As much as I said I would blog on here regularly, that seems to be harder than it sounds. I apologize for anyone reading this, or trying to, consistently. Let's see, since the end of March a lot has happened. I did mention a knee injury in that post. After finding out that it was not a stress fracture and it was Patella Femoral Syndrome, I was very relieved. I was mainly relieved because I was able to do some dancing during my recovery and physical therapy. My physical therapy was supposed to be done a few weeks ago, but then the day before my final appointment, I got too excited about feeling better and being ready to attack my dance classes and auditions full out, that I ended up pulling a muscle. I was in an advanced theater class and apparently when you don't wear your character heels in months, you should ease back into dancing in them. My heel started getting worn down to the point of a huge cut and although it hurt a lot during the class, I said, "I'll be fine. I will at least finish the class." However, by the time I finally looked at my heel and saw how bad it was and took off my shoes, it was too late. I had strained my Adductor Magnus. I could barely walk the next day to physical therapy. I wasn't able to dance at all for a whole week, which was so difficult considering I was finally better the previous week and was so excited. Luckily, it wasn't too bad, and by the following week of rest, my leg was better again. Today, was finally my last physical therapy appointment!!! Now, I just have to remember to listen to my body when I feel pain and stop dancing so I don't make things worse. Throughout the entire physical therapy experience, I learned so much about anatomy, alignment, technique, and so much more.
I was able to go to Prelude DMV and compete with Project D in April. We placed 2nd in the competition. I also got to see so many people that I have missed so much. That trip was no where near long enough. Epic Motion was preparing for our showcase. The showcase was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the pieces I was in, and being able to perform that much in one show was a blast. I took a musical theater audition prep class. I learned a lot from this class. The person I took it from has so many Broadway credentials it is ridiculous and I am thankful for that opportunity. The videos of all of these events are up, so I will put the links below. I did a project with my friend Vive, so check that out. haha I got the opportunity to work with Derek Mitchell and the NBA for a flash mob event. Getting to combine basketball with dance was a blast since basketball is my favorite sport. I also put up an old video from when I went to Utah to teach with the KODACHROME and More Than Dance group last year.
While I was injured, I tried my very best to stay positive but it was not easy all the time. I don't know if people understand all I do is dance, so when I am injured, that's not only taking away my classes, it takes away my preparation for my future and the entire reason I live in New York at all. It was very hard to stay upbeat, but it is over for the most part now. I still have to do my physical therapy to make sure I keep up the progress I have made with my muscles and alignment. However, I am much more appreciative when I can dance full out now. I also tried to work on other things, whether it was voice, acting, choreographing, planning, youtube, marketing, or opportunity hunting. Stay positive guys. I believe in you. :)
Project D @ Prelude DMV 2014 [2nd Place]
Epic Motion Spring Showcase 2014 Playlist
I'm in:
1) "Rush Hour"
4) "Cafe Blues"
7) "Workplace Woes"
11) "Lights Out"
13) "The Demons Within"
15) "Stay"
16) "Impact, Aftermath, Recovery"
17) "Brand New"
"Fashion" - Choreography by Vivake Khamsingsavath
NBA Playoffs Five City Flashmob
Candy Rain Choreography | Amy Connerley & Chris Munar
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Friday, June 13, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
You have to have lows to appreciate the highs.
Wow. I guess it can be assumed that a lot has happened since I haven’t written on here in a couple of months. The last few weeks has been so up and down. As of right now, I have a knee injury that has really put a damper on my plans for auditioning and training. Audition season is here and now for musicals and cruises, and I can not afford to not be at my best. I am currently in the process of figuring out what is wrong with my knee and I got an MRI today. I had no idea how hard it is to lay completely still for what feels like forever. It was so harddd! haha But hopefully when the results come back tomorrow we can figure out what the problem is and try to fix it as soon and efficiently as possible. I have been trying very hard to stay off my knee as much as I can, but it is really difficult for me. Patience is a virtue right? I made a list of things I can work on without hurting my leg, and I am trying to stay positive through this obstacle.
At the beginning of March I competed at Elements with Project D. It was a lot of fun and I just love that group of people so much. Although we didn't place, we had a great performance and there is something about that performance that I can’t describe but I haven’t felt in a long time. Project D also showcased at So You Think You Can Sayaw and Flash Dance Competition. I had plans for my next couple of videos to come out within the past couple of months, but due to scheduling, my injury, and struggles with space and funds, they have not come together yet, but I will make them happen very soon.
I have had the opportunity to do a little more teaching recently, which makes me very happy. I was able to teach a House of Movement community class, and a private class for Epic Motion. I had a great time with both classes and am so thankful for everyone who came out to take class. I have also begun doing some background acting to get some extra money and also just learn about how the television and film industry works. So far I have had a great experience with that too and learned a lot. There are so many opportunities to take and paths to choose in New York City, that I am having a hard time to figure out exactly where to invest my time and money to get me where I want to be. So many obstacles to overcome lately. Hopefully it is true when people say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Until Next time friends. :)
Project D | Elements XIV
Sayaw 2014 - Project D
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
2014 Will Be The Year
Today is the first day of 2014. I have huge goals and aspirations for this year. I have been saying for months that 2014 will be my year, and hopefully with hard work and determination, that will be the case. I have been reflecting a lot on this past year and trying to also be more clear with myself about what I want out of 2014. How can I really turn this into a career? How can I improve everyday and keep growing as a dancer, choreographer, artist, person? I was reading an article the other day about not setting goals, but setting systems to make those goals come true, and it really spoke to me. One of the problems with goals the article pointed out is that people can feel like a failure if they don’t complete it and stay on track perfectly. That is something I can definitely relate to. I am going to try to enjoy the process of working hard, getting in shape, training in classes, auditioning, and all the other components of what I am doing. I know what I want. Well, to a degree, I don’t know exactly what path in dance I want to do, but I digress. I know I want to dance professionally. This year I will fight to make that happen.
In December, I auditioned and got accepted into the Establish Your Empire experience NY/Jersey Vol. 4 with the incredible Gigi Torres. She is such an amazing artist, teacher, and person, and I feel so blessed that I got to work with her and get to know her over the week long experience. It was an intense program and I learned a lot. We performed her piece at Prelude EC 2013. Guess who hosted Prelude EC 2013… Project D Dance Company. So I was a liaison for a team that day, I performed with Gigi’s EYE experience, Project D, and Project D’s fambam set (Project D and Defined Movement, our junior team). So needless to say, that day was a little stressful, but also so much fun. The following Friday, Epic Motion Dance Company hosted a benefit showcase for a Philippines relief fund. We had 7 groups from the NY dance community perform and it was such a great time with a great group of people, all for a great cause. How could that be better? We performed Stay, the same piece from WOD Boston and NJ. The link is in my last blog post if you want to see it!
I also went to Iowa for a week and a half over Christmas time. It was a nice break from reality and just gave me time to refocus and really reflect on what I want. While I was there, I got new headshots, started working on my reel, worked on my resume, designed my business card, and just tried to make sure that when I hit the dance industry world, my complete package represents me in a fantastic way. Hopefully this year becomes everything I want it to be, and I become everything I want to be. As always, the links below are the pieces I talked about in this post. Thank youuu! :) Goodbye 2013. 2014. It’s time. Let’s do this.
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