After four months in Central America I'm finally back in the states! After flying into Cincinnati May 2nd I continued to do some research online - studying different professional dance videos, researching salsa opportunities in North Carolina, listening to possible music choices for choreography, etc.

After a week in my hometown, I packed up my car and moved to Manteo, North Carolina. I am a dancer ensemble member in The Lost Colony, the longest running outdoor drama in the United States. Rehearsal week, starting May 9th, was intense. We rehearsed and worked from 9 AM until 11 PM everyday of the week, with only an hour or two for lunch and dinner. We did whatever it took to get the show up and running. We worked on dance technique, learned choreography, constructed props, and even mulched to make the theatre beautiful for our audiences! It was exhausting, but wonderful at the same time. I now have a family that extends back 73 years and will continue on into the future. We put together an amazing show in 3 short weeks and I'm very proud of the work we've done.

Now that the show is up, we have dance class twice a week from 9 AM - 12 PM and dance warm-up for 45 minutes before each show. One great thing about these classes is that the are open for other dances to teach if they wish to. This is perfect for our cast because our dancers' background are so varied. Jen is a certified pilates instructor, Ford is great at tap, Carlos is Puerto Rican and a salsa instructor, Elizabeth is a ballroom dancer, and the list goes on. Carlos and Elizabeth are my most important resources. We are going to start private salsa lessons/social dancing in the rehearsal space and I can't wait! I'm especially excited because Elizabeth and Carlos' styles are so different. It's going to be great experience!