Can I just take a moment to quickly reflect on how incredibly rewarding this experience has been? (And because of my lack of recent posts due to being so busy all the time…)

This has definitely been a long journey, from my first interview turning into a funny conversation about my “woo-ers,” to waking up in Vegas for retreat, to scanning through DVDs of past performances in 2005, to teaching funny basic fundamentals to my dancers, to being asked to dances and galas at my practices, to visiting China Town for props, to lugging 25 petticoats and 100s of costumes into my tiny VDC-closet, to waking up at 8am to watch my dancers dance the dances I’ve been learning since I was only 12-years-old, to really getting to know them as individuals…

I’d never think of myself as someone who could put herself in front of a suite of 55 out of 300 cast members, and teach them some of my favorite dances of the culture I’ve learned growing up with my family for the past decade. I’ve had my fair share of feeling uncomfortable, insecure, totally awkward, confident, proud, and pretty to ugly throughout it all, but… It’s only 5 days ‘til showtime, and, besides the end-product of our 3-hour production this Friday night, I’m glad to have worked with such a versatile team, meeting some amazing friends, people, colleagues, work-a-holics, musicians, and true artists… Not to sound all sappy, but, through all the personal things that may have come in the way, it’s important to really recognize and congratulate yourself for the things you do. I find myself as one who may always doubt, neglect, and criticize herself a bit too much, that I too often forget to really give myself a pat on the back for the things and work I find myself doing.

This post is to commemorate that recognition.