Let it Snow for the Show!

Well I've come to my final post for the 2010 Christmas Dance at the Eaton Centre. If I could describe the performance in one word I would say it was magical!
Before the show, I had a few hours to kill so I roamed around the mall and checking out the scene. And as I predicted on Monday, the place was packed. Christmas shoppers scattered everywhere rushing to all the sales, promotions and giveaways going on. I must admit I was getting pretty nervous.
To relax a bit, I ate some dinner and sat on the bench going through the dance in my head. It was going to be a straight shooter...no practice run or anything, so I wanted to visualize everything in my mind beforehand.
About 20 minutes before showtime everyone met up to change and grab the flowers (I picked a nice purple one) and we headed down to our "stage" area. Once we got downstairs, a huge sea of shoppers were planted around the tree. I quickly panicked wondering how on earth we were going to dance through all of the people, but thankfully security helped clear the crowd our of our dance space. And then the tree lights lit up, the hall dimmed and we were on!

It was amazing to see the huge crowd wathching. I love having a big audience! Surprisingly, I get less nervous with a big crowd, this way I don't really notice individual eyeballs staring directly at me.

Once the music started, I felt good. We had done this dance so many times, I knew we were going to rock it! That's when I noticed snow falling from the ceiling! It was so beautiful and gave such an elegant and picturesque look to the whole dance. I couldn't help but smile. As we danced, I noticed the crowd watching intently and smiling with us. There were lots of people which kind of cramped our space a little bit, but we all managed to work around it, taking smaller steps here and there. Overall we danced through it gracefully. For some reason it felt like I had been dancing for 20 minutes instead of 5! I think I got a little anxious once I spoted my friends in the corner watching and taking pictures.

Once the performance was over, we got a great big round of applause as we did our bows and scurried off stage. The shoppers seemed really delighted and that's what made me the most happy. One man even thanked me which was really sweet. I love how dance can provoke all sorts of emotions and can captivate almost anyone.

And so folks, that is the end. This was yet another wonderful experience with the National Ballet School Adult Class. Hopefully there will be more to come in the spring time.
Happy Holidays!

Dress Rehearsal: Almost Show Time!

Why is it that on night's I go to dance, I have a tough time falling asleep!? I just got in from the group's dress rehearsal for Thursday night's performance and I am giddy with excitment! Everything ran pretty smooth this evening and we are pretty pumped to perform. It turns out there isn't as much scaffolding and pillars that we were anticipating, so there is more room for us to dance. Since we rehearsed after mall hours, the space was pretty open but I guarantee it will be filled with mad dashing Christmas shoppers on performance day. It will be a bit of a challenge dancing through the crowd, but as long as we stay in a close knit group we should be fine.

We did some last minute formation and spacing changes in order to keep us close together. At one point in the dance when we do our diagnol walks, I felt as though I was going to walk into a store, so I have to make sure to keep tight with the rest of the group.

As we were dancing, we had some audience members of people walking through the mall. It was nice to have them appreciate our dance. They even smiled and clapped which was nice. There were also people who walked right through our "stage" area which was a bit of a challenge, but we must be prepared for that to happen on Thursday. It willl be interesting to see how it all folds out. So far it looks great and we are all well rehearsed. The flowers that we get to hold throughout the dance gives the piece a splash of refreshing colour too!

Come check it out, this Thursday at 7pm at the Eaton Centre right in front of the Swarovski Christmas tree.

Rehearsal Day 2: Keeping it together!

Well there wasn't much more of a turn out today as we had expected for the 2nd rehearsal for the Waltz of the Flowers Christmas dance. I guess this time of year everyone is busy with holiday plans, so the original group of 60 dancers has shrunken to a sweet set of 16. Not that I mind as there are pros and cons to dancing in both larger groups and smaller groups. A plus for dancing in larger groups is that you blend in with the crowd more and no one can really notice if you make a mistake, but I guess this could be a con as well if you enjoy the spotlight. I also like the look of a big group dancing in sync, but seeing a smaller group sometimes looks more neat and compact. So it will be exciting to dance in a smaller sized group this time around. (No mistakes allowed!) :P

Today's rehearsal went by surprisingly fast, we picked up exactly where we left off on Wednesday and cleaned up some of the choreography. Now, working in a smaller group means we had to change some of the spacing and lines. We also practiced working in tight clusters to avoid the look of empty space. Throughout the piece there are 5 small groups of 2-4 people all while taking turns coming on and off the stage, breaking up the piece nicely and giving it a nice flow.

Of course we won't be able to figure out the actual dimensions of the area we will be dancing in until next Monday at our dress rehearsal, but we figure that we will have a lot time to draw out and sustain our movements with less people.

For those of you interested in coming to check it out, it will be happening on Thursday December 16th at 7pm at the Eaton Centre, right in front of the Swarovski Christmas tree. A diamond tree AND a ballet performance? What could be sweeter?! Hope to see you there!

Back on My Toes

Well it's been a while since I have performed in any type of dance recital...probably since high school. It's hard being an adult dancer and getting the opportunity to perform, so I was ecstatic when back in September my friend Jackie invited me to dance with the National Ballet School's adult ballet class for their Nuit Blanche performance in October.

The piece for Nuit Blanche was a Waltz of the Flowers with about 60 of us adult dancers, it was a really interesting experience to have so many of us perform a 5 minute piece in a month's worth of practice. It was exciting to have an audience come watch me dance again, because it has for sure been a while.

And now, 2 months later, we are back again rehearsing the piece for one of the Eaton Center's Christmas shows happening on December 16th. Tonight was the first of 5 rehearsals we have for the show. I arrived extra early, slapped on my slippers and hit the floor.There weren't as many people at the first practice, maybe around 12 of us (hopefully more will be joining us on Sunday). It was amazing to see how much we could remember of the dance after 2 months. In the hour and half we had gotten through the whole piece. I guess it's true what they say that muscles do have memory!

This time around is going to be a bit of a challenge choreographically as we will be performing in the middle of the mall where there is currently renovations happening! We will have to make sure not to waltz into some drywall. :) Once we figure out spacing I think it will look great and give a sort of flash mob kind of effect to the shoppers!

I think they will like it...who doesn't love a little Nutcracker ballet while Christmas shopping? :)
I will update more on Sunday after rehearsal and hopefully get some pics up! Stay tuned!

How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

I've been lacking in the reading department lately, so last Friday I decided to hit the library (why not, it's only right next door!) to grab something interesting to read. My friends always tell me I pick up the most interesting books, so what I think I am going to do is start doing little book reviews on my latest finds. I'll start with just one of the 5 I picked up, How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World by Jordan Christy. A clever and cute title for this little book that holds such great observations about the female generation of today. Too much skin, blasts of makeup, texty slang and reality television are just some of the issues Christy touches on in this 196 page book. Each chapter gives a bit of insight on how women have changed as a whole in the past few decades in regards to certain aspects of life, all while giving examples of how to better oneself with suggestions and to-do lists.

The book aims to inspire young females to look beyond the trash that seems to invade our lives each and every day and maintain a certain level of class, style and elegance. Her observations make you think about your everyday demeanour: Are you wearing too much makeup? Is this shirt too low for work? What is my outfit saying to others? How can I maintain a man's attention without seeming too desperate? How can I succeed in the workplace?

Christy writes in a narrative tone which makes the book an easy, fun how-to type book to read. It's fun anecdotes and advice on everyday living are great for any young lady. (I still like to consider myself a young girl thank-you-very-much!)

It's unfortunate that the media focuses a lot of its attention on not-so classy celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton that give young females a terribly wrong idea about what a woman should be. There are plenty of great role models out there but don't get any of the attention. It's importatnt to remember that being a woman is a wonderful thing and being tacky and flashy is not the only way to be an exciting, interesting, beautiful person.

I highly reccommend this book, it's a quick read (great for you subway riders) that provokes a lot of self relflection. Hope you all get a chance to pick this one up :) Happy Reading :)

So it's been a while...

I know. I am the worst blogger ever. I just get so lazy in these short, dark fall days. It's like my seasonal affective disorder kicks in as soon as summer ends...no more late nights, no more sunshine...just a deep, dark long winter filled with sleep, cuddles and books.
Lately I have not been feeling quite like myself. Maybe because of the weather I am not sure...but I just feel kind of bored with myself lately. Like I have no ambitions, no goals or nothing to be excited about at the current time. Perhaps I am bored because I am finally just content with my life...nice condo, awesome friends, best boyfriend, good job....everything is just fine. There are no obstacles to overcome, no challenges to endure....and that seems great, but am I crazy for being unhappy?
Maybe unhappy is the wrong choice of word, but bored may be more like it. I feel like I need something new to take up and occupy my time. I feel like I would like to work towards a new accomplishment of some sort, but what?

I was thinking of taking some night classes in either french or communications. Maybe get an extra job to make some extra cash? Or taking up a new hobby...something crafty of somesort. Of course, with the holidays fast approaching I may hold off until the new year. For now I have my trip to Cuba to look forward to over the Xmas break. It will be a great time to get away and just relax with my family and have some fun. I haven't been on a trip since Vegas in May, so this is a much deserved getaway!

Today Shannon and I put up our Xmas tree in the condo. It looks wonderful and girly! It is white with hot pink decorations....how appropriate right!? It is a small tree and is perfect for the condo. On Wednesday I think we are going to make my Disney Princess gingerbread house :) Time to get into that holiday spirit!! I am almost done all my shopping (I did most of it online), just a few small things left to get and I will be done.

I don't even know what I want this year...I hate asking for gifts because if I want something I will just buy it myself. I like thoughtful gifts that are surprises. I think that's what makes me really feel special. :)

I hope to write more this week...but I can't make any promises. :) :)
TTYL!

Time for Change

So it seems Fall has decided to check in early this year, how lovely. I am not one to complain, I think Fall is beautiful and cozy. Sweaters, boots, cardigans and all the other fun fall fashion trends make this season all the more enjoyable. And not to mention the best part of the season...Halloween!! My absolute favorite holiday is Halloween. For that one night of the year, you get to be someone else. I think I like this holiday so much because I feel like everyday I am a different person. Not a different person, but a different character. I hate being strereotyped into one specific type of person. I like to be different everyday, mix it up everyday.

Some days I like to be dressy and professional, somedays I dress punky, some days girly....it all depends on my mood that day. Maybe I just have severe identity problems, but either way I would rather have the best of all worlds than be stuck in one. Life is too short to be the same boring person everyday....sometimes you require a change, whether it's a new hair colour, new pair of shoes or just a new outlook on life in general. Change is healthy and part of life. Without change, you do not grow and you resist life. Call me rude, but I despise boring people who fear risk and challenge. I call them cowards, because they are just too comfortable in their current conditions and too lazy to try new things. Life is for the living, not the living dead!

Today I went to sign up for a Toronto Public Library card and could not be more pleased. The library is right beside my condo and has 5 floors of books. Amazing!! As much as I love Chapters, it takes a toll on the wallet, and sometimes I get so overwhelmed because there are just so many good books out there, I want to buy them all. But now, all I have to do is swipe that card and I can have up to 50 books at once!! Today I only took out 4. They include:

1) Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman
I like this author, who also wrote Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. He is witty, relatable and has that magazine style approach to his writing. In this book he talks about the impact of 80's glam rock music has made on society. I am already on chapter 2 and I am already intrigued!

2) Neon: A Memoir of A Runway Angel by Cherie Currie and Joan Jett
This is the autobiography of Runway band member, Cherie Curie. After watching the movie starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Curie, I am very interested in reading up on the lives of these talented ladies.

3)How Not to Audition by Kammer and Flinn
As you all know I have recently finished some acting classes and am now in the process of getting ready for auditions. This book will hopefully give me straight answers on what to expect and not to expect when I go out into the field.

4)Ask An Agent by Margaret Emory
Basically another guide to help me master this business of the acting world.

So cheers to change, good books and hot cocoa on a crisp Thursday evening :)