Thank you Chicago

I started this blog about three years ago, when I left San Francisco, my home of six years to go get my MA in London. When I returned the US rather than go back to San Francisco where I could probably now only afford a shoe box to live in, Mike and I decided to give Chicago a try. I had only spent a weekend of my adult life there, stopping by on a trip home to Michigan to see my grandma and explore with Mike. I think we were there for about 48 hours and pretty much only doing the typical touristy things.

Chicago made sense though, as the closest major city to my parents and sisters. It had all the things the two of us required -dance, pilates, a big body of water and major league baseball teams. (Can you guess whose concern that was?) It was nice after more than a decade away from the midwest to not be immediately called out on my accent, although that still happened here too.

I had an idea when I finished my MA that I might not be done with school and last fall I started the process of applying to PhD programs. At that point I’d been in Chicago about 9 months and although I liked it, I didn’t love it and certainly didn’t feel like it would be that hard to leave. Somehow between then and now Chicago really began to feel like home. I ended up working at two great pilates studios where I had amazing coworkers and really enthusiastic clients. I decided to produce a dance show -the first I have ever completely self produced- and in the process I met the most wonderful talented group of artists. Even just the process of looking for a theater was fun. I’d visit venues and if they weren’t right, they’d give me suggestions, point me towards other resources. Although I don’t have a Chicago show on the books now, I would love to do another show there because it was such a great experience the first time around. Thank you to everyone who was part of that process.

During this year in which Chicago really became my home I got accepted into the Critical Dance Studies PhD program at University of California Riverside and got engaged. So here I am, once again, with big changes on the horizon.

I read this article a few months back as I was getting ready to leave. It was written by someone leaving London which made me nostalgic for my brief time there but even more so made me think about my upcoming departure from Chicago, -particularly this quote “You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

Thank you Chicago. I will miss you because of all the kind, fun, loving, wonderful people I met or reconnected with. (Polar vortex is not on this list.)

Inside Reframing Bodies

This gallery contains 12 photos.

I can’t believe we are less than two months away from presenting Reframing Bodies. Not in a scary overwhelming way, because I am really happy about how the piece is shaping up. More in a sad way, I wish we … Continue reading →

Good bye London, Hello Chicago

Farewell London. It has been a very stressful year, but you are still a beautiful city and I will definitely miss all the people I’ve met this past year. The mission to make me cry before my departure was successful, which just means I’ll have to find an excuse to come back.

I’ll miss this view,

but not this one.

Now setting out for five weeks of adventures around Europe before heading back across the ocean. When we do go Mike and I are headed to Chicago. It has dance, pilates, baseball, it’s on water and its closer to my family. After almost a decade of living away from the midwest I’m not sure I’m ready to go back to real winters again but I am looking forward to being able to drive instead of fly to visit my nieces and nephew.

New adventure… here I come!

Countdown!

I show my final project in eight days! Doesn’t that mean I should be working on it?

Yes.

I am working… my video is rendering. And I am so antsy and wanting to do something productive that I am writing this post, while my computer works. If I REALLY really wanted to do something productive I would try to write my program note, but I won’t go that far right now.

and it is rendering….

and so this will probably be a disjointed post, but I figured it was either a bad post or none at all.

Also in just five days Mike will be here!

near Tower Bridge

He will probably have seen more of London than me by the time we leave. I am so excited to have him here but I will be running around trying to get my project together, trying to lend a hand to a few classmates, trying to see all my classmates work and celebrating the end of this current period of crazy. I guess he can join me and take part in most of those, or he can go wander around London. Not bad choices.

Last countdown… and possibly the best one -eleven days from now I leave for Spain. My goals for Spain are

• eat a lot
• drink a lot
• sleep a lot
• not check facebook or email

It’s going to be fabulous. Photos will probably be posted somewhere between one month and a year from now based on my track record.

Hmmmmm, still rendering. Think it’s time to try restarting the program or even the computer.

Max made it to Michigan / Back to Dance on the Brain

My cat made it safely to my parents house in Michigan. Thank you everyone who supported me in worrying about his well-being. I heard he was fine, healthy, but timid on arrival, which is not his usual MO but I’m sure he will feel more comfortable and be back to hissing at people left and right in no time.

Now I’m able to get back to working on my project, which means I have to figure out what I’m doing with my project. I’m using some cool video editing software, but it almost gives me too many options. I have such a learning curve adding this element but its fun at the same time. One of the things I’m having problems with is getting the video I’ve made to upload to either YouTube or Vimeo so you’ll just have to imagine what it might be for now.

 

Getting Older is Not All Bad

In the last month I feel like I’ve had so much information come my way that a lot of it has washed over me and gone on its way. Some bits have stuck though and I’m looking forward to getting back into the studio when I return from my trip. Two weeks free of classes, San Francisco here I come!

Starting January 9th I’ve been in Laban Monday through Friday. Being creative as a full-time job is  draining. Some of my classmates and I discussed reaching the point last week where we were no longer capable of really basic decision-making. I spent ten minutes in one store staring at the hair products as they didn’t sell the stuff I get in the US before moving on to another store where I stood stupidly in front of their hair products for another ten minutes. In the end I decided I had better just wait until I’m in the US next week since I can’t possibly choose a new product. Yikes.

And decision-making becomes even more important as my proposal for my final project is due in about a month. So San Francisco here I come, loaded up with books!

On a happier note I am on track so far with my New Years resolution of seeing at least one show a week. I would have missed a week but my wonderful classmates got me a ticket to see Cirque de Soleil for my birthday!

Royal Albert Hall

And, because it made me smile when I saw it I had to share: the hill in front of my school, demonstrating a rare occurence, sunshine!

Good bye London, please try to warm up a little while I’m gone.