Ballet is Hard!

I just watched this video and just about died laughing. This little girl is 100% the cutest thing I've ever seen. She also reminds me of exactly how I felt every time I tried to do a turned-out first position.

I feel her pain.

I think I'll watch it again.

Point Shoes

Check out this fascinating mini-documentary called "Point Shoes" that Galen Summer edited and directed for the New York City Ballet.

Then, when you're done, go to Galen's website and check out his other videos... my favorites were the one about making tutus and the one about a pas de deux from the dancer's perspective (obviously) but the others were pretty awesome too!

p.s. LOVE the guy from the "Whisky Stones" video and the scenery from that video is beautiful and has officially cemented my desire to move to Vermont.

Dancin' Through the Pages

Last, last weekend (well Friday and Saturday actually) my ballet studio held its spring recital. This year, instead of doing a full length ballet, we did a themed recital with lots of different dances all based on the theme "Dancin' Through the Pages." So, each dance represented a book, like Don Quixote, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Miss. Muffet, or Guess How Much I Love You. The only exception was our "big girl" piece, which was called "The Classics Revisited" and not really based on anything.

"The Classics Revisited" was actually really cool. It was an almost 15 minute, three movement piece, done to Pachelbel's Canon, the third movement to Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, and Black Violin's Brandenburg (a crazy hip-hopized version of Brandenburg No. 3's second movement). See the videos below for the soundtrack. I apologize in advance for Brandenburg's crazy music video. 

  Pachelbel's Canon                                   Brandenburg No. 3 Mvt. 3

 

Brandenburg

Anyway, it was really cool. And we got to wear pretty costumes.

My other role in the recital was as Little Miss. Muffet. I got to wear a killer wig. (literally killer... I (and everyone else who got to witness the epic event) almost died from laughter the first time I tried to wear that thing. It was crazy. And it almost flew off my head while I was turning. But a slight haircut and several (hundred) well placed bobby pins later and it was much more wearable.

My spider was pretty darn adorable too.

Ailey = Amazing.

On Monday evening about 20 girls from my ballet school and I, along with a few parent chaperone/drivers, and our teachers, trapised (well drove actually) down to Lexington to see Ailey II perform at Washington and Lee University.

Needless to say it was beyond amazing. Here are a few highlights from what we saw.

Revelations is probably one of the most iconic pieces from the Alvin Ailey repertory.

This is a video from the Ailey website with highlights from Revelations.

Another cool piece we saw was one called Takademe.

This is another highlight video from that.

Appreciation

As many of you know, when I came home from college last year, in an attempt to stave off boredom and re-trim/tone my trim and toneless figure, I decided to start taking classes again at the ballet studio I'd been going to since I was four. It was slightly strange since most of the girls in the class hadn't even been born by the time I was entering the second grade.

Any how, every spring my studio does this thing called the Performance Awards, which is basically a "series of distinctive choreographic compositions over 12 levels, that students perform before an audience of parents and friends." I did Levels 7-12 before I graduated and went off to college. Now, I've come full circle. Since the end of January I've been coaching the two girls who are doing Level 12, teaching them the variations, pointing out their mistakes, offering moral support, and generally helping them conquer the enormous battle that is Level 12.

On Thursday night I went to their final rehearsal to offer a small amount of critique, a medium amount of tips, and a huge helping of compliments.

I received something even better. Appreciation. It's such a nice feeling to know that you made a difference and contributed to someone's life and it's equally awesome to know that those people appreciated it. 

I've never felt quite so touched as I did on Thursday evening when the girls and my teachers presented me with a present and thank you card for the help I had given them these past few months. I will never forget that evening.

You can't tell from this picture, but the scarf is a beautiful cornflower blue color that I'm told goes beautifully with my eyes ☺

Nutcracker Round Deux

Last week I revisited my high school years yet again and participated in my ballet studio's production of The Nutcracker... not just as a Party Lady, but also as a Sugar Plum Attendant and a member of the Flower Corps.

What does this mean, you ask?

It means... I GOT TO WEAR A TUTU!!! Something I thought I'd never be able to do again. Great times.

 Party Ladies... The three of us on the right were former SAB dancers, it was fun to dance together again!

 Can you find me? I think I blend in pretty well!

When I Was Four, I Never Would Have Taken This Off...

We got a new onesie at Grandma's last week and I am obsessed with it. It reminds me of Angelina Ballerina, which was one of the reasons I started taking ballet when I was four... I was obsessed with those books too.

A closeup of the super cute ballerina mice

It's times like these that I really wish I had a three-year-old daughter!

Once Upon A Time

A week ago today, I was fulfilling my unrequited dreams of being in the Little Mermaid and Cinderella. In the process I got to wear three different hairstyles, including two wigs, was compared to Lady Gaga, Prince Valiant, Velma, and an awkward Asian, learned that Marie Antoinette was the one who said "Let them eat cake," and wore super fun pink pointe shoes. It was a blast!