Last time I checked the semester was slowly creeping up on me.
Now, as ......of course...... it always.... happens.
I've blinked my eyes . Time flashed before me. My life never moved at such a fast, roller coaster, speed of light, emotional marathon pace.......I'm hanging on to the door of a speeding train. Help! Give me your hand and pull me in so I can keep going.
I will begin with some of the most important updates:
The RUSSIANS:
Russian family and friends you MUST look at these links, you will cry, laugh, and learn what this was all about.
http://www.lastagetimes.com/2011/03/calarts-and-gitis-students-craft-new-theatrical-vocabulary-for-russian-premiere/
http://blog.calarts.edu/2011/02/25/students-from-the-russian-academy-of-theater-arts-in-moscow-arrive-at-calarts-for-international-project/
http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/35614392/44913292/index.html
http://calarts.edu/news/2011-feb-4/exchange-california-institute-arts-calarts-fosters-understanding-between-russia-and-
This entire project, process, adventure, collaboration, experience changed the way my brain functions,forever. One week has passed ( I think?) and my brain is slowly coming back...slowly.
I was not only given the amazing opportunity to collaborate artistically as an actor, with the Russian company---- but I was also one of the main hosts ( in charge of their day to day social activities, tours, excursions, party planning, carpools, etc) , not to mention the main translator assisting Russian Professor Yevgeny Kamenkovich and Director Andrey Shalaipin to communicate with CalAts Professor Mirjana Jokovic and the entire CalArts community. ( That was a long sentence. I know. There will be many long sentences in this blog.)
When the actors in our company needed to communicate and generate ideas with the Russian company---I translated..Russian to English and English to Russian, etc,etc,etc FAMILY: Can you believe this? Little Sandichka the " Russian Pro"...you all would have a nice giggle.
Jumping group to group, Director to Professor, Professor to Director, to student, to faculty, to stage managers, and back again....then after all that I had to come up with some creative ideas for myself to generate for my piece of the workshop scene puzzle.....hmm....it was insane. Good insane. But insane. I liked it. It was hard. I wanted to cry sometimes. Sometimes I did. My brain was on full volume and divided so much that sometimes I started speaking Russian to the Americans without realizing, and basically couldn't put English sentences together properly for those two weeks. I did this all, and will be grateful for the rest of my life. As crazy and hectic as it was, it was beautiful. So absolutely beautiful. I learned so much about my art, my language, my culture, process, instincts, simplicity, honesty, and integrity in the work...I hope our paths will cross, I have no doubt one day they will.
Our voyage to Moscow to continue our collaboration is still TBA....Of course this would be a gift. I'm keeping my heart and mind open to whatever is decided. I'm grateful for all I've experienced thus far, and will be forever touched by the experience.
Thank you, Geda Grisha. Baba Fania and Lina, for only speaking Russian to me when I was a little one.
Thank you, Mamachka and Papachka for allowing me to answer back in English but still keeping our conversations a mix of Russ-lish . If you heard me translating you would pee your pants.
Thank you, Family. Thank you, for sharing our language, culture, and history. Answering my 200 million questions about your lives before coming to America. Your stories inspire me and I'm so lucky to have access to the language those stories were spoken in.......
This entire experience was yet another reminder of how lucky I am. Yes, things were and ARE stressful. I get lonely, homesick, my heart aches and breaks, but in time, those things will pass and the sun will shine on me, I'll wake up breathing, I'll wake up walking, I'll wake up being able to have health, choice, dreams, passion, and my dear family. My family of eccentric Russians waiting for me on the east coast/west coast, my family of friends I have worked with professionally in art or fitness, and my current family here. My family at Cal Arts that is my backbone and will not let me sink when I look like I'm about to drown. I was drowning for a couple weeks, maybe a month with overwhelming emotions.. I wouldn't have been able to get through any of anything without these reminders. This fills my body up up with glitter that I want to share and spread all over the world. World covered in Sandy glitter. Purple glitter,for sure.
The World? We will come to that in a future blog :)..or what the heck, if you have read this far, why not read some more.Someone may be traveling this summer, and spreading my glitter to those who need it most.
Ok, World!
I've been accepted into a European Physical Theatre workshop in Au Brana ( www.aubrana.com). I'm OBSESSED with my movement class this semester with Tina Kronis ( www.theatremovementbazzar.org).
In a search to deepen my practice, passion, and love for this genre of movement, I applied to this " self with others" workshop on a whim. Guess what? I got in. Only 2 students from the US are asked to join. I'm one of them. It's GREAT. However, now I need to figure out how to pay for it. I'm in the process of emails and meetings, applying for grants and funds to support my travel and workshop expenses. I need to raise $700 for workshop coverage, and $1,500 for travel. But of course, even if I raise, half, that is amazing. I don't think I will be able to go unless I do have funds for half of it. It's my first time in the grant- proposal -writing -world......ahhhhh WOW, I have a new found appreciation and respect for anyone who does this on a regular basis to support a cause they believe in. If you believe in my cause, maybe you will want to help. If you are family, friends, any support system that wants to donate to my workshop funding, please let me know. As I said, even $5 is a great support!!! I will be starting an online donation website very soon to make this legitimate and easy. Feel free to email me and let me know if you want more info about this, and if you are interested in helping out someway:
Sandy.levitan@gmail.com
Workshop info:
www.aubrana.com
Another opportunity I'm in the process of being interviewed for is in India.
Shanti Bhavan, The Children's Project.
After a serious talk with one of my my most sweet sweet sweet inspirational friends,about life, perspective, and the need for inspiration and sharing my gifts, I was introduced to this incredible school
www.shantibhavanonline.org
"Shanti Bhavan is a home and exceptional school located in rural Tamil Nadu, India, for the region's most socially and economically disadvantaged children.
The school follows a completely unique and innovative model of combating poverty, educating the poor and fighting social injustice. Admitting students at the age of four, Shanti Bhavan provides a holistic, high quality education until the age of 17 free of cost, and subsequently funds college education for its students.
No other model of educational intervention commits the same level of long-term and quality investment in the lives of the children it serves, or holds more promise for their futures and those of their families. As adults, our students will have the power to contribute to a better world.
"Shanti Bhavan’s mission is to adequately develop the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children of India’s "lowest caste" by providing them world class education and instilling globally shared values to enable them to aspire to careers and professions of their choice"
I am applying to teach a version of my ZUMBA class, creative writing, theatre adaptation, classic literature adapted into performance, world music dance, storytelling, ensemble created performance art, and health and wellness----and of course anything and everything else in between. My position would be at most, one month this summer during my break from CalArts.
I would live there for one month as a volunteer guest teacher. I am still in the interview process, but if I do get accepted, I will also be in search of funds to get myself to India--maybe it will be right after Aubrana in France? Who knows!
This will be a life changing experience for me and these children.
It is my mission to bring my work International. It is my mission to inspire, it is my mission to bring healing power through art and creativity..and what better way to start the first phases of my mission then now. I need it. The world needs it.
If I can not do both workshops this summer, and only one I will be very happy. If I cannot do either, I will also be happy because I can try to do it when I have the support. I'm lucky to have the energy and passion to inquire, apply and put these ideas out there..if they are supposed to happen, they will.
Updates in other news:
My Zumba class at Calarts is a love shack. My students are the cutest, sweetest, most enthusiastic Zumba loving chickens. No matter what is happening in my day, as soon as I get to my class I'm greeted by 3o excited sweethearts, with smiles, hugs, laughs and love. I feel such support, admiration and respect from everyone that steps in to my class. I walk around Calarts and hear people screaming " WEPA!!" and overhearing them complain about their " sore-goodies".....its lovely.
Here is a lovely note one of my students wrote on a cal arts blog:
My core classes are beating me up as they should be. We are now starting our Brecht-feast...I will be working on a juicy scene from Jungle of the Cities and Arturo Ui. Next up in Directing Lab is my FAVORITE PLAYYYYYYYYYYY: Romeo and Juliet! I'll be playing, Nurse. It's real.
I'm also currently still playing with Othello in my directing lab..and Bianca and Lodovico are deliciously challenging. I'm still getting my mouth and mind around Shakespeare's beautiful poetry. When I get it, its amazing. When I don't, its stinks. I'm learning. I'm living. This is all why I'm here.
I will be looking into starting a kickstarter account for donations for summer projects.
You can also contact me directly if you feel so inclined.
And now, back to my high pile of books, and to-do's
I'm blessed that you have read my blog,.
Thank you for being interested in my stories, my voyage, my life, and me. Your support is love. I love you for that.
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