Postcard from The Florida Dance Festival

The Florida Dance Festival kicked off today, June 14, in Tampa, and will run through June 25. Dancer Priscilla Marrero piled into a car and headed for the west coast, in this case not to dance, but to stage manage an Inkub8 production. Artburst will be checking in with her throughout the festival. Stay tuned. Hello there fellow readers. Day one of the road trip to Tampa began with excitement and anxiety in my belly. My mom came into my room bright and early to give me some lovin’ before my trip. Always need a little lovin’ before a nice trip. Once my bags were packed, I gave a hug to Garfield (my cat), drank my café con leche, and headed out on the road to meet with my Inkub8 people. The road trip was sweet- — filled with delicious snacks and some adventurous conversation. I love to hear stories from native lands or detailed moments from another’s life. It’s fun to take a trip to Tampa from Miami, one I have taken many times, but more recently they have become more present and interesting. I came last summer for a work study for the Florida Dance Festival and had an awesome experience. This time, I am going with a different hat — as the stage manager for Vertical Sprawl, a piece choreographed by Heather Maloney and which will be performed by Elana Lanczi, John Beauregard, Carlota Pradera, and Maloney. They will be performing an excerpt of the piece on Wednesday night, and they called me to join them on the trip and help out with stuff. So happy I’m here. J Once we arrived to Tampa, it was time to work. We settled into our dorm rooms, prepared our belongings, and went right into rehearsal. I love the feeling of walking into a theater space — feels right at home. The curtains, the floor, it is a peaceful essence for me. I can feel it in my colleagues as well. Although pre-performance nerves are in the air, we know it is going to rock. Anyhow….. it is time to go rest. Waking up early for modern class. Thank you for reading. Buenas noches! Photo from the Dance Associations’s Winterfest: Kate Weare Company