#sparkchamber 041320 — Carolyn Berger
With great delight, #sparkchamber welcomes a marvelous guest today — my tap dance teacher, Carolyn Berger. Born in Los Angeles, she has spent most of her life studying music, dance, and theater. Over the years, she has been a salesgirl, clerk typist, art model, street busker, dancer, teacher, choreographer … and sometimes she sings. During the Covid19 stay-at-home, she has been writing wonderful stories of her life, as well as a series called Desperate!
She is inspired by how the arts work, and wanting to make beautiful things. Describing herself she said, “I want to see myself as a long-stemmed white rose, or beautiful big white feather. But probably more accurate would be, nice, reliable, but scratchy.”
I came into her world after my own years-long, intermittent search for a beginning tap dance class. Remarkably hard to find — for adults at least. Her sign was hanging on the fence at the Poinsettia Park Recreation Center — Beginning Tap Dance, Intermediate Tap Dance, Intermediate Flamenco — with a phone number. I called. We played a little bit of phone tag. And eventually, success!
This stunning white feather! This remarkable long-stemmed white rose! A striking mix of sharp tone — “Maybe if you keep your weight on your back foot like you’re supposed to it won’t look like you’re about to fall over.” — and empathy — “Do not despair!” — makes me want to work harder and harder. She is an amazing teacher.
Presumably, when we get to the other side of this Covid Spring [crosses fingers], classes will resume. She teaches beginning tap dance on Tuesday evenings, and intermediate tap dance followed by intermediate flamenco on Saturday mornings. If you’re interested, message Fussfactory on any channel with your phone number and we’ll pass it along.
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Life experience and a fascination with pattern and design
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
I get up in the morning because the day comes and life is precious and I want to touch it before it is over. I keep going because I want to get a task done. I am trying to live a life in art, and seek and practice justice.
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
I simply put myself to the task and try to do it. It could happen at any time. I hate 9-to-5. I keep going because I can’t finish until I finish. Sometimes it’s think and do. Sometimes it’s don’t think, just do.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
My boyfriend — who was a fine-arts painter, photographer, and theatre technician — also taught art classes. When a student would tell him that his or her painting was finished, my boyfriend would say, “No. Keep working.”