CONNOR JONES IN REHEARSAL FOR LA SYLPHIDE WITH ALVIN TOVSTOGRAY.
Cowboy Duds Día de los Muertos October 3 • 10:00 a.m. – Noon
A Dancing Family’s Typical Day The Jones have a pretty early start to their days at their home just outside of Warr Acres. “We’re not normally morning people, but with a kid, you have to get up early to do anything!” laughs Connor Jones. Her husband typically wakes up around 5:30 a.m. to walk the dog or go for a run, while Connor Jones wakes up around 6 or 6:30 a.m. to work on her side gig of jewelry making. The family leaves the house around 8:30 a.m. to take Gwyn to daycare. Daily ballet class is held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and the rest of the day can be packed with rehearsals until 5:30 p.m. After work, the family heads home, does housework, preps dinner and works on jewelry orders. Like many parents, Connor Jones finds it challenging to leave her work behind at the studio or theatre in order to be present to her daughter when she gets home. “As a principal dancer, every role I have now can be very emotionally intensive,” describes Connor Jones. “This last season, I performed in Dracula and Romeo & Juliet and it was really hard. I had to come home and be myself and not be ‘Juliet’ anymore. You go through all these emotions all day long and then you come home to your child who needs attention and wants to play. It can be mentally a lot, but you get home and try to turn it all off and be a mom.” She notes that motherhood has shaped her as an artist, allowing her to let go and improving her well-roundedness as a dancer. “When I first had Gwyn, I always worked hard in the studio but there was shyness in my performance,” recalls Connor Jones. “I don’t know if it was a lack of confidence or because I hadn’t done these huge roles yet. After having her, it opened up a part of my brain that I hadn’t used before. I started to see the world differently. It lifted a weight off of me and I became more comfortable emoting.”
Día de los Muertos is a Mexican festival celebrated every year from October 31 – November 2 in commemoration of deceased friends and family members. Create a colorful sugar skull rock, a unique twist on a holiday tradition. Make tissue paper marigolds and papel picado, colorful symbols of the holiday, and enjoy storytime. Free for members or with Museum admission. All activities available while supplies last.
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nationalcowboymuseum.org/kids 1700 Northeast 63rd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73111
30 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2020
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