Hello all!
This week has been crazy-busy, often leaving me enough time after I eat to check my email and then hit the sack. So, needless to say, I haven’t post on the blog for about a week. I’m going to fix that now.
The most of this week has been spent in “movement” sections and other random meetings. We’ve been working hard to learn the show we’ll be performing in less than two weeks…ah! So, I am sore. Quite sore, actually. Most of the songs require a lot of movement, but the song “Ayiko” really did me in with all the different lunges and quick movements, etc. Added with this was a nasty sinus cold that hit me, making the days even longer. Ugh. But, Friday and Saturday brought “blocking,” which is where we started running through the show to find our cues in and out for the show, etc. It has been a lot of work for that, but it has given us a sense of continuity for all the parts that have been thrown at us the past week and a half. In that sense, it has been great!
On Thursday, we took part in our first Community Involvement project (CI). There were three choices for us to choose from: working at a Habitat for Humanity home, helping relocate a African Refuge program office, or putting together food packages for the needy. I chose the Habitat for Humanity home, so we took a half-hour bus ride to the site and got a fun safety speech from the supervisors there. After that, we divided up into groups, some of us going outside and some of us staying inside. I ended up being inside all day long, working on the upstairs of a duplex, hanging sheetrock. If any of you have ever hung sheetrock, you know how fun it is. BUT, the plus side to this was working inside on a day that wasn’t too warm. And, the sheetrock we had to hang was all on the lower half of the rooms, which made the job ten-times easier. So there 
were about six to nine of us working upstairs, some measuring and cutting sheetrock panels to hang, others holding up the panels while others screwed them in. I was lucky enough to have experience with sheetrock and the screw gun, which made it easier for me. For others, it was a true learning experience trying to figure out the nuances of a power drill. We worked from about 9:30 in the morning til about 3:30 in the afternoon, not quite long enough to get the job done which bugged me for a while. The supervisors of the Habitat house had an inspection lined up for the next day, and they needed all the sheetrock hung before that, which meant that our supervisor, Allison, had to finish up what we didn’t get done – three walls in one room. Not cool. Hopefully she was able to get it done.
As for the cast, everyone is growing closer and closer. Friendships are flourishing everywhere and between everyone, it seems, with no signs of drama or dislike (which a great sign). While I’m not foolish enough to believe that it will forever remain like this, it is still great not to have it spring up too quickly! With blocking now in full swing, names are being dropped for solos and speaking parts and lead dancers, which surely has those involved excited. I, myself, had no such involvement, which was what I expected. I enjoy singing, but I know that I’m not great at it. I can speak in public, but there are those more natural at it. And dancing…well, I was HAPPY to know that I’m not a front line dancer! Though at the moment I’m on the top riser for the most complicated dance, “Keep the Beat”…hopefully that doesn’t keep! I don’t mind dancing it, but I’m not good enough to be so center stage. Advanced positions were handed out also this week, which means that soon some of our castmates will be leaving for Lincoln, Maquoqueta, Des Moines, Muscatine, and Burlington. Sad. But I am excited for them as well – they’ll be working to prepare cities and growing exponentially in the process. It’ll be great to see them again when we arrive in the city – THEIR city.
Since our Saturday was full of blocking, we were only left with one day for relaxation, sleeping in, and exploration of Denver. Our host family graciously left Kristian and I to sleep in for a few more hours than normal. Normally, we get up at about 6:20 in the morning, but we got to sleep in until 9:30, which was great! After we got up, we had a great breakfast with bacon, eggs, sausage, and Danish rolls (made by Pillsbury, so 
who knows how Danish they actually are). After breakfast, we suited up with warm clothes and made our way up to the mountains to Winter Park, and did a bunch of snow tubing – which was a blast! The hill was insanely steep and fast, and we tubed for about an hour (since they rent out the tubes for hour increments). It was a great time, and the trip up and back made for great sight-seeing since we had to wind all the way to the place (see video below for our tubing experience).
This next week will surely bring more and more blocking and rehearsal, since our first performance will be a week from Saturday. But, we’ll also get a bunch more time to spend with each other. Its always a big ta-do when we all leave for the evening, full of hugs from cast members and anxious waitings til we meet again. It’s hard to imagine that in a few months, we’ll be saying goodbye for good. But let’s not think about that just yet, yes?
Until my next post!
Dan
This week has been crazy-busy, often leaving me enough time after I eat to check my email and then hit the sack. So, needless to say, I haven’t post on the blog for about a week. I’m going to fix that now.
The most of this week has been spent in “movement” sections and other random meetings. We’ve been working hard to learn the show we’ll be performing in less than two weeks…ah! So, I am sore. Quite sore, actually. Most of the songs require a lot of movement, but the song “Ayiko” really did me in with all the different lunges and quick movements, etc. Added with this was a nasty sinus cold that hit me, making the days even longer. Ugh. But, Friday and Saturday brought “blocking,” which is where we started running through the show to find our cues in and out for the show, etc. It has been a lot of work for that, but it has given us a sense of continuity for all the parts that have been thrown at us the past week and a half. In that sense, it has been great!
On Thursday, we took part in our first Community Involvement project (CI). There were three choices for us to choose from: working at a Habitat for Humanity home, helping relocate a African Refuge program office, or putting together food packages for the needy. I chose the Habitat for Humanity home, so we took a half-hour bus ride to the site and got a fun safety speech from the supervisors there. After that, we divided up into groups, some of us going outside and some of us staying inside. I ended up being inside all day long, working on the upstairs of a duplex, hanging sheetrock. If any of you have ever hung sheetrock, you know how fun it is. BUT, the plus side to this was working inside on a day that wasn’t too warm. And, the sheetrock we had to hang was all on the lower half of the rooms, which made the job ten-times easier. So there 
were about six to nine of us working upstairs, some measuring and cutting sheetrock panels to hang, others holding up the panels while others screwed them in. I was lucky enough to have experience with sheetrock and the screw gun, which made it easier for me. For others, it was a true learning experience trying to figure out the nuances of a power drill. We worked from about 9:30 in the morning til about 3:30 in the afternoon, not quite long enough to get the job done which bugged me for a while. The supervisors of the Habitat house had an inspection lined up for the next day, and they needed all the sheetrock hung before that, which meant that our supervisor, Allison, had to finish up what we didn’t get done – three walls in one room. Not cool. Hopefully she was able to get it done.As for the cast, everyone is growing closer and closer. Friendships are flourishing everywhere and between everyone, it seems, with no signs of drama or dislike (which a great sign). While I’m not foolish enough to believe that it will forever remain like this, it is still great not to have it spring up too quickly! With blocking now in full swing, names are being dropped for solos and speaking parts and lead dancers, which surely has those involved excited. I, myself, had no such involvement, which was what I expected. I enjoy singing, but I know that I’m not great at it. I can speak in public, but there are those more natural at it. And dancing…well, I was HAPPY to know that I’m not a front line dancer! Though at the moment I’m on the top riser for the most complicated dance, “Keep the Beat”…hopefully that doesn’t keep! I don’t mind dancing it, but I’m not good enough to be so center stage. Advanced positions were handed out also this week, which means that soon some of our castmates will be leaving for Lincoln, Maquoqueta, Des Moines, Muscatine, and Burlington. Sad. But I am excited for them as well – they’ll be working to prepare cities and growing exponentially in the process. It’ll be great to see them again when we arrive in the city – THEIR city.
Since our Saturday was full of blocking, we were only left with one day for relaxation, sleeping in, and exploration of Denver. Our host family graciously left Kristian and I to sleep in for a few more hours than normal. Normally, we get up at about 6:20 in the morning, but we got to sleep in until 9:30, which was great! After we got up, we had a great breakfast with bacon, eggs, sausage, and Danish rolls (made by Pillsbury, so 
who knows how Danish they actually are). After breakfast, we suited up with warm clothes and made our way up to the mountains to Winter Park, and did a bunch of snow tubing – which was a blast! The hill was insanely steep and fast, and we tubed for about an hour (since they rent out the tubes for hour increments). It was a great time, and the trip up and back made for great sight-seeing since we had to wind all the way to the place (see video below for our tubing experience).This next week will surely bring more and more blocking and rehearsal, since our first performance will be a week from Saturday. But, we’ll also get a bunch more time to spend with each other. Its always a big ta-do when we all leave for the evening, full of hugs from cast members and anxious waitings til we meet again. It’s hard to imagine that in a few months, we’ll be saying goodbye for good. But let’s not think about that just yet, yes?
Until my next post!
Dan
"Tubing in Denver"
No comments:
Post a Comment