Happy International Dance Day!
I hope everyone doesn’t miss an opportunity to push themselves into something they’ve alway dreamed and to push through it when it gets hard…. You can watch me fight to the end here!!! LOL.
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Story time: Tivoli Stage, Copenhagen
In 2017, Mr Mitchell asked me to perform in an “informal performance” where he was being celebrated by Colombia University Libraries as a trailblazer. In this “informal performance” he asked if I could dance in 3 different pieces: Agon- Bransle Gay (solo), The River-Vortex ( solo) and Tones, which was to close with other dancers who’d danced at DTH.
By this time I’d been in Ailey for 8 years, and for the most part, had hung up my pointe shoes. Only wearing them occasionally in company class.
This recording was the first time I’d ran Vortex all the way through, in years, AND I decided to just throw on the pointe shoes and see what happened. I remember in this moment feeling so disappointed. Questioning everything- my musicality, noticing where I could’ve added an extra chaine or even where to choose between a Horton approach or a more classical approach…. All while dancing. The self correction and constant conversation in my head was REAL yall!!!
But now, so many years later I look at it and it’s actually not that bad!!! When I consider all of the elements- of not dancing en pointe for so many years, of being in the middle of a long tour and coming to warm up before my actual rehearsals even started just to work on this solo and so many more.
I’m super proud of the way that I’ve always pushed myself.
Although the performance was months later, I didn’t have many rehearsals because of tour and performances. I decided NOT to perform this en pointe. I wanted it to be cleaner than I could get it and it just wasn’t. But I’m still super proud of this moment and this memory.
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#internationaldanceday #fromtoeshoestonoshoes #themodernballerina #akuanoniparker #throwback
Happy 97th Birthday, Grandma!
Yes, that’s right I’ve got two matriarchs. One on each side of my family. This woman right here is sharper than a tack! She loves finding words in her Bible word search, playing bingo and remembers ALL of the birthdays of her children, grand children and great grands.
I am so honored to still have you in my life! I love you forever! HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎂🥳🎈🎊🎁
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#97yearsold #birthday #grandma
- right now. right now it’s just…hey so we could just... quit. and it’s so reasonable about it. it’s using its calm voice. it’s saying things like you’ve held this long enough and that’s plenty and nobody’s counting.
and it’s right? it’s completely right. letting go would feel so warm. we already know what the release is like we can feel it right there at the edges just…waiting for us to give in.
but we’re…we’re still holding this. and we don’t have a good reason. we keep waiting for the good reason to show up like it’s late to something. like it got the address wrong and it’s circling the block going shit shit shit.
and our brain goes again hey. hey. you can put this down. and we CAN. and the thing is putting it down keeps getting MORE available. every second we keep going the quitting gets easier and the keeping gets…it just gets louder.
and maybe we’re only still in this because they said it looked easy once. and we…yeah. yeah that’s probably what’s keeping our hands where they are. which isn’t…that’s not the version we wanted to say out loud.
and something in us goes wait. just…wait. -
Dancer: @onlyupward
#dance #dancephotography #dancephotographer #500px #yellowkorner
For at least 2 years @elisakclark and I have collaborated on an IG folder of group games in hopes to have a game night. It finally came together and it was well worth the wait!!!
Can’t wait to do it again!
Thanks Elisa, Cynthia, Preston, Ghrai, Emily, Jeroboam, Sam, Michael, Britany and Megan!!!
A TIME WAS HAD!!!
*pls forgive my editing I just wanted to share how much fun I(we) had*
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#gamenight #groupgames #potluck #vegan #vegetarian #games #fun
Nana is 104 today!!!!
Yesterday, we had a zoom party for her where her friends and family gathered to share well-wishes. There, I witnessed that my family is filled with strong, resilient, elegant women. Nana as the matriarch is somehow an understatement, as there were a few distant cousins on the call who are in their 90s.
Some of these photos include 4 generations- Nana, my mom & aunt, me & my sister and my sister’s daughter (Teya).
I cherish every moment with Nana and will continue to be grateful for the time I have with her.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANA!!!!!!
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#104
- She stood on the marble ledge and tapped her finger against the air the way some people tap a table when they’re thinking…slow, unhurried, almost like keeping time with something only she could feel.
There wasn’t a mirror, but she held herself like there could’ve been one. Like she was making sure her body was exactly where she meant it to be.
The marble looked cold.
There was a quiet logic to the way she placed her hands, her foot, her lifted knee…calculated.
Some people try to take up space. She occupied hers like she already knew it belonged to her.
She blinked once. Slow. Honest.
And standing there, I found myself thinking about all the ways people walk into a room and make themselves smaller…waiting to be told how large they’re allowed to be.
She didn’t wait.
She didn’t stretch herself to look larger…
She stood barefoot on the marble, steady, like someone who understood the difference between showing up…and truly arriving.
Just presence. Fully held. -
@onlyupward
#dance #dancephotography #dancephotographer #chicagophotographer #500px #viewbug #prequelapp #letsshoot #canon #kodak #thedancerpr0ject #letsshoot #letscreate
I don’t have any words . Just heartbreak! I know that I did everything I could. And still I know that that will never feel like enough.
Jackson, JXSN, Jx is my baby!!!! Although I only had him for 2 years …. his 7th birthday would’ve been Nov 19.
He was everything I wanted and didn’t want at the same time. It was HARD getting him to travel w me!! Leash training him, obedience training… WE’d put in A LOT of work!!!! And he was really just beginning to outwardly show the pride of all that he’d accomplished. I could see it in his walk!!! He leaned into me, and in turn, I trusted him more! Me being so resolution oriented, I’d figured out an answer for every rebuttal, NO DOGS ON THE FURNITURE- “ oh, we bring our own blanket”,
NO DOGS IN THE RESTAURANT - “ OMG I didn’t even know he was in his bag, under the table” He came w me EVERYWHERE!! Even across the pond! 3rd photo at Heathrow Airport
So, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!!!
I’ve learned so much about myself through him, and with him!!! One can really learn what type of person they are in times of emergency and stress. I now know that I don’t know CPR- for humans or pets. Guess I better get on THAT.!!! I also learned that as much as I don’t panic during high pressure situations, loss has made me crumble. 💔💔💔💔💔
@jxsn.prkr , forever my baby!!!!
Halloween Tings
1.IDK made it up
2.THE Princess Teya in her Pumpkin cardigan, almost walking
3.Chefs Preston @djduggz w sous and their @__emilyjanet__ w their lobster dish P IV
4.Me and IV
5.Me & P @djduggz (the deejay of my life🎶🎼🎧)
6.IV as Harry Potter… cutest EVER!
7.Happy Lobster
8. sidebar: that rehearsal tutu is from ‘06, can’t believe it closed 🤎
9.questioning my veganism because, I’d eat this lobster
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#halloween #chef #lobster #fyp
- Upheaval rides the lining of intention,
storm sealed behind plaster
Coins shift
small tectonics charting distance between decisions
Departures slip past every clock,
thresholds linger like unfinished sentences
A gospel rises beyond pews,
all chorus, altar absent
A body leans into that cadence,
meeting the fracture that turns into song -
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Dancer: @onlyupward
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#dancephotography #dancephotographer #photographer #photography #500px #viewbug #chicagophotographer #letsshoot #yellowkorner #canon #photovogue #profoto #thedancerpr0ject #letscreate #fashion
