Dancing All the While

Tiffany K. Chartier

The bottoms of my feet are Well-traveled, rough and callous, But adventure still awaits me. Regardless of arthritic hands with Rings too tight to wear, I welcome my grandchildren with tight hugs. Forgetting more, remembering less, My tired mind, saturated by a lifetime Still has room to absorb the beauty of the day. Heart broken by youthful dreams, Healed by wisdom, contented through faith, I do not wane in giving and wanting love. You see an aged woman,  Old by visual standards. Look deeper; youth birthed from this same spirit. At times you ignore me, but Never underestimate my strength, My smile, my decision to remain with purpose. Okay, for now, my observer… Come closer, feel my breath upon your thoughts. At last, you know my soul has been dancing all the while.

ALL YA GOTTA DO IS KEEP SHOWIN UP

Sometimes the difference between success and failure is just showing up every day... while the rest slowly drop out. well... easier said then done right? there's a little thing called motivation.. and it's a hard thing to maintain. we all struggle with it. well how can we make it last???

Motivations is so important b/c it is really the only factor related to performance that dancers can actually control.

"i intend to work for this dance of the future. i do not know whether i have the necessary qualities; i may have neither genius nor talent nor temperament. but i know that i have a will. and will and energy sometimes prove greater than either genius or talent or temperament"
~ Isadora duncan

"being a dancer was an act of total commitment costing not less than everything"
~martha graham

"when you reach a platform, look for the stairs leading up to the next platform"
~holm


how to make a lasting change?

1. awareness
2. control
3. repetition

IDENTITY.

Question:  WHO AM I?

ANSWER:  A WOMAN OF GOD. 

RINSE AND REPEAT.

SEASONS of LIFE

A very good friend of mine once talked to me about the different cycles of life. There is your life cycle. You're yearly cycle. You're monthly cycle. (which us women are definitely aware of) You're weekly cycle. And you're daily cycle. Within these cycles there are periods of rest, periods of adventure, periods of struggle, and periods of abundance. With these periods may come very high highs and very low lows. I find I struggle the hardest during the periods of rest. The transitional times in my life... the unknown "what if's" that come during those times... I struggle with the rest cycles b/c I find myself judging what I should be doing with that time. I become restless and battle impatience daily. I judge myself into a point of depression... until I realize this is only temporary. This is only an uneasy time of rest and the only way to really get anything out of it... is to just let it be. Rest. Embrace every moment. Call those friends you don't talk to often. Pick up a pen and send a thank you card to someone that did something nice for you. Show your gratitude to the world. Volunteer you're time. Take care of your mind, body and spirit. Use this time to be a better son/daughter, wife/husband and friend. Think about what you want for your life. What you dream about. How you will leave this place better than when you found it.

You cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season.

The essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, And the fulfillment of your fall.

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches, and better times are sure to come in time.

Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. And leave the rest to God.

Happiness keeps you sweet, Trials keep you strong. Sorrows keep you human. Failures keep you humble. Success keeps you growing. But only GOD keeps you going.

I leave you with this passage from Ecclesiastes 3, Verses 1-7

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

So whatever time you're in in your life... remember to embrace it with everything you have. Take a deep breath and really feel it. Enjoy every moment. For it will soon transform into another season and you might have missed what you should have learned from the previous season. There is opportunity for growth in every season if you look at it with a perspective of gratitude. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it finds you well because you are blessed :)

-Trisha

In a New York Minute... anything can change.

So, since i only have a few more days living in new york city... i thought i'd reflect a little on my time here.


first, i have to say... it's been a beautiful ride. i absolutely love this city and all the opportunities it has to offer. it's been a rollercoaster of a year with the amount of changes that have occurred in my life... but, i am grateful for every day and every step that's taken me to where i am today. and for everyone that's helped me along the way... thank you.


i came to new york on an impuse. i was in a place where i was completely liberated to do anything or go anywhere i wanted. i had nothing tying me down anywhere. i was looking for inspiration. for something to make me feel alive again. to be around others that wanted the same feeling. so, without consulting anyone... i just went for it.  i wasn't gonna sit around waiting for life to happen. so i booked a one-way flight to the big apple with nothing but 2 suitcases, my guitar and an open mind. the only expectation i had was to learn and grow as a person and an artist. i've never been more open to life then i was at that time. it was scary and thrilling and gave me a sense of accomplishment by the very act of just doing it alone.


i lived out of my suitcase for 3 months... on couches, air mattresses... wherever i could rest my head. i auditioned my heart out...which could be a full time "job" in new york. i learned that avenues and streets are very different. i learned that i hate brooklyn. i woke up every morning with a list of different places and teachers i could take class with. i got my first dance job after my first 2 weeks. i met new friends. i became a familar face at auditions and in classes. i learned the city well. i fell in love w/ the subway and then fell in hate with it. i learned to audition for jobs i only actually wanted. i fell asleep and woke up to horns. i work/studied at steps just to get a discounted rate on classes that i had no time to take. i got to dance for amazing artists  and be a founding member of ron de jesus dance company and bennyroyce productions. i finally got to move into my apartment and was an official  new yorker... zip code and all :)


all in all... new york has been a love/hate relationship as most people would say that live here. even with the millions of people in the city that never sleeps... i find it to be one of the loneliest places i've ever known. everyone is on their own agenda with a survivalistic mentality. you don't know if people are coming or going. new york is like a portal. all the jobs are pick up (gig to gig)... so the inbetween... is fighting for your life to get that next gig. it's exhausting. you find yourself searching for purpose and some kind of routine to keep you going... but it's difficult.  i found myself longing for consistency and community. someplace or somewhere that i felt i belonged and was held accountable for. somewhere, where my presence mattered. relationships with friends that weren't going anywhere. 


that all being said... as, i will be very sad to leave this city. a city that i love, with people that i love in it... i am also very much looking forward to this new chapter in my life. a chapter that i am hoping is the best one in my book thus far. soon i will be waking up every morning with a place to be, a family of friends to see, and an opportunity to give of myself to a greater purpose. 


all to share and nothing to prove.


the only thing that stays the same is change.


so.....


meet me in st. louis :) 

VOTE FOR MY PUP'S NAME!

OK... SO, I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A PUP YET.... BUT, IT'S IN THE WORKS PEOPLE!

I will post a picture of what kind of puppy i'm looking for to better your judgment on his or her name.

here is my list thus far...


*bam bam
*pebbles
*sunshine
*dimples
*dolly
*diva
*teddy
*pumpkin

WELL, THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR NOW... PLEASE VOTE ON THE ABOVE OR LEAVE YOUR OWN SUGGESTION. THANKS!!!!


CAN'T WAIT!!!

TOP 11 QUIRKY FUN FACTS

Okay people!!! So... My first post... well is about me... b/c I mean, isn't that what a blog is?? I don't know, but what I do know is that everyone enjoys a few fun facts from time to time. I know I do. So... to get to know me... Here are the first 11 that I thought of. Why 11 and not 10? B/c 11 is my lucky number... even though I don't believe in luck. Maybe, I just like odd numbers?


 Feel free to comment.


1. I write lists. Not just grocery lists or to do lists, that was just the beginning. No..I write lists for everything. You name it... there is or was a list for it. I even wasted hard earned money buying a book of blank lists pages... so I actually possess a legit book of lists... Ranging from my favorite colors to concerts I've seen to places I've visited. Don't judge me.


2. I'm an organized freak. I thoroughly enjoy organizing anything and everything. I spent a full day last fall organizing and reorganizing my desk till it reached the most efficient positions possible. Everything has it's place. haha So, if any of you out there reading this need some organizing consultation... I'd be happy to help you. I charge $20 an hour. I accept cash or checks.


3. I technically have 5 "first" names, if you include my confirmation name. Trisha Leigh Laura Marie Kelly.... I don't use Laura or Marie though. Either way, this has been the butt of many jokes in my day. Speaking of middle names. I also know a guy that legally changed his middle name to "Danger". This is the one and only reason why I am friends with him.


4. I was the biggest tattle tail when I was a kid. No wonder my sister hated me growing up. 


5. I once dressed up in a full head to toe chicken costume to ask a guy to a dance... and yes, my plan was to embarrass the heck out of him. It worked! haha


6. I'm not afraid of autonomy. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy my own company. haha I've even gone to see my favorite musician perform by myself b/c I didn't want any distractions. 


7. I've spent way too much money on Itunes, Target and Walgreens (sidenote: Walgreens=RipOff).


8. My favorite kind of shopping is food shopping. This doesn't mean I'm a pig... it just means I'd rather eat something good than buy more clothes that I'll only wear once. 


9. I've moved every year since I graduated High School. 


10. If I hate anything... it's being cold, obnoxious/selfish/negative people and public transit. 


11. I've never had a pet. Well, once I had an alpha fish. His name was Twirp. He was purple and I speculate he died from a brain tumor. Still waiting on the autopsy reports. 


Okay... thanks for reading my first blog post. More to come!!!