And it all fades away

I'm done. Teaching. Forever. Okay, maybe not forever, but for a good long while, I hope!

My recitals were a success! (At least, I think so.. ;) Yesterday was insane, so I'll just do a brief overview (skipping the morning...I went to church. :)

12:00pm - I get to the theater. Set up a few things, wait. And wait.
1:00 - 1st town starts arriving. Send them downstairs, wait for the 5th graders to get there so we can run through their jazz dance, jittery.
2:00 - RECITAL!!! the headset/walkitalki thingermabobs totally don't work for me, so I go back to waving at the sound man before every song so he knows when to start.
2:30 - pictures! after an awkward pause where the audience didn't know we were done, so they just sat there and I didn't know where the photographer was. Whoops.
3:00 - 1st town was just gone/still leaving, 2nd town starts arriving. They have never been here before, so they had no clue where to go. Pictures are still happening, so I just send them up to the stage for photos as quick as possible. Ha. Ha.
3:15 - trying to find the 5th graders so we can start rehearsal (we had 2 hours between recitals to run dress rehearsal, plus work on their dances. Ha. Ha.)
3:30 - okay, we're on stage to dance, but so is the photographer. Can he leave now? Like, NOW???
3:40 - 5th graders: "Are we going to dance now?" 2-4th graders: "Where should we put our stuff?" or "When do we get to dance". k-1: They're everywhere! Preschool: They are also everywhere.. EVERYONE WAS EVERYWHERE! And there was me, standing in the middle of the stage, feeling a bit confused about what was going on. Parents are saving their seats for the recital that is not happening until 5:00, so there is no place for the kids to sit, pictures are being taken on my stage so I can't run rehearsal, I don't have a single group that has everyone in the same place, and my assistants are asking me what to do, so I yell "Just WAIT A MINUTE!!!" and run backstage. What do I do there, you may ask? well...

I grab a microphone. Yes, they had set one up for my personal use. Never have I loved a microphone so much in my life.

"Everyone, QUIET!!!" There was a hush. Temporarily. I take charge of the situation, and direct each age group to sit in certain areas of the theater. They all have stuff everywhere, so I make them go get it, and come back. Group photos still need to be done, so I get each group on stage, one by one, and arrange them, and get that done. Preschoolers do not know how to stand still AND hold their teddy bears up AND smile at the same time. Impossible. I would know.

Okay, 3:50 - We do NOT have time for all the rehearsal I had hoped to do, so - "Change of plan. Everyone is going to take their stuff DOWNSTAIRS and get set up down there, and we are going to run our dress rehearsal. (had to argue with Mom on this, because she wasn't in my head - imagine that! but we figured it out, so it was all good).
3:55- Started dress rehearsal, running through each dance 2 times, until the last couple of dances, where we were running out of time and they did it so well, that I just let them do it once.
4:45 - Walk backstage, go downstairs, and sit on a table. I have blisters on my feet, from my shoes. Apparently doing dances in heels isn't the best idea. Oh well. I looked good. Ha!
4:50 - go around and talk to each group, trying to get them to listen to me long enough to tell them that they have to be quiet for the recital. Does this work? Probably not, but I tried.
5:00 - RECITAL!!! Well the 2nd town was no were near as polished as the 1st town, they were pretty good, and if they felt deprived of their time, it's their own fault, so I don't feel bad about it. :)
5:30 - its all over. 7 months of misery (okay, it wasn't ALL that bad..) are over!!! and I survived. I got flowers from 5 different people! (one was a bouquet of 12 red roses - never had THAT before!). I also received some compliments throughout the day - ego jar replenished!!!
6:00 - we've picked up everything, and I get to go home. And eat. Haven't eaten since about 10:30.

:D Now, every time I think about it, I smile, and do a happy dance, because I look to the future, and I have nothing to dread right now, and I'm LOVIN' IT!!! And I plugged my speakers back in and I'm playing the music really loud in my room. Ch'Yeah!!!!! :D :D :D

I learned something about myself yesterday - I really like being in charge. I do. I didn't think I would, but it felt good! Teaching dance, or directing theatrical things, are definitely a possibility for the future! It just won't be for Community Ed... ;)