Ballet Makes Life Better

I actually did the audition for Florida's Music Man today.  Although I was not kept to sing, I felt good about my audition.  Obviously it could have been better, but I was satisfied.  After all, they were only looking for two girls.  And by the way...contrary to what I predicted a few posts down, there were still a lot of girls at the audition...a few shy of 100.

I stopped at Steps on the way home and took a ballet class.  It is easy to forget when you've been out of class for a while, but ballet just makes any day better.  My goal with dancing here is to also try to better develop my skills in my weaker genres.  Jazz and contemporary are on the list and maybe if I'm brave enough (I probably won't be), hip hop.  But ballet is always the greatest class to come back to for a sense of comfort and reassurance of my technique and training.  Here is a little glimpse into the talent at this NYC dance studio!

Steps on Broadway

My Hero, Joe

Thank goodness for Tader Joe's and his prices after trying to shop at the local markets in my neighborhood.

Paying Tribute

I wasn't seen at today's audition for Music Man.  There wasn't time to see any non-equity auditionees.  However, we were informed that there is a non-equity call tomorrow and "how come we came to this one."  Well...there is no evidence of a posting for that call anywhere.  This is great news for those of us that were there, because that means we are the only ones who know that it is happening!  So, I'll be back for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre audition of Music Man tomorrow at 10:00am.

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.  Cynthia and I headed down to Ground Zero after we were dismissed.

It was so strange to think of the state that area was in 11 years prior.  Very sobering.

Little Taste of Reality

So last night around 11:30pm, Cynthia and I decided that we were going to attend the open call for the national tour of A Chorus Line in addition to White Christmas.  So this was our day:

Leave the apartment at 6:30 am
Get in line for A Chorus Line at 7:30 am
Speed walk 12 blocks to put my name on the list for White Christmas
Speed walk 12 blocks back to A Chorus Line
Change, stretch, and audition for A Chorus Line
Didn't make the cut so...
Speed walk 12 blocks to White Christmas and just make it in time to say "here" before they close the list
Wait an hour while Equity (those in the actor's union) is seen and then the first group of non-Equity.
Sent home without auditioning with the other 9 remaining girls because they were out of time.
Bummer.  Little taste of reality.

Home by 1:45pm.  Time for a nap.

Here it Goes...

Cynthia and I finally moved into our apartment today!  It feels so nice to finally have my clothes out of my suitcases.  The cupboards are still bare, and my tummy is rumbling, but grocery shopping is an involved process when you live in the city.  Tomorrow is another day.

Speaking of tomorrow...
Tomorrow is the start of a week "full" of auditions.  For the experienced New York auditioner I think that means around 6-8 auditions, but for me, it means 3.  Here's the line up:

Monday, 9/10, 11:30 am - White Christmas, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock, AR
Tuesday, 9/11, 2:00 pm - Music Man, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Jupiter, FL
Friday, 9/14, 3:00 pm - Music Man, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA

These are all dancer calls.  If I'm asked to stay, they will hear me sing.  Please pray for ease of nerves!

Back in Business

This is not in keeping with the theme of this blog, but maybe I will revamp it to keep up with my changing life and adventures.  Last big thing in my life was living in Italy for a school year.  Now it's the great big New York City.  As of now, I'm only here to get my feet wet and gain some confidence for the next two months, but it is still fun and exciting even if it is only short term.
I arrived at my friend's apartment Tuesday night, at 1:30am and she has been gracious enough to host me until Sunday, when I'll be moving into my beautiful sublet.  (Pictures to come next week)
Wednesday was spent paying rent, getting keys,  and people watching in Central Park.
I jumped right in on Thursday and had my first New York audition for Tokyo Disney.  I also did this audition in Hollywood last March, so it was great to go in knowing what to expect.  And I knew I wouldn't have to sing since it was for dancers only, which also put me at ease.  Following my audition, Cynthia (my soon-to-be-roommate and ex-cast mate from Anything Goes) and I headed over to Steps on Broadway, one of the two big dance studios in the city, to get some class info.  Well, I was there and dressed and with every type of shoe I might need after my audition, so I decided to take a class.  Why not?  Theater dance with Dana Moore.  A lot of conditioning and Fosse at its finest.  If you have no idea what that means, don't worry about it.
Last night?  No big deal...just a rooftop birthday party with a night-time view of the Empire State Building, the light pillars where the Twin Towers used to stand and other gorgeousness.  This was followed by an evening stroll down to the pier and what could make it better, but a view of a great fireworks show in the distance.  Just for me.

"So what's next?"

I returned to the United States June 2.  Since then, the number one question I have been asked is, “So what’s next?”

Long term, I have no answer for that question.  After I returned, here is “what has been next:”  In the past weeks I have been overwhelmed with the realization that so much will be changing in the next few years.  Over the past few weeks I have gone to the house of one of my best friends and her husband for their house warming party.  The next day I went to an officer commissioning ceremony for one of my friends who was becoming a lieutenant in the U.S. air force.  By the end of the next week I was across the country in Virginia, attending the wedding of one of my very good childhood friends.  And everyday more and more of my friends are getting engaged.

All of this to say, I am stuck in that awkward transitional stage between graduation and knowing what it is that I want to do with my life.  Being back in Virginia, the state I consider to be the place I “grew up,” I remembered, just as I have when I have returned to North Carolina, how much I love the East Coast and particularly the South.  I miss the beauty and the people so much and I know that I want to return there someday.  When is someday?  At this point, that is up to me and God.

But in the end, America and my life here really hasn’t changed that much.  The severe culture shock that I was warned about and worried about really hasn’t hit at all.  After only 9 months out of 21 years of life, the switch back to my culture wasn’t a hard one.  There are many things of the American culture and Americans that I now see in a new light, but the ease of not needing to think about how to act or what is normal is a wonderful feeling.

On to business matters…I am not sure if I will be continuing my blog now that I am home in the United States.  Since I started this blog for my year overseas, I’m not sure that I would have anything interesting to say now that I am back.  We’ll see how it goes.  Thank you all for giving me a reason to write this past year!