Summer intensive time!

Summer is here! (with searing temperatures and hot sun, hope you're heading for the pool or air conditioning...) 

I am excited to say that I am spending my main part of summer at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet's summer intensive 2011.  So far it is amazing!  I started on the 18th - earlier this week.  I'm staying in Manhattan at a friend's apartment.  It's really nice - I have a great little room that is graciously being shared by another friend that is not come back to use it until September.  The friends I'm staying with have 3 cats - Clare, Patty and Emma - very sweet, well-behaved cats.  Emma is much like a dog, eager for affection, always around with a ton of energy, and breaks stuff!  (Her nickname is "the imp".)  Her fur is very, very, very soft.  She is a pale orange with slightly darker stripes.  The other two are tabbies and a bit older (Emma is 4). 

I have a really fantastic view from my room - and I am enjoying it during the short (ish) time I am there.  (Photos to come shortly!) 

As per the hot weather...  it's been pretty hot in the city.  There was one day in particular that was pretty miserable underground.  It seemed as thought the air conditioning was not running in the subways at all!  One station especially was SO hot that when I stepped out across the platform it felt literally, like an oven.  I really wondered how everyone standing there was not keeled over flat on the ground.  Yikes.  And then, when I walked from the subway out in the open air, I realized that it was actually a nice and breezy day outside!  Why so hot underground!?  A mystery... 

The program has been amazing and super intense at the same time.  The people and fellow students are so warm and friendly.  The work ethic of my fellow students is inspiring, and it is really wonderful to be around individuals that work hard and most importantly, really care.  Our class the first 3 days or so were all friends and really bonded until leveling on the 4th day when we all mixed around again.  It was hard to separate but we all got together during lunchtime anyway! 

I'm so grateful to be able to go to this intensive.  It's absolutely wonderful -- the first 2 days I was sure that I must be in heaven.  I can feel the improvement by the day.  It is a pretty sublime feeling to realize that one has never felt so happy - with their environment, personal progress (a dancer, actually happy with/recognizing their progress!?!), and really, just everything.  It is extremely rewarding to work very hard and actually see the results and feel fulfilled in that work...  coming home at the end of the day exhausted but ready to do it all over again in the morning...  I'm looking forward to going back on Monday to another exciting week of putting out everything to utter exhaustion and complete soreness at the end of the day!

It's surreal, too, to be back in the city, but also really great - especially in the summer.  There's a special magic about summertime in NYC.  Hence, one of my favorites: