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I know I will need to create some structure for a year of art…because making (or writing about) creating/changing physical art objects everyday isn’t do-able. I’ll burn out.

I do consistently create (dolls, clothing, useful objects, decorative objects) every week…it’s just somewhat haphazard. The mood and inspiration strikes often but how much am I feeding it so it can thrive? How can both streamline my process and widen my scope of possibilities?

And then there’s the fact that my other art is physically demanding.

I wrote yesterday’s post on the train to my second job….the OTHER other art I do. On Thursdays after a 8-4 Mon-Fri full energy job with about an hour commute each way,  I go home for a nap and food, and then go to the studio to teach three dances classes (7-10)….and wake up the next morning at 6am.

Consistently feeding my dance self is a battle I feel I’ve been loosing. I currently teach 7 lessons a week. The studio I work at is about to celebrate their 10 year anniversary…with a student and teacher show.

So, my student attendance is up…but most everyone is focused on practicing the choreographies I’ve already taught so there is more running through whole songs and drilling tricky moves and less slower explanations…and this is true for my beginner students as well as myself and some peers. I’m drilling three choreographies and teaching a fourth one.

This is what I do when I’m not sharing my DIY. This is also a large part of my extra time this month.

My duet partner (and studio owner) H and I are reviving this choreography (with finger cymbals) I made and we performed 2015.

My Turkish Roma class had a student who wanted to perform a choreography I made two-three years ago.

I'll be dancing with her AND another student who learned it then but is now a fellow teacher. I like my choreography but it's one I created to mirror "How I'd dance" instead of translating my choices to a more teachable/student oriented choreography.

It's VERY heavy on the heel bounces.

This style is why massage places ask me if I wear heels a lot. I don't, those are just the calves I get from this.

My beginners are doing a 3 minute choreography which has three distinct sections...veil work, slow moves, and FAST ALL THE SHIMMY.

This is the veil work.

Looking at this clip I realize that I've also lost weight since a few months ago because busy. Not intentional it's just how my body ebs and flows.

Enjoy my "lesson wear"

And last there's the choreography my intermediate students are starting (not for the show) by a dancer I love learning from, Serkan Tutar.

I have permission to teach it and alter it as needed. His choreography always work well for me AND when it's student appropriate and I DO teach what I've learned in his workshops it gives me some time off from creating new work...

And it's finding ways to feed this, my other art, and myself, that can be hard.