Hitting the ground, and running Part 2

Okay, this post is just going to be ALL over the place because I had SO much to say, and I don't even know how to say it.
Last week I stumbled upon a great opportunity with an organization known as R.Evolucion Latina. They were offering free workshops in singing, shakespeare, and dance. A couple of years ago I remember coming across this organization and they were offering classes. I remember emailing them and asking what level the classes were. They said open level, but typical me though that I wouldn't be good enough so I chose not to go. How interesting it is that I stumbled AGAIN upon this organization, only this time I knew I had to just try it. There slogan/motto is Dare to Go Beyond and that is exactly what's happening in my life right now.

There were 2 days of auditions and after the first day, I already knew I wanted to be apart of the organization. Everyone was so welcoming! We learned two contrasting pieces, one was lyrical jazz and the second was Latin. For someone who has never really explored latin dance, it has consumed my life in the past week and I love it. Now, I felt really at home with the first combination and completely out of place in the second. The latin was so fast and I felt like I had two left feet. Instead of just breathing and enjoying what I was doing, I was sooo my typical self..stressing out and only thinking of the steps. I began to learn after the audition, when we were discussing what just happened, what the program was going to be about. The workshop is heavily focused on self awareness and YOU allowing yourself to Go Beyond and reach the next level. This is actually one of my biggest problems in dance. I do the movement, I don't feel the movement. The funny this is that within the 2 days of auditions, ALL, I repeat ALL the choreographers/teachers had come up to me at different moments and asked me to "give more" and "let go." Now if that's not a sign of what I need to work on, then I don't know what is! Usually when people give me that critique, I'm just like ughhhh i dont know what to do but now I'm finally thinking WOW I need to work on this now or I won't get anywhere!

The second day of auditions was even more exciting than the first because there was so much anticipation as to what was going to happen. This time we did a contemporary jazz combo and a musical theater combo. Both were equally great. The Contemporary Jazz felt really good but then the musical theater combo was very fun and exciting. I sometimes forget that I love theater and was in musical theater camp growing up. I surprise myself when I get giddy when the music comes on because for the past couple of years I've been heavily based in modern, jazz, and contemporary. Again we stopped and discussed what was going on and this was when I realized I really need to work on myself and projected my dance externally and not internally.

Now I'm going to jump to today, the first day of the workshop. Boy were we worked out! We started with a theater piece and I just can't get over the interesting perspective that choreography can sometimes seem so foreign but once the music comes on it's like completely decoded. Amanda Turner was our teacher and it's almost like opening a present when the music comes on because there's so much excitement when you realize how well the movement goes with the music. I think I was definitely stiff to start with but as we continued to progress, I was loosening up. I forget sometimes that this like my new family, I'm not just in class.
The second class was with Carlos Sierra and we did a contemporary jazz combination. Wow, talk about beautiful. The movement was so expressive and when we would watch him dance it, it was above and beyond. The only thing that got in my way was the fact that I was so tired and hungry LOL. I kept thinking, I need to pull through this and it wasn't an excuse but man that was really dragging me down.

Anyways, I'm so happy to be apart of this workshop. It's for the next month and it just feels great to feel like I'm in a program and working on my craft. Being in open classes is great but you don't always feel connected to the class unless you take in on a regular basis. I'll be sure to post what goes on in the next coming weeks. This is something I definitely don't want to forget!