Yesterday evening I took in the NDTC’s show at Little Theatre. Their annual season which usually precedes their international tour is usually well worth watching even with the repetitiveness of seeing the same repertory dances over the years.

This year there are several new dances of which all but one were choreographed by new and young artists. For this fact alone the show is a must-see because the new energy and creativity is incredible to watch. Unfortunately, one must attend at least a couple of times on order to see all the new dances.

The stand-out pieces in last nights show were “Sweet in the Morning”, a solo danced by Marlon Simms which brings forth just how graceful the male form can be all while exuding strength and power, and “Barre Talk”, a new piece choreographed by Oneil Pryce which plays with the use of the (ballet) barre through conventional exercises and more acrobatic ones.

In parallel with the influx of new choreography is a stream of young dancers. This is definitely not the NDTC of yore where you knew all the faces. A few of the dances were less clean than we’re accustomed to seeing but I suspect this will improve as the dancers develop further in the Company.

Overall, it was a great show, led by some very strong dancers. The tie-in between the lighting effects and the music with the choreography was engrossing. I will definitely be trying to attend at least one more show before the run ends in 3 weeks.

Whew!! Ok, my schedule is now returning to the lazy, slow-paced life of the unemployed. For the last month I have been exploring another creative venture, i.e. dancing, via the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) Summer School programme in the School of Dance.

This is not something new I wanted to try, but in fact a return to an activity from my youth - I danced as a child and again in sixth form and first year UWI. I always missed it and decided to give it a shot, partly for the exercise. It was a great learning experience (besides the obvious examples of technique and different dance forms):

• Consistency is key - The intense schedule of 3-hour classes Monday through Friday generated tremendous improvements in most of the students not just in technique but in fitness, strength and muscle tone.
• You’re not as old as you think - The squeals of joy resonated through the studio as people realized they could now touch their toes or go down into a (near) split.
• It takes all types - Taking a class like this helps to teach appreciation for your body because you have to focus on what it can do and not on what you look like. The important thing is learning to work with your body and push its limits.
• Support of friends goes a long way - A knowing look or a small smile can be all that’s needed to get you through a difficult moment. Knowing that somebody else is there with you rooting for you to achieve always helps.
• Have fun - It’s not worth it if you’re not having fun, both in life and dance.

I’m not sure yet whether I will be continuing to make dance a regular part of my life again, but it was an intensely fun (and exhausting) month, filled with new friends and new muscles.

 Partin’

Me goin now; come kiss me, Jim.
Sal, yuh got everyting?
Sam, shake me han train soon move now
When dat-deh sinting ring.

Tell Puppa plenty howdy. Teck
De grip outa yuh lap.
Look after piggy good an sen
Come tell me when she drop.

Tell Fan me tenk her fi de pork,
Doah it did lickle touch.
Lick Rena pon har mout an ask
Her ‘meck she chat so much?’

Teck everyting safe, doan nyam out
De pickney-dem candy.
Kiss Lucy, and tell Vie fi name
Her cow-calf after me.

De bell a ring again, few minutes
More an oonoo gawn!
Jim, yuh mus get a drapes trousiz
Like what dah man have awn.

See de marga man what holin han
Wid de nice fat lady
- She mussa feel like she dah hole
A mirasmi baby!

De man work dung a railway yah,
Me see him all de while,
Him hitch up anywhe him see
A nice good-lookin chile.

Him drapes dah meck me laugh, but it
Dah meck him look improve,
It meck him hip look fat out, an -
Lawd oh, de train a move!

Safe drive home, teck care a yuhself!
Tell Mimi ah wi write!
Kiss Tayma. Tell John howdy, do!
Haul een yuh head, awright!

The Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley O.M. M.B.E. Dip. R.A.D.A., D. Lit(Hon)
September 7, 1919 - July 26, 2006

To my lost friends,

Once upon a time - so begins every fairy tale. Yet they always have a happy ending, everything works out in the end. Life, unfortunately, deviates from the formula and we find ourselves here - indifferent silences or awkward conversations. But what you sense from me is not hate nor anger, though I did go through those. It’s not even resentment or hurt, though those held me down for a while.

The truth is I have said all I have to say. I have extended my hand - it went unnoticed or, worse, ignored. Though our paths may cross from time to time, we are no longer friends and it does pain me but that is life.

Ok, this is starting to get bad (for me). Another week is nearly over and still nothing new from me up here. A large part of the blame can go to me being tired and online a lot less. Those of you on MSN can vouch for that.

It’s not that I have nothing at all to post but every time I think of something I want to post, I then think of how much energy it will take me to think it out properly so that it is coherent and makes sense.

Hoping to get around to some stuff this weekend.

I know I’ve been very scarce this week. I’m not yet ready to disclose the details of what’s been going on with me, but it’s all good stuff. Hopefully in the very near future I will have some exciting news to report (no I’m not getting married). Till then let me just say it may be time now.

There are various theories floating around on how best to live a “good” life. One that I have heard/read several times is to think about what you would want people to say about you when you die. As morbid as it sounds, it is actually a little difficult to sit through a memorial for someone else, listening to tributes on the wonderful things this person did or the ways they touched others’ lives, without thinking about what would be said about you.

Although one should be living one’s life to please oneself (and God, if that is your belief system) rather than others, it is often in death that people’s lives are most examined. No matter the circumstances of your death, you will live on in the memory of those you touched, be they friends, family, or colleagues. And those memories will be based on the way you lived your life, the good deeds you did, the help you gave, the love you shared.

So it is perhaps a useful approach, if you can do it without freaking out about dying. Imagine how you would wish to be remembered, what kind of person would you wish to be described as, what people would you hope to have touched in the course of your life.

Of course, the key to making this really useful is to act upon the ideas you come up with. Do the things you want to be remembered for. Become the person you want people to miss. Share your life with the people you want to have helped. Your life will end up being much richer and fuller - and best of all, you will get to see it as it happens.

I find it interesting that after years of training and practice to do something really well, it actually takes more skill to imitate someone doing it badly.

When I do a jigsaw puzzle, I, like a lot of people, do the edges first. I guess we find that it helps to give structure, plus it’s easier so we feel like we have accomplished something. It’s kind of funny though because a puzzle with just the edges done doesn’t actually look like much because very little of the picture can be seen just by looking at the edges.

For the inside of the puzzle, different strategies exist. Some people look for the patterned pieces because they find it easier to connect the lines and shapes. Others strive to create large cohesive blocks often focusing on areas of the same colour and then just seeing which pieces fit together. There is the edge-in approach which continues by finding the pieces that fit onto the already completed edges. I have also witnessed the trial-and-error random piece approach - this is often a slow and painstaking way to go. I’m sure there are others.

I guess I have jigsaw puzzles on the brain. In a funny way they remind me of life and the way we approach personal development. Of course, in both if there is even one piece missing, it can’t be complete even if we can pretty much see the entire picture.