The weeks preceding a show (or multiple shows) are very special to a dancer. It is typically when we start questioning our mental sanity. Life simply gets a little out of hand. We begin to loose touch with reality, or go crazy, however you want to look at it. Well I am currently in this season but, instead of acknowledging this as a season of insanity, I like to pretend it is simply my life...hardcore.
Rehearsal schedules doubled in size. Last night, after having spent the entire day in the city for classes, I was on my way back into Manhattan for another rehearsal around 6ish. I couldn't help but notice how nicely dressed everyone heading into the city was. Oh, I guess I forgot it was a Friday night. I left Joffrey, after a 6 or 7 hour day, at 9:30 pm only to return today for another 6 hours, and will be back Sunday for another 2 hours. Hardcore Weekend Schedule?
There is also a stomach thing, and a cold thing floating around the program. Yet, no one stays home to prevent the spread of illness thus, Joffrey has become a human Petri dish. No one can really blame them, missing rehearsal could be even worse than your fever. Nothing beats sitting next to your friend in rehearsal when she quietly excuses herself to go vomit as you try to remember choreography with a fever and pounding headache. Hardcore? or just stupid? ehh most likely stupid but let's say hardcore for the sake of my blog.
Thursday in class, a friend of mine stepped on my left hand while we were dancing. The left hand with my engagement ring that is. We soon discovered that my ring had slit his toe and my finger. Sure, this story has nothing to do with being stressed for the upcoming shows, but I felt pretty hardcore cleaning the human flesh off of my engagement ring.
Our favorite eating establishment Bagel Buffet was recently shut down. It was the only place near the studio that we could afford to eat at during our breaks. I am wondering how long I can survive on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and $1 pizza. Hardcore diet?
I have been having a hard time falling asleep at night because I am trying to remember all the choreography in my head. I close my eyes and try to make the dancers disappear, then have to reposition myself so I can breathe out of my nose. Nyquil has become my new best friend. Hardcore sleeping habits? Hey... at least it requires me to sleep the full 8 hours.
At the end of our very long days, I can't even really complain. This is what we live for. Performances. We put ourselves through all of this just for a chance to be on stage, and it is completely worth it. Weeks of intense rehearsals and training for a few short minutes on a stage. It still sounds a little crazy, but it is not something that I can explain. Who knows, maybe we are crazy?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Adventures in Holiday Travels
Happy New Year! I took a break from the Big Apple to relax and celebrate the holidays at home. It was absolutely wonderful and a needed vacation. I am now back in NYC for the second half of my program, but I wanted to share a bit of my experience traveling over break.
Now, I consider myself quite the pro at flying, so I didn't think much about flying home for the holidays. I mean, I have been in a long distance relationship for 2 years and counting, that is a lot of airports. As I packed to leave my roommate asked if I had traveled this close to the holidays. I haven't, but it can't be that different could it? I was mistaken.
My flight home was scheduled for 6 am. I clearly wasn't thinking when this flight was booked, because I needed to be at the airport at 4:30 am. I proudly arrived at LaGuardia Airport at 4:15 am, only to find a line 30 people long at the Southwest check-in counter. Why isn't everyone asleep?? I soon discovered that they were not going to open the check-in counter til 5. I quickly befriended the people in line around me, it was going to ne a long morning. Finally at about 5:15 I got checked in. At this point the line of 30 had grown to about 80. Good Morning Everyone! My new airport family and I were calm, seeing we have 45 minutes to get through security that is, until we saw the line for security. We were in a line, around the corner, and down the hall from the actually security line. I felt as if I were at Disney World, at 5:30 in the morning.
5:50 We are finally in security. The rush is on. We throw off our shoes, and take out our laptops and wait for a bin. Then a girl five people ahead of us in line stops and turns to security, "Ummm, Hi. What should I do with my cat?" We immediately started laughing. Our flight leaves in 10 minutes and we picked the line with the cat lady. Just our luck! Thankfully the cat didn't slow us down and we boarded our flight at 5:57. Amen and Amen,
In all the of the mayhem, I didn't even notice the new fancy scan machines. I completely avoided them on the flight home, so I was fully prepared to have to deal with the new controversy on the flight back to the city.
I kissed Miguel goodbye and walked into the security on my flight back to NYC. I was crying like a fool, of course. I am no stranger to crying in airports either. I took off my shoes and got in line, and there was the scary body scanner. Great. Nothing like crying while strange people take scans of your naked body. I can't wait. But then, like a beacon of hope, this older sweet man called me over to go through the good old fashioned metal detector. I wanted to hug him, but I figured that would be inappropriate.
Now, I consider myself quite the pro at flying, so I didn't think much about flying home for the holidays. I mean, I have been in a long distance relationship for 2 years and counting, that is a lot of airports. As I packed to leave my roommate asked if I had traveled this close to the holidays. I haven't, but it can't be that different could it? I was mistaken.
My flight home was scheduled for 6 am. I clearly wasn't thinking when this flight was booked, because I needed to be at the airport at 4:30 am. I proudly arrived at LaGuardia Airport at 4:15 am, only to find a line 30 people long at the Southwest check-in counter. Why isn't everyone asleep?? I soon discovered that they were not going to open the check-in counter til 5. I quickly befriended the people in line around me, it was going to ne a long morning. Finally at about 5:15 I got checked in. At this point the line of 30 had grown to about 80. Good Morning Everyone! My new airport family and I were calm, seeing we have 45 minutes to get through security that is, until we saw the line for security. We were in a line, around the corner, and down the hall from the actually security line. I felt as if I were at Disney World, at 5:30 in the morning.
5:50 We are finally in security. The rush is on. We throw off our shoes, and take out our laptops and wait for a bin. Then a girl five people ahead of us in line stops and turns to security, "Ummm, Hi. What should I do with my cat?" We immediately started laughing. Our flight leaves in 10 minutes and we picked the line with the cat lady. Just our luck! Thankfully the cat didn't slow us down and we boarded our flight at 5:57. Amen and Amen,
In all the of the mayhem, I didn't even notice the new fancy scan machines. I completely avoided them on the flight home, so I was fully prepared to have to deal with the new controversy on the flight back to the city.
I kissed Miguel goodbye and walked into the security on my flight back to NYC. I was crying like a fool, of course. I am no stranger to crying in airports either. I took off my shoes and got in line, and there was the scary body scanner. Great. Nothing like crying while strange people take scans of your naked body. I can't wait. But then, like a beacon of hope, this older sweet man called me over to go through the good old fashioned metal detector. I wanted to hug him, but I figured that would be inappropriate.
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