The amazing Kyra, and a little on New York

Let's see, so I lied. I definitely didn't continue that last one on the next day. Oops. Well, there's a good reason for that...kind of. I have been on the computer for the last two days almost straight, looking at information on moving to Canada. There is so much to be done! I'm trying to figure out what the most cost-effective way of moving will be...there are some things that I'm not quite ready to get rid of, but on the other hand, it might be nice to start fresh. So many decisions!

The thing is, I just moved in with Kyra last year and that was certainly a cleansing experience! Moving from my own small studio apartment to living in a living room (and that is NOT a bad thing, trust me!) was quite a change! It was honestly the best decision I ever made. With the downturn of the economy and Kyra changing her lifestyle from full-time ballerina to nursing student and ballet teacher, we both decided it was time to help each other out. That's what friends are for anyways, right? We are both independent people, and were nervous about having roommates again. However, we have always gotten along very well and it just seemed like God wanted us to support each other through this time. Well, not only did I decrease my rent tremendously, but I was helping her out with her mortgage by paying her rent, AND I rid myself of A LOT of possessions I realized I didn't need! It was definitely a nice fresh change. I learned how to live in small spaces, became MUCH more organized (who wants to see piles of old pictures, left over Christmas decor, and pointless junk lying around while sipping a glass of wine in someone's living room anyways?) Okay, well I'm not THAT organized I guess, because I definitely still have some piles of old mail that I need to constantly search through, but HEY! I'm getting better...those piles are a lot shorter than they used to get!

Seriously though, living with Kyra this year has been such a learning experience and has helped me grow tremendously. The way that she has approached this massive change in her life has been with nothing but fearless faith and grace! She gets up almost every morning before dawn, goes to school for a few hours, comes home and studies, goes to teach until 8:30 at night sometimes, and then comes home and studies more until she can't keep her eyes open. (We all know how easily this one can fall asleep!) :) Then she gets up the next day and does it all over again! AND somehow, she still manages to find time to socialize with her friends, make awesome lasagna every so often, choreograph little routines for her young students, and volunteer at church on the weekends. This lifestyle is completely different from that of a dancer...go to work everyday, practically in pajamas, and wait for your moment to shine whether it be in rehearsal or onstage. It's the same routine day in day out, and don't get me wrong. It can be quite exhausting! You can be rehearsing for six hours straight for 5 days in a row and then have performances during the weekend where you are quite possibly in every single ballet. Who has time for school or a social life?

Okay, that's going a little far because I have seen some dancers do it. But I guess what my point is, is that sometimes a change of lifestyle makes you realize what's important in life. Ballet can be so self-absorbed, you easily forget about everything and everyone else but yourself...I need my sleep before this show, I need to get up early to warm up and prepare myself for my day, I need Monday to go to the doctors and do my chores so I don't have to worry about it during the week, I don't have time to meet with someone for coffee or a drink (I'll just see them at the studios anyways), church is too early for me to get up on Sundays! I mean, while this is all important yes because it comes with the territory, I'm just sayin' that it's easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and our routines. Kyra's schedule changes from day to day and the grace that she has had while handling all of it has truly amazed me...and inspired me! And she's so happy! We hardly ever see each other because of our different schedules, but when I walk in the door and see her smiling face, it's like a breath of fresh air because I know how happy she is in this new chapter in her life. Honestly, seeing that has prepared me for this change that I'm about to embark on. It truly has made me see once again, that God's timing is perfect! There's a reason that that cheesy saying "Everything happens for a reason" exists! I mean, I had no idea how I was going to handle having a roommate again and look where it's gotten me! I feel that much more confident now about moving to a different city and exploring something new and different that I haven't seen yet...ever! All this was made possible by my amazing roommate and her schedule-jumbling skills that I have had the pleasure of witnessing for an entire year.

So I didn't continue on my experiences in New York...sorry. I guess I should touch on that a bit for my family's sake. Half of the reason I started this blog was to update them on my life.
SOoooooooooooo.....

ummmm......




Nothing is coming because I'm still so overwhelmed with how awesome my roommate is! I'm going to miss her so much!....and her lasagna. Shoot, I gotta learn how she makes that.

Well, let's just say that I went up there for an audition and it went really well. I am not a fan of cattle call auditions (open auditions) and there were over 100 girls there, but somehow I made every single cut. Someone actually showed interest in me and I was pleasantly surprised. Something kept me there the whole time...God?

I really think so actually because I felt like a complete fool during the auditions. I'm SUCH a ballet dancer, and seeing so many well-versed contemporary dancers there was slightly intimidating. But I just kept closing my eyes, trying to stay focused, and remembered why I was there...to learn. To take a step out of my comfort zone and see where exactly I stood in the contemporary dance world. It's always good to get some perspective. Needless to say, I was in there with one of my favorite So You Think You Can Dance winners and it took me all I could to focus on the choreography and not watch her the whole time! haha...

So somehow, I ended up being one of four girls left at the end. I had the privilege of working with Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden with just a few others in the room. As much as I've heard about these two, I've never had the chance to work with them so this in itself was pretty inspiring. We worked with partners, which definitely almost made me shit myself because I haven't partnered with anyone in a long time. And I'm tall!! There's a lot to deal with here! :) I'm just sayin'....

But there's something quite liberating working with someone you've never met before and especially when you're both there for the same reason. The drive we both had to get a job created this.... determined energy. You feel the person's energy and you can bounce off of it...it's awesome! When one person feels insecure in one part, the other may not, and consequently there's this EVEN energy that amounts. You can feel the confidence in the other person and it is passed on to you. Does this make any sense? It's difficult to put this in words. Well, I was blessed to work with this great guy who really kept me calm. Once we got the hang of things and got used to each other's energies, it was fantastic! He kept telling me to trust him, and once I was able to do so, everything just flowed beautifully. We worked together for maybe an hour, but I felt more comfortable working with him than I have working with some people for weeks! But I'm convinced it's because we both had the same intentions...we just wanted to learn while we were there, whether it amounted to a job or not. It was such a positive learning experience even though they didn't offer me anything in the end.

However, on a side note they DID tell me how much they loved my height and length! Do you know how good it feels to hear that from someone you've worked with for just a couple of days? Zero labels. Just genuine appreciation. To me, this equals the permission to feel liberated! Cheers to that, kids!!!

Forsythe in the Big Apple

First of all, I'd like to say that The Black Keys' new album (Brothers) is amazing. I'm listening to it at the moment...thanks, Rhapsody.....and I highly recommend. Normally leaning towards a more dirty guitar bluesy sound, this album has a little more jazzy funk to it. At least in my opinion. It's definitely different from previous albums, but I have NEVER been disappointed with their work. It's kind of awesome to find a band that never ceases to amaze me even when their work expands to a different level. And live.....WOW. UNREAL! check 'em out guys. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Sooooooo, it's been a week. Shoot. It's been a crazy week! Where do I start?

I've had loads of inspiration fired at me in very short amounts of time. I believe having loads of time to myself has lead to this. I'm finally on my own schedule. It's amazing how this freedom alone makes me feel like a different person. Somehow, I'd like to learn how to discover this contentment in the midst of a busy work-week or season.

Well, it looks like I've been given the chance to work on that next season. I was offered a job in Montreal! I think I've honestly been in denial for a week. I can't believe something is happening right now. I thought I might have to wait things out for awhile. Honestly, I was ok with that. My life has been a series of waiting games. Patience is obviously something God wants me to learn. Thanks. But seriously, this was a giant slap in the face reality check...I GOT A JOB!!! I GOT A JOB!!! what???

In the meantime, I still had one more audition to finish before I could truly settle in on this thought, this place. So I headed up to New York to visit friends and take care of business. I have to say that it took a lot for me to get excited about this trip. I've taken a few trips recently, and the thought of going to another audition when I already had something lined up seemed...secondary I suppose. However, I had plans and I intended to see them through. Besides, my handsome better half decided to accompany me on this trip. What awesome moral support he provided!

Well this decision soon proved to be yet another one of my better ones. Let me explain. Since I began this entire process of moving onto a "different" type of movement, I've been exploring many different styles and struggling to truly identify what I needed. (Leave it to New York City to provide the answers.)

There's this woman named Jill Johnson who teaches these Forsythe workshops on a regular basis in New York, usually once a month. William Forsythe (for those that don't know) is a choreographer who has developed a specific philosophy of movement/dance. By the way, I like the word movement better because it sounds more organic to me. I believe anyone can move and dance, but sometimes that word gets in the way because it has a reputation (at least for me) of meaning trained, sculptured, pretty? ANYWAYS, so Forsythe has passed his knowledge on to many of his dancers who have now gone on to teach others. So this amazing lady just so happened to be holding a workshop in New York the day before my audition. Cheers to that!

So I attended this three hour workshop that changed my life. I have finally found this freedom of movement and organic approach to dancing that I've been looking for forever! The class was based on Forsythe's fundamentals for improv. It's all about describing shapes in space. Sound abstract? You know when you do the limbo? Well take that stick away, but still imagine that line there. How would you move underneath it? Over it? How would you describe that line with your body? It's like imagining that different parts of your body have ink on them and you want to draw that line into space. You can use your hand, or your elbow, or your shoulder, knees, butt, nose, the list is endless. I know, it's really hard for me to explain this without showing you. But I bet if you looked up some of this on YouTube, I'm sure you'd find a bunch of videos. Needless to say, this class gave me a basis to jump off from and find a purpose in improv. It made me see even moreso how dancing is an artform. Instead of painting something on canvas, I'm using my body as a brush and painting shapes into space. The options are limitless! She gave us an idea, and let us go from there. It opens up this door of creativity that doesn't ever have to close again! And the best part is, YOU choose where you want to go! Almost two hours of improv was inspiring, thought provoking, curious, and humbling all at the same time. I was hooked!

And from here on out, I do have much more to say. However, I am finding that my mind is failing me. Being a true Vata type (more on that later) I wish I could just push my way through this. But Lord knows I need some sleep. So.....

To be Continued.....

What's with the name?

...so you may ask.

First and foremost, HI! Welcome to my blog...(hi, mom). :) Thanks to a conversation with my dad the other day, I decided to start this blog. Well, I have been following a few of my friends' blogs recently as well, and realized it's a great way to keep family and friends updated. There's just too much to say sometimes and it's hard to properly update everyone when you feel like what you have to say takes an hour! Don't get me wrong, I believe strongly still in communication via voice...whether through skype or telephone! Our generation has started this link into a very impersonal world, and some of us must keep the old traditions afloat. Think about it...how great does it feel to get a letter or invitation from a friend in the mailbox rather than that 10th reminder for that magazine subscription renewal you never wanted?

All that being said, I still feel like blogging is a great way to possibly connect to others even if it's those you speak to on a daily basis. Each person connects to another in a different way. My mom and I can speak for hours together about our new discoveries in our natural health studies. My dad and I can do the same with our love for photography. But he may not realize how passionate I am about taking that stupid chlorophyll, and she may not know how interested I am in possibly taking a class in photography. :) I want to share these interests with both of them, but maybe the conversation doesn't roll that way.

I think it's an appropriate time to share my inspiration, troubles, thoughts, frustrations, pictures, loves, music playlists....god knows what else! That too...thoughts on god. Transitions are happening slowly but surely right now. This "open journal" dare I say will hopefully be a vessel to communicate with others who might be going through similar circumstances. I will try my best to write with honesty, even if it may not put me in the best light. But as someone once said,

"The truth will set you free."

A-men to that!

Well THAT was a tangent! Anyways, the reason for the title. Growing up, my dad always called me Kristina Nina. It was his way of connecting me to my dancer persona, I suppose? Like an alter-ego or something. I danced around the house a lot, as I'm sure many young dancers do and I'm pretty sure that's where the name started and eventually stuck. When I moved away from home, he still referred to me as Kristina Nina, and eventually, just Nina. It was like a comfort thing to me. "Remember who you are and why you dance," it seemed to say to me. Now I feel like the name reestablishes who I am to myself...where I came from...what I love...what my passions are.

Naturally...well, I guess I chose that for a number of reasons. First, I'm obviously passionate about natural health. Being someone with vitiligo, I quickly got thrown into this world examining all possible causes of the skin pigmentation disorder. It happened by accident really, but I found what I'd like to do with my life after I stop dancing. So, I'm studying nutrition and health right now. Next course will be anatomy and physiology (awesome!). Then herbology. It's this whole other world of amazingness! I'm obsessed...seriously though. Isn't it amazing that we can change our entire body and even genetics by what we eat? Or break a fever by taking garlic instead of Advil? Or take colloidial silver instead of antibiotics?! Or take an amino acid instead of Prozac? And ALL withOUT side effects!! That's just the tip of the iceberg...I'm sure I'll have more to say on that later.

My other reason is, as I said before, I like to be as honest as possible while writing. I love to write with the stream of conciousness. I think it's more interesting. More frank. Maybe a bit longer, because each thought pretty much goes down on paper. But it's more genuine, I think...more

ahhhh....NATURAL.

Cheers to that.