Here is just a quick note on this rainy Halloween and the eve of my return to work. The past month has been a gradual journey back in to the land of art and filled with frequent reminders of mortality and the importance of embracing the present.

First of all I love seeing people donn their alter egos and think that costumed events should be mandatory at least once a month. Saw two music shows this week. The first was at the Casa on the evening of the lunar eclipse, a rare chance to see groups of hipsters staring up at the sky. Singer song writers Jeff Burner and a girl named Ray (much like a boy named Sue) entertained us with their songs and personalities. Ray, a young woman with a sweet voice played at being an old man singing about truck stops and oil rigs. I always find it interesting when individuals reject their own gender stereotypes in favor of those of the opposite sex. Why not invent something new, but I am sure there is something I am failing to fully understand. Anyway back to the music. Jeff playing an accordion and backed by a very talented violinist (whose name I didn’t catch). He traipsed effortlessly between cultures; singing gypsy, klezmer, french and irish songs that were at once ironic and emphatic, and performed through a veil of scotch. The man is a born entertainer with more than a glint in his eye.

The other show was equally entertaining but for a completely different crowd. I love how many genres and subcultures there are to be found in this city. Jerome Miniere, a french singer who now makes his home in Quebec, performed works from his Herri Kopter projects backed by a great band. His works parody the language and devices of marketing with a humble wit. I have never seen a conceptual rock and roll show before; the closest would be Kid Koala’s last tour. It was carried off extremely well. The music could almost be classified as emo. It was melodic and seemed like these guys where close to punk a few years ago. The lyrics dealt with the consumer machine with humor and accuracy and we all got a show and to come away having learned Italian through ten seconds of hypnosis. I feel I got my money’s worth.

My body is absorbing a lot of information lately. Training in Pilates, a Laban based class with Helen Walkley, working out at the gym and osteopathy treatments. I am coming in to a new awareness and excited to be learning and getting stronger in a different way. Hope I can retain all the information and practise it with some consistency. Wish I could find the time to slip some break dancing and yoga in.

Teaching is full of pressure and rewards. I leave each class feeling inspired and hope they do. They have to evaluate me this week. How scary is that.

It is time to rest this bod for the week ahead. There is class at the foundation with national treasure Peggy Baker tomorrow. She is a serious talent in the world of Canadian, contemporary dance and one of the best teachers around. Class, rehearsal and teaching tomorrow. It has been awhile since I had such a dance filled day. In 24 hours I will be a lot happier, much more fatigued- back to life as a dancer.

Right On!