Not only did I get to fly by learning some aerial work (thank you Christina and Caitlin), but I got to spend more time being a swan for Tommy’s piece as well.

Today was jam packed with workshops. I taught everyone about their cubes and diagonals and they were a great group to work with. Then the aerial workshop. I know I will feel this one tomorrow. It involves strength throughout the body and lord could I feel it in my upper body the most. I need to find time and money to take classes.

After Ian showed us some video editing software and all of the cool fancy tricks you can do with them (which gave me even greater Mac envy), I had time to start working on the video slide for my project. I got a lot of work done while enjoying a yummy spinach salad and a LOT of coffee at Henry’s Bistro. I still have a lot of work to do tomorrow and Monday, but I am very excited about the pictures I have coming in.

We then had a workshop with Robert “Changing our ideas about Haiti before we try to change Haiti”. This just added more layers to what I had learned from the first rehearsal for Robert’s side project.   The biggest thing that stuck out for me was that often when aid is given out, it is not done with enough thought, even when it is done with good intentions.  When we are “helping” another culture, it is important to value who they are and not impose your own values and expectations on them.  You should check out what Indy Convergence is doing in Haiti here http://www.indyconvergence.org/haiti

After a quick snack it was back into the dance studio for rehearsal with Tommy.  I got to do a little channeling of Ailey’s “Revelations”, as we worked on the church scene for his Swan Lake.  We had to gradually move from one side of the stage to the other.  We tried several different things.  The sort of ode to Butoh version in which we traveled incredibly slow from seat to seat, staying at one level, was a great quad workout 😉

Then I got to work on my swan which I am just loving.  I started to use the Dying Swan music (again, not from the ballet Swan Lake, but Tommy isn’t sticking with all of the original ballet music anyway).  This song is so beautifully tragic and gorgeous…did I mention I love it?  We worked together developing about a minute and half of phrase work.  Continuing with the idea of the swan gliding across the water and the neck being my entire spine.