Dancing Diplomat

I love this lil guy sooo much — whether a floofy chicken nugget or a slim chicken tender. He’s my favorite thing ever!!! Happy National Pet Day!!

I am this many years old!!! And I love it!!! These earrings have always been my faves but imma probably rock them all year. Dear 45 —- let’s goooo!!!!! I commit to moving in ease, confidence, discipline, and joy. I am re-minding myself that anything out of alignment is not my problem. I am not beholden to scripts and structures meant to make me “productive” or compliant. I am one of one, the only Aysha Upchurch, and God didn’t stutter with my assignment. So whatever does not serve my purpose or my joy, chile bye. I know that light and laughter are part of my motor — I am serious about play but don’t play with me! A few folks have gotten confused about my smile — don’t let the smooth taste fool ya, joy is serious business to me and I will no longer be allowing folks to mis-take or mishandle who or how I am. Auntie is feeling a new kind of grown — where me being strong ain’t the point or a compliment. I am protecting and advocating for my softness to be held. And that kind of advocacy means I get to check people — AND keep smiling. I take cues from my adorable puppy that rest is part of growth. Just as I released hair that was stressed, I release all things that may appear cool but are actually toxic — including previous beliefs about myself. My head is lighter. I am lighter. My knee cartilage is still super sus, but I feel more buoyant and ready to bust a move (I’m embracing that that’s an old expression and the shoe fits). So yeah, 45 is about to a dope year!

Tulum - The Unsupervised Part.
••••
Yes my hotel/apartment assumed newlyweds would be the renters.
Yes I drank out of the Mrs & Mr mugs and laughed.
Yes I slid off a scooter and scraped my leg up on Day 1.
Yes I smiled through it and took the scrapes with grace.
Yes I swapped to an ATV.
Yes that was insanely more successful.
Yes, sadly, I took an odd spill at end of day off ATV.
Yes I am okay (and the bike).
Yes I kept it moving and went out and ate good food & danced.
Yes I had one of the best massages of my life on rooftop.
Yes I baked in the sun as I walked the ruins.
Yes I played Black Panther 2 soundtrack as I walked through — ijs, thinking about Mayan people and colonization…
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Saying yes to joy even when I get a little banged up is the vibe I’m on.

Tulum - The Unsupervised Part. •••• Yes my hotel/apartment assumed newlyweds would be the renters. Yes I drank out of the Mrs & Mr mugs and laughed. Yes I slid off a scooter and scraped my leg up on Day 1. Yes I smiled through it and took the scrapes with grace. Yes I swapped to an ATV. Yes that was insanely more successful. Yes, sadly, I took an odd spill at end of day off ATV. Yes I am okay (and the bike). Yes I kept it moving and went out and ate good food & danced. Yes I had one of the best massages of my life on rooftop. Yes I baked in the sun as I walked the ruins. Yes I played Black Panther 2 soundtrack as I walked through — ijs, thinking about Mayan people and colonization… Yes. Yes. Yes. Saying yes to joy even when I get a little banged up is the vibe I’m on.

Who’s excited!?

Winterdances: Liminal features an evening of world-premiere dance works by guest artist Aysha Upchurch and UW-Milwaukee dance faculty Maria Gillespie, Dan Schuchart, and Dawn Springer with original music by composers Michael Rossetto and Kiran Vedula. These artists share visually evocative and kinetically fierce collaborations that activate the imagination and memories revealed in the space between the past and present.

Choreographers:





Music by:vedula

Indeed this was a GREAT start to the term!! • Repost Just looking back at how we started the semester 😃🥲

With the one and only