Week ten & eleven

Again friends, sorry for my lack of a post last week! Here's another double...

Week ten was pretty chill. I had two awesome sessions with Heather, and was supposed to have two awesome sessions with Max, but I had to cancel one because I was struck by a bad case of food poisoning. Any other time I have had food poisoning it has only lasted the one day, but not this time. One day out one direction, the next day the other, and the next day couldn't really digest any food normally, so needless to say, I have felt pretty weak lately. Because of this, my week was limited in shenanigans.

With Heather I relearned Buster Brown's Fascinating Rhythm/Just You Just Me, and started learning Eddie's blues. The thing about this rep is that you really can work on it for a life time and still find challenges. Knowing this whilst learning it gave me a bit of ease, but I am still so anxious to absorb the work! Patience... what a lesson. Its also frustrating knowing all of the adjustments to my technical work I need to face and approaching new material at the same time. It takes away an element of self trust in my learning process. Its strange to deal with, I'm very much in transition.

From Max I kept learning new patterns that circulate with the material I learned last week. There are always continuations in a progression and many different layers to fill in. So interesting, and challenging. I am so excited for all of this language to flow out of me influencing and interpolating into my creativity. My brain has been cracked open, nourished, and inspired.

On Thursday my friend Shauna Hoskin invited me to come see a run of Young Frankenstein. She's in the national touring company which will start this week. The show was on Broadway last season, it was a new Mel Brooks musical that closed in January. It was a great show! I am sad I didn't see it last year when I was here. So, right before the run started, I rushed in because I was running late, and just found the closest seat as fast as possible. Little did I know until the end was I sitting infront of Susan Stroman. For those that don't know, this woman is a broadway powerhouse. She is it, in many ways as far as I'm concerned for music theatre choreographers in the last 15 years on Broadway. Look her up, her work is insane! I sat infront of her for 2 hours and didn't even know until the end...my heart dropped a bit when I figured that out. Its almost like we hung out...right?? haha.

On Friday my friend Shaeffer who I know from Toronto via my excellent friend Kendyl, invited me out for dinner. We went to the restaurant where her husband has been the head chef for a few months now, and the food was pretty much the best meal I have had as long as I can remember. Seriously. She is originally from Alberta too, so she had 3 friends visiting, and thought I must come make the Alberta connection! So glad I did, it was such a nice night. On the way home I ended up bringing 2 of her friends to Fatcat and ending my night with another crazy time of beer and ping pong in NYC. Of course I can't just take er easy. Well, not when the opportunity for an emmense amount of fun arises! =)

Saturday I went for dinner with Allison Plamondon, and then we went to see a play off Broadway. We saw Epic Theatre Ensemble's Mahida's Extra Key to Heaven, and it was awful! We left at intermission. We were both so exhausted that day anyway, but it was crazy painful to try and keep our eyes open during the first act, so we decided to relieve ourselves of the torture. Its funny, I still expect everything I see in New York to be good, basically just because its New York! I have never walked out of a show here before. I was very happy to spend time with my wonderful friend, but man, what a disappointment!

Week eleven...

On Monday I had a session with Max, awesome as always, went to Michelle Dorrance's class, also bomb, and then finally went up to the Cotton Club to check out big band night! Lisa LaTouche dances with Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and her husband Omar every Monday. My friend Awoye also dances with them. It was awesome. It was such an authentic Harlem experience. It was pretty cool to sit in a legendary club, and watch tap as the main event. Pretty cool to see Lisa killing it! Such a big fan. She's so great, and such an amazing person. I hung out with her, and also ran into Joel Hanna who was in town. I met Joel in Vancouver. He is the only percussive dancer from Vancouver to ever have a run at the Joyce in New York. He combines step with tap and martial arts. His work is like nothing else, and as a person, so is he! Strong personality, but really nice, awesome guy. Inspiring in many ways. I felt pretty lucky to be in the company of these two Canadian powerhouses. We all hung out in Vancouver also with Dean Ozen! Excellent people, so fortunate to know them, and have time to hang.

On Tuesday I had a date. Yes, a New York date! The funny thing is that he isn't American, he's British. I met him at the dinner that Shaeffer invited me to. He went to U of A, so he is friends with one of Shaeffer's Alberta visitors. What can I really say about it in my blog? haha. What if he decides to google me and reads this??...thats embarresing. I'll just say that we hung out again on Saturday, and he is really nice, and I like him. That's all. haaa.

Wednesday was one of my favourite New York days yet. I went to see Alan Cumming perform at Barnes and Noble for his cd release and signing. I went for Rob, because he is one of Rob's biggest influences and inspirations. It was really cool to see him and meet him after his performance. I had a picture taken, but questioned it...because well, I couldn't resist, however, that could inspire a wack of jealousy for Rob to see me with his hero in a picture. It would make me crazy if the tables were turned!! I think the gift I got Rob will make up for it, but again, can't get into it on my blog because he just may read this. After that I headed over to City Centre to get in the cancellation line for the Fall For Dance Festival. SAVION was performing, and of course it was all sold out. I waited for an hour and half, and scored myself a ticket!! I SAW SAVION LIVE! It was sickening. I don't think I have ever experienced chills like this before. My entire body reacted to watching and listening to this. Throughout the festival 4 dance companies perform each night, and Savion closed the show. What was shocking to me is that I saw a handfull of groups leave during his performance. HOW COULD ANYONE LEAVE DURING THAT? Wack. He had the most massive applause, the entire audience was on their feet screaming! What I don't understand is how an audience can go see a multi form dance show and demonstrate the most support for tap, yet there is such little support for it in the world....???? Whaaaaat? The thing that can blow people's minds to that capacity doesn't have nearly enough recognition, but a ballet or contemporary dancer can go to a University program to major in their artform, and have the likelihood to dance in a professional company being funded by supporters, and government grants. Then go on to dance in these companies that have seasons guaranteeing them performances, all the while gaining a stronger sense of a chance at sustaining a professional life as a dancer. Now, I am not knocking other dance forms. I love all dance forms and believe any artform takes a wealth of determination and unfathomable hard work, and not for a second do I think one artist has it easier than another. I just witnessed a very intense experience with some baffling observations, thats all. But hey, that's a large part in what I am working towards. Changing tap's reputation amongst the status quo/the common public's understanding of it, developing a strong community, and staying true and authentic to an artform that needs to be celebrated and EXPOSED.

On the way home from seeing Savion, I was starving because I waited in that line and didn't really get to eat anything. So I got a sandwich and made my way to the subway. On the way I walked through Times Square, and whilst chewing, a man jumped out infront of me, and kindof trapped me from moving forward. He was asked where I got my hair done, with my mouth full, I said Canada, without any sense of sincerity he told me he thought I was beautiful, and that he loved me. He was trying to sell me a promotion that was going on at his salon...this happens all the time in New York, Toronto too actually, but never in this fashion! So, I tried to pass him and continue on my way, and he was like "why are you trying to run from me, I just told you I loved you." ...??? what! So, I had to deek him to get back on my way and as I continued, he yelled at me in Times Square calling me a racist Canadian....again....what??? why, because I don't respond to poorly executed agressive American consumerism? What a day. Ridiculous.

On Thursday I had another vocal lesson with Jay Clayton. It was awesome. Its really amazing to connect vocally again, especially in a way that will completely contribute to my dancing. It feels so good, and I am so glad that I got that happening again for myself.

Friday I had a session with Heather. She is currently getting all of the mould removed from her studio because there was some water dammage a while back, and she is pretty allergic to it. So, because the floor was not usable, we had a lesson outside on a tap mat. It was probably my favourite session yet. It was so beautiful out, and there is something so calming and celebratory about working artistically in nature. Pretty awesome. Nature you're thinking...in New York?? I don't know if I mentioned in previous entries that Heather lives in Valley Cottage which is about an hour out of the city, and its pretty beautiful. Her house is incredible, and the land she lives on is pretty amazing. It was awesome. Then when I got back into the city, I went and took Derek Grant's class, who is finally back in town for my last 2 weeks!

Saturday was another hilarious day. After exploring Williamsburg a bit, and spending 4 hours at Lincoln Centre Library I had another ridiculous New York experience. Last weekend the 4 and 5 trains weren't running in Brooklyn, so we had an announcement on the train that we needed to transfer. With this news I met a lady with a 3 month old baby, and another girl who was visiting for the weekend and didn't really know how to get around. So, of course I helped them out. In this endeavour of transfering trains and walking underground to make connections, the lady with the baby HANDED me her baby...what are you supposed to do when a person is in the process of handing you a baby and saying "do you want to hold her?" You can't say no, especially when the question is placed in the midst of the exchange. So, this lady trusted me, a complete stranger...a nice one, but still, trusted me with a life. THEN...as I am holding the baby, she's hungry and starts clawing for my breast...those may be big, but most definitely free of milk!!! So, the lady hands me a bottle...now I am feeding this baby and walking through a subway station in NYC....whaaaat?? My process: thought #1 OMG don't drop this stranger's baby, thought #2 I'm so nowhere near ready to be a mother, thought #3, WTF lady?? How about I hold your 3 bags and YOU hold and FEED your own damn baby!!! Unbelievable. Another one of a kind day.

On Sunday I went to Barbara Duffy's class, and then got to see Sheena for a short visit before she had to get back on the ship, then I had a drum lesson with Dan Weiss! It was a wicked lesson. I have been after him for a lesson for a long time, and finally got it! He is probably the most proficient, technically incredible and musically interesting drummer I have ever been exposed to. He's played at The Rex a lot, and I have gone to see him play with Dave Binney many times here at 55 Bar. So, first of all, due to the craziness of everything else, I haven't practiced or played drums since I came here. So the kit felt very unfamiliar, and on top of that, he wouldn't let me read any lines or use my book. I just had to play something, which shouldn't be a big deal, but I felt kind of trapped. So, of course the first thing I played was a groove that's really challenging for me. It was cool though, he gave me some elaborations on it, and also some technical adjustments that were helpful. For the second half of the lesson I put my shoes on, and we just focused on music. We did some call and response, and he also gave me some ideas to create some excersises for myself dealing with time signature flips and speed. I got a little nervous in my shoes dancing across from this guy who I find extremely musically intimidating, I forgot for a minute that he was my friend. It was such a great lesson though, especially the amount that I got from a non tap dancer. The kind of detail that I was forced to pay attention to was a shift, and is totally what I am after. Totally awesome. I can't wait to study further with him.

I can't stop emphasizing how fortunate I feel for the incredible knowledge that I am gaining from all of these amazing teachers. And again, I can't wait to spend some serious time pracitcing when I get home!! That is in a week...my next entry will be from my living room in Toronto summarizing the last week and the whole shebang. Leaving is so bittersweet. Till I get into it next entry...


at xo