I got sick frrrom the turrrbulence just outside of Tokyo.  Miss Chrrristine is so kind she held my mane out of the way.   The trrrip was unbelievable but I can't wait to be back in Chicago.

Miss Jessica kept me safe in the Busan airrrporrrt.  I was nerrrvous to fly again.  

Closing Show

Worrrds can not exprrress how wonderful the company perrrforrrmed tonight. They closed the final perrrforrrmance and then went right to the closing cerrremonies. The company was honorrred with a prrroclamation from the Mayor of Busan and they got a great ovation from the crowd. Here are some photos.

Jazz Class #2

Today, Miss Mollie taught the Korrrean students another Jazz class. They were very imprrressed with how long she has been dancing (she started when she was 4 yearrrs old). They also loved her flexibility and jumping!

Monday Evening Perrrforrrmance

Well. After a very beautiful, but humid, day the weather in Busan got very strrrange. A cold front swept in and brought with it a verrry fine mist. The stage was verrry wet. The festival staff had to keep mopping the floor of the stage to dry to keep it dry. It was verrry dangerrrous and got worse as the night got later. Thodos was the next to last perrrformance and the women were perrrforming Hopelandic which went very well. The the men were perforrrming Departurepoint by Ron De Jesus. The dancers were slipping quite a bit and had to limit some of the movement. But the audience recognized how hard they were working and trying not to fall down and gave them the best applause of the evening.

This photo shows some morrre of the wonderful staff of volunteers that help run the festival.

Teaching the Korrrean youth American Jazz

Mr. Wade taught 20 students today a class of American Jazz at the Haewoondae Cultural Center in Busan. He did a rrreally good job. He taught using music by Beyonce and many other popular Amerrrican singers which the student liked very much. Today Mr. Wade had a different interrrpreter to translate English into Korrrean. Her name was Bo-Hee Kim.

Afterrr the show, we had rrrehearsal forrr the following day.  Brrrady and I took a quick nap in the drrressing rrroom.  Even tigerrrs need theirrr beauty sleep.

Opening Night

How Exciting!

After the big parrty all the guests walked across the street from the hotel to the outdoorrr stage. It was really cool. They had a big youth orchestrrra playing lots of different kinds of music. Then there were big fireworrks. And then the perrrforrrmance started.

It takes a long time for the dancers to put make up on and for the women to get their hair ready. Lots of make up is required since the audience is a bit farther away from the stage than if we were inside. The Company perrrforrrmed Hopelandic by Kellie Hodges and Driven by Melissa Thodos.

The audience like the perrrforrrmance very much.

Showtime!

Miss Danielle helped me get into make-up beforrre the show.  Ourrr drrressing rrroom was on the beach next to dance companies frrrom Austrrralia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Chile.  All the dancerrrs herrre arrre so frrriendly and talented.  We've made frrriends with everyone!