Transitions

The other day I read Gretchen Wegner's blog post entitled "How to be a Sensuality Slut" and it started a chain reaction thought process about my current transitional phase. If I may dare to sum up her post in my own words, it was about slowing down and taking time to appreciate life. (As a coffee enthusiast, I love to appreciate the smell and the ritual of it and love that Gretchen took time to notice the steam coming off her morning cup!) Then, for some reason, I began to contemplate my own definition of productivity.

In my life in San Francisco, productive meant running around to three different jobs in a day plus managing to squeeze in a household chore and a little computer time to work out logistics for upcoming gigs.

That's part of the reason for this transition, this relocation from the Bay Area to Seattle. Whether or not it's true, my perception of life in Seattle is that the pace is more manageable (already I notice I can get places in 15 min instead of an hour!), the cost of living slightly lower so that I don't have to run around like a maniac, and I can take more time to enjoy the sensory experiences of life. Like sitting in a friend's living room on soft lambskin rugs listening to the gentle fall of light rain and writing in a journal.

In choreography, the transitions are the key to the flow of a piece. When I make a dance, I know this in my core. As a dancer, when the transitions are awkward, I feel disjointed from the piece. And so, here I am, in a transition between the dance of life in San Francisco and discovering the dance of life in Seattle. Some times it's hard to have faith that the transition will work itself out. Yet, as a choreographer, I know I need to give the transition it's due time and not rush the next idea.

Transitions are the brewing pot for the next great idea. Give the tea time to steep, the coffee time to percolate. Listen to the spring rain, and lest I be too cliche, stop and smell the lilacs.

(Pictured: Liz Fong and Elizabeth Mendana in Trolley Dances 2008. Choreography by Kim Epiphano. Photo by James Frye)

I can talk about...

I can talk about backpacking with my sister-in-law, Hilary Shaw.

In InterPlay settings, we practice a form called "I can talk about..." We don't actually talk about the subjects we list, we just list topics we could talk about at some future time. It is a great form for conjuring ideas when, perhaps, I think that I don't have anything to say.

I can talk about being inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert over breakfast this morning.

I can talk about auditions, how similar it is for me to audition as a pilates instructor and as a dancer.


I can talk about my impromptu trip to Bainbridge Island for the first time last night.


I can talk about my current struggle to structure my transition time.


I can talk about my coffee shop choreography idea.


I can talk about some of the "tight" movement vocabulary in Amy O'Neal's choreography last weekend.


I can talk about how "tight" means awesome rather than rigid.


I can talk about Gretchen Wegner's blog posting about "How to be a Sensuality Slut."


I can talk about wanting to learn to play mandolin.


I can talk about singing harmony with my husband in the car on our drive to Seattle.


I can talk about the difficulty of obtaining a Washington Driver's License and the ease of obtaining a Seattle business license.


I can talk about the creative and funny 10 and 12 year olds in the house where I am staying.


I can talk about planning my honeymoon.


I can talk about kayaking on Lake Washington on Sunday.


I can talk about the canoe that flipped over.


I can talk about people watching, laughing when I probably shouldn't.


I can talk about my epic quilt project.


I can talk about my trips to the hardware store.

I can talk about spilling coffee on my computer keyboard first thing Monday morning.

That's probably a good list for today! What are some topics you can talk about?