Time for my regular cathartic post about the last 5-ish months known as the Spring 2015Semester (and I'll go into post-Spring 2015 semester because it did end a while ago and some good things have happened since then).
So. Gosh, I don't know where to start...in a nutshell, I have never wanted to quit something (work and school) so much in my life ever, yet, as I add up all the good things that happened, I have a hard time justifying those feelings. Sigh...
Here's a recap (in no particular order):
- I danced with a robot.
- I danced on a roof.
- I dance on the universe (well, a painting of one) and my movement controlled a poem recorded in it at the same time as a musician on the electric bassoon shaped the sound scape I moved to. I still have a hard time explaining this to people (clearly).
- I danced in a piece I created about a box because my dancers told me to ... I also made a lovely connection with the musicians who composed the music and had a filmmaker create a projection to push the depth of the dance.
- I took a dance class that transformed my movement. I am now obsessed with floorwork to the point where I don't know how to dance standing up. This will likely pose a problem in the future.
- I taught the creative practices class for the last time for the foreseeable future :-( They were a good group. They scared me at first (don't tell them that), but I realized it was like teaching a room full of mini me's.
- Work was hell. I had regular visions of handing in my two-week notice while accepting my diploma next year ... I also debated quitting my job and taking out student loans...but a regular pay check wins over more student debt...so, see next bullet point....
- I'm trying to do this positive perscpective shift thing...some days it works, some days not so much. But I think it will be the only way I survive the next academic year.
- I keep a gratitude journal. I write down three things I'm grateful for each day. If I forget to do this more than twice in a week I become very, very cranky.
- I also took a class on contact improv - it was amazing! Just warm fuzzy feelings all around with that one!
- My applied project was approved and my research surrounding it was approved! (*see further update in post spring semester section below).
- I went a wee bit rouge as a student (maybe as a person...?)... I think I may have upset some people with this, but, I feel like a new human. Whatever barrier was holding me back is gone.
- I've been working on this social experiment that most people call online dating. It's fascinating. I've learned much more about me and society than I thought I would. It's also a LOT of work for a dinner or drink...so, I've called off all future social experiments and sworn to dating the old school way (bumping into strangers in places I frequent) or not dating at all.
- I taught two-days of workshops at the University of Utah. It was quite fun to work with a new population. It was mostly musical theatre students (60+ of them!). Makes me want to travel and offer workshops all the time. Being a guest artist is the bomb.
- I received crazy good positive feedback from my students this semester. I think they've helped me figure out my teaching philosophy. And, per usual, they made my semester.
Anyways, since the spring semester ended ....
- I started my applied project for my thesis!!!! This is what I've been waiting for! THIS is WHY I went back to grad school. I have an incredible group of performers - and they're really good people, not just talented performers. There are 12 of them, I planned for 6 originally...oops. We created 40 minutes of material in about 6 hours of rehearsal, showed it to my committee, and they were floored that THAT was what happened in one rehearsal. *mic drop*
- I performed with Orange Theatre Group in their first production in their new performance space. I danced mostly, and screamed a lot. I felt like my character was a mix of me as a teenager and my cat.
- I collaborated with a former advisee on a dance film. I'm excited to see it (it's currently in post-production).
- I decided to start my company...Black Box Dance Theatre...that's about all I have so far, but it's a good start :-)
- I also sorta started a rooftop dance series (I'm saying 'sorta' because I'm in slight denial about it, but it's totally happening starting this September on top of the Marriott hotel in Tempe! Ah!)
- I go for sunrise runs and sunset walks and I have never felt more grounded. There's something about it that makes me feel like I might be back to normal again ... or as close to normal as I can get.
- I have weekends free to do whatever I want - it's incredible! I have totally forgotten what it's like to have no where to go and nothing to do. (I anticipate missing this feeling terrible come fall...)
The combination of the above 22 bullet points have resulted in self-identifying as a functioning hot mess...there's enough good stuff in there to energize me through the stuff that brings me down (thank goodness!)
All that being said, summer is about to pick up. My travels will take me to Maine (of course), North Carolina, California, and Washington (state). Three of those travels include dance trainings, workshops, and festivals. I also will be teaching an online dance class during all of it. And when the traveling ends, an intensive training in theatre begins here. And immediately following that, I start the final year of my MFA (hallelujah!). This year will include a lot of big things. But I think I've finally recovered from the previous school year, so here's hoping the final one is the best one! (And it's like the final, final one. For real this time. I'm kind of over this whole being a student thing).
Thanks for reading!
- M
