Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays everybody! :D

Find of the Week!

With Christmas right around the corner, I figured people are going to need some gift ideas whether it's for a teacher, friend or family member. So here are some great gift-related finds for this week. :)

Glitter Ballerina Ornament from Discount Dance Supply

These little ornaments are really cute and really cheap. A super easy gift for basically any dancer. Here's the link: http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/dancewear/shoes/page1

2011 Balanchine Calendar from Discount Dance Supply

I get this calendar almost every year and the pictures are just gorgeous. It's inspiring to wake up every morning and see some of my favorite dances of all time on the wall.

http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/dancewear/shoes/page1

Sure Foot Foot Rubz™ Massager from Discount Dance Supply

Whatever dancer you buy this for will love you forever. http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/dancewear/mens-and-unisex/page1

Dance Sweatshirt from Dancewear Solutions

Warm-ups are an easy gift for any dancer and the best part is... They will get used. Every dancer loves a good variety of warm-ups. I'm actually asking for this sweatshirt for Christmas... Hehe :)

http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/gift_guide/UC1812.aspx

Alrighty! So there you have a few holiday gift ideas. Thanks for reading everyone!

Ballerinablogger~

Favorite Dancers

We all have our favorite dancers. Those artists whom we look up to and admire and continue to help us work harder everyday. I learn new names and watch new talent all the time, but these five dancers are the ones that never fail to impress me and take my breath away. Here are my top five role models :)

5: Lucia Lacarra
Lucia is a principal ballet dancer with the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich. Her gorgeous lines and captivating expressions have bewildered me since I saw this video.

4: Alina Cojocaru
A member of the Royal Ballet, Alina guest performs with artists worldwide and has performed practically every role in the book. My favorite of hers being her adorable and innocent portrayal of "Aurora" in the "Sleeping Beauty."


3: Sylvie Guillem
Sylvie Guillem is arguably the definition of the perfect ballerina. Her legs extend for miles and her feet are more arched than any other foot I've ever seen. Her body seems to move without ever touching the ground. This was the first video I ever saw of her and my jaw literally dropped.


2: Svetlana Zakharova
Svetlana is a principle dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow as well as a guest performer around the globe. Built similarly to Sylvie Guillem with her arched feet and long lines, she is a gorgeous dancer but I think what captivated me was her amazing acting ability. She devotes herself to a role completely, body, mind and soul.



1: Polina Semionova
Polina has become a bit of an Internet sensation in the ballet world. As she dances in a music video that she was fortunate enough to be cast in, feeling just seeps out from her body with every perfect point of her foot or develope of her leg. I've never found another dance video that celebrates the human body quite as well. Polina has a beautiful womanly shape and is made up of practically nothing but muscle. Her genuine expressions transform her into a totally believable character. She is without a doubt my favorite ballerina.


Who's your greatest role model? What ballerina do you watch when you're in need of inspiration? Post a comment below to let us know :)

Thanks for reading!

Ballerinablogger~

Backstage at the Nutcracker

Here are some pics of our backstage fun! :)

Audience! :D

I was tired... And the table looked comfortable...

My sister who we call the "Card Shark" :P

We play A LOT of cards backstage

^ Me ^

Little pages at their first rehearsal on stage! :)

Stage lights

Hmm... I think Drosselmeyer brought one doll too many. ;)

Party Girls in the first act

Peanutbutter straight from the jar. :)

Top Dance Blog Contest - Dance Advantage

Hey readers! I was recently left a comment regarding a competition for the "Top Dance Blog" and would like to send a thank-you to the blogger who left it. Thank you! :)

So, I've gladly decided to enter the competition. I've been running this blog for about a year and a half and SO much has happened in that time frame. As I look back at all of my posts throughout the year it's just crazy to see how much can change in such a short amount of time... (Gah! Now I'm getting all weepy-eyed!)

Well ANYWAY, here's the link to the contest in case any of you other ballet-bloggers wanted to submit your blog: http://danceadvantage.net/2010/12/08/top-dance-blog/

You can support my blog in the contest by voting! All you have to do is post a comment below! Just something short and sweet would be awesome! :D To help any further you can spread the word about my blog on Facebook/Twitter or even in person to your friends. Don't forget to tell them to vote too! :)

Thank you to every last one of my readers, you guys are truly awesome!

Ballerinablogger~

Keeping Your Head in the Game

Christmas vacation is coming right up! (Where has the time gone?!) Over vacation we tend to lose a lot of the capability we had worked so hard for all year. First you lose your fouettes, then your turning ability, then slowly, your flexibility goes down the drain. Auditions for many schools and summer camps are in January, not long after vacation. You'll want to be in tip top shape when those auditions roll around. Of course you should take time to slow down and enjoy the holidays while they're here, but here are some easy things you can do to keep some of that much-worked-for dexterity.

• Stretch. While you're sitting down in your living room watching the super bowl or some cheesy holiday special, lay yourself in a split. Stay there for a few minutes before switching to the other side. You'd be surprised how infulential stretching over vacation can be.
• Jog. Keep that stamina up. After your big holiday feasts grab a few family members/friends and jog around your festively decked town. It's actually a LOT more fun than it sounds, I promise. :)
• Plie. Stand at a window, hold onto a chair/table, whatever could suit as a barre and do a short barre. This is also a good time to correct any habits that you previously had as your body will forget how exactly to do things and it's a lot easier to correct those no-no's all we all have.

• Rest yourself. We have vacation for a reason, we need to give our hardworking bodies a break. Don't go overboard with any exercises/stretches as that defeats the purpose of the much needed rest. ;) It's the most wonderful time of the year... Enjoy it.

For any questions, comments or if you just want to talk you can either leave a comment below or contact me at: twilightdancer3@yahoo.com.
Thanks guys!
Ballerinablogger~

I'm Still Alive!

Sorry I haven't written a while guys. Life's been crazy. Nutcracker has just finished and I started drivers ed the day after the first show. Gah! Busy busy...

Here are some pictures from the performance:

 These photos ©Chris Church

There should be more up soon, but as of right now that's all I could get a hold of. :)

I thought I was gonna be really nervous to perform this role. I mean for my first solo... That's a pretty big task at hand. But as I was waiting in the wings, putting some rosin on my shoes and pacing like I always do before a show, I stopped and realized that I wasn't nervous at all. It was the strangest thing because usually before a performance I can get quite jittery and those butterflies in my stomach are really apparent. But it was awesome to take my partners hand, hear that incredibly climactic music and feel completely ready to run out on that stage.

I think the trick to calming those nerves is to not have to think. After months of running that dance over... and over... and over again, I was quite confident that I knew it. So before going on stage I wasn't constantly running it in my head. In fact, I wasn't thinking about it at all. I was just watching the dancers before me, going about my pre-performance routine completely calm. Maybe at a certain point you have enough experience to not worry as much anymore. Obviously it's not good to not worry AT ALL but you want to feel prepared and confident that you can go out there and perform to the best of your ability.

Thanks for reading/checking in guys! I'll post ASAP!

Ballerinablogger~

Find of the Week!

Bunheads Heavyweight Performance Lashes

http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/new-arrivals/page1

These lashes are my absolute favorite. They are comfortable, cheap and look awesome on a stage. I wear false eyelashes for every performance and have had a great experience with these every time. They're a little long for my eye so I have to trim the edges down a little bit but other than that they're perfect! :) I would highly recommend these.

Resting

So as you may already know, I will be performing in the Nutcracker in 11 days now. (Yikes!) With all of the rehearsing going on, I've been doing the same steps over... And over... And over again. Somehow I managed to tear a muscle in my inner thigh... NOT good! Whenever I put my right leg back into an attitude I can feel it pulling and it hurts so incredibly bad. And the worst part is, I'll be performing the role of Lead Spanish so I'm doing a lot of attitudes. I'm in quite the sticky spot.

Sometimes you have to know when to preserve yourself. Although the shows are a mere 11 days away, I'd prefer to mark (marking is when you pretend to do the movements without doing them full out) those specific steps now rather than doing them full out and my muscle being even worse for the performances. When you have an injury it's really important to allow it to heal. If you injure yourself right before a performance and still find yourself going onstage despite it, thankfully we have those powerful adrenaline rushes to keep us going.

One year I had a fracture in my left foot that was probably the most physically painful thing I've ever gone through. I was performing Waltz of the Flowers which is a remarkably long dance. At the beginning I would step onstage and feel just fine. The adrenaline had kicked in and I hardly noticed the pain at all. As the dance continued and the adrenaline began to wear off, I could feel the fracture more and more. By the end of the dance I literally wanted to drop dead. After the performances were all through I took a much needed vacation and allowed the fracture to heal.

Injuries during a show are no fun at all but they do happen. Sometimes you can prevent them and sometimes it's just an unfortunate twist of fate. Once you've pinpointed an injury, it's crucial that you take it easy. There's NO way I'm giving up my role in the Nutcracker so for the next few days I'm going to be as cautious as I can and hopefully it'll be better in time for the show.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Ballerinablogger~

Find of the Week

Nike Sport Elite Water Bottle

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4263300&cp=&sr=1&kw=water+bottle&origkw=water+bottle&pg=3&parentPage=search

I don't know about you, but I don't go ANYWHERE without my water bottle. I even put mine on the edge of the auditorium stage during rehearsals. And during actual shows it's right in the wings for me to grab as soon as I come off. I drink a lot of water... Like A LOT! A couple of my friends have this bottle and love it. It's an average size and doesn't alter the taste of the water. I think everyone should have a water bottle with them when doing any kind of dancing.

Tending to the Toes

This time of year a ballerina's feet get completely butchered. All the hours of classes and rehearsals start to really add up. And it's not just the holiday season/ballet dancers. Competitions can take a serious toll on all kinds of dancers and any performance, period, means extra hours of dancing and rehearsing. It's inevitable that your feet will get beat up, but there are ways to take care of them so you can prevent internal injuries as well as external.

I've been on pointe for six years now. I was looking through some photos and I found a picture of my feet after my first week on pointe. And I thought it was bad then! HA!

Before six years of pointe:

After six years of pointe:Holy crap my bunions have gotten bad...

ANYWAY, here are some great tips and products for keeping your feet in tip-top-shape.

• Dr. Roth's Foot Fixer Kit: http://www.drroths.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.footfixer


• Roll a tennis ball underneath the ball of your foot to massage those muscles. It feels awesome!
  

• Take a foot bath. It really helps tremendously.
• Although it may seem as though it wouldn't really do much, washing your feet can feel fantastic and also relieves your family members of that not-so-pleasant smell. This foot wash makes my feet feel so much better afterwards and I love that minty smell. :) http://www.drroths.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.footwash
• Keep your feet wrapped up in something warm. When your muscles are cold they don't function as smoothly and can even tend to crack.
• Warm your feet up before dancing. Stretch them out, flex them and do a few ankle roles before you begin your day of dancing.

I hope these help! Dancing is such hard work and sometimes we dancers forget to take care of ourselves. Always take time to care for your body.

Ballerinablogger~

Find of the Week

Bunheads Hair Pins

http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/dancewear/gifts-and-accessories/page1

At ballet class it's a requirement for your hair to be nicely pulled back and away from your face. I use these hairpins to put in my bun every single day and they're awesome. My hair is super thin and can be difficult to pull back as it will just slip out of my fingers or fall out of a hair elastic. These pins plus a hair net keep my hair in place whether it's for a class, a rehearsal or a show.

I know many girls with thick hair who also use these pins and love them as well. They'll work with any different type of hair.

Dancers + Asthma

As we all know, dancing is not easy. It takes a TON of effort and is utterly exhausting. I come out of most classes/rehearsals panting like a dog with sweat stains all over me. (Beautiful mental image, I know) Sometimes there are medical issues prohibiting us from giving 100%. I, like many other dancers, have Asthma.

Asthma is a condition that affects the air passages of the lungs. The air passages are inflamed meaning the airways are red and swollen. Different things can "trigger" asthma. For example, when I run (especially in cold weather) I can feel my Asthma start to kick in. We would call that exercises induced Asthma.

Asthma is definitely something that you should talk to your doctor about. You can get an inhaler to temporarily ease your symptoms. (To get one first talk to your doctor)

(Inhaler)

If you feel you have trouble breathing while you dancer or perform any kind of physical activity please speak to your doctor. Keep in mind that many people have asthma and still find ways to do the activities that they love.

Quick Update

Hey everyone! I know I haven't been posting a lot recently, Nutcracker rehearsals plus the "Night of Broadway" plus schoolwork has me really wrapped up. I have a couple of articles coming up for ya that I think you'll all really enjoy. Just bear with me and I'll have them up soon!
Thanks for sticking around!

Ballerinablogger~

Find of the Week

This week's find is:

Go Girl! Post Earrings

by Discount Dance Supply

http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/dancewear/gifts-and-accessories/page1

In many performances the dancers are required to wear "stage earrings". (Aka anything big and shiny) At my local dance store I paid over $20.00 for these same earrings and at Discount Dance Supply you can buy them for only $8.50 (plus shipping and handling). I wear these earrings for every show and they really stand out when the light hits them. During corps de ballet roles my grandmother watches for the shine so she can find me. :P

They stay very securely on your ears, I haven't had any mishaps with them before. The only downside I can think of is that having them on for a really long period of time can make my ears start to hurt. I usually will take them off in between shows and give my ears a rest.

I love these earrings and highly recommend them.

Ballerinablogger~

Find of the Week

The great find for this week is:
Hand Knit Mukluks Link 1: http://www.mexicaliblues.com/Winter-Accessories/Hand-Knit-Mukluks/PAKFADPIKPGPMKHI/3037-3084/Product

Link 2: http://globalvillageimports.com/index.cgi/pid=7%7C45%7C486/Wool_Mukluks_with_Leather_Sole.htm

Link 3: http://www.amazon.com/Mukluks-Wool-Slipper-Leather-Medium/dp/B001NFQSBG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1286911042&sr=8-2

Mukluks are basically like slippers and I use mine almost on a daily basis. They are so warm and comfortable! During shows when I'm at the auditorium all day, I'll wear these around the dressing room and even over my pointe shoes to keep my feet warm. Although they are fairly durable, I would not suggest wearing them outside. I've had mine for almost four years and they're still going strong! Some people disagree, but I find that putting them through the washer/dryer on a gentle cycle helps a lot. It almost restores them to their original quality. These things are affordable and awesome and they make amazing presents! For our Secret Santa we do at the ballet school every year, most dancers buy these. :P They come in a bunch of different colors and I've never seen two exactly alike.
Mukluks can be bought in various stores but the best/cheapest, in my opinion, you can buy at the links above.

Thanks for reading guys!

Ballerinablogger~

The Breaking Pointe (No pun intended... Nevermind, pun was intended)

"How much is too much?"

A fantastic question.



I'm sure that many of you out there wish you could be dancing 24/7. Don't worry, cuz you're not alone. I wish I had a wide open space in my house where I could dance every day for as long as I want. But there's one problem... I'm human.
Humans aren't meant to keep going and going, never having a break, never tiring. There's a very specific line that we all have and frequently cross. This line is the line of exhaustion and when you cross it you're not the happiest camper in the world. It's important to know where this line is because pushing yourself too hard can result in injury.
I've definitely crossed that exhaustion line before and it resulted as a fracture in my left foot... Two years in a row. Both fractures occurred around Nutcracker season when rehearsal time was pushed to the max and classes were shifted into full gear. I learned where my "line" is the hard way. Hopefully none of you will have to learn about your body the same way I did so I'm gonna share some tips on not only how to know your body, but also how to know when your rehearsal schedule is taking a serious toll on the other aspects of your life.


Number 1: Pay attention!
That tingling feeling in your legs that is making them move like jelly is no accident. Your body is clearly telling you something. Now this doesn't mean that you get to go take off your pointe shoes in the middle of class and then watch for the rest of it. This just means that when you feel you have reached your line, slow yourself down.



Number 2: Listen to your family members.
When your family is constantly complaining about how you're always at dancing and never have time for anything else, chances are it's getting to be a little too much. Life is short and I promise you that you'll find things other than dancing that you will want to do whether it conflicts with your schedule or not.
For the past few weeks I had been rehearsing for three different shows at once on top of regular classes. Now, I obviously love dancing but this was WAY too much for me. Thankfully we finished up with one show on Saturday and now I only have two shows to worry about. Even still, this is a lot of work. One of the shows is our traditional Nutcracker and the other is a "Night of Broadway" where singers/dancers from all around the state come together to put on a fabulous performance with over 40 numbers. I'm only in 3 or 4 numbers (I don't even know what I'm in yet... This is getting scary!) but you should know that Nutcracker is first and foremost, my priority. Night of Broadway is a performance I was asked (more like begged) to be in and I knew when I committed to it that I wouldn't be able to make it to many of the rehearsals because they overlap with Nutcracker rehearsals. The director of the show wanted me in the performance so badly, he wants to rehearse with me in the hallways whenever I have free time!


So clearly that's a lot of occupied time and I, like many others, have a hard time saying "no" especially when someone really needs/wants me in a show. I'm a relatively quick learner and am confident that I can learn this dance in no time which is the main reason why I agreed. Saying no can be extremely difficult but sometimes it's for the best. Not only can rehearsing overwork your body, it can overwork your mind. Having twenty different dances floating around up there can be very stressful and can make it very hard to focus.

All in all, saying no is NOT a bad thing and sometimes you have to put your own/your families well-being first.

Thanks for reading guys!

Ballerinablogger~

Find of the Week

Here's the featured dance supply item for this week:

Body Wrappers® Pointe Shoe Ruffer

I absolutely LOVE mine! I use it almost every day and it really comes in handy for shows. The purpose of this nifty little tool is too roughen up the soles of your pointe shoes to make them less slippery. It's utterly amazing! You can use it with any brand of pointe shoes (with the exception of Gaynor Mindens). I wear Russian Pointes and it works fabulously. You can find the Pointe Shoe Ruffer on Discount Dance Supply(http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=/search.php) and be sure to look for it at your local dance store.

I'm serious, this thing is awesome! :)

Pics From Western Roundup! Weekend #1

Yeah we're silly and stupid, but we're best friends! And we're teenagers which explains a lot! :P

Some sweet photobombing going on here ^ :D

I'm on pointe here fyi! I'm not really that tall. :)

LOVE!

These girls and guys are some of the closest people to me. We're definitely weird and can pull the oddest crap but it is SO much fun! I love you Hannah, Sara, Emily, Sara, Lindsay, Michael, Nathaniel and Maiki!

Getting Into the Nutcracker Mood

Around this time, the time when Nutcracker is beginning to start up and that tiny hint of holiday festiveness is in the air, we have all just begun school and for some have recently resumed ballet classes. It can be tough to feel "into" the awesomeness that is Nutcracker when you're so busy. Here are some things that I do just to remind myself why this is the most wonderful time of the year:

• Listen to the music! How can you hear the Waltz of the Flowers or the Sugarplum variation and not get a little excited? It works like a charm every year and it has never once failed to give me butterflies!
• Watch the movies. A lot of you probably have the classic Nutcrackers on DVD or video. I have the New York City Ballet version and watched it a few days ago. It just pulls you back into the sweet little story and makes you feel like a fascinated little kid again. If you don't already have it... GET IT! You can find it on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Nutcracker-Macaulay-Culkin/dp/B001CW802A/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1285691968&sr=1-1
• Look at the pictures. Whenever I'm feeling down I just look back to the times that I was happiest. Which is usually around Nutcracker time. :) Here are some pics from 09's Nutcracker:

^Let's just not go there... :P ^

Guys, it is really hard for me to concentrate right now when I'm so excited! This year is gonna be so awesome and I'm planning to make a video of my adventures so be sure to stick around! :)

I absolutely love Nutcracker! There's nothing else like it because it's a definite holiday tradition and I grew up performing it from the time I was a little page (A role for to7-9 year olds) to now when I'm dancing in the corps de ballet and am going to be performing Lead Spanish! Everything just feels awesome.

I hope everyone is having a great start to fall! :D

Thanks for all of you who have continued to check in and all of you who are awesome enough to check in for the first time! :)

Ballerinablogger~

Nutcracker Casting!!!

It's finally here! The waiting is OVER! So *drum roll* here it is:

I am a full time Snowflake, a full time flower in Waltz of the Flowers, understudy Marzapan and full time as the lead Spanish dancer!!! I'm so excited!

Lead Spanish is done with a boy so I'll be partnering! SO EXCITED! I could not have asked for anything more! :D
Everything is turning out better than I could have ever imagined!
Thanks for reading but it's a school night and I gotta get some work done!
Bye everybody!

Ballerinablogger~

Waiting...

By now everyone has gone to their Nutcracker auditions and we're all waiting to hear the exciting, or disappointing news. The anticipation is thriving in all of us and we wrestle it with every passing second. You want to know more than anything else exactly what role you'll be learning and performing.

Well, I can tell you with complete honesty that I understand. As we speak I feel butterflies in my stomach, waiting for something that seems a lifetime away. Dealing with that apprehension and anticipation is much more difficult than it seems, believe me, I know. First off, let me just tell you that you are completely normal! Everyone (or at least everyone I know) feels this way too. The second thing I can tell you, is that waiting is the only solution. I feel like I'm suppose to be writing an article about how to deal with the anticipation of casting... But there's really not a whole lot of advice I can give!

^ Make like this moose and walk it off! ^

Waiting sucks. There's no doubt about it. So I'm sorry to not have some great advice to offer you about reeling in that anxiousness, but instead we can exchange our mutual feelings of excitedness/anticipation.

Thanks for reading!

Ballerinablogger~

Happy Birthday to ME!

It's my birthday! Yay!

I've finally turned 15, coincidentally on the first day of ballet classes. :)

When I was born I had a very rare heart condition. It was more frequently found in the elderly but was known for infants in only 50 cases. A doctor who studied that particular illness for a big assignment in finishing school, happened to be near by. I was rushed to that hospital and my parents were told I'd never be able to do anything physical for fear of raising my heart beat. I would be on a medication that would make me overweight and have to constantly monitor my heart. Well... Thank goodness that didn't happen!

I guess I kinda beat the odds and now am doing one of the most physically demanding activities... Ever. I've never had a problem with my heart since.

So I'm gonna take this day as a day to just be thankful for the amazing life I have and the amazing things that are later to come my way... And also to shop... :D

So thank you to everyone who is reading, has read or will eventually read! You guys are superdee duperdee awesome!

Ballerinablogger~

Emotional Dances

I cannot stress how important it is in a performance to emotionally connect with your partner and/or yourself on a very high level. Here are some of my favorite, highly emotional, dance numbers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCF0zvfZJYQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnguqsMQmg4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XCIy2Zkkz8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsU6wq8BKtg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhrxfHCtMJA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-meJHF5QeY&feature=related

Quote of the Week

I knew my way around a stage and was strong, so I could lift my partners up and put them down softly. And the other thing that I understood was the importance of eye contact. It’s essential when you’re performing to remain connected with the person you’re dancing with. I see it on the stage all the time when the dancers drop out of character and for the “look at me thing.” They break that famous fourth wall and let the audience in on the dancer’s private thinking, not the character’s thinking. That will destroy a performance. -James Mitchell- The Dancer Within