Sunday, May 10, 2015

My Dance History

I started dance when I was about four years old. My first ballet class was surprisingly in school. At the time, I was living in London and going to school at a private school. All children, even the boys were required to take ballet class. I don't remember how many times a week because, you know, I was four. I started taking classes outside of school because I loved so much but  also because my mom wanted to get rid of me for an hour. Already, at such a young age dance was consuming my life. The school I went to was very strict. I remember we had to stand in perfect lines for role. The teacher would say our name and we would have to curtsy and say, "present" not "here", "present." Also at the end of class we would walk in a straight line one by one to our pianist and curtsy and say thank you. If we did not curtsy properly we would go back in line and try again. According to my mom this was a struggle for me because I could barely stand on one foot. The teacher would yell at me and apparently I would laugh because I thought she was being sarcastic?

Yes, that's me on the right. How embarrassing. S/O to Luiza.
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When I moved back to the United States when I was 6 1/2, I joined a local dance studio. They did all kinds of dance, not just ballet. I remember it was a very different environment than the one I was used to. No pianist, no taking role and no curtsying. I had also never done jazz or tap so that I was different. In the 4th grade, I changed studios to somewhere much far away. In my opinion, it was much more serious. They spent much more time on ballet because they understood how important it is if you want to be good in any kind of dance that you do.

Let's fast forward the end of August and the beginning of  freshman year, when I started my blog. I started my blog because of an assignment for english class. At first, I thought it was an awful idea because it was just one more thing to do. At the same time, it was kind of exciting because it was finally something in school that I could write whatever I wanted to and not in MLA format. Also, it was a great way to document my freshman year. Obviously, I was not the same person I was at the beginning of 9th grade. I feel that this year I have challenged myself grew as a dancer. I went to 4 summer intensive auditions and YAGP. None of these I have ever done before. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I have also become much more confident. When you challenge yourself you feel much more accomplished by completing the task. I made 3 of my 4 auditions and that is something that I would never see myself doing a year ago. Last year, I was terrified of even going to YAGP so I chickened out. This year I ended up going. Sure, I didn't get top 12 or top 24 even but I got on stage and did the best I could do. It's funny what a years difference makes.  As for the progress in my blog, do I even need to write anything? My first post sucked. I think I was shy about putting my thoughts out there. I'm just a shy person in general. As I started writing more post they started to get better. I wrote more personal things and maybe threw some bad humor in there. Of course I still have a ways to go. I can always improve, just like in dancing. Like Einstein said, "Life is like a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.
  

Friday, May 8, 2015

How You Can Prepare for Your Summer Intensive

Summer intensives are not easy. They wouldn't be called intensives if they weren't intense. However, there are things you can do to make your first couple of weeks less painful. Last year was my first summer intensive and I did not prepare and oh, was it awful. So with summer coming right around the corner right now is your time to start preparing

The first thing you should start doing is getting your body in shape. The least you should be doing every night is core exercises, light stretching, and feet strengthening exercises. I have some good strengthening exercises in this post. 3-4+ nights a week you should do something a little more. My new favorite thing is doing Blogilates exercises. For those of you who are unfamiliar with who Blogilates is she is a woman who does pilates videos for basically any area of your body on YouTube. Pilates is really great because it strengthens and tones your muscles and makes your posture better. And a benefit is that you don't have to go to a pilates class outside your home, you can just do it in your living room. To stretch I do more intense stretching like super splits, back flexibility and strengthening, and tons of hip stretches. Finally, do more cardio. This I would say is not as important as the others. I aim for doing it 2 times a week. To get my cardio in, I ride my bike or use an elliptical. I am not a huge fan of running because it puts a lot of strain on my knees.


Recently, I have tried to change to change my diet to be more nutritious. Now, by changing my diet I don't mean going on a diet. That is never a good idea for young dancers. Eating a good diet is important because it will give you more energy. Don't think you will be more energetic if you eat healthily the day before your intensive. It will also be awful to all of a sudden eat only healthy things if you are used to eating more unhealthy things. So, try to ease into it. Start with not having a dessert after dinner. Or for breakfast instead of reaching for a sugared donut go for a scrambled egg and toast. You will definitely feel a difference in your body and energy.

The night before the your first day you should prepare some essentials in your bag:
• Small can of hairspray
•Tennis ball for rolling out your muscles
•bandaids- also there are these things your can get at Walgreens that are called Gel Corn Protectors. They are like reusable bandaids but provide a lot more comfort and stay on in your shoe.
•Advil
•Foot spray- only use this after class, trust me on this one.

My bae
Made by The Body Shop
•Ziploc bag for ice.
•Notepad for seminars
•All your shoes (obviously)
•Icy-hot if thats your thing
•lots of healthy snacks
•Chiffon skirt for variations

After your first day or two you will be in a big world of hurt. To fix sore muscles I freeze a regular plastic water bottle in the freezer. I then use this to roll out my muscles while I am running a warm bath. Once my bath is ready and my muscles are rolled I get in the bath and read a book or something until the bath is no longer warm. Next, I soak my feet in a ice bucket. If you are out of town or don't have a bucket just place ice packs on your feet. If it is your first time doing a ice bucket I would recommend not starting out with the coldest your can get the water. To get your self used to to cold I fill one bucket with cold water with no ice. In another bucket I have it full of ice. Once your feet are used to the temperature keep adding ice cubes until there is none left and your should be fine.

That is all I do to prepare and repair for my summer intensive if you have any pre/post intensive rituals you should leave them in the comments!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Extraordinary Dancers

There are dancers we look up to because of their beautiful technique and artistry. Then there are others that stand out from the crowd and do something extraordinary (and they are wonderful dancers as well.) These are the dancer that are truly inspiring and pave the way for dancers to come.

Now who has heard the song, "Take Me to Church" by Hozier. Ummm everybody because it was on the radio like every.other.song. Anyway, a ballet dancer named Sergei Polunin put the music behind the dancing and it turned out absolutely beautiful.


If you can't tell does not look like your average Joe dancer. What you don't see every day is a dancer  all tatted up. Now that isn't the only thing that makes him outstanding. He is the youngest ever to be a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. He was only 19 and only 13 when he started training strictly ballet! He quit the Royal Ballet because he said he was so unhappy that the artist in him was dying


Lately, Misty Copeland has been blowing up in the media, and for good reason! Most people know her story, but incase you don't I'll give you a summary. She started dancing when she was thirteen. Thirteen! That is really late to start dancing. Yes she had incredible natural talent, but it didn't come easy for her. If you read her book, Life in Motion, it will go into more depth. Her family had financial issues with paying for the classes and her shoes and it was hard being accepted into summer intensives and ballet academies because she had colored skin and her body shape wasn't ideal for ballet. Through all that, she persevered and is now a soloist with American Ballet Theatre.

You can order her book on Amazon 
or at a local Barnes and Noble



   Today, a Russian ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya died at age 89. She joined Bolshoi Ballet at age eighteen and danced in the company until she was 65! Your heard me right, 6-5. (Fun fact: did you know that Bolshoi in Russian means best or great so it is literally called the best ballet.) For some time she wasn't allowed to tour with the company because of her family background with the Soviet Union. You are never too old to dance! 


She is 61 in this video. And look at her arms! 
Is it even human for them to move like that?


You can read more about her in this article









Sunday, May 3, 2015

All the buns!

Are you tired of the average doorknob bun? Well, be glad you found this post because you will no longer be average and neither will you bun. In fact, you are already much cooler than what you were before you read my blog. Anyway, these buns look clean but also are super easy to do.

1. The classical ballet bun (aka cinnamon bun)

 Ok, so I know that I just said that these buns are not average but it is important to know how to do the basics. For auditions and stuff it is better to look professional than cool. I am also not talking about Cinnabon. Sorry. 

Steps

•Put your hair a ponytail. I good height is in the same line as your chin to your cheekbone



•Separate your pony tail into two sections. If you have thin hair, like me, you can tease the two sections so your bun can be big enough to actually be seen. You can also use more than two sections if you have thick hair.

•Now, take the farthest section. This is opposite piece to the way you twisting your hair so if you are twisting to the right you take the left section. Twist it around your pony tail a quarter to a half way around.

•Take the other section and start twisting it over the existing twist. I'm probably not making any sense. I apologize


•Continue to do these steps pinning as you go and it should look like this
Not my hair
Courtesy of: Pixgood



2. The Balanchine bun

George Balanchine wanted a bun that could be seen from the front as well as the side on stage. The bun goes down your head instead of you around your ponytail. This is personally my favorite. However, it will take some practice to get it right. I would also recommend using a hair piece if you have shorter hair. My hair is pretty long so I don't use one. 

Steps

•Put it in a high ponytail using the same rule as before

•Start out by twisting your hair around your hair like a regular bun once


•Put your finger on your hair and twist your hair around it creating a second bun

•Keep doing this down your head until you run out of hair. 

•Finally put a hair net around it so looks neat.

•It should look like this if you did it right
Again, not my hair :(

If you are still confused which I'm sure you are watch this video by Kathryn Morgan who is a former soloist with New York City Ballet. She does a very good job at explaining it.


3. The French Twist 

This isn't exactly a bun but it looks very professional and looks good on all head types. Most people have heard of it and it takes  A LOT of practice to get it down. 

Steps

• Part your hair on either side ride above the arch of the eyebrow. I part my hair on the left so if your part your hair on the right the steps will twist your hair the opposite way.

• Now, spray your hair with water or use gel and slick it down to a low ponytail without actually putting a ponytail on it

•Hold your hair with your left hand and with your right hand use your index finger and hook your hair around it

•Twist your hair up to the crown of your head.

• Use tons of bobby pins to secure your twist


•Hairspray the hell out of it.

Courtesy of: Jillian Grace Salon


4. Rope Twist Bun

When normal people where this out it is usually pretty loose. However, this will not do for ballet class. It is the same steps just tighter. It is super easy.

Steps

• Put your hair in a high pony tail

•Take two sections and twist them around each other as tight as possible

•Twist the twist around your ponytail in the natural direction it wants to go. 

•Pin as you go 


Final Result :)










Thursday, March 26, 2015

5 Reasons Why Ballet Dancers are Better


1. We turn out better (duh)

Not only is our legs able to turn out to 180 degrees which is impressive to the average joe, we are just awesome people. We learn discipline, manners, and good work ethic. These are skills we will carry on for the rest of our life no matter what career path we choose to take. 


2. We are Flexible

Not in our time because I don't know about you but I have dance almost every day leaving no time for regular stuff. The reason this makes us awesome is because we can reach things that fall off our bed with our feet in any position. I mean, why else would we stretch?

Look how heavy metal this is
Courtesy of: Pinterest

3. We are way more hardcore than you

We have to put all our body weight on our toes. Look me in the eye at tell that is not hard. So next time you explain to us that ballet is SOOO easy, we will cut you. 

4. Our makeup will look way better than yours

Trust me we have had plenty of practice. It can take hours to put on stage makeup. And those fake eyelashes. Don't even get me started. If you want to your makeup to be on fleek, I would consult a dancer not a makeup stylist. Have you seen the makeup they wear at Sephora? S

5. We basically know another language

Lets not forget that ballet terminology is all french. There are a bagillion terms that we know from the top our head. What does Jeté mean? Easy, to throw. Fondue? No not strawberries and chocolate it means to melt. You were close though. We are basically fluent. 


Check out this article explaining all the other things we put up with everyday

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Dealing with Mean Teachers

I've had my share of mean teachers in my ballet career and probably many more to come. Sometimes it can be easy to get discouraged by their comments, but you can also turn it into a positive experience. I once had a teacher that the whole year she didn't say a single word to me. I was very upset but mostly confused. Am I doing good? What am I doing wrong? So in every class I tried my hardest to get her attention. It didn't work but her ignoring me actually help me improve in my mindset. It made me think, "I should be working this hard in every class."  So along with this one, I will give you tips on dealing with hypercritical teachers.

Apply their corrections- If they are always yelling things at you left and right try to apply them. It will show them that you actually care. Well, you should always care but show them that you care more than you usually care. It might get them to pay attention to you.

Ignore "The Favorites"- We all have a favorite in our group. Its going to happen and it really sucks when its not you. Sometimes it might even be for stupid reasons like they give the teachers spa treatment coupons once a month or something. Anyway, they are them and you are you so stop trying to be them. You will never be satisfied if you compare yourself to others.

I found a great article about dealing with favorites by Pointe Magazine if you want to check it out.

Suck it up!- Ok, this might sound a little harsh but if you are planning to be on a professional ballet company there are going to be directors that will be mean towards you and there is nothing that you can do about it. In the long run you will see how much you have grown mentally and physically.

Talk With your Teachers- If you feel that you are ignored or bullied by your teachers then ask them after class if they could talk with you for a couple minutes about. Maybe they didn't even know that you felt overlooked. It will be intimidating but you won't regret it.

Know when it is time to switch- Sometimes some schools aren't right for some dancers. Once you have done everything to improve your situation and still feel like the teachers aren't giving you feedback to help you improve it might not be the right place for you. Ballet is a subjective art and your style might not fit the style of the studio or the teachers


Courtesy of Ballet Classroom

Saturday, March 21, 2015

My Daily Stretching Routine

We all stretch during our dance classes, but to make progress go much quicker it is important to stretch at home at least 4 times a week if not daily. Before you start be sure that you are completely warmed up. I do this by running five minutes of running on the treadmill or 75 jumping jacks.

 I like to focus on one or two areas at a time until I am satisfied and can move to the next area. Of course I do a full body stretch, just not so strenuous in the rest of the areas. At the moment I am working on my hips and achieving a flat grande jeté. These are the two most troubling areas for me because my hips are naturally turned in and even though my hamstrings are stronger than they are flexible making it hard for my leaps to be flat


After warming up a do simple stretches to prepare my muscles. I start out with a lung to stretch the hip flexor. Grab your back foot to incorporate the quad and deepen your stretch




I then loosen up my hamstrings just by leaning over with my feet parallel in front of me. I hold this stretch for a minute. For thirty seconds I flex my feet and straighten my back.

Now on to the hips. UGHHHHHHHH. I have to do it though. I start with three basic stretches


I look so done in this photo haha

When I am done crying I will get into some intense s**t. Not really.  I open my legs as far as they go which is not very far and lean forward and hold for 45 seconds. I do the same thing shifting side to side.

My dog really wanted to be in the photo


To wrap up the intense hip torture I hold a my middle splits for 30 seconds and wall stretch for 3 minutes.

I'll take a one minute to pull myself together and then do my splits which don't really hurt anymore so I will grab my back leg



To conclude, I will then do my super splits and back ups







Thursday, March 19, 2015

Staying Healthy for Ballet

When most people hear about a "ballet diet" they think of starving themselves to achieve a small frame. That should not be the case! Twenty percent of dancers are anorexic and rising. However, there are other options. It shouldn't be a matter of when you eat it should be what you eat.  I will tell you my favorite healthy meals that are super easy to make and some tips when making food choices.

Breakfast

Eggs (I liked mine hard boiled or scrambled)
Wheat toast with jam or peanut butter with banana
Raw fruit
Sugar free cereal
smoothies
Breakfast burrito
yogurt parfait


Lunch

PB&J
Salad
Raw or steamed vegetables
quesadilla w/ wheat tortilla
skinless chicken or turkey
wheat pasta


Snack

Butter free popcorn
All the good foods!
Courtesy of Roma Foods
apples with peanut butter (can you tell that I love peanut butter?)
hummus and pita chips or carrots
almonds
KIND bars
brown rice cakes
cheese cubes
granola
applesauce
jicama


Dinner

Skinless turkey or chicken
Vegetables
Chicken noodle soup 
baked sweet potato fries
veggie burger
grilled cheese



Tips

•Get most of your carbs from fruit
•Delete fried or processed foods out of your diet
•Eat the right portions for you
•Drink lots of water
•Think of your food as fuel. If you are not hungry don't eat it.

Fat burning foods
•eggs
•nuts
•Grapefruit
•green tea
•chili peppers
•spinach 
•oatmeal

To get more ideas visit this website showing what real ballerinas eat!








Sunday, March 15, 2015

Are You a True Bunhead?

This is the time to put your inner bunhead to the test. I got this idea from the magazine, Dance Spirit, and I thought it was super fun. To be honest, I wasn't as good as I thought I was. The answer key will be at the bottom but try not to cheat. Good Luck!


1. What does tendu mean?          
a. to touch
b. to stretch
c. to slide
d. to brush

2. Who composed the music for La Bayadere?
a. Pyotr Tchaikovsky
b. Igor Stravinsky
c. Sergei Prokofiev
d. Ludwig Minkus
e. Taylor Swift

3. Where ballet originated in....
a. France
b. Russia
c. Italy
d. Great Britain

4. What was the first ballet that the dancer did 32 consecutive fouettes?
a. Swan Lake
b. Paquita
c. Cinderella
d. Coppelia

5.In the ballet, Giselle, Giselle dies of what?
a. heart failure
b. cancer
c. broken heart
d. suicide

6. In English, Chaîné means?
a. to flip
b. to link
c. to change
d. to turn

7. The Artistic Director of Houston Ballet is?
a. Ben Stevenson
b. Nina Popova
c. Peter Martins
d. Stanton Welch

8. Who choreographed the ballet, Jewels?
a. George Balanchine
b. Marius Petipa
c.Vaslav Nijinsky
d. Fredrick Ashton

9. How many hours does it take to make a tutu
a. 2 hours
b. 90 hours
c. 24 hours
d. 40 hours

10. Shanks of pointe shoes are made of what?
a. wood
b. metal
c. pain
d. cardboard

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Answer Key
1.) b
2.) d
3.) c
4.) c
5.) a
6.) b
7.) d
8.) a
9.) b
10.) d


Let me know in the comments how you did!






Saturday, March 14, 2015

My First YAGP experience

Day One

After school on Thursday, I started packing. It's not a good idea to pack 30 minute before you leave but, whatever. 

MY PACKING LIST

When we got to the airport we found out that our flight was two hours and thirty minutes delayed and were were there an hour early. My afternoon consisted of Instagram, frozen yogurt, and sleeping. When we got to the hotel I went to bed right away. I had a big day coming up.











Day Two

My open stage was scheduled to be at 12:30, but they were 15 minutes behind so it didn't start until 12:45. Incase any of you don't know what open stage is it is a 30 minute period where the dancers and their directors go behind the curtain to practice their piece. Although there wasn't a lot of room, it was honestly so helpful for me because I got to feel the floor decide how much I could travel. My contemporary was first. I think it went well. I have been doing the same contemporary for 3 years now but this time it was en pointe. It seems like a long time to be doing the same solo but the other one that I learned was not even close to being ready in time. As for my classical variation which was the second shade from La Bayadere. Surprisingly I wasn't so nervous the second time. Which is good. I see YAGP not as a competition but as a way to get more comfortable performing under that kind of pressure. 

My judges were:

Claire Baulieu- She has studied at The Ailey School and in France. Later she began teaching modern dance at the Paris Opera Ballet. In 1986 she became the artistic director of the Bagnolet Dance Conservatory. Today she continues to teach at the Paris Opera Ballet and others around the world.

Kelly Boal- She trained at SAB and earned a promotion to soloist at the New York City Ballet. She left NYCB to be in guest performances as the Dutch National Ballet and Ballet Manila. She taught at the School of American Ballet and served at PNBS as a part time faculty member.

Richard 'Wes' Chapman- He joined American Ballet Theatre in 1984 as a corps member. He was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1989. While at ABT he performed leading roles in works by many major twentieth century choreographers. He also founded the Alabama Ballet School and their summer program. Later, he returned to ABT as the ballet master and then the Artistic Director of the Studio Company.

Allison Debona- Growing up she trained with the Parou Ballet Company and Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. After graduated high school she attended Indiana University. In 2007 she joined Ballet West and is now a Soloist. She now spend much of her time teaching across the country.

Gary Lewis- Was raised and trained in the US Virgin Islands. His professional career began at the Capitol Ballet of Washington, DC. He made is Broadway debut in the "Lion King."

Maria Mosina- Was born in Moscow and graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. After graduation, she joined the Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich Company and was immediately picked for Principal roles. In 1995 she was invited to join the Colorado Ballet as a Principal Dancer. She is now an active teacher across the United States and in her 19th year with the Colorado Ballet. 

Claudio Muños- Was the ballet master of the School of Ballet of the Santiago Ballet in Chile. As a professional dancer he danced principal roles in Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and New York. He was awarded "Best Teacher" at the Interdance Competition in 1996. Today he is currently the Ballet Master of Houston Ballet

Stephanie Saland- She entered The School of American Ballet at age 15. Three years she was invited by George Balanchine himself to dance with New York City Ballet. She has danced many leading and principal roles in Balanchine's ballets. After retiring, she became a freelance instructor teaching all around the world.


Getting ready for my contemporary!


Day Three

Today was just a day of rest for me. I watched my friend perform her variations and then I went shopping before awards. While I was watching the senior category I watched this girl and it was obvious that she had brand new pointe shoes. When she went to do a battement to the side her foot slid under her and she fell square on her back. It made a huge sound and a gasp went through out the audience. I wouldn't doubt that she really hurt her self. Moral of the Story: don't wear new pointe shoes on stage. At the very end of the night was awards. There were so many people on stage it wasn't even funny. They call up your studio one at a time by alphabetical order and my studio starts with a W! I had to stand for so long in high heels and it sucked. Next year I will definitely be wearing flats.

Look at all those people


My friends and I


Day Four

Finally, there were the classes.  They started at 10 am but I got there at 9:30 to get a barre space. But people already beat me to it. I was also the youngest in the 14-15 year olds. They kicked out the 14 year olds that were born in April and on and my birthday is March 31. 

My first class was ballet technique with Kelly Boal. It was hard to do the Balanchine style, but she was understanding because most of us had not been taught it. I thought it was a very fun class and she was very nice. My second class, which was my favorite, was variations class with Stephanie Saland. She is a really cool teacher and taught us a very fun balanchine variation (I can't remember the name.) Finally my last class was contemporary technique with Gary Lewis. For the first half of class we did floor barre. Boy, was that the hardest floor barre class that I've ever taken. Then we did a combination choreographed by him

That is a wrap on my 2015 YAGP Experience!

Flight from Denver













Friday, March 6, 2015

Tips and tricks to keep your pointe shoes alive

Someday I will find a way to make pointe shoes that never die. But until then, there are tricks that could give a couple hours of life to them.

Re-hardening the Shank


Floor Wax Method

You will need:
•Floor Wax (with acrylic in otherwise it won't work)

•Old toothbrush (Or your brother's)

•Dead pointe shoes

•Newspaper

Steps:

1. Lay down newspaper and maybe wear something that you don't mind ruining incase of an accident

2. Preheat oven to 200ºF

3. Squirt some floor wax into the pointe shoe. Warning: It comes out fast




4. Immediately brush the toothbrush everywhere that there is floor wax


5. Do it a second time if you wish

6. Put foil on a cookie sheet and set your shoes on the cookie sheet


7. Turn the off the oven. I repeat: TURN OFF THE OVEN. If you do not it is guaranteed that your house will burn down. That will suck

8. Take a nap

Jet Glue method

*Where you glue depends on where you break in the shoe the most. I'm just showing you how I do it

You will need:
•Jet Glue or Super Glue

•Dead pointe shoes

•Newspaper





Steps:

1. Lay down that newspaper

2. Fold down the heel

3. Apply the glue on the edge of the shank where your arch is



4. If your box is broken down squirt it in the bottom of the shoe like so


5. On the sole of your shoe, spread the glue on the arch. Do not put any on the ball of your foot or on the tip. You will slip which will end in  disaster and humiliation


6. Prop up against a wall so the glue dries evenly.


If none of these methods work try CPR... jk

Tips for keeping your shoes from dying too fast

1. Take your pointe shoes out  of your bag at night so they dry out. Sweat softens the shank so drying them hardens it back up.

2. Learn to pull up out of you shoes. If everything in your body is relaxed you are putting all your weight on the shoes. They will die much faster

3. I always use two or three pairs of shoes at a time. No, I do not have 6 legs. What I mean is that you shouldn't wear the same pair of shoes for a week. Switch off your shoes everyday. 












Thursday, February 19, 2015

The DON'TS of Taking Ballet Pictures

Every dancer will get a photo taken of them for whatever reason: Instagram, Christmas Cards, audition photos, you name it. But there is a right way to do them. At least if you actually want to be taken seriously.


1. Tuck in your ribbons!- I went to Ballet West's performance of Swan Lake and in the program was a picture of a obviously inexperienced dancer's feet en pointe. That's not the point (He He get it).  HER RIBBONS WERE COMPLETELY OUT!¡! I can understand if your ribbons come out in class (and in class only) on accident, but when you are taking a picture of only your feet, it's not that hard to tuck in your ribbons.
Ewwww
Courtesy of: Durham Jones & Pinegar

2. Have good technique- oooohhh where do I even start with this? It is pretty self explanatory. Instead of explaining my self I will show you a video where someone has absolutely no ballet training but decided to film an ad anyway.
Seriously, what the f**k is this?
Courtesy of: Free People

Has she really been dancing since she was three? I don't think so. Here are some links to the response of the public. People were obviously not happy so they hired professionals to do it instead. Thank god.

Much better
Courtesy of: Ballet Zaida

I found this parody of the Free People ad and it was absolutely hilarious. I peed myself a little. Here it is .

3. Wear the right outfit- you shouldn't be taking dance pictures in skinny jeans. It's just common sense. If you want to look more casual in your photos I suggest wearing a leo with no tights and your hair down.
Probably not a good idea
Courtesy of: Img Arcade


Those are all my tips for ballet photos. If you have any other suggestions leave them in the comments!





Friday, January 9, 2015

Finding Confidence

One of the things that is said most often to me is that I need to have more confidence. I think to myself it isn't just that easy. So, how do you find confidence? The dictionary definition is as follows: "a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something." Just reading the words feels empowering doesn't it? If you believe that you can you will! It's not as hard as you think. Now for a little story 3...2...1...

The winter of 2014 I was about to audition for my first summer intensive at Ballet West. I remember being so nervous I could barely talk. It was in a setting I had never been in before. 80 girls packed into a studio, a piano player, different teaching syllabus, and the whole class was on pointe. I was not doing well. In between barre and center I remember thinking to myself, " I need to relax." I pretending that I was just taking a regular class. Once in that mindset I was more comfortable. When I was dancing I was doing way better than before. Long story short, I was accepted! It made me realize that I can do anything if I have the right mindset. I also realized that beating myself down isn't going to get me anywhere. Great story right?


Finally, I will link to Juliet Doherty's TED talk. It was about being great. Everybody can be great and is great in their own way. It is time for dancer to stop comparing themselves. If we do we will never be happy because there is always someone better than us. One of my favorite quote from her speech is, "It is time for you to stop competing and start dancing." Of course you will still be in the competitions that you enter in, but the score that is on the sheet does not define you. Another favorite quote of hers that is, "I authorize myself to be great." Remember, you are the only person that make yourself be great. 


Keep this is in mind whenever you are feeling down on yourself or when in a stressful situation. When in the right mindset, the sky is the limit. We are all great in our own ways. Authorize yourself to be great. 



Courtesy of: Polyvore


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Best Ballet Movies

1. Maos Last Dancer- This movie is about a young boy, Li Cunxin, who is chose by the chinese government to study ballet. He later travels to Houston to dance with the Houston Ballet. Meanwhile, he is secretly dating a dancer, Elizabeth Mackey. The Chinese government wants to bring him back to China. He struggles with the decision whether he should stay in America or go back to China and be with his family. This is my personal favorite movie. The movie is inspired by a autobiography written by Li Cunxin.
Courtesy of: Tumblr
2. Black Swan- Nina is a ballerina with the New York City Ballet. Her life revolves entirely around ballet. She is picked as the artistic directors first choice to be the Swan Queen in the ballet Swan Lake. She finds herself competing for the part with a fellow dancer. This causes her to lose a complete grip on reality.
Courtesy of: Tumblr
3. The Turning Point- Telling the stories of two women. Deedee left her dance career to become wife, mother, and teacher in Oklahoma. Emma became a prima ballerina at American Ballet Theatre. Both want what the other has. They are brought together when Deedee's daughter joins the company.

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Leslie Browne
Courtesy of: allmovie


4. First Position- Pretty sure everyone has heard of this movie. Incase you haven't, it is following the lives of 6 young, promising dancers. They compete at Youth America Grand Prix in New York which could change their dancing careers.
Miko Fogarty 
Courtesy of: Tumblr
5. Ballerina- A documentary that follows five ballerinas from the Mariinsky Ballet. Really all I have to say about that one.
Courtesy of: IMP awards


Saturday, January 3, 2015

What Judges are Looking for in Summer Intensive Auditions

It's summer intensive audition season! Thinking of that gives me the chills. It is personally nerve racking because it is hard to know what the judges are looking for in order to get in. So, with a little research among the various companies I have come up with some criteria that judges are looking for. 

It's obvious that the judges are looking for technique and ability level. On one of my audition forms has a rubric kind of thing and they are looking for physique, flexibility, turn out, turns, petite allegro, grand allegro, and strength. My tips for getting good marks is make a list of things that you struggle with technique wise. These include habits that you have. For example, I could put that I raise my shoulders and my fingers and face tense up when I am concentrating. Or if you struggle with adagio, like me, focus on adagio in technique class and remember correction. Of course there is more but I am not going to bore you with my long list. Also, make sure you stretch and do core work EVERY NIGHT from now on. Don't be worried if you aren't perfect in all these elements. If judges see you have potential and that you are teachable you have no reason to worry.

In auditions, having a personality is key. However, this does not mean goofing off. If the girl or boy behind you has a smile on his face and you are straight faced as Kanye West is in most of his photos, they are most likely going to pick him or her. You want to show them that you love dancing. They aren't going to pick someone that they think doesn't like dancing. Also, a good attitude is something they are looking for. If you mess up try not to show it or get mad at yourself. The judges might not even notice the mistake and if they do it will be seen that you have a good attitude.

No matter what have fun. Just relax and everything will come naturally. Good luck!

Courtesy of Examiner