Beautiful Melbourne

We are in Melbourne now finish up this tour. Last night was opening night and it was packed! I could feel the energy of the audience from behind the curtain before the show. There was an amazing presence both on the dancers' part as well as from the community in support of our performance. You could almost touch the connection there - of their curiosity and our willingness to do our best. All of us were nervous because Rebecca Hilton was in the audience. She is one of the icons in the Petronio "former dancer group". In fact in the seven years we danced together in the Petronio Company she taught me so much, not just about dancing but also about how to communicate, laugh at myself and humility. After the show the dancers felt relieved to meet her having heard only stories about how awesome she is. We had a great time reminiscing and talking with Stephen about the good old days.

Melbourne is an amazing city. It feels more like a European capital than many European cities. I think the quality of life here is pretty great especially since they are surrounded by art, great food and wine. What else could one want? There are enclaves of many diverse cultures represented in all the neighborhoods. There is an Italian quarter, Chinatown and the largest Greek community outside of Greece. Needless to say, eating well has not been a problem. And, the coffee is always great - a testament to a city's good taste - especially when on tour.

Since the festival is going on, there is quite a buzz of artists and locals ready to be challenged and wanting to see good work. It's a really well organized festival with free events in the square, in train stations and in all the major theaters. We were fortunate enough to see this South African theater company's (Amajuba) production of "Like Doves We Rise". What an amazing show! I think many of us were in tears throughout the evening. It is a simple production with five actors who sing and talk about their lives coming from a country with a diverse culture and a damaged history. These testimonials touched on family, abandonment, apartheid and all the complexity that makes up a country's strength, courage and resilience. It was a beautiful production!

Next door to us is Philip Glass doing a solo piano concert, his "Orion", Theatre du Soleil, and many more. It is a vibrant scene down here. I wish you all could see and feel it. I feel so lucky to be a part of it and so honored to be ending my touring days on such a distinctive platform. Wow!