Nucracker 2013

 I should be more tired than I am right now but I guess I'm still living of the Nutcracker adrenaline! Nutcracker ended on Saturday with 2 shows and a cast party. We were at the theatre that last day for more than 12 hours! All in all I'd have to say that all the shows went well. I danced well in all 6 shows and there was only two major problems.  Just an accedental plastic snow avalanch right before the Snow Scene on Sunday night! The tech guy pulled the wrong rope and instead of the snow back drop appearing, all the snow fell on stage! It was really slippery durning the running sections but we were all careful and danced the best we could. This mistake turned out a blessing in the end because the light of the plastic made for some amazing pictures! Also on the last two nights are Nutcracker started trowing up. They had to cut his solo and the coda. He only danced a little bit in the Party and Battle scenes. Even with hand sanitizer on each side of the stage, other people started getting sick. It was a nightmare, but in the end we pulled off our last 3 shows. 

Last week week we did a Nutcracker demonstration for the local elementary schools and a photo shoot. For the video credits we also got to dance in fron of a green screen that will turn us into sillouettes. The local newspaper did en article on our production which they do every year. We are now on a two week winter break, but my teacher said he will call me if he goes to the studio and holds some morning classes. I'm just glad to not have the whole two weeks off! Now for some serious stretching and holiday cheer! Merry Christmas! 

BTW: The boy who I take morning classes with is auditioning for Boston Ballet's summer program. Good luck to him!               

Snow Scene

Eliana Girard, ballet dancer and winner of So You Think You Can Dance Season 9

 It was so inspiring to watch a ballet dancer win my favorite dance show!

Natalie Kusch

Nutcracker, its so close!

Ahhhh! Nutcracker is 9 days away! As with all performances, I have had a ton of reahursals right now. All day Saturday and at least twice during the week. I started running Spanish every morning in stead of grand allegro and I am pleased to say that it has gotten much better! This week is our last week of normal classes. We start dress and tech reahursals next week and we are doing a demonstration for some local schools.Oh, how I love these final weeks of crazy preparation! (Please feel free to write in the comments section about your busy Nutcracker life. I'd love to hear what other schools are doing!)

Victoria's Amazing Story

                                                              WOW!!!

The Amazing Pirouettes of Adeline Pastor

                                              I LOVE FOUETTES!!!

Ballet: A Beautiful Strength

Some times I wish people knew how hard ballet is, but then again the effortless look of it makes it so beautiful...

Ballet: Live For Seconds

Random Acts of Ballet

How many of us have just been walking down the street then suddenly burst into ballet? It's a reflex I guess!

Free Style vs. Ballet

I like how they are not competing against one another, but combinding the two types of dance.

Nutcracker Season

Well, it's that time again...Nutcracker season has begun! I am a Snowflake in the Snow Scene and one of the three Spanish dancers in Act 2. We have already learned the choreography, so now we are just practicing, practicing, practicing, trying to make everything perfect! We are doing 6 shows this year; two weekends. This may not be a lot compared to professional schools but it is more than we've ever done before. I'm so excited, the more stage time the better! Backstage time is always exciting as well...;)

Oh, the memories! Massage circles, sweatpants and tutus, dancing to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in the dressingroom, and going to lunch in our stage makeup. And  what about those down times backsatge when everyone is to tired to talk, and to tired to move.  Of course there are some not so good memories. I'll never forget when I totally forgot what was next and ran on stage not knowing what I was doing. Somehow I managed to run out at the right time, behing the right person. That was a horrible feeling, not knowing what you are supposed to be doing. 

I'll try to write more and keep you posted on Nutcracker news. Untill next time,  have fun and keep dancing!

Whats Up in My Dance Life Right Now

      Wow, what a busy two weeks I've had! I started homeschool and mornng ballet classes. Its been weird but also amazing.  Every morning I drink my green smoothy, put my hair in a bun, and do a little school. Then I go to the studio and do a two hour ballet class. No matter how tired or sore I am, I have to quikly change into regular clothes and get back to school. By 5:00, I'm back at the studio. I've got the best of both worlds, right!?
        Just over the past week, I've improved so much! Because there is only two people in the class, we do everything twice on each side. Just in the exersiss alone I do more that 100 turns in one class! If we have time at the end of class, we stretch, talk, and watch amazing dance videos on YouTube. Its so, so hard but it's totally worth the sweat, blisters, almost-tears, and the weird looks people give me when I tell them I'm homeschooled!
     Nutcracker auditions were on Saturday. Everyone in the school gets a part no matter how they did in the audition, but it's still nerve racking! In my audition we did small parts on pointe from the Spanish, Angel, and Sheperdess dances. My teacher said that they may be re-choerographing some of the dances and they might bring in a new choreographer. I wonder what that intails!
     Well, thats my life right now. If anyone reading this does homeschool or is at a dance boardingschool, please tell me what your life is like. I'd love to hear from you! 
                                                                                                      See ya!
    
   

Maria Kochetkova

Summer Stretching Picture Diary (I did stretch more than this I promise, but these are the only ones I took pictures of!)

June 20

         



                                                     

August 12

August 19

August 22

August 27

Jet Glue: For when you need your pointe shoes to last one more show

Chinese Acrobatic Swan Lake

                                               How is she doing this?!?!?!

Aria Alekzander: Houston Ballet

I love when she is sitting in the splits with her toes pointed, flexing and relaxing her calves. I have totally done that! I also like how she is such a good jumper and turner. Some times it seems that only male dancers do fancy jumps and turns and ballerinas do more developpes. I'm better at jumping and turning so I like watching ballerinas doing that kind of stuff.

Even MORE Little Dance Things!

I know I've already posted twice about Little Dance Things but I've found even more been-there-done-that smile worthy quotes. To get the whole scoop check out littledancethings.tumblr.com, then tell me what ones you like best.

Rhythmic Gymnastics: I Wan't to be This Flexible!

When I showed my friend this video she said "If I ever see you doing that I will scream!" This video has definitely inspired me to stretch more at home...a lot more!

More Little Dance Things...

Little Dance Things

I know some of these are hard to see but they are so so true! Try looking them up on google, there are thousands of them! Click on the picture for a better look.

Fall Ballet Session

Hey guys, long time no write! Summer ballet is done and I've already been on 2 camping trips. I can't wait for fall ballet to start. I'm now in level 5 and will be starting home school so I can take extra morning classes. I'm sooo exited but also a little nervous...OK more than a little! I worried about leaving my school friends but I know I'll be able to still see them and I have lots of friends at church and at the dance studio. In the morning classes we will be really focusing on fixing my flaws which will help me improve so much though it will be hard at times. I guess I'll do anything for dance!


                                                    Fall 2013-Spring 2014 Class Schedule 
Monday- ballet 4/5 5:45-7:30
Tuesday- Advanced ballet 10:45-1:00, Ballet 4/5 5:00-6:45, Advanced Contemporary 6:45-7:45
Wednesday- Advanced Ballet 10:45-1:00, Ballet 5 5:00-6:45, Advanced Pointe 6:45-7:45
Thursday- Advanced Ballet 10:45-1:00, Ballet 3/4 5:00-6:45
Friday-Advanced Ballet 10:45-1:00, Ballet 5 5:00-6:45, Advanced Pointe 6:45-7:30
Saturday- Ballet 5 11:45-1:30

Ballerina Pool Party!

This is what happens when ballerinas get together for a pool party, less swimming more split leaps! Please don't mind the bent knees and low jumps...It's really hard to this into a pool!

Feet, a dancer's obsession

  Society seems to be obsessed with feet. Many think they are gross and try to make them pretty by getting pedicures or wearing cute shoes. Ballet dancers are also obsessed with making our feet look pretty but not with nail polish or strappy wedges. We are obsessed with the line of our legs and feet. Have you ever tried to explain to a friend what makes a dancers feet beautiful? It's really hard! We dancers just know it when we see it.

   It's not just about the arch that makes a good foot it's also the way it is shaped. You could have great feet but they won't look as good if you don't shape them. Having beautiful feet isn't just for looks, if you shape and use your feet right it will have an effect on all areas of your dancing.

    I have nice archy, pretty feet myself. My feet are really wide and short so it's hard to find a pointe shoe that fits well and looks good. I have had many different brands of pointe shoes but I really like Freed of London and Repettos. I like a shoe with a higher or V shaped vamp because it holds my wide feet in better. Because my feet are so flexible they shorten a lot when I go up on pointe, which causes the heel of my shoe to sometimes slip off during an exercise. I've found that if you put water, rosin or hair spray on the heel of your tights it helps the shoe stay put. For padding in my pointe shoe I only use a Bunheads Ouch Pouch and band-aids if I have a blister.

   

 Freed of London size 3 1/2 EE

I like Freeds because they have a nice high V-vamp and they come in wide sizes. They are really hard at first so I rub the sides of the vamp to make easier to use my feet in.

Repetto size 4 1/2 XML

I am currently wearing Repettos. They also have a high vamp and they come in wide sizes. I like them because they shape my feet well and aren't as hard to break in as Freeds. I like when they get really soft and they move with your feet like a second skin... and they make my feet look amazing!

Svetlana Zakharova

Polina Semionova

And these are my feet!
 

The Whirling Queen: Viengsay Valdes

WOW! That's really all I can say! I think Viengsay Valdes just became my new favorite dancer! It makes me dizzy just watching her!

Ivan Vasiliev and Viengsay Valdes in Don Quixote

I know this is a really long video but I know you guys will love it! Both Ivan Vasiliev and Viengsay Valdes are absolutely amazing!

I'm sooo sore!

  

 I just finished my first day back at ballet and I'm soooo sore! Everything from my knees down is throbbing. I'm writing this laying on my bed icing my ankles. I went swimming after ballet which cooled my legs down and helped the pain a lot. We had a 2 hour ballet class this morning which was pretty intense then a variation class where we learned Raymonda's Daydreams variation 2 (see video above). After that we had a improv/choreography class which wasn't that much dancing today. Even though I was pretty much dead by the end of the first class, I've never loved it more. I like being sore because it means that I worked hard. I was so exited to be back once I got to the studio I couldn't stop smiling.

Turn Boards: A Dancer's Must-Have

For Christmas I got a Turn Board. Some ballet dancers used to saw off the backs of chairs and use the slippery side to spin around on to practice spotting. The turn board is a new take on spotting practice. It will keep turning while you spot. It's great because you don't have to worry about falling off of demi-pointe and you can find your center while spinning easier than in a regular turn. It has helped me a lot on just relaxing and spotting hard. Be careful the first couple of times though, the board has a tendency to shoot out from under you! You can get a turn board at balletisfun.com. I recommend this product for all dancers who want to make their turns better.

Yuan Yuan Tan, principle ballerina at the San Francisco Ballet

This is an interview with Yuan Yuan Tan of the San Francisco Ballet. I first watched Yuan Yuan Tan on TV in the SFB's Nutcracker. She was the Snow Princess, a role that I had done a couple years earlier. It was cool to watch a professional do the same part I did. She is such a graceful dancer with incredible lines and feet. I like this video because it tells a lot about how her ballet career took off and the problems she had in the beginning. Please tell me what you think of this and my other videos, I love feedback!

Polina Semionova, a true ballet beauty

I know what I want to do for the rest of my life

I've always known that I wanted to be a professional ballerina but now I know for sure that all I want to with life is dance. We had some professional dancers come and be in our show. It was so incredible to watch them in class as well as on stage. They made everything look effortless and beautiful. I want to be just like that. Ballet is definitely my love and passion. I'm going to work super hard no matter how difficult it may seem. I've even been stretching more and doing some core workouts which normally I do not like. I've actually gotten to the point were it doesn't hurt that bad to stretch in the splits anymore, I enjoy being able to bend my body like that. I guess its a good sign when I don't like breaks because it means no studio time. I just I hope I can be a good dancer, it's so hard to make it big in the ballet world.

Chisako Oga

        You may not have heard of the young and talented Chisako Oga but I'm sure you will in the near future. Chisako is a 17 year old ballerina who trains at San francisco Ballet School. She was invited to participate in the Prix de Lausanne when she was 15, which from what I've seen on you tube, she did amazing! Chisako also competed in the YAGP NYC finals for 2012.

Chisako Oga in Supernova choreographed by Asuka Kondoh at the YAGP NYC finals 2012(top) and in a pirouette combination en pointe(bottom)

I can't wait for my summer intensive classes to start!

 Hi fellow bunheads!

     I just finished another great show and have a two week break before summer classes start up.What to do? I'm soooo bored without dance! I'm stretching my way through ballet withdrawal. In the words of one of my dance friends "Here comes some severe post-show depression!" You know you're a true ballet fanatic when you ask your dance teacher if you can come in to the studio and give yourself class even when they aren't there. Been there, done that!  Oh well, only 4 days left until the summer dance sessions start.

      I'm really exited for my summer intensive classes. Two hour ballet classes every morning followed by Variation on Mondays and Wednesdays, or Stretch and Strength on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Later I have Improv/Choreography or Contemporary/Jazz, depending on the day. On Fridays I have an hour pointe class. That means I'll be at the studio 5 days a week(during the school year I normally do 6 days a week) for a grand total of 19.5 hours a week! Yippee!!! 

Keep dancing and I'll talk/write to you later!

Look for more "thanks -to-dance" quotes in my up-coming posts. I love them, they are so true!          
           

Comfortable Stretching, There is such a thing!

I stretch comfortable!

What you need to stretch comfortable:
1. stretchy pants
2. Fuzzy socks (to slide into the splits and to keep your feet warm)
3. A blanket (to keep you warm)
4. A pillow (Hey, the floor is hard!)
5. Ear buds and music
6. A snack
7. A Nerf gun (to keep unwanted stretching partners away!)

Pointe Shoes

        I just hung my 9th pair of pointe shoes up to rest. Including the two pairs I'm currently wearing, I have used 11 pairs of pointe shoes. That is nothing compared to professionals and even some of my older ballet friends. I read in Pointe Magazine once that Yuan Yuan Tan from the San Francisco ballet goes through 4 or more pairs in a performance week, and that's like every week!
         What is really cool about my first pair of pointe shoes (Repetto brand) is that my Grandpa John bought them for me. He died two years ago with pancreatic cancer and now I have those pointe shoes as well as many other things, to remember him by.

Look, My Cat Wants To Be A Dancer Too!

When I was going through my ballet bag, like I do every weekend, my cat Oreo joined in on the fun. I don't know if it was the smell that made him climb onto my bag or if he was just trying to figure out what was blocking his/my bed. Whatever his motive, he climbed onto that bag like it was a pillow and started sniffing around. It was hilarious to watch. Thanks for the laugh, Oreo!

Happy Mother's Day!

        I'd like to dedicate this post to my mom. She has been a huge part of my life at home, at school and at ballet. My mom drives me everywhere and makes sure I 'm where I need to be when I need to be there. She makes sure I'm safe, happy, and healthy. She is the one who took me to my first ballet class all those years ago. When I didn't want to go to ballet, she'd drag me there anyway because she knew what as good for me. During performance time my mom helps do make-up, hair, and alter costumes. We may have our differences, but my mom has had a huge effect on my life and has helped form who I am today. Love you Mama!

Let me introduce myself

     Hi, I'm Girl with a bun, your all new ballet blogger! I'm so exited to make a space online were ballet dancers (myself included) can talk about what we enjoy most: dancing! I started ballet when I was 3 years old but really got serious about it when I switched ballet schools at age 10. That's when I started my life en pointe.

        If your anything like me, all you can think about is ballet. I'm at the ballet studio pretty much all of my spare time but to tell you the truth I wish I lived there! If I had keys to the studio and could drive, I would be there 24-7 whether my ballet teachers were there or not.

        I've been in many performances such as The Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Surealia, an original ballet by David Roxander and Jody White. I love performing in front of huge audiences and just working in the studio with my dance instructors and fellow dancers.

        My favorite dancers are Russian prima ballerina Polina Semionova and French prima ballerina Sylvie Guillem and a younger, newer ballerina Chisako Oga.  

        Look forward to upcoming posts on my favorite ballets and ballerinas, pointe shoe reviews, how to's and more!
            Until later, happy dancing!

P.S I love feed back so please comment on my posts