A Day in the Life

For this episode of our blog we decided to get up close and personal with Yvonne and find out what a typical day in her life looks like. For most independent dance artists there is no such thing as a typical day; we shape our days and nights around what needs to be done for the next project. This often has us running back and forth around the city for rehearsals, meetings, research, teaching, performances, and keeping strange hours. Here it is, the lowdown: what happens in a day in the life of Yvonne.

What time do you wake up?

7 something a.m.: I kind of woke up today and thought: everything is going wrong; I don’t want to get out of bed. I stayed in bed an extra ten minutes. Sometimes I get up at 5. Isn’t that when yoda gets up (laughing)? The birds get up that early and you can hear them chirping. It’s peaceful. Nobody else is up.

What happens next?

Depends on where my brain is at. Sometimes I sit.

And meditate?

Yes. We let out the dog (Mata). These days we have to drag her out of her bed. James does the walking. I give her a morning massage, before she gets out of bed. Then clean self, stretch. While showering I stretch. This morning I tried to do Irene Dowd’s warm-up. Not successful, but I tried. Then make self somewhat presentable. See, it’s not bad! I wore snow pants so I wouldn’t get my real clothes dirty. With these, at any moment I can actually make snow angels. Then I have breakfast, read the papers. I always have oatmeal. Okay, not always; if not, porridge: Chinese porridge: congee. I pull my lunch out of the fridge ‘cuz I don’t like it cold. I don’t actually like cold food. The fridge is giving us problems so the food was in a box outside; we had to empty the fridge last night. Because it’s winter the food’s alright.

We’re getting ready for the launch (on February 5th Yvonne and Board Member Richard Lee hosted an event where the programming for the 2013 d:mic/fac was announced) so I had to take care of a few things like compile a playlist of music for our d:mic/fac launch party for tomorrow night. Our guest singer, Steffi (DiDomenicantonio) is stuck in Halifax because of the snow storm so there’s been emails going back and forth to make sure she’s okay and not stressed out, and to come up with back up plans.

Sometimes I have lunch; sometimes I don’t have lunch. Sometimes I have coffee for lunch. It depends. I always have food in my bag but sometimes I don’t eat it.

1:32 p.m.: Yvonne rushes into Pia Bouman studio in her snow pants (it’s not snowing), carrying multiple bags, talking into her ear piece to someone on the phone, smiling and waving at Luke and I as we warm up. We chat about the blog and then it’s rehearsal time from 2-4.

Because we (Mairéad, Luke and I) haven’t worked together I’m taking that into account, to allow us time to be in that place of dance together. Some things we do in our rehearsals might not end up being part of this piece. That’s one of the challenging things about working project to project (that the dancers may not have danced together before). You really need to consider those things. I’m also questioning the original concept and how that ties in with you guys.

After this I have to make a couple of phone calls because we’re remounting Onward Ho (Julia Aplin’s piece commissioned by princess productions for Yvonne and Robert for Dusk Dances). After I talk to you today I have to go research who the person is who can make a structure for us that is portable and can stand on it’s own with water.

Tonight I was going to go and see Othello down at Harbourfront but it got cancelled because the lead actor’s visa got hung up in Senegalese bureaucracy. That’s really too bad.  Now I’m going to use that time to clean the kitchen (in preparation for Chinese New Year which is this Sunday). And I have to look at Linnea’s video (Yvonne is currently making a solo for Linnea Wong) and yours too.

When I arrive home I change into my PJs: my sort of new flannel bright pink pants. Ya, it’s not very “office” like – I guess I’m mentally preparing for bed (laughing).

Dinner is whenever dinner is – this depends on my schedule whether I’m in show or not. Sometimes I eat dinner at midnight but as soon as I decide to eat dinner everything has to slow down. I have to have a hot dinner. I can’t have sandwiches for dinner. I have to have a hot meal because after breakfast everything else is grab and go.

At a certain point I reach my limit. Whatever I’m doing I need a glass of wine!! At some point – I have to have some flake out TV time.  Currently I’m hooked on EQHD TV or RAD TV (yes closet adventure junkie) and Sherlock (the UK one). I have to have dessert and I have to have some kind of herbal tea; usually it’s “nighty night tea”. Then after that I might either play Sudoku or read or surf. See who’s on facebook at the witching hour.  When we have our dessert, Mata has her dessert – her Greenie. That’s her ritual and mine. The time doesn’t matter; it’s about what we do.

Before bed, I always sit. I have a little sit. Sometimes I play my crystal bowl. Well, you know what, it depends. If it’s summer time I sit outside. Then I always give Mata a good night hug.