samba, etc.
in Funny Stuff, Performance, Thoughts and Feelings
as alvin ailey, booty bouncing, drummers, dynamite woman, fancy footwork, goodburger, hey girl, random guy, unitard, wall to wall
Two words for you: booty bounce.
Okay, two more: Alvin Ailey.
And two more, cause this is really quite fun: samba class.
My friend texts me this afternoon, asking if I’d like to go with her and another friend to samba class at Alvin Ailey.
Um, hello.
Who can say no to that?
It did mean that I played hooky during my capoeira class tonight, but guys–the samba class was amazing. Live drummers, wall to wall people (which actually wasn’t so much fun; most of the time it felt like they were all in my way. Selfish of me, but I am a dancer who likes to MOVE), and our teacher was this tiny little Brazilian dynamite woman in a unitard.
I really loved it.
Like, so much.
I might have to go back.
Like, so much.
I think I could happily be Brazilian. I mean, I think I love capoeira and samba that much.
After class, I was starving. All that booty bouncing and shimmying and fast, fancy footwork leaves one good and hungry, you know. So my friend and I went to Goodburger. Which is where this guy asks me my name. But not really politely–more like, “Hey girl, what’s your name?” You know, trying to turn the mac on. And I’m getting better, cause when he asked me, all I said was, “Ohhhhhhhhhh.”
Literally.
I said no more than that.
I was kind of proud of myself, realizing that just cause some random guy asks me my name, does not mean that I have to give it to him. I don’t need to give anything away that I do not feel like giving away–not even my name.
So the awkward, “Ohhhhhhhhh…” really seemed to kind of work.
Or maybe he thought I was slightly deranged.
But I guess not, cause then he asked me if I come here often. Here being Goodburger.
That’s right, Goodburger.
I was just like, “Um, no.”
He told me that he did (is that supposed to impress me?!) and that I should start coming more often.
To Goodburger.
I think I’d rather spend my time doing samba and capoeira, thankyouverymuch.
I think I’d rather people tell me that they can tell I’ve been spending my time doing samba and capoeira than at Goodburger, to be perfectly frank.
oh, man.
in Funny Stuff, Performance, Thoughts and Feelings
as american idioms, brother jonathan, chicken, cut, Delaware, dress rehearsal, Esther, fancy footwork, head, Henry VIII, jonathan, king henry viii, Pat, rehearsal, Shane, Tim Gunn, week
One time I overheard my mom trying to use that old expression, “running around like a chicken with its head cut off.”
And I know. It’s not the most poetic of our American idioms.
But my mom failed to mention the chicken, and so she simply told someone that she was “running around with HER head cut off.”
Which she wasn’t, thankfully.
And considering the fact that she never did marry King Henry VIII, that’s probably not gonna happen anytime soon.
But the thing is, I’ve been feeling like that chicken lately. The one with its head cut off, I mean.
And it’s funny how when it rains, it seems to pour.
( Yes, let’s see just how many cliches I can fit in this one post!).
Because I, along with my brother Jonathan, have been busy putting a musical–The Story of Esther–on its feet, and well, it’s the day of the show, y’all (which sadly, is NOT a cliche, but it is a quote from Waiting for Guffman so should count for something, right?)! But all this to say that this week has been tech week.
No problem.
Except that this week is also when a casting company has decided they want to see me.
Every day since Wednesday.
Now both are awesome–Esther and getting seen by this casting company–but together?
Let’s see what kind of fancy footwork can be done to make it work (as Tim Gunn would say!).
So wednesday I drove to NYC and drove back for rehearsal. Then I recorded with Shane. And “recording with Shane” meant that I plopped down on a pillow and fell asleep while Shane and Pat worked hard.
When I asked Shane if I could hear the tracks later he asked me if I knew the story of the Little Red Hen. He was teasing, but still. Good point.
Thursday I drove back to the city, danced to the point where I could have maybe thrown up, had I been the kind that does that, which I don’t, and then drove back to Delaware. I stopped to sing three songs with Shane at a concert and then made it to help run a cue to cue tech rehearsal into a dress rehearsal.
And then today.
I HAVE to be back by seven. I accompany this show and nobody else even knows the music remotely. So I got myself a real nice little Amtrak ticket and man, does it feel luxurious to be all relaxed and not having to pay attention or worry that I’ll get stuck in traffic or even sit up cause, girl! you’re driving! that ain’t no joke!
Instead, I’m all relaxed on the train. And I’m On my way back from NYC and it takes not even an hour and a half to get there, compliments of the speedy Acela Express.
And I’ll make the show tonight.
And tomorrow I don’t have to get up and go to NYC, which sort of feels like a day off, by this point.
So yes, this chicken has found her head once again.
