Wow, what a ride is right. So, where am I and how did I get here? I may not even know the exact answer to that but I can try to tell you as best as I can. Last week, we left Denver, CO to go to our very first city and show in Greeley, CO... about an hour or so by bus up the road, and very close to Wyoming. I got new roommates and host moms and dads (Amy and Michael Dugan were hosting Alex from Vermont/Arizona, Gregor from Germany and I) and they were all absolutely incredible. I really do miss my host family from Denver- Colleen and Jug were so good to us and so much fun... it was weird how we all became a tight family in such a short month, but I'm always welcome to go back there along with the other host children they've had. SUCH great people, God bless them. Anyway, back to the story. Amy and Michael only had the "priveledge" of having us UWP folk for a short week (last Wednesday to this past Wednesday) and they took advantage! They were so good to us- took us out to their favorite place, Kenny's- owned by the guy who owns the Rockies, cooked out steaks for us (because Greeley is cow country- smells like manure and death when they boil the blood on Wednesdays), took us up to Estes Park, right at the start of the Rockies- a quaint town that is famous for the Stanley hotel- where and what Steven King wrote "The Shining" about... the hotel is amazing and beautiful- we had coffees on the porch just looking at the Rockies (all while I was sneaking upstairs to take a picture of the room where King stayed and wrote the horror... room 217). The week, as far as UWP goes, was just as exciting- we had plenty of PA time (rehearsing for the show), and I don't think I've ever danced and sang this much in my entire life. We ran through the show countless times, in and out of dress, and with such a high energy show- it's tough to keep going strong BUT it's great exercise so I tried to push as hard as I could. However, community impact was also introduced this week and we had the opportunity to work with the Boys and Girls Club of Greeley. UWP hosted a culture fair for the kids (I'd say about 30 came) and they had a blast- everything from potato sack racing from Idaho to line dancing from the good ole Southern kids (the Alex's and I) to Swedish outdoor games to Danish balloon games... the kids were having the time of their lives, and the next day of CI we had the opportunity to paint their gym and put their moto "Be Great" all over the gym in different languages that represented our cast. The director of the B and G Club was so happy with our work and it was very rewarding to see how we had such an effect on a great community.
The week ended with Wednesday... possibly the longest day of my life: rehearsal all day including a full dress run... dinner with Shaylan (from Alaska)'s mom and grandparents along with a few good friends then we had the show. The show went REALLY well: we had a great crowd and they absolutely loved it. We had a thing called "Green Room" before the show where basically the staff got us really pumped up for the show- games, pump-up songs and readings, and we had to say goodbye to our staging staff who would not be traveling with us. As far as what I did in the show- I was on mic groups (backup singing) for the songs I was not participating in the specialty dances for. Dancing-wise, I got the great opportunity to dacce hip hop to "Power With", jazz/technical to "Keep the Beat", I was the Love Boy with Katja from Denmark as the Love Girl in the "Love Medley" which was SO FUN- best part of the show for me because I got to sing, dance, and act out for ten mintues to tell the story of this boy who falls in and out of love with a beautiful and very talented girl from Denmark- it's a really funny part of the show and a good way to incorporate popular songs from 50's/60's America, then second act I danced the international medley including a gypsy dance, swing, and a very sexy salsa. Needless to say, I was exhausted BUT the day had just begun. We striked the set, packed the trucks, hung out in the auditorium until 2:15 or so in the morning, rode on a bus to the airport, slept in the lobby for an hour or so, checked in and went through security, slept in the airport floor for a couple of hours, flew to Ft. Lauderdale, got to Miami around seven or eight on Thursday night with a lack of sleep, found out that 25 of the cast that came to Miami (only half the cast came that day) didn't have host families so we were going to be shipped to a facility for the weekend, turns out the facility didn't have blankets or pillows or showers, SO we arrived and finally settled into a student hostel at South Beach, Miami around midnight or 1 on Friday morning. WHAT A TRIP. I was frustrated at first, but this has turned out to be the best thing that could happen to me. There's about 16 of us still host-family deprived (which has now been solved- so come Monday we should all have a family), but we were given today, Saturday, and Sunday off and we're literally a block from Ocean Dr. on the greatest beach I've seen. Today, we just enjoyed the sun. I took a run around Miami and my friend Matt and I put on a gun show at the pull-up bar with some muscle men. Last night we just hung out with the characters at the hostel- talked to a guy from Italy for an hour, girl from Serbia for awhile, and estoy practicando mi espanol mucho y estoy mejor ahora! It's been incredible and we're heading out for Valentine's Day dinner here in an hour or so. This is not UWP typical- much more like vacation and it's been more than nice.
Here in Miami we're going to be working with a recycling company that's promoting a new product that will hopefully get more people to recycle AND we have two shows at the end of this week- free tickets at an ampitheatre. It's going to be another amazing experience. The stories, the people... I couldn't imaging my life if I had passed up this opportunity. UWP still proves to change lives and mine has been changed for the better. Much love to everyone at home- I miss you guys like crazy and wish you could be on tour with me!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Up With People, Denver Style
Friends and Family, I apologize for the delay in this blog but it has been an EXHAUSTING and EXHILIARATING two weeks here in Denver, CO! To say the least, I'm having the time of my life. Up With People is exactly where I need to be... where I'm supposed to be. I'll try to give you a brief overview of what we've been doing for the past two weeks and what we're going to do for the next six months.
I got off the plane a little earlier than expected: I went and got a pizza to pass the time and to get rid of the nerves that were building up as I approached Scarlet (an "FM", field manager that travels and sets up the cities and whom I've be come very close with here). I was one of the first to arrive- Alex from Ohio, Nicole and Maggie from Idaho, Liz from New Mexico (the most amazing and talented person I have ever encountered, and 5 Dannish students were among the first people I've met at the airport. From there, we were bussed to a local recreation center where there were check-ins- basically we were there until 8:30 that night just meeting all the waves of people that came in... conversation and the meeting process was never awkward, which was here. Everyone here has the same positive attitude- everyone is excited to be here and that just makes the whole experience that much better. Needless to say, everyone hit it off right off the bat.
From there, we went to our host family homes where I have a host mom, Colleen, host dad, Jug, and three roommates- Joe from Dallas, same age as me and traveling as a student, Manuel from Mexico, an UWP alum who is on road staff as the sound tech, and Rafa from Venezuela, an UWP alum and staff member for quite a while who is teaching the choreography during staging (this first month in Denver). We all mesh so well and my host parents make sure that I make their home my home. We all stay in the huge basement with four beds and two baths. Honestly, I have ZERO trouble sleeping here- I'm so tired by the end of the day that as soon as I hit the bed, I'm gone.
The past two weeks have consisted of 8-5:30 days with two longer days this week that range from learning the show (vocals, cast movement- where everyone learns the same dance, vocal workshops- where we learn and work on solos, dance workshops- where we learn specialty dances) to forums/lectures on different educational things- leadership, stereotypes, etc. but I hate saying "lecture" because the activities are so imformative and fun that it's the best learning process I've ever been a part of. Today, Jan. 23rd, we had a regional learning day where our hometeam (we have 7 hometeams where the cast splits up with the staff members to talk about what's going on- questions/concerns/whatever) had a scavenger hunt all over the city. Denver, by the way, is amazing. The city is big but intimate at the same time- the center we go to everyday is called the Sherman Center and it's extremely old, but antiquish.
As far as show opportunities, I've been a part of all the dance workshops (typically 8 guys and 8 girls get invited to attend) where I've learned an traditional African dance, Salsa, Russian, hip hop, jazz/lyrical, and today we wrapped up the "Love Medley" portion of the show- a ten minute segment out of the ordinary for UWP style that is a medley of 50's/60's love songs that tells the story of a boy and girl falling in love. TONs of great dances- swing, footloost, and the ending is to "Time of My Life". LOTS of lifts and fun partnering stuff- lately I've been dancing with one of the girls from Denmark named Katja and we might be up for the love boy and love girl. NOTE: the show is a important but touchy subject with the staff. I say touchy because the premise of UWP is that the experience is not about you. You are to give so much of yourself in any aspect asked or volunteered of you and you get so much in return from it. So, there are much less spots during the actual show than the workshops.. well works with. So, one week I may be the love boy in the "Love Medley" and the next week I may not even be on the front dance line. It all depends on what is best for the show and to give everyone an opportunity who has the ability and initiative to learn the dances and solos. In addition, we really won't know who is doing what and with whom until maybe twenty minutes before the show! It's crazy and it doesn't make a ton of sense to me know, but I realize that the show is definitely not about me. I'm just having so much fun learning these dances and solos anyway that if I end up being a BCM (basic cast member ha) I really don't mind. Oh, I have learned two solos (a hip-hop "ish" song called "Power With" and one of the ending ballads called "We'll Be There"). The music is so powerful in this show- which was a great surprise to me. All the songs are uplifting and so fun. I cannot wait to do our first show in Greeley, CO during the first part of Feb.
UWP is also all about building that resume. We have the opportunity to apply for internships, apprenticeships, and advance work, the hardest among the three. I applied for an Admissions internship and a Dance internship, which would be a six week training/learning experience where really your own personal growth comes from what you want your specific goals to be. I also applied for Advance Work which basically puts all the internships together into a three week course- if I get one at any point during the tour, I would leave the group with a Field Manager and travel ahead of the cast where I'd basically set up the city for when the cast arrives there.
This experience has already been so rewarding even in these short two weeks. I've learned so much about other cultures and about myself as a person as well. I have so much more to gain too! There is a guy named Andy, ironically, from Belgium, who is in a wheelchair. He has a condition where his brain doesn't connectly properly with his legs and he told me that his school for the handicapped in Belgium did not want him to come here- they told him he wasn't special, he was an outcast. But, he said his mission during these next six months was to prove to UWP and the world that he is just as abled as the rest of us, and he's proved it by being out on the dance floor everyday and doing the moves to the best of his abilities. That's just one of the many inspiring stories I've heard- there are 100 people, including staff, from 23 countries all over the world! These next six months are going to be the most amazing months of my life and I feel that a blog is the best way to keep up with everyone. By the way, working out... I honestly am so tired from the end of the day- so exhausted from all the dances and songs that I rarely have the energy to put a run in. Not to mention that the weather is a fickle matter here in Denver (not to mention the altitude). It snowed three inches the first day of rehearsal! Then again, it was 65 degrees yesterday.
I got off the plane a little earlier than expected: I went and got a pizza to pass the time and to get rid of the nerves that were building up as I approached Scarlet (an "FM", field manager that travels and sets up the cities and whom I've be come very close with here). I was one of the first to arrive- Alex from Ohio, Nicole and Maggie from Idaho, Liz from New Mexico (the most amazing and talented person I have ever encountered, and 5 Dannish students were among the first people I've met at the airport. From there, we were bussed to a local recreation center where there were check-ins- basically we were there until 8:30 that night just meeting all the waves of people that came in... conversation and the meeting process was never awkward, which was here. Everyone here has the same positive attitude- everyone is excited to be here and that just makes the whole experience that much better. Needless to say, everyone hit it off right off the bat.
From there, we went to our host family homes where I have a host mom, Colleen, host dad, Jug, and three roommates- Joe from Dallas, same age as me and traveling as a student, Manuel from Mexico, an UWP alum who is on road staff as the sound tech, and Rafa from Venezuela, an UWP alum and staff member for quite a while who is teaching the choreography during staging (this first month in Denver). We all mesh so well and my host parents make sure that I make their home my home. We all stay in the huge basement with four beds and two baths. Honestly, I have ZERO trouble sleeping here- I'm so tired by the end of the day that as soon as I hit the bed, I'm gone.
The past two weeks have consisted of 8-5:30 days with two longer days this week that range from learning the show (vocals, cast movement- where everyone learns the same dance, vocal workshops- where we learn and work on solos, dance workshops- where we learn specialty dances) to forums/lectures on different educational things- leadership, stereotypes, etc. but I hate saying "lecture" because the activities are so imformative and fun that it's the best learning process I've ever been a part of. Today, Jan. 23rd, we had a regional learning day where our hometeam (we have 7 hometeams where the cast splits up with the staff members to talk about what's going on- questions/concerns/whatever) had a scavenger hunt all over the city. Denver, by the way, is amazing. The city is big but intimate at the same time- the center we go to everyday is called the Sherman Center and it's extremely old, but antiquish.
As far as show opportunities, I've been a part of all the dance workshops (typically 8 guys and 8 girls get invited to attend) where I've learned an traditional African dance, Salsa, Russian, hip hop, jazz/lyrical, and today we wrapped up the "Love Medley" portion of the show- a ten minute segment out of the ordinary for UWP style that is a medley of 50's/60's love songs that tells the story of a boy and girl falling in love. TONs of great dances- swing, footloost, and the ending is to "Time of My Life". LOTS of lifts and fun partnering stuff- lately I've been dancing with one of the girls from Denmark named Katja and we might be up for the love boy and love girl. NOTE: the show is a important but touchy subject with the staff. I say touchy because the premise of UWP is that the experience is not about you. You are to give so much of yourself in any aspect asked or volunteered of you and you get so much in return from it. So, there are much less spots during the actual show than the workshops.. well works with. So, one week I may be the love boy in the "Love Medley" and the next week I may not even be on the front dance line. It all depends on what is best for the show and to give everyone an opportunity who has the ability and initiative to learn the dances and solos. In addition, we really won't know who is doing what and with whom until maybe twenty minutes before the show! It's crazy and it doesn't make a ton of sense to me know, but I realize that the show is definitely not about me. I'm just having so much fun learning these dances and solos anyway that if I end up being a BCM (basic cast member ha) I really don't mind. Oh, I have learned two solos (a hip-hop "ish" song called "Power With" and one of the ending ballads called "We'll Be There"). The music is so powerful in this show- which was a great surprise to me. All the songs are uplifting and so fun. I cannot wait to do our first show in Greeley, CO during the first part of Feb.
UWP is also all about building that resume. We have the opportunity to apply for internships, apprenticeships, and advance work, the hardest among the three. I applied for an Admissions internship and a Dance internship, which would be a six week training/learning experience where really your own personal growth comes from what you want your specific goals to be. I also applied for Advance Work which basically puts all the internships together into a three week course- if I get one at any point during the tour, I would leave the group with a Field Manager and travel ahead of the cast where I'd basically set up the city for when the cast arrives there.
This experience has already been so rewarding even in these short two weeks. I've learned so much about other cultures and about myself as a person as well. I have so much more to gain too! There is a guy named Andy, ironically, from Belgium, who is in a wheelchair. He has a condition where his brain doesn't connectly properly with his legs and he told me that his school for the handicapped in Belgium did not want him to come here- they told him he wasn't special, he was an outcast. But, he said his mission during these next six months was to prove to UWP and the world that he is just as abled as the rest of us, and he's proved it by being out on the dance floor everyday and doing the moves to the best of his abilities. That's just one of the many inspiring stories I've heard- there are 100 people, including staff, from 23 countries all over the world! These next six months are going to be the most amazing months of my life and I feel that a blog is the best way to keep up with everyone. By the way, working out... I honestly am so tired from the end of the day- so exhausted from all the dances and songs that I rarely have the energy to put a run in. Not to mention that the weather is a fickle matter here in Denver (not to mention the altitude). It snowed three inches the first day of rehearsal! Then again, it was 65 degrees yesterday.
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