I’ve been missing quite a few dance classes recently. Usually I’m at 1-2 hours of ATS classes on a Monday night and 2 hours of Bellydance on a Tuesday, with 5 hour workshops twice a month (Performance technique and teaching bellydance). It is important to me to get to my regular classes: I don’t go to a gym, and it’s my main source of exercise. It’s also how I cope with stress, and relieve the build up of stress-related tension in my muscles.
However, with all the film projects I’ve got going at the moment, and with how busy it has been at work, I keep missing my dang dance classes. It’s so frustrating!
About six weeks ago, I had one week where I took the Monday and Tuesday night off dance, because I was sick and run down. It was great to have a night off, and I knew I would be back at dance the next week. Then I was booked for a Production Meeting for one film that following Monday, and a Production Meeting for another on that following Tuesday. GRAR! It makes me feel that I can’t take a night off for being sick, as I might get booked for something else that conflicts.
Usually I say, nope, I’m booked, but these were important meetings.
I also find it hard to book to attend dance workshops or buy tickets for shows, because I know I might be booked for a film project. So I wait until closer to the time – and then the workshop will be more expensive or might be sold out.
I’m writing this after taking one night off ATS – again, after missing last week. Here are my excuses: I’ve just come of three 12-14 hour shoot days (last night I didn’t leave set till 11.40pm); shooting was cancelled today, I had the leave from work already, and I decided to stay and home and get over a cold. Granted I should have gone, but I’m sick, dammit!
So, apologies to my lovely dance teachers (Philippa and Shafeek) and fellow dance students that I haven’t seen you. Hopefully I’ll see you all soon. I’ve just booked to join the Thursday night classes with Farah Nasri, so I’ll be catching up and might see some of you there! 
… I should insert some reflective quote here about how hard it is to balance multiple things; or start a discussion on whether regularly scheduled anythings work with filmmakers because of preproduction and shooting schedules; or discuss the benefits to filmmakers of having a regular exercise programme … but it’s individual and hard and just what I do.
Have a great week full of dance and film and wonderful things people.
Busy Times 