Geisha in Central Park

I have been a part of a Meetup group Central Park Plein Air painters since October 2010.....and today I painted with them for he first time!

It is run by a local artist named Greta Lood. She's a very good painter.
We were supposed to have a geisha model who never showed up, so Greta put on the kimono and modeled for us!

11x14 oil

I painted on my Yellowstone box today.

My friend Grace, who I met last spring when Daya auditioned for the Manhattan Youth Ballet summer program (feels like 10 years ago!) also joined.  We met two new friends today!

The whole day was just lovely and wonderful.

We went for a long walk afterwards.

AND THEN...

***********

This evening I received a phone call from Move NYC.... 

Daya got in!!

This is a Big Deal and I'm SO PROUD of her!!!

This is the program description, from the website:

The cornerstone of MOVE|NYC| is its tuition-free, Young Professionals Program. The Young Professionals Program is a year round Conservatory Prep & Mentorship Program for New York City teenagers, ages 13 - 18, who demonstrate exceptional potential for a career in dance. The Young Professionals Program identifies talent at every stage of it’s technical development, from beginner to advanced, and provides critical access to opportunities for mentorship and training which prepare each young dancer for admission to collegiate conservatory programs post high school. 100% of our graduates have matriculated to prestigious college/conservatory programs.

This robust program consists of:

• Summer Intensive (In Person)
• Winter Intensive (In Person)
• Year-round 1-on-1 Professional mentorship (With Co-Founders & Artistic Directors and leading artists in the professional field)
• Year-round 1-on-1 Peer mentorship (Young Professionals are paired with recent alumni who attend collegiate dance programs)
• Monthly Master Classes
• Professional Development (Career Management, Leadership Seminars, Resume Building, Public Speaking Workshops)
• College/Conservatory Prep (Senior Audition Solo coaching, Professional Headshots, College Application Guidance)
• Professional Live Dance Performance Viewing
• Year-round performance opportunities (Through the Young Professionals Ensemble participants will have a plethora of traditional and non-traditional performance opportunities across New York City)

....and it is completely FREE!