One of the very bestest parts of working with children is listening to the things they say.
Kids will often approach me in the middle of class to discuss the most random subjects. Other conversations happen amongst themselves while they are stretching or changing shoes.
From the dance floor:
K, age 6: “Ms. Bing, a long long long time ago black people and white people had to pee in different bathrooms. Then Martin Luther King came in and saved everyone. Now we can all pee together.”
Me: “Well, that was very nice of him.”
L, age 5: “Ms Bing! Ms. Bing! My mommy is pregnant and her boobies are HUGE!!!!!!
P, age 5: “Can you believe it? Some people smoke. Don’t they know smoke is expensive?
L, age 4: “How exactly old are you Ms. Bing?”
M, age 4: “She is 76.”
A, age 4: “nuh uh, she is only 82″
L: “Well are you 82 Ms. Bing?”
Me: “Well, what do you think?”
L: “Nah, I think you are older than 82.”
M, age 11: [pointing to a Dirty Dancing movie poster I have up in the studio] “What is that from Ms. Bing? Is that you?”
Me: “No dear, I surely wish. Patrick Swayze is a hottie! It’s from one of my favorite movies.”
M: “Oh, when did that movie come out?”
Me: “Sometime in the eighties… I think I was four the first time I saw it.”
M: [looking thoughtful] “Hmmmm… the Eighties… isn’t that when people wore ugly pants and Madonna sang in her underwear?”
M, age 6: “I saw a movie this weekend where a man wore a dress and had fake boobies. They were waaay bigger than Ms. Bing’s! I think it is so silly for boys to wear girls clothes. They should probably go to jail.”
K, age 6: “Yeah, except then my mommy would not have a hair cutter. There is a guy who cuts Mommy’s hair who wears lipstick and high heels.”
E, age 6: “Ms. Bing… does Mr. Bing know how to dance?”
S, age 7: “Ms. Bing, when I get big I am going to come and live here at the dance studio with you.”
Sigh.
I love my job.
Off to glue eleventy-billion swarovski crystal stones on about 50 leotards,
Bing
Filed under: photography
Ahhh… I think I am in love with shooting baby bumps! So weird and amazing and beautiful they are!
These two people are going to have the coolest little boy. If he is anything like his mom and dad, he’ll be fun loving, adventurous, hilarious, and full of the joy of life.
He’ll be a good hula hooper too!
My awesome BFF Angie hung out with us for afternoon and had the great suggestion for the next photo:
Off to dreamland,
Bing
Filed under: Uncategorized
My best friend, Angie Hayes, has been doing a project called “The Little Things”. (check out her blog here: http://angiehayesphotography.blogspot.com )
She inspired me to take photos of my own little treasures.
I have always been a keeper of random objects. Although, in general, I live a pretty minimalistic lifestyle. Never been much of a shopper, or a buyer. Never been really emotionally attached to my belongings.
In truth, there are only a few objects I own that I would be sad if I lost:
- my camera (but of course)
- the shirt my husband was wearing when he kissed me for the first time (back when he was my 15 year old boyfriend and riding our bikes together all summer were the best dates)
- my mom’s veil from her wedding to my dad… I also wore it when I married The Doc
- the blanket that my great grandma knitted and placed in my crib before I was born (I still sleep with it almost every night… someone once suggested that I could pass it on to my first born for his/her crib… but I am not sharing my blanket with no stinkin’ baby!)
- my promise ring and wedding ring
- letters and cards from my mom and my G.G. … they both know how to write love
- photographs that have no negatives (film or otherwise)
- love letters exchanged from The Doc and mine’s 9 year courtship
- the box that I’ve kept random but meaningful trinkets in since I was a child
Isn’t it amazing, the things a child will stop to consider… and assign them to a person they love?
I love how they will (sometimes proudly, sometimes shyly) present their curious little finds to me.
I am proud to be the keeper of their peculiar wonderings.
Here are some of of the ways I am loved by my sweet ballerinas:
Off to spread some sunshine!
Bing
Filed under: Uncategorized
Everything about the way I think about my dancing and my dance school is changing.
I am still planing to train their bodies in ballet
(to a point… and that point is not perfection…)
but I don’t want to train their spirits.
The dance world I grew up in… it was about image, not imagination.
It’s all about how perfect one is… and there is no freedom in that.
I want my dancers to fly. Confident. Joyful. Wings shaped only by their hard work and love for just moving.
Through space, through time. Through age barriers and aching hearts. In celebration of imagination and imperfections.
Breathe, move, inspire, love, speak, do, fly.
Dance.
Bing
A not so secret secret of mine…
I find time nearly every single day to completely let my hair down and just rock it out.
My friend Aaron understands my brand of crazy… and often rocks out with me.
We got bored last Friday night…. and Bings and Boredom have absolutely nuthin’ in common.
So, we worked on one of my latest projects… and afterwards rocked it out of course.
Some my all time favorite rock it out music:
Time to Start by Blue Man Group
The Middle by Jimmy Eat World
Leeds United and Guitar Hero by Amanda Palmer
(quite ironically) I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ by Scissor Sisters
Hey Ya by Outkast
We Go Together by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John
Are You Gonna Be My Girl by JET
Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin
The Rockafeller Skank by Fat Boy Slim
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants
We Rock You by Queen
Boogie Shoes by KC and The Sunshine Band
Walk This Way by Aerosmith
The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything by Reliant K
A challenge to you all… find some time to rock it out for yourself… rockin’ out is like making out with a really hot person (in my case the The Doc)….. even just a few seconds of it gets your heart rate up and puts a smile on your face for the whole day!
for that matter… find some time to make out everyday too……
hmmm I think I am on to something here… rocking out and making out… the new anti-depression medication!
Off to dreamland,
Bing
