Wall of Inspiration

We've set up a wall of inspiration in the office, with pieces of work that inspire us along with the reasons why. I wasn't allowed to put anything dance-related on there unfortunately so I'll post them here instead. All images picked from tumblr, where I have recently become a lurker.

1)

When I got my results, I DID want to give up. Admittedly I'd misunderstood the results and thought I had to retake the entire exam, but in the first flush of disappointment I didn't want to go again. I didn't want to feel that disappointment twice. Then I realised if I didn't try again, I'd just feel that disappointment for the rest of my life. So I'm carrying on.

2)

I have come miles. When I started I'd never choreographed a single set dance, let alone 9. I'd never choreographed a hornpipe! I couldn't do half the moves I can do now. Needless to say, I didn't know a single ceili in full. I didn't know a single traditional set dance. Now I know 30 ceilis inside out, and I know 6.5 traditional set dances. I have come a long, long way.

3)

Well, I don't hate every minute of training. I actually don't hate that many minutes of dance training. I hate cross-training, every second of it let alone every minute, and I hate every second of nerves leading up to these exams. I was a wreck. But I still passed two of them, and got within a whisker of passing the others. Suffer now and live the rest of my life as a TCRG.

4)

I am terrible for this. Obviously the image itself is about running so it probably means weather conditions, but I do wait for things to be perfect before I put my mind to practising or cross-training. I need to have had a good, productive and unstressful day at work. I need to have eaten well. I need to have had enough sleep and drunk enough water. I need this, I need that. The right socks even. Instead I just need to get up and do it because I know how much better I feel when I have.

5)

And this one. This is huge. It pretty much is a miracle that I actually set out on this journey after years of thinking I could never do it, that I wouldn't be able to learn everything, that I could never improve my dancing, that I could never lilt or even remember a single tune, that I'd never remember that little blue book. And when I did finally decide to do it, I had no support whatsoever. No teacher, no mentor. I've picked those up along the way, once I'd already had the courage to start. So when I do get my four letters, it won't be a miracle that I passed. The miracle's already happened.

Time

I just can't fit it all in. I can't keep up with a demanding job where I'm frequently doing overtime, trying to stay fit for this exam, and actually prepare for the exam all at once. I feel sick with the amount of stuff I've got going on from work, personal admin, TCRG, a life...

There is just no time. This weekend I stopped, put my laptop away, and did some revision and dancing. Work will keep. Then I come into work and have loads more dished out, it never ends. It's six months away I know, but it's June already. I took the last one eight months ago, eight! That's flown by, so will the next six.

So rant out of the way and trying to keep stress to a minimum -

I've become quite acceptable at lilting. This is a good way to feel like I'm doing something towards the exam as it requires no equipment and can be done at the same time as something else, like showering. I honestly recommend lilting ceilis and traditional sets in the shower.

I've made up another hornpipe step as I didn't think the ones I had would cut it now that the solo section specifies 'advanced' material. This, plus the one I made up the other week, are much better. And very me! I do think I'm developing some sort of style.

And the five ceilis that I had to write out, I did fine. I didn't write them out book-style, just making sure I had all the details correct for teaching, and that was fine.

So for this fortnight (I just don't have time to do 5 goals in one week):

1 - Dance 4 times and work out besides.
2 - Continue ceili lilting.
3 - Continue trad set lilting.
4 -  A new heavy jig set - undecided which yet.
5 - Write out 5 further ceilis: 16 Hand Reel, Rince Fada, Antrim Reel, Trip to the Cottage, Bonfire Dance.

But in the meantime I'm probably going to go and cry in a corner or something.