Born Again Dancer

For three Augusts now, something special has happened in my life as a dancer. In 2008, I rediscovered my love of dance and committed to its practice for one-year . (+dance) In 2009, I celebrated that year -- and didn't stop. I added ballet . (+ballet) I started thinking about " getting a gig ." In 2010, I co-produced a cabaret act with my friends (and began taking voice lessons). (+singing) In 2011, I performed in my sixth stage production, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels . (+more performing) With all the excitement of Augusts, Septembers could easily be letdowns. But this September, a seed of an idea from last winter began to sprout. Over a couple of margaritas, a friend urged me -- for the second or third time actually -- to write more often and openly about my experiences as an adult ballet student. Why? Perhaps because I have some opinions on this subject (especially after a couple of drinks). She thinks that others may relate to it. Here's something interesting abo...

“Kick Lines and Drill Teams and Poms, Oh My!” That’s the headline on my newest issue of Dance Spirit magazine. Actually, the magazine is addressed to my husband. A few years ago he bought me a new pair of black jazz shoes at Capezio, a purchase that led to this glossy mag in my mailbox every month. And every month, I pour over it like it's the 1983 Homecoming Fashion issue of TEEN Magazine . Given that I'm a bit (ahem) older than their audience of aspiring dancers, I feel like I'm reading my daughter's diary. It's not exactly written for me, but I can't put it down. Kinda like men who watch Golden Girls marathons on WE tv. They can’t help themselves. One of my favorite Dance Spirit reads is a front-of-book piece called “Letter to My Teenage Self,” written by successful adult dancers to the memories of their ambitious yet insecure selves. The letters, such as this one by the enviable Broadway star Elizabeth Parkinson , often move me. Perhaps this is because I...

"You oughta get a gig." That's what he told me nearly two years ago, and I was skeptical. In the fall of 2009, I'd been dancing again for about a year. I had performed in two community workshop productions at Ballet Austin's Butler Community School, but the thought of auditioning for a "gig" sounded a little silly at the time. I processed the idea slowly. I performed in a few more workshops. I co-produced a cabaret act for my birthday in 2010. But I didn't actually entertain the idea of an audition until last May, when I learned that a community theatre in San Antonio was producing the musical "Chicago" -- a great opportunity for a dancer like me who has been learning a wide range of Fosse choreography for the last three years. So I went. I prepared a song -- "Bye Bye Blackbird" -- it has about five notes in it, perfect for my less than confident mezzo-soprano- ish voice. And a group of us traveled to San Antonio to get some...

The advantages of Ballet Austin's Butler Community School programs are numerous, one being its class-card system that allows you to buy a punch card and attend any classes on the community school schedule. This "open class" system is a boon for an adventurous and busy dancer who may not be able to make a weekly commitment to the exact same schedule or who simply likes to take a variety of classes. (Both describe me.) For the last year or so, I have bought my class cards in bulk at a discount each fall and spring, calculating my usual class load and buying accordingly. (On average, I attend four classes a week.) Well, I miscalculated this spring, and I have 12 classes left and 6 days to use them. You can do the math. So here's my ambitious schedule for the week: Monday - Jazz Funk: Best defined by what it's not -- it's not hip-hop, it's not a classic, old-school jazz class, and it's not "lyrical" jazz akin to "So You Think You Can Danc...

"A lot about a little." That’s how our director describes Broadway musicals. It’s an observation, not a criticism, artistic judgment or evaluation of the cultural significance of musical theatre. It’s a simple way to say that musical theatre shows are a whole lot song and dance about a little bit of life -- the orchestra, big multi-level mechanized sets, fancy costumes and lighting are glamorous embellishments to stories of love, success, sex, greed, corruption, treachery, etc., etc. All the things we hold near and dear to our hearts. So this weekend I’m part of a cast of nearly 70 adults, teens and school-age children who are celebrating what’s on Broadway today. What’s on the stage in New York is the inspiration for an 80-minute revue that we will perform in downtown Austin at Ballet Austin’s Austin Ventures Studio Theatre. By celebrate, I don’t mean imitate. You won’t see Spider Man flying a zipline , tap dancing sailors fronting a full size battleship on a backdrop or a c...

Begin anywhere. Credit composer John Cage for that gem. It's my mantra for 2011 -- maybe the rest of my life. Not exactly dime-store magnet wisdom. Grocery store, actually. I bought that message on a magnet at my favorite upscale grocery store. It caught my eye as I passed the greeting card display en route to bulk snacks, my treat after a yoga class. When I bought it last fall, it spoke to me immediately, and I realized that it represented a huge shift in my thinking. Because I'm kind of a neurotic planner by nature. But planning can be paralyzing. "Plan paralysis" began plaguing me when I worked for PR agency that did brilliant projects which always began with writing many, many plans. While a lot of plans made it to reality and launched impressive new products, services and causes, many plan did not survive. At times we would write a razzle -dazzle plan only to be met with resistance every step of the way. Idiosyncrasy. Unrealistic ideas. Cost. Timing, Implementati...

"How are you laurabondwilliams ?" my dance teacher asked me before class one day. "Busy," I said, knowing and owning how lame that sounds . "Busy" because most weeks I am engaged in four primary activities: dancing, working, parenting and driving (noticeably absent: cooking, house cleaning, organic gardening). So I collect my thoughts in the spaces in between the busy- ness ; sometimes writing short emails or dutiful (but woefully erratic) morning pages. One good thing about busy- ness is that I am not treating my writing so preciously. With that in mind, I'm sharing some thoughts that need to be aired. For two years now, I've been having thoughtful conversations with adult dancers or others who want to be. I've taken over 200 hours of dance classes from more than a dozen teachers in three cities. I have talked to professional dancers, retired dancers, brand new dancers and born-again dancers. For those who are not dancing and say that you...