So, many of you recall my ecstasy at participating in a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" recently. Although I was initially afraid that my absence from work would cause my business to suffer, really it was fine. And I'm continuing to get new business from the contacts I made among the cast.

A new show is coming up that is even more exciting to me. It's a production of the Gershwin musical "Crazy for You." It has a lot of tap dancing in it and some Ballroom. (Many of the songs were originally written for Fred Astair/ Ginger Rogers movies.) Everyone knows that I'm a ballroom dancer, so I REALLY wanted to be involved in the show for that reason.

Also, a few people (from "Joseph") had approached me about tap classes, since no one else in our town offers it. I have never taught tap. I have never offered any tap classes in my studio. I took a very little bit of tap 25 years ago when I was a teenager.

I decided to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the auditions for "Crazy for You" to offer a beginning tap class for a limited time out of my studio. I just needed a teacher. Skip ahead a little: I found some teachers, and I now have 2 tap classes per week which are full enough that we plan to continue indefinitely. I also created good relationships with the 3 people that I've had teach/ substitute teach the classes. And I got to participate and learn some tap.

I know this is long, but here's the best part. After taking the classes for only 3 weeks, I actually felt qualified to teach when no one else was available. AND (drum roll) I auditioned for the LEAD DANCER today in "Crazy for You" -- and I was the best one there!

My husband actually said I danced the routine better than the assistant choreographer who is one of my tap teachers! Somehow, the tap just came really easily to me. Even the choreographer told me she was impressed! I think I'm going to get to play the part of "Tess" who is the "Dance Director." Yay!!!

To me, this means that there really are no limits to what we can do when we follow our bliss.

Thanks for letting me share my excitement.

Love and blessings,
Rachel

I love it, Rachel. Have FUN!

Good for you Rachel. I'm absolutely giddy for you!

Wow Rachel! Very exciting.

This is such a great example of having a clear CMI and how easily the actions flow from that. (No shoulds, no ought to's...) It's also a great example of how ALL areas of your life benefit when doing this (i.e., your business).

Very helpful to me. But congratulations to you. Puts a whole new "spin" on "tapping" your way to success and happiness...

UPdate:

I received a phone call yesterday confirming that I got the part I wanted and expected! Yay!

Also, my wonderful hubby will be in the show with me. He's playing the bad guy.

We start rehearsals tomorrow!!!!

Love and blessings,
Rachel

PS,
I was also very pleased with the way I did at the singing part of the auditions.

Woo-hoo, you go, go, go girl!

How exciting! And how very inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

We had our first read-through last night. This show is about 50% dancing. That means my dance corps and me will be on stage almost the whole show! Also, my character has more lines than I thought she did AND I get a couple of lines to sing solo as well.

They weren't kidding when they said they were going to "trust" me with the part. My character is pretty important to the show and I'm single cast. Quite a responsibility!

Oh, another wonderful thing. The two actors that I interact with the most are both closer to my age than the kids I worked with in the last show. That means that the teens in the dance corp can clique with each other and I won't feel isolated.

Don't get me wrong -- I was very proud and excited to be in the dance corp with the young ones. I considered it a badge of honor to be able to keep up with them, considering I was twice their age. And the cast of "Joseph" was so big and we were all so busy that there really wasn't time to build close relationships anyway.

But, I'm really looking forward to building relationships more during this show. It's filled with wonderful talented people. It's gonna be great!
Super fun!!!

Love and blessings,
Rachel

A funny thing happened on the way to building relationships with those closer to my age -- I feel closer to the younger ones, too.

Also, even though I just had a birthday (I'm 43 now) I feel younger than I did this time last year. Also, someone told me that I look younger than the other "older" girls in the show who are actually about 10 years younger than I am.

It's been a great experience so far. We open in two weeks!

Love and blessings,
Rachel

Well done, Rachel!!! Your story sounds great and very encouraging!!! Best of luck for everything and that you'll be even more stunning and wonderful than you were so far!!! I love your posts! Can't wait to hear how your story goes on!!!

Love

It must be extraordinary to have a thing you love to do, and to be able to manifest more of it

I think all my silly experimentation with relationships has led me too far astray from my quest for solitude. If you can have tap dancing classes and a lead role, how much easier it must be to have alone time...lol...nothing to it in comparison. I feel rather silly for not being able to manifest something so simple.

Annie,

I think what you need is not so much physical isolation, but the ability to feel safe and free even in the midst of other people.

Like everything else, what you want is the FEELING. You just want the situation because you think it's the only way to get the feeling. Maybe you could try looking for ways to feel alone even when you're not.

Just a thought.

Love and blessings,
Rachel

quote:

Originally posted by Rachel:
Annie,

Maybe you could try looking for ways to feel alone even when you're not.

And to add to what you said, Rachel - Maybe you could try looking for ways to feel HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ARE alone even when you're not.

I, too, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being alone. I finally looked at my predominant thoughts when I had alone time - and my predominant thoughts when I felt "trapped" into being around others. I also tried to see what was "appearances" versus "truth". And that was the start of feeling as good around others as I do when I'm alone.

In my case the feelings had gotten SO strong that I actually had feelings in my body (body reactions) when I felt "obligated" to be around some people. So the thoughts, beliefs and feelings seemed overwhelmingly UNcontrollable and UNchangeable.

Notice I am speaking in the past tense. Rebecca, in the PG course, talks about willingness. My willingness to keep at it until I felt better is what finally worked.

And I STILL LOVE my alone time. LOVE it.

You want people to leave you alone, annievt? Leave THEM alone. There are SO many ways of doing it - walk away, cut them short, hang up.

I mean, you sound so ACCOMMODATING that, honestly, I feel kinda bad for the people you complain about. You choose to LET them open up to you and (over)share, then you turn around and complain about it here. Behind their backs. Not cool.

Now, I'll just go back to minding my own business. Do feel free to do the same.

Another update:

We opened last weekend and the show came together quite nicely. The review came out today -- it was very favorable. Also, I ended up helping with some of the ballroom choreography and I got a choreography credit in the program which I did not expect!

Overall it's been a wonderful experience. I don't think I would have done it if not for the support of the SOGR and all of you. Thanks!!

Love and blessings,
Rachel

Congratulations, Rachel! Sounds like so much fun. And I love it that the support of your friends here played a part, too.

Rachel - I like that I got to be a part of the conception and then all the way through to the completion of this project. (And it's a cliff-hanger - in that I can't wait to hear about the next adventure.) The whole thing has been SO inspiring and happy-making. Thank you for all you contribute here.

HOOORAY!

It's amazing how my thoughts are continually reflected back to me.

I love that participating in this show has given me many, many opportunities to notice what's going on inside me. Feelings that come up when interacting with others are SOOOO instructive.

I LOVE that I think of all of it as a reflection; I now waste very little time on critiquing the behavior of others. Now I go straight to investigating the thoughts within. It's astonishing how the inner thoughts show up around me.

It's also amazing to feel that I am in just the right roll for me and that everything is easy and fun! This is what life should feel like!

Love and blessings,
Rachel

What Dawn said!

I thought this story was over, but there's an epilogue.

Last weekend it was announced that I am nominated for two awards for my part in "Crazy for You."

The local theatre organization The Column (covering ALL equity and non-equity musicals and straight plays for the entire North Texas area) hosts an awards ceremony each year. My husband was nominated for "Best Actor in a Straight Play non-equity" for his portrayal of Long John Silver in "Treasure Island." I was nominated for my portion of the choreography for "Crazy for You"(I was one of three choreographers.) AND I was nominated for the coveted "Chita Rivera Dance Award" for the dancing that I did as Tess.

Remember that this was a TAP show. I started to learn to tap about three weeks before auditions -- and I'm nominated for an AWARD for that performance. WOW!!!

THIS is what happens when you really follow your bliss.

So exciting! The Awards ceremony is at the end of this month. I'll let you know how it goes!

Love and blessings,
Rachel