My First Days at Jacob's Pillow

I'm finally here (attending the 2-week Cultural Traditions program at the School at Jacob's Pillow in the Berkshires), and it is indeed wonderful. Well, the dancing is wonderful. The grounds up here in the mountains are gorgeous. Being the spoiled city mouse that I am, I find myself struggling with the following:

• My days are planned down to 15-minute increments by the program directors, who refuse to hand out schedules. So you are only allowed to know what your day will be like no more than one day in advance, and only by going to a bulletin board at the dining hall to see the one copy of the schedule available.
• The schedule is exhausting. I'm constantly running around trying not to be late for classes, lectures, shows, meals, etc.
• I share 3 showers and 2 sinks with a dozen other dancers in my cabin.
• There are swarms of all sorts of insects everywhere, inside and out.
• The food is awful, and the dining hall is open during very limited times.
• There is no internet connectivity available (I'm hijacking a director's connection right now), and cell phone signals are spotty.
• The nearest laundry machine is in the next town, a 20-minute drive away. Given we are dancing all day, I've gone through a good portion of the clothes I packed already.
• There is no air conditioning.
• The room I share is totally cramped, outfitted with 2 lamps that seem to be outfitted with 10-watt bulbs. I'm always stumbling around in the darkness.
• The teacher I came here to learn from is only here this week. I have no idea who is going to be teaching us next week. And although the drummers here this week are amazing, they're also leaving on Sunday. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but I had a hard time not getting very disappointed and angry when I heard this news.

Well, the classes and drumming are making it all worth it. And there are so many great people here -- in addition to the folks in my program, the Jose Limon Company is here -- some of their dancers stopped in to watch our class this morning. I'll write more on that later, as I'm about to lose my connection. I won't be able to post every day, but I'll try to scribble something down offline every day, and post it all when I get the chance.