Showtime!

Finished our work with the Mmonoko Village...it was so great working with them. The kids are extraordinary. We completed the garden and they sent us off with a choir song that was soul stirring. We are about 1hr. away from call time and 3hrs. from Showtime! Tapestry! We have rehearsed, worked out our costumes and are ready to go. Big props to the production and technical crews for coming through with outstanding work in no time. Wow!...go Ms. Feldman your work does not go unnoticed. The Juilliard dancers are bad dan a mug...such a treat watchin them in rehearsal. The young folk of Maru-a-pula are gonna come with their A game tonight. They really stepped it up last night. Proud of yall! And my colleagues Carolyn and Kerry are the bomb diggity...U bring out the best. Thanks to Andy Taylor, Celine Matthe, and the whole MAP community...it's kinda bittasweet...Almost the end of a phenomenal journey, but also hopefully the beginning of a relationship that will last a lifetime...Thank U Lord for seeing us through! See ya next year...

BLACK OUT!

At 6:23pm tonight everything went dark. We had just finished our master classes and were sitting in the cafeteria eating the illustrious beef pie/casserole...it was real cheezy wit a liddle ketchup on the side...Botswana style. Most of our team sitting at our usual table kickin it about how our classes went and brushing up on what we need to accomplish for the production rehearsal starting at 7pm. Then all of a sudden "BLACK OUT". The whole campus power (and maybe even in Gabarone) just shut down. Those familiar with the school sharing their insight about how this has happened before and not knowing exactly when it might come back on. Fortunately there are a few portable florescent lights that have some power so we are not completely in the dark. Then word comes that the power should be coming back on at 8pm. But wait a minute, it's crunch time for our show and we need every minute available to put this mug tugeva. So now we trying to figure out how to make the most of our time. We try to galvanize the troops and get some lights in the theatre so we can do sumtin but it ain't exactly workin. So we decide to walk in the theatre and see what we can do. As we walk in students are sittin inside waiting for rehearsal to begin and it's not even 7pm yet. It's pitch dark and the only lights that are on are the students cell phones. What!...I know a lotta kids that woulda bounced and came up with something else to do (and truthfully there were a few that did; very few). So we started rehearsal in the dark. About a half hour later someone came in with a few portable lights which helped and 20 minutes after that the power was back on and all systems go. I say all that to say KUDOS to the performers of "Tapestry". Way to dig in and make it happen tonight! It was productive.
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A Blanket of Stars...

Our show's coming up and I'm really excited for the kids and for our team. We've put in a lot of hard work with the kids and they are definitely putting it right back into the show!

Last night we had a blackout on campus. Evidently since most of the power in the region is being used for the World Cup, there are frequent blackouts in the area. I personally love blackouts! I was in NYC for the Blackout of 2003 and it was one of the best nights of my life! It's a moment in which you have no other choice but to be still. So, I thought: "How much fun would it be in a blackout in Botswana?!" It only lasted about an hour or so...but the best part of it was being able to look up at the sky and for the first time be completely blanketed by stars. The sky in Botswana at night is like nothing I've ever seen before! Millions upon millions of stars, scattered diamonds across a charcoal sky. Some of them so bright you feel as if you could reach out and touch them!

How ironic that in this moment that I could only be still and stare up at the sky , could I truly appreciate the Setwana name the students in my Masks class gave me tonight. We've been told there is a lot of meaning in Setswanan names. That usually the person grows into their name or has natural traits that the name reflects.

As I gazed into the darkness all around me, and slowly raised my head to sky...I smiled. I was given the name Naledi...Setswanan for star.

The Shift

It is tuesday afternoon and time is of the essence! We had an opportunity to see dance, drama, band, tech crew, and ensemble start piecing a show together. It's the chance to see what you have and what you don't. Gotta maximize those collaboration skills and make sure "your" piece of the puzzle is ready to fit right into place. We gotta tighten up the loose ends and be prepared to let go of whatever doesn't fit. There isn't one componant of the program not subject to "the shift". It's a natural and necessary part of production. And when you honour the shift (without totally abandoning the integrity of your work) you garner growth and success! Knowing the character of this fabalous team I have the privilege of working with we are on our way (with a FIGHT ofcourse!). On your mark...get set...tsamaya!!!

Purpose Transcends...

I woke up this morning thinking about the past couple weeks here at MAP. It has definitely been challenging, eye opening, and rewarding. One of the main questions that permeated throughout the press conference that we had with the Botswana press this past thursday was "why are you here ?". And our answers hovered around the fact that we are here to engage in a collaboration of the arts via drama and dance which are the principle disciplines being taught, in addition to rap, song and more. To build an international community that allows us to express our artistic passion to the world. Sumtin like dat! Yet as I get more detailed in my thinking as it relates to what has transpired since arriving on what we call the Motherland, there are moments worth paying attention to that speak even more in depth to the value of this trek. It is the conversation that I had with two young women (who's name I won't mention) about contemplating their lives and how to navigate through it with wisdom, that resignates. Both of them hanging in the balances between honouring there parents and what they believe is best for their lives and fighting to engage and cultivate that artistic urge that speaks to their calling in life. What does one do when tradition is so overbearing that you find yourself in bondage to a mode of thinking that is in contradiction to what you know or at least strongly believe you were born to do. How do you take ownership of your destiny even when it means you may have to abandon the comfort of support, the intimacy of relationships, or the security of your homeland. These are the questions I am being asked and I can't answer with "you have to identify the protagonist of the play" or " you have to use different tactics to get beyond your obstacles". Naw not dis time, dis real life; dis ain't no play. Now I have to share some life experience. I have to speak from my heart and share my best self, cause now this is the difference between life and death. Oh I know we don't want to make it that deep but it is! Now i'm wearing the hat of a role model. These two precious souls have gained enough trust in me to give me a say in what they might do with the rest of their life. I've seen it happen time and again. The entrusting of someones opinion about what the next step should be. Bad advice or maybe just ignorance leading to the mentees temporary derailment as well good instruction being the catalyst to a journey of fulfillment. Truth be told there are many times when I try to avoid the notion that my responsibility to others require more than skilled teaching in a classroom but I can't because "it is what it is".

So now I revisit the "thru line" question of the Botswana press conference with a more insightful understanding that really answers the question. By virtue of the name of the school "Maru-a-pula" we have engaged this opportunity to offer "Promises of Blessings". A life's purpose transcends everything we are doing! So in this last week it may do us some good to pay attention to that conversation that takes place right after a class or when we are on our way to bed because of exhaustion and a student has something pressing to share because our investment in them gave them confidence to open up. One thing I have learned is that those life changing moments where purpose is further realized very rarely take place within the convenience of our set schedules. Or maybe dats jus me... Carpedium!

I can't do this...!

These last two days have been a representation of those moments in the rehearsal process when it feels like it just might not work out. We are trying to produce a level of production that lives up to the expectation. The name "Juilliard" that precedes us heralds this reputation of excellence, that right now I simply feel unworthy of. Yeah I know I'm suppose to save face and talk about how we are pushing everyone to their limit, and crackin the whip and what you will see is nothing less than perfection, but that ain't my testimony. Yes, we are pushing to bring out the best but the truth be told i'm feeling like "I can't do this". While I'm shouting out "stage left" and "you gotta project", internally i'm saying to myself I hope to God I can get through the next half hour. But somehow in the midst of my inner dialogue something is happening onstage that I certainly can't take the credit for. The students of MAP are piecing together a production. We're all struggling to seamlessly put together scene to scene but most importantly because this is our first time doing the whole play in Maitisong I think we all sense the calibre of work we are reaching for. It is the sense of urgency that's seemingly driving us to step up to the plate. So, yes 9:00pm hits and I feel a sense of productivity. We have a foundation to build on. Woo Hoo! Lookin forward to tech week...sorta kinda...yeah. Can't wait to see what that conversation with myself will be like. Stay tuned!

Window

It has truly been "a week". As I look in retrospect to day one there were some moments that are particularly notable. Our first assignment for these over 50 international students was to stand in the middle of the circle one by one. The task was that each person had to rotate 180 degrees and make eye contact with each person and then say their name and something that they do well. 45 minutes later I am thoroughly impressed. Grounded, poised, and present they passed with flying colors. Their first impression spoke volumes. If I can indulge that universal cliche for the purposes of crystalizing it "The eyes are the window to the soul"!. In that short time so many stories were told without saying a word. What better way to launch into a week of "drama".
I had the privilege of working this week with a third of the students on scene study. Each class started with something physical where they had to engage mentally and physically. The goal was to get them out of their heads so they can work more from their gut. For the most part that worked out well. It allowed them to work with a level of freedom throughout the rest of the class. We dealt with breaking down a story in componants (protagonists, antagonists, climax etc.). Then we dialogued about how different elements impact the story. Our final assignment for the week was for them to break into groups and create their own story, identifying each componant, followed by an analyzing of each story/scene by the class. I certainly learned a great deal and was greatful to be a witness to there collaboration and creativity. They worked well!