http://www.juliaaplin.com/index.htmlHot News!en2016-06-11T20:34:41-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Fri, 3 Oct 2014 09:44:33 -0400Blog 2016-06-11T20:34:41-04:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/969dbaa0fd750ced200392653a50c114-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/969dbaa0fd750ced200392653a50c114-8.html#unique-entry-id-8Wednesday May 11, 2016
I learned that I have not written about what I learned in a long time.

Thursday may 12, 2016
I learned that if you are making a blind fold that is intended to make a performer look like Oedipus Rex with the bloody eyes on a white rag, you should not leave it lying around the kitchen. It will horrify your child.
]]>Blog 2015-09-19T11:19:40-04:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/05453589efc430f5b97563fa348b19e9-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/05453589efc430f5b97563fa348b19e9-7.html#unique-entry-id-7March 22, 2015
I learned that putting your ideas down on paper can make people take your words more seriously than if you had just said them.

March 23, 2015
I learned that when working on a computer you can never predict how long something will take. A simple, 10 minute estimation on a small job can take over an hour. Tea gets cold in over an hour.

April 2, 2015
I learned that helium balloons can last over a week, but only if you buy the good ones. The cheap ones fail after 1 day. The lesson…Cheaping out is more expensive if you want your balloons to last.

April 3, 2015
I learned that making a “simple” elastic band helicopter out of straws and paper clips is really not so “simple”. After spending way too many hours experimenting, my helicopter still barely does more than fall to the ground. But mostly I learned it is fun to try.


Sunday April 14, 2015
I learned that your body can get on a plane and go somewhere far away but it takes time for your consciousness to catch up. Am I really in Halifax?

Monday April 15
Hailing from Halifax while rehearsal directing with Mocean Dance. Title of the dance work… Sable Island. I learned Sable Island is a rare, fierce, ever changing, slightly scarey, beautiful, ever-resilient entity. As are the incredible dancers and the incomparable Serge.


Tuesday, April 16, 2015
I learned that when you meet new people, in an attempt to understand them it is easy to categorize them as this or that but the more you get to know them the more you realize that people, individual people, go way beyond any category you can give them.


Tuesday July 28, 2015
I learned that an issue that is bugging you can be turned over and over in your mind for many sleepless hours. Vanilla pudding is no help.

Wednesday July 29, 2015
I learned that if a stranger yells at my daughter I turn into a raging fury of tiger–ness and lose all my polite upbringing.

]]>Blog 2014-12-09T22:15:38-05:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/9b16b8831e1264119b100b43e3089aa3-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/9b16b8831e1264119b100b43e3089aa3-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Wednesday November 26, 2014
I am learning that self preservation is an obstacle to peace.

Saturday November 29, 2014
I learned that no matter how tired or stressed you are you should always look where you are going, or else you might trip on a pile of sticks and mess up your ankle.

Sunday November 30, 2014
I learned that during a 10 second complete black out before the emergency lights go on, an orchestra of young wind players can keep going without dropping a beat.
Tuesday December 2
A sprained ankle can turn an alarming shade of blue mixed with yellow and green.

Friday December 4, 2014
I learned that no matter how low energy, end-of-the-weekish you feel an evening project meeting can be amazingly inspiring and fun and make you forget all about being tired.

Saturday December 5, 2014
I learned that contemplating the “road not taken” when you are tired, hungry and your house is a mess and the dinner needs to be made and your partner is out of town, is a recipe for emotional turmoil.

Sunday December 6, 2014
I learned that an ankle can take longer than a week to be fully functional after a sprain.

Monday December 7, 2014
Sometimes so many things can happen on a Monday that you think it must be at least Wednesday by now.

Tuesday December 8, 2014
I learned that when you truly see how brave, grounded and willing a group of young actors can be, it can take your breath away and leave you with tears in your eyes.
]]>Blog 2014-11-22T17:37:48-05:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/de4a08e6beeb0f826bee382c7f11c964-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/de4a08e6beeb0f826bee382c7f11c964-4.html#unique-entry-id-4Friday November 21, 2014
Today I learned that it is possible to feel like you are in the middle of nowhere in downtown Toronto. I admit getting a coffee is a challenge, but I love working at Fort York.

Saturday November 22, 2014
If you sit alone in the blue barracks at Fort York, you too will learn there is more than one ghost there. They are friendly-ish.


Tuesday November 25, 2014
At Fort York they give fake guns to school children and have them pretend to shoot people. We see this outside the window while we are in the Blue Barracks studio working on “the Art of Peace” project.

]]>Blog 2014-11-18T14:45:13-05:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/6a27f486f0412f84f87f423a85613428-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/6a27f486f0412f84f87f423a85613428-3.html#unique-entry-id-3Sunday November 15, 2014
I learned that the combination of snow and the Santa Claus parade creates two contrasting feelings, one of cozy happy Winterness and one of panic that I should get the Christmas shopping done. Advertising works.

Monday November 16, 2014
From watching the last leaf on the tree outside my window tenuously hold on for so long in the cold winter breeze, I learned that sometimes you just have to let go.

Tuesday November 17, 2014
Today I learned that the shadow patterns of trees are just as beautiful without leaves.

]]>Blog 2014-11-01T17:37:35-04:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/65fec60a7c583cc0795dc72a006927d7-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/65fec60a7c583cc0795dc72a006927d7-2.html#unique-entry-id-2Saturday November 1, 2014
A Tap Tip learned from the amazing, resourceful teaching team at the Swansea School of Dance;
If your daughter’s two-week-old tap shoes are too tight, and you balk at forking over another $70 for another new pair, what you can do is this;
Step 1 fill up a zip lock baggie with water
Step 2 stuff the baggie into the toe of the shoe
Step 3 put the shoe and baggie into the freezer.
Voila! As the freezing water expands, it will stretch out the shoe leather and make room for the growing tapping tootsies.
]]>Blog 2014-10-31T10:18:05-04:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/aeeab3a929ef805366b351723d454667-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/aeeab3a929ef805366b351723d454667-1.html#unique-entry-id-1Friday October 31, 2014
I learned that Halloween can be stressful for parents who are requested to produce made–to-order perfect costume items out of thin air.
]]>Blog 2014-10-03T09:45:47-04:00http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/4dc5d5eddba9a32216a4f7b36e3dda8f-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.juliaaplin.com/blog/files/4dc5d5eddba9a32216a4f7b36e3dda8f-0.html#unique-entry-id-0What I learned today

August 14, 2014

The Stomach Swoosh
Today my daughter showed me that if you put your ear on someone’s belly and that person rapidly drinks a big glass of water you can hear the water swooshing down and landing in the person’s stomach. Very cool.

August 15, 2014
Coming home today after taking my daughter to a sleep over party while my beloved is out of town, I learned that an empty, quiet house has about 15 minutes of feeling peaceful before it starts feeling sad and lonely.

August 16, 2014
Today I again learned that no matter how much you cajole, plead and swear at a printer, it will only work if it is plugged in.

Sunday August 17, 2014
I learned how to use those nifty car straps that have hooks and winches that you use so the canoe does not go flying off the roof. It is worth it to suffer through the agonizing 45 minutes of frustration trying to figure them out cuz after that is takes 60 seconds to tie on a canoe.

Monday August 18, 2014
Today, I learned that if you sit very still by a quiet inland pond, it is so quiet that you can hear the rattle of a dragonfly wing. Which might, at first, make you think you are about to get bitten by the venomous Massasauga Rattlesnake that the Parks people warned you about. But it really is dragonfly wings.
Also, within one day, it is possible to encounter more than one magical being that, when shared with others, can be explained away by a myriad of rational thoughts.

Tuesday August 19, 2014
Today I learned how to make bannock on a stick cooked over a campfire. Yum.

Wednesday August 20, 2014
Today I learned that you should not plan your canoe trip based on a 15 year old map. A route that was navigable 15 years ago can turn into impassable swampy land thus making the paddle home a lot longer than expected.

Thursday August 21, 2014
I learned that the world is a very beautiful place at 6:30 a.m. at Campsite #21 with the fog silently rolling in and a beaver peacefully crunching his or her breakfast on the opposite bank. I learned beavers eat leaves for breakfast.


Friday August 22, 2014
I learned that 5 days away from crowds, roads, email and electricity is enough to make city life seem very odd indeed.

Saturday August 23, 2014
I learned that a new operating system on my computer can make my head hurt.

Sunday August 24, 2014
I learned that if you aren’t feeling well, instead of getting up and half heartedly haphazardly making a really bad fence at the side of your yard, you should just stay in bed. It will save you the trouble of having to pull it all down.

Monday August 25, 2014
I learned that is a good idea to bring a basket of fresh raspberries with you when you are working alone in the studio. You can bribe yourself with a raspberry to keep going for just 10 more minutes. If you are lucky, after just a few raspberries you may get involved in your work and forget the bribe, thus when rehearsal is over you will have almost a whole basket of lovely berries with which to celebrate.

Tuesday August 26, 2014
Today I learned that wrapping your face with a synthetic fur carpet, may make a great impression of a yeti but it can make your face itch.

Wednesday August 27, 2014
Today I learned that sometimes the Universe will bring you the thing you really wanted but were too scared to admit you wanted because it seemed like too much to ask for. This might be the beginning of a new learning that makes me wonder if even secret thoughts can change the resonance of the planet. Or maybe it confirms my old learning that I am just the luckiest person I know.

Thursday August 28, 2014
I learned that sometimes I do remember to take out the garbage.

Friday August 29, 2014
I wanted to get a library book… like maybe a wickedly outrageous Vampire novel, or a lush historical novel with which to indulge over the long week end.
But I learned that the Swansea library is closed on Fridays. Sigh.

Saturday August 30, 2014
I learned that a kids’ lemonade stand can make $29 is less than two hours!!!!



Sunday, August 31, 2014
It is possible to buy a “posture harness” that sounds an alarm sound every time you slouch. HAHA!

Monday, September 1, 2014
I learned that a kid’s bow and arrow set, “L’il Buck” can put a very neat round hole into my previously perfect ( and brand new) plastic backyard chair.

Never try wash your red dress by hand before a premiere. Because the dye may run and make your washroom look like a murder scene and you may want to murder yourself because your gorgeous red dress now looks not so gloriously red.

Tuesday September 2, 2014
I learned that it is possible to lose, in your house, a great big book containing all three parts of the Lord of the Rings AND the Hobbit. How is that possible?

Wednesday September 3, 2014
It is difficult to choose one thing to write about since you learn quite a lot each day.

Thursday September 4, 2014
I learned that it can make you grumpy to think about writing about something interesting that you learned each day.

Friday September 5, 2014
Today I learned that, even if you are in a hurry, you should always stop to say “hi” to a friend, don’t just wave, because you will feel terrible about not stopping and you will waste energy beating yourself up that you didn’t stop. You should just do it so you can feel good and get on with having a nice day.


Sunday September 7, 2014
I learned that you should never lend your van out to friends. They can get into an accident and fender benders can be very costly in terms of time, repair and insurance costs going up and of course, the awkwardness felt by everyone involved.

Monday, September 8, 2014
Today I learned how to get the last few drops out of a freezie. I always thought squishing the tube and sucking was the best way but in fact, the best way to ensure all of the freezie is consumed is to inflate the plastic tube, tip the far end up and the last drops will trickle downward into your mouth

Tuesday September 8, 2014
Today I learned that a Coco can be plain pink, fuzzy pink and even furry pink.
Ps The Lord of the Rings book showed up today.


Wednesday September 9, 2014
Today I learned that I can be thrown off track by music. In rehearsal today Tiina played music that was so mesmerizingly beautiful that I completely forgot the choreography. Not kidding.

Ps praying for good weather for 7:00 tomorrow’s performance!

Thursday September 11, 2014
In my learning today, I came up against an interesting question…In performance, how does one stay open enough in one’s focus to adapt and allow anything to happen while striving to maintain the original idea and flow of the choreography. Or…I guess it really is the same old question, how do you know when to let go?

Friday September 12, 2014
Learning about the later part of Vaslav Nijinsky’s life made me feel so sad and full of heart ache.

Saturday September 13, 2014

Today I got my bin of costumes and props back from Inner City Sirens Part2. The piece was on tour all summer (without me) and the bin was put into storage after the last show. Because the remount is coming up I thought, hey, better get those costumes back. Well, the piece is performed in water. Water is wet. Costumes get wet. Costumes need to be dried out. Six weeks later, one week before the next performance, I find a bin of stinky moldy rotting costumes.

It’s a hard lesson but here is what I learned, NOBODY CARES about your stuff as much as you do.
(Maybe I should have already learned this from my Sept 7 lesson )

Sunday September 14, 2014

It is very difficult to explain to my nine year old daughter that wanting your room to be a new colour and actually getting it to be a new colour requires time, effort and energy. But I also learned that my nine year old daughter has a fantastic sense of design and colour. Doh!, I already knew that.

Monday, September 15, 2014
I learned that I have a virtual hole in my brain. My mind can read music and I can sight sing a melody if I am playing the keyboard. I cannot sight sing a melody without a key board. Just sounds terrible. I can’t even sing a minor third without an instrumental reference. doh-lah-doh. Doh! Working on it.

Tuesday, September 16
Trying new things is hard. Doh!, I already knew that.

Wednesday September 17, 2014
My daughter’s question led me to some serious thinking…”Why must we question the ways of the earth?”

Thursday September 18, 2014
I learned that my enjoyment of reconstructing movement material from video has changed. I discovered I no longer like to learn movement as a sequence of unrelated material. I like to take time to process it and make personal meaning out of it. Whereas when I was younger and doing it more often, I could learn movement from video waaay more quickly as I did not have this need to feel a deep connection to the movement. Interesting.

Friday September 19, 2014

Today I learned that Swan Lake was a flop when it was first produced. They tried it again 3 years later and it failed again. Two years later, same problem. No one liked it!!! So how did this most famous of ballets become so famous if it was such a flop to begin with? A few years later The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty (created by the same artists) were so wildly successful the producers gave Swan Lake one more try and finally, It was a success. So what did I learn? Don’t give up on your art. This is very encouraging.

Saturday, September 20, 2014
Fort York is only 240 years old.

Sunday, September 21, 2014
There is a tomato blight in Southern Ontario and nobody wants to buy live chickens in the fall.

Sunday, September 21, 2014
Holding the body in a position while another part moves causes tension/stress on the system. I think I already knew this but I really know it now.

Monday September 22, 2014
Today I learned that I need reading glasses to see my iphone if I am wearing my contact lenses. Sigh.

Tuesday September 23, 2014
Today I learned from Charles Tuahu how to do a supercool martial arts dance phrase with a wooden stick.

Wednesday September 24, 2014
I can now sing down a minor third without a keyboard. Doh-lah!

Sunday, September 27, 2014
I learned that it is very difficult to always remember to write something about what I learned.

Monday, September 28, 2014
Camille Claudel was an amazing sculptor. I looked at photos of her work and was blown away by them. Why is her work not held in glory by all?

Tuesday September 29, 2014
I learned that it is easy to panic about writing a grant. It is easy to panic about every little detail. It is easy to sit at the computer and spin my wheels and think I am accomplishing something. I am learning to stop that! And just do it. still learning. Still learning…

Wednesday Sept 30, 2014
I learned that if the traffic is with me and I really push it, I can make it across town in 25 minutes!

Thursday October 1, 2014
I learned that when you are all wrapped up in creating a project budget it is easy to forget about making the dinner that needs to be ready for the small window of dining opportunity that lies between the end of school and the start of dance class.




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