The Dream

I'm at a lodge in the forest with many people. Suddenly, someone screams, and I see an incoming cybernetic tyrannosaurus rex making its way toward us. Everyone is preparing for battle, but I bolt from the house, away from the forthcoming devastation. I need to change my shoes! I run to a car where my parade boots are, take off my sneakers, and put on the boots. I can hear the t-rex coming my way. I throw myself down on the ground and lay very still. It stops and snuffles loudly.

Then it tears off toward the house again to wreak more destruction. I jump up and run toward the forest. The t-rex comes after me. Two other people are in the forest with me, running away from the house, drawing the t-rex away from the other people. We take turns drawing the robo-beast away from one another. Somehow, I know we only have to do this for another thirty minutes, and then the creature will be beamed back onto its spaceship. Can I run for thirty minutes? I never have before, but I'd better do it now.

Ouch

Today, my neck, back, and shoulders are killing me. I suspect my back and shoulders are sore from those rolly pushups I did yesterday. I can deal with that. The neck, however, perturbs me. I think I wrenched it somehow while watching movies last night. About once a year, I reinjure myself where I had whiplash several years back, and each time, it takes a couple of months to get better. I hope it heals up quicker this time. Even if I skipped my abs workout and dance drills this morning, I fully intend on going to kung fu this evening. I'll just have to be cautious.

I went to a jazz technique class and a hiphop class last night. Although I preferred the technique class, there weren't enough students for it to run. So I signed up for hiphop (which did have a fair amount of technique in it). We're learning a choreography to a song I'd normally never listen to (maybe it's a Justin Timberlake song. I'm unsure). But I can ignore the music for the sake of learning the dance.

Afterwards, I watched Rambo - First Blood Part II and some of Bellydance Superstars. I enjoyed the first Rambo movie, but this one is just plain terrible. Yuck!

As for the dance video, although I enjoyed most of the dancing, the camerawork is so dreadful, that it takes away completely from the dancing. It's like bad porno camerawork, with extreme closeups of boobs and bellies, often through smoke. Suhaila Salimpour in particular must have been pissed. Her violin taxim is almost completely just closeup shots of her face, the bellydrape on her costume, and even the back of the violinist's head. I have no idea what her dancing was like. I was angry for her.

And Jillina.... Oh my. Her dancing is spot-on, in my mind, but it took me a while to notice, because I was busy shrieking at the hideousity of her costumes. A pink plush snake wrapped around her boobs, waist, arm, and leg? What was she thinking? And that skirt/pant thing with the animal print? I kept groaning "Noooooo!" while watching the video. She's an attractive woman and a highly skilled dancer, so why is she wearing costumes which detract from both of these things?

Rania still brings out the cattiness in me. Although there are certain parts of her dancing which I admire very much (her spins and her abdominal control), I find her dancing generally lacking in grace, and her interpretation of the music just doesn't work for me. On the other hand, her costumes suit her very well, and she has the best facial expressions I've yet seen her make in any dance video.

Rachel Brice's clips are frustrating, too. The camera lingers on her face and her hands far too much, when it's obvious that the real action is happening through the torso. Yes, she has a lovely face, but I would much rather watch what she's doing than stare at what's tantamount to a slightly moving portrait.

Dondi's Marilyn Monroe impression at the end of the video is grotesque. From what I've heard, it was taken out of context from a larger piece. What we're left with is a gurning giggler faking an orgasm through shimmies. She does a good job of the shimmies and the face-pulling, but as is, the piece is just embarassing.

All in all, the video makes me feel a whole lot better about my own dancing. I know I could hold my own against these women. And I sure as hell hope I could do a better job with the camerawork. All I'd have to do is just set the camera down on a tripod and point it at the dancers. The video is about the dancers, not about the camera operator's bag of tricks.

So Very Disappointed

Somehow, I have a different work schedule than I thought I'd signed up for. I misread the chart when I chose my schedule, and instead of working from 11-8:15, I'm working for 12:30-9:15. Once again, I've been shafted out of kung fu classes. This really sucks. I was really looking forward to training again.

At least they were nice enough to let me stick with the earlier schedule, so I get one kung fu class. Honestly, if I'd known, I would have stuck with the 5:15-2:00 shift. It doesn't destroy as much of my day.

On the brighter side, working the day after snowy_kathryn's wedding won't be nearly as much of a big deal if I only have to come in for 12:30. Sigh....