I Adulted Today!

No really, I did. I managed to coordinate, in about 48 hours, how to get housing for next year, how to play the system, figure out new roommates, find the room we want, find a plan B, C, D, E, F, and G just in case. And because I took initiative for myself, I managed to get Emma Smith and Silvana as AMAZING roommates for next year in the best dorm on campus, Graham, AND get the cheapest living plan on campus! I would say that I deserved a pat on the back, so I decided to eat a whole tub of ice cream that night.

Gratitude Corner

Thank you to Gospel Choir for the most Christ filled concert I have ever been a part of. I will always hold a very special place in my heart for all of you. Thank you for showing me so much of Jesus’ light through song.

Golden Birthday!

I turned 19 on April 19th so that makes it my Golden Birthday! I actually had amazing classes that day and loved every bit of what I learned. I was dancing ballet on my birthday, talking about Jesus in Christianity class, and took a quiz I got an A on in Psychology! What a great day, right?! I was given some great presents including a HUGE gluten-free goody bag (oh yeah, I’m gluten-free now!) from Nicole, who showed me the do’s and don’t of the crazy diet, I got SAN FRANCISCO BALLET tickets to go see Cinderella with my new roomie, Emma, and I got a surprise Happy Birthday song and ice cream cake from my San Filippo hall peeps! We had a great time playing games, eating ice cream, wearing funny glasses and clown noses, and blowing way too many bubbles and popping balloons right when we blew them up!

Danced All Night, Begged for More

And thank you for getting that reference, because I spread my wings and did a thousand things this weekend too. I was accepted to perform in Santa Clara University’s Choreographer’s Repertory Intensive Showcase this weekend! Over the course of two days, I, along with 11 other dancers, spent 13 hours in rehearsal with professional companies from San Francisco. Yes, that is 13 hours of nonstop professional level dancing with only two 10 minute breaks and lunch each day. There were three 6-8 minutes dances performed and we were all in 2 of three dances. All of us together performed an original lyrical/modern piece called Speak, Angels choreographed by Janice Garret of Garret+Moulton Productions. Half of the dancers from the company and Garret herself came and taught us the original choreography with no “easy” modifications. In 5 1/2 hours, we managed to learn an 8-minute solo with occasional partner work and logistically put all the solos together at the same time to create a cohesive work of art expressing the fast, elegant, raw, light, off balance, and twisted tug and pull between angels and people. My second piece was an African/Egyptian dance with 4 other dancers and we performed the third act of Ascension called As I Please choreographed by Latanya d. Tigner of Dimensions Dance Theatre. Latanya, the original choreographer, came in and taught us this 6-minute piece in 5 1/2 hours as well that exposes the pain, determination, energy, strength, and release of marginalized African Americans are forced to endure in order to reach for something bigger and higher like ancient Egyptians that they aspire to be. These two days were a dream of mine. None of us could walk the next day, and my whole big toe is a blister, but what I did this weekend showed me just a smidge of the potential I have. Simply put, I created incredible art, was taught by the creators themselves, and also got a huge confidence boost.