The silence between the notes

As you've probably heard by now, I've been preparing for an exciting fundraiser for the Spokane Christian Youth Theatre: Dancing with the Celebrities!  I'll be performing tomorrow, April 25th at 7PM at the Bing Theatre with my celebrity partner, the uber-entertaining reporter Casey Lund.  Casey and I have taken on some fun challenges in our mashup of a routine: Salsa, aerobics, kick, swing, hip hop, partner stunts, and plenty of comedy!  You're welcome to check out our promo video for a sneak peek.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMPiNpptaRg     But in addition to practicing our skills for a solid performance, we're also hoping to help raise funds for Spokane's CYT.  The couple who raises the most money will be announced as the WINNER of the competition, so any little bit you can give will help the theatre AND help US! Even if you can't join us tomorrow night, you're still welcome to donate to us on-line: Just be sure to select our n...

Have you heard the saying, "like a fish out of water"? It could easily be re-cast as "like a teacher out of his classroom." Even the most confident teacher seems to wither a bit when faced with speaking or performing in front of other professionals rather than their students. So it would't have surprised me at all if the teachers at the Arts Impact summer institutes were awkward, uncomfortable, or rebellious.  But they weren't!  In all three institutes, I was not only impressed by the perseverance and open-mindedness of these teachers, I was encouraged . It can be hard enough to adapt to new ways of teaching, then to expose your own vulnerability by participating in dance, theatre, and visual arts, and finally to create a group performance piece with a dozen other teachers that you hardly know?  This seems like an impossible challenge.  Yet time after time, I saw skilled and dedicated teachers rise to that challenge.  Mind you, before these institutes, ...