The Golden Compass

This is the first movie from the wonderful trilogy from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. The books are just wonderful. If you haven't read them, I totally recommend them. The characters, concepts, and fantasy are otherwordly...literally. They're also really wonderful as books on tape, but now there are actual films! I can't wait to see the armored polar bears and the witches.

The Studio

Here's some views from the inside of my little studio apartment. I am living like a monk these days and it's really kind of interesting to have so little. I have a table, two chairs, a computer, and a futon couch that I'm not loving unfortunately, but with so little in the space, it feels like living in an empty canvas.

According to my lease, I can't paint it. Living in white is weird for me. The first thing I usually do when moving in to a new space is to paint it. I like living in vibrant colors.

... my little kitchen with a Power of Now calendar on the wall.

I found this little table on the side of the street. It's beautiful. That's Harry Potter sitting there open. I am trying not to read it too fast but loving it.

Tammy Faye

Tammy Faye Messner is my hero. Ever since I watched, the Eyes of Tammy Faye I have had so much admiration for this woman. For me, she was a Christian person who was like what I hope Christ was like. She loved everyone. No matter of anything, really. Love just poured out of her. She connected to small children and adults, seniors, teens. She could connect to any person. She was real. She was herself. She loved to laugh and sing and make others laugh and know joy. She lived through some hard life lessons and a horrible debilitating disease that took her life. Her faith carried her through and the hard times did not, could not diminish her extraordinary beautiful light. Tammy Faye Messner is my hero. She is everything I hope to be.



"I sincerely love you and I hope one day to see you all in heaven. I pray every day that you will know peace and that you will know joy." Tammy Faye's last public words.

Thank you Tammy Faye! I love you too! Welcome home!

Here's a little more on Tammy Faye!

For Ragan

Thanks for the chalk, girlfriend! I'm spreading the love in Seattle thanks to you!

Rock Climbing in the Rockies

The Grads

Hey friends!

I'd like to introduce you to a bunch of really awesome new friends and collegues here in Seattle. The MFA in Dance program takes three students a year and as a two year program, there are six of us.

Here's the class of 2009!

On the left is the beautiful and talented Jamie Hall and on the right, the beautiful and talented Catherine Cabeen.

Jamie has been on tour for the last year or so with Momix. I am completely in love with her as is the rest of the world! Catherine is the diva among us! Tall, blond, and fiercely talented. She has been working with Bill T. Jones for years as well as with the Martha Graham Company.

Here's Catherine doing something really special with her shoulder blades!

The other man in the program, Kent Lindemer! Kent has spent many years in Pilobilus. If you know their work, they're usually naked and stacked on top of one another. Kent was the anchor man for many years with the company. He and I are the contact improv guys. I'm so glad he's here! We're really enjoying our time dancing and hanging out together.




Here's Kent doing a physical demonstration of Chaos theory after a few beers at the pub.




Diana Garcia-Snyder, a wonderfully fun second year from Mexico.


With me on the right is Maria Anderson. She is my teaching partner this summer for Dance 101. Maria is a ballet dancer with big brain and powerful work ethic. She lives just around the corner from me on Capitol Hill. We eat cupcakes and rearrange furniture.



We are a formidable group of grads. Each unique with talents and experience. We share an office that we are working on the feng shui. There are no windows...so it's a challenge, but I'll post some photos of that project as it progresses.


So these are my wonderful colleagues with whom I share my day to day.

Wade

Hey Folks,

Let me introduce to you Wade Madsen!

Wade is a new friend out here in Seattle. He is sort of like the Louis of the Seattle dance world. Wade teaches dance at Cornish College and is a fantastic performer. Wade is so well known here and is sort of the mayor of Capitol Hill where I live. We met in rehearsal on my first day of grad school and I immediately felt a brotherhood connection. Wade is hilarious. We hang out at his apartment around the corner and play with all his therapy devices. Either that or we hang out at the beach where he is usually very busy greeting his many subjects.

Wade is away for the month visiting family and teaching in Colorado, so I'm a little sad. But we'll play again in the fall when school starts again.

Click here to see more of Wade!

Simpson's Evolution Opening

The Landlord