So the night before this rehearsal I had gotten an email about helping some of the people in the club to fold sweatshirts before the rehearsal at 8 am, which meant I would have had to come at 7 am to help fold. I had truly intended on going, but I had been social the night before (gasp!) until late so I couldn't bring myself to go that early for something that wasn't required. I arrive at the CAW rehearsal and up comes Grant Mecham (soon to be Granton) and tells me that I made SPAC. I think I screamed, and hugged him and Sam Alva because they were next to me and they'd made it too. It was then that I realized that the only people who got the email about helping to fold sweatshirts were people who made SPAC. Not the best choice guys...who want to get up that early on a Saturday morning?
Now, for a good description of what SPAC is, and for a description of the SPAC tour, I will direct you to this post, earlier in my blogging career. But very useful becuase it was written at the time instead of years after the fact, creating more historical validity. You know, primary documents and such (remember, history nerd?).
That semester of folk dance was wonderful. I remember our first meeting, looking at these people and feeling thoroughly uncomfortable, not knowing who the heck they were. The only person I really knew was Kayleen Palmer because I had had modern marathon with her. We made lots of goals in that first meeting, physical goals, spiritual goals, dance goals, it was awesome!
Once we got to the actual dancing we learned Hopak and I became tight with Ari because we were always across from each other, being the shorties of the group. I also tried some crazy lifts and began my cheremosh lift reign.
After two weeks of Hopak (and some intense training, I remember a lot of ballet in those first days) we were sorted into two teams. 9 couple and 7 couple. I was put on 9 couple and this is the group I got closest to during the semester because we learned all the same dances. The whole semester I was totally stoked because I wasn't put as an "alternate" in any dance, which made me feel like I was super cool and talented. But really that just meant that halfway through SPAC tour I was dead and desperately wanted a break every now and then.
9 couple also got an awesome opportunity to go to Indiana that year to dance at a...convention. I can't remember what it was for the life of me. The acronym was very long. Or maybe it was short. Anyway. Only 8 of the couples could go for some reason, and when Delynne announced it I remember Tanner Jackson turning to me and mouthing to me "We're going.". You see, Tanner and I were always partners, being the shorties. I love that boy.
In Indiana I roomed with Brittney Leavitt and bonded with her for a few reasons. 1. We were up for nearly 24 hours so we were loopy. 2. She was sick and on cold medications so she was REALLY loopy. Especially fun because otherwise Brittney is a pretty quiet and reserved person, especially at first. But not only did we get to talk, I'm pretty sure I even heard about Jesse (her boyfriend) that night. And three years later I was about the first (and nearly the only) folk dancer to ever meet him.
In Indiana we performed our Chinese Spinning Star dance
And together we did Bollywood...(always a crowd pleaser)
And Troika (from Russia)
Oh and Delynne in the race car! We can't forget that beauty from the NASCAR Museum. Like Claire said "I like it because it's a little bit white trash."
Once we got on tour, I was roommates with Jessica Philbrick (now Shepherd), Kelsey Moss, and Talia Klein. Talia and Kelsey were both on 7 couple so I didn't know them as well. But I was pretty intimidated by Kelsey because she is tall and gorgeous and loud and funny and I didn't know her well. And now? Well let's just say this homeless week she was the first one to offer her apartment. We're bests. And Jessica? Um yeah, I got to know her well. She would sing to me every morning as I braided her hair and ate my oatmeal (even though I hated that oatmeal every morning). She's a master at making up different lyrics to well-known songs. And Talia was always so fun and I still love seeing her around on campus.
Some joy moments in that apartment. I braided every single one of my roomies every morning before we even got to the vans. Yeah, I know right? I'm so charitable. But every time there was a bad braid it was probably because I had forgotten to pray, or because I had gotten prideful from the previous braid. One time I even braided Kelsey's braid entirely on one side of her head. Oops. And Talia's hair is officially the slipperiest hair in the world. Hard to make fake hair stay in her silky dreads. Also, we had a Super Nintendo in that apartment, courtesy of Jessica, and dear little Granton would come over and just play the thing into oblivion. Hilarious.
I was on activities committee. ...? Clearly Delynne didn't understand my un-social-ness. I almost learned to swim (seriously Briant...that was the closest I ever got to committing to learn to swim but the weather on SPAC was so blasted terrible). I learned to french braid (and with fake hair no less).
I'm leaving a million things out. If only I could write forever. But alas, it's dinnertime and if I don't play with my nieces and nephews a little bit I think they will throw a coup. You should be glad I got this far with them all up in my grill for the last hour.
At ease.
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