So on Mr. T's Birthday google made their heading a Swan Lake Doodle
They also made a video about it with San Fransisco Ballet, which I thought was cool
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Mr. T....Some More
They also made a video about it with San Fransisco Ballet, which I thought was cool
Friday, May 7, 2010
Happy Birthday Mr. T!
Today is Tchaikovsky's 170th birthday day! He is my favorite composer.
Born into a middle-class family, Tchaikovsky was educated for a career as a civil servant, despite his obvious musical precocity. He pursued a musical career against the wishes of his family, entering the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862 and graduating in 1865. This formal, Western-oriented training set him apart from the contemporary nationalistic movement embodied by the influential group of young Russian composers known as The Five, with whom Tchaikovsky's professional relationship was mixed.
Although he enjoyed many popular successes, Tchaikovsky was never emotionally secure, and his life was punctuated by personal crises and periods of depression. Contributory factors were his suppressed homosexuality and fear of exposure, his disastrous marriage, and the sudden collapse of the one enduring relationship of his adult life, his 13-year association with the wealthy widow Nadezhda Von Meck Amid private turmoil Tchaikovsky's public reputation grew; he was honored by the Tsar, awarded a lifetime pension and lauded in the concert halls of the world. His sudden death at the age of 53 is generally ascribed to cholera, but some attribute it to suicide. Although perennially popular with concert audiences across the world, Tchaikovsky's music was often dismissed by critics in the early and mid-20th century as being vulgar and lacking in elevated thought.By the end of the 20th century, however, Tchaikovsky's status as a significant composer was generally regarded as secure.
This is his Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, which premiered in 1880
one of my favorite peices that was not for a story Ballet
Born into a middle-class family, Tchaikovsky was educated for a career as a civil servant, despite his obvious musical precocity. He pursued a musical career against the wishes of his family, entering the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862 and graduating in 1865. This formal, Western-oriented training set him apart from the contemporary nationalistic movement embodied by the influential group of young Russian composers known as The Five, with whom Tchaikovsky's professional relationship was mixed.
Although he enjoyed many popular successes, Tchaikovsky was never emotionally secure, and his life was punctuated by personal crises and periods of depression. Contributory factors were his suppressed homosexuality and fear of exposure, his disastrous marriage, and the sudden collapse of the one enduring relationship of his adult life, his 13-year association with the wealthy widow Nadezhda Von Meck Amid private turmoil Tchaikovsky's public reputation grew; he was honored by the Tsar, awarded a lifetime pension and lauded in the concert halls of the world. His sudden death at the age of 53 is generally ascribed to cholera, but some attribute it to suicide. Although perennially popular with concert audiences across the world, Tchaikovsky's music was often dismissed by critics in the early and mid-20th century as being vulgar and lacking in elevated thought.By the end of the 20th century, however, Tchaikovsky's status as a significant composer was generally regarded as secure.
This is his Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, which premiered in 1880
one of my favorite peices that was not for a story Ballet
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Boston
So I spent this past weekend in Boston. We stayed in the Theater District. I love Boston. It's my favorite city. I want to live in Boston someday, and if you can't already tell Boston Ballet is my favorite company and I hope to see them live sometime soon.
Enjoy The Pictures;
Boston Opera House
A Close Up
Ultimate Balanchine Poster
I didn't actually get to see anyshows because they weren't performing but I went in the entry way and it was BEAUTIFUL
We also stopped by the Boston Ballet HQ on our way out. It was HUGE.
A new start, I'll Try
So, I haen't been posting much but I am going to try to post more often. The posts are going to be more about me and my life as a "dancing teen", Enjoy
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Some Tips
These are a few tips I've picked up from ballet class and written in my dance journal. I highly recommend keeping a dance journal.
- Think of having a wire hoop where you arms should go and then encircling it
- In croise, you should be able to see both hips
- Shoulders should be over hips
- When doing Grande Battmants, pretend you have a leg and back brace
- In pique arabesque, spring forward
Being Self Conscious
An Issue I have delt with/others I know have delt with is being Self Conscious. From my research (and common sense (: ) I have found that many ballet dancers are very self-conscious. I read a great artical and wanted to share it with you;
It's easy to forget just how powerful our subconscious minds can be. We are often completely unaware of how our actions (or inactions) are affecting our lives. We may complain that things never work out for us, we have bad luck, or we just don't have what it takes to be successful. What we fail to realize is that we are actually creating our own circumstances through subconscious self-sabotage. In order to overcome self-sabotage we first have to use conscious awareness to explore our emotions and fears, and understand how they influence our actions. Once we have determined the cause of the destructive behavior, we can then take steps to prevent it from happening in the future.
What's really happening when we sabotage ourselves? Subconsciously, we may be frightened by a particular outcome, even though we say we want it. Take, for example, losing weight. Many overweight people have struggled for years, tried diet after diet, and still can't lose the weight (or keep it off). They berate themselves, push themselves harder, and try to force the weight off. But what's happening beneath the surface? Do they really want to lose their excess pounds? They may say they do, but what if their layers of fat are providing a sense of protection and security in an uncertain world? What if they feel the need to cover up and conceal themselves? Losing weight then becomes a threatening, frightening possibility. So they might sabotage their diet efforts in order to avoid feeling too vulnerable and exposed. Even though they say they want to lose weight (and even believe they do) they still might set themselves up for failure by sneaking food, skipping exercise, and then making a promise that they'll try harder tomorrow.
Others may be intimidated by something as simple as starting a new job. Did you know that there are a surprisingly high number of people who don’t show up for job interviews, even for highly-desirable positions? Let's look at another example: Perhaps a stay-at-home-mom decides she needs to return to the workforce to earn money for her family. What she really wants is to stay home with her children, but she feels obligated to get a job outside the home. So instead of applying for the perfect position, she applies for jobs that she knows she's not qualified for, or jobs that require hours incompatible with her family's schedule so she has to turn down the job if it's offered. Subconsciously, that's her way of ensuring she won’t have to leave home, and at least she can say she "tried" to get a job.
Those who self-sabotage may also be afraid of what others will think of them should they accomplish their goals. They might not believe they're worthy of the outcome, so they act in ways that will ensure their failure.
These destructive efforts are done subconsciously, so even the saboteurs have fooled themselves into thinking they know what they want. If there is any uncertainty in their mind, any doubt, any fear, they will find a way to make sure it doesn't happen.
Perhaps this describes you? Have you sabotaged yourself in the past? Are you still doing it now? Are you not able to move forward with your goals, no matter how hard you try?
Fortunately we CAN overcome self-sabotage. The most important step to stopping self-sabotaging behavior is to recognize that it's happening. We must develop a conscious awareness of our thoughts, emotions, and actions.
If you've been struggling with a certain goal and things just don't seem to be working out for you, take a look at the setbacks that were encountered and evaluate the situation. Could any of the obstacles have been avoided by making wiser choices on your part? Are there a significantly high number of obstacles that have arisen for this one particular goal? If so, you may be self-sabotaging yourself.
A great way to get in touch with your subconscious mind is by spending time in quiet meditation. Ask yourself what you're afraid of. What fears do you have? What uncertainties? What makes you feel uncomfortable about this goal? For what reasons would you try to hold yourself back? Using a journal to write these questions and answers can help too, because writing can help you to connect with the deepest part of yourself. It might take time and practice, but exploring these possibilities can dramatically help you to get out of the self-sabotage rut.
When we finally understand that we are in control of our own success, we will be set free from all limitations! By developing clarity and insight about the outcomes we want to create, and the awareness for potential setbacks, we can stop the self-sabotage and focus our energies on working toward new goals that we will fully support in every way. We will then look back one day and see that instead of being our own worst saboteur, we have become our best supporter
It's easy to forget just how powerful our subconscious minds can be. We are often completely unaware of how our actions (or inactions) are affecting our lives. We may complain that things never work out for us, we have bad luck, or we just don't have what it takes to be successful. What we fail to realize is that we are actually creating our own circumstances through subconscious self-sabotage. In order to overcome self-sabotage we first have to use conscious awareness to explore our emotions and fears, and understand how they influence our actions. Once we have determined the cause of the destructive behavior, we can then take steps to prevent it from happening in the future.
What's really happening when we sabotage ourselves? Subconsciously, we may be frightened by a particular outcome, even though we say we want it. Take, for example, losing weight. Many overweight people have struggled for years, tried diet after diet, and still can't lose the weight (or keep it off). They berate themselves, push themselves harder, and try to force the weight off. But what's happening beneath the surface? Do they really want to lose their excess pounds? They may say they do, but what if their layers of fat are providing a sense of protection and security in an uncertain world? What if they feel the need to cover up and conceal themselves? Losing weight then becomes a threatening, frightening possibility. So they might sabotage their diet efforts in order to avoid feeling too vulnerable and exposed. Even though they say they want to lose weight (and even believe they do) they still might set themselves up for failure by sneaking food, skipping exercise, and then making a promise that they'll try harder tomorrow.
Others may be intimidated by something as simple as starting a new job. Did you know that there are a surprisingly high number of people who don’t show up for job interviews, even for highly-desirable positions? Let's look at another example: Perhaps a stay-at-home-mom decides she needs to return to the workforce to earn money for her family. What she really wants is to stay home with her children, but she feels obligated to get a job outside the home. So instead of applying for the perfect position, she applies for jobs that she knows she's not qualified for, or jobs that require hours incompatible with her family's schedule so she has to turn down the job if it's offered. Subconsciously, that's her way of ensuring she won’t have to leave home, and at least she can say she "tried" to get a job.
Those who self-sabotage may also be afraid of what others will think of them should they accomplish their goals. They might not believe they're worthy of the outcome, so they act in ways that will ensure their failure.
These destructive efforts are done subconsciously, so even the saboteurs have fooled themselves into thinking they know what they want. If there is any uncertainty in their mind, any doubt, any fear, they will find a way to make sure it doesn't happen.
Perhaps this describes you? Have you sabotaged yourself in the past? Are you still doing it now? Are you not able to move forward with your goals, no matter how hard you try?
Fortunately we CAN overcome self-sabotage. The most important step to stopping self-sabotaging behavior is to recognize that it's happening. We must develop a conscious awareness of our thoughts, emotions, and actions.
If you've been struggling with a certain goal and things just don't seem to be working out for you, take a look at the setbacks that were encountered and evaluate the situation. Could any of the obstacles have been avoided by making wiser choices on your part? Are there a significantly high number of obstacles that have arisen for this one particular goal? If so, you may be self-sabotaging yourself.
A great way to get in touch with your subconscious mind is by spending time in quiet meditation. Ask yourself what you're afraid of. What fears do you have? What uncertainties? What makes you feel uncomfortable about this goal? For what reasons would you try to hold yourself back? Using a journal to write these questions and answers can help too, because writing can help you to connect with the deepest part of yourself. It might take time and practice, but exploring these possibilities can dramatically help you to get out of the self-sabotage rut.
When we finally understand that we are in control of our own success, we will be set free from all limitations! By developing clarity and insight about the outcomes we want to create, and the awareness for potential setbacks, we can stop the self-sabotage and focus our energies on working toward new goals that we will fully support in every way. We will then look back one day and see that instead of being our own worst saboteur, we have become our best supporter
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
On and on and on...
Sorry I haven't posted. I have soooo many rehearsals. I hope you have all been doing good. Where is everyone going this summer? Any amazing intensives? Camps? Awesome Vacation spots?
Monday, February 15, 2010
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
**Note** The video is not from the Olympics but it is the same routine/costume
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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)
Friday, February 12, 2010
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.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ballet School #2
In July 2009 I did a post called Ballet School
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.
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/)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
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