REACH: An Evening of Music and Dance

Hey'all it's time for Project:Motion to take the stage once again. This time we're teaming up with other Memphis Artists (dancers and musicians) in the gorgeous Buckman Theatre at St. Mary's. Tickets are only $10 smackaroos and it's a great way to support the local art scene here in Memphis.

 Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 5:30 PM

Buckman Performing and Fine Arts Center at St. Mary's Episcopal School

Buy your tickets here.

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

Spring is here. 

It's still rainy and cold, on and off (notice the high tide), but the trees are beginning to bloom

and, simultaneously, my allergies are going crazy. 

Perfect.

 

These are shots from a few weeks ago, the earliest stages of warming up.

What better way to celebrate the first warm weekend than a trip to Overton and Riverside park with Cash? 

Seriously.

Look how happy he is. 
That kind of happiness is infectious. 

On another note, irony is not dead.
Thanks "Hefcoch" for getting this song stuck in my head for the last week.

What are you doing to get out of your winter funk and enjoy the onset of change?

xo

All The World is Green

1) Crystal Renn for Stylecaster 2) Nadja Seale.Lily Bloom  3) Pinterest  4) Plastic_Sfoonss

Doppelganger

Figure A.

You Didn't Think I Was Kidding, Did You?

The photo above was taken at the end of January, so the hair has only gotten more intense. (See Fig. B)

 Figure B 

Maybe I can convince someone to collaborate with me to get some great recreation shots on location. (hrm..)

For this accomplishment I will accept: 1) High Five's and/or 2) Personal style assistance

Results forthcoming.

Wait Were You Talking About My Dance or My Life?

I'm not typically a sucker for children. And what I mean by that is, I think they're cute and funny and all but I love giving them back to their respective parents and generally no sanctimonious, "ah, the wisdom and innocence of children" jargon falls from my mouth (although puppies are altogether another story... as I suppose it should be, just that, most other folk reverse priorities -- their choice -- "eee...PUPPY!"). But this little girl, she's different. Because this is a story of true determination, endurance, and refusal to quit, even when you're shoes just won't do it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The Tragedy of First Position

Thanks for sharing Hawkward

Insight in Arachnids

 Gorgeous Photographs by Junkaholique

I sent this to a friend recently 

hoping to help fill in some of the space with understanding words

but quickly and quietly afterward I could not pull myself from it

From Leaves of Grass

                    A Noiseless Patient Spider

A NOISELESS, patient spider,

I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;

Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,

It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;

Ever unreeling them—ever tirelessly speeding them.

5

And you, O my Soul, where you stand,

Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,

Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,—seeking the spheres, to connect them;

Till the bridge you will need, be form’d—till the ductile anchor hold;

Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.

10

New Find

Patrick Watson

Sort of Bon Iver ish meets Devendra Banhart?

I'm into it.

 Thanks, Pandora Radio.

Gorgeous.

Big Fosse Smalls

I'm hunting for inspiration as I embark on this choreography journey for Frame By Frame. I'm happy to report that I've been pleased with my first few rehearsals. It's been years since I've put something on stage and it feels like a brand new process. In a lot of ways it is, but I digress. I've completely abandoned the Six Feet Under ideas (maybe for another time) and I find it particularly interesting that I've actually come full circle, back to my first idea, it's just unfolding differently than I had primarily imagined. Happy accidents.

If we've met in person you've probably heard something of my adoration for the work of Bob Fosse or (at the very least) that Fosse was the name of my darling kitty (rip bitty girl). I think the genius of his influence in the world of dance and musical theatre (in all of its facets) is impossible to overemphasize. I could honestly go on and on, waxing poetic and geeking out, but I'll let you enjoy this one for now.

Feeling inspired?
Maybe we should make a phone date to geek out now..

PS. Make This

Corn and Chicken Chowder

It's ridonkulous.

Recipe and photo via Karly of Buns In My Oven

Mary & Max

 

Mary and Max

I stumbled upon this full length claymation feature on Netflix last night.

A story of loneliness, loss, misunderstandings, and an unlikely kinship.

Gorgeous animation, although, not intended for children.

 I hope you watch it.

Japan

Image and info reblogged from Minted Condition:

My heart goes out to those in Japan this morning as we are updated on the devastating news. Friends and Family along the West Coast and in Hawaii, be safe. If you want to help you can text redcross to 90999 to make a $10 donation. It will be added to your next cell phone bill.

Many Happy Returns

xo

Bookish {- Adjective. 1. given or devoted to reading or study.} 2011

Book 3

How To Be Alone: Essays, Jonathan Franzen

For me, collections of essays and short stories are never the riveting, hypnotic reads. Even when I think the ideas and writing are good (great), I almost always feel like it's safe. For me to really get into the work, I think it needs at least the space (length) of a novella to explore ideas thoroughly or fully enough. It's to my literary taste. So I read this book of essays and it didn't change my life, although, I'm obviously enjoying Franzen's work these days (I've posted him so many times here). How To Be Alone, begins strongly with the essays "My Father's Brain," a look at his father's battle with Alzheimer's, and "Imperial Bedroom," exploring America's complex obsession with privacy. In true Franzen fashion (in accordance with my previous experience reading his work) I inevitably compiled a "word list" of which I need assistance to pronounce and/or learn the definitions of. He defends himself (although not forcefully as to come across as brash or harsh) from this reputation of "elitist" "pompous" etc, and investigates the concept of difficult pleasure in the essay, "Mr. Difficult." I enjoy taking in his perceptions and thoughts as they align and differ from my own. I enjoyed hearing his personal take on the writer as social critic, a role that he very obviously embodies in his fiction writing. It's refreshing to receive a snippet of understanding of the author as person, not apart from but rather than author as artist, exclusively.

Reading the collection has made me excited to revisit David Foster Wallace's Consider the Lobster: And Other Essays. It is brilliance.

Wow I can't believe we're this far into March and I'm just finishing my third book this year. So different from the 45 challenge this time last year. I'm hoping to step it up..

Lucid Dream

The trick is to combine your waking rational abilities with the infinite possibilities of your dreams. Because, if you can do that, you can do anything. 

 Waking Life, 2001

All Images from Pinterest

Wait, Were You Talking About My Dance or My Life?

me

The wisdom of friendship and the human connection.

It's crazy. Sometimes it is exactly what you need to hear.

Inspiration {Frame by Frame}

It's crazy. In one week I've changed direction, a full 180, but its good. I'm starting to formulate and articulate ideas. I'm trying to remember it's an ever evolving process. It will be interesting to see what actually comes together as the final product at the end of all this. For now, I'm interested in divertise, to divert or entertain. So let's step back in time, shall we? There are so many good ones, I'm hoping to focus on 3 as major touchstones. For now, it's just fun looking.

In other dance news, I'm teaching the Project:Motion class tonight!

7:30 - 9:00 PM @ Theatre Works

Let's Play

xo

Going Against The Grain

Note to myself...

Pinned on Pinterest

Sometimes I hear things come out of my mouth or hear thoughts drift through my skull and I double take myself. I think my Argyle/Larsen lineage is a major influence in my nature to be opinionated/critical + vocal about it but I do believe it can be curbed, although that it is a choice I must consciously make. I suppose the reason I'm writing this out is because it's one choice I'd like to make more often. I want to have opinions, I want to give and receive constructive criticism, I think it's important to be able to speak for oneself but I don't need to spend my time hyper-analyzing, criticizing, or putting down over the small shit etc. etc. What I really should be doing is taking any/all of that energy and using it to see the good of people or channel it creatively. Using it to focus on myself, my plans, and where the near future will take me. I know that changes coming my way will arrive quickly, although it feels far off right now. In the meantime, I need to be spending that energy in honest conversation with myself and facing some of my complexes instead of pointing out the complexes of others. To take the advice will surely benefit my relationship and friendships as well. But to take the advice is hardest of all because it means real work, the interior kind. There seems to be a recurring theme in this space of knowing/finding excellent advice but finding/facing the difficulty that comes along with following through. Ima keep telling myself that all that good juju should add a few positive points in the ol' karma jar. I'm finding myself in introspective mode, I think it comes with turning 25 this week.  

Jon Stewart Calls Out Big-Shot Teachers with Their Fancy No. 2 Pencils

brilliant.

just continuing the thought from my previous post.

Happy Weekend

Going to get dinner and manicures with little sister tonight

Cook, eat and lounge with Darling tomorrow

And tap dance my way through Sunday

Happy Weekend Friends

xoxo

Bookish {-Adjective. 3. of or pertaining to books; literary}

 Pinned on Pinterest

In her interview, Heath uncovered a "wide unanimity" among serious readers that literature "'makes me a better person.'" She hastened to assure me that, rather than straightening them out in a self-help way, "reading serious literature impinges on the embedded circumstances in people's lives in such a way that they have to deal with them. And, in so dealing, they come to see themselves as deeper and more capable of handling their inability to have a totally predictable life." Again and again, readers told Heath the same thing: "Reading enables me to maintain a sense of something substantive--my ethical integrity, my intellectual integrity: 'Substance' is more than 'this weighty book.' Reading that book gives me substance." This substance, Heath adds, is most often transmitted verbally, and is felt to have permanence. "Which is why," she said "computers won't do it for readers."

-- Jonathan Franzen, How to be Alone

P.S. In other bookish-blog happenings, I updated an old post. I was having trouble finding images I liked the day of posting. When I first saw the new image (Paris, 1962) my brain immediately went to the Whitman poem. So, it had to be done. So there you go...if you're also into that ish... 

Floating Bridge {blues man}

It's raw

and
genuine
and

real good

Sleepy John Estes

Memphis Artist

Happy hump day! 

xo

Adventures in Babysitting!

Pinned on Pinterest

Disclaimer: I'm usually not one for political blog posting or chain letter emails. Today is an exception (maybe I'm feeling sappy). Today, this one struck me as pretty effing profound. My boyfriend is a teacher; my sister, my mother, my grandmother, my aunt, my uncle, my grandfather, my step-grandfather -- all educators, I suppose it's personal. I also want to share this in support of the public workers of Wisconsin. 

Are you sick of highly paid teachers?
     Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!
We can get that for less than minimum wage.

     That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours).

     Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to babysit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.
However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.
LET'S SEE....
That's $585 X 180= $105,300
per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about the special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an
hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.
Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher's salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students= $9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student...

A very inexpensive babysitter and they even EDUCATE your kids! WHAT A DEAL!!!!

A teacher somewhere in your neighborhood tonight is grading and preparing lessons to teach your children while you are watching television. In the minute it takes you to read this, teachers all over the world are using their "free time," and often investing their own money, for your child's literacy, prosperity, and future.

On another note (trying to paint a more full perspective) my coworker told me Charley Sheen is refusing to continue his network show unless he's paid 3million per episode (the current 1.2million isn't cutting it--mouths to feed people, mouths to feed). Let's do some checks and balances, folks. I could just spit.

Advice

 Pinned on Pinterest

I give myself very good advice
But a very seldom follow it
That explains the trouble that I'm always in
"Be Patient," is very good advice
But the waiting makes me curious
And I'd love the change
Should something strange begin

Well, I went along my merry way
And I never stopped to reason
I should have known there'd be a price to pay
Some day, some day

I give myself very good advice
But I very seldom follow it
Will I ever learn to do the things I should?

Will I ever learn, learn to do the things I should?

here

Love Thyself

We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and -- in spite of True Romance magazines -- we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely -- at least, not all the time -- but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness. 

— Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman 1955-67