Assistant Instructor?

Today in Tai Chi we had a new student just in for her first lesson. So Maureen spend about half of the class with her while I led the other students in perfecting the form. It was the first time I had ever taken charge in any martial arts class. Thankfully not only was I skilled in the form enough to lead everyone through it, but also still learning so that when confronted with specific questions, such as what move follows which or how a certain move needs to be performed, I had to truly think about what I was telling the others. This hard thought reminded me of how I was beginning to slip in some of the more technical parts of the form and reminded me what i needed to do in order to do the form correctly.
Being an assistant instructor reminded me not only of my own growth, but also how I didn't have everything perfect yet.

Stage - Character Development and Blocking

Over the past few weeks in STAGE we have been working on our character's backstories, interactions, and blocking. As of right now Evan and I have been working very well as a team, and our interactions with the other characters have been great so far. Our flirtatious yet obnoxious character development has been clashing nicely with the sassy and nosey Jackie, while making the character Pat and Sylvia cringe at what our "next move" will be. We have also been playing up the cockiness factor too, making our mutual dislike for Dino feel truly believable. With this great effort along with our mutual support for each character has made the Danny and Steve duo two of the more dynamic characters in the show. Mrs. Botsford has also been impressed by my work. I have received no "negative" notes, only constructive notes. I also have been getting notes praising how well the character is coming along and how natural the movements and blocking seem.

First SOI Meeting

For the first meeting I was regrettably late by a few minutes. I didn't miss much and I had several ideas that I feel helped. This meeting was mostly brainstorming but we seem to be branching out from the school and onto main street with our ideas. Jade set up a blog for SOI to use and brainstorm out of meetings. I have yet to use it yet, but I have talked with some members about possible ideas. This thursday we have another meeting. We will hopefully be able to narrow down what we want to do.

Stage - First Rehearsals

At STAGE we started rehearsals off with a total read through of the script. At first glance my character is little more than a joker, and while he is very flat it is a different role for me which is good. In the play I work very close with another character named Danny, who was originally played by Daniel Verbank. Unfortunately Daniel left the school and his character was replaced with Evan Griffin. Evan and I are friends which makes our chemistry on stage make our characters seem that much more believable. I also have begun to get somewhat close to the two freshman girls who play Pat and Sylvia, who are two girls that Danny and Steve flirt with throughout the play. All of the cast that my character interacts with are people who I know which makes working with them much easier. I have been noticing my strengths as an actor in this role as well as several weaknesses. Hopefully by next rehearsal I will be able to pinpoint them by next week.

Tai Chi - Private lesson

At Tai Chi I ended up having a private lesson because none of the other students showed up. I was allowed to work full the first third of the form that we are working on. I worked well with the instructor, and I discovered that with one small tweak that I had the entire first third memorized even with my month absence. This made me extremely happy and I could tell the Maureen the instructor was surprised and proud. My goal of getting to the same place that the class is was set very high, but I feel very accomplished that I was able to reach it in such a short time, and I had reassuring proof that through hard work and perseverance that I could reach new heights even if I am behind.

Nursing Home Concerts - First Show!

I finally had my first show at Atria Woodbriar Healthcare. I was nervous at first, but I quickly got over these worries once I started. The residents were all very happy to have me. Many of them sang along with several of the songs. After my show most of the residents came up to me and said that I did a wonderful job and several asked me if I had a business card. Those congratulations reminded me that music bring joy back to people who are in seemingly endless cycles of life.

Also my contacts with Heratige have been going well, but we have yet to set a date.

Tai Chi - Return after 1 month absence

After one month I finally returned to Tai Chi. I was extremely happy to be back as some of the muscle tension I have been feeling over the past few weeks will hopefully go away soon with my return. As it turns out despite my absence the rest of the class has been flying through the rest of the third form. Because of this I was very open to what people had to say in order to perform that part of the form easier. After only three times I had it almost perfect. If it hadn't been for everyone helping me it would have taken much longer. This made me feel immediately comfortable with the rest of the students despite their advancements over me.