We were back at work on Monday after a week off following the Love is... performances.  I was able to get to New York to catch two performances of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, plus Billy Elliot and Hair on Broadway.  In addition I was able to take a ballet class from my long-time teacher Nancy Bielski at Steps and also teach a class myself at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

I came back feeling refreshed and invigorated and we started work right away on Pictures at an Exhibition.  The music is exceedingly programmatic and based on a series of paintings that were done by a friend of the composer Mussorgsky.  I have decided not to try and illustrate the original paintings but instead do what the music is "telling" me to.  I think that for those who know the titles of the sections there will be quite a few surprises in the ballet. I think that my New York trip really inspired me, and the work went very well over the week.  We were able to finish two sections, "Gnomus" and "Samuel Goldenberg und Schmuyle" completely, and we are half-way through "il vecchio castello."  I absolutely adore this music, and it is proving to be a fertile springboard for my imagination!
David