Home for the Holidays

Last Christmas I performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their annual Christmas concert - as a dancer, of course! It was my second year doing the production, and I am so thrilled I was able to participate in it. The 2012 show featured Alfie Boe and Tom Brokaw, with a surprise special guest,  Gail "Hal" Halvorsen - also known as the Candy Bomber in WWII. They're very strict about sharing photos of guests, costumes, set, etc, so all the performers had to sign an agreement to keep photos off the mainstream until the DVD was released. 

Well, the DVD is out and another Christmas concert has filled the walls of the Conference  Center, so it's time to share what I was up to a year ago. Auditioning last year was an act of bravery as much as it was an act of desire - performing in that concert led me to meet someone who profoundly influenced my life, though not in the happiest of ways. Auditioning and performing again was my way of staring down fear and telling the world that I would not live in the shadows of what might be. No, I would perform no matter who might be there on the tech crew. And perform I did. 

Alfie Boe is an amazing talent, and so humble and generous! It was an honor to meet him and chat with him during the concert run. I also got to meet Richard Elliott, the wizard on the organ who charms audiences with his amazing skills and musical interpretation. He took up the organ as an adult and I really enjoyed hearing some of his story about learning and excelling at this instrument. The choir members, orchestra, fellow dancers, and bell ringers all made the show a success on stage and rewarding backstage. 

** Side note: I hear I am in the video again this year. I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to watch it and verify this. 
*Other side note: I really should touch up my hair more frequently. The whole dark roots with light hair looks less classy and more obvious than I realize. 

PBS Rocks!

Wow, who knew that your local Public Broadcasting Service was so incredible?? After tonight, I'm sold! It's their fundraising time, so I suppose I really ought to show my support by donating. But I'll give them some free publicity here, at least. First, they showed the 2011 Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert... and I saw myself! I promise I'm not completely narcissistic, just interested in seeing how I did, of course. And seeing parts of the show I never saw. Then what should come on next but the Piano Guys Red Butte Garden concert! Jeff and I went to that in September and it was honestly the best concert I have ever been to. And watching it is what is getting me on this train of thought.  

I love the cello. It has such a mellow, soulful, yet soaring sound. Something about the deep low notes completely resonates within me. Sometimes in the past year I have felt really disconnected from my emotions. Like my head was distinctly one thing and my heart was distinctly another... and they weren't getting sync-ed up. Music was one of the things that brought them together for me. I've missed music. Much of last year I didn't listen to music... I was driving/commuting and listened to my local news and traffic. I'm sure a psychiatrist would give more reasons why I didn't indulge in music as much, reasons that had nothing to do with commuting. Regardless, when I did listen to music, it often had a strong melodic and instrumental theme. It's what spoke to me. Yo Yo Ma, slower ballad songs, pure instrumental songs... And those moments when they spoke to me and brought my mind and heart into harmony were wonderful. 

I remember being at this concert and hearing the orchestra come in to this song. The experience of the concert, with parts of the orchestra standing up from the audience... I felt like crying at the end. I noticed that Steven Nelson (the cellist) was crying at the end of the song on the clip they showed from the concert. As a performer, I know it takes more than an amazing personal performance to feel that way - it requires that synergistic moment of performer and audience uniting into one universal force. It was one of those moments when I felt so gloriously mortal and immortal, filled with emotion and experience and unfettered soul. Those transcendent moments are rare in life. They are exquisite. 

Don't only practice your art,

But force your way into its secrets,

For it and knowledge can

Raise men to the Divine.

-Ludwig van Beethoven

How can you not feel inspired after listening to that, seeing it, and reading Beethoven's profound suggestion? Art is completely elevating. It's in these moments when I'm reminded so strongly why I chose to get my degrees in the Humanities. Why I value what I value and pursue the dreams, goals, and hobbies that I do. Oh, to feel that exquisite moment of harmony and resonance more often! 

Every artist makes himself born. It is very much harder than the other time, and longer.

Willa Cather

Dreams

In my task of rebuilding myself, I find that I am in need of some dreams. Or, perhaps I have the dreams but have not articulated them very well. So here is my list of dreams, in no particular order. (Except perhaps my first dream.)

I dream of...

1. Being a wife and mother

2. Getting a piece of writing published 

3. Swimming with dolphins

4. Learning how to write in calligraphy

5. Traveling to a tropical location... maybe Costa Rica?

6. Visiting my brother's family in London

7. Owning my own home, which will have a beautiful, bright kitchen and a big library

8. Becoming a skilled amateur photographer

9. Learning how to create visual art (sketch, paint)

10. Performing as often as possible with dance groups

What do you dream of doing and becoming? How did you figure out what your dreams are?

Fonts

Sincerely: 

    Who doesn't enjoy some sweet retro action on the typewriter?

Sincerely:

   Anyone want to go to the Pottery Barn? This font is named for them. 

SINCERELY: 

ONLY DOWNSIDE TO THIS FONT IS YOU HAVE TO WRITE IN ALL CAPS AND APPARENTLY THERE IS NO PUNCTUATION? nnNO PERIOD, I GUESS* THAT'S STRANGE!

Sincerely:

This one is pretty nifty! It reminds me of vines and autumn. Maybe autumn because of curling pumpkin vines? 

Sincerely:

This one I really like. How fun is it to write in cursive while typing? It's clean too. 

Sincerely:

They called this one Jane Austen. I think it could count as any script circa the 1800s. John Hancock? Joseph Smith? Yes, I'm feeling it!

Cool Art

One day I will teach Humanities again, and this will be a cool thing to talk about! Interesting, isn't it, how so much in life is all about perspective?

Sometimes I miss Paris

I am a lover and have not found my thing to love.

Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941)

Friends

Suffice it to say, this was a less than pleasant day. I hate stress. And uncertainty. Thankfully, I got a tiny answer resolved and feel peaceful about that, but I wasn't particularly happy afterwards, as it leaves me swimming in uncertainty about many many other things. However, a crazy thing happened... I got a bazillion texts from various friends asking about me. I usually only get a few texts, and that's on a busy day! So to those who thought of me when I really needed happy thoughts: Thank You! I surely needed those extra thoughts and it was so helpful to talk to you and think about something besides myself. 

Also, a special shout out goes to Amy, who helped me find some art resources last semester. I stumbled upon a an art blog today and thought I'd share with her and all the other art lovers out there!

Art21 Blog

Awesome Tuesday

Remember when I went to Paris? Well, I sure do! I went to the Musee de Orsay and saw original paintings by some of my favorite Impressionist painters: Renoir, Manet, Monet, and Degas. I believe I also saw a Cassatt painting there as well. I would have liked to see more of her work, but she is apparently less-famous, or at least has her main collections housed at other museums. One thing I love about Degas' paintings is that he paints two of my absolutely favorite things: dancers and horses! I particularly like his depictions of dancers. He frequently uses pastels, which create a sense of immediacy and ephemerality. He also depicts dancers in uncommon angles and views, showing them as working girls, not just the fairy-beings they create on stage. His art shows the reality behind the facade. So when I actually saw his paintings for myself, in real life, I sort of went nutso. Thankfully, I was with Amy and she completely understood my reaction. (Hers may or may not have been startlingly similar. But then, any art lover goes nuts when they see the real thing!) 

What inspired this post is the fact that today I bought awesome frames for the two prints I bought in Paris. They are my souvenir from that city, and I can't think of a better one, except perhaps a reason to go back and see more museums! The first picture I have mounted is Danseuses bleues, by Edgar Degas, 1893. 

The second picture I have mounted in these awesome frames is by Claude Monet. Most people are very familiar with his waterlilies series, his haystacks series, and his Rouen Cathedral series. He was fairly prolific, though, creating beautiful pictures of landscapes, waterscapes, portraits, and combos like the following: Coquelicots (Poppies), 1873. 

One day I will have more money and I will have both a library (already well-stocked at this point, as my back can attest) AND an art gallery! Admittedly, it will not be original pieces, but I don't even care. I'm happy to display the great works of others. Below is a piece that totally blew me away when I saw it in the museum - see above for description of my reaction. I did not expect to see this in a Paris museum, mostly because the artist is English. It's also a very famous piece, which further increased my surprise at seeing it on a random wall in the Musee de Orsay. Commonly mis-named "Whistler's Mother," it is Arrangement en gris et noir no. 1, James McNeill Whistler, 1871. 

Paris Highlights

The big recap of tour... here it comes!!! (In other news, I'm in the midst of trying to figure out my future. All good-wishes, job advice/tips, prayers, etc are accepted!)

A glance of the famous streets, as redone by Hausmann. I've got a text book that tells more about why these are significant.... But if you really want more about the rebuilding of Paris, let me know. One thing that came out on tour is my vast amount of random knowledge. 

View from the top of the staircase in our Paris hotel. This is the seventh floor, where my room was at. Yes, I did have to carry suitcases up and down these stairs, more than once. 

Auguste Rodin: The Kiss. Absolutely beautiful workmanship and expressiveness. As I was downloading pictures, this one came up and I got little thrills from seeing it again and remembering what it was like to see it in person. Lovely.

Auguste Rodin: The Thinker. One of his most famous sculptures. Amy and I talked a little about him, wondering if he was meant to be viewed from a height or not. (He's on a pedestal, so his feet are about at my head-height.) At this moment, I think that perhaps putting him on a pedestal keeps the viewer from feeling that his pondering stance excludes others; rather, his elevated position illustrates the nobility (?) of thinking and pondering. 

Basilica Sacre Couer, in Montmartre

Notre Dame Cathedral

Interior stained glass window, Notre Dame Cathedral

Organ and Rose Window, Notre Dame Cathedral

Gotta prove that I was there!! Do you see the flying buttresses and pointed arches? You can probably see some gargoyles too, if you look closely. And the rose window there on the transcept. Gothic architecture through and through!

East altar area, Saint Chapelle. They call this small church the jewel-box. Pictures don't do the experience justice, because the whole main level is filled with these panels of beautiful stained glass. It was absolutely amazingly beautiful, a must-see for anyone going to Paris. 

Eiffel Tower! I was lame and poor and didn't pay to go up in it. I didn't want to pay for the elevator ticket, and  my feet couldn't stand the thought of walking up the stairs on the cheaper pass. Paris isn't necessarily the most attractive city, in my opinion, so I don't feel like I missed out. If I go back to Paris again, though, I'll add that to my to-do list. 

Classic illusion pictures with the tower. Pretty good job, photographer! 

So happy to be in Paris at the Eiffel Tower!! I may have been dog -tired from walking, but there's always energy for a jumping picture! (There are many more to come throughout tour.) 

Arc de Triomphe. I really want to process some of these pictures in Photoshop and see if I can get some more attractive results, but I like the general look of this one. Anyways, we walked to the Arc and then along the Champs Elysses to cap off our evening in Paris. Well, this evening, at least. We had a few nights there, and we used them all to the fullest extent.

Louvre, with Pyramids and ferris wheel in the Tuileries gardens

One entrance to the Louvre. Once you snap your picture of the most popular entrance, aka the pyramids, walk across the street and over here. There is no line, even on days when the main entrance has an hour + wait!

Da Vinci, Madonna of the Rocks. I thought the painting would be brighter, but apparently it dulls down over time, so it probably just needs some archival care. Beautiful piece. 

When at the Louvre, you can not skip seeing the most famous painting in the world. I did not get any closer than this, mostly because the crowd wasn't worth it. That museum is full of amazing artwork, so I can handle seeing this one from a distance. It's actually relatively small, too. You would need time and peace to contemplate Da Vinci's rendering here, and the viewing experience obviously doesn't lend itself to that type of contemplation. So, this is my face time with the Mona Lisa. 

Theodore Gericault, The Raft of the Medusa

Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People

Ingres, The Grand Odalisque

David, Oath of the Horatii. We went to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery and saw his grave as well. 

Winged Victory, Nike of Samothrace

Eiffel Tower at night, in the city of lights. It sparkled too, but not while we were there taking pictures.


And that is Paris in a nutshell! The Musee de Orsay was my favorite part, but pictures weren't allowed so Amy took a few clandestine shots. (Want to email me those files?) So outside of that museum, this is Paris! Normandy and Versailles posts to follow...