First of Week of Winter Quarter 2010

I think I'm starting to realize that I'm in graduate school now and am feeling a little more relaxed by the idea. I'm not as stressed, but of course - it's only the first week. Here's how it's going so far:

I'm going to the gym three days a week now. It's going to take some time for my body to come out of shock, but I think I'll start liking it eventually. I'm sore... of course.

Susan Hadley's modern technique class is really challenging. I can tell that she used to dance in Mark Morris's company. She's really focused on musicality. I have to be hyper-aware or I'll miss something. She announced that she's creating the movement for class in class as we go along in order to pay attention to what we need. In this way, it reminds me of Kate Warren. They are both incredibly detail-oriented and focused on getting their students to pay attention to the nuances of the movement. Hadley also reminds me of Lynne Grossman - so entertaining. Don't get me wrong, though - I think Hadley is unique and I'm looking forward to seeing how my dancing may change by the end of this quarter because of her eagle eye.

It's too early to say what I think of the Interactive Media class. It's only been a couple of classes and they were really slow. Yesterday Patterson covered DNS servers and the back-end of websites, i.e. webservers. I spent years managing this technology and it was really hard to sit patiently through this class, although I know it's necessary in an intro class. I just wonder if I should be there. Perhaps it will pick up.

I like the fact that I'm taking two modern technique classes this quarter. Bebe Miller's approach is different from Hadley's but certainly just as exacting. Miller's classes so far have had a different warm-up each time. I really appreciate how these teachers are careful to look at what we need and are able to adjust accordingly. I know that must sound elementary, but it's a big thing really. Plus, I'm totally fascinated by Miller. Where did this wonder come from? How fortunate that I get to take her class for 10 weeks - not just a week long workshop!

Dynamics and Phrasing - Comp Class with Vicki Blaine. This will be challenging. It's not just a composition class (neither was John Giffin's last quarter); it's also a performance class. The restrictions that will be placed on us will probably be uncomfortable, but I think this could be a good thing. How can we learn from our suffering??? I guess I'll find out.

I still haven't had Postmodernism yet - it meets tomorrow if classes aren't cancelled due to weather. It's a three hour class at 9am on a Friday. I've already completed my reading for tomorrow and I really like the topics already, so I think I might like it. We'll see... Three hour class on a Friday. (That keeps echoing in my head.)

Enough about classes. My next post will be about the Independent Study I started that I'm really excited about. For some reason, this quarter seems to be more about physicality for me. I feel like I'm traveling down a curvy road. I don't know where I'm going, but I like what I see along the way!

Stay tuned.
For now - I'm going to bed!