DC Days

After visiting New York City last weekend, I found myself in Washington, D.C., for yet another dance conference. From Wednesday to Saturday, I attended the National College Dance Festival as part of the Institute for Journalism and Advocacy, a writing program focused on cultivating young dance critics in the ever-changing world of media, fake news, and biased reporting.

Working with Sarah Kaufman from The Washington Post, Chris Jones from The Chicago Tribune, and Ali Duffy from Texas Tech University, seven other writers and I watched four shows, interviewed dancers, and wrote four articles. Early morning deadlines and late nights pushed my writing skills to new heights.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to delve into my two favorite languages: English and Dance. These two happen to be my majors in college, and these past two weeks in NYC and then DC affirmed, yet again, what a blessing it is to do what I love.

Since I spent almost all of the last four days writing, I am now at a loss for words. Between having a backstage pass to the Kennedy Center and immersing myself in DC life while living as a journalist, I saw new critical opportunities for my future as a dancer.

I managed to get outside a little bit - DC is too beautiful to spend every day indoors. I ran to the Lincoln Memorial one morning in search of peace and quiet, which I found.

Blessed with a group of new dance-writing colleagues, we took the Metro to the National Portrait Gallery to see the paintings of dancers, as well as the portraits of the presidents. We left just in time to avoid the chaos as the Washington Capitals Hockey Team approached its Stanley Cup win.

                     

Over the past few days, I walked a lot, watched countless dancers, and wrote even more words. Look out for one of my pieces in the next few weeks - I will edit and share one or two of my favorite. In the meantime, here's a map of my adventures!