Put a fork in me.

Dear lovely online blog follower people, 

I realize that I haven't posted in a decade or so but I thought we could just glide right over that teeny detail and focus on the fact that I, Sidonie A. Smith, have just completed the most difficult, strenuous, unlikely - and let's just say it- expensive semester of my life. 

i did it:). You might ask yourself why someone with a spelling/grammar OCD as severe as mine would begin a paragraph with a lowercase "i". I'll tell you. There is nothing like moving across the world in a matter of weeks and taking on an incredibly mentally/physically intense program in a foreign language to confirm to me how HUGE God is... and how itty bitty "i" am.  All praise, glory and honor to my Father who makes all things possible. 

Here are some pics from the end of the semester. I've learned a lot:).

This is my jazz exam. I'm the one on the front row with the blue shirt and brown skin:).

Part of my duet for my jazz dance exam

More jazz

jazzjazzjazz

Singing "Mädchen Der Nacht" from Jekyll and Hyde in the Open House presentation.

________________________

DIE PRÜFUNGEN!! (the exams)

The exams were are all public and well attended by students (former and current), faculty and staff. We were judged by the program director, faculty department heads as well as by the casting directors of Stage Entertainment. Not at all intimidating;). 

So, here's what we did...

VOICE:

*Ensemble Singing- two short songs sung in groups of four. One person per vocal part. One of the songs had to be self choreographed. Went well!

*Music theory- super fun as usual - I heart this stuff!

*Sightsinging- Exactly that. You're given unknown music and you sing it. I love this stuff so they make it less pleasant for me. After I sing the music that's written THEN I have to sing the same music again except with some key variation like harmonic minor or one of the church modes or something evil like that:). 

*Voice exam- first semester students are only required to perform two pieces. Both classical. One in German, one in English.

DANCE:

*Ballet- Barre work, Center floor work, Across the floor stuff and then...

 one unknown combination that a teacher shows you and then you pick up/perform as quickly as possible.

*Jazz- Center floor work, Lots of across the floor stuff, A really cool combination that started with a short scene (in German, of course), and then an unknown combination taught by an unknown lady reeeally quickly.

*Tap- My favorite! A billion variations of time steps (including ones that I had never heard of until I moved here), a bunch of across the floor stuff, some pullback improvisatory stuff and a couple cool combinations. And then an unknown combination taught by one of the other tap teachers. 

One would think I would be used to the whole surprise combination thing, except this particular teacher doesn't wear shoes. That's right. At my exam I had to learn and perform a tap combination taught to me by a woman wearing socks. It went reasonably well.

ACTING:

Three two-person scenes in German. And then a huge sigh of relief!

_______________________

The results are in! It all went well. I have been promoted to the next level in all my dance classes and got some unprecedentedly high scores for a student in the first semester. But, most importantly I am off of school for the next full month. Yessssss. Or should I say, "Jaaaaaaaa."

Love you guys. Thanks for praying.