Pieces Of Joy

CLASSES
Movement:
A quick warm up to get to the rest of the class. The slap etude, and foot, hand, wrist, elbow warm ups. Then an exercise for the fourth of the elements, air. We started as the air in a parade float, which broke it's moorings, floated high, shed the skin, descended again to puff against a house, a wisp of smoke blown out the window, then the curtain sometimes blown, sometimes moved. In our discussions after each element I was a little surprised at some of my experiences. Water felt fluid and relentless. Earth, patient and yielding. A little of the expected and unexpected for me in those. Fire felt hungry -- not too surprising, and it felt joyful and free. The transient nature of fire, which doesn't turn into something else, like air turning to water when it rains, to earth when freezes. It is or isn't, and when fire is I felt joy in it. Air felt patient too, which seemed strange, but connected and fluid which was more in line with my preconceptions.


Combat:
We worked more beats of the rapier fight, up to the last beat where I fight left handed and kill my partner. David and I got a note to work on not leaning when we are in the fighting crouch. Our size and age tend to make that feel more natural, and Geof who is not so large, but probably between us in age, was very gracious in passing that emphasis on. We are starting to feel the flow and rhythm of the fight, and after working in the acting and connection, then increasing the speed it should be fairly decent.


Tutorial:
Lori was sick, so we didn't get to take some tutorial time to play with our scene. I got home early and read more of Man and Superman for audition. It is a long play, and I now have 100 pages left. I hope to get at least fifty done by Friday, so I only have the last fifty to read on Saturday. That and reviewing the English accent for the prepared reading.


OBSERVATIONS/CLICKS
I'm still finding myself slightly apprehensive on my way to class. It irritates me. I know there are myriad reasons. I'm not fatigued like I was the first three or four weeks of the quarter, though there are times when I feel stretched pretty thin, and I'm feeling like I am constantly fighting off bugs. The challenge of Shakespeare has something to do with it too. Not to mention then stakes. I want to be a good actor and artist. I'd rather be a passable artist than an enjoyable hack. I toy with the idea of graduate school. It is a ways off yet, in both the experience I need to gain and in time. By choice or ability, this may well be my last training program like this. I want to get the most I can out of it. The obstacles of a full time job and the associated fatigue are acceptable. The challenge is to remain present, so the items which I can't assimilate right now, will be in some level of me awareness, so as I gain experience, read my notes, and take continuing classes they gel.

I suspect I'm worrying too much about this. The drive and passion which brought me to this point will urge me to further growth. I'd guess the greatest dangers would be complacency or acceptance. By acceptance I mean accepting where I am, and not moving forward.

A few nerves quivering before class is not a bad thing, as long as it is not out of hand and balanced with excited anticipation. That is coming back. I really missed it.