A Day in the Life of a Code f.a.d. Dancer: Kelley Murphy

Kelley (and Jill) in “Finding Place”

Editor’s note: Kelley showed up at the very first Code f.a.d. Company audition (back in the summer of 2008), and she’s been dancing with us ever since! See her perform next with the company at NC Dances: Sunday, April 28 at Cary Academy (free show at 7pm).

A day in my life would usually be pretty busy and full of constant activity! First of all, I wake up early to get my 7 year old son ready for 1st grade. Getting him dressed, fed and teeth brushed. Backpack in hand; we walk to the bus stop. Once on the bus, I walk home to get myself ready for my day.

I work during the day as a newborn photographer for a local hospital. We do in-room photo shoots of the artistic/creative type instead of old-school baby mugshots. I put on my work uniform, which consists of all black: pants, shirt, shoes and jacket. Glad to not have to think about what to wear… I grab all of my gear, double checking everything is charged up and ready to go. I am loaded down with my camera bag, flash, extra batteries, battery charger, laptop and cords. Not to mention a bottle of water and breakfast on the go!

the kids on a rare snowy day

I normally photograph around four precious newborn babies a day. After they’ve been photographed and edited, I give the parents a tear-jerking slideshow of their beautiful new baby. From here, I am usually rushing home to make sure I am in time to pick up my son from the bus stop. Once home, I am greeted by my other child, who is 16, and they both inform me that they are dying of starvation. Midday snack time!

After getting them fed and settled, we start on homework. It is already after 4pm and I have to be at my second job at 5. The teenager gets to help with the homework so I can change and get ready to teach dance for the next 3 hours. I teach modern, jazz and hip hop. I arrive home at 8pm, once again to starving kids. I cook dinner, get them showered and ready for bed. Sometimes I have some “me time,” but usually I am too tired to do anything but go to sleep myself. I always look forward to the days I have rehearsal with the company so I can get out by myself and do what I love… dancing!

-Kelley

A Day in the Life of a Code f.a.d. Dancer: Gerren Mobley

Gerren as Ralph Lauren

Editor’s note: I was introduced to Gerren soon after I began teaching at NC State University, through Dance Program Director Robin Harris. Gerren was an alum of the NCSU Dance Company and lucky for us, was still dancing and living in Raleigh after graduation! He is another one of our dancers who has been with the company since it started; he actually worked with me also for my film project Product, which began before Code f.a.d. was “officially” founded.

It is difficult to say what a typical day in my life would be like because, like most people I know, no two days could ever quite be the same. This is even more true now that I am in my second year of law school. On a typical day during the semester, I wake up around 5:45 in the morning to get ready for school. The first thing I do is make a pot of coffee because I am generally not a functional person prior to having at least one cup. Then I prepare my lunch and any snacks to keep me going for the majority of the day. This helps reduce my temptation to go out to lunch and make poor eating choices, even though I have to admit that Chargrill and Snoopy’s Hotdogs are only two blocks away from school and are often rotated into my lunch plans during the examination period.

When I arrive at school around 7:30 in the morning, I immediately drop my books off at my favorite study corral in the library, as I am likely to be in the same spot for the vast majority of the day. I try to schedule my classes early so I can utilize the afternoons to prepare for any classes or research any cases or laws I may need for upcoming assignments. I will often stay at school literally all day, sometimes not leaving the library until 10 at night, but I do take a break between 4 to 5 in the evening to either go workout at the gym, take a yoga class, attend a Code f.a.d. rehearsal, or even teach a dance class in the evening. One of the things I have learned as being a law student is that it is okay to take a break when you need one and you should often schedule these breaks to avoid taking too much time off or not allowing your brain time to rest in between reading assignments. Plus as a dancer, it is important to not only keep my physical physique up to par, but my mental capacities as well.

picture of my coffee table preparing for my Constitutional Law II final exam

Rehearsals require us dancers to have both physical and mental strengths because it is important for injury prevention and to retain the complexities of each choreographic piece. Prior to attending rehearsals and during my off-time, I spend a portion of the day going over choreography and listening to the music we dance to from our in-house composer (Todd Buker) in order to catch certain accents in the music and translate them into my movements.

The last thing I do before my day ends is try to spend some time watching television, specifically the Daily Show or catch-up with Modern Family and House Hunters on my DVR. I think it is important to allow my brain to disconnect somewhat to everything I did prior to that point. This helps me to relax and have an uninterrupted number of hours to sleep.

And this is what is a typical day in the life of Gerren Mobley….thanks for reading.

-Gerren

A Day in the Life of a Code f.a.d. Dancer: Kristina Loflin

Kristina gets ready to perform “Julep”

Editor’s note: Welcome to the second installment of “A Day in the Life of a Code f.a.d. Dancer!” We hope you enjoy learning a bit more about what our newest dancer, Kristina Loflin, does when she’s not dancing with us.

Monday, Dec 17, 2012

8:03am – Wake up. Walk into the bathroom, look in the mirror, and scare myself. Quickly reach for the mouthwash and comb my hair into a ponytail, all to impress my dog. He’s very judgmental.

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8:07am – Walk Mackie… more like let Mackie people watch and maybe he remembers to handle his business.

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8:20am – Loudly sing in the shower, waking my husband up. Josh loves my singing, he just doesn’t know it yet!

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8:36am – Cook breakfast while wrapping gifts for the kids I adopted off the angel tree. Smoke detectors go off because I’m not paying attention. Breakfast is a little burnt, but it adds character.

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9:09am – Dance in the bathroom to the TLC Pandora station while getting dressed for work. Slowly but surely, I’m getting dressed – debating highly on long hair or short hair for the day. Ask Josh his opinion and he says, “you’ll look fabulous either way.” What an awesome husband!

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9:57am – Leave apartment looking like a true bag lady with angel tree gifts, a bag of clothes to take to the tailors, and my ever so cute Thirty One lunch bag.

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10:02am – Arrive at the tailors but she isn’t there although it says store opens at 10. As if she didn’t know I was coming… I mean she didn’t but still… come on, I’m on a schedule here!

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10:05am – Seamstress pulls up. I’m a little pissed-off at the moment but I smile anyway. She is the best in Cary so I will tolerate this tardiness but this mark goes in the book.

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10:17am – Arrive at work – 13 minutes early! I’m feeling like a winner!

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10:30am – Finally settled and ready to start the day.

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11:45am – Look at the time and sees that it’s 11:45 a.m. Holy shit, I was suppose to have an appointment at 11am! Where have I been that it has taken me 45 minutes to realize that no one is in my office?!?

*Editor’s note: Apologies for the 4-letter word, but yes, there is some cursing within the Code f.a.d. world. As a humorous additive; however, whenever the cursing comes from myself in rehearsal the other dancers laugh and say it is like hearing your mom curse. Awesome… I am seen as a mother to dancers who are mostly my own age. Anyways, back to Kristina’s day…

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11:48am – Call the potential student to see where she is (Kristina works in admissions at a local college), and she informs me that her daughter is sick. Although I understand sickness happens, I can ensure you that the phone companies are still in business. I reschedule her appointment, but this mark goes in the book (along with the tailor’s tardiness mark from earlier).

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12:49pm – Realize that I’m starting to get tired. Debate if I should get a cup of coffee or take a nap on my break. I decide against the coffee, but the idea of a nap still sounds tempting.

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at the office

3pm – Student walks in for info. I love when students walk in for info. I love the fact that I can take a break from doing follow-up calls and answering tons of emails. I love that human interaction is an option. Yay! Did I mention I love walk-ins? Lots of love! Lots of love and exclamation points! Yay, for love! Yay, for exclamation points! Yay for yay!

*Editor’s note: Wow, Kristina has lots of enthusiasm! I hope she is this excited to learn some new choreography for Finding Place soon; I have a wonderful duet planned for her and Kelley Murphy. Stay tuned to the blog for some video clips to come in future weeks.

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3pm-6:45pm – I was so busy with appointments that I don’t even remember what happened. (Let your imagination be your guide…)

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6:48pm – I take a break, after my few hours of meetings with students, to talk with my co-worker. I express my need for a glass of wine. I sigh at the fact I still have another hour of work to go. She laughs and brags about how she leaves in 12 minutes. I give her an evil look and assure her that I will moonwalk out of the office tomorrow when I leave at 6pm and she’s stuck until 8pm working. Her laugh is cut short. I grin and walk away.

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7pm – I see my co-worker happily dance out of the office. She may have won the battle but the war is still in session.

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7:54pm – I start packing my belongings to go home. I began to feel excitement that I will be home in time for a deliciously fun-filled episode of reality tv! That excitement is cut short after talking with Josh. I forgot we must complete Christmas shopping tonight or it will not get done in time.

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8pm – Clock out.

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8:05pm – Arrive in my apartment complex. I admire all the pretty Christmas lights that my neighbors have put up. I think maybe I should do that and quickly think, “yea, maybe next year.”

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8:12-8:37pm – Josh and I sweep through the store gathering all the last minute details for Christmas gifts for our family members. We head to checkout, and our cashier is super chipper for it to be 8:30 at night. She must have drunk a Red Bull. (She obviously didn’t drink enough to give her wings; wings to fly away with the other United Chipper People of America at 8:30 at Night Coalition.)

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9pm – Get cozy in bed just in time for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Goodnight world!

-Kristina

A Day in the Life of a Code f.a.d. Dancer: Jill Bradley Hall

Editor’s note: Throughout the coming months, we are pleased to share a bit more about our dancers’ lives (both in and outside of rehearsal). We are starting this journey by spending a day with each dancer, beginning with Jill Bradley Hall, who has chosen to document one day of the company’s recent performance trip to Washington, D.C.

Saturday Dec 8, 2012

Running past the Washington Monument…

8:30am – Morning run. The temperature was almost perfect for running – a little chilly and foggy but not raining. I had the privilege to run by some the most notable buildings in D.C., including the Washington Monument. Luckily, I had my phone and was able to snap a picture.

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9:30am –  Shower. One bathroom… four women. It takes us awhile to get everyone showered and dressed – especially considering the extra grooming required for a performance in our underwear.

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11:00am – Brunch, finally. Thank you, Panera Bread!

Holocaust Museum

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12:00pm – Metro ride. We set off in search of museums and monuments; however, we were quickly distracted by a street arts and crafts market. I managed to find three Christmas presents for family and new earrings and a bracelet for myself! After shopping we walked through the city, across the lawn at the Smithsonian, saw the Washington Monument (for the second time today), and headed to the Holocaust Museum. Note: do not have mace in your bag when attempting to enter a national museum or monument. It’s not allowed. I had to surrender my mace and was pulled aside and searched. Once inside you are left to explore the exhibits on your own. There are no words to express the horrific events of the Holocaust. The experience [of going through the museum] was overwhelming and emotionally exhausting but one I’m thankful to have experienced. Unfortunately Kelley, Autumn, and I spent entirely too much time at the Holocaust Museum and were then running late for our call time at the theater.

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5:00pm – Mad dash back to the apartment! Quickly gather all the things we needed for the performance, stop by Subway for dinner on the go, and a bakery for a cupcake to be used in place of a cake for tonight’s performance.

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6:20pm – We finally arrive at the theater. Christina and I rehearse with Human Landscape Dance for a small role assisting in their portion of the show. Then it’s on to makeup, hair, and warm-ups. As the backstage manager begins to give us the countdown to top of show, the nerves of being mostly naked on stage begin to kick in.

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8:00pm – As “places” is called, we all strip off our sweat pants and step onstage in our underwear. The curtain is opened, the music and lights come on, and the show begins. All too soon our portion of the performance is over. I think it went well.

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9:30pm – Post show reception in the lobby. We met a couple who were attending their first dance concert, and they loved the show.

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10:00pm – Metro ride back to Dupont circle. It seemed like it took forever for the red line train to arrive!

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11:00pm – Late night dinner and drinks and then home to bed so that we can do it all again tomorrow.

-Jill

Jill performs “Regulation”