Margot's Language

Margot often sings in a made-up language:

Summer Pleasure

To be quite frank, I think that Margot liked the colour of the candy-coated apple more than the actual taste. She enjoyed holding on to it and licking it, but Simon and I ended up crunching through the red candy sugar to taste the tart apple.

Un gâteau avec des M&Ms

Margot wants a cake for her birthday!

Life in the Theatre (not the Mamet play)

What I learned from directing Antigone

• You have to delegate. 
• The importance of a great cast. It's not only about talent; it's about enthusiasm, risk-taking and kindness.
• When someone asks if there's anything they can do, they really mean it. Give them something to do!
• Trust. Trust that everything will work out. Trust your actors. Trust your instincts.
• Loving a play makes a huge difference.

A few years ago, I wrote up a "Bucket List of Plays I would like to Direct", and Sophocle's Antigone was at the top of the list. Done!

Why I Love Directing:
Directing allows me to connect with my creative side and rekindle my love of the theatre. It keeps me youthful and on my toes (there's a lot of jumping around and doing crazy voices!). It gives me a sense of accomplishment. It keeps me busy in a good way. It stimulates my mind and body. It excites me. It makes me laugh and cry (literally).

Downside of Directing:
Yes, sometimes it's tiring after a long day of "performing in front of a class"(I sometimes don't step outside until 9:30pm). Yes, sometimes I'd rather be home hanging out with Simon and Margot (interestingly enough, Margot goes to bed earlier and without fuss when it's only Simon at home and they get along à merveille!) . Yes, sometimes I wonder "What's the point? I don't even get paid for this! I don't even get a reduced teaching load for the countless hours I commit to this production!"

Advantages: 
I don't have to worry about financial or job issues.
I'm in the best boat: I have access to an ample supply of willing young adults who wish to act (who are involved for their pure enjoyment, not for school credits or money); I rehearse and perform in a rent-free beautiful auditorium; I don't have to worry about an audience coming to see the shows (parents and friends and students flock the auditorium) ; lastly,  I have a team of talented and dedicated colleagues who have faith in my abilities and believe in the importance of theatre.

Art, Music, Movement and Theatre

I hope Margot develops her artistic ways!

April has arrived!

Reasons Why I Love April:

• April = fresh and lively!
• It's finally starting to feel like Spring. 
• It's a busy month, which includes the performances Antigone and Easter.
• The semester is coming to an end.
• It's the month of my b-day!

My Spring Family Manifesto has been on the fridge since the "real" Spring.

One new experience: Omega Park

Pre-Ballet

Margot began pre-ballet this morning. I was torn between a few activities for this Spring:

• Swimming: she took swimming from September to February and really enjoyed it, but I wanted to expose her to something different.
• Gymnastics: class full.
• Music (éveil musical): didn't like the teacher (I went to high school with her and didn't like her then, so I think I still won't like her) although it sounded like an interesting format (a new instrument was introduced each class).
• Art at 4Cats Art Studio: that's something she can do at home, and, at her age, I don't know if this is worth it. Margot doesn't have a long attention span and doesn't show an interest in details.
• Highland dancing: too early in the morning and location was a bit far, but an interesting option for the future.

I think that one of the joys of being a parent is introducing your child to different activities. Here's why I chose pre-ballet, and most specifically at Dance Educators Studio in the market in Ottawa:

• it was offered as a semester (and not a full year commitment).
• time slot: 9:45am on a Saturday morning.
• Dance Educators has a feel of a real beat-up dance studio: couches in the waiting room, loud radiators, big windows overlooking the market, a piano or two tucked in the corner of the room, hardwood floors that need polish, old dance posters taped on the walls. It has character.
• its location: it's a weekly visit to the market where, when the weather starts acting like Spring, we can buy fresh produce and go to the cheese store and bakery. It's an outing for Simon and I.
• Margot enjoys dancing and expressing herself through mime.

Today's class: Parents were welcomed to attend, so I gladly did. They were four girls and one boy,  one teacher and one assistant. All the "activities" were about 3-5 minutes in duration (logical time for the attention span of 3.5-4.5 year olds). There was a selection of music (mostly piano pieces). There was a bit of focus on feet position and they learned to do a curtsy, but nothing too technical. It was mostly movement exploration: different positions (low, medium, high) in "freeze mode" to wake up the body, a little seated warm-up, dancing like snowflakes, dancing as jungle animals, miming Goldilocks as she enters the bears' house, across the floor one at a time (walking on tiptoes, skipping with arms holding to an imaginary skirt), the last 10 minutes was music exploration with hand-held percussion instruments: tambourine, bells, maracas, clave,  where one movement was associated with each instrument, then the children had a little parade around the studio. I like the variety of the "activities" and Margot was (almost) continuously smiling and participating really well (and imitating one of the more experienced girl).

The location of the studio on Rideau street. You blink, you miss it.

Here's the sign on the door:

Here's the change room:

The studio: