Monday, January 10, 2011

On finding balance and beauty

I went to see my dear friend's professional choreographic debut tonight at Dance Chance. If you haven't heard of Dance Chance before, please, please go and experience this treat to the dance world as soon as you have a free moment. Dance Chance, which is put on by Dance Works, is a one hour, once a month showing of Chicago choreographers. You put your name in the bowl if you are interested in being a featured choreographer, and at the end of that night's performance, three names are drawn for the next Dance Chance. It's really a wonderful experience. And only $3! (Jot down the next date into your calendars: Tuesday, February 8. 6 pm. Ruth Page.)

This was truly the best Dance Chance I've seen. All of the dancers were extremely skilled. The choreography was interesting and beautiful. Also, the three pieces were stylistically different (first: powerful, confrontational, upbeat. second: pensive, fluidly seamless, lovely. third: comic, quirky, whimsical.) yet all had some similarities of movement (we like to use our torsos, don't we Chicago?).

My friend talked about how her piece was partially inspired by how she started to realize that life is not about how much you accomplished in one day, but more about the small things that make you happy. Sipping tea while watching the leaves fall. Making eye contact on the sidewalk and smiling at a stranger. Things that make "life, life."

I listened to her speak poetically with such idealism as I sat between two good friends, both of whom I don't see as often as I would like lately. After we said goodbye and walked separate ways from the el, I realized how sad it makes me that I haven't found the balance between my dance career and my personal relationships.

I am so focused on my classes and choreography and rehearsals that there is little room for anything else right now. Luckily, my husband is rather busy with fight choreography and two shows that perform at the same time...otherwise I would fear for our marriage. But looking past the obviously most important husband, I feel such an emptiness. This "feast or famine" mentality that I've developed just might strangle out the moments that are most inspiring to me: spending time with good friends, meeting new people, traveling to places familiar and exotic, exploring the city that I've lived in for two years and barely know, people watching at cafes, reading (other than Dance Magazine!), listening to live music, painting by myself in the afternoon glow.

There isn't time for everything, all the time. This I know. I want to fit everything in. (What a Libra.) But for now, I think I'll just schedule a few personal days here and there.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

just a note

I'm sitting listing to music for the duet that I'm choreographing for IDC, Patsy Cline's "She's Got You." We had auditions last night, and callbacks are tonight. The excitement is buzzing! Several new, beautiful dancers auditioned last night and all were beautiful.

I can't believe that a year ago today I was gearing up for my second concert in Chicago with Matter of Reaction Movement project. So much has happened since then. I wasn't sure if I was going to do a 2010 recap, but I here it is: 5 concerts with 5 different companies, a tour date in Michigan, 3 festivals, 4 new pieces of my choreography shown, the Gatorade/SYTYCD event, a job teaching about a third of the classes at a new studio, joined the artistic cooperative board of IDC, started teaching an after school dance program... I've met so many wonderful people, all who inspire me to keep going forward and try new things.

I'm hoping 2011 holds even half of the opportunities that 2010 had.