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Most weeks, I prepare a short devotion for our Ballet Cast, which is shared after warmup and barre and before we begin the choreography portion of our rehearsal. This is one I thought would be particularly interesting to our audience and families who have been a part of our story ballets for several years:

Relevant note: this devotion took place near Easter;-)

The months of February and March usually find Miss Gail and me making a “musical tour” to most of the local high schools- to watch our dancers perform and, full disclosure: to celebrate that they will soon all be back in class again;-)

A couple years ago, I began to notice that often, after Intermission, the storyline of the musical begins to drag a bit. (sometimes a lot) I began to examine this after concluding that it was something beyond my personal attention span. Then I remembered watching movies when I was little- it was often during this same portion of a movie that my mind would also wander (yes, this may have been attention span) and I would often begin playing with toys on the side, or ask my mother for a snack.

I’ve also noticed while planning recitals- especially when I get to the part when I schedule dress rehearsals, that the distribution of ensemble classes between Act I and Act II is nearly always uneven. Most of our ensemble classes, and nearly always our youngest classes, dance in Act I. It often turns out that Act II consists mostly of Cast dances. It’s a fabulous setup for a studio, since it means that these dress rehearsals allow younger dancers to go home for an earlier bedtime- it is not entirely intentional in the original planning stages of the show. As I began reflecting on why all these might be, something came to mind that most of us learned in an English class somewhere along the way: the Plot Diagram. Most of the Cast instantly recognized this, so they seem to have experienced it somewhere along their academics.

Something I failed to notice when I encountered this plot analysis in high school English class: most of the fun stuff happens in the beginning half. We meet new characters, we hear fun songs, there aren’t a whole lot of complications to the storyline that make emotions fall beyond the carefree. This is why our younger classes are inevitably assigned parts in the first Act=) The middle-end section though, is usually where the deep stuff happens- the “ugly” stuff, the life-changing stuff. And to someone who’s not fully invested in the storyline, it can get boring. For those who are fully invested, it can get uncomfortable. But: this is where the really good stuff happens. It’s where hearts are frozen and thawed, where love is discovered, and where dynamic characters (remember those too?) are transformed. 

This is the part of the Easter story where Jesus was in the tomb. This is where they had to WAIT three days for the resurrection. This is where- even though YOU know what happens- they did not. And it was uncomfortable and scary. But this is the part where it’s important that we not walk away. This is the part of the story that may not be butterflies and rainbows (or snowflakes and trolls) but it’s when it’s more important than ever that we be present. And trust God, and cling to faith- even if we don’t know at the time if faith is truly real. Because this is where the transformation happens, and it’s something we don’t want to miss.

As the world has slowed in such a baffling way, I felt the need to resurrect this blog. I loved using it to share my reflections from the heart of a dance teacher a studio director and hope to do so more in the present and future than I have in the past two years.

Out of all the things we feel the need to anticipate, I can’t say that “pandemic” was one of them. Not a single thought to address this in our pre-semester staff meetings, not contingency plans for our students to learn out-of-studio, not Plan A, Plan, B, or Plan C for our spring recital. In the days leading to the decision to close InMotion during this time, I was ultimately sad. Sad that we wouldn’t be seeing our students, their progress together would and could slow, and the work they were putting into learning their recital dances would be interrupted. And thought that sadness remains, I have been encouraged by technology and its ability for us to continue communicating lessons to our dancers. I hope that what we have provided so far is helping them. In addition to this encouragement, I also feel so much gratitude to so many in our dance family:

To our Families: THANK YOU so much for your patience with our plans, our changing plans, our online learning videos, for your grace in accepting our relative unpreparedness for these circumstances, and for taking them in stride. Thank you for helping your children access these videos and for sharing photos and videos of them dancing at home. Having viewed posts on several studio owner social media forums, it seems that several studios are dealing with stress of families publicly disagreeing with decisions and demanding refunds for tuition payments, I thank you that our community has accepted our plans with grace and patience. I know that you do have questions about payments and recital preparations, I will address these in an email coming to you shortly. 

To our Teachers: THANK YOU for jumping into action to create learning resources for your students to use at home. I have several videos from teachers already and for every class that doesn’t have something already available, know that those teachers are working on it for you! As a studio director, I reached out to see what we could provide without knowing what would come my way for our dancers and have been amazed at what is in the works. Your overwhelming response has blessed me and blesses your students as well!

I hope and pray for your health and safety during this time. I pray that you are growing in relationships with your families and continuing to learn and grow in your studies of both academics and dance. Now that the initial whirlwind is passed and we have resources gradually coming to you, please do not hesitate to send us feedback, questions, and let us know how to continue these videos to best help you and your children. Keep praying with us for our world and for those who are more directly affected by illness during this time.

We miss you and can’t wait to see your smiling faces back in our studio and your feet on the dancefloor!

Love from Miss Alaina & the InMotion Staff

“A Man Has Dreams.” A song on my Mary Poppins playlist: at least four minutes, and a slow and quiet dialogue between only two characters- no ensemble. From my dance teacher’s perspective, four minutes is a long time for two characters to dialogue onstage, especially two that don’t need  any extra solo time to even the stagetime among my cast. I looked over it last fall and thought to myself “I’ll trim that down some.” I’m always looking for ways to make our shows just a little shorter- after all our classes and soloists dance, it’s plenty long enough without adding unnecessary scenes. For this scene was one I never understood when I was little. When I reached that part in the movie, I’m pretty sure it’s where I chose to take a bathroom break, or find Mom and ask her for a snack. Nothing much was happening and I didn’t understand the words Mr. Banks exchanged with Bert anyway.

But as I wrote this show and as I cut, trimmed, and meshed music to create our custom playlist, I found that this was a scene that simply couldn’t be cut in any way. For I found that this was indeed the climax of the plot. I can’t say I expected this since as previously stated, it was a scene that was left misunderstood during the time in my life when I watched the movie the most. But if we examine the storyline of Mary Poppins, the title character is not the character who undergoes any change in the story, she is perhaps the most rigid character of all, the static character. After all, she is already “practically perfect” when we meet her;-) Rather, she is a catalyst for the change in the most dynamic character of all- Mr. Banks. And this scene is where the dynamic takes place deep within, where Bert speaks truth and for the first time, Mr. Banks listens.

So I left the length, and I apologize to all the brothers out there (namely, my own) who think the show should be much shorter than it is. But I encourage those watching to take to heart, the transformation that takes place within Mr. Banks. For he sings (and she dances) here of the dreams that were had, of worldly desires that were dashed, yet are suddenly found unimportant in light of transformed dreams. For I think there is some of Mr. Banks in all of us- that rushes past important moments, that ignores a plea for care, for a listening ear, all in pursuit of other things that we see as dreams. I pray that the shining eyes of our little girls and boys onstage- your children, your family, your friends, are the catalyst that Mary Poppins was to Mr. Banks. That the magic of rooftop-dancing and jumping through chalk pavement pictures might draw us to put down our phones and join in the laughter and smiles that are our families and community. May they never be unimportant. May our everyday dreams include them.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders: make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. -Colossians 4:5-6

19 Jan 18
Thursday
En route Kathmandu to Istanbul to Home

We have finally taken off from Kathmandu after sitting at the gate for an extra two hours. One last (hopefully last!) frustration at Nepalese transportation- though this seemed to be a problem with Indian airspace. It’s amazing how quickly frustration can be turned to joy- as we taxiied to takeoff, we got one last glimpse of the Boudha Stupa, where we spent so much of our time. As we rose above the smog, there again are the Himalayas, at my eye level. It again reminds me of childhood years spent staring out the school bus window, marveling at the intricacies of nature, looking as deep into the woods at the landforms, swamps, and laurel groves as they flashed by. These mountains are so very large, they do not flash by, rather, I am allowed a few minutes to marvel at the intricacies and beauty of each one.

How blessed am I to see these in my lifetime, the beautiful sculptures, frosted with snow, a reminder of the gift God gave us in Creation. To have the means to travel here, to be one to listen to the stories of these women, to come away with an expanded view of this world, of humanity, in all of its beauty and pain, problems and gifts. And this knowledge and experience comes with a challenge- to live in harmony with this Creation- to love and respect the environment in which we live, so these majestic mountains may remain snowtopped. To be aware of the pain in this world, to pray for those experiencing such and give thanks for the gifts in my life. To listen and seek to understand the stories of those around me. I am thankful for this experience and pray for all those I have met along the way.

18 Jan 18
Wednesday
Kathmandu

Our breakfast discussion:

Materialism:
David shared insights and we discussed our own reflections on not being defined by possessions, but seeing each material that passes through our hands as a precious material from the Earth. Environment and conservation: we are called to embody the example of how to live. We have seen on this trip, vast amounts of litter along the roads, especially on the banks of rivers. And of course we see in our society at home, the manner in which we embrace all things disposable. Seeing such large amounts of trash everywhere we went on this trip reminds me again that something that is disposed of in our household and our sight certainly does not mean it is in any way returned to how it was before it came to us, but rather becomes yet another unusable item in the world.

The bus breakdown yesterday:
Sarala told us how other passengers kept confronting the drivers and saying “we can wait more, but what about our guests?” it was heartwarming to hear how they saw us as guests and wanted us to have a pleasant time in Nepal.

Visit to Entertainment Sector:
Sarala says this part of town is active at night, but not in a good way. We visited a building within the sector of the city and met with several women there. This is a resource center connected with Shakti Samuha that helps women exit the entertainment industry. It was established in 2011 to work with girls and women here and help them find jobs outside of this realm, for the entertainment industry itself feed trafficking through its dance bars, massage parlors, and other services. The goal of this center is to provide an introduction to these women of their rights and empowerment.

From my understanding of the conversation, these are some of the people who work here:
A counselor to work with the women who come here.
A beautician, who helps teach them what true beauty is and can also train them as beauticians.
An outreach worker, who visits the sector at night to evaluate the situation and coordinate with other organizations and the police.
There is a library here with stories of trafficking survivors and empowerment material. Women are also able to receive some nonformal education here.

The house was very clean and they were so welcoming to us. And of course they served us milk tea=) This is a place that does receive funds from NCP, especially for microloans so that women can start their own businesses in order to get out of the entertainment industry. They say that “NCP” is a common term around here! There is one woman who knits items to sell. Another woman first tried to start a spicy noodle business, but when that didn’t generate enough income to support her, she started pig farming. She is now making enough to support herself and is no longer working in the entertainment industry.

During the afternoon, we met together once again at the headquarters of Shakti Samuha to discuss our trip, ask further questions, and so that David could discuss with the leaders of Shakti, specifics of how NCP can help their organization between now and when a group will come here again. See, this is how NCP does its business- with the people, among the people, and working with them to create a community between us the giver and the recipient of the gifts they receive- it’s inspiring to see the empowerment that takes place.

After a last dinner at our favorite restaurant, a few of us took a walk in the square around the Boudha Stupa to buy last-minute gifts and souvenirs and make use of any last rupees. As we headed back to our guesthouse, Sarala stopped us at one of the candlelighting stands: “Let us light candles together and pray for solidarity for the women affected by sex trafficking and all who work that it will no longer exist.” It was special to pray together for this on our last night in the city. I continue to pray that Shakti’s work will someday be finished in Nepal and in all countries on this Earth. May God be with all affected and with all who fight it.

17 Jan 18
Tuesday
Chitwan to Kathmandu

We left Chitwan this morning at 8:00. It’s 5:00 now and we are stranded by the road, 1.5 hours from Kathmandu by a broken gear on our bus.

The first stop we made for this problem was impressive- they had parts off the bottom of the bus and in a shop within a few minutes of stopping. Apparently this was a needed repair but did not solve the problem because we soon stopped again due to loud banging noises from under the bus. This time, they took off the universal joint to find several missing teeth. We are currently waiting for a new bus to come from Kathmandu to take us the rest of the way.

I just finished reading Hidden Figures and I hadn’t realized when I packed the book, the significance and connection it bears to this trip in themes of women’s empowerment. It leads me to back to the through of parallels. Women in so many nations, racial disparity in so many places. It’s human nature, it seems, to attempt to come out on top,and any difference is one we can identify as an excuse to do so. I like to think human nature is good and works for good of all, yet these patterns plague the world again and again.

16 Jan 18
Monday
Chitwan National Park: Safari

We boarded dugout canoes at 8:00 a.m. The river was misty. We saw many birds, especially ducks. We stopped for a ten-minute break in a dried mud flat, where we were able to see many varieties of animal prints.

We reached our designated shore around 11:00 a.m. Before setting off walking, our guide instructed us in how to ward off each kind of dangerous animal.

Elephant: run faster than 30 km/h- you must run at least 31 km/h!
Rhino: act like a cartoon! Hide behind a tree and walk around the trunk if you need to to stay on the opposite side of the rhino. Or you can climb 7 ft. or higher- you pick.
Sloth bear: stand close together in a big group and start yelling to confuse it!
Tiger: not much. Just hope it doesn’t start crouching and wiggling its hindquarters like it’s about to pounce. If it does, try backing slowly away while keeping eye contact. Luckily, these are nocturnal.

Just as we set off, the sun came out for the rest of the day. When we reached the first fork, we encountered a tree full of monkeys. After watching, our group split, so our larger group would be less likely to startle wildlife. Each group was led and followed by a guide with a large stick. We walked on a road through the grasslands until we encountered a ranger on patrol, riding an elephant. Though we didn’t see anything besides peacocks, we stopped for a packed lunch at a park station and ate in the raised lookout there. Hardboiled egg, vegetable patty, fruit, juice, and oreos. After we resumed our walk, we entered the woods. We never saw any large animals besides deer and we certainly never encountered or put into practice the more dangerous animals the guides were obligated to warn us about, but we did see evidence of them: plenty of tiger tracks, and holes that were dug by sloth bears in order to find and eat termites.

That evening, we were able to arrange an impromptu meeting with the owner of the Chitwan Gaida Lodge. It turns out, he is a ornithologist and very much into conservation. He was able to tell us some of the history of the Chitwan National Park and the troubles with poaching within the park and how they’ve been able to combat this.

15 Jan 18
Sunday
Pokhara to Chitwan

Today, we traveled by bus approximately six hours to Chitwan, where we piled into an open vehicle (“try not to look like a tourist!) and were delivered to the Chitwan Gaida Lodge. (which means “Rhino Lodge”) There, Sarala asked for a snack for us, which turned out to be cauliflower soup, then fries, then friend veggie balls (for lack of anything else to call them). And of course- milk tea! They took us on a sunset walk by the river and through some of the park. We saw crocodiles, a rhino in the river, and came out by the elephant pens. Sarala purchased some spicy noodle during the walk and shared it with some of us. After returning, they transported us to Sauhaha’s Cultural Center for a dance show.

This is not what I was expecting on this trip, but of course I’m always up for a dance recital! We were treated to several cultural dances and were invited to participate in a dance at the end. Sarala wanted Paul and I to join, but of course she only got me onstage. Nevertheless, it was lovely to share a dance with her!

14 Jan 18
Saturday
Dhampus to Pokhara

Today was full- when I think about it, I should be overwhelmed and exhausted by all that we did, but somehow it seemed a natural pace. A few of us woke to see the sunrise, but unfortunately the Annapurnas were obscured by clouds. I am glad they were out for last night’s sunset- seeing the range from Dhampus was alone worth the trip! The beauty of the mountains against the sky gave the impression of a theatrical backdrop- it was hard to believe it was real. Our elevation was one mile but the Annapurnas are in the range of five miles!I imagine that we weren’t even that close even though they seemed so.

After a delicious breakfast of eggs, porridge, hash browns, and Tibetan bread, we had a quite a bit of confusion getting down the mountain. Some were hiking halfway, some riding, and some shopping beforehand. In this, one group member got left at the top of the mountain. White the van went back up to find her, the rest of us took a leisurely stroll down the mountain road. Though dusty, it was nice to see the countryside at a slower pace. The botanists held us up even more, exclaiming and theorizing over various plants, crops, and flowers. We we finally picked up, squeezed back into the vehicle, and delivered back to our hotel in Pokhara.

“Though I’m not sure what age would be appropriate for this trip’s subject and content, I wish there were young girls on this trip at least to see Sarala being a boss. What a role model to look up to!” -Paul

We went from the hotel to the Riverside School. While we met with the leaders, I watched out the window behind me from time to time. I saw two boys tussling with a box of pencils and wonder where the box came from and what it meant to them. I watched boy running behind a dump truck heading for the quarry, then caught on and hung off the back for a ride- I wondered if this was fun or if he was hoping for pocket money by helping to load it. I also shared a smile with a little girl standing in the doorway. She was standing in the doorway, in a nearly perfect first position (ballet) with her hands on her hips. She smiled at me and gave a small plie. It was a reminder that she could be one of my girls. I could teach her ballet steps and she would smile as she twirled. At the heart, we are created the same, created to dance.

The Riverside School provides informal education for children in the neighborhood to prepare them for formal schooling. It was previously funded by an outside group, now it is funded by the government, but that funding ends in April. It takes $500/month to continue the mission of the school, but they are not sure from where that will come after April. This $500 funds three staff, supplies, and lunch for the students. Some children bring younger siblings. These children are usually migrants. If not in a school setting, these children will work, filling trucks in the quarry. They can be lured by truck drivers into trafficking situations. Many parents in the neighborhood use alcohol and quarrel amongst themselves- children then run away and risk trafficking. At the Riverside School, children are educated on risks of trafficking, since the school is a collaborator with Shakti Samuha

We walked through the quarry as we left, trying not to get in the way of men carrying loads of sand and river stones by straps on their heads, trying not to gawk at people going about their jobs, their everyday work. These workers carried loads of 160 lbs., spent the days sorting rocks according to size, all for $1.00/day. Paul and I wondered why it’s not more mechanized in this era. We know it would simply deplete the riverbed, but in this day and age, the method of work we saw seemed primitive.

We went next to WSDO, where we saw women spinning, dyeing, weaving, and sewing. It was wonderful, but such a contrast to the quarry. Function versus dysfunction, fair versus unfair.

WSDO is a Fair Trade workplace for women who are disabled, abused, single mothers, previous trafficked, or other factors that make it difficult for them to find other work. There are currently 568 ladies working here, spinning, dyeing, weaving, or sewing. 80% of the work they create is sent internationally to be sold. Women here earn a fixed salary, which it based on the number of pieces they create. We found them very welcoming and were excited to watch them at work, weaving and sewing. (I admit we hadn’t had lunchtime and it was nearing supper-hour by that time, so we tried our best to enjoy ourselves even if we were slightly hangry by that point)

13 Jan 18
Saturday
Pokhara to Dhampus

This morning before we left the hotel, we had a lovely conversation with Razana, a hotel worker. She has worked in the hotel industry for eight years, but this hotel only thirteen days. She told us that her sister lives in Connecticut and is being adopted there. She is in college, but comes back to Nepal for service projects. Razana wants to visit her in the U.S., but is awaiting a visa. “I want to visit once in my life!” She told us that Americans are so nice, that when Germans and French come to the hotel, the workers are afraid to say “hi” to their guests. “But you, we have the same heart!”

I found it so refreshing that as I view with sadness, so many hateful posts on social media directed toward foreigners visiting and immigrating to the U.S., that this disdainful view has not made it to at least all the foreigners in the world. I am glad that to some at least, we are seen as kind and welcoming- let’s keep it that way.

Food we love here:
Mo mo!
Milk tea
Naan (though it’s not so common that everybody serves it)
Tibetan bread (explanation later)
Grilled tomato

Each time we arrive to a new place, we are greeted with “namaste” and colorful scarves. We have so many scarves!

This morning, we visited an emergency shelter home in Pokhara, which offers a home to girls under the age of 18. Here, girls stay anywhere from one day to six months and are those who are either without guardian care or have been removed from risky home situations. The six month time in the home makes it difficult for workers to effectively help and equip young women to face issues in their lives, so they are looking to change the facility to a long-term shelter.

The shelter, until recently, sent their girls to government schools. Now they send them to private schools after a harassment issue took place within the government schools.

The Nepalese government does have a branch to look after child welfare, but will use an organization such as Shakti Samuha to carry out the mission.

What percentage of these girls come here from domestic issues versus commercial?
Most here in this home are domestic. Domestic issues are a huge risk factor to push girls into the commercial sector and traffickers.

Is there a way to have the girls receive their education right here in the home?
If we had teachers, that would be wonderful!

This visit truly expanded my view on the mission and work of Shakti Samuha. Before our visit to this home, I suppose I was under the impression that Shakti mainly worked with women who had been formerly trafficked and raise awareness about the presence of trafficking. I wondered briefly what, if anything, they did to fight trafficking before it ever happened, and here was my answer. These were not girls who had necessarily been trafficked, but they were at risk of being trafficked in the future. And Shakti Samuha was working- in their amazing networking with so many other organizations and the government too- to help provide a better environment and lifestyle for these girls so they would never be pushed to seek foreign employment and find themselves trafficked. I am humbled and impressed by all they are able to do within this country.

Our second half of the day was devoted to getting to Dhampus, a mountain town from which we would be within spectacular view of the Annapurna mountain range. From what I gathered, our original plan was to get to the bus park and catch a bus up the mountain, which would drop those in our group who wanted to hike halfway up. However, we missed our bus. Sarala negotiated with some other drivers at the bus park- one who was driving a land rover/jeep vehicle. We had taken two such vehicles on our day trip to Sindupolchuk, so figured that would work- we had taken two for our group. Turns out, we were to take one this time! Our next half-hour was spent “sardining,” figuring the best way to fit our group of one dozen people into one vehicle- an adventure that literally “brings you closer together!”

Luckily, our sardine ride was not long and half our group was dropped off by the trail halfway up the mountain. Turns out the trail was more like a continuous set of stairs- I have a new respect for the power of gravity! The views, though……were breathtaking. And the view of the Annapurna mountain range when we reached the top was alone worth the entire trip!

We found our hotel at the top of the mountain and while we made ourselves at home, David & Sarala ordered our dinner. A group of us took a hike to the ridgeline while dinner cooked to watch the sunset over the mountains. We had a spectacular view of both sides: the sun shining on the Annapurnas on one, and the sun setting over the valley on the other.