philly ASH - first of many
This past weekend I was in Philadelphia teaching at Artists Simply Human… truly one of my dream jobs that I still can’t believe I am a part of. Philly ASH is always such a great weekend, and this one was soldout. All waitlists were full (according to the website), and I knew it was going to be a busy event.
I taught a total of six classes - Saturday wasn’t too bad, but Sunday was definitely a push. There were so many incredible dancers in this event, and I was so grateful to have shared my love for dance to everyone in all the rooms that I taught! Shoutout to Allyson for assisting me this entire weekend.
I got to my hotel Wednesday night and went straight to the sauna.
Sauna pic on the left … sorry I need to do better with quality photos…
What’s nice about this hotel is the convenience of distance, safety, and this sauna. lol.
A lot of my coworkers make fun of me and see me as the “sauna gal” at ASH. I always look forward to this venue because of this amenity.
I judged in the afternoon — usually I judge twice, but I only judged once for the little ones. It went by quick because of the talented dancers in Philadelphia. I explored down town after, went to the city hall, promoted my class on Friday.
I taught a SOPHIE inspired phrase in honor of her 5-year anniversary of her passing. Every January I always teach a SOPHIE combo, and I am hoping to teach some SOPHIE phrases I have made throughout my choreographic career for ASH this month. I am doing 5 ASH cities in a row! It’s going to be a wild ride. Here’s my combo from the Friday open class!
I had one of my company dancers, Allyson Feltner, come to Philly. I am sure it was a bittersweet experience for her coming back to a city that used to be her home. It was such a sudden change for UofArts to close — many (including me) found out on Instagram. Story on how I met Allyson will be told later.. but to say I am a big fan is an understatement.
Boston this weekend!!
well hi! welcome to this blog!
Hello there! My name is Azuki Umeda (she/her) and I have been wanting to write, but haven’t had the time to do so.
…I have been in school, as a student and as a professor for years…. maybe for 21+ years. 2026 is the first year where I am no longer a professor. Still a student though! And I want to dedicate my time understanding the importance of being who I am and share it to this world. Not sure who will read this. Not sure who is interested. But I believe in the importance of planting my own seeds and have people follow as they feel like they want to.
Just letting you know though, my grammar sucks. My language sounds basic af. English is my second language, but I am getting better. Please be kind to what I write, and some may be subjective…. while some may be objective (as I have been trained in watching dances, objectively!)
I have so many things I want to talk about…. not just au.thenticity. Not just dance… but food, traveling, my partner, video games… so much more. My ultimate goal in life is to write a memoir… I’ve been through quite a bit in my journey. As someone who is a part of so many minority communities (you can check my bio for what that is… ha)
Anyways, welcome. I love expressing myself through movement, but I want to write more, watch dance more, and love life more. So much to say with so much gratitude.
AU