Winter Break

So, my dance school does a 2 week winter break over Christmas. Good for having more time to prepare for the festivities, bad for me remembering all those steps I just learned last week.

One of the downsides of being an adult dancer is our ability to remember our steps. Sure just cause we're over the age of 19 doesn't mean we're all candidates for the dementia and memory loss ward at the local old-people mill, but we're sure as heck not the knowledge absorbing sponges that the 5-17 crowd is. It's a well known fact the younger you are, the better retention for knowledge you have. So, show an 11 year old 2 new slip-jig steps, and in two weeks they'll still remember it. Show me, and I fall into feeling like an idiot whilst saying "I know we've worked on this before but .. . "

Needless to say, I have been taking every opportunity to practice I can, despite the full day that both a crazed holiday and being short staffed at work can provide. Unfortunately, my apartment is small and the largest practice space (the living room) is dominated largely by the mountain of presents underneath the tree. Add into that fact that I am convinced if I land the wrong way from a leap, said Christmas tree is going to topple down, smashing a 30 year old ornament collection and possibly started an electrical fire from when the spark from the lights being ripped out of the wall catches on all the shiny gift wrap and dried tree nettles, and home just doesn't seem like a wise place to practice.

That leaves work, cause the Lord only knows, if I'm not at one, I'm usually at the other. I've been pulling a lot of second shifts. Not ideal, but we're in a pinch and all the managers have been taking turns doing the shitty days and the hotel has been painfully un-busy so it's not too bad. Lucky for me, I have keys to our office. This is ideal because not only does it give me access to my desk for work/blogging purposes, it also gives me a small cubicle of space that is not in clear sight of the guests/security cameras, so the whole world and the powers that be (ie, my boss) get to see me practicing my bang-toe-and-toe-hops between checking guests in. Performing on stage - no sweat! Letting my coworkers be privy to me fumbling my way through a new step - not so much. I have a hard time letting my teacher watch me do a step when it's less then perfect, so why would I let them.

It will be alright though. I have determination. . . . .   And a cheat sheet of my steps.

I guess it's just lucky for me the office cameras don't have sounds so no one can ask me what the heck "Switch Skip step hop back hop point hop back" means and why was I singing it in a sing-songy voice