enough b.s

ok, i feel like i can finally write more about dance now and less b.s. We started sleeping beauty this week and signed our (short,5wk) contracts for the spring season. I'm excited to be doing a new ballet this season. Well, it is new to this group of company members at least. I'm casted as the golden vine fairy (yay!) peasant pas de trois, and little red riding hood with my chinese partner from nutcracker. I'm overall pleased with the roles.

golden vine fairy. dancer : Sarah McIlroy of : english national ballet

Rehearsals have been intense. We have three weeks before our opening show so our director is craming lots of choreography into our heads in one day. It's ok with me beacause i like moving quickly through sections and cleaning later. I started my variation today and it is FAST and challenging. I think this is really good for me right now and will kick my stamina up a bit!

I'm also still rehearsing for my audition on saturday. My body is really sore and not use to the contemporary/modern movements in this piece. I realized while running it today that i need to take more classes OTHER than ballet. When you constantly take ballet and have no other styles of movement it's hard to transition your body to another form. The guy i'm working with on the piece always has to remind me to RELAX and flow through the movement. I think i'm too focused on turnout and just making it too stiff in general. I blame ballet for that one! Tommorow when i run it i will focus on thinking of performing the piece underwater to give it more fluidity.

In general i feel back on track. I was feeling a little anxious before rehearsals started wondering how things were going to play out. I have more confidence now that things will be ok. I'm still saddened by what's happening with the economy and i can see the studios i teach at taking the hit. I thought i would be able to avoid it, but it's starting to have it's effect on me. I got a call yesterday from my director that things arent' going good for the studio and that i would have to take a pay cut along with the other teachers. It's just really sad and i hope we can pull ourselves out of this soon!! I feel for all those really struggling right now and my prayers go out to you all. When we think we have it bad, it could always be worse. I appreciate everything in my life and consider myself lucky!

On a random note, my vegaterian-ism(i'm think i just made that word up) is going strong still. I only planned on a week and here i am 4weeks later. I feel good. Healthy. I have been taking extra viatmins to make sure i do this safely. I don't know how people can be so careless and neglectful to your body. I don't get it. You have to live in this body for the rest of your life. Take care of it and what you put into it. You will feel the difference. Now go eat an apple!

~Sara~