Turtles, Ballet and My First Celebrity Sighting

When I was little, like most smalls boys my age, I was obsessed with "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." I'm not really sure what their appeal was for everyone else but I know now that their high flying, acrobatic martial arts is what enthralled me from the start. Too bad I didn't start gymnastics for another ten years but I can't help but think back to the night that I saw their first live action movie. Honestly, I can't even remember the movie now, but burned into my memory is me running around the front yard in the dark for hours pretending to be Donatello. I would jump and "flip" off of tree stumps and roll in the grass evading harms way. I was so taken by what I saw on the screen that I had no choice but to try and reenact it at home.


Tonight I had a similar experience.

Over the past few weeks, I had quite a bit of time on my hands to read the free circulars that make their way around this City of Angels, I came upon an exciting little tidbit that informed of a new ballet company that was having a free showcase at USC. This ballet company is called "Trey McIntyre Project" and it was amazing. I have never seen ballet so real before. I guess you could say, I've only seen classical ballet that has done a good job of separating itself from us commoners. It was amazing to see ballet done so deconstructed, yet so technical, performed to music by Peter, Paul, and Mary and the Beatles.

I was truly inspired by what I saw on stage. I guess I'm still a child because this show had me dancing to my car. When you can't help but take what you saw on stage with you, then you know you've seen something great.

Only makes me wish ballet would have been available in Dalhart. Why do I have to begin everything so late?

After I thought the evening wouldn't be more inspiring. I have my first celebrity sighting since I moved out here to LA. A celebrity probably most of you don't know and only makes me more of a nerd for getting so excited, but I saw Jacques Haim in the lobby. Woohoo, big deal, right? Well, he choreographed Cirque du Soleil's "Ka." He's basically royalty in my world. I was so excited that I couldn't say anything, but it did let me know that I'm in a place that anything is possible. I just need to stop being a scared, timid, small town Texas boy and make it happen.

Los Angeles, here I am.

All photos shown are of Trey McIntyre Project, taken by Jonas Lunqvist. More information about Trey McIntyre Project can be found here.