To whom it may confuse: I will be chronicling my stint in the Berkshires, writing a more or less stream of consciousness account of tap dance boot camp. I'll be honored if you'll join me on this grand adventure...
In overview, I am attending a two week long training intensive at one of the oldest and most historic dance sites in America. The faculty are amazing. Program director Dianne Walker is a truly inspiring teacher and dancer. After taking class with her at the DC Tap Festival in April, I jumped all over the chance to be here and study more intensively with her, and somewhat to my surprise, my application got accepted. Woo!
A hellish day of travel, starting, as so often seems to be the case, with far too little sleep. The drive in from Lee was startling and lovely. Woods and lakes in amazing shades of green. Something kind of primordial about the forests. Everything is experienced through a haze of fatigue. But through that haze, Jacob's Pillow is astoundingly beautiful. Old wooden buildings scattered in a patch of woods. Flowers and birds and oh my god, chipmunks everywhere.
So here I am. I don't think I have been this excited about anything since Lydia was born. There are 25 of us, ranging in age from 15 to 40. Supposedly. Although I have yet to spot anyone not on faculty who looks older than me. I feel a little bit like I am having a dream in which I am back in Highschool. "Oh my god, and you know what he said to me?" Yikes. Nothing quite like suddenly finding yourself surrounded by teenagers.
We eat dinner, attend roughly 5 years of orientations, renewing in me a deep dislike for the whole process, (you know the kind of thing, having a series of 3 or 4 people tell you in wondering and exhaustive detail a bunch of stuff you just read in your welcome packet half an hour ago) and meet the staff, teachers and other students. By the end of it all I am deliriously tired. And happy. And TOTALLY pissing myself. Some of these kids are GOOD. Some of these kids are very very good. Like, studied with the late great Jimmy Slyde good. Uhhhhhhhhhh. I am feeling more than a little nervous.
Can't wait to get my shoes on tomorrow. There are some amazingly good looking floors here.
GOTTA sleep,
Ciao
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