October!

It's really been a while here on the blog! My apologies for the lack of posts in basically what adds up to be a month of time with no Bunhead! I've been busy but good. Today is Columbus Day, and I actually have off. (Surprise!) Right now I'm sitting on my deck at home in this glorious October afternoon warm weather, enjoying doing nothing. I get rather lazy in my short time off. Actually, I spent this morning organizing clothes and doing laundry for this coming week, so it's not all leisure. So what have I been up to lately? My program started on September 12th. I had a really good first week, commuting in by bus, and staying with friends in NJ. These past 3 weeks I have been staying with wonderful friends in NJ. I am so grateful to them for helping me out! I don't mind commuting, actually - it's just expenses that can weigh you down. I am excited because I am very close to getting a place to stay in Manhattan ( I just need to interview this week) and then I will be settled for the rest of the year! So this of course is great news and I can't wait to finalize it. I absolutely love my school, instructors, classmates and the entire environment in which I am studying! It is amazing hard work and I am humbled by so many people that have helped to get me here and those that I am surrounded by everyday. The program is fantastic, really, but it doesn't mean you won't be exhausted by the end of the day. I have improved so much just from the summer intensive, which is such a great feeling and really makes one see the truth in the curriculum they have to offer.

A rough example of daily schedule, often shifting depending on the day or how the schedule has been organized for the week will look something like this:
Core Dynamics 9:00am (minimum a half hour class, usually 45 minutes or longer)
15 minute break
Technique class - usually 10:30am or so - 11:45
15 minute break    (All classes usually have a 15 minute break in between unless it's the "lunch break" which often isn't that long! Mostly, the 15 minutes will just get you enough time to re-fill your water bottle, go to the bathroom, and grab whatever you need out of your locker (i.e. tutu, character shoes, etc).) 
Noon-ish Pointe/Variations, Pas de Duex, or Stretch class, depending on the day/schedule
Half hour or 45 minute break for lunch
Afternoon classes, either 2 or 3 - Repertoire, Stretch, Pointe/Variations, Drama/Mime, Bournonville Enchainment, Character, or Music, as well as optional classes such as stretch or upper bodywork.  Usually the day will finish at 4:30 or by 4:45; if there are optional classes and people stay to take them, the day will finish at 5:45.  It really isn't bad at all, but you definitely will have the potential to feel tired, sore and achy.  Woe to you after a long day if you can't get a seat on the subway... AND the bus...

So that's what I've been doing for these past 3 weeks...  I've been commuting by bus daily, which I actually don't mind.  The past two weeks, where I was staying, I had a very fast commute that usually took a half hour, which was really nice.  Everything was going pretty seamlessly until I got sick this past week.  It was really weird - it started with a nasty allergy attack and gradually morphed over the next day and a half until I found myself with fever and chills.  The next morning, after a truly horrible night, I definitely had a fever, but went in to classes anyway.  What was I going to do, stay home and do nothing?  I could not miss classes, really - I've seen too many people take off for just a little cold or something.  People at school thought I was crazy and told me to "go home!".  I took core and tech ( I felt pretty much fine, just really hot) and then sat out for two classes.  My fever went down and I was okay to finish rest of the day.  The next morning I felt so much better, it was amazing.  That feeling kind of went away as the day went on, but I was feeling good about not having missed a day through everything.  It's one thing to be really, really sick - i.e., vomiting, unable to get out of bed, pounding headache - but if you're just feeling "off" you should really make the effort.  If I had had a migraine I wouldn't have gone, but a sore neck, scratchy throat and fever isn't, in my book at least, an excuse to not be there.  Ironically, my class had perfect attendance the day I had the fever!

So, bad that it may be for me to justify going in "sick", I stuck it out, eventually working through what morphed into a cough/cold.  What can I say, I'm hardcore.  I definitely took care of myself and took a lot of medicine, and I'm pretty much fine now - just a bit of a cough and funny sounding voice (okay, I sound too much like a frog for my tastes!).  But I'm pretty sure that most everything will be cleared up for going back to classes tomorrow!  (At least, there's no talking in Ballet...)  The interesting thing is that I never get sick, and I mean, NEVER.  It was eye opening to go to Church yesterday and see how many people had serious sick coughs.  Something happened this week to make a lot of people at least under the weather - maybe the high pollen/ragweed count?  It seems that's what did me in.

But enough about that, I did get some time to enjoy this lovely weather we've been having - yesterday, at an amusement park in Elysburg, PA.  I have a relative who's a vendor at an Autumn craft and food festival they have there, so I was able to ride some rides with my family and visit with a few relatives and friends as well.  It was a picturesque day, even nicer than Saturday - not a cloud in the sky the entire day!  The weather was lovely - that great October/fall warm weather feeling that is different from the heat of summer and almost nicer because you have the smell of the leaves.  (Yes, I really love Autumn weather.)  So that was a nice getaway.  Yet I always think to myself out and about among others, how people have no idea what I do.  They don't know who I am - a dancer, an artist, an athlete.  I have a sort of secret and secluded part of my life!  I do amazing and even painful things with my body to create and tell a story, convey an emotion, express an idea.  I discipline myself all day long.  I many evenings go home exhausted - tired, sore, sometimes even depressed or downtrodden after a hard day, and then get up early every morning eager and ready to do it all over again.  Many days I will feel extremely fulfilled after a day of successful and satisfying work, but this isn't always how it is.  There are many sacrifices to make, but these sacrifices are made freely and even happily, because they are made out of love.  We love what we do, and we do it for you:  the audience. 

So, it feels good to take a break, to have a long weekend, but at the end of the day I always find myself yearning to go back and dance.  Even if you're tired and low on energy you will still find the magic and the passion of classical Ballet.  I'm looking forward to starting a new week tomorrow and getting back in the groove of things.  I'm really excited that I will be soon housing in Manhattan (yes!) and can't wait to settle down after really being a nomad for the past year.  Maybe I'll finally be able to explore some areas of the city that I've had suggestions to check out, (instead of hurrying back to NJ!) or stop by museums, performances, and other things the city has to offer.  (Even stop by a library somewhere - I have a library card but never time to use it!)  I can't believe it's already October - a busy month with some leftover summer (at least this year), birthdays (including mine... this week...) and beginnings of preparation for soon upcoming performance in December, which of course will be well-advertised in advance.

Time to enjoy the rest of the afternoon!
Au Revoir,
Bunhead

P.S. Hope you like the new blog template/color scheme - inspired by Pennsylvania's Autumn folliage!