My first days at NYFA!

The first day of school, all the new students of musical theatre and acting for film were put into one room, where we had to present ourselves to everyone. 
This is how we start working as actors. Getting to know one another. Because that's what our job will be in acting class.
Before that the head of New York Film Academy talked about how professional we should work in every class, in order to pursue the best of ourselves. And I thought; of course I will pursue the best, because I want the best there is to get. And for the teachers to choose me out of thousands of applicants, that must mean that they see my ability to reach that level.
I want to be an actress and perform on the stages of Broadway, I dreamed to myself. 
I want that career more than anything.
One day, soon. Very soon. 

But then he stopped my thoughts by saying: "Your career has started from this day on."
And that's how it all began.

This is how I became a performer of musical theatre.

On the first day of the new chapter in my life, I spent the time exploring the school, grabbing as many New York Film Academy t'shirts I could carry (because they're free!), listening intensely to the teachers giving us all the inspiring opening speeches, meeting as many people as I could on my way - either musical theatre students or folks from other programs, sharing my eagerness with young dreamers like me, starting to fill up the next weeks in my calendar, nodding to teachers and smiling because I now belong to their professional work, getting my official student ID card and developing such a great desire just to BE here every single day.

My musical theatre building at Battery Park is simply perfect. It's truly the best location in New York City. And everyone says that, so I'm not just trying to color the story well ;)
The musical theatre department is located on the 5th and 4th floor.

While walking around these halls, you can follow cruise ships to the bay, watch helicopters take off  and see how the sun sparkles on the Brooklyn Bridge.

I know that even the teachers are jealous of their students!

The rooms are incredibly big and bright. Lovely, but empty - which makes it seem even more like the rooms are calling for new students to fill the rooms with song, dance and acting - all their heart's desires.
Because there's space for this. When you stand in the rooms, all you see is the sky, a few tree tops from Battery Park, and the Statue of Liberty that stands beautiful and tall on Ellis Island.
And there's space for this, because the teachers are so welcoming and just as excited to get the rooms full as we students are.

So I'll be the first year of students that create the atmosphere and start living the soul the rooms were made for in the first place.

My first day was the longest and most packed day I'd had, since I arrived - and it felt GREAT!

And Dad, - there are tons of Brazilian people, who in fact are staying at my residence! I've told them to speak Portuguese to me, so that I will be fluent, when I come home in some years <3

Caraca! For a whole day, I walked around with portuguese to my ears ;) How wonderful!

That feeling of running between appointments/meetings, not having more than 20 minutes to finish my lunch, was the best I'd had since I got here.
It had begun.
I was finally getting started on what I love the most.
Being busy.
- But being busy for musical theatre.

On the same night I had dinner with the Wittenberg's at the Markle residence. It was so nice to finally have them at my place! ;)
Plans were to go to the 9/11 memorial meeting with the Salvation Army on 14th street. Max Lucado, a great author, and one of the biggest and most loved in the Christian world, came to preach and speak about his new book 'You'll get through this' .
He is a great storyteller and funny too. And the meeting was beautiful and very touching.
I felt nothing but encouraged by his words, which uplifted the room with hope.
I got a free copy of the book, which I'm long way into already (those ones of you who are interested, I can really recommend it - the sale started today!).

I finally got the chance to show my American family the roof top - my favorite place in the city.
A bright light shined from where the Twin towers once stood, in remembrance of the lost ones. This light can only be seen a couple of days - and rarely like this!

It went about twice as high further up through the clouds!

Thursday was my audition day. Already! We had to audition again to the school, so that the whole faculty could see us, and get to know us better, before we were put into separate classes. There was going to be formed 4 levels of dance and about 5 levels of singing.

My hopes were not to be in the worst dance class, since I have really worked hard and trusted my dancing, since the passing away of my grandmother.

I had a good peaceful morning, so I could start my audition day with as little stress and as much devotion as possible. With a cup of tea, reading in a book for an hour, just waking up and preparing myself for the pressure of the day.

But I didn't feel nervous or pressured, I was really looking forward to my dance audition in the morning! As soon as my eyelids would allow it, I jumped out of bed, and started my 1 hour dance/stretch routine, and had a good portion of breakfast.

Getting the wrong foot out of bed,

leaving in stress or even without breakfast

puts a hugely bad effect on your audition, or just your day in general!

(Just imagine what I'd look like, if my feet didn't know which way to go!)

I was looking forward to the audition, because I was looking forward to be in the presence of my grandmother. To feel her in the room. To feel her smile down at me, like she's done every time I've danced or sung since sunday.

Kind of like when Bella in Twilight seeks dangerous adrenaline rides, because it makes her see Edward, who's left her at the time.
So - a bit like Bella, except the fact that dancing is good for you ;)

I spent 30 minutes making a perfect ballet bun and choosing the right clothes.
I felt proud and tall.

-

But my audition didn't go as well as I'd expected it to. But maybe it felt bad because it went by too quickly. I never got the chance to feel her in the room. That's what I'd looked forward to the most.
I tried to ask her if she thought I did it well, and if she was proud anyway. Usually I'd know what she replies to everything, but I couldn't hear her thoughts this time.

I honestly felt like I'd failed.
Miserable, shaking, with no appetite, I returned to my room at the residence.
I had an hour, before I should get ready for my singing audition.

Afraid that this experience might color my day, that it would affect my singing audition - which I saw as the most important one... But I also knew that I am way harder on myself, than I should be, meaning it might not have been that awful to watch in the dance audition room.

A bit of rest and a pretty dress was a good way to start for the next step of the day.
And in no time I was down in a hall practicing for my audition.

And it went extremely well! - Thrillingly, my voice had a good day, so there was nothing to worry about, theoretically. Only the fact that I might get nervous and let that affect the strength of my voice or interpretation.
But I'd really found the chore of the characters in that practise room, so my hopes were really high. Hopes for Christine, singing 'Wishing you were somehow here again' and Ariel singing 'Part of your world'.
I was dying to go storytell!

In the room the first thing I was asked to do was say red cabbage with cream in Danish - because one of the teachers had been to Denmark and knew that that's what all the Danes asked foreigners to say, knowing they'd never manage the pronunciation! "roed-groed med floede". Random, but funny!

I began with 'Wishing you were somehow here again', an extremely challenging song. But I fell in love with it during my auditions in the summer, when I started singing it, and somehow it has fitted perfectly into my voice.
When I stood there singing the first line, the Christine character suddenly came like a coat over my body, expressing the song better than I'd done it in all the weeks practicing. Perhaps doing it better than I'd ever sung it.
EVERYTHING went smoothly. So smoothly that the teachers nodded and glared from their seats and whispered "oh yes!" and "wow" when I hit the first high note without hesitation.

- I know a lot of people has thought about me in the hours of my audition. But afterwords, I especially knew who had been with me the most. Who had been the proudest.

I was asked to sing a part of the second song too. And that they seemed thrilled about too. Most importantly, I was extremely thrilled.

Then I thought they'd give me scales or do other exercises, like they'd done with all the other students before me. However, they just asked me:
"What is the role you want to play the most, Jasmin?"

And they seemed even more thrilled, when I said I had a really tight top 5.

Eponine - Les Miserables
Christine - Phantom of the Opera
Beauty - Beauty and the Beast
Lorry - Oklahoma
Elphaba - Wicked
Maria - West Side Story

...... see? I can't even keep it to the top 5!

And that was it. Done. Over and out. But I was sparkling with joy and pride when I got out of the room.
But it's not the fact that I did better than I expected. It's the fact that I did the very best I could, and had the ability to give it my 110% - which is always in me - but more often seen in a private practice.
That feeling of knowing - you really nailed it!

Mum and Dad, you should be proud. - And I really can't wait to show you that song!

AND on top of that, I found an email when I got back home, saying that I'd been put in the best dance group. My first thought was that I had NO idea how I was put there.
But on a second thought, I guess grandma really had been there, supporting me.

And I know that whatever I think about my skills, I will always have the ability to dance for her. And just that shows a great result.
I am so proud to have that part of her.

When I got back to my room that night, and looked myself in the mirror, I thought I saw that I'd grown that day. There was something in the look of my eyes (maybe from the makeup I wore to take my head shots for the school's casting site).
But in the mirror, there was a fierce woman, that I'd never seen before. A fire, steadfastness and eagerness shined in my face.
And I knew that I had worked hard and come all this way to get it.

Walking to the mirror now at 1:30 at night, I still see it!
- So please come visit, there's lots to see and hear about! X

Now, I've already written way more than I should have given myself permission to (or Susan my american mammy who cares and checks on my health every day), because I need to prioritize my sleep, to get strongly through the long days.

So let this be the beginning of my adventure, but the shortening of my posts - as the days get busier and busier.
And there aren't as many pictures, since I'm becoming less and less of a tourist now. But I will try to remember it in school some days, knowing how eager you are to see the place and my work.

You know you are all in my hearts and I take you with me everyday on my journey.
Wish me luck! X