre-professional track"). There aren't really many differences between the two groups, but it's the dance world so of course they want to segregate and make cliques haha. And it would be nice to get into the more advanced track, but I don't know. I think I'm going to be very overwhelmed and intimidated when I get there (especially considering I haven't danced in over a month! ugh) but I'm also not backing down and I'll give everything my all. So we'll see.
Oh yeah, I also found out that the director of the program really wants us to take advantage of voice lessons at BDC to make ourselves more marketable in the dance world...HAHAHAH. I don't sing. When are people going to learn this? But they want us in this choir thing, oye. Comical.
So the next time I post I'll most likely be in NYC. Me, a city girl?...crazy! Can't wait to get this adventure started! Tootles!
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