Two weekends - four shows of Aurora, three shows as Fairy of the Golden Vine, and two as the Sapphire Fairy - are down and all that remains is two Golden Vines, one Sapphire, and one Aurora. Someone asked me last weekend if I was relieved to only have one more show as the princess or if I would like to continue the role. I shrugged with a smirk. I am relieved to have four over and done with and am so glad that I feel good about the way they went, but it breaks my heart to be slowly releasing the character I have bound myself to. Endings are hard, guys.
I'm sure I'll have plenty of sentimental words and life-learnings for you guys once the run is through. I'll save you the sappiness until then.
In other news,
I've been having an interesting go with the end of my senior year. As you may know, I'm in the process of writing a novel for a class. A novel about ballet. In this class of about a dozen people, we are required to print up copies of our writing and hand them out to our classmates for review. We give each other tips, constructive criticism, and advice. This has definitely become one of my favorite classes throughout my college career and has pushed me to do what I've wanted to for years: make progress on a book.
Anyone that dances knows that "normal people" don't necessarily understand the terminology and obviously will not quite understand certain phrases (see 51 Things Only Ballet Dancers Understand). With that said, I could understand why certain people wouldn't enjoy reading or having to edit this novel. But what I have come to learn has been happening after class lets out, isn't justified by an understandable lack of interest or relation.
I found out that about half of the class had been gathering every evening to gossip about and tear apart other people's manuscripts both in person and on social media... How immature can it get? College juniors and seniors behaving like preteens with petty comments and low blows. It was disheartening, offensive, and made me completely self-conscious in my future writings.
That sucked.
I almost wish I knew what they had to say, because at least then I could decide for myself whether it was or was not valid. It constantly astounds me how people can stoop to such levels. Bright, intelligent people that are bursting with potential, going against their better judgment and behaving in a way that can be no better be described than with the word, "bully."
I've got to give a shout out to our company's physical therapist on this one, because he summed up the situation conclusively and concisely:
"Some people will never grow up, and you'll find those people everywhere. You've got to rise above that. They're just a rock in your shoe. Forget about it and keep on moving."
