Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Yelling at My Bed.

(Pictured above is myself, Kevin (my dance partner in the July show), and Colleen in "Mobile" March 2010)
Today I am appreciating the demanding discipline of dance. As much as I love to complain about the sore muscles, the general fatigue, and getting up early (earli-ER that is) for class, I pretty much always am glad I did it. I've been preparing for a dance audition and a show in July up in Boulder (see my facebook page for details). And that means ballet everyday and pointe shoes back on my poooor little feet (cue sympathetic "awwwwwww"s). Those things make taking class at LEAST a billion times harder than dancing in the nice soft canvassy goodness we call flat shoes. Otherwise known as ballet slippers.
I haven't danced everyday for awhile, due to my rib injury and before that, the ballet company season ending. It is just hard to make yourself get up everyday and do rigorous exercise if it's not totally necessary-- or if you are getting paid to do it (or in my case, would lose my non-paying job if I didn't show up). There's something about my bed that is just so comfy early in the morning. It talks to me, croons at me, says, "Isn't it so nice and cozy here? Look, you are soooo tired. You really DO need your sleep. Come on, you can skip class just for today. It's not a big deal." To which I reply, "GET BEHIND ME, WARM COZY BED!!!"
Ok, well, most days I do. Some days I just submit to the soft sleep cocoon. But the last few weeks I have actually done better in this respect. There's just something about an audition and show in the near future that strikes the fear of "Holy crap, I am going to look like a complete idiot in this audition and/or onstage if I don't get myself into performing shape immediately" deep into my heart. Something about a whole audience of people watching my every move makes me get my butt into high gear.
My point is: Discipline. It's hard. I hate getting up earlier than I need to and forcing my legs and body into positions it doesn't like (at least the first 20 minutes until my muscles warm up). But I am always glad I did. Now, just to convince my bed to stop talking so nicely to me early in the morning...

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