Oh man, I hurt all OVER. My sore muscles have spawned little baby sore muscles. The only thing not in pain is my hands. It's all Dale's fault... Well, Dale and Harold's Opus 1 choreography between them. Lots of up and down and hit the floor. Hitch kicks, trenches and over-the-tops. I am in pain.
A few of us have the night off tonight which is nice. No ushering duties that is. But practice is expected and needed. There are still plenty of places where I am shaky on the steps. Why-oh-why is it all so bloody fast? My body is still adjusting to the sheer pace of these routines, which is pretty peppy.
A few moments of being very on the spot today. Ray and Sarah both went around and had people do steps from the pieces solo. Now this wouldn't be that big a deal, but I think that those of us who are still leaning pretty heavily on the stronger dancers to carry us all through felt pretty exposed. It's one thing to be muddling your way through the steps as you learn them all together, quite another when 2/3 of the class are pretty strong on the material, and you are suddenly out in front where everyone can see you making up your own versions of things. That said the vibe is very encouraging and most everyone is quite supportive when someone is struggling. As is so often the case, a lot of the insecurity is in one's own head, and folks are very patient when helping each other with steps.
Today we did a big go-around improvising to the music we will be using to demo some ideas from Dianne and Paul's classes. Dianne chose soloists for improv breaks at the end of tomorrow's show. Fighting wanting/not wanting to be in that spotlight. No matter, the folks who will be carrying that torch are all rock solid, which is all for the best. Most of the time my desire to have the show itself be as good as it can be overcomes my ego's ambition to be featured, and at the end of the day, if I take a step back, I am just as happy to let others with more experience take center-stage.
I can feel the letdown of the end of the program coming at me full on. Tomorrow's our last day together. It has really been one of the more inspiring experiences I have had as a dancer. Watching everyone do their thing, being so totally immersed in tap headspace. I am itching for more. Looking forward to Baakari's class in the fall. Wishing we could go to Chicago tap fest at the end of August. It's such scene, so similar in many ways to the folkfest/trad music circles I have been in for so long, but with it's own flavor. I want very much to be part of this community. They's good people. I wish I could walk you all through this place I have landed in, introduce you to my new friends, who I feel like I have known so much longer than two weeks, let you see the sheer awesomeness that are these kids. Some of them are just infreakincredible.
Anyhoo, more tomorrow.
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