Death Electric Emo Protest

Obama voted for alleviating the restrictions on wire tapping so the phone companies that were going to court are now protected by these new changes that are supposedly protecting us from terrorism. Politics is a messy business. It's all about illusion. What one is perceived to respect and stand for. It is pretty sad actually, that we are the ones that the illusion is created for. We expect democrats to stand for certain issues, and republicans to stand for the others all too often. It is simply further splitting our nation into a political dichotomy, when more than ever, we need to find issues to be united about.
Passivity is something I abhor. Perhaps because I've been taught that once one grows up and wants privileges, that comes with responsibilities to act as an adult. It isn't that hard to ask for what one needs. We all have to do it. It is part of the joy of living in this world; Feeling like one can take care of oneself and problems when they arise in one's life.
D.E.E.P. Aerobics was last night. Such a magical experience. It's moments like that, where I feel unrestricted, unobligated to say certain things, or be something I don't want to be. We all are children inside, and while we should live in this adult world, as adults, it is nice to have times of play and fun and freedom. I didn't bring my camera, but pictures were taken. Mascara kept running in my eyes. Adrenaline was high. Costumes were imaginative. There was a perceived energy, sometimes a physical energy that one could actually feel, in the moments of quiet stillness. I wore my yellow polka dot bathing suit and orange fishnets and orange kid gloves and tube socks with spiked hair and blue eyeliner. Silliness is so refreshing. Especially since life in our house was a little uptight yesterday. It was also funny seeing who was completely unrestricted and just let themselves "be" and who wasn't as prone to throwing their cautions to the wind. There were moments when we would talk to each other "I love you", "The only nation is imagination", "You can make my dress but you can't get married"...etc. and some people wanted to "act" out all the words and it felt sterile and detached from the natural energy exuded by others. After that, we went out in Durham with other ADF-ers and just met people and bonded and talked with some of the choreographers here. It was great.
Now I'm off to dance with sticks and my hands to a ONCE UPON A TIME story.

Stimulation Overload

We have an awful tendency to get too excited.
Is this a lack of moderation in our lives? Restriction always leads to a falling out of some kind to the opposite extreme.
Let's just be adults and live our lives in moderation and awareness.


I think people at 4 way stops should learn how to successfully complete this endeavor by watching Paul Taylor's Promethean Fire. This isn't a good picture, but the dancers weave themselves in between one another with smooth, flawless movement. If one is going, the other waits, then the other goes and someone else waits. Sound familiar? It's because that is what SHOULD happen at 4 way traffic stops.

Sparklers can make a night

Ritual.
Two of my roommates at American Dance Festival and I take a class called Ritual. We did the first dusk to dawn class where we were in the Ark (one of our dance studios) and practiced rituals from 8 pm (dusk) to 6 am (dawn). I had my blank gum wrapper collection with me (imagine that) and made a circle with them around myself. I started to draw something on all of them, not necessarily completing the whole wrapper in a drawing, but at least a mark on all of them. Mark Haim made a labrinth out of rose petals and kept walking in and out of it. I did a shaking meditative exercise we practice in modern class and we are supposed to shake while imagining dust falling off our organs for 20 min. It was 10:40 when I started and didn't look at the clock the whole time, but felt burdened as I thought of what time it was. I finished and look at the wall where the clock was, and someone had taken it down; I took it as a sign about the insignificance of the time I was shaking and the significance in the fact that I decided to practice this ritual.
We had a room where we could go eat and talk to others. There were about 12 of us total, teachers included. Some people went to sleep, which was allowed, but there were some of us that kept up the rituals through the night and morning. It was a beautiful moment. You can physically feel the energy from others in this room. It is time like these, I feel the magic of American Dance Festival- it's easy to forget about it. We woke up, or stayed up till July 4th and went home, took a nap and then ventured to Chapel Hill for some walking around and ice cream in cones.
Sparklers and dancing were how the night ended, as a powerful thunderstorm took hold outside.