From one side of the arts to the other

Once a dancer, always a dancer....at least that's what some people say.  I think my body would beg to differ at this point, but that's okay.  From the age of 4 to the age of 29, I danced. At first it was at the Park District, then on to a private studio, followed by many years at Salt Creek Ballet, Lou Conte Dance Studio and finally to being a founding member of the Cerqua-Rivera Art Experience. During high school, I danced about 20 hours per week.  I taught the Advanced Jazz classes at SCB for a couple of years and sat on the Board of Directors for about 10 years.  And, at the ripe old age of 29, I hung up my dancing shoes.  However, the love of the art form has never left me.

And now, instead of dancing myself, I love to be on the other side of the equation, capturing both dance and theater through my lens.  It's been a perfect way to stay connected to the arts in a totally different way. I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've had to capture these moments on stage and for the artists and companies who have trusted me to do just that.

During my time at Salt Creek Ballet, it was a joy to capture moments during adjudications as well as some moments on stage:

Additionally, I've been thrilled to get to photograph some beautifully talented dancers and actors.

I'm excited to see what's next!

A Ninja in the Making

This past Saturday, Maggie said she had just had one of the best days of her entire life!  And, she meant it. And I agree.  If you've seen my girl on FB or IG, you know she's a fierce little rock climber.  Her strength never ceases to amaze me.  

That strength served her well on Saturday, when she attended her first Junior Ninja Warrior camp. It was held in Chicago at the Junior Ninja Warrior gym.  Lots of the big name Ninja competitors were there, leading the kids through the obstacles and giving them guidance and advice.  To finish out the day, they did a little bit of an exhibition competition.  I can't tell you how fantastic all of the Ninjas were with the kids.  And, as an added bonus, by the end of the day, all of the Ninjas knew Maggie as the rock climber.  I'll let the photos do (most of) the talking.  Can't wait for next year to do this again. Check it out below!

First the American Ninja Warrior, Tower of Power, Dan Polizzi does it....and then Maggie does it.  

After Dan Polizzi saw her do some of the obstacles with ease, he told her to go talk to Tyler Yamauchi and tell him she wanted to do the challenge..it's coming up later.

After Grant McCartney watched her on the rings, he stopped and said, "Look at you making this look easy. What's your name? What other sports do you do?" That's when she informed him she was a rock climber and it all began to make sense.  (note the microphone by her face).

First she did the devil steps, one at a time.  When Ethan Swanson saw her do this with no problems, he suggested she try it on only the black steps. And yep, she did that too.  It challenged her more but she got it done!

High Fives from Ethan Swanson

Jamie Rahn keeping an eye on her.

We found out this warped wall is 12 feet tall.  Two tries - both successful!   The taller part is 14.5 feet.  With some practice, we think she could do that too!

After the Ninjas worked with all the kids at each station, they did some exhibition runs for us.  They had fun and it's clear they all have a great time together!

Somehow, Kevin and I missed seeing her do the challenge I mentioned earlier.  No idea how that happened.  However, the challenge was to do the devil steps - which she did - TWICE - without putting her feet down once. That earned her a free Tyler Yamauchi t-shirt which she then had every American Ninja Warrior sign on the back. (It's the orange shirt in her hands below in some of the photos). As she walked around for signatures, they almost all said "Oh, you have a muscle ball shirt.  Are you the rock climber they keep talking about?"  So. Much. Fun.  And, of course, I took a photo of her with each one!

Jacob is one of Maggie's rock climbing coaches.  He trains with some of the Ninjas and was helping out at the camp that day.  I have no doubts we'll see him on one of the shows in the near future!

So proud of my girl and thrilled for her amazing day!