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Visiting New York |
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2nd November 2005 : Spent the evening booking flights. I had emailed Morocco to ask if she had space on the course and she has promised to keep me a place so that I have time to check accommodation and flights. She also sent me details of a number of local hotels and hostels in the area, so I have had a surf and chosen where I want to stay. It seems like the best option is the one with no web site and who only deal with bookings via fax (FAX ! - what that ?), so that's another job for Kevin--I will be within walking distance of the venue for workshops and right in the heart of the area. If you want to see details of the Winter Weeklong they are on www.casbahdance.org 3rd November--2005 Just got a really nice message from Rocky--she said "Yippeee" when I told her I was all booked. Big gulp--now I really have to go ! I have always promised that I would travel when the kids got big enough to leave and I guess now Bram is 8 he is old enough. I travel round the UK lots and everyone copes without me. But I have never been on an airplane on my own, never got a taxi on my own (even in the uk), bit of a country mouse really. New York will probably be a bit of a shock….. 29th November--2005 All the details of where, when and how have arrived. The week starts with a showcase on Saturday night and continues through til Friday afternoon. The first workshops start Sunday morning at 9.30am with a 45 min warm up.. Topics through the week include Real Uzbek dance, modern Schikhatt and lots of routines.. I'm so excited ! - Rocky is just one of those people who overflow with amazing, interesting and inspiring info--I just know I am going to learn tonnes. We have been invited to bring a notebook, but I am terrible at keeping notes. I need Emma or Kathryn to come with me as they always take great notes--wonder if either of them would mind ? We are all going to perform at the Lafayette on Thursday night. Things I need to sort out :
30th November--2005 Lindsey has lent me her veils !!! - they are beautiful and came from Jamilla of BDSS--they feel so elegant and I'm going to love dancing with them. Mersin ladies are the best ! Later - And Catherine is going to cover my Wednesday class. She is going to do some veil and double veil (her veil work is amazing) - did I mention that Mersin ladies are the best ? 2nd December--2005 Taught my last class for adult Ed today so now very nearly on holiday (I know !). Preparing for the BDV show tomorrow night and the family xmas on Sunday, but after that I can focus on what I want to dance in NY, term plans for spring, class choreos for May and all those last minute xmas jobs that turn up (three kids in three schools = lots and lots of carols, prize givings, xmas dinners and bring a cake !). Asked Afra and Emma to have a think about my strengths and weaknesses so that I can pick something to perform that does me proud. Can't do tribal (coals to Newcastle), couldn't do veil to American standards -ditto zills. I love modern Pop, but it can be naff and may be overdone. I loved Chicky until I heard it was the Kiss Kiss song of the states (at least twice every Hafla) - all you need when your music kicks in is to hear a groan from the audience ! 5th December--2005 Show went well on Saturday night. Talked to Afra about my music choices. She thinks its too short a time to come up with something new and so I should focus on my favourites and find something I love to perform. Very good advice but BIG problem is that Rocky wants a five min performance and I very rarely do more than 3 1/2. Haflahs normally have a strict time limit on numbers set at about 4 minutes--everything I perform to or love is short and sweet (like me !). Have made a short list on iTunes (short list of 12) - but hate them all. Getting really frustrated and grumpy. And having done the dance on glasses on Saturday night my knees hurt and I have to do it again next weekend--grump ! 7th December--2005 Listened again to my music and the only thing I really love right now is Raks Musri which is 3 mins 30--BUT have another George Abdo number on my short list and that is in three sections--maybe could do a bit of creative cut and pasting ? After wearing my gold costume on Saturday I think that it's the right one to take with me. My other really nice one is heavier and not really suitable for classical style. BUT all the skirts I mix and match with it would need ironing and one thing I don't want to do while in NY is ironing ! -will have a think. I have a good skirt but its silver and the costume is gold….. 8th Decmeber--2005 Got out the whole George Abdo album and realised I love it all !! Measured out some sections and can see how to get creative and stick different bits together to make a medley. Happy to think that I can take my favourite piece of music with me and dance that. It will make a huge difference to dance something I love. Emma says my strengths are classical, Baladi and emotional dance and that has made me feel more confident in my choice. If I can get a nice soft opening, some heartbreaking emotional middle and then an upbeat tempo to finish that would be fantastic--afterall how long can 5 minutes feel ? Kevin has promised to process the music over the weekend. 12th December--2005 Hurray ! - lots of news. Didn't get the music edit done, but know what I want now and will nag Kevin to get it done tonight. Had a great class Saturday and felt really bouncy afterwards. Went to Yasmin's Hafla yesterday in Poole. Poppy and I did a workshop with Tim and Dave on how to dance to live drums--Yasmine had worked out a short choreo and it was great to see how she interprets the music broken down.. Tim has agreed to come and play in Basingstoke in March. He lead a fun warm up which put us all "in the rhythm" - but they save the best playing for the last half hour. I get such a buzz from dancing to live drums and the interaction with fantastic players like T&D are. They did some really fancy tricks and fooled around with the patterns--made me giggle (and I think Tim laughed once or twice !). They wanted us to spin, but the room was too hot and we were all too likely to fall over-- they got faster and faster and more insistent ! Yes I know your drum is shouting "spin", but I am too tired ! No one makes me do what I don't want to ! I did my dance on glasses again, which went down very well--got a gasp or two--worth the knee braces for the rest of the week ? Poppy took some photos but the glasses are only in one or two--otherwise it just looks like I'm standing with my legs rather tight. I also found a skirt. It's a stunning petrol blue (one of my Trinny and Suzanna colours), with a long straight skirt that ends in a fishtail.--and best of all it will never need ironing. 13th December--2005 Kevin and I did the music edit last night and I'm very nearly happy with it. I selected three clips that we wanted to mix into one number. The second cutting into the third is fine--very smooth, but the first cutting to second started out a mess. It took an hour or so of messing and an extra clip from earlier to make it do-able. Then the finished number ended up at 6 minutes !!! No idea how that happened, so it was back to cutting and mixing until we were down to 5.18. The beautiful opening is exactly 18 seconds but it adds so much atmosphere I don't want to give it up. Anyhow I sent a begging email to Rocky last night and had a lovely reply waiting for me this morning--she said I can have the extra 18 seconds so it looks like I have my music and I have my outfit--now if I could find my confidence…….. Also very happy this morning as my birthday present has arrived from California--a stunning Skorset from Tempest. It's a mix of corset and tribal belt in red and black--very raks gothic. It does wonders for my bum. Spent the first hour of the day standing on a chair in the hallway trying to take photos of myself in the big mirror so I could send them to Afra and Emma--also sent them the music. It got stuck in Emma's firewall, but Afra liked it, didn't really notice the first break and thought the Americans will love it ! Here comes my confidence !!! Should put it in a bottle next to the rescue remedy. 4th January--2006 Just back from Xmas holidays--nice and relaxing. We did lots of skiing but I was very good and took a morning off to practice--put on Polish MTV and did nearly an hour of drills. Honest ! - I ran through my number a few times but couldn't travel as I had no where to put the portable CD player. Ended up putting the player on the windowsill and dancing with a snowy field as my audience. The rest of the week I just listened to the player and visualised while sat up in the big warm bed. I bet BDSS sometimes train that way too.. Had a dress rehearsal last night--the dance went well but the costume failed. Need to get out my sewing box and make it 100% accident proof. Looked again at the list of workshops and its very exciting- I'm going to learn some fantastic new stuff. More worried about leaving the family now than anything else. But I guess tomorrow the packing starts and then I am off.. I will try to send an update while I am out there, cos if you have read this far then you will need to know how it goes. |
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Skorset and the new blue skirt |
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Please excuse the hands--this is my dance on glasses--and the gold bra and belt set I want to wear. Love the orange skirt, but it takes forever to iron ! |
