A Definite Transition

Where to begin? I have thought about this blog for so long and yet never gave myself a chance to actually update  it. I'm awful. There is SO much to mention but unfortunately I'm going to move forward and talk about what is to come. In exactly 1 week, I am leaving for Germany with the Dream 1 cast(love us, by the way) to board our ship. This will be my new home for the next 7 months. I can't believe the time is here.
In just 2 1/2 short months I managed to learn 4 dance bites, 2 deck parties, 2 mini dance bites, and 2 mainstage shows. I used to be surprised by how much my brain could contain but now it seems to be second nature. As of now, I am able to separate the choreography for each show and not get mixed up between all of them. I've learned so much information, I'm surprised my head hasn't exploded.
In just 2 1/2 short months I've become so close to my cast...of 44 people. It's crazy how we mesh together in such a large group. I'm even more excited because we will all be on the same flight, as of now, for Germany. The awful part is that it's an 8 hour flight and then we have to take a 7 hour bus ride to the ship. This is the farthest I've ever traveled in my life. I'm nervous, but excited because I will be with my team; my second family.
In just 2 1/2 short months, I've become accustomed and comfortable with Toronto. I know where to take my dance classes and my yoga classes. The thought of not having either within reach is starting to freak me out. I loved have the freedom to go anywhere at any free moment we had. It'll be a major transformation.

I'm definitely excited to board the ship, I just have no idea what eecept. Plus all the media coverage we have been getting makes the ship look SO amazing. I feel so blessed to have such an oppotunity.Though I miss my fmaily and friends back home, this is a fine medium.
MORE TO COME!

Getting into the swing of things

Tomorrow begins the beginning of Week 3. It's also the beginning of our learning of our first show. Everything prior to tomorrow has been a dance bit or deck party. This past Saturday we went through everything we learned. I was minorly dreading it but it was actually awesome because we learned SO much, SO fast. I really can't believe how much choreography and blocking my brain can retain :)

I finally had my costume fitting and it was the best day of my life. I tried on so many different shoes and different outfits. The best part was when one of the wardrobe people came up to me and was like, "ok, here is YOUR rack,'" meaning my own rack of costumes to be fitted to my size and just for me. It's still so weird to think about. The costumes are amazing. I don't even know where to begin. I already have a favorite and it involves a huge petticoat! My favorite. Everything becomes real when you get to costumes. Even though we have a while before we actually wear them, the fact that they are in the process of being made is enough to excite me.

This brings me to another point. I still can't get over how much planning and organization occurs in advance. It doesn't just fall into place by the grace of magic. Everyone has been working SO hard to get us to where we are today. The cast is the transformation from page to stage. They keep telling us this and I truthfully understand it now. But what is so amazing is seeing what we do and knowing that just 3 weeks ago it was all just hypothetical. It didn't become real until we arrived. Now the pressure is on to live out the dream...no pun intended!

I'm very excited to learn a show for the next month. It's new too so this is another layer of awesomeness that I get to experience. I am sad, however, because our choreographer for the past 2 weeks has left. He said he won't be able to see us while on the ship either which really stinks. This guy, Robbie, is amazing; he pulls choreography out of no where AND is so versatile with his movement. We literally jump from style to style in a matter of minutes between numbers. I secretly hope he comes to visit on the ship, ANYWAY! He has taught use so much in so little time, I'm gonna miss seeing him around. We'll be getting a whole new production tteamm tomorrow too, which is kind of sad! I guess this is just how they operate effectively.

Here's to a new week!

Day 3 madness.

3 days in and we never stop. Today was definitely intense. It's lots of choreography to learn and it's only just the beginning! Where to begin? I'm getting into the swing of things very easily, no more freak outs or last minute panics lol. It's just crazy not knowing where you are going or what you will be doing at all times and if anyone knows me, I'm someone that LOVES to plan.
If I didn't already say it, we have 9 hour rehearsal days. It's really cool in a way b/c I've always wondered how these things ran and now I do! We get an hour lunch break which is nice and I do feel like the time goes well. Not too fast and never slow. Everyone is so nice and so chill. I feel like I'm at a boarding school and I've been here forever, but it's only been 3 days. I bet it's gonna end up flying by and I don't want it to! Gotta savor the moment :)
I'm realizing now how amazingly blessed I am to be part of the first cast for this new ship. We are all originators. I found out from returning cast members that even the shows that have been done before are being revamped so we are basically doing all new things! Sidenote- I love how Celina Dion is playing on their radio. It's like elevator music in this room. Someone just came out of the gym...I feel guilty sitting in this common area, right outside the gym. I can't go yet, my body is like so worked by the time rehearsals are done. (Backstreet Boys has now started playing) I think by next week, when my body has become used to all this I will hit up the gym. For now, it's stretching on my own and getting my butt kicked in rehearsal. I haven't forgot my goals! Ps, I love group warmup! We did an arm workout with therabands the other day that KILLED...but it was good.

Today, the 2nd half of the cast arrived. The singers and principals. We have a total of about 46 people..I think before I said 44 and clearly I was wrong. Largest cast ever! Loving every minute of it :)

Walking into the Unknown

It's official...I'm slow. Why doesn't my brain process the magnitude of things/situations until it's too late sometimes? It wasn't until I was hugging my mother, and suddenly crying, that I realized what was happening. You know that REALLY sad commercial where the kid is suddenly without his mom and he's just crying and looking around? Well, it's not that dramatic but that's sort of how I felt. I had a fear of the unknown. I couldn't predict what was going to happen or guess. I really have NO idea. I can talk to thousands of people that have done the ship before but it doesn't matter. This is my experience and I guess I just didn't realize until that moment.
Luckily, I met one of my castmates while waiting for my twice delayed, yet early arrival JET plane. NO, I didn't know it would be a jet plane..the kind you board from the outside. I was definitely nervous but thanks to Bonine and confidence, I made it haha. Actually we were only in the air for 56minutes, fun fact. Who knew Canada was so close?
Fast forward to the place I'm staying. It's beyond great, pictures to come. Downfall is using an internet cable in the living room instead of being nice and snuggly in my bed. Plus their is only 1 cable so me and my roommate will share. It's actually not a big deal haha, I'm just being silly. Anyways, what did I do when I got here? I tried to take a picture near customs b/c it said Welcome to Canada and the woman in uniform gave me the evil eye  plus a snooty attitude. I graciously deleted it in front of her and she acted as if she wanted to throw me back to the US. Guys, don't mess with those people haha. It reminded me of my times at the museum and telling people to stop taking pictures..only mine was far more worse considering she had the right to deny my entry...smart lol
After eating and grocery shopping in the nearby Toronto area, I am not 'home' and going to stretch out a bit, sleep, and wake up bright and early for tomorrow! I'm excited for what's to come. It really is SO weird to stop and think, and realize that I am here/going to be here, dancing for a living. I can't wait.

Where am I going?

When people hug me, they are holding on for a little be longer than usual. This is how I know things are changing. I now that on the physical level, yes, I am leaving for 10months and yes, I'm feeling A,B, and C emotions but on the emotional level, I'm feeling indifferent. I was explaining it to a friend that, it's only with people that I've previously been away from for an extended amount of time(going away to college) that I feel that feeling of sadness that I won't see them everyday. This is because I've already experienced it. With all the friends that I've met and crossed paths with I feel like when I'm saying good-bye, it doesn't feel real. Will it really be the last time that I see them? OR, will I see them in 10months? Will everything be different? Will it be just the same? The only reason I'm buggin out and actually writing about this is because I go no where...ever..until now. I went away to school and came back but this is different. The boundaries are international! I'm definitely ready to go and very excited but it also doesn't feel real because I've not experience this before. I don't know HOW to feel, I can only guess.

It's official. I leave in 2 days. Got the luggage, got the flight info, it's all set. I'm pretty sure I'm ready. This is what I wanted. I had been talking about how I always wanted to travel and I how I want to dance for a living. Thankfully, I have been blessed with experiencing both in one package. My reservations so far include questioning if I'll remember all the choreography, if I'll get along with everyone, if I'll be able to handle dancing whilst in motion, etc. I know I have plenty of time to figure this out but as a self-acclaimed over-analyzer, I can't help but think about these things all at once. 

I plan on blogging here while on my adventures but I still do have a journal from when I was at school in Maryland. I think I'm going to carry it. I never wrote about my adventures in NYC but I kind of just want to pick up where I left off. Who knows, I might end up being so busy that neither ends up being used but I'm going to try.

For now, lately I have assumed the role of tourist and have been exploring NYC high and low. It's been bittersweet because I've discovered all these great places of tranquility AND excitement, yet I won't be seeing them again for 10months. It's nice to step out of the typical and come across a secluded area. This is how I know that NYC is so unique. It can't get old, unless you stay in the same area. If you do, go explore. There is soooo much out there in the city and it's so easy to miss it. I've realized NYC doesn't revolve around times square. There is SO much more to do  And the best part of it all is that I've been able to spend little to NO money all week long. That was a bonus considering I made a plea with some friends to do things that would involve paying. I'm glad that worked out, otherwise I really would have spent the weekend at home...staring at the walls.  

So in my last 2 days I have planned to meet friends at the Highline, my new favorite place, the teahouse, and for Friday I plan to get my head together so that I am mentally and physically prepared for Saturday.

It's been TOO long

Major foul on my part for not posting for almost 6 months. There is SO much that has happened but I guess it'll just remain a personal memory. I will try to update on major things. Since February, I have been auditioning like mad in hopes of dancing for a living and FINALLY, it is beginning. I have been offered to dance on the new Disney cruise ship, Disney Dream, and I am actually scheduled to leave next Saturday. I am so happy and relieved and excited. I don't know what to expect and I've been racking my brain over it. What I ultimately hope for is that I get and interpret all the choreography, I truly embrace every opportunity out there, and that I have a good time. I hope to meet great people and just really work on myself as a dancer and getting to the next level so that when I come back, I'm even more ready for the next auditions and booking something else! I'm going to miss my family, friends, and especially, my routine of life. Constantly going to the city and balancing dance classes, extras work, and working at my job. I'm such a busy bee and I really stretched myself trying to do everything I wanted. I've even just begun discovering new classes at Peridance that I could've been taking forever but never made it to the studio. It makes it that much harder to experience it knowing that I'll be leaving in 1 week and a half.

Other great things- R.Evolucion Latina. I was very nervous originally to participate in their 3 day summer camp for kids but it was a major success. I thought it was going to be challenging but I love kids and it was so great to be with them and watch them get inspired by the arts. The last day, the camp celebration, was the most fun I'd had in a while. It felt so great to be in a room with so many people just dancing and embracing the music. I didn't want it to end. Now, I'm really starting to get involved with the business side by voicing my opinions on some of the things they are doing but I'm leaving so I can't truly be there. There are so many great things coming up that I had been dying to be a part of but will miss. I guess this is a part of growing up. I can't wait to come back and see how much they have developed.

hmmm, what else has been going on? I did a lot of extra work which was fun. Nice side money. Gossip girl was fun and so was the Good Wife. I did 3 days on the Good Wife so I'm curious to see if I'll be seen. The episode is called Cleaning House so I'll have to keep track. The Gossip Girl episode..no idea what it's called lol

I guess that's it, I've completely forgot everything else that's been going on. Oh, I have a pain in my left knee that is making me nervous. I can't pinpoint it because I didn't take kinesiology or anatomy lol. I think it's from over turnout or over plie-ing. I think it's a tendon and it only happens in certain classes. It's weird, I think I'm not pulling up the right way. I hope I won't have to feel it on the ship, that'll really suck!

It's happening...

Update time! This is way overdue but nonetheless, I am here now and ready to review my last few weeks. R.Evolucion Latina has truly becoming a blessing in my life. The choreographers/teachers that have come in to teach us have not only expanded our minds through dance but also mentally. They come full of wisdom and allow us to assess ourselves on what we have done or how we have gotten to where we are today. One of the most recent conversations that really stuck with me was when Peter Schabel, our ballet teacher, was discussing training and the true understanding of practice and performance. I sometimes beat myself up for not taking as many classes I think I should because over a year ago, I was taking almost 30 classes a week. That, to me, was my understanding of how I can improve. I thought, the more classes I take, the more I dance and the faster I improve. But what really matters is what you are doing in the classes. If you are continually doing the wrong thing or just flat-lining in performance, you are actually wasting your time/money and not improving. Some people can take a series of classes for years and never see improvement. When Peter Schabel was discussing this with us, I really had to stop and think about the classes I was currently taking and what they were doing for me. I came to the conclusion that I don't need to take 30 classes to feel a difference or improve, I need to work at 100% and however many classes I can take. I now take pride in the fact that I'm only taking a handful of classes these days because I know that in that smaller amount of time, I have more to focus on. Before each class, I now think about what I am taking and what I'm going to work on. Class doesn't feel like "just a class" anymore, there's a purpose and I really don't think I would have realized this had Peter not said anything because my focus was in the wrong place. It's conversations like this that I become even more thankful for R.Evolucion Latina. The workshop is not just about taking extra dance classes, it is SO much more beyond that.
 The last 3 classes we've had in workshop have all been incredibly different but produced the same result. The teachers were Ricky Tripp, Marcos Santana, and Luis Salgado. Last week, Ricky Tripp came in to work with us and boy did he work us! He, just like several other teachers that have come in, immediately went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye! I'm starting to think that this is a character trait of a dancer. He came like a tornado and just pushed us the entire time, from warm-up to the combination. While I was dancing, I started to feel this little burst or burn in my heart (clearly not in a medical way). It was like my heart was screaming with excitement and it felt so good. That aftershock you feel after dancing while your trying to catch your breath is unlike any other emotion I've felt. I had this personal moment of feeling so good that my eyes started to tear up a bit. I didn't know what was happening initially but I knew that it was a good thing.

Marcos' class was unlike any other class I've taken. Guys, he is the FUTURE of dance. This guy is just above and beyond, so innovative. His class was a fusion of latin and hiphop. Trying to explain what he does won't do justice for him. I really started to think about choreography and how one has the ability to fuse anything and everything they want. Simple things like the Latin basic step became unrecognizable to the untrained eye when Marcos translated it into his own style. I usually shy away from choreography but Marcos expanded my perception of it and actually made me curious to see what I could come up with(which  becomes relevant because I actually need 2 8counts for next week).

Last but not least, yesterday we had class with Luis Salgado who is the brain behind this WHOLE organization. Initially, I wasn't even going to come to this class because of the weather and all the drama surrounding this "2010 blizzard," but I really wanted to come in because we have a commitment to this workshop. Thinking back, I'm so glad I came in because it turned out to be another one of those 'pivotal moments in my dance career' days. Just like Ricky Tripp, as soon as the music for the warm up came on, we hit the ground running. There was no time to think, we were just moving. I've grown to love classes like this because it forces me to STOP thinking, which is my biggest barrier in life. With Latin dance, prior to some of the classes in this workshop and the classes I've been taking with Maria Torres, I thought it would be my worst enemy. It's a completely different style in terms of placement and the 10 different things your body is doing at once. But, the thing that I love about Latin dance is that you really don't have to think because your body is telling you what to do. It's a domino affect/effect. The sway in my spine moves my back which moves my arms. The sway in my spine moves my hips which moves my knees while my feet are moving. Latin dance is all relative and all connected, I love it. Another thing that I love is that because my mind is free, I find myself connecting more to the music and enjoying what I'm doing. I feel like I'm LIVING while I'm dancing. It feels so good. The combination that we did yesterday was so fast but it was full of energy! It reminded me of Centerstage(I know, bad reference) when the main character goes to take a class at "broadway dance studio" and at the end they are just moving, moving, moving and eventually just drop to the floor. That energy is exactly what I felt yesterday and I still feel it today. The saddest part is that the workshop ends next week. I need to capture these feelings and hold onto them so that wherever I go, I can remember the feeling and use it.

I have so much more to talk about but this is WAY long. Auditions are coming up and I'm definitely going to give it my all. It's 2010, it's my time to shine.