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!

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!

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

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. 

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!

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

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