Preparing to Leave

[suburbaknght]

It's been awhile since I last updated. Largely it's because there hasn't been a whole lot to say. I'm waiting to leave Madison and have been largely passing time. The main way I've been keeping myself occupied is by taking dance lessons Not my usual group classes (except for a Thursday night salsa class and Latin Lunch) but private lessons. I've taken privates on rare occasions before - waltz with Rhiannon, lindy with Trevor and Laura once a semester, west coast with Dakota while preparing for showcase as well as whenever I'd missed a class - and after showcase had stepped my privates with Dakota to once a week, but these are different. I explained that I was going to Arthur Murray to train as a teacher and he not only gave me some truly great advice but has been working with me on advanced technique. We've been doing a lot of stuff with body positioning and form, things that apply to all dances rather than any one style. The result has been every bit as helpful as I hoped. I'm feeling much more confident about Philadelphia.

I also took a few privates with Darrell Dieringer. Darrel is one of my favorite teachers in Madison, being one of the few to truly integrate social, competitive, and performance dancing. He's one of the best Latin teachers in Madison, if not the best, and is someone I've been wanting to take private lessons with him since May last year; I'd put them off for financial reasons but decided that given I'm leaving and won't have the opportunity again, this was the time to do such things. I'm happy to say the lessons have been as helpful as I'd hoped. I have another lesson this afternoon with his professional partner Amanda.

Beyond dance, I've also been seeing friends. runthebear was in town these past two weeks and we hung out quite a bit. I also got down to Chicago last week do see fynixsoul. We'd been planning to go to a club and try out merengue to techno and house; unfortunately Fynix had forgotten her ID so those plans were nixed. We wound up practicing to the external speaker outside a Mexican restaurant, then stopped in for a night cap (note: learn to make sangria). Afterwards we stopped back at her place and had another merengue lesson.

Friday runthebear and I went down to Chicago for a dinner party with Leslie. We made all manner of tasty food (mmm... tasty) and while we'd planned to go clubbing we ended up watching 10 Things I Hate About You. So no dancing but apparently there's waltz down by the river on Monday so dancing after all.

And last night was my last UWMBDA dance. It was bittersweet for me but I didn't really think of the dance being my last while I was there. I got a few solid dances in and kept busy most of the night, said goodbye to the people I wanted to, and had my last dance with Hiroko ("Tiden Runner," a waltz).

Things are going well.

Comments

[lex-of-green.livejournal.com]

Hey Alex? I like you. Good luck on your Quest.

[kaylithin.livejournal.com]

Speaking of dance...not sure if this counts, but it's my donation- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk4ysyu7oHU

[mollywithawhy.livejournal.com]

Oh I forgot to mention- Last week when I was in Paoli with Jeb for Memorial Day, we were getting coffee and passed by the studio you'll be working at. It's RIGHT across the street from the train station so that might save you a crappy commute if you were planning to drive.

See you in a week!

[suburbaknght.livejournal.com]

Hmm... long drives and paying for tolls or relaxing on the train with a book. Man, that's a tough call.

[titlecharacter.livejournal.com]

Paoli, eh? That's on my train line! Convenient.