So, it's now occuring to me that it's been nearly 4 months since my last post. Unbelievable! Obviously, there's been a heck of a lot going on to warrant me not having a lick of time to post something on my beloved blog. Here it is, in a nutshell:
1. At the end of the last school year, the competition dance studio that I was teaching ballet for last year (the one that had formerly been a very nice classical academy,) basically tanked. As in, the director (the one writing my paychecks) has a civil and a criminal suit pending, a criminal investigation underway, and is in arrears to several creditors and employees...myself included. Because of bad business management, parents were lied to, teachers weren't compensated, and a lot of dancers were left broken-hearted at the end of the year. We barely made it through recital. It was a little bit of a nightmare...but I'm a survivor. I am currently compiling information to file for lost wages in her bankruptcy case. Fun!
2. I taught a lot in June...private lessons, and lessons for a friend at another studio.
3. We took our big vacation to Texas for the 4th of July...10 days down south. It was cooler there than it has been here! We've also taken a few mini-trips.
4. My kids stopped napping. Let me reiterate this development. My kids stopped napping. What that means for me is that this has effectively been the LOOOOOOONGEST summer of my life. I mean, seriously...it's really hard for me to put into words how much that two hours of quiet and time in the middle of my day meant to me. Now, I basically have no time to myself. I'm not complaining, just stating fact. The dog days of summer have been crazy hot, and crazy long. I don't get a break, until I get in bed, and at about 5pm everyday, my kids have a mini-meltdown because they really could have used a nap and they're cranky. And I'm trying to make dinner, and not have a meltdown myself. So, we've been really trying to get them in bed earlier. Again, I'm a survivor. I'm learning how to live with my "big kids."
5. Major new development alert: I am now the School Principal of a new ballet school that is opening in Bentonville this fall. It's called the Northwest Arkansas Conservatory of Classical Ballet. There was a small performing ensemble that I was teaching company class for last year, and the family behind it decided mid-June that they wanted to open a school to feed into the company. They asked me to be a part of it. With a little trepidation and a lot of excitement, actually, I said yes. I managed to get a few of my colleages who taught "real" dance at the last studio on board with me, along with a few other new and old contacts...and we have a really lovely faculty lined up. But we've been working like dogs to get this school going. There was a boatload of drama around getting a building secured, and getting some of the broken-hearted dancers and families on board with us...but everything is coming together quite nicely. We (I say we, but I am not the financial end. I am the artist.) are renting and renovating an old church. We've ordered a ridiculously expensive Harlequin flooring system that will be installed next week, everything is being painted, sound system being put in, offices being put together, etc. My job has been communicating with prospective students and families, creating a schedule that works in two studios around 6 different teacher schedules, and incorporating about 20 different classes in a logical flow, and writing class descriptions and school policy. Oh, and I'll be working with the non-profit performing company as well, the NWA Ballet.
So, basically, my fairy Godparents came and said, "hey, we'll finance everything and get the physical building ready. You just give us your expertise and guidance, and teach and choreograph...and help make some decisions. You can set your schedule, and work around your family priorities." Pretty fantastic, right?!
So...those are all the reasons why I've been MIA for the last 3 1/2 months. There's just been so much going on, and every waking hour I've been dealing with all of the craziness mentioned above. Maybe when the school year picks up, I'll be able to get into a better groove and post a little more!
