Opening Night!!

This is the theater! Not the best picture, but the only one I could find.
You can see the balcony floor at the top right, and the little private
balconies as well. There aren't stairs leading up to the stage, or that
row of lights across the stage shining on the curtains when we dance.

Hey guys! Tonight is opening night for Nutcracker! I'm super excited! On Wednesday we did a complete run-through the whole ballet in the studio, and yesterday we did a Tech/Dress Rehearsal in the theater. I got to the theater at 3:45, and we had a dance class from 4-5:30. It was pretty strange, because we didn't have a studio with barres, we went upstairs and used the railings for the balconies as barres! It really looked awesome. Then we went down to the stage for center. I totally messed up center, with the lights, size, and different floor, I was completely disorientated and couldn't get much right! Ah well. Then, we had an hour to hang around for dress rehearsal to start. We planned on beginning earlier, but our Clara had an interview. I waited until about 6:15 to get changed, and hung out with two other girls in the Jr. Corps who weren't in the first scene, the Party Scene. Then we went backstage in a little room connecting to the wings and helped the girls getting off stage do a quick change out of their big party dresses into their soldier dresses. I'm unofficially in charge of helping with two of the girls, one is a party boy so she doesn't need too much help, and the other is a party girl, and their dresses have 10 little clasps to undo and a big bow, so I need to work quick. Then I run behind the stage to get to the other side to make our entrance. After soldiers, I don't really have anything to do, so maybe I'll stand in the back and watch the performance for a little while, or help the girls in the dressing room.

Tonight I'm reporting at 6:45, the show starts at 7:30. The other girls in the company reported at 11, (yes, they missed school!) to take a class, do a run through of snow and flowers, and then practice with the orchestra. I'm a little nervous I couldn't practice with the orchestra, because they don't always play the same tempo as the CD, so we may have to go faster or slower than we're used to. Tonight, my boyfriend is coming to see me, even though I told him not too. Our costumes aren't exactly cute, and I don't dance much, but he insisted.

Well, I'm going to go get ready! To those new to ballet, in the ballet world instead of saying "Good luck!" or "Break a leg!", we say "Merde!, which is a french word for a four letter word beginning with s. 

Nutcracker Week!!!!!

Hey everyone, I'm back! Nutcracker is in less than a week, the final stretch of rehearsals is approaching fast!  On Sunday I have my normal rehearsal, 2-3:30. Monday and Tuesday I also have class as normal. Wednesday is a full rehearsal in studio (normally we'd be in the theater, but this year I guess it's full). That starts with a ballet class at 4, the run through starts at 6, and I'll be dancing around 6:30, so I'm probably going to be there from 3:45-7:00. Then, Thursday is Tech Rehearsal, which is in the theater. We run through everything, make any corrections, fix spacing, and (the most fun, in my opinion) decorate the dressing rooms! That'll be from around 5:00-8:00. Friday is opening night! The girls with huge parts report pretty early, most girls like Snow Queen and Dew Drop even skip school (with permission) to get to the studio, do a full ballet class, practice the dances with the orchestra, and then warm up for the show. I only need to be there about an hour early. Saturday is the second and final show, starting at 2. Again, I only need to be there about an hour and a half early, and then we're done! It'll be bittersweet, performing always is, because you're finally getting to show off your hard work, but at the same time, the hustle and bustle and fun of rehearsal is over. Then everyone starts looking forward to next year, guessing the parts they'll get.

How is your Nutcracker going? Tell me below!

I'm upset

Hi everyone! Today was another Nutcracker rehearsal, with the adorable mice, mouse queen, captain soldier, and nutcracker. We finally have the whole scene together! Now it's just syncing all the marching up, perfecting the timing, and choreographing the battle between the Mouse Queen and Nutcracker. I also got my costume today! It's white pants and a red long-sleeved zip up jacket with big gold buttons and decorations to look like a soldier jacket. I also got a plastic tall red and gold soldier hat. My father knows one of the mothers of a mouse, and as we were walking to our cars and they were talking the mouse asked to see the hat. I showed it to her and she put it on her head, it was so big it covered her eyes. It was adorable! I told her someday she might wear it on stage if she becomes a soldier when she's older, and she started pretending to march around holding a pretend gun like we do and spinning. It was so, so cute!

As you can see from the title, I'm very upset. I was originally going to say angry, but that's not really it. More like disappointed. At our ballet academy, we have three lovely studios and a dressing room (for the girls). Before class or rehearsal, everyone goes to the the dressing rooms, takes off sweats and jackets, does warm ups, has a snack, and/or chats. I usually stayed out of the dressing rooms, because I wasn't really friends with anyone at the studio, but recently I've become more comfortable there and started going in the dressing room and leaving my sweats, jacket, and dance bag there like everyone else. The dance studio is like my happy place, everything is ok when I'm dancing. Now, that security is pretty much gone. While I was in rehearsal, someone went into the dressing room, riffled through my bag (and I know because I put my coat on my bag, when I got back it was off to the side), and sent a text on my phone to my dad to try and ruin my relationship. Obviously, my dad knew I didn't sent him the explicit text. However, the very idea that someone went through my stuff, and probably read my text messages, destroys me. It's one of those "principle of the thing" situations. The worst part is, I pretty much know who did it. There's this one girl that has a crush on my boyfriend and always flirts with him. Even though we've never, and I mean never, had a conversation, she hates me just because I'm dating him (6 month anniversary this weekend!). And she just happened to be at the studio, in the dressing room, with only one other person, while I was in rehearsal.

So, I don't really know the moral of this story. I don't think I can ever feel at home at a studio where someone would do that to someone they don't know. Especially because I'm still kind of like the new girl, who doesn't really belong yet. I guess, keep your phone and valuables locked, or else in the studio while you dance if you think this could ever happen to you.

Happy dancing!

Friday Night Rehearsal

Hey everyone! Last night I had another rehearsal. We practiced with Clara and the Nutcracker, the adorable mice, and the soldier captain. Oh, and the soldiers of course! It has really come a long way. All we really need to do is add in the Mouse Queen, and the whole scene is finished! 

Our battle scene is different than any I've ever seen, but I really love it. It starts when Clara sneaks onto stage after the party scene late at night and sees her Nutcracker, runs over to him, and holds him. She walks over to the couch and gives a big yawn before falling asleep. Then the mice start coming out. First it's just one that runs across stage, then more come out, and finally the Mouse queen comes. Clara wakes up, and just as the Mouse Queen is about to attack, her Godfather/Weird Magical Uncle dude Drosselmeyer comes out of nowhere and scares away the Queen. She begs Drosselmeyer to make her Nutcracker lifesize. He says no, but eventually the Nutcracker comes to life, and Clara, overjoyed, runs over to curtsy to him and kiss his hands. Two tiny mice run out and scare her, and she jumps into the Nutcracker's arms. Once the little mice run off stage, she gets down and dances with him a little. He calls the soldiers on stage, and we march along the back of the stage and watch while the  soldier captain enters and gives the nutcracker a sword and then she dances a bit and we march off stage. Then we return on stage, and instead of the classic cannon, we each shoot a mouse, and they fall back and wave their little hands and feet in the air. We then do a little dancing, the soldier queen as well, and then form a semicircle around the Nutcracker and Mouse Queen as they fight. The Nutcracker gets stabbed, but thanks to Clara chucking her pointe shoe at the Queen, he stabs her and she dies. Then we walk off stage, and Clara and Nutcracker Pas de Deux. Last time was the first time we saw the pas de deux, and it was soo adorable. It's really powerful and emotional, and I hate to say, romantic (I hate to say it because he's 17 and she's like 12, but it's true!). I'm not even going to lie, I teared up a little. It was so cute.

We have our next rehearsal next weekend, Friday and Sunday, and then just Sundays until the show!

Off Days and On Days

So, Monday was a bad day. I took a three huge tests, didn't get much sleep, and was a jittery mess. In dance, I couldn't focus, and even though I knew combinations, I couldn't get my feet to follow what my brain was saying. By the end of class I had gotten countless corrections, each directed towards the class but I knew they were meant for me. It was horrible. By the end of class I was biting back tears at how awful I was. 

Today was completely different. I got to class 15 minutes late (thanks traffic jams!) but was on the ball from the moment I got in. I nailed most of barre, held pretty good balances (especially in front attitude, yay!), and focused on arms, head position, and feet so I really got into each combo. Center was pretty good, I didn't mess up anything too badly either. I also learned Russian Pas de Chats (finally!!) today, and even though the other girls learned them on Wednesday and Saturday (the company classes are then), I was the one complimented on them. We also did pointe today, at barre and in center. I got a little frustrated when we did chaines and pique turns from the left side. For some reason, I can do it pretty well left to right, but right to left is a mess. 

Anyways, don't let one or two bad classes get you down. I think one of the best ways to have a good class is to visualize! Run through combinations in your head before class. During class, pay attention and mark it like you mean it!

Another Nutcracker Rehearsal on Friday, I'll update again then.

Inspirational Pictures

Svetlana Zakharova as Aurora in the Kirov's Sleeping Beauty

Alina Cojocaru in Giselle

Sylvie Guillem in Don Quixote

No Dance Tonight!

No dance tonight thanks to Hurricane Sandy! Everyone in her path, stay safe!

Second Rehearsal

Hey guys! Sorry I've been gone for a while. This week has been busy, with dance on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, Safe Halloween Night at my high school on Wednesday, and three huge tests to study for on Thursday, I've had barely any free time!

Friday was a short rehearsal for Nutcracker, just 45 minutes, with the mice! Oh my gosh, are they adorable! Our mice are little girls, I would say around 5-7, perhaps a little younger. They are so full of energy, running around and chatting their heads off. While we were warming up, stretching and practicing turns, they watched in awe, it was so cute. We ran through the dance alone, had them run it alone, and then ran through it together. For one part, the soldiers form a circle and one mouse per soldier crawls through their legs. My little mouse was jumping up and down, and when I smiled and said "Hi!" she excitedly said, "I'm turning 6 in three weeks!!". Haha, it was so cute.
The next rehearsal will be sometime next weekend. 

First Nutcracker Rehearsal

Hi guys, first Nutcracker rehearsal this afternoon! I'm so excited! I'll edit later today to tell you all how it went!

Hey everyone! The first rehearsal was great! When I got to the studio there were tons of girls from 11 to 18 hustling about, getting changed, putting on shoes, and grabbing a quick drink. I was about 15 minutes early so I got ready in the dressing room and watched the end of Candy Canes rehearsal. It's our first year doing Candy Canes, so it should be interesting! We started the soldier cheorography. If you followed the blog last year (or look through the posts labeled Nutcracker 2011), you'll know that last year I was just sort of an extra. This year, I do have a dancing part. The other soldiers are from age 11 to age 14, with me being the oldest at 16. However, at 5'3", I'm pretty short so I don't stick out too much. There are some changes this year, which I really like, and some things are the same. It was overall a lot of fun! Tell me about your rehearsals below!

Class Etiquette

Hey guys! Here's a list of some ballet class etiquette rules I've learned over the past few years!

Misty Copeland

• Plan to arrive at least 5-10 minutes early for class. That gives you time to change, warm up, and allows for traffic jams.
• If you are late to class, walk in as quietly and quickly as possible so you don't disturb the class. Pick up with the next combination. After class apologize for being late.
• When going to the barre, leave enough space for the people around you. Leave enough space so the people around you can grand battement to every side without kicking you. 
• Don't chat during class. It's ok to ask someone to move over, but don't chit chat. If you're confused about the combination, it's best to ask the teacher so you don't look disrespectful.
• If you won't be able to go to class or a rehearsal, call or e-mail the studio as soon as possible. Schedule a make-up class if necessary. My old studio especially appreciated this because many of the girls were driving and the teachers worried that they ran into trouble on the roads.
• Turn your cell phones on silent during class. Don't text during breaks unless it's necessary.
• Always be ready for class. There's no point showing up to ballet class without ballet shoes, so try to remember everything!
• Keep your hair up in a tight bun. Use a hairnet if you tend to get loose chunks of hair. It looks cleaner and more respectful when your appearance is neat.
• Don't complain about combinations! I can't stand when girls say something like, "Can we skip frappes? I hate frappes." No, we can not skip frappes! (I actually love frappes anyway. And Starbucks frappes. Yum.)
• Try not to look bored. Crossing your arms, hunching over, yawning, ect. all make you look like you don't want to be there. Stand up straight and cover any yawns.
• Use the bathroom before class. If you absolutely must go during class, go during a water break, and be quick!
• After class thank the teacher. If you have an accompanist, thank them also.
• 
  

Taking a Day Off

I love going to dance. Love it. There's no better feeling then having stress melt away during barre. However, sometimes you just can't dance. Monday was one of those days. I was feeling lightheaded and dizzy from low blood pressure and had cramps so bad it felt like an angry cat was trying to claw it's way out of my stomach (too vivid? Sorry!). I wanted to go to dance, but the thought of walking downstairs to get my dance stuff was bad enough, let alone an hour and a half dance class. So, I took a day off. I e-mailed the studio (always call or e-mail!) and set up a makeup class for Wednesday. The make up class was already my level, so I didn't have to worry too much about it.

I have a few new post ideas coming, including one on class etiquitte. I'm sorry for my lack of posts recently, I'm taking a bunch of honors classes and AP Bio (ugh, it's the hardest thing ever) so I'm averaging about three hours of homework plus dance! 

Nutcracker Castlist

Hey guys, I know you I already made a post about Nutcracker and my thoughts on it and everything, but here's another quick post. I got to see the official cast list on Tuesday and was indeed casted as a soldier. I am happy I get the opportunity  especially when I consider that I've only been dancing for two years, and have only been taking real ballet technique classes for a year.

I'm still a bit disappointed I wasn't able to do the company because it was so darn expensive. Honestly, I'm a bit resentful that all of the young 12 year olds in my class get to take 4 ballet classes and a modern class every week, and all I can afford is two ballet classes. It makes me a little sad that people can want something so badly, but they can't really achieve it every single time.

Anyway, back to Nutcracker...As I was checking out the castlist I noticed a few differences. For one, Mother Ginger and her children was replaced with Candy Canes! I have no idea why, but I'm excited to see some new choreography  Along the same lines, we now have a Mouse Queen as well. I am curious as to whether the Mouse Queen is replacing the Mouse King (who we hired last year as a guest dancer) or if she will dance with him. I really liked working in the same scene with the Mouse King, he was very talented and it was nice to work with a professional dancer up close like that.

My first rehearsal will be within the next 2-3 weeks. I'll keep you all updated!

Nutcracker Season is Starting!

Hey everyone! Like the title says, Nutcracker season is about to start! I'm so exited this year, I can't wait. The official castlist went up on Saturday, my Facebook feed was filled with girls from the company posting about their parts! It was very bittersweet for me, because I couldn't join the company, I was only able to dance one part, Soldier Doll. The girls in the Jr. and Senior company are the only ones who can get any major roles, so unless you shell out $1,000 for summer intensives, you can't be anything but a soldier. I was am "Extra Soldier" last year, mostly I just marched around and then stood on stage. This year, due to a lack of soldiers, I'll most likely be a "Dancing Soldier" which I suppose is an improvement from last year! Hopefully I'll be able to join the company next year and dance something a little bigger, like Snow, Flowers, or one of the country dances.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to Nutcracker! Have any of you started rehearsing? Tell me what parts you got in the comments!

Perfection

Hey everyone! Last week, during my Tuesday ballet class I was thinking about how ballet is a very precise art. Everything is very "set in stone", if you know what I mean. There is a perfect way to do everything, from a simple passe to a fouette en tournant. I think ballet dancers in general love ballet for its perfection, beauty, and grace. Otherwise, why did we pick ballet and not lyrical, jazz, or hip-hop? Even though most of us ballet dancers strive for perfection, I think it's important to remember that nobody is perfect, even the best ballerinas mess up sometimes. When you're having a rough ballet class and nothing is going right, just remember that we want perfection, but we should aim for the best that we can be. 

Classes Updates

Hey guys! So Monday and Tuesday I had my ballet classes. I think I mentioned before that our studio has a new owner. I was very curious as to how things would change with him in charge, and I'm starting to see some differences. We now have uniforms. We need to wear a specific leotard, this one, in the color burgondy on Monday, and any black leotard on Tuesday. I sort of like the leotard (not a fan of the sleeves though). It covers bra straps and is very flattering and supportive. I am a little disappointed though because I can't get any cool funky leotards for class (like this one, on sale for $8!)

Other differences include a "back to basics" type attitude. We aren't allowed to do double pirouettes in class until our singles are "perfect", despite most of the girls in the class having very good single and double pirouettes. We've also started simplifying chaine turns by keeping our hands on our hips or shoulders instead of out in first. This policy kinda gets on my nerves, because I feel like most of the people in my class can do the basics pretty well.

Another difference is the leveling. Last year, the levels were pretty weird. There were levels 1, 2, 3, and 3a, and also intermediate and advanced. I was in 3, moving to 3a. Now the levels are 1-7, with me at 4. I like this new leveling because it means, if I go up a level a year, that I'll be in 6 when I graduate, which is only one level from the top.

I really love pointe. I'm the only girl in my class that is actually on pointe, all the other girls have pre-pointe shoes. We only do pointe for 20-40 minutes during Tuesday classes, and now most of it is barre work or chaines across the floor. Pointe is definitely a lot of fun though, I can't wait until we move on the the bigger things.

Tell me how your classes are going in the comments!

First Class of the Season!

Hey everyone! I just got back from my first class at the  academy this season. It was 6:30-8:30, so I'm pretty tuckered out. We had a different teacher today, the owner of the academy actually taught my class. It was a little different because of that, and it seemed like I hadn't taken a class in forever! It took me a while to warm back up to ballet. There were 5 other girls in my class, around 11-13. Only I and one other girl were on pointe, the rest were demi-pointe. We did a normal 90 minute class and 30 minutes or so of pointe exercises and strenthening. About 10 minutes to the end of class while I was doing grand jetes across the floor, I heard a "snap" and looked down at my pointe shoe to see one of the ribbons had come unattached to the shoe! I finished the jetes very poorly and went over to untie my pointe shoes and had to finish the class in flats. 

Overall, it was a good class and I'm glad to be back to ballet! Anything cool/fun/interesting/weird happen in your first class or first class of the season? Tell me in the comments!

The Dance Season is Almost Here!

Hey everyone! I know it's been a long time since the last post, but nothing dance related has been happening lately! I am officially registered for dance, and my first class is Monday. Unfortunately, because of limited funds, I can only take two classes a week this year :/ Hopefully I'll start working soon, and then maybe I can move up to three for the second half of the year. It's a blessing and a curse type situation, because even though I get to dance less, I'll get to focus on my classes more. Since I'm taking 4 honors classes and a AP class, I need all the studying time I can get. Plus now I can start applying for part-time jobs.

My classes are Monday from 4-5:30 and Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 (late, right?!). Both classes are at the academy and are level 4, which at my academy is beginner and pre-pointe level. The academy was sold at the end of last year, so there is a new directer (but I have the same teacher). So there have been a bunch of little changes, like, for example, we now have uniforms. On Monday we have to wear burgundy leotards, and Tuesday is black.

These are my pointes! Bloch Serenades,  size 3.5. I'm modeling the right one. Sorry about the weird shadows!

Last night I finished re-sewing my pointe shoes because my elastics weren't quite right. I did some strengthening en pointe last night and today, I can't wait to get back to class and learn more en pointe!

Are your classes starting up again? Or are you starting classes for the first time? Tell me about it in the comments!

First Lyrical Class

Hey guys, I just got back from my first lyrical class! It was very difficult because it was very fast paced. We started with a warm-up where we just followed the teacher, and then moved on to some across the floor things, like chaines, and pique turns. There was a lot of stuff I never did before, so I felt a little lost. Then the teacher came up with some choreography for "Bleeding Love", we got to the chorus. The actual dancing to Bleeding Love we did wasn't exactly difficult, but we learned it very quickly so I couldn't really keep up too well. Overall, it was still very fun, even though I may have a few bruises in the morning! There were only 3 other girls there, and two were from my teen ballet class.

Dance Music

Hello all! Hope your summers are going nicely! I haven't taken a dance class in what seems like FOREVER, and it's starting to get to me. I found out that my teen studio has a lyrical class on Tuesday, which I was invited to attend when I stopped by the studio to get recital pictures and a DVD. I'm a bit nervous about it, and I'm not quite sure if I'll go yet, but I think it would be interesting to try.

I absolutely love watching lyrical dances on Youtube. Sometimes I'll hear a song and instantly think, "This would be great for lyrical! I wonder if there's a routine to it on Youtube?" I was thinking about my favorite ballet/lyrical songs, so here's a list of a few of them:

Drops Of Jupiter by Train
Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg
Without You from the musical Rent
On My Own from the musical Les Miserables
Yesterday by The Beatles
Eet by Ragina Spector
Skinny Love by Bon Iver (or the cover by Birdie)
Your Song by Elton John

So that's just my small list. What I'm really curious about is what are some of your favorite dancing songs? Leave me a comment please!

Also, please leave a comment with your ballet story on my "About Me" page, the tab is up there ^. I'd love to hear about other later starter's stories!

Long time, no post!

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while. I don't really have anything new to post about, seeing as how I'm not currently taking classes. I'm going to contact my teen beginner studio and see if I can take the rest of their summer classes soon.


I was talking to my friend who has a fashion and beauty themed Youtube channel about doing a stage makeup video with me around November/December, and she was really excited about the idea. I may talk to her about helping me with more videos for my own channel. I could do simple videos and make a channel that goes hand in hand with the blog. Tell me what you guys think about a Teen Ballet youtube channel in the comments below!

Pointe Intensive Days 2-5 (a.k.a. How Orajel Saved my Life)

Hey Guys! So the last day of my pointe intensive was on Friday. It was 2.5 hours a day, and about 40 minutes were on pointe. The rest of the week went very well. By day 3 I was doing chaine turns on pointe, and we also worked on pas de bourees, piques, eleves and releves, and echapees on pointe. By the 2nd day my feet really hurt en pointe, but only because I had 2 ingrown toenails, both on each big toe. I searched for cures online, and talked to my friend's mom, who is a nurse. In the end, I fixed the problem by putting a piece of a cotton ball under the nail where it was digging into the skin, and I numbed the area before and after pointe with a little extra strength cream orajel, which made pointework practically pain free. There was a little discomfort just because of the pressure that is going on  your feet, but it wasn't painful really.

Overall, the intensive was really fun. I talked to my dance teacher and she said I was free to take the company open classes during the summer even though I'm not in the company, so I'll probably be taking a class a week or so for the rest of the summer.

Please excuse my french! I tried to spell everything as well as I could. Also, in case you didn't notice, I have a new video's tab where I'll be posting ballet videos that catch my attention.

Day 1 of Pointe!

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update last night, I was out with friends and didn't get home until it was almost midnight! One thing about dance is that it does cut into your social life, but if you have awesome friends (like mine!) they won't mind accommodating your schedule.

Anyways, yesterday was my first day at the ballet/pointe intensive. It was two and a half hours long. I was guessing there would be around 12 girls there, but there was only 8 including myself! That was really cool for me, because you get more specialized attention when there is less people. It also tends to make me more nervous to not screw up the combinations because if I do, it will be noticed.

We started the intensive like a normal ballet class. We did about 45 minutes at the barre, which was fun because we got to try some different combinations and even learned a few new things as well. Then we had a 5 minute water break and moved on to center/across the floor stuff. One of the last things we did was a petite allegro, which always makes me nervous because petite allegro combinations are small and fast, and I sometimes get tied up. However, this one was actually a lot of fun, and I managed it without messing up too badly. We also did a fun grande allegro which included saute arabesques, tour jetes, pas de chats, and grande jetes, which are always challenging.

After 45 minutes, we had another short break and got our pointe or demi-pointe shoes. Most of the girls at the camp are actually not en pointe yet because their feet aren't ready, so they have demi-pointe shoes which are like pointe shoes without the shank so they can get used to the feeling of pointe shoes without harming their feet. There are two girls that aren't from the academy who are just going for the intensive, and they are both en pointe with me.

We spent about 15 minutes practicing tying and untying the shoes, and worked on some basic exercises at the barre.

Being en pointe is a really cool feeling, it's almost like you're on stilts. I am 5'4" standing normally, and about 5'8" en pointe, so it really does make you feel taller and almost weightless.

Pointe Shoes!

Hello everyone! Just a comment before I get started; if you've visited the blog any time in the last few days you'll have seen that I've been changing the design around a bit and playing with new fonts and backgrounds. At the end of the day, I decided that the greenish blue theme I picked out just wasn't right, so I switched back to the original.


Ok, so back to the good stuff, I got my pointe shoes! My first ever pointes are Bloch Serenades, size 3.5, and I'm pretty much in love with them. I got them on Saturday (two days ago) and stayed up until nearly 4 am last night sewing on the ribbons for my first pointe class today. I'm super excited to get back to class, I haven't had a ballet class in nearly 3 weeks and it seems like it's been longer. Every day this week I have a class from 4:30-7, about 40 minutes to an hour of it will be pointe.

The toe pads I got are called Gellows, by the company Pillows for Pointes. They have gel on one side, and fabric on the other. They're pretty thin, which I like, but they're still comfortable.They came with a little slip of paper in the box that said, "Inspected by: Curly", which I thought was kind of neat. It's interesting to think about all of the work gone into making a single pair of pointe shoes and pointe shoe accessories. Pointe shoes are still hand made, so a few weeks or months ago my shoes were being hand made and inspected by a skilled craftsman in who knows where. It's kind of cool, isn't it?








Anyway, back on topic: I also got toe spacers ("Spacemakers") from bunheads, which are supposed to go between your first and second toe if you have a gap. I might not wear them the first class to see how it goes without them, but I got them just in case. They're made of a gel like material, they're squishy without being too soft. 

Finally, I'm also going to stick a piece of cotton or paper towel on the tip of my first toe because I have Greek feet, meaning my second toe is longer then the first (weird, I know). Putting something there to even out the lengths lessens the pressure on my second toe.

I'll be posting later with how my class went, so stop by again tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Leave a comment about your first pointe shoes, or if you have any other questions or comments feel free to post!

My Light Stage Make-Up

Hello again! I'm by no means a make-up expert. I really don't use much make-up at all. For those of you like me, here's a post on my basic stage make-up.


1. Wash and moisturize your face. I use a Clean and Clear face wash, but if you have sensitive skin or really nice skin water is fine. If you have dry skin, use a face moisturizer so your skin doesn't flake when you have makeup on.


2. Apply foundation. I use a creamy foundation by Maybelline for oil-control. If you're in between shades, go for the darker one because stage lights can wash out your face, but don't go four shades darker or anything too dramatic. 














3. Put on eye-liner. Many girls I know prefer liquid eye-liner for stage makeup because it's very dramatic, but I just use plain old pencil eyeliner. I would go with a black. For Nutcracker, I wing my eyeliner, but for the recital I just apply it to the top lash line. Some girls apply white eyeliner on the waterlines for the lower lashes, and at the corner of your eye to make your eyes look bigger.

Winged Eyeliner

4. Put on mascara. Next, I use mascara. To apply it, close your eyes half way, and first apply it on the top side of your upper lashes. Then open your eyes, and put it on the bottom side. When applying it to the bottom, wiggle the brush a little to separate the lashes. Then apply it to your lower lashes. I usually end up smearing my mascara or getting it on my eyelids, so at this point I use a q-tip dipped in eye makeup remover to clean up any little mistakes.


5. Eye shadow. I use a neutral brown eye shadow for performances where there's no specific color requested.


6.  Blush. I use a pink blush for performances because it adds dimension to your face so it doesn't look flat. When I put on blush, I smile and put it mostly on the apples of my cheeks. Then I use a little and brush it outward and slightly upwards towards my ear.

7. Next, I use a translucent powder to set the makeup and make my face matte, so it doesn't shine under the stage lights. I use Neutrogena oil-control translucent powder.

8. Finally, I put on a little lipstick. I like natural but slightly darker shades, sort of like a reddish-brown.




I get most of my makeup from Target, and I get my lipstick from Boscov's makeup section. If you need high quality makeup for a performance or show, ask someone at a makeup store to help you find the right shades for your skin tone.

Recital

Hello everyone! I had my 2nd ever ballet recital on June 2nd. Here's a little rundown of everything that happened, in case you haven't had a recital before.

My report time was 11:30 am. I arrived around that time (give or take a few minutes) and went backstage to my dressing room, which was a classroom in a high school. The other girls in the room were also teenage girls. We all hung out, stretched, and vented nervous energy by acting crazy until around 12 noon, when we started to get ready. I had to do my hair in a bun, put on some stage make-up and dress into my costume. We were ready by 12:45, and the show started at 1. My group, Teen Ballet, was number 5, so we went on at about 1:20. We practiced in the hallways a few times before going on stage, and pretty much everything went well.

When you're on stage, the bright stage lights pretty much block out the audience, which is mostly why I don't get extremely nervous on stage. I think the hardest thing about being on stage is remembering to smile. It's pretty hard to hold a big grin on your face when you're worried about messing up a certain part, but I tried to keep my smile glued on.

I'll make another post about what make-up I used for the recital just to give you an idea.

My Ballet Schedule

Hey everyone! It's been a while, and I apologize. I've been pretty busy with the end of the school year coming up, studying for finals and whatnot. Anyway, I got a comment asking about my dance schedule, so here it is.


Monday: Class from 5:30-7pm at the academy
Tuesday: Class from 8:30-9:30 pm at the teen studio
Wednesday: Class from 4-5:30 pm at the academy
and soon
Saturday: Jr. Company class from 9-10:30 am


So, that means I have decided to do the company! With the company, I'll be doing an SI at the academy I dance at. I'm keeping the name private, just for safety reasons, but it isn't a well known pre-professional academy. Unless you live within an hour or two of it, you've probably never heard of it. The intensive is three weeks long in July, 5 days a week, from 10 am-3:30 pm. The other "SI" I'm doing is for beginning pointe students, and it is 5 days from 4-7:30 in late June.


I'll be sure to keep you updated with my intensives and the beginning pointe experience. I'll be going to get fitted for shoes soon, so that should be exciting!


Thanks for the views and comments! If you have any questions/comments, feel free to comment on any post!


Edit: Guys, I have some bad news. Unfortunately, I can't do Jr. Corps after all. The cost is too much for my family, and I would have trouble organizing a ride because both my parents work. I will still be doing pointe, and I will definitely keep dancing though!

Decisions, Decisions

Hey everyone! It's been a while since my last post, so sorry about that. If you have any questions or topics for future posts please comment below :)


So just a brief update on my classes: At the academy I've had a substitute dance teacher for the past three classes. My regular teacher was with the Company and Jr. Company in Montreal (Canada!) for a dance festival. From what I understand, they took ballet and modern master classes and performed a few times as well.


Also, my classes at my teen ballet class studio are going fine. The recital is scheduled for June 2, which is the same day as my 9th grade formal (go figure!). The recital starts at 1:00 and is about 2, maybe 2 1/2 hours long, so I'm struggling to find a good time for hair, makeup, and pictures before formal starts. I wouldn't miss either of the for the world, so looks like it will be a busy day!


Now, for the hard part, I have a tough decision. As you know, I was allowed to start pointe and join the Jr. Corps, and in order to actually start them, I need to take a summer intensive for each. The pointe intensive is a week long, and the company intensive is three weeks long. Together, they cost over $1,000, which unfortunately my parents can't afford. My options are to only do pointe and not the jr. company, or to take money from my personal savings account (which is for college). I have no idea which one to do. I love ballet so much, and have been dreaming of Nutcracker so I could get a dancing part this year, but if I don't do the company I can't try out. If I do join the company, it will cost additional money for trips and costumes for performances, ect, as well as an extra class every Saturday morning at 9 am. I just don't know what to do.

Picture Day

Hey everyone! June is just around the corner, and we all know what that means (or maybe we don't)! Recitals and spring shows are just a month or so away. With recitals comes pictures, dress rehearsals, and, of course, last minute problems that seem like a catastrophe.


Today I have dance pictures for my teen ballet studio. For anyone who hasn't ever had dance pictures, it's just like getting a school picture taken, but you're in a dance costume inside of a dance studio. We are allowed to wear our hair anyway, because as my dance teacher says, "Hey, it's your picture." I think I'll go for the standard bun though, because it's how I always wear my hair for dance.


Here are just some tips I learned at my pictures last year. 


1. Show up early! Most likely, something will go wrong. That's just the way things work, you know? Last year I forgot the hair piece we were using, which was like a ribbon, and had to get my mom to speed to the studio to bring it to me.

2. Blend makeup well! If you don't have naturally perfect skin and decide to wear makeup, make sure you blend it into your neck, and even around your chesy as well. My picture last year looked really weird because my face was tanner then my neck and chest. I like to wear foundation, translucent oil control powder, mascara, very subtle lipstick or tinted chapstick, and a tiny bit of natural looking eyeshadow. If your dance routine includes crazy makeup, wear it like you would for the recital.

3. Take off your nail polish! I painted my nails last night, two coats of pink and a clear coat on top, and as they were drying I thought, "Oh, I have pictures tomorrow. Shoot." In about 5 minutes I'll be removing every last bit of polish. Clear coats and french manicures are fine for pictures.

4. Remember that a picture only takes a second to take. You can adjust anything so it will sit right, even if only for a second or two. A girl in my class has dark skin, and our costumes have tan straps that are supposed to blend in.  Since they stand out a bit on her, she's just tucking them into the costume and taking the picture. It won't work for the recital, the costume would just fall right off, but in a picture it's fine.

I have to go get my picture taken now, Happy Dancing!


Edit: Hey guys, I just got home from pictures. For my individual picture they had me in fourth on releve with one high arm and one in like a curved second. For the group picture they had me kick my leg up in arabesque, since I'm the only one in my class that's really strong enough to do that, and my line is usually ok. The photographer counted off (3, 2, 1, go!) and I would lift my leg into the highest arabesque possible, which is only about 90 degrees. One other girl was in the back with me, but she was doing 4th releve, and there were two girls in front, one girl kind of sat with one leg out and one leg under her, and the other did a kneeling position with one leg out.

Results!

I get audition results tonight at class (which ends at 7)! Wish me luck! 


Hey guys, the results are in! I've been accepted into the Jr. Company and I've passed the pointe evaluation. Looks like my summer will be full of dancing! I can't officially start pointe until mid-June, and until then I'm going to focus on strengthening and technique 100%. 

Update!

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long. I did read your comments, and it means the world that you guys wished for more posts. Seriously, I love every single time I get a new comment or member. I've been super busy because I've been hosting a German Exchange student, and we've been busy for the past three weeks seeing all of the sights of the northeastern US before she had to leave, which she did yesterday. So now I'm back!


Unfortunately, I don't know if I made the Jr. Corps and pointe yet! Apparently, my teacher mailed the letters but I never got mine, so she's going to give it to me for sure on Monday. I'm hoping I got accepted for both! If I did, I get to take part in two mini "Summer Intensives". The first one is three and a half hours a day for 5 days, and it focuses on beginning pointe, getting used to standing/dancing en pointe, tying and sewing pointe shoes, ect. The other summer intensive is three weeks, Monday through Friday, for 5 and a half hours a day. The first week focuses on ballet, the second is ballet variations, and the third week is modern, which is mandatory for all company dancers.


Meanwhile, at my other studio, we've finished our recital piece to Allison Crowe's cover of the Beatles "Let it Be". I really like the dance, I might see if my mom can video tape the rehearsal in a few months so you can see it. We've got these purple tutu costumes, which are...interesting. The tutus won't lie flat, they kind of stick up a bit and look silly. Hopefully that gets fixed, haha. Here's them, we have the short tutu in dark purple https://curtaincallcostumes.com/products/product-page-t.php?prodid=4655


Tell me if you have any requests for new posts! I'll try to update more often, I promise!

Auditions!

So on Monday we had the Jr. Company auditions as well as pointe evaluations. We had class in the "big studio" today, instead of the regular studio. The class was taught by a senior company member, while my teacher and her pro friend evaluated. There were more girls in the class then usual because some of them weren't old enough to audition for the Jr. Corps last year, and they already had basic pointe training. Two of the girls were my "backstage buddies" for Nutcracker, so it was good to see them again, although we didn't chat at all. The mirrors in the big studio don't cover the whole wall, because of a badly placed door. Unfortunately, during barre, I was on the very end where there was no mirrors, so I wasn't able to see myself at all. That makes me so nervous, because my arms tend to drop a little when I can't actually see them. Because someone new was teaching, the combinations were a little different, and a little harder as well. I messed up once or twice; I hope no body noticed! Center and across the floor was more difficult as well. She gave us an intense turning combination that practically had me falling over by the time I had done it twice. Just a final thought: Petite allegro scares me. I think it was the most frightening part of the class. My feet just don't move fast enough! 


I think we will find out who made the cuts for both pointe and Jr. Company tonight at class, wish me luck!

Just some ballet talk

I think it's important for late starters to ballet, and really everyone who does ballet, to step back and really look at how far they've come. I always complain that I'm not flexible, but two years ago I couldn't touch my toes, and now I can with ease. I got a little wake up call in gym class (of all places!) when we did the v-sit test in gym. Mostly every american on the site knows what I'm talking about, right? It's a part of the presidential fitness test, where you see how many inches past your feet you can reach . The higher the number, the more flexible you are. Two years ago I got 2. This year, I got 7. That's pretty considerable, when you think about it. My extensions used to be between 45 and 90 degrees, around 65 degrees. Now, they are around 92. I get mad when I can't do a double pirouette, but I forget to remember my first ever ballet class when I struggled to do one.

So don't be so hard on yourself, ballet is hard, and your dedication and work for what you want is admirable!


Here's a video I thought was awesome. I am really into ballet, but I also enjoy lyrical and modern stuff. I always thought the song Someone Like You would be a great dramatic dance piece, but the song is so popular that the dance should really stand out. I think this does.

Auditions in one day!

Hey guys! On Wednesday I only had an hour of ballet because I had to leave early to meet my German exchange student! She will be staying with me for the next three weeks, she seems really nice. Anyway, class was fun, I was on a roll when we were turning, I snuck in a triple pirouette.


I'm really excited for the pointe evaluation/jr. company audition on Monday. I ordered a new black leotard from discountdance.com, the same bratek one I posted about earlier, but in black instead of burgandy because we need a black leotard for the evaluation/audition. I was really surprised when the leotard arrives after just 2 days, even though we got shipping for 3-7 days. So I really recommend Discount Dance! The leotard with shipping was as much as buying it in the store, and it got here so fast! I love the Capezio Bratek leotard,  I hope they come out with more in different styles and colors!

I love this picture. It shows the dedication and work that was put into pointe. Comment with a url of your favorite ballet pics!

If I am allowed to begin pointe, I will attend a one week "mini intensive" where the teacher goes over basic exercises, tying/sewing techniques, and does strengthening exercises in the summer. It is two and a half hours long for 6 days. Then, if I am accepted into the Jr. Company, there is a three week "intensive", again 2 1/2 hours. The first week is technique, the second is variations, and the third is contemporary. Variations and contemporary are both taught by different teachers then normally, and I would love to learn a variation and some contemporary work!


Happy Dancing! Leave me a comment :)

*Update* 3/12

Hey everyone! I have some super exciting news, well, exciting for me anyways :). Today I was told that in three weeks we will be evaluated for pointe and we will have auditions for the Jr. Corps. I'm so excited! I was a little worried that I would be too old for the Jr. Corps, as most of them are 11-14, but my dance teacher said they had a few older girls join in past years if they recently move there or started late.



The evaluation will be like a ballet class taught by one of the Seniors in the Senior Corps. (She was our snow queen in Nut). My dance teacher asked a guest pro dancer, the Cavalier in our Nut, to come so both of them can evaluate the class. I'm so excited, but I hope I don't get nervous and mess up! At that class, we will also fill out a form if we want to join the Corps, and it will also be like an audition and evaluation all in one ballet class. She said they look that you are physically and mentally prepared. Also, she likes girls to be around 11-12, but that doesn't really effect me.

Are any of you starting pointe soon? Have you already started pointe? Share your experiences or ask questions in the comments! Happy Dancing!

Dance on TV

I can not get enough of dance. Seriously, my mother thinks I take too many classes a week (at 3 please, that's like nothing), but I think I need another on Saturday or Sunday because I always want to dance on the weekends. So I love anything that has to do with dance, and here is an overview of my favorite two dance TV shows.

Dance Moms
Ok, this show is both ridiculous and dramatic, but I like it. It has a mix of drama and dance that really draws me in. There are girls half my age dancing that are 4 times better then I will ever be. The choreography is great, and the fights are entertaining. Just to let you guys know, the teacher doesn't yell as much as it seems. She actually has a great relationship with her dancers, but dramatizes it for the show. 

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/dance-moms

Dance Academy
So, I had never heard of this show until it showed up in a random search I did on youtube. It was filmed in Austrialia, so I don't know how popular it is there, but it just aired in America. It is really a great show, it is a fictional show about an Aussie girl who auditions for a ballet academy and makes it. She lives at the academy, and has problems with jealous and carefree girls she meets. There are also plenty of boys, and as the season progresses some romances spring up. The actors and actresses on the show are actually pretty good dancers, so they do show a lot of dancing. I love this show and absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in ballet. Dance Academy is on Netflix instant, or you can watch it on Youtube. 
http://www.teennick.com/shows/dance-academy

I also tune in for Dancing with the Stars if a celeb I know is on it. I know I missed So You Think You Can dance, but I've never actually seen it! Tell me if you watch any of these shows and what you think, or tell me if I missed any of your dance shows!

How to find a dance studio

So, if you haven't started dance yet, one of the first steps to starting dance is actually finding a studio. You want to make sure you find the best studio possible, so here are some tips.

1. Decide how intense you want the class to be, and consider whether you would like to compete or do performances. I dance at two studios, one is a recreational, med-intensity competition studio, and the other is an intense performance studio. My recreational studio doesn't do full shows, but they do competitions, and the intense studio does The Nutcracker and performs in many different places, but does not compete.

2. Decide how many classes you want to take a week. You can take just one class if you want to do ballet purely for recreation, but if you want to do pointe, you should take at least two 90 minute classes a week, with more being better.

3. Start looking! Use yellowpages.com, recommendations from friends, and even look in the phone book for dance studios near you. Pick a few with the right amount and intensity of dance classes for you. 

4. Look for qualified teachers. If training at a more intense ballet academy, the teacher should have professional training, and should have been a professional dancer. A competition school should have a successful record with competitions.

5. Consider price. A  class shouldn't be more then $12 or $13 for a group class. Private classes can often be several times that number.

5. Check out the area. You can ask to take a class to get a feel for the studio, and while you are there, check out the studios. Are they large, air conditioned/heated, and clean? Are there enough barres and floor to ceiling mirrors on at least one wall? Is there sprung Marley flooring? Also, how do you like the teacher? Is s/he nice, does s/he use time wisely, does s/he explain properly and give corrections? How is the atmosphere, is it as strict or as relaxed as you want it to be?

Happy Feburary 13th!

Hello everyone! Just got back from my first dance class of the week. It was fun, but I was soo stiff from skipping my stretching over the weekend, I really need to work on that more! We got the DVD of our Nutcracker, so of course I'm watching it as I type. I'm obsessed, really. I've only just seen the Snow Scene for the first time, our studio did an awesome job on it. There's this cute pas de deux with one of the top Sr. Corps members and a guest male dancer, it was really beautiful, though I thought he was going to drop her for a second! I may have a new favorite Nut dance. I can't wait until I'm on pointe, the suspense is killing me! Just a few more months...


I would love to post a little video with clips from the DVD, but the quality is really bad. The DVD is just for the dancers, not public sale, so they didn't bother going high-def. Sorry.

Quick Update

Hey everyone! I had my teen class tonight, and we had a lot of fun. We turned out the lights, blasted music, and spent most of the class doing flexibility and strengthening exercises. It was so stress releiving and relaxing. 


I've gotten a few requests for a stage makeup post and a stretching post. One of my friends agreed to help me with the stage makeup, and we even discussed making a video instead of a post and, same for the stretching. What do you guys think about maybe doing a video? I don't really like to be on camera (I think my voice is weird), but I think I can suck it up if you guys are interested.


So tell me what you think!


Edit: Hey guys, my friend and I tried to make a make-up video, but unfortunately my camera lagged a lot and the video and audio didn't match up! We were really dissappointed that it didn't work out, and I'm sorry I couldn't get it up. I may try again when I get a better camera. Also, sorry for the lack of posts, I'll work on one sometime this week.

Flexibility Goals

Hi everyone! Hope your winter is going well! I'm just making a quick post to use as inspiration for myself and hopefully some of  you. As you guys might know by now, I absolutely love (LOVE) the Arabian Coffee dance from The Nutcracker. Like, I adore it. A lot. And you guys might also know, I am not flexabile. I am about 4 inches from my right split, and more around 7-9 for my left. I also have a bit to go for my center splits, which, if I do one against a wall, my body is 11 inches away from the wall (if that makes sense).


So here are my flexibility goals:


1. Stretch 4-6 days a week.
2. Get right splits by February 15th.
3. Get left splits by March 31st.
4. Get center splits by March 31st.
5. Get oversplits (2" min) by June 1st.


What do you guys think? Leave a comment about your goals for flexibility. 


*Just a note, videos on the blog really slow it down, so I'm going to start taking down videos on posts after a week and replace it with the link so it keeps the blog nice and speedy.

Quick Tips for Ballet Class

Hey everyone, I decided to come up with a list of tips for dance class.


1. Warm up before class. Try to get warmed up 10 minutes or so before class so you are in the mood to dance and don't get any cramped muscles. The warmer you are the more flexible you are, so that's good too. A simple warm up could be jogging in place, jumping rope, doing a jumping combination, or playing Just Dance (I love JD). When I'm running short on time, I do some gentle stretching in the car on the way to dance, usually just sticking my feet on the dashboard and touching my toes.


2. Focus in class. As hard as it is, try not to let your mind wander. In my classes at the academy, we go over combinations once or twice before doing them. If you aren't paying attention, you become so lost. My teacher might say something like, "We'll start in first, do two tondues, a tondu in plie, and another tondu, close in fifth. Repeat to the side, closing front first, and back. Reverse the combination. Then go to passe, close front, passe, close back, passe close front. Then do a circular port de bras. Plie releve, and hold." If your mind wanders, you might catch one sentence, resulting in a really bad looking barre combination. I have definitely done that before, and it is pretty embarrassing.


3. Don't eat an hour before class. It's ok to eat something light, like a granola bar, half an hour or so before class, but always try to time meals so you have an hour after finishing before ballet. Big meals plus ballet is not fun.


4. Put your hair up in a bun. It is so much easier to turn if your hair is up in a bun. Plus, it looks cleaner and neater.


5. Don't talk in class. This comes off as disrespectful to the teacher, and it's distracting to students. It's ok to ask for help, of course, and to talk during water breaks, but keep chatter in class to a minimum.

First Ballet Class

Hey everyone, I know most of the visitors to this page come because they are interested in starting class. I hear a lot of questions about what a first ballet class is like. Here is how my first ballet classes, one at each studio, went.


My first ballet class ever was a teen class at a small competition studio. The girls there had been dancing for many years, but it was the first or second year of ballet for most of them. They were mostly older then I was, around 15-17. There was one senior in high school, but most were sophomores. I was in 8th grade, age 14, at the time. When I got there, the girls were all sitting around talking in the waiting area outside of the studio. They were  stretching on the floor, putting on shoes, and just talking. I remember feeling kind of out of place. We went in the studio after the class before us ended, and then we went into the studio and told the teacher our names. We started in the center and went over the five positions, and then spent the rest of the class at the barre learning basic ballet things. I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed after class.

The first class at the academy was much different. I walked in and discovered most of the people there were much younger then I was, around ages 10-11. Since everyone already knew the basics, we went straight to barre work, and halfway through class switched to center work. The class was much larger with around 15people, opposed to my 8 person teen class.

Your first day at any dance studio will feel very overwhelming, but trust me, after the first month you will feel at home. My studios have both become my second homes (well I guess my second and third homes), and all of my stress just melts away in class.

Brag Post

I'm not sure if any of you have ever visited the website Ballet Talk for Dancers, but it's a great place to visit if you have any questions about ballet. Most likely, it's already been asked, and if it hasn't, then you can ask it. On the website, they have a Brag Board, where the members can comment about any progression, roles, compliments their teachers gave them, when they start ballet/pointe, ect. So I want this to be the "brag board". Comment below with anything you want to say, don't worry about being modest!


I'll start: Yesterday, I did my first ever triple pirouette on flat :)


Please comment! I love reading comments, it's my favorite thing about the blog.

PNF Stretching

A few days ago I came across something called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF stretching for short. In this method of stretching, you hold a stretch for 10-20 seconds, and then tense up and contract all of your muscles for 10-20 seconds, and then relax them so you can go into a deeper stretch. I decided to try this out with my splits and have seen some progress. I've gone from about 5" off the floor to around 3". I thought I'd share this video with you. 

**Always warm up for at least 10 minutes before stretching and always cool down after stretching. Do not try this without permission of a dance teacher or doctor. Do not do PNF stretching more then 3 times a week. If it hurts, STOP. Your body knows what it can handle, and pain is it's way of saying it's too much.

First Ballet Class of 2012!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had nice winter breaks, I know I did. I'm just preparing for my first ballet class of 2012, and I'm so pumped. It's only been a week off but it feels like it's been a month! I have my teen class today, which is always very carefree and fun, so I'm really happy. Anyone else starting up classes again?


Just a few notes: The Capezio leotard I got in NYC is amazing. It has "BraTek", which is like a built in bra, so it's supportive for more busty girls. Also, it's so snug, which I like, and the color is really nice. Next note, I've been suffering a severe case of Nutcracker withdrawal (ask any dancer, it's real!), so I'm posting a Nutcracker poll. Just in case you were wondering, I voted for Arabian. I love that dance so much.


Here's a nice anaheim ballet video, I love them: