Reading The Tea

Starting a dance company is both harder and easier than I thought. I was worried about finding spaces for rehearsal and performance opportunities. It turns out that there are lots of affordable studios right in my neighborhood. (NYC DanceSpaces is an amazing resource.) There are also quite a few festivals, works in progress nights and shows that have applications that seem doable. The challenge that I didn’t really think about is rehearsal time. Scheduling. The more people (busy people, at that) involved, the more challenging finding a time that works for all of us. Still, I’m excited about this project… It’s funny, I’ve been wanting to get back involved with the modern dance world (choreographing and performing that is) since I moved here almost a year and a half ago, but it seemed so daunting. I guess that one just has to start. “Once the feet are put right, the rest of it will follow.” Now we need a name for the group. Any ideas? The ideas are starting to flow, and an amazing composer friend of mine may be up for collaborating. Stay tuned…

It’s happened — Dustin’s 25. Many celebratory festivities are to follow this weekend, but last night we kept it low-key. A few of us went to High Chai for lots (and lots and lots) of infused vodka, infused vodka tea martinis and Russian food. Those of you who know my obsession with all edible things rose will be able to imagine how happy the rose and flowers infused vodka made me. The blood orange was the other favorite. Martini highlights: Black Monk, a thick black current vodka based drink, and the White Chocolate Truffle, soft and sweet. Oh yes, I did mention that they all include tea? The birthday boy got the Spiced Tea Rubbed Shirt Steak with Fries and Ginger Garlic Aioli — it was worth every penny of the $17.50. (My favorite of the entrees we tried.)The other entrees ranged from $13-15. Only food negative — not very vegetarian friendly menu. However, the waiter, John, was super friendly, not to mention ooh shit! smart (has his doctorate in math from Princeton, at 27…). Besides being smart he was also really nice, so we all hope that he’s our new friend. They brought out a candle in dessert, and we each picked our own key to sing “Happy Birthday” to Dustin.

Normally I’m opposed to posts about the weather, but today in Brooklyn is cause for rejoicing. It’s sunny, in the 60s, with a light breeze. That’s the spring weather I’ve been looking for. I’ve been told by native northeastern that spring around here does not start in March. Today, though, I can pretend.

We watched “Millions” last night (directed by Danny Boyle). Two kids stumble into the possession of a lot of money right before the changeover from pounds to euros. One of them is obsessed with saints, and has lots of conversations with them. The other is prodigiously money savvy. The movie would’ve been a screwball comedy full of absurd characters and groin-crunch humor if it’d been made in Hollywood. As it was it was an interesting, if rather strange movie that made the sleepy me say “huh?” several times. I haven’t been able to decide whether or not I would recommend it. It’s not in the class that I feel was a waste of time, but I don’t feel particularly enlightened, challenged or changed from it.

The bad thing about having bronchitis is, well, the obvious being sick and coughing up lungs thing.
The good thing is that it forced me to stay home, curled up on the couch in my purple flowered comforter (That I’ve had since I was ten.) sipping a can of San Pellegrino Limonata and reading Dragons: The Greatest Stories,a collection of short stories edited by Martin H. Greenberg. The Orson Scott Card story “The Bully and the Beast” was amusing, though not up to his full potential (My favorite novel of his is “Enchantment.”). I wondered why I hadn’t heard of Esther Friesner, another of the authors. An amazon search revealed that some of her other work includes “Split Heirs” and “Gnome Man’s Land.” Oh, and not to be overlooked, “Star Trek: The Next Generation:The Genesis Wave : Book Two.” Excuse me while my inner fantasy snob has a fit… Though to be fair to her, her story in this collection “Take Me Out To the Ballgame,” in which a die-hard Cubs fan summons a dragon in order to have it devour the Mets pitcher was fairly amusing. I wonder if the other authors I’m not familiar with will be of the same caliber? I’m saving the Ray Bradbury and Ursula Le Guin stories for last, just in case.

On the subway last week, several 20-something guys pushed on at Grand Central. One of them was listening intently to a CD-player, evidently checking out his friend’s band. He finally exclaimed, “Dude! Great Snare Drums! Sounds like a piccolo.” His friend replied, “It is a piccolo.”

I saw Match Point and Hedda Gabbler in the same week. Interesting pairing – oddly similar. BAM’s production of Hedda was brilliant – don’t believe what the Times said. My only unfulfilled wish was for Cate Blanchett (Hedda) and Hugo Weaving (Judge Brack) to break out into elf dialogue.