The Show Musn’t Go On

St. Louis was hit on Thursday with a massive snow storm.

Well, not really. We got a few inches which means all the crazies come out on the road. We’d get more snow flurries during your average day in October at Interlochen. This Snow Queen is unimpressed.

Blast from the Past- Interlochen on a rare warm day- Jess, Michela, and Audrey

I am however, pretty bummed with the timing since Thursday was the day that my company was going to start rehearsal for a piece of wonderful repertoire. Also, remember that whole ‘dancers with pilates balls’ thing? Supposed to be on Thursday. So the good news is, you didn’t miss your chance to see it! It will be the same time, same place, just the following week.

Hold it Right There! -dancers in rehearsal

At least I thought I’d be able to teach my regular classes on Thursday but schools were closed so I holed myself up like your ordinary hermit and had myself a little snow day- sans ‘The Shining’ cabin fever. Therrrrrre’s Jess-ie! because I enjoy being stuck inside and forced to work on watercolors, play my piano, read, and gather bits of youtube inspiration for the time of emergence from my ice-covered cave.Here’s my snow day in a nutcracker-shell (or pictures).

There’s a surprise inside! Beatrix Potter mug (from childhood) Mug shots cat mug- a gift from my brother about ten years ago, and Hidden Animals Hippo mug plus Blueberry Green Tea from the Republic of Tea (I strongly recommend it!)

I also did what any sane person would do and caught up on season 10 of Project Runway. Remind me to never wear a leather vest, as it seems to be the go-to item for designers aiming for ‘country/ rock n’ roll’ look. But this is of course coming from someone who went to incredible Celebration Day Led Zeppelin tribute at the Pageant last night- and I wore heels (in the snow) and a onesie. Then I wore it to bed. I think they need to skip these boring day to night looks and work on some night to sleepwear looks. My favorite moment came early on in the episode when they were picking teammates and guess what! One of these uber-fashionable designers was wearing the SAME sweater as me! Too bad it was a man. And he went home that episode.

During my freshmen year of college, there was a giant hail storm in Indiana, specifically during the dance department’s production of Swan lake. I remember looking out of my dorm window and thinking, ‘oh good! They’ll probably cancel the show!’ And it wasn’t. That was a fun walk across campus to the theatre. Why does it seem like the elements always attempt to cause trouble during ‘events’ and then the wrong things get cancelled or postponed while the stuff you’d rather skip out on and stay in bed carry forth like a pure white parade of nuisance, piling up under my tires and freezing on my stairs? At least the jess-made pile of laundry doesn’t seem so out of my control anymore. Perspective.

I would love to see how the most famous and serious of dancers spend an enforced snow day. Which zealot of stretching would forgo the hamstring burn to bake cookies, who would emerge from the tangled web of the theraband to grab a sled, and who would just choose to sleep through the day? Maybe add in to my ideal dream snow day, snuggling on the couch with my cat and someone surely snow-day fun like Svetlana Zhakarova- drinking hot chocolate and offering up our opinions on Project Runway or this amazing Vaganova class. Yes, this is also how I spent part of my snow day. I just think the sun shines out of these little ballerina stars. If only I could project their perfect images across the frozen tundra that is my parking lot and melt the clumps of dirty snow and everyone’s hearts at once, Then I’d truly be the Snow Queen.

Hope to see you on Thursday when the show, rain or shine, will go on! Enjoy the rest of the weekend- I’m off to Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet tonight and Carmina Burana tomorrow. They’d better deliver since I had to miss out on Book of Mormon at the Fox with my beloved Gavin Creel. Reviews to come. Stay safe and warm!- xo Jess

Watch the beginning of the episode and you’ll see this sweater..on a guy.