Robert Richmond, my mentor, came back to Manteo, NC to watch the summer stock show I'm in and give his directing notes. While he was here, he and I had a meeting to discuss what work I've accomplished this far and where to go from here. He said the biggest thing I needed to do was to set a date, gather a staff together, finish my choreography (because when the school year picks up I won't have time to be creative anymore ha ha), and finally, come up with a theme. We brainstormed for quite awhile. We talked about how The Barrio Planta Project works to expose kids to art, how it's a rooftop event, what's being showcased, and why it's being performed. At first we considered having me being a "story teller" of sorts - kind of an Alice in Wonderland. I would perform a small section of each piece with the dancers to get it moving, then step back and let it show how this style or particular piece is a part of my journey as a dancer and person as a whole. I liked this idea a lot, but I also felt like it might go over a bunch of people's heads. I want my showcase to be accessible. Also, I plan on a large part of my target market being rich business people. I feel this market wants to be entertained and have an excuse to socialize and dress up. So, we finally came up with the idea of "A Night of Fine Arts and Fresh Air." I already have dance, singing and photography incorporated in the showcase, and now we are going to look into local jewelry makers, potters, or other fine arts to incorporate. This theme is creative but also general enough to allow for a lot of leeway.

We also came up with a staff list - Adrienne Lee, Jane Hearn, Mark Whitesides, Daniel Bumgardner, Mary Tilden, and Lauren Koch. All these people are very dedicated USC theatre students. They work work hard and love being involved in any thing to do with the arts. I will need them for the Saturday of the show to set up, take tickets, usher, and break down the party afterwards. I have facebooked them to see if they are interested and I am awaiting their response.

We also set a date for the showcase - March 5th! I'm so excited. This really cements my idea. Now I can truly know if UNBOUND Dance Company and Vibrations Dance Company will be able to participate. Both Susan and Caroline from UNBOUND seem very excited. They said if they can't send a group number, they will definitely send at least one soloist. I can't wait!