notes from here

I have this sinking feeling that our first show, which is tonight--OPENING night--is actually going to be our dress rehearsal. Or undressed rehearsal. Or whatever you call a dance company that performs mostly naked.

All the Dandelions are officially in town. All of the pieces are now in a sequence, and have been blocked. The community chorus has developed a piece for the program, too. But we're still behind schedule. Yesterday should have been running the show twice, and then a cue-to-cue for the tech. We ran portions of the show, but not all the way through....and we only got half way through the cue-to-cue/tech rehearsal yesterday. I think some of the lighting stuff may have been worked out by a crew staying in the wee hours, beyond our 9 hour rehearsal.

So I think that today is probably a bit of a tech/run through. I have a feeling then a second run through. A small dinner break, thennnnn......IT'S SHOWTIME!!!!!


The good news, is that we've been working on the material for the individual acts for so long that the pieces are incredibly dense and rich. I absolutely love what it is we have created, and Eric has guided this work into a show that will have you laughing and crying and going home with images and feelings that will have you processing for days what it is you've just witnessed.

This morning I watched the extras from the first season of Twin Peaks, and the actors described their experience of David Lynch, and working with him. And I could totally relate. It sounds to me like Eric is the dance version. Campy characters, bizarre story line, strong images, creepy things, funny things....and allowing the work to unfold, and allowing the actors/dancers to let the characters unfold, and then just nudging them along they path if they go a direction that doesnt fit his vision. Allowing spontaneous moments to become part of the choreography.

It's just plain neat.

I'm not sure why I'm not exhausted or sore, but I'm not (knock on wood). I was a bit cranky yesterday in the morning, and weepy, too...but I think that was my pms issues glaring at me. Which reminds me, I used to have a button pinned onto my bag that said "PMS: Harness the Energy". I think I feel a new shirt coming on LOL.
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Last night I did something really interesting. I went to go see Amma. In ten words or less, she is a Saint from India who spreads her message of love by hugging. Everyone. (ok twelve words)

One of the dancers goes to see her often, and had just seen her recently back at home. As it turns out, Amma is down here in LA at the same time as us. Very spontaneously, a few of us decided to go. We arrived at 11:30pm and the place was packed. We picked up "tokens" to be in line to recieve "darshan", which is basically her healing through her hugs. We were about 4 hours back in the line.

Except the gimp (that would be me), saved the day.

Now, I don't often play the gimp card. I'm pretty darn "abled" for someone disabled. But let me tell you. It comes in handy for parking, for getting killer seating (or tickets to sold out shows) at concerts, for skirting lines at amusement parks....and for going to see Amma.

I was allowed into a "special needs" section with my "family".
I wish I had a family photo. They dont allow cameras though. Try to imagine a one legged lady in a wheelchair, a very ample bodied and tall woman with short spiked grey hair, a tall lanky Columbian, and a hot young asian chick. My family.
I mean, I consider it my dance family, but lord knows what it looked like from the outside of our little huddle.

Anyhow...we got in quick. And we were hugged. And it was amazing. Truly, this woman carries a juicy message of love, and it really radiates from her.
As I was leaving, she gave me a big smile and an apple.
I'm putting it on an altar we have building in our dressing room.
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So not to get all new-aged out on you.
Here's a little back to earth practical point of interest.

Hey, mom and dad....guess what?

I'm still allergic to Dove soap.

Not as bad as when I was a kid, but apparently I must have had a residue of it on my body, and my stump (which was inside a hot silicone liner, sweating and opening pores and hair follicles) is now covered in red bumps. It looks like my residual limb has chicken pox. Just in time for the show. Whee!