I had an inadvertent artist’s date when I attempted to drive into Cincinnati from Rising Sun - I accidentally

turned up another road, heading north on Indiana Rt 1 (oops!). But Nigel Kennedy was playing some Bach with an orchestra, and the weather was lovely, so I had a nice recharging drive. I also had a small shopping spree, looking for new audition shoes, that turned into clothes buying when I found this little Indian-styled clothing shop with some beautiful hand-embroidered clothes (perhaps useful for playing around with Lakme...;-) I never buy clothes for myself, so I felt funny. In amongst them is a beautiful hand crocheted shawl with beads that I haven’t used yet, but I feel like I’ve given myself something really luxurious.



Acting class today was highly productive: we worked in partners, singing our arias to each other and placing small beads (our acting teacher went to the Party Store for them) around important words: could be beginning, middle, or end of the word, but it had to be when the thought impulse lead us to do it. It really opened up Adele for me! I practically was throwing them at my partner in a couple places. She was really impressed at what this did for my performance of the piece.



We also worked with beginnings, middles, and ends of our arias: ie, Mein Herr Marquis would be



Beg: Darum rate ich, ja genauer sich, die Leute an zu sein



Mid: Der gleichen finden Sie bei einer Zofe nie



End: Mir scheint wohl, die Liebe Macht Ihre Augen trübe, Der schönen Zofe Bild Hat ganz Ihr Herz erfüllt!



We had to assign qualities of movement/emotion to each and work through, making them flow together and explore the distances between them. Quite interesting!



Anyways, most AW stuff has flown out the window - a few morning pages (sometimes I do them at lunch under the trees outside the school where we are working), but not consistent, and only the accidental artist’s date. Lots of walks (I walk to the library, to the grocery store, so I’ll try and fit the walks in there), but the only thing that’s been consistent has been reading “Walking in the World”. I’ve actually been rereading the first 2 chapters, as they really are making more sense to me with what I’m going through. I was thinking about processing the personal experience more before sharing it with y’all, but one thing I’ve learned here is that I edit myself too much, so here goes nothing:



I’m moving. Probably to New York.



They’ve recommended a teacher for me to contact, plus my current one may also be moving there, as well as the contact with the coaches I’ve been working with. There are many wonderful things to do where I am currently, but I almost feel constrained in terms of artistic growth - no challenge any more. I just found out what the outreach program wants to do this next year and am having second thoughts, sort of, but I know what it says in Chapter 2 - some things will seem comfortable and easy to slide back into. The quote that sums up the whole thing for me is from Center Stage (the ballet movie): when presumably offered a chance to the in the chorus of one of the best dance companies in the world, the main character says something to the effect of: “I don’t want to spend the best years of my performing life waving a tulip in the back of the chorus.” I can’t really complain about any of the opportunities I’ve had over the last 2 years, but I’ve become lacksidasical (sp?) in my performing.