Many Things.

A long week it has been, but it is not over yet! This morning, I prepare to drive to Raleigh to give a master class at Meredith College for the NC Dance Festival. Mackenzie will meet me in Raleigh, and we'll perform our piece, "Words Apart" on Saturday in the second to last concert of the NCDF tour. I'm excited to perform the piece, as we have not performed it since before the holidays. After the festival, we can look forward to performing the piece during the spring at a few dance festivals outside of North Carolina. I enjoy the fact that when a piece begins to get old, all it needs is a breath of new life from fresh eyes. I love showing work to people for the first time.

At HPU, we press on to learn the choreography for Thoroughly Modern Millie. I found myself getting a little short with the students yesterday. Their attention span was lacking, but overall, we got the work done. On Sunday, I can look forward to finishing out the last of the larger numbers. That will leave me with only a few smaller sections to choreograph, and that will be a weight lifted, for sure. The two to three weeks following this one will be for cleaning. I think the show is going to go great. I peeked in on the music rehearsal yesterday, and the cast sounds wonderful!

I want to put in a little blurb about my composition class this week. They're absolutely inspiring. That is all.

No week is complete without a tinge of disappointment. I received my first film festival rejection for my documentary, "Art for the Living." I know that of the many festivals I submitted to, most will decline my submission. But it still hurts. What can I say?

On a brighter note, I am constantly reminded that there are people out there who do care about the arts, and do care about the artists that make the art. I was surprised by a phone call on Wednesday, from a friend, Gail. Gail heads up The Storyline project, and she is the one with whom I initially collaborated with on "Words Apart." I recently had a workshop proposal accepted to the 6th Annual Arts in Society Conference, which is being held in Berlin this year. You can only imagine my excitement - my first international engagement! However, I was dismayed to learn that there is no help for travel expenses to the conference, and since I am still adjunct this year, HPU cannot help, either. Well, out of nowhere, Gail calls and tells me she would like to help me get to Berlin! Though I do not feel it appropriate to disclose the particulars of this conversation, I am only to excited and filled with gratitude at her generosity! My task now, is to gather the rest of the funds needed to make the trip. I have a plan, and it will be done!!

Well, it is time. Off I go! And of course, more soon.

~Cara