its called the present because its a gift

When I first heard the idea of being "present" I found it somewhat cliche. Then I thought to myself, well why dont you try it. So I did. And it is the exact opposite of cliche. When I am present in class or on stage I feel everything moving and living. Its so easy to "phone in" an exercise or a performance but when your present you reap all benefits of being where you are, what your learning and what your doing.  I can honestly say now I could sit down, observe a class and know exactly who is really there being present and whos just there to be there. Being present is whats going to make you a better dancer, give you a better understanding and in the end, get you hired.

When I dance I...

Feel so alive. Dancing is my first love. I remember being on stage for the first time and absolutely loving it. Thats where I belong. In the past few years iv lost touch with my passion for dancing, I think because I had moved my whole life down to florida when I was 18 and not ready. All I knew was dancing and to come down to florida an know no one, really messed with my mind.  I didnt know where to dance or where to go. It took me a couple of years but I found HCC and VYB. These two establishments really brought myself back to where I wanted to be. It made me feel alive again, to wake up every morning and be able to do what I love is all iv asked for in life, AND I GOT IT BACK!

The feeling I have when im dancing is unexplainable. I wish I could explain it because alot of people dont understand dancing, they dont get why I spend my life "twirling" or "stomping the floor" an when friends call to go out,  I say sorry I have rehersal and they say didnt you JUST have rehersal? But maybe its not for them to understand, all I know is im happy and dancing is what ill be doing for the rest of my life. If I cant....I wont be truly alive


"everyone dies....but not everyone lives"



I fly with the stars in the skies
I am no longer trying to survive
I believe that life is a prize
But to live doesn't mean you're alive
Wish that I could have this moment
For life, for life, for life
Cause in this moment I just feel so
Alive, alive, alive

Practice makes perfect

This semester for me has really been back to basics, which is strange because iv danced the past 18 years of my life. This is my first semester having Acosta and Richard who I feel iv learned a great deal from. I really focused on my balance, findinding my center, and shifting (which im still trying to get the hang of). The style inside my body I feel is so set and as acosta would say, "phoned in". Modern and ballet have really helped me to get back to fixing everything that should have been worked on when I started dancing.

Next semester I would like to go beyond basics and really find myself as a modern and ballet dancer.

did you say pop culture?

Pop culture plays a big role on everything, especially dancing. Think about what genre of dance use to be the most "popular". For the longest time it was ballet. Ballet will always be well respected, but its not what everyone wants to master now. In 2010 its mostly about hip-hop and contemporary. WHY? because of the music we listen to, the shows we watch on TV. Rarely will you see a music video without backup hip hop dancers or go to a concert and say to yourself "I want to be on that stage behind Rhianna one day"! One of the most popular shows on TV is SYTYCD. That show focus on mainstream dancing. I have never seen a ballet or tap piece performed.

By way of style, I feel I can pick a dancer out of any crowd. Its gone very edgy when it comes to hairstyle and clothes and I think its because you see celebrities, and someone's always got something different about them, and to get hired thats what you need....something different. Your not going to get hired if you blend in with the crowd.

When it comes to me personally as a dancer, I definitely am a victim of pop culture. I watch SYTYCD religiously and want to be that girl on stage one day. I blame it partially on growing up in a studio being a competitive dancer, mainly jazz hip-hop tap and lyrical. I never took ballet to seriously. I haven't figured out why yet though, its between me not being good at it (because I never took it seriously), me knowing I could never be a ballerina because of my body type, or it just wasn't the "cool thing". I tend to like what im good at (which is jazz) but coming back to pop culture, even thats become extremely mainstream and a classical jazz piece is very rare found.

in this moment, im alive

Improve is by far my favorite thing to do. We took a class trip to a nearby park, chose a spot and went at it. Improve let me know im alive and feeling. Something about being outside in the fresh air is even more inspirational. I choose a spot near the memorial, I liked the dynamics of the area. I was able to be on the ground when I wanted but I could also climb if I felt so.

We broke into groups and watched each other dance. For some reason this is the only time I dont get nervous when I dance. Its when I really feel comfortable in my own body. My group chose a spot in the shade. There were a number of columns separating us but I think thats what really made the dynamics. I focused on a column as I danced around it, but closely. For some reason I had an connection with this area and it was almost intimate (I know that sounds funny). But i was really able to close my eyes and let go, just feeling its cold brick stand still as I swayed and leaned against it.

Miles away, or right besides you.

In class we had a lesson on tensegrity. experimenting with far mid and near space. To really be present and put the two of these ideas together was not only educational but gave me a better understanding of my own body and the way I move within it. 

tensegrity really helped me with my overall balance and technique. after learning about it I apply it constantly and am always aware of opposition, being grounded but also pulling up. I also for the first time "found" my parallel. This was also a great experience considering iv been dancing for 18 years and have worked with my wrong parallel. When finding my right parallel I was able to immediately rise and be stable with no wobbling. 

By way of far, mid and near space, it taught me that I can dance in other ways then I already do. Iv learned this semester I dance underneath myself. Which is something iv been really working on, along with my weight shifts. being present and focusing on the lesson I was able to think outside my box and really move and shift when it came to far space. Or just be still and small during near space.