*This process is set to my "This Into Next Year Reflection Songs" list on Spotify*
As I typed in the phrase to access this blog, I for the first time realized how somewhat ironic it's title "Planned Movements" has become for me. I suppose I can consider it on it's flip side as a reminder that no matter how hard you try to create all-encompassing plans, there are so many factors that are outside your control. At this point, wouldn't change it . . . too much history :)
New Year's Resolution:
To not be drunk already at 11am on St. Patties . . .
Seriously though . . .
I am here to evaluate last year and move into next year. I'm doing this by answering all sorts of sets of questions and going through all sorts of exercises I've created and come across and . . . in the midst of a couple, already feel overwhelmed. I'm going to take a leaf out of my simplicity interest and do this instead: condense it all into a set I like. I think it's important to identify that much of this material comes from that of others that I've come across throughout my years of doing a this into next year think-out. So here is that list of questions:
This Into Next Year Reflection Questions:
Based on My Priorities:
Vitality
Purpose
Contribution
What did you experience this year?
- Traveled to Greece and the UK
- Produced two productions of all my own choreography, creating 10 new pieces and reviving 6
- I did that damn show - that Charlie Brown Show :) It got mentioned in my 2017 prep, I see. It had been mentioned as 'a crazy idea,' and I DID IT!
- Worked with 5 new dancers
- Produced year 9 of Rhythmically Speaking, funding and supporting myself and 6 other choreographers creating work in American vernacular dance
- Completed my first season as a performer with Contempo Physical Dance
- Donated 1% of our combined income to artists, arts groups, disaster relief groups and civil liberties groups who's work we respect
- Completed 10+ teaching engagements through the Cowles with dance learners from the age of 5 through senior citizens, exposing them to the rigorous joy of American vernacular dance ideas
- Taught two more semesters at Winona State University, exposing college students to thinking critically about dance and helping them expand their physical practices
- Worked my 10th Minnesota State Fair
- Supported and felt supported by my family/ies, chosen family included, when tragedy struck in personal life
- Attended and presented at my first National Dance Education Organization conference, offering to my colleagues from across the country information about how to consider their jazz dance teaching through a lens of community development via improvisation
- Mended a relationship with a long-lost friend
- Supported a friend by working in his coffee truck various times throughout the year
- Completed my 4th season as an ushertainer for the St. Paul Saints Baseball Entertainment Team
- Saw Radiohead live for the 1st time (wanted to list this as a hard and fast goal last year, didn't think it would happen so I didn't, BUT IT DID!)
- Made my 2nd customary annual visit to Colorado to visit grad school/ friends
- Saw a lot of other great live music (Hanson, Parliament Funkadelic (twice!), Hayes Carll, Rebirth Brass Band, OK Go, Paul Simon, Chance the Rapper, Sylvan Esso and several other trappings and local favorites), making good(er) on an New Years Intention from last year
- Continued my own journey toward simplicity, editing and accepting shift
- Attended my 2nd magic convention (in Lexington, KY)
- Had several great meetings with artists I respect to ask them about their hustles as I work to better my own, recognizing the idea "Don't try to become 'the best,' become yourself"
- Continued my physical therapy and personal fitness journeys
- Took a course in meditation
- Went to Rollergirls with Reilly!
- Continued my Zenon teaching, and a second go with their Zone program as a choreographer
- Attended and taught at my second ACDA as a faculty member
- Started learning how to dance with fire for the 2nd Pride show I've done with Enticing Entertainment, and did a couple other fun gigs with them
- Went to Valleyfair with Dave for my 30th birthday!
- Choreographed a piece for the University of Wisconsin River Falls, among several other fulfilling freelance teaching and choreography residencies
- Increased empathy, ability and desire to listen better, ability to manage my own expectations, recognition of the beauty in every day and building the ability to make every day special
- Built capacity to recognize that humans are all learning the same lessons in different ways
- Get better at employing the question "What else would I be doing?" at the right times
Significant Vitality (Body-Mind-Soul/ Financial/ Travel) achievements this year? I bettered my understanding of my priorities and how I use my values to live them, paid off my student loan/ helped hit our emergency savings goal, and continuing to investigate my interests in simplicity and vitality practices.
Significant Purpose (Relationships/ Passion/ Growth) achievements this year? Supporting and being supported by family and chosen family during the aftermath of tragedy and got better at recognizing when I needed to commit more time to important relationships (and which relationships are important). Regarding work/ passion, as for me these are very intertwined, I produced a project I've been dreaming of for many years, and did a lot of great thinking and actioning on building better systems for supporting my work. I feel that I gained an even better sense of who I am as an artist and am living that actively as I continue to be curious about it all.
Significant Contribution (Encouraging embodiment-connection-play/ Donating) achievements this year? Donating 1% of our income, woking consistently with a group of dancers interested in the same aesthetic priorities and drawing audiences to share that with, engaging many students within my artistic values of embodiment, connection and play.
What do you want to experience next year? Social dancing, time with friends and family, increased levels of fitness, live music, live dance, cooking and continued nutritional research, performance production. I'd also like to continue experiencing my increasing sense of comfort with creative self and sense of respect for the creative selves of others, continuing to reach out to those outside my own purview to keep expanding my range AND sense of self.
How might my vitality improv going into next year? Continuing to explore how I can better my sleep and my diet. I also want to keep pledging myself to having a purposeful fitness experience (outside of my walk) every day on top of rehearsals, whether it's a yoga or dance class on a day I don't have rehearsals, or a circuit workout on days I do.
How might my purpose improv going into next year? By performing and choreographing more, which I am taking tangible steps toward (overlapping project planning, seeking existing opportunities for choreography, building a regular generative practice in 'out-of-rehearsal' times, building support structures that work). I also want to continue writing reactions to my professional and social dance and music experiences as a way to keep my research and critical thinking mode sharp, as well as for potential fodder for deeper writing practice at another time.
How might my contribution improv going into next year? Looking at our intention to donate 1% of our annual income on a more meta scale earlier. I also wish to continue actively practicing my "inner smile" (Taoism) and living my values.
This Into Next Year Values:
Presence (be here)
Intentionality (on purpose)
Embodiment (live)
Simplicity (simply)
Kindness (with kindness)
Curiosity (be curious)
Connection (seek connection)
Responsiveness (and respond in it)
Genuineness (with your genuine self)
Groove (find your groove)
Playfulness (and play)
Shift (and shift in it)
Reflection (reflect) (repeat)
