Come to my garden

So my garden is really enjoying all of this rain and now sunshine. I have cut and have eaten half of my lettuce. The carrots are getting big as well as the onions. My tomato plants are HUGE. Squash is starting get flowers and will be ready before I know it. I am not going to be the best at wedding my garden....I am just being honest. But I am pretty proud of my hard work.

Here is the view from the back of my yard.

Here are the carrots, lettuce, onions, tomatos, and cucumbers. Jesus has planted 12 hot pepper plants in my garden too. I can't remember where they all are but I am sure they will grow.

Here are two of my rose bushes. I was under the impression that all four bushes would produce red flowers....but one has pink roses instead.

I will post more pictures when I things start to harvest. Peace be with YOU!

Update

Our Fesitval of Broadway Concert was last night. It went really well. We do highlights from our upcoming season. All the out of town performers worked really hard all weekend to put on a great show. I was fortunate enough to direct/choreograph it again this year. It was great to spend some time with the college kids who will be spending their summer with us at MTWichita this year.

I have planted a garden. Tomatoes, carrotts, lettuce, summer squash, peas, and cucumbers. We will see how it all turns out. So far so good. I sort of did a remodel on my back yard also. I will post pictures of that later.

I was also able to sneak a trip home to see the family for a weekend. I took Samantha gambling for her first time. She thought it was stupid. Then when my family took my back to Vegas to catch my flight we had a little family night of gambling. Such bonding time!!!

The summer is quickly approaching!!! AHHHH!!!!! I will survive.

Katie

The death of my former college classmate and friend has inspired me to write. I never saw Katie without a smile on her face. When I saw her get mad she even had a way of having a smile. I was fortunate enough to become a Gamma Phi Guy in the sorority which she belongs. When I visited Katie and Rachel in Chicago they introduced me to deep fried green beans. She was a part of our annual Thanksgiving Dinner at OCU and she always believed that my jello mold would turn out. It NEVER did and hearing her laugh would make it all okay.

I don't know why death happens to those that give of their time, passion, and energy. People that are changing the world by teaching kids to love the Arts, Dance, and to be better human beings. I believe in Prayer and I believe in God, but I don't understand nor do I have the faith that things will be alright. I have many things to be grateful for and many things that I understand and believe in. But when someone dies who affects so many people in a positive way, I don't have faith or understand that. People will say "It was her time" and "everything happens for a reason" but I don't believe that and I don't find comfort that her journey was over. Because she has and should still be changing the lives of the children of Chicago right now.

I will miss you Katie, and I can't even imagine how your family and your OCU sisters and close friends are taking this. All I can do is send prayers, energy, and positive thoughts to them. The world has lost a wonderful friend, teacher, and human being.

I'm in a New York state of mind

I got back from NYC. I had a good time but it was time to be home.

I left Friday Evening so I could spend the weekend with some friends before it was all work. I stayed with my great friend Roy from college. He lives in a five story walk up right in midtown. A great location and apartment. Roy, Nancy, and I went to brunch the next day and shopping at H&M for my nephiews. On Sunday Nancy and I went and saw MEMPHIS. The singing and dancing was awesome!!! Another awesome note is that the OBAMAS were there!!! Not Mr. President but the lovely ladies were. It was a neat experience and neat that the audience reacted so positive to them. I was also able to meet up with my old NYC roomates Lyndy and Jeromy for a drink and catch up. I just love them!

Monday was the day to catch up with people. We had the MTWichita Open House where everyone came by to say hello. It was so nice to see people I haven't seen in a year and to catch up with them. After Monday it was work work work by day! I was the monitor for the auditions. I checked people in, answered questions, and just dealt with the divas! All the auditioners were very nice this year, so that helped a lot.

By night we were able to see shows and eat dinner at some fun places. My favorite of course was BECCO. If you go to NYC go there for some great Italian Food!! We also went to ARIBA ARIBA- so fun!

Here are my reviews of the shows I saw:

MEMPHIS-loved the overall show. The choreography was so great and inspirational. Overall feel of the show I loved!

NEXT TO NORMAL- Awesome show!!! Loved all the people in it. Story was great and ended on a hopeful note. I didn't realize that it would. Everyone kept telling me "look out for the surprise ending". There was not a surprise ending. Rog and I figured out the surprise very quickly and enjoyed the performance and the music. The stage was set up really neat also.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY- Could have lived without seeing this show. My favorite part was the curtain. They used it in a really neat way. And the trick with the tassle on the curtain was neat too. In one scene they had really cool lights and I said "Those are David Neville lights for sure!" I guess it doesn't speak much of the show when my favorite part was the curtain and lights!

COME FLY AWAY- LOVED LOVED LOVED the dancing!!! If you go in knowing you are seeing a dance concert and not a musical you will love it. So much technique, style, and passion up there. I liked their personalities and execution. I would see it a few more times if given the chance!

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM- What a great evening of theatre! Lots of clips from his life and interviews about the shows he has worked on. It was very personal and a neat experience to be a part of. Barbara Cook's performance of SEND IN THE CLOWS and Norm Lewis' BEING ALIVE will stay with me for a long time to come. It was a very memorable evening with lots of great performances!

AMERICAN IDIOT-I didn't realize that I was going to a rock concert. After the opening number Roger and I realized we should have put some sun screen on, brought some sun glasses, and ear plugs! It just wasn't my cup of tea. I thought the T.V.s all over the back of the stage was cool. Probably my least favorite show I have seen. But if you are a GREEN DAY fan and are familiar with the CD go see it! You will probably have a great time. Oh and GREEN DAY was there at the theatre also.

PROMISES PROMISE- I really enjoyed this show a lot. We have three alumni in it from MTWichita. It was the first paid preview and we had AWESOME SEATS!!! They turned the overture into a dance and it worked really well. Sean Hayes was great in the part. Kristin Chenowith was well.......Kristin. I am familiar with the old choreography from Michael Bennett for TURKEY LURKEY and I loved it. This version of TURKEY LURKEY was good, just nothing like the original. So I was a little sad about that. We got to go backstage and talk to some people. Sean said hello to us!!! haha. Everyone involved with the production should be proud and I hope it runs for a long long time!!!

THE FANTASTICKS- We had an alum Edd Watts in it. It was a great production of the show and he did a great job. It is not my favorite show in the world, but it was done very well.

I was inspired and ready to teach and choreograph for another year! It was LONG DAYS AND SHORT NIGHTS!!! But I loved it and love my job! Peace Be With You!

Why are the Arts in our schools important?

Cuts are being made to the public schools here in Wichita. One of the first things cut are always the Arts. Why is this you may ask? Through my research I have found that studies have been taken for years about students who take classes in the Arts and those who don't. In every result the student who has taken classes in the Arts gets higher scores in every area of testing. How can this be? The Arts help students become critical thinkers. The student digs deep inside themself and takes risks emotionally. They put their soul out there on the stage, in their painting, or through the instrument they are playing. They put themselves on the line. They develop their imaginations and creative thinking process. These are things that will benefit them in whatever field of occupation they choose to go into. Marketing, Teaching, or business....you name it and you need to have critical thinking skills along with being creative. Through the Arts we are able to fine tune what we are feeling and discover a sense of accomplishment.

To establish a relationship and an appreciation with the Arts we must introduce the youth while they are in elementary school. Through the creative process of the teachers and from being introduced to art and music the student will begin to use what they are exposed to in their everyday classroom work and life. They won't even realize that what they have been exposed to is affecting them.

The things I remember from elementary and middle school are involved with Art. I remember my mom coming to school to teach us the process of cleaning sheep's wool, coloring it, and using the spinning wheel. I remember having competitions to see who could get the longest finger weaving chain. I remember making coil bowls and using the kilm. I remember having a daily news show in my 5th grade class and presenting it live every month for the whole school over the t.v. I remember making wire trees in Art class along with a glass candy dish in shop class. I remember choreographing for the schools dance company. I remember being the lead my senior year in the school musical.

The Arts are probably one of the most important things in my life. In High School I chose to attend a performing arts high school because it was so important to me. I then chose to major in Dance because I knew what it meant to me and how I couldn't see myself doing anything else with my life. I then took my job at Music Theatre because I believe in the Arts with all my soul. I believe that my small part in working with the youth in Wichita will establish a respect and an appreciation for the Arts. I hope that it will become something that is of value and treated with the dignity that it should.

Now if we can only get the school districts to think that.........

Safe Environments

I was first introduced to safe environments when I was taking dance in middle/high school where we were able to express ourselves through dance and improv however we see fit. To express our emotions of what we were feeling at that time through dance. It really meant a lot to have that safety and that environment during that time.

I next experienced safe environments when I was in college. Roy, one of my best friends, started ICE CREAM. That was code for a dance class. It was always so fun to go there on a week night and just dance! I personally always loved across the floor best! There were all skill levels and all different types of personalities that attended. Everyone cheered each other one, helped with steps, and just morally supported one another. We believed in each other and let people get what crap they were going through out of their systems through the combinations. There was an unwritten rule of respect that what happened and was experienced in that room during ICE CREAM was something special and should be kept that way.

After I graduated college, worked as a performer, lived in NYC, and now teaching. I have installed my own form of a safe environment to the teens I teach and choreograph for. The first big success of this was during AIDA. I was trying to get the passion out of the teens for THE GODS LOVE NUBIA. I set the mood and what I expected. I told them that it was a safe environment and what happened there would stay there in that room with the cast. One by one the teens opened up about how they felt and what they were experiencing in their lives. We ran the number after that and words can't describe the energy that was experienced in that room. Everyone believed in the safe environment and chose to go for it. It was a lot of work to get to that poing that we reached, but ever since that day it gets a little easier each time to get to a safe environment with the teens I teach.

Through the last few years living in Wichita I have kept Safe Environments alive through the dance classes I teach and shows I direct/choreograph. I see the frightened looks of the teens and the resistance that put up, but once we get there the outcome of them releasing their emotions and hardships and dealing with what they are going through is priceless. I am also able to learn and grow by sharing what I am going through and what bothers me. I am able to work through things just like they are. I learn so much from them.

Art is about communicating and human feelings, emotions, and relationships.

To quote one of my teens: "THE WORLD SHOULD BE A SAFE ZONE."

Communication

I read the recent DANCE STUDIO LIFE MAGAZINE and one article entitled “Little Kids, Big Expectations” here is an excerpt from it that really hit home

“These early lessons in dance class are not necessarily intended to develop them into prima ballerinas, they are life lessons. Along with dance basics, I am teaching them how to be good listeners, be respectful, connect with another person, and rise to challenges. I am teaching them self-respect and self-excellence. I am introducing them to values that will help these children grow into adults who do not accept mediocrity in their lives or in themselves. Those lessons need to start very early on, and those values will help these children change the world.”

This just hit home with me. I couldn’t have put it into words better myself. When I teach dance this is what I try to instill into my kids and teens. During the off season when I direct and choreograph for high schools and theatres, I just don’t teach steps to them. I TEACH and I get them to not only learn the dance steps but all the other qualities that go along with doing a show. I agree that the youth that I teach will be the upcoming generation that will change our world for the better. It is my job as a teacher to make sure they have all the confidence, tools, and support they need to do so. So even when I am not teaching “dance classes” I am still a teacher when working with the youth in the Arts.

Another thing I was reminded about in music theatre/performing is the word COMMUNICATION. I teach about passion/energy and that is the basis for everything. Doing something without passion is not worth doing in the first place. I teach my teens to always have passion when learning/performing. One thing I need to remember to do is to make the word “communicate” just as important as passion. The Arts is about communicating. Whether we are trying to tell a story, and emotion, entertain, or whatever-we have to communicate in some form to get the message across. Music Theatre is about connecting with each other on stage, and making the audience feel something for the characters or shows. You have to engage the audience by communicating with them. When a poet writes a poem he needs to do it in a sense that touches the readers. An artist needs to use colors and styles to get his feeling across to those who look at the paintings. A musician needs to play his instrument with such feeling that the notes and melody are accepted by the listener in a fashion that touches them and makes them feel the certain mood. All of these are forms of communicating. The Arts are about communication. Without that key factor, it is not Art. And how does one communicate? With Passion! So I have been teaching the youth of Wichita correctly, I just need to add the last step and make sure there end product of passion includes communicating.