"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.

"Some Fun Now" (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS)

Group dynamics are intriguing, and I continue to witness their actions in various volleyball groups. There are cliques within the larger volleyball group and that is to be expected, but what is so fascinating to me is that the cohesiveness of those cliques grow stronger through experiences and stories. Those experiences may be travels, games, or dinners, and during those times, stories are told, repeated, and become a fixture of their history. Stories may be about people they've encountered--the outliers, so to speak, individuals who play the game and circle the group but remain on the "outside." Though they provide a minimal function to the group, it's the stories that somehow bring the group closer together simply by some storytelling. Stories can also tell personal experiences which may be humorous and get repeated because of their content. That content can sometimes become part of the language of the group. One example is the pop-culture influenced saying "that's what she said..." after some sexually-inclined comment. Another example are stories that provide so much laughter, some of which can be attributed to the storyteller and their re-enactment, that they become a defining factor of the group. This past Friday night after open play, a story was told that has circulated for weeks but it's best heard from the source. Here is that story being told. Since this story was first told the group has made this expression, complete with exaggeration, part of their vernacular.

The rest of the weekend had a sort of "me time" theme to it. Well, actually that was Saturday. There should always be a day where you just do things for yourself that make you happy, no questions asked, just a good feeling kind of day. I started my day off playing tennis and I swear if I could play tennis everyday I would be so happy. I started playing again last year and I forgot how much I love playing it. I've been an avid follower for years but watching it and playing it are two different things. Later I took in a movie which was a family/teen-focused kind of film but that was what I wanted to watch and so far of the summer movies I've seen it was actually pretty good. There have been some real stinkers in the summer blockbusters so far this year. But I still have three more movies on my list to catch up on the current line-up about to it with "Transformer" coming up soon and I totally cannot wait for that one. After I saw the movie, I jotted down to my favorite karaoke place and proceeded to belt out a few songs, some new stuff that I wanted to try out. Then I whisked back uptown to catch HAIRSPRAY (yes, I know, again) but there was a recent cast change and I wanted to check out that and also the "Edna" understudy was on. I have to admit that sometimes I love watching understudies because they add a different take on the characters. I also wanted to check the show out once more because I probably won't get a chance to see it again before the movie comes out in mid-July. Now that is another one I cannot wait to see. A multiple viewing kind of movie if you get my drift. HAIRSPRAY always puts me in a great mood and Saturday was no exception.

Sunday was the most gorgeous day for the beach. So loads of people showed up at Long Beach and we had a lot of playing time for beach volleyball. I played for about an hour and then just took pictures and watched. I just enjoyed soaking up a little sun and feeling the breeze go through my hair. It was just nice to be around people and enjoy the beach. I'm not really a beach person but it's all in how you spend your time at the beach.