The balancing act.

Having just read Kim's latest entry about life's ups and downs, I find that I am often in the same predicament: Feeling as though every minute of every hour holds a new high, or an equally new low. It's exhausting, and yet it's also what makes me feel alive, even on the days when all I want is to do is be quiet and no one. Thanks to technology, we are constantly connected, for better or for worse, and our days are packed from the moment we rush out the door to work, til the wee hours of the morning as we work on our computers in the dark. It simply never ends.

I set up this blog as a forum for my thoughts (and others') on the arts. Yet as I sit here working away, I find that my viewpoint has shifted. Suddenly the scent of hot tea on my desk becomes art. I can feel it physically calming me, which makes me think that somewhere in the mess of paperwork scattered on top of my desk, there's still a glimmer of artistry in my movements and my actions, even this late into the night.

Earlier this week, I had my first ballet recital with my little ballerinas. They were adorable, proud of their movements and their accomplishments, and gave me a very fulfilling evening. I wish I had photos to share. It's not often, when dressing up, that I feel underdressed in comparison to my students, but they really did sparkle! The event was an unexpected "high" in a somewhat stressful and "low" week, as I work to piece together my currently many part-time jobs.

In other news, Luminarium is doing tremendously well. We just launched our new kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ldc/performing-arts-project-bringing-art-to-underserve) and are thrilled to have nearly reached the half-way point to our goal. The company will have a small blurb coming out in the next Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Magazine, and we're busy preparing for shows. Check out a piece of our latest work below:

It has been so wonderful to choreograph with Kim on this piece. So far, the movement is fun, upbeat and humorous. Our dancers are excited and engaged with the work, and I am finally performing in one of our own pieces! A very exciting project for me. As you can see from the material above, we are having a lot of fun in the rehearsal process, too.

So this entry is a little scattered. Boiled down, I'd say it's good now and again to see the art in a simple mug of tea, to appreciate our interconnectedness through technology but not abuse it, and to make art that is joyful, fun, and just plain ballerina-sparkly to lighten the mood.