A time of Rest

I read an article in Dance Magazine about the importants of resting when necessary.  A couple weeks back I hurt my ankle running to catch the N train (express) home.  the last step of the stairs my left ankle bows outward as I step on my left foot. A neighbor/stranger helped me off the train and up the stairs.  I took a week off.  Self medicated (very dumb).  But I knew I had an audition coming up very important to me.  I after the week off I danced all week preparing only to be cute like the aprox. 200 others.  I took a week of rest refusing to dance this time till I am %100.  But It is so difficult and such bad timing.....

I didn't finish the above as I began to burst in to tears as I was typing.  Looking back I wish I didn't go to that audition. Currently, Still injured and resting, but I a much more optimistic state of being.  YogaWorks has become my sanctuary. It is hard for me to resist dance class, and Yoga has kept my routine and abs in tact.   Yoga heals my physical dance life and my personal life as well.  Ugh let go of your baggage people... w/ever ills you!

I have a wonderful Physical Therapist, Stuart.  Referred to me by a dance friend Jennifer Miller.  I had from the injury and years of ware.  a knot of scar tissue on my tendon as well as over stretched ligaments.  This past week he broke down that scar tissue and had me rest even off of yoga.  He says it should heal correctly in time for my Show in May. I'm on top of my thera-band exercises.  If anything my biggest rule is rest.  Which is hard to do..... Today I had my first Rehearsal with Exit 12 only allowed to mark the movements in the back.  I have to stop thinking like a student who is embarrassed she is injured, but think like a Professional who is caring for her Instrument.  (Sidenote:  I'm very annoyed cas I lost my ice pack and I hate using baggis!!!)  Though I marked I was still on my feet for hours.  and now I've propped them up

During Rest, I'm discovering new talents.  Choreography.
I made a friend at the Apollo's Angels Book Signing, DJ.  Over brunch he suggested I visit Greenwood Cemetery and if inspired choreograph.  He is involved with an annual festival in the fall at Greenwood, and I should submit an abstract.  Despite my time of rest, my dancing brain refuses to take off. I don't know if I'm ready to talk in detail.  I went to a discussion hosted by Dancenyc junior committee.  One Point I recall is "Specificity" when talking about what your work.  I don't want to lead my audience astray.   So now i need to get working on my business proposal as well as my food industry resume... lol.

I MISS GRANDE ALLEGRO!!!!

Personal life: I'm Moving out of my sublease.  Will and I are renting a studio or 1br in bayridge starting in May.  No more long distance!  I'm not leaving the wonderful neighborhood of Bayridge!  Made two friends at a hiking event who also live in my neighborhood!  It's a small city after all well I guess when people live on top of each other... (But we got the brownstones in Bayridge.) I love this Neighborhood; couldn't leave it.  more personal news.  Compliments of Brady, I started reading a new book of unpublished works by Vonnegut Armageddon in Retrospect compiled by is son Mark, and I'm surviving.

peace out
LA Kilpatrick

Disaster Auditions

I have set aside this post to keep all the bad audition.  It doesn't seem appropriate glorifying them with there own individual post.  These are the mistakes I hope not to repeat.

Lines Ballet Auditions
A Disaster......  They rented a studio too small to accommodated the size of the audition.  We were subject to a cramped floor barre.  I had no center; I wasn't warm;  I could barely be seen; and my shoes kept slipping off.  It was a Mess!  I was cut after the first round.  I comforted my discouragement with the fact that every girl remaining was at least 5'6''.   However, I didn't let one bad audition spoil the rest.  As I left the audition I walked away tall (despite my 5'4'' stature).

Nashville Ballet Auditions
I don't know what is my deal with Nashville Ballet.  Its like my subconscious doesn't want to dance with them.  I felt like this year would be better.  I would return to the audition making them think oh that girl who fell last year has improved so much, but no.  Instead I became the girl who dances well at   barre then falls apart at center.  I blanked during the petite allegro combo right in front of the judges. It was miserable.  The whole class I was trying to get into it, but I felt as if I had bricks tied to my feet.  Oh whoa is me.  Although, There were no cut I left the auditions knowing I wasn't going to be contacted.   It was hard to walk away tall when all I wanted to do was get home and cry into my pillow.

The White Rabbit Audition

wed. 1/26/11 5pm I had an audition with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater.  The contemporary dance company was putting on a unique performance/event.  White Night: A Movable Performance Soiree at Space on White was centered around the theme of time inspired by Alice in Wonderland. the director and company members were casting a chore of white rabbits for the dance called five minutes.  The Entire Audition (and performance) was to be improved.  Our direction was time, levels, moments of stillness, interactions with one another's improve. This was the first auditions with cuts where I made to the end!!!! I thought it was amusing that prior to coming to the audition I was reading Alice in Wonderland on the Train.  I felt very confident about this audition, and within a few days I was notified that I had been selected to perform at White Night as a white rabbit!

Proia's Class

I returned to Proia's Class as he requested.  It was a more advanced class so we moved through barre quicker and started moving!  He has a moving quality like Elie's Class with a Balanchine style of foot work.  He cracks jokes during class that makes you laugh through the tough parts of class.  He has a major focus on placement.  Correction: "Despite how much the dance makes you move you have to always be aware of your placement."  I notice in Proia's combination, if I were slightly off balance it slowed me up and I lost the timing of the combo.  He asked me to come take class from him at Peridance.  I think I have become a favorite of his because he likes to give turns and combinations that move over the entire space.  These focuses in his class are the things I love about dance! I can see this becoming a great connections for me!

DNA student choreography

Such a fun Audition at Dance New Amsterdam Studios.  It was a grad student's choreography project.  WE did some interesting new movement.  The audition finished with Improve.  I am so so so thankful for my improve classes with Kate Hunter at LACDC last summer. The goal of the improve was to first look very stupid.  I used some of the wii dance moves I learned of Christmas playing with Adrienne.  (She said she likes making people do that dance cause you cant help but look stupid lol).  I incorporated floor work as Kate often instructed explore levels in your improve.  I just let the music lead me through the movement. I felt very optimistic because they inquired about my availability after the audition.  However, I never heard back... Guess thats how it goes

Ben Munistreri Audition

A disaster as expect.  When I first moved to NYC I didn't realize how much time to calculate for the commute.  So I'm late...  I learn the combo by watching the other groups.  (Real simple placement adagio). I am not warmed up but luckily I did yoga when I woke up.  It's my groups turn, and I'm So On balance, timing, everything!  After that Ben Munisteri cuts half of the nearly 100 Dancers; myself included.

Luckily the audition was at City Center where I take ballet.  So I went up stairs and made it to Proia's Class.  It was very fun! Proia's Style is like a mix between Eilie Lazar and Winthrop Corey. I took to the choreography quite well.  After class Proia asked me to return for the next days class! It really perked my spirit from my first audition.

I stopped posting...

Sorry I stopped posting... It got to hard to fit in adjusting to fast past New York.  To catch you up.  I live in dirty dusty old house without a working stove for a month.  Although I made great friends with my roommates Andrew and Kevin.  My Allergies and lack of money to eat out all the time forced me to leave boro park.  I now live in Bay Ridge.  It is near the water which I love.  Although I miss Andy and Kev, I love this neighborhood.  I have a pub I frequent and a great coffee place next to the train.

As for DANCE...

It has been a lot of work.  A lot of self motivation to send myself to class everyday.  I've had at least 3 auditions a week.  I even got accepted to perform with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater in White Night: A Movable Performance Soiree.  It has been quite a busy month, but I'm going to start catching up with my post.