Friday's Finds - 9/17/10

Pre-Pointe

1. Grisko's Elite Pre-Pointe Shoes
2. Tennis Balls are always needed for pre-pointe work.
3. Use Bunheads Exercise Bands everyday for super-strong ankles.
4. The Perfect Pointe Book
5. Here is a pretty basic pre-pointe exercise.

Thursday's Inspire: Colors of Williamsburg

If you love gorgeous photo prints like this one, check out ballerina project at their blog and on Facebook.

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Wednesday's Ballet: Swan Lake

Alright, who celebrates Halloween???? I know I do and I always will. I love scaring the you-know-what out of kids with freaky zombie hands in candy bowls, scarecrows, witches, all the necessities. And the CANDY! I am sorry, but I love it.

Anyways, I am going to be Odile for Halloween, So I figured I would do Swan Lake this week! I am wearing a black leotard, and my sweet, sweet ballet teacher is letting be borrow a black practice tutu!

Swan Lake begins in the forest. Prince Siegfried in hunting and he sees a beautiful swan. As he is aiming his bow, she turns into a woman named Odette. She explains to him that she is a princess turned to a swan by an evil sorcerer. During the day, she is a swan, and must swim in the lake of tears, and during the night, she may be a woman again.

The spell can only be broken if a prince promises to love her forever. She tell Siegfried that if he refuses her, she will be a swan forever. Luckily, he falls madly in love with Odette.

But at the ball, the evil sorcerer put a spell on a woman named Odile, to make her look exactly like Odette to Prince Siegfried. He proposes to her, and Odette is heartbroken. She tries to kill herself and throws herself in the lake. Siegfried realizes what he has done and throws himself in the lake with Odette.

In the finale, the two are transformed to lovers in the afterlife.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

YAY!!!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED!

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You know how I auditioned for Snow White?

Well, I found out my part(s) today!!!!

Oh, yeah, I said PART(S)!!!!!!

Ok, the parts that I got were the Queen's defenseur, which I get to perform with one of my really good friends, and a woodland fairy!!!!!

I am so excited!


What parts did you get?

Tuesday's Tips: 10 Tips to ROCK Auditions

Alright, Let me get straight to the point (pun intended)

AUDITIONS ARE NOT SCARY UNLESS YOU ARE A SISSY!

And none, NONE I SAY!, of my readers are sissys, right?

Right?

Alright, I'm kidding ;) But I do have some tips for you to work on so that you can rock your auditions!

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One. It's a ballet class. Say to your mind that it is a ballet class. NOT an audition. kapeiche?

Two. Go with your gut. If the panel asks you to be yourself, DO IT! Don't try to be the most appealing to the judges, be yourself! Read my story at the bottom of the post ;)

Three. Imagine yourself doing well. I know you have heard it a million times, but I mean it!

Four. Before the audition, zone out with your fav tunes! No better way to calm down than listening to your own music! Some dancers force themselves to listen to Classical music, to tune themselves to the surroundings, but that never works for me.

Five. Picture yourself a lot older than you really are. Trust me, it works.

Six. Dress the BEST! Wear a cool cardigan or a breezy skirt over your dancewear to put a bucketload of confidence in you pocket!

Seven. Be fresh. No Make-up unless it is required. Nothing on your face whatsoever. Do up a super-sleek performance bun, too.

Eight. Don't muscle your way to the front. The way auditions are organized, EVERYONE will be seen and reviewed. And don't hide in the back either ;)

Nine. Imagine the part you are trying out for. This helps a TON!

Ten. Wanna know my secret? I always eat a granny smith apple right before I go to bed the night before the audition. Don't ask why, but it works!

Go to DanceAdvantage.net for 16 Audition Basics and Pointers For Keeping A Positive Perspective

TTFN! (ta ta for now)

Rebecca

ps: Ok, here is my story from Saturday about going with your gut. One of the judges asked us to walk across that floor, just walking, and act like our favorite dwarf from Snow White. I am the very last person in line, so I have some time to think. At first I wanted to do Doc. But sure enough, almost everyone did Doc! So I changed my mind to Sleepy, and I had a brilliant plan to woo the panel with my wittiness (I wasn't going with my gut and guess what happened) So it was finally my turn, and I get this weird feeling in my stomach. It felt like someone was crumpling newspaper inside of me. I couldn't make any facial expression, so I decided, on the spot, to do Grumpy. So I stomped across the floor about halfway, and stuck my tongue out at the judges and shook my hinee. They started laughing, and I immediately felt better! After the audition, someone said to me that I was the most expressive of all of the "dwarfs". I felt uuubbbeeerrrr good bout that ;)

Monday's Blog Brag: HannahBallerina

HEY! HO! HEY! HO! HEY! HO! RAISE THE ROOF! It's time to party with HannahBallerina!

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Ok, not really, but we are gonna learn some cool stuff about her!


Following Our Dreams

Updates on Her Life



Ballet Reviews



Pointe Shoes



And Much, Much More!


Go check out HannahBallerina, and come back tomorrow for Tuesday's Tips!

ps: my keyboard is being a spaz and everything is underlining

Weekly Q and A - 9/12/10

Alright, It's Sunday! (a little late, though) I am getting so excited about the beginning of Autumn! The crisp nights under the stars, hot chocolate, Halloween, and of course, BALLET CLASSES! So mosey on over and answer these questions and YOU could be featured in Monday's Blog Brag!

1. What is your number-one fav thing about Autumn? I don't know about you, but I LOVE watching football with my peeps!


2. What's your mojo for keeping up with ballet classes?


3. This one is for me: What is your favorite kind of candy?????????


4. How are you liking your new classes? If you haven't started yet, are you like, SO PSYCHED????


5. Does your studio have an Autumn tradition? If so, please tell!!!




Alright, I am going to go watch Wipeout (nuthin like the pure joy of watching people hurt themselves (; )


TTYL!
Rebecca

YAY!!!!!!

I have ten followers!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!! It might not seem like much, but it really means a lot to me. YAY!!

Friday's Finds - 9/3/10

Performance Ready

1. Get your Rosin for Dancers at Dancewear Solutions for this season's performances.
2. Get Bunheads Heavyweight Performance Lashes at Discount Dance Supply to keep your eyes bold and beautiful.
3. Tote your tutus in this Garment Bag by Capezio, for $20.30 at Dicount Dance Supply.
4. Keep your bun stuck safe with Bunheads Hair Bobby Pins from Discount Dance Supply.
5. Store one of these Sewing Kits in your dance bag, for last-minute emergencies.

Thursday's Inspire: Polina Seminova

The MOST AMAZING Wrap Giveaway!!!!

For you guys who love to sew........ OTTOBRE is your heaven. Ok, I know that heaven can't be put in a magazine, but OTTOBRE does a pretty darn good job! In their most recent issue, they had an amazing wrap which looks almost exactly like this wrap from Anthropologie!

OTTOBRE Blog is giving away both a tunic, and a wrap to one lucky winner! That's not all, they are also giving away two wraps!!! Amazing! Check em' out:

I love these two....... how wonderful to wear to ballet class?

Go enter this awesome giveaway, and come back tomorrow for Thursday's Inspire!

Wednesday's Ballet: La Sylphide

La Sylphide is my favorite ballet. It is about a Scottish farmer named James who falls in love with a sylph on his wedding day. A witch appears and warns him that he will betray his fiancee, but he denies it, although still enchanted by the sylph. Even after this incident, the wedding continues. As James is putting the ring on his fiancee's finger, the sylph snatches it from him.

Abandoning his own wedding, James chases the sylph into the woods, where he finds the witch again who gives him a magical scarf that will bind the sylph's wings. James wanted to catch her and keep her forever.

James tracks down the sylph, and wraps the scarf around her shoulders. Her wings fall off and she dies. He is left heartbroken, and watches his fiancee marry his best friend.