What On Earth

should I do with my hair? It...it is about that time:

Waffles. Waffles in forests.

scene: leaving the cafeteria.

student one: "BYE, MISS WALL-WALD!"

student two: "BYE, MISS WAFFLE!"

Friends, I have arrived.

seedlings

This guy's work looks like something that may be interesting to see, or may be terrible.  What he has to say is at once interesting and exhausting in the way a lot of young choreographers' rhetoric is exhausting (particularly kids at DTW).  "It must be communicating something...You want to think you're making the next big thing.  ...look at the fucking thing, then whatever you feel has nothing do with me."  --Drama.

Meanwhile, I try to explain the idea of contraction and release to a group of students who have never heard of modern dance before now, and are reluctant to try jazz.  I plan to vary it up for Monday, and skip to Horton--something angular, spare, easier to grasp.  I may throw in some Limon to help them feel a bit more freedom of movement.  As of now, they're so not getting it.  

In other news, I bought peg board and dowels today.  I just googled how to cut a dowel using a fine-toothed hand-saw and a couple of books, and will google the cutting of pegboard next, in case I can't figure out how to distribute the dowels through the board as is.  I may have to go back to Lowes and ask for help in the morning.  Hopefully the result will be a bit of texture for above my bed--spare enough to be badass and pretty at the same time, in a cracker-barrel-peg-jump-meets-MOMA kind of way.  Nay you say?  Oh, hush.

Just Plain Dumb,

ThenaZ

Climbing

I visited the website Dave sent me which was supposed to help me think of where I want to live eventually.  When I spoke to my parents about it, the reality hit me again:  I'm going to need a job--a real job.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to need more stability than some do to be happy on my own, in all honesty.  Let's consider what happened to me in New York.  

Let's also consider this:  I love many, many things, and I need a job that has both stability and flexibility.  My parents are not-pushing but pushing for me to go into elementary ed, and have been for a while.  Would I like that?  Honestly, I think I would like that a lot.  Teaching elementary school is a great responsibility, which requires a lot of work, but I see no reason why I can't do it, and I see no reason why I wouldn't be happy working among educators and young children for a long time.  That's the truth.  I think I've been reluctant to go after this option, because I thought I had to go about it in some insanely special way in order to still keep my individuality, or to distinguish myself among the educator community--before I knew how to write a lesson plan.  I brought that up, and my dad reassured me of something I already know:  "You don't have to reinvent the wheel."  Although teaching would take up most of my life, and it would be something that I would do my best to be good at, I know that if I did it, I could find outlets for other aspects of who I am (physical theatre, modern dance, etc).  

I kept wanting to write "teaching will take up most of my life, teaching will be something I would do my best at..."  Seriously, guys.  I think this may be it.  

I am not a cop out.

I am not settling.

I'm evaluating real-time-me.  I'm listening.  

I know this about myself:  my brain functions best when I am busy.  This is something entirely different for me.  It is flexible and can eventually or relatively quickly go in the direction of arts administration work, because I have the arts knowledge, and Professional Development will be available to help with grant writing, etc.  The education degree itself will help, because I may or may not want to teach dance in schools forever, and it will give me that flexibility, plus I could be more employable as a dance teaching artist.

I'm going through my sophomore year of college major change a bit late, but it's official:  I'm going to write Ole Miss and Mississippi State to see what programs they have.

Dance?

At minimum, I need adult ballet classes--at least two/week.  I have that in-state.  Plus, if I like Ole Miss, they'll have a teacher I like in-house, and I can likely arrange to take classes there.  Long-story-short, that aspect of my artistic development may or may not have to take a back seat for a short time, but we all know that if I want to pursue those things, I will find ways to do that.

Independence?  

I want to move to my own place, or live with a roommate.  Rent is very cheap here.  Tuition is less expensive in MS.  I choose state schools because I may be able to start next semester on night classes, and transfer the credits.  I also choose in-state because...I just moved.  Twice.

So there's that,

Thena Z

 

Roots

Hi.

Where do I move to in the future?

*shake shake shake the 8 ball.*

Is there a handy website online that tells me about a different place each day?  If not, someone please get on that.  Thanks.

...paper. ...in book form. Pulp?

So I got a Library Card.  Let's read Cocteau.  Shall we (check that double jointed finger in that fourth photo.  WHAT?!) ?

In other news, I made dinosaur cookies with two friends of old tonight.  Elena, the newly registered dietician, and her twin brother, Alex--my architect friend.  We talked of many things, including a project I want the time for--a texture-driven assemblage for above my bed (to make my room look less suuuuper girly).  He suggested a darker blue like cobalt, as opposed to the contrasting color.  I haven't decided yet, but I hope I can find the time in my schedule.  Ooooh my schedule.

Off to Cocteau mysef to sleep,

Thena Z 

Branches

It starts.  I'm now being recruited right and left for dance-things here in town, the most bizarre of which is my new title of choreographer for TCT's production of "Crowns" (a show about black women and their hats by Regina Taylor).  I already got a wary comment from a lady I went to school with "...just as long as it's not anything like ballet."  Ooooh my past comes back to haunt me.

Wow.  I'm zonked.  More soon.