#blue violin

Happy (Late) Birthday, Mik Kaminski

COTTG SPOILERS!!!!! Here’s some Warnessa :)

Vanessa closed her eyes, resulting in no change. She felt so frustrated she almost couldn’t handle it. Leaning against some wall she couldn’t see, she tried taking deep breaths. Normally, if something like this had happened, she would get over it, but she was a liability to her team. They were in the middle of a dragon war. They needed her. Vanessa had always ran solo, but getting to know the Sorensons, truly getting to know them, things had changed. She had learned to rely on others and have them rely on her back. And it had felt so good. But no longer.

Vanessa still sat in the dragon temple, in the mirrored room, waiting. Vanessa opened and closed her eyes again. She knew her situation. She knew she wasn’t one to fool around with false pretenses. Things had clicked. She drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

There was a noise. On instinct, her head followed it. The sound wove around the room. But it came to her. She tipped her head up. A hand rested on her shoulder.

“I told you I’d come back,” Warren said. Vanessa allowed herself a smile. She could imagine the adorably stupid grin he’d be giving her. The way he’d cock his head when he was speaking just to her. It made her feel special. Especially when he hyper focused like that on her and she was all he saw. But Vanessa would never witness it again.

Warren gripped her hands and helped her stand up. He wrapped her up in a hug, making it extra tight. “You’re still Vanessa. And you always will be. I promise.”

“Oh, Warren.” Her voice cracked. “It…it’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She gulped. “To be one of you. To fit in.” She shook her head. “I’m useless now.”

“If That were true, I wouldn’t be here right now. We’ve just hit a bump. Things will change, but you’ll never be useless to me.”

“You haven’t made a joke yet.” She sniffled.

“We’ve got time. Believe it or not, I can be serious. Weird, right?”

“Definitely.”

He stepped back from the hug and placed a hand on her shoulder and held the other held one of her’s, leading her. It made her feel like a child. And it was strangely comforting.

Warren guided her through several series of twists and turns. She stumbled a few times, but he always caught her. The air changed soon and Kendra knew they were outside. She smelled something awful.

“Warren?” She asked.

“Yes?”

“Will you…will you describe things to me? I…want to know what’s happening.”

“Of course. Well, it’s wet. Somebody’s parade was definitely rained on. And you already know the cliffs and stuff. There’s a rainbow in the distance, spanning a couple clouds. The sky’s cleared a bit. It’s kinda nice. Besides umm dragons.”

Warren’s words, coupled with what she had already seen, gave her an image in her mind. In a way, she could see again. She gave his hand a squeeze and, like the rainbow, a large smile spanned across her face.

Warren squeezed back. “There’s my girl.”

They continued to walk, Vanessa playing with the images in her mind. Things weren’t peaceful, but it seemed their lives had been paused and they were allowed this small moment. And Vanessa realized that she fully trusted Warren. And…she relied on him. And things felt nice. She could do this. She always could, it just took a little believing from someone else.

Who did it better?

"Life is a learning process and the day you stop learning, that's it. Close up." We chat with renowned dancer and choreographer Adele Blank about her career and latest project, #BlueViolin @ArtscapeTheatre.

Adele Blank is a choreographer, dance instructor and Director of Free Flight Dance Company, which she formed in 1987. She has trained, performed, choreographed and taught extensively in classical ballet and contemporary dance both locally and abroad. Since the beginning of the millennium, Adele’s artistic reach has extended far beyond the realm of dance. She has been responsible for numerous…

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) - Le Violon bleu, v. 1946,