Old

The studio we are rehearsing in is in this old part of Skipton.
Full of rows of terrace houses.
Though it looked better in mono.

Slept like the proverbial log last night after falling asleep in the middle of watching Sewing Bee. Didn’t watch the end of the programme, just went straight to bed. I had felt so tired yesterday.

Woke up and knew straight away l felt refreshed.
Went of to Ruby’s and we had a coffee and a slice of Betty’s lemon curd loaf ( still eating up Kitty’s freebies).

We did a bit of editing on the synopsis and had a chat about anything we might need to change or modify ; both coming up with an idea.
Got to the studio and did a walk through then did the whole thing start to end as if we were performing it.
Both so pleased with it we decided to stop there and finish on a high and keep that memory with us for the next 24 hours.
The piece is in four parts: 
It starts with our memory of me taking Ruby to her dance lessons after school so the first dance is about catching the train ( always in a rush) and then her ballet lesson where l watch and eventually join in and we dance together. This is to represent how l saw the adult ballet classes advertised there and plucked up the courage to attend.
I dance behind Ruby as a shadow doing the same moves.
Next we interpret our memories of the caravan at Abersoch where for years we spent all school holidays and weekends. So it’s all about the sea and sand, swimming, surfing and playing beach cricket. It then moves to the nights in August when we used to watch the shooting stars from an area that suffered little light pollution. In this section Ruby has to show the joy and spontaneity of a child but not dance in a childlike way.
Then we convey our feelings  of when Mr P died during the first Covid lockdown. Ruby lost her Grandy and l lost my soulmate . At first we were isolated in our own grief but eventually could share our feelings when l joined her family bubble. It’s been both emotional and cathartic to express this but it’s the dance l’m most proud of.
Finally we do a ‘dance in the kitchen’ expressing the fun and sheer joy of dance when you can move with no inhibitions , this has been the hardest for part for me but it’s definitely got easier.The music for this is Take Five by Dave Brubeck and we dance in 5/4 time, not easy.

Don’t expect to sleep well tonight but l hope l surprise myself.