Eliana in Atlanta!

I had an utterly fantastic (fan-stab-stic?) time as an Associate Instructor at the A-Town Throwdown over this past Memorial Day weekend!

Teaching falls through a gendered lens (very liberal artsy, I know)

This was my third year on staff at this workshop, but my first time as an AI at any SAFD workshop. As an AI, I assisted a variety of classes over the long weekend and taught a class of my own under the supervision of a Certified Teacher, who also gave me detailed feedback. I was incredibly nervous about teaching in this capacity, but my class couldn't have gone any better, especially for a first attempt at teaching that material, and at a regional workshop no less. I received wonderful and encouraging feedback from students and my advisor which left me feeling incredibly encouraged considering how insecure I was going into the weekend. 

I love when lunch with friends turns into a modern Renaissance painting

My love and gratitude go out to everyone who listened to my anxieties and made sure I was heard, validated, and encouraged going in to the weekend. I couldn't have done it without y'all!

I assisted many incredible instructors across a variety of disciplines. This is rapier and dagger with Richard Ryan!

Self-doubt and personal victories aside, it was a truly wonderful workshop and I'm so grateful to have been a small part of it. I made new friends, got to reconnect with some of my favorite fight buds and mentors, and spend time surrounded by some insanely talented staff and students. The post-workshop blues are hitting real hard this go round, but that's just a sign of how wonderful the weekend was. 

ROADHOUSE!!!