I'll build you a dream house -- where you can sleep, where you'll be safe --

[flexagon]

I learned a neat new transition in yoga on Friday -- it is possible to go from down dog to koundinyasana in one reasonably smooth motion. You just bring one leg up to the side and around, and at the same time bend the elbows and shift forward onto the hands. I showed that to my crazy friend K in the gym the next day and she was suitably impressed, and then later I was working a few forearm stands when a guy came over and asked me if I'd ever been to Firefly. I said "the movie? ...or the aerial dance company?" He meant the aerial dance company and said we just seemed like the Firefly kind of people. I felt complimented. :) Even so, I feel bummed about barely working out last week, and taking it really easy in yoga to avoid annoying my stupid torn hamstring. I have a bid in on a home ultrasound wand on eBay... we'll see if I win it.

Black Hole by Charles Burns is completely amazing. The artwork, the creeping sense of unease, the artwork again, the way he kept the style so consistent for the 10 years he was making it. A beautiful rendition of hideous things, says Scott McCloud. I clearly haven't had enough quality sequential art in my life lately. So, based on this I just popped Blankets to the top of my wishlist... if anyone out there still doesn't know what to get me for my birthday, there, now you have at least one idea. I also want the first three Achewood books, which aren't on my wishlist because Amazon doesn't stock them.

We went to a great concert on Saturday that included a piece written for orchestra and DJ. Pretty crazy stuff. Sadly, it got completely eclipsed by a fascinating piece that came after it, but I bought a couple of CDs by the DJ anyway. DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid. I thought Spooky seemed a little confused to be up there with the orchestra with all the Cantabridgian patron-types clapping for him, but he nodded and did a cute little smoothing-the-air motion that I think must have meant "yep, I worked the mixer".

Comments

[heisenbug]

Hey, at least you remember the DJ piece. You didn't even mention the first piece on the program, written by my old teacher, Evan Ziporyn. Speaking of eclipsed. It's kind of sad... it was a really cool piece (I would have been surprised if it wasn't), but it was followed by these two over-the-top crowd pleasers.

[flexagon]

I didn't end up liking it much, really.

[shiny-chaos.livejournal.com]

Hey-
stumbled upon your lj via a contortion/handstand group.
1. you seem like a neat person.
2. funny you mentioned Firefly, I used to be a company member.

[flexagon]

Wow, that's really amazingly cool about Firefly. Thanks for commenting. :) Any advice on where to train around here (Somerville/Cambridge/Boston)? I'm still casting about for something cool and acroish and possibly dancey... but I'm not good enough to be in any kind of company or anything.

[shiny-chaos.livejournal.com]

I know there are gymnastics classes at MIT (don't know if those are ones you already take, or if they're open to the general public).
Other than that, acro is hard to find around here. If you're specifically looking for partner acro, I don't know of any place offering classes around here...I'd be willing to teach you what I know if you could get a small group together (I was trained by a master teacher from the Moscow Circus Academy, and I taught beginner classes for Firefly while I was with them, so I've been trained in appropriate spotting and such).

Spontaneous Celebrations (www.spontaneouscelebrations.org) in Jamaica Plain has open training for aerialists on Weds. nights...not sure if you do aerial; I wouldn't recommend it for beginners but if you have some experience it's a neat group of people.
There's also a group that offers aerial workshops in Ipswich.

I like Green Street studios in Central Sq. for dance classes, and sometimes the Dance Complex too. Jeannette Neill is good but far from where I live (it's about 45-60 min. on the T from Harvard Sq.).

Other than that, I don't know of much anywhere closer than NYC or Nimble Arts in VT.

P.S. are there any handbalancing/handstand-oriented yoga classes around here that you know of? I've mainly been practicing on my own in the past few months (been recovering from a nasty shoulder injury) and it's getting a bit lonely.

[flexagon]

Thanks for all that! Yeah, I already take the gymnastics classes at MIT and they are open to the general public. (If you're interested, let me know and I can get you on the coach's list.) I know someone, dilletante, who does silks out at Spontaneous Celebrations... went with him once, liked it, but it SO doesn't fit into my schedule. Sigh.

I just did an acroyoga workshop in Davis Square. That was unusual... but apparently Jenn, the woman who runs http://www.atouchofcompassion.com/, lives in the area and has semi-regular acro sessions. Hmm!

There are two capoiera groups in the area, one laid-back in Davis Square and another more hardcore one that I heard I'm basically not good enough for.

As for your yoga question... sometimes. I go to 02 yoga (http://www.02yoga.com) and they are a vigorous style that usually at least incorporates inversions -- I think they do more handbalancing than most yoga places, and less than you or I would really like. Every now and then they run an inversions workshop though; I'll heads-up you next time.