Olympic Skating

One of the Olympic pairs figure skating did an amazing routine to "The Swan". Check out her gorgeous costume.

**Note** The video is not from the Olympics but it is the same routine/costume

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day!

The modern day celebration of Valentines Day is believed to begin in France and England.

Cupid (symbol for Roman God of love), doves, love birds, roses, hearts and arrows are all symbols of the Valentine’s Day celebration.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D.

In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be celebrated around seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes.

In Medieval times, girls ate bizarre foods on St Valentine's Day to dream of their future spouse.

There was a belief in the Middle Ages that the first unmarried person (of the opposite sex) you met on the morning of St. Valentine's Day would become your spouse.

The first Valentine gift was sent by Duke of Orleans to his wife, after he was captured in 1415.

73% of Valentine Day flowers are bought by men, whereas women buy only 23% of Valentine flowers.

Around 3% of pet owners prefer to give Valentine gifts to their pets, as they are more grateful than humans.

In oden times, some people believed that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart and its red color is though to be the most romantic.

The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Since red stands for strong feelings, red rose is a flower of love.

The first Valentine's Day box of chocolates was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868.

In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on Valentine’s Day. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite Valentine decorations on the wooden spoons that meant, "You unlock my heart!"

(http://festivals.iloveindia.com/valentines-day/valentine-day-fact.html)

Being an Understudy

This year I am understudying a bunch of parts. You may not get all the attention but you get to learn a ton of great parts. When your teacher sees how hard you are working they may offer you a part next time. Always apply corrections the teacher gives to the person she's working with.

Ballet School #2

In July 2009 I did a post called Ballet School

( http://justanotherdancingteen.blogspot.com/2009/07/ok-so-i-decided-that-im-going-to-do.html )

about SAB. This one is going to be about Pacific Northwest Ballet school (PNB).

***All of the information is from ( http://www.pnb.org/). I am not claiming any of it is mine.

Founded in 1974, Pacific Northwest Ballet School is recognized as one of the top three ballet training institutions in the United States. Under the direction of Peter Boal, the School offers a complete, professional curriculum to more than 900 students. The School's Open Program attracts 600 teens and adults who wish to pursue recreational dance instruction in a supportive and encouraging setting.

The Children's Division is divided into Pre-K for ages 2–4, Creative Movement for ages 5–6, Pre-Ballet for age 7, and Children's Division Boy's Class for boys ages 5–7. No auditions are required. These programs are a prelude to formal ballet instruction and introduce children to music and movement through a structured progression that stresses creativity and group interaction.

Student Division consists of Level I through VIII, beginning at age 8. Auditions are required for Level I and above or for students age 8 years or older. Classes in this division are carefully graded by age, physical strength and development. Students are introduced to progressive levels of ballet technique as described in the School Syllabus. They are promoted according to individual progress in acquiring technique and strength. Entrance by audition only.

Pacific Northwest Ballet School's Open Program classes are open to the public (age 13 and older).

Pacific Northwest Ballet School has two facilities ideally suited for dance: the Phelps Center in Seattle and the Francia Russell Center in Bellevue. The curriculum, faculty, tuition, dress code and audition requirements are identical at the Seattle and Eastside Schools.

Pacific Northwest Ballet's DanceChance program strives to reach into the community and discover talented, Seattle-area elementary school students. Children who show they have the physical ability to become professional dancers are provided with classical training, allowing them the opportunity they might not otherwise have to pursue a dance career. Students attend classes twice a week on full tuition scholarship with dance attire, transportation and complimentary tickets to company performances provided

In the fall, the DanceChance screening team visits partner schools to audition third-grade students. Students are selected on the basis of their musicality, physical ability and coordination. The Introductory Session runs for 9 weeks from October through December. A select number of students who demonstrate strong interest, talent and willingness are invited to continue their training in the spring. Students study ballet fundamentals as well as character dance, modern and jazz.

Children who show interest and promise are invited to continue as second-year students, focusing on classical ballet as well as character dance, modern and jazz. Students attend classes twice a week; once on a regular school day and once on Saturday. In their third year, students join regular PNB School classes. The DanceChance students have auditioned for and been placed in such company productions as PNB's Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Here is a video about DanceChance (http://www.pnb.org/PNBSchool/Classes/DanceChance/#Media)

For Info on the Summer program (http://www.pnb.org/PNBSchool/Classes/SummerCourse/)

More Inspiration

Found this great video