day 5

Last day. I get up and fold my bedding, fold my clothes (making sure to separate the still clean from the still damp and disgusting), and eat. Stacey and I part ways as she must study. I hop on the now extremely familiar skytrain and head my now familiar route to the dance centre. I had such a good experience tapping yesterday that I decide to go and do a level 1 tap class. There isn't much tap offered at harbour (or most places for that matter). Tap doesn't get much respect these days. These days it seems hip hop and contemporary are the kings of the hill.
I misread the brochure. I thought that I would have the same teacher as yesterday but nope. I have a different old guy. And this old guys style is fairly different. He is much more interested in the "dance" element of tapping as opposed to the "rhythm" element. Although this class from a technique standpoint was a little beneath me I still learned a lot from watching the teacher teach. I was reminded of so much of the foundation of tap and how much of a tool it is for teaching musicality. A fairly good class. Just one more to go.
The last class for me this week is Jo's jazz. I had heard that her jazz is difficult but I figured I would take it, give what I've got and let it be the final mark of the week. So I walk into jazz class (there is not a single jazz shoe in sight) with all "the source kids" and they clearly know whats going on. I find a piece of corner in the back of the room as I'm fairly sure I'm the only person here who hasn't done the class before. Holy $&!% warm-up is intense. I silently wish to myself that we actually do warm-up and stretching all class so that I can continue to hide. I actually failed at hiding when it was time to stretch in 2nd and (for everyone but me) put our heads on the ground. the image I had in my head is that of a wide open field filled with gopher holes and despite all the holes you see nothing but that one gopher who pokes his head up when all the others are safely below the surface. But I'm already here, and it's my last class, so dammit I'm going to throw the ego away and make the most of my last class.
Time for cross floor. The opening cross floor involves an exceptionally fast salsa step. F! I've never done salsa before. So people start going cross floor and there I was at the end of the pack with one other person. She managed to get across the floor in record pace and there I was, literally in the middle of the room with everyone watching, trying to do some fast salsa. Let's just say I got off the floor as quick as possible. Going back the other way I made sure I was in the middle of the pack and NOT at the end. Cross floor continued and I started to find my groove building confidence (doing jumps and turns helps my confidence usually.) Then we get to the combo. To my own surprise I can do this combo. In fact I can get through this combo just fine, much better than either contemporary combo and I know this is a more difficult set. My body just told my mind, "don't worry, we got this" and my mind replied, "ya, I think you're right, I think we do GOT THIS." We run it in groups and I do just fine. There are some amazing dancers in this room. When class is over I thank Jo for not only the class but the scholarship as well (as her and husband gave it to me). Her baby is amazingly cute by the way. Living off the high of class I actually think about doing one more class. I would be pushing time to get to the bus on time if I do that. Then my mind tells my body "we're tired, remember?" "oh ya" replies mind. I have a few small talk conversations with a couple of people and it's time for me to pick out my trophy. I buy a pair of sweat pants that have gold print on the side (appropriate considering it is a trophy after all).


I figured out that I did 15 classes total in 5 days. 3 classes a day doesn't actually sound like much. "fat ass" body mocks mind. But 15 is a substantial number. In the intensive training program that Harbour has, the students must do 13 classes a week. I did more than 13 in less than a week. I'm satisfied with the effort put in. The experience was very positive. Spending time doing something you are passionate about can always only turn out positive, and this was. I love dancing. Let me say it again, I LOVE dancing. I found that the people were never rude but they did get friendlier as the week wore on. I found myself conversing with more and more people each day and everyone was friendly. It was such a good experience that I'm thinking about coming down for GSP a couple days early just to catch a few classes at harbour before the convention.
As great as the experience was I am looking forward to being back home. As my dad told me once told me "no matter where you go and what you do, you should always want to be home at the end of it." That isn't an exact quote, but you get the idea. And as I sit on a greyhound bus typing the last of this I'm even more excited to be home because I'm tired. Also, I'm sitting next to the stinky washroom and the bus is so jammed with people that there are a bunch of people who have to stand. Actually.
Tomorrow I will spend most of the day rejuvenating on the couch before I go back to my "home studio" of KDA" and take yet another class.