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I can hardly wait for the 16th. Christine and I get out of here and get our lucky butts to Paris. Paris, where, as far as I know, there aren't any monsters roaming the streets. Très formidable!

You'll never believe it! The Anaheim Ballet is taking me on as an apprentice dancer and will almost certainly add me to the corps de ballet in a couple of months. As an apprentice I won't be paid, but that's okay. I'll still have time to work at the tea shoppe. They were really impressed with my solo, but apparently they don't usually add people to the corps right off the bat. It's routine to start as an apprentice, get some training and experience. I'm really happy.

I have found something fantastic, my friends! Voila!

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It is made from a bottle of vodka. There are bottles of vodka that are skull shaped. I will find one tomorrow so that I can make a light of it. I do not know anything about electronics but it could not be that hard, this man made one!

Jehan! Would you like a lamp as well? That is a silly question, I will buy two.

Hello new friends! My friend and coworker Grantaire (though he may go by R around here?) told me I should come on here to meet people, and that it might be a good platform to share my poetry as well!

My name is Jean, but I tend to go by Jehan. Which you say like an exaggerated form of Jean (jay-ehn), but if that's too tricky for you too say then just Jean is fine!

I'm working on my MFA in Creative Writing and I hope to some day be a poet. I mean I am a poet, in that I write poetry, but a real published poet that you can find in bookstores!

I think that's about it, really. Other than I very much want one of each of these candles that I've been lusting after on etsy, haha.


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I look forward to meeting everyone! ♥

I'm finally satisfied with the piece I choreographed for my audition thanks to a few friends who helped me out (you know who you are!) and I think that the people from the Anaheim Ballet will like it, as well. Whether or not it will be good enough to earn me a place with their company has yet to be seen. It's a matter of days, now. This Wednesday morning I'll be dancing for them first at the barre and then doing my piece. I'm excited and dreading it all at once. It's a weird little mixture of emotions

So, Wednesday after next is my audition for the Anaheim Ballet! I've been drilling what I have choreographed like crazy but every time I dance it I find something I'm dissatisfied with. This never happens when I dance. I'm usually pretty happy with my performances once I've refined things. Maybe it's because there's more on the line this time. I don't know. It's driving me up a wall, though. I can't even sleep. I think by the time I'm through with this audition I'm going to absolutely hate Gnossienne No. 1.

My shoes!

Two more shows! Tonight's and tomorrow night's and then I'm done performing at UCLA! It's kind of exciting. The end of an era. I sort of hope everything goes well with Anaheim, but if it doesn't there are auditions for that contemporary company that expressed interest in August. I hope some of you have gotten a chance to see the show. I've had a lot of fun performing as Alice. I totally get what my instructor meant when she said that Alice was a role that would require some acting as well as dancing. There's a lot that goes into this ballet. It's different from when I danced Giselle. A lot different. Of course, Giselle was a heck of a lot more tragic than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

So apparently we hit ball into Mojo Jojo's lair and broke his window accidentally? And then we started fighting about whose fault it was that the ball went through the window. And then we went into his lair like it was no big deal. I mean, he is evil and wants to destroy us, but we're just like, "Sure, we can walk in here like it's not an issue." Granted, we are five. We probably don't realize that it's a bad idea.

We found his photo album...because evil monkey villains have photo albums, too...and then we laughed at the pictures. And we started playing tag with him because that's what we do? We're also very easily manipulated by candy. Then when we started to help look for our ball (because he said he was looking for it), we just sort of destroyed his lab. Sometimes I think that it's not that surprising he wants to destroy us. But he did fire his own laser at himself accidentally.'

Then the dream switched to another one. There was a clown called Rainbow the Clown and he apparently lost his colors and became Mr. Mime? Also I am adorable and sing while I color (This is still true of me now). And then we saved the bus and this little old lady in a car from crashing into each other...and I decided all the color missing was a serious issue (which it clearly was) and I sort of screamed about coloring things and started coloring everything. I seriously did and thought I'd saved the day...only to realize my sisters were missing. I don't know where they were this whole time, but when I found them, they were devoid of colors just the same as everything else. I tried to color them, but it didn't work...and I was really upset at the lack of magic in my crayons.

Apparently the solution to this is to play music? And that song is stuck in my head forever. I'm apparently the drummer of the band. I wonder if I know how to play the drums.

In other news, I am free from school. Freeedooooom!

With school being over, the time comes once again for a summer job. Finding one is such a pain though! Why is it that half of the jobs listed say Entry Level, but still require like 3 years of experience?! I think they need to look up the definition of Entry Level Position.

Some important lessons learned today.

By the group of youths who heard me having a discussion with the table I was face down on in a coffee shop: do not trust a random stranger speaking French to tables, you will learn every curse he knows but he will lie about their meanings and you will probably use them in your essays or whatever it is that students here do. Do they have essays still or has that been done away with?

By myself: stop talking to yourself in public. People are nosy. Or at least les jeunes are. That seems to be a constant wherever you go, at least. That is a comfort.

I'm in the process of choosing my music for my Anaheim Ballet audition. I was thinking about this piece by Satie. What do you guys think? I've already started choreographing moves in my mind! I was told to bring sheet music for their pianist. I've got a few weeks, still, so if this piece isn't a good fit I can hunt for something else.

Someone from the Anaheim Ballet was at last night's performance! They seem to think it would be a great idea if I auditioned for their company! They do all sorts of tours. What a dream it would be to dance with them.

Dreaming about your own death is jarring, to say the least. I feel the need to drink away that particular dream, but I do have to be in LA early tomorrow. Maybe Friday I'll indulge, but for now, I believe that I'll just drown myself in working on this routine.

Opening night was a hit! There will be three additional shows since it sold out. Buy your tickets for the 6th, 7th, and 8th while they last! It's a great show whether you like ballet or not.

No matter how opening night goes, the Paris trip is booked! Christine and I will be going in July. We'll be staying in an apartment building in Montmartre where Toulouse Lautrec once lived! We will definitely be hitting up the opera house to see how similar it is to the one in our dreams. I am very excited about it.

I'm so excited! It's almost opening night. The performances are almost all sold out so there will be a lot of people eager to see us dance.

We had our first dress rehearsal today. Somehow it's so different dancing with everyone in costume. It's practically magical. I don't feel like Meg anymore, I feel like Alice. Well, I feel like Meg right now, but when I'm onstage it's a different story. It's like I become a different person. I slip into character.

I really hope after graduation I get a spot with that company that said they might be interested in me. I don't think I could stand a career that didn't involve dancing. I bet they'll be in the audience for at least one of the performances. I'd better make Alice one of my best roles.

Alright, remind me not to scroll back to more than a few weeks here - you just get lost in a cesspool of who knows what. Only thing I've managed to take from it is that I'm a little concerned my teenage kids are also on this forum and reading about your issues, your dick jokes, and your internet hook-ups.

So what is it, really? What's the percentage? Like 40% dream talk, 40% Plenty of Fish, and 20% Craigslist?

Name's Hades. Was mostly working and making movies in Europe for the past few years, then moved Stateside to direct a gem called Inferno. We're about to go into post-production, so I'll just take two seconds to be useful and say, hey, putting out the call for post-production jobs and internships. Hit me up if you're interested.

After graduation, Christine and I are going to Paris! That's where our dreams take place, so we thought it was only appropriate. Plus, PARIS! I'm so excited!

I'm so glad I only have one more final. This first year was tough but I made it through with all of my limbs and most of my sanity in tact.

I got my makeup done today! There was some promotional photography done for the ballet. It was fantastic. This cast is composed of a bunch of goofballs. We did some crazy poses. I bet most of them won't be used. Probably the serious photos will be used. Still, I'd like to see the pictures of us being silly.

Okay, starting to think I might be having those dreams. Either that or finals are already getting to me because they're continuing on and I got a gift from them. Either way, I'm still a spooky scary skeleton. But...something happened. ( Cut for spoilers, visible to all! )

Anyway, to make a long story short, I've got a pretty nice jacket if the OC ever decides to try out the winter thing, and I really want a hot dog.

Good evening kittens! A little birdie told me I should look into this website and I thought, why not? I guess this is the part where I introduce myself?

I'm Bast. I've been the OC most of my life, but my father's from Egypt. I have a cat named Muffin and she's my precious baby. She even deigned to lick my nose today, so I feel pretty blessed. I'm a previous OCPD employee and current protector of innocent and adorable humans. I guess I've protected less innocent ones, too, but that's no matter.

I'm sure I'll get to know you all soon enough!

We got our costumes for the ballet today! Mine is pretty much true to Disney's Alice in Wonderland and my shoes will be white. Some of them are really wild.

I officially hate the desert.

For all other literary nerds, today is the day that Alice fell down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, in 1865. Happy Alice Day.

Well I had a weird dream last night. Not sure if it’s one of those dreams people get here, but I guess we’ll see. I was a skeleton - but not a human skeleton. A monster skeleton. Not a dead monster, they...dissolve, I guess, into dust. Just a skeleton. Making skele-puns. And all of us monsters lived underground, because we were banished there by the humans and sealed down there. Nothing could get out. ( Spoilers for Undertale, visible to all )

Wow. I just got yelled at today by a little kid because the tea shoppe doesn't offer pizza and his mother didn't intervene. It was weird.

One of my classmates recommended this site so I figured I'd try it out.

Hi I'm Kurt! I'm from New York but moved out here to go to school.

I'm currently finishing up my first year at FDIM.

I have two cats, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser. I'm also a bit of a Broadway nerd.

Most of the sets are basically done for the production. Some of them need finalizing like painting and stuff, but the structural stuff is done. You should see this huge mushroom that the design people made! I sat on top of it today. They told me it was safe. Quite a view.

This is the best thing in between TV shows right now.

Someone today claimed I never take a selfie in which I am not smiling. I didn't deny it. I guess I don't see the point in taking a picture when you're not smiling? I've never been one for those pouty selfies. But, to appease the masses...
( a pouty selfie )

OH MY GOSH KIMMY SCHMIDT

I haven't left the sofa in like, six hours. Someone send help! ...or at least, send take-out Chinese food!

Tomorrow we wrap up choreography on the first act! It's all going so fast! I can't wait 'til we start act two. That's when Alice dances with the Knave.

Also, this weekend I plan on baking some muffins. I'm totally going to indulge.

Days later and people are still doing the Macarena at practice. Signs of a good prank?

Man, we've got some talented dancers in this cast. The girl who plays the Queen of Hearts is fierce. I really hope I'm as sharp as she is come the first performance.

Is it appropriate to prank one's castmates? I was thinking of switching out the music on the record player with a recording of the Macarena. I have it on vinyl and everything, but I'm starting to have my doubts. Would it be funny or would I wind up with my teacher giving me the stink eye?

[ooc: Haven't been able to post, so please backdate this to earlier today!]

Well, the cast list was posted! It seems all the practicing of faces paid off. I was cast as Alice! Needless to say, I am really pleased with myself. One of my friends was cast as the White Rabbit, too, so this'll be really fun. Harley, what do you say we have oysters to celebrate one of these days?

Well, today I danced for three roles - Alice, The Queen of Hearts, and The Duchess which are three of the female roles in the ballet Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Wonderfully enough, I found my name on the callback sheet, but I have no idea which role I was called back for! The artistic director decided to be mysterious and not reveal who they're casting until the final cast sheet is posted. So... I'm in the dark. I know I'm potentially in for one of those three roles.

I've had a song stuck in my head for the last few days thanks to my dreams. I couldn't remember all of the lyrics, thank you YouTube for helping me, since it was driving me bonkers to try and recall them from memory. Now I'm annoyed that it's still stuck in my head, and no matter what I listen to I can't shake it.

You know what I've been doing? Making faces in the mirror. I've been coming up with facial expressions for each of the characters I might have to audition for so I'll be prepared for next week's auditions. I've got some intimidating ones for the Queen of Hearts!

Speaking of auditions! Hey, Logan! Are you up for coffee and pastries next Monday morning?

I've been watching all things related to Alice in Wonderland in preparation for auditions next week. I want to be able to slip into any role they have me dance for. Tim Burton has an interesting take on the story, but my favorite is the animated Disney film.

It's official! The end of the year performance will be Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! I can't wait to audition!

So, apparently the dry cleaners won't even attempt to get blood rain splatter out of clothing. Something to do with OSHA. Does anyone have any tips? It's just a regular cotton dress.

Hearing more things about Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I've never actually seen the ballet, but the idea of performing it fascinates me. I'll be happy dancing in whatever they choose for the end of year performance.

Speaking of things involving rabbits, can you believe Easter is around the corner? ...Sort of. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

Okay, so I know I said I'd heard it was down to Midsummer Night's Dream and Swan Lake but now I heard something about Alice in Wonderland and then some whispers about Romeo and Juliet? Basically, whatever the end of the year production will be is up in the air. I have no idea how to prepare, but I'm working hard on my technique. I know that people from that company will be in the audience and while I already sort of have an invitation to audition I'd still really like to impress them. What better way than to land a really great role and dance it beautifully??

I think I'm coming down with a cold, and I know exactly where I got it from.

I was in a book store the other day, and the cashiers were changing out. End of one shift, beginning of another, you know. The new lady commented on how hot it was in the store, and the man said he didn't want it too cool because he was getting over a bug.

The lady, being smart, asked if he kept any hand sanitizer around. He said there was probably some under the counter but he never used it, and then went on his merry way.

Honestly! I let the lady borrow mine, and she took a bottle of lysol and some paper towels to the whole counter, thank god.

Do people not think anymore?

There are rumors going around about what the end of the year production will be. I've heard it's between Swan Lake and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Either way, it's going to be great, but I've always wanted to dance as Odette.

Ouch. Class was intense. I lost a toenail. Anyone know the best way to cut down on the pain from that kind of injury?

Nothing beats insomnia like chamomile. I can't put my finger on why I can't sleep, though! It's just this restless feeling that I have. Do you ever get that way?

Somebody from a dance company contacted me about the possibility of me joining when I graduate. I'd have to audition, but I'd be part of a smaller group auditioning. The thing is, they're more about contemporary and my skillset has always mostly been focused on classical ballet. Pointe is where my heart is. Still, I've always wanted to be part of a company and these guys have been thriving since 2003 and I wouldn't even have to move to be close to their studios.

But that's months away. I have time to think.