"Masquerade" (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA)

I'm not an athletic person by any stretch of the imagination, just look at me and you can tell that. But I do love being active. I do a few other things besides volleyball even though it may not seem like it by reading these entries. Besides volleyball and tennis and I wish softball, I love taking dance classes. I took a leap about six months ago in taking classes at Broadway Dance Center. And from the first class, basic hip-hop, it was like finding a glove that fit my hand perfectly, it was just something so fitting for me, a re-awakening of an old love. I've taken hip-hop, jazz, jazz funk, and with each one I'm aware of how athletic dancers have to be, their bodies fit for beauty in lines and form. Again, what am I doing dancing with my body type? But I was happy to take classes in the new facilities of BDC because it was so spacious and close to work. They've been holding classes in various studios around midtown while they renovated their new location, and they did such a great job. I might have to take some classes on my lunch break. I usually stand in the back of the class and go through the routine but the instructor likes to pick on someone and move them to the front, and that's what she did to me tonight. I had to move up right behind her and in front of the class so I had to really execute the moves well. The funny part of this evening was that the Divine Miss M, Bette Midler, was also taking the class, standing at the back. Only in New York could something like that happen.

At one point, we had brought in some speakers to open play at Brandeis to give the gym a little more atmosphere. It was so great to play with music, just as a background. I feel so comfortable playing with music, but that's not exactly how you play the game of volleyball. But it was a nice experiment we tried for a few weeks last year when our friend, Brian "Go-Go," had his iPod and speakers blaring out. On my daily commute, I enjoy my music through headphones like most New Yorkers, but my taste in music is probably not what you would think just by looking at me. Obviously my love of Broadway would be present but I'm heavily influenced by country music. I'm noticing that more and more as I realize how much I connect with older country songs and the era of Motown mainly because that is what my parents listened to while I was growing up. Loretta Lynn and The Four Tops are artists I love to listen to, and as I watched CMT's "Crossroads" tonight with Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson, I'm more aware of how much of an influence country music has in my life. I know this is such a random entry but I was thinking more about that after having just finished watching that CMT special.