Villa

Wifi is going to be more spotty now that we moved to the villa. Today is dress rehearsal! And we're also going to work more on our duet/trio pieces which means the trio I'm in will be working in the hot sun in the afternoon! Sphera and Calder are pretty much done and Stephan says they're going to be really good. I wish I could post some pictures from my iPod to show what these sculptures look like! It's a lot of drilling counts and John king our composer is awesome. Also Italians walking by keep stopping and watching and telling us it's beautiful and clapping for us, some from their house windows. It's awesome to be in a place where the art is so openly appreciated. And Calder is right in front if the train station so we always have an audience. I can't believe it's already dress rehearsal! Also last night I found a bug that I think is a scorpion in our bathroom. It was exciting...? Out in the countryside and it's beautiful! Olive trees everywhere and mountains overlooking the city. Loving this villa view :)

A day in the sun

Last night was super fun & super delicious. Great food, fantastic wines (we WERE at a vineyard after all) and there was dancing and singing and I am officially a wine ambassador! Got a certificate to prove it :) the Italian countryside around spoleto is gorgeous too. Tiny towns surrounded by fields and vineyards with beautiful mountains in the background. Today I started the day with a 4o minute nosebleed so we were late to rehearsal. Oof. I'm okay though. Worked outside the duomo with Sharon and then had lunch. I've gotten super into eggplant here. Worked at the sphera and the Caldor after lunch until late, then had a chill dinner at the place we normally have lunch at near the hotel. Booked my hostel for Florence! Finally. I'll be there July 6-8. Then it's off to Naples & amalfi and Roma! Actually not super interested in Rome but I have to see some of the historic stuff I suppose. Super exhausted. Bedtime.

Spoleto (free day)

Today has been a free day. Slept in and walked around the aqueduct! (google it) wandered in some souvenir shops and got lunch. Now I'm sitting in a cafe! Super chill day. Such a fan. Spoleto is a cool town. Lots of narrow streets and a huge uphill. Gelato shops everywhere and intense sun every day. It's either gotten cooler or I'm just getting used to the heat. Most people speak at least limited English which is nice. Everything except restaurants shut down from like 1-4 for siesta! Plus it's hot then. Italians dress up and wear huge heels- even on these cobblestone streets! Spoleto is really pretty and I really love it here. I feel like after I leave I'll like other places but spoleto will hold a special place in my heart. Especially since I'm dancing at the sculptures near a park, across from the train station, and across from the duomo I feel like this place, in a weird way, kind of belongs to me. I love this :) also I have tab lines! Get ready Minnesota! I'll be kinda tan by then :)

Sunday!

Yesterday we didn't start until 11am. We basically finished both of the two dances. Yesterday at the sphera I really felt like it was a true stephan rehearsal because we added on the entire last part of the dance and the first time we ran it was when we were showing it! We ended early and had more time before dinner. There was a big game in Italy (verses England) and the bells were ringing like crazy and people were going through the streets singing the Italian national anthem, which is pretty cool. At dinner whenever there was a good part of the game we could hear shouting both within the restaurant and all around the city. It was sweet. Got nutella gelato after and went to bed. The wifi wasn't working in the hotel so that's why I didn't write anything last night.

Yesterday! (Saturday)

Got home at like 3:30sm last night. Yesterday we worked in the studio and at the sphera. We went to this talk about the sculptures, where we were supposed to hear the curator talk about our performances. That did not happen. Instead our awkward waiter from the night before kept coming up and talking to us. He pushed his mom too, which made the bad flirting even less okay. We went to the place that serves five courses - last night we had a ton of vegetables for our antipasti (necessary, I feel like all I eat is pasta, cheese, fancy meat, bread, and gelato) and then we had gnocchi (ong so delicious) and Italian sausage and cookies and wine. Then we went to the curators party! Which was so fun. Danced from midnight-3am with Stephan, the other dancers, and some Italians! It was the most fun night I've had in Italy as of yet :) also we've come up with a few dance moves, the most funny of which was Stephan's "jean-Luc" impersonation that was accidentily made up at rehearsal. Also I loved dancing with Adriana, one of the awesome women working with us from the Italian side. She's great! Well anyelis done showering which means its my turn! I'll write about today later tonight- leaving for dinner in an hour :)

Day 4 (again): Internet problems

So I typed the first one at 1am and was going to go to sleep once anyeli got home! Instead, we planned Venice. We're going July 4-6 and got a decently priced hotel room in the city. Had immense trouble booking my super economy train fare. Legit took like two hours to book and a lot of laughs ("Rachel, what if we're out late and were like, 'we gotta take our boat back'" oh so fun. Will be exhausted though. But mom, Venice is back on the list! I'm going! Then Florence, Naples, Pompeii, Rome, home! Gosh will be excruciatingly exhausted tomorrow.... Lots of espresso. Our coffee machine shows up that at the courtyard by far. Hotel breakfast! Also I've been eating the spoleto cake for breakfast. So cool!

Day 4: haven't sweat this much in a WHILE

Today was a really long day. We started in the studio, did a short photoshoot with the work we made yesterday, ate lunch. I had the strangozzi again, a spoleto type of pasta that is amazing. Then we went to work in the hot sun and I cannot tell you the last time I sweat that much. I felt like a frying pan - though surprisingly I only burned yesterday around the outline of my sports bra. Stephan was really testy today too. I was really missing Jeffrey today and his involvement with the last sk project. I also got gelato, again! Technically frozen yogurt but regardless it was amazing. Got ready for dinner (already repeating outfits..) and got dinner! Tonight I got hen and eggplant and rose and lemon sorbet, all of which were awesome. The worst part about dinner is tonight we ate from 9-midnight. I can't do that and dance all day and get up at 8:30 and be pleasant and awake. Not when it takes 20 minutes to walk home and getting ready for bed and everything. Also I have had zero free or alone time so far. Haven't had time to buy a journal yet and I left dinner early so I've been home almost a half hour by myself. I really like most everyone and especially my roommate but legit the most alone time since Tuesday. Spoleto is bumping right now though. Blaring club music out of gelaterias but the kids are just standing outside in walkways and the street. Bizarre. I really want a journal. Writing in my itouch takes forever!

Day 3 in a very short paragraph

It's 2am. And I'm getting up at 8:30 tomorrow so this will be brief. This morning we warmed up in the studio and headed to the big sculpture we were on yesterday to work. Six hours in the sun! On uneven pavement covered in gravel and a bit of worn-down glass. My body was covered in dirt and dust by the end of the day. We worked a lot on shapes and making our bodies contour to the angles of the statue as well as lyong and sitting on the pavement! Ate rabbit for lunch, which was interesting. Had salami and cheese and bread and wine and pasta and meat and candied almonds and limo cello at the restaurant. Priorities (according to Stephan, jokingly I think): food, us, then dance. Hah. The food we've had here has been fabulous. And so so much of it. Tonight was the smallest meal we've had at 3 courses? Yeah. Got gelato after which was amazing. One thing I don't like is that we eat so late! Lunch at 2, dinner at 9.... Not used to this. And I only got a little burned being in the sun all day today! OCD about my sunscreen :) and I know how to say 75 (my room number) now. SCORE

Day 2!!

Today was awesome. We started later since Stephan wanted to let us sleep in because of jet lag but we did a warm up in this beautiful studio and then started working. We worked a lot with lines today! Created phrases and all that. We took a break for lunch (I had veal) and then I had my first gelato(I got coconut. They also had nutella gelato and you'd best bet I'm going to be getting that sometime soon! We worked more and then went to one of the sculptures! It's cool. Working there tomorrow. We ate dinner at 9 (5 course meal!) and I had such an uncomfortable food baby after. Also I like the red wine here! Maybe it's because it's legit good and maybe I just don't like cheap red wine. Hung out with my roommate a bit and now were sitting on our balcony and now going to bed! I love everything here. Dancing, food, getting to know people, chatting with Stephan, seeing this beautiful small town. I only don't like how hot it is.,. It was 92 today! Seriously though, so far, this is bliss. :) We start at 9:30 tomorrow. Will be in the sun for a good part of the morn! Ready to heavily apply sunscreen and soak my clothes with sweat :)

Day 1

Today has been such a long day. Flew all day yesterday, then got to Rome! After a long detour in the airport ("follow the signs" my ass..) I found the train station and got to Roma termini. Wandered around the station for a while, then found a place nearby that had relatively cheap pizza, free wifi, and a bathroom I didn't have to pay for. Took the blosteringly hot train to spoleto (sweat through my shirt, I was actually dripping) and located my town. Spoletos pretty, small but big enough, historic, and bordered by mOuntsins! Got paired off for hotel rooms, my roommate is angeli and she's super nice. Went on a long walking tour of spoleto where we saw the sculptures we'll be dancing with. Ate delicious meats and cheeses and bread and olive oil and cake- some of which is regional to spoleto, and drank fancy wine. I was falling asleep and my contacts were bothering me too. These are going to be long days! It's like 100 degrees and sunny here. Did I mention my hotel room has a balcony with a beautiful view? :)