So I'm not there yet (the tipping point) but I can feel it lurking nearby.
So what does it mean, really, in consequence, to grow up and start making decisions? Some of the big ones that dictate where you live and what you do with your life every single day.
What does it mean to dream, dream big, and dream with intention?
How do you come to the point where you can articulate what it is you want? (Is it a personal problem of mine?)
In the unstable economy that has circumstantially landed upon my generation, do we alter/adjust this dream out of necessity? Do we dream smart, or safe? And what are the consequences of dreaming safely, or balls out? Is it worth sacrificing your dream, or your love of something for a shot at success?
What is worth sacrificing for happiness, for money? And I don't ask that rhetorically or profoundly, but actually. What is worth sacrificing for happiness, for money? (Because I tell you this one thing, my passions and interests have led me to dreams that are all within fields in which it is very difficult to also be monetarily comfortable. )
I do know that step 1 for me is articulation. It will take me some time, no doubt. But ideas are brewing, emotions are stirred and I'm finding the motivation to start making things happen. It's an active choice.
+++
Any: advice, empathy, sympathy, ideas, encouragement, stories to share? What and how and when and where do you dream? And when do you decide to really do something about it?
Some opening night inspiration, there are so many good elements happening here.
I really love Justin Giles' choreography and classes. Pay attention to *this girl's articulation and attention to detail. Her timing/musicality + energy/quality is superb, no doubt, but I would like to point out that all of that goodness stems from her solid footing. Seriously, look at her balance! Not-a-one ankle wobble, not one single extra skitter step. It's amazing to realize how difficult this is to achieve, and what a difference it makes in the overall delivery. Those little extra between movements, the ones that just happen are so distracting and I think really distinguish between good and great dancers (not that I'm there, I just recognize it). It's her stability that gives her the confidence to really get lost in the movement. (I'm having trouble with balance this week. The inability to get lost in it because I'm worried about balance has been very frustrating, I'm blaming the crazy full-moon.) And also....when was the last time you thought a layout looked that cool??? j'taime. I love and hate that dance is a live art form. Sure, you can film it (and that could turn into a wildly successful TV show) but it never translates. Never.
*has she been a contestant on said successful TV show? I don't have television
Opening ReNEWal tonight. Please come if you're in the Memphis area!
Evergreen Theatre in Midtown Memphis
(Corner of Belvedere and Poplar)
doppelgänger - The word is used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection
The icing on the cake (proverbially speaking), was the part where my favorite sweater got a huge snag in the sleeve today.
Who knows how it happened ...
It made my heart sad.
I know it's just a sweater. but. but. but..... wwwwhhhhhyyyyy?
The show starts next weekend so it's all dance, all the time for the rest of October. But I'm trying to keep my cool and I'm looking forward to the Farmer's Market (I haven't been able to go the last few weeks, there are only three weeks left!) a couple of quiet moments + a weekend trip to Hotlanta once everything simmers down.
Take it easy friends.
I'll be icing my shoulder injury (old) tonight and savoring my first/last night to bum around home for a few weeks. Here's hoping everyone's weekend is a little bit easier than this week!
"For it is not true that an uneventful time in the past is remembered as fast. On the contrary, it takes the time-stones of events to give a memory past dimension. Eventlessness collapses time."
John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley
Finding myself with my head in the clouds. Wanderlust.
Are you listening to The National? If you answered no then I have something to tell you...
The National is probably the best band you're not listening to. If yes, than you probably already know what I'll be gushing about for the remainder of this post (but maybe everyone's already listening to them, rendering this suggestion irrelevant?). Darling began listening to The National sometime last year (although their first album released in '01), and, admittedly, it took me a little longer to catch on. Maybe it's the magic of live performance? But suddenly I can't seem to get enough of this Brooklyn-based ensemble. Their moody melodies creep up on you slowly--the more you listen, the more hypnotizing it becomes.
We saw them perform in the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The visitor tour claims that the Ryman Auditorium has been rated as having the second best acoustics in the world (after the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's venue in SLC). Truly, the sound was pristine, impeccable + there is not one bad seat in the house. Fantastic lighting design + a talented array of musicians (keys, strings, brass, drums, guitars, bass) made for an impressive show. They gave such an electrifying, intimate performance, pulling material from all of their albums. To end, the band got personal, unplugged, to pay homage to the venue and show off what it could do, the original purpose for which it was constructed. No amplifiers, no microphones, the house lights came up and the evening closed with a very moving, acoustic rendition of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.
But I mean, seriously--if you have any affinity for Interpol (my original theory on The National was that I thought they were the new Interpol), Arcade Fire, Alexi Murdoch, Radiohead, The Smiths/Morissey, Psychedelic Furs, and Talking Heads... OR, if you are a victim of urban isolation with an affinity for black comedy... pick up an album. Boxer, Alligator, or High Violet might be good places to start, but it's all quite excellent...
Okay y'all, I can't believe it but the show is coming up so, so soon! (My schedule has only gotten crazier and crazier in preparation) So here's my first plug for
Project: Motion's: reNEWal
As well as my first invitation to all of you in the Memphis area to come and check it out! Project: Motion (or, as I like to refer to it Sparkle Motion ;) tee hee) has been around for 24 years (!!) and to celebrate our longevity as a company and cultural tradition in Memphis we have put together a repertory show of notable past works. We have revived them, given them a new twist and new life! (Upcycling is the new black!) The show runs for 2 weekends (Oct 22-24, 28-31) at Evergreen Theater, the intersection of Belvedere and Poplar in Midtown Memphis. Be there squares! We're going to have a blast.
+ my momma sewed some beeaauutttiiffulll costumes for one of the pieces!
"My dream is to walk around the world. A smallish backpack, all essentials neatly in place. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. A nice pleated (green?) skirt for the occasional seaside hotel afternoon dance."
— Maira Kalman (The Principles of Uncertainty)
I hope you all are well.
Mom is still in town.
Things have been surprisingly mellow despite the packed schedule.
I misjudged. And you know what?
She's great with my Cashman
and
I don't think she even cares about my clean fridge...
