Dance Diary | 12th Week of Ballet

Hi everyone and welcome to my 12th week of ballet class! Sorry this is a little late but my faithful laptop died Sunday night and wouldn't turn on anymore. I took it to my dad's but it couldn't be fixed. So, if you are wondering how I am writing this blog post well, I got new laptop! It is so pretty and it is hot pink! I thought I would update because it is just so lovely.

As for dance everything was fine this week. I had a morning class which wasn't all exciting but since not having an 8am college class for a while it was kind of straining and I really felt tired right before my 3pm ballet class. I've gone 3 weeks without having to go to my media class but now that I am starting again it is really taking my energy. Besides that I am pretty much fine the whole day.

In class I got the same spot as last week and we did the same exercises we did last week so not much to update with. We did get to have a few minute talk with our dance teacher to help motivate us and do some explaining which was I guess nice. Having talks like that really do help and encourage me a lot more.

The only thing we did different this week was pirouette practice. We are preparing ourselves to do some pirouettes and all I could think was finally! This is what I've been looking for! We are doing some practices to straighten ourselves even more so that is good. My only problem is my balance. I am doing badly with that and am falling to quickly. That is the number one thing I am going to work on from now on so I can see some improvements. Our teacher says by December we should have our pirouettes so yay! First we did them t the barre nd then in the center. We aren't really turning just yet just half way to familiarize. I guess I like that we are going slow and just getting into it which is great.

We didn't do any floor exercises or stretches this week which I a kind of happy about so I won't be sore all this week like last week and we didn't do across the room because we did some much barre and center doing turning exercises. Other than that, that's what we did!

Sorry this had to be a little shorter than normal but I really need to finish my thesis and I just snuck in a quick post to satisfy me. Again, see you next dance diary update!


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How I Balance College and Ballet?

So how do I balance being a full time college student and being a ballerina? Well that's a good question and the answer is I just learn to deal with it as it comes and take as much I can handle.

Since I just finished midterm week I thought I would share and maybe give a few tips that I do to help me balance my busy schedule. 

I am in my last year of college majoring in communication and media studies so I have a lot going on between my thesis (which is about ballet too if can't tell I'm obsessed with it) my major subjects which are production classes like news production, media ethics and new media. I also have the last basic subjects I'm required to take like french, history and my least favorite economics. My schedule is pretty good I did have a professor mess up and now I am stuck with one of my classes which was supposed to be on a Wednesday but was moved which interferes with ballet. I'll get into that in a minute. So I have Monday off which is a blessing because I hate Mondays. On Tuesdays I only have two classes which is an hour enough each so I get to go home early! But I hate Wednesdays and Fridays which is also a day they offer my level ballet class but I can't attend because I have classes from &:30 in the morning. Yes in the morning so I have to force myself out of bed at such an early hour. So I have 2 morning classes, lunch and after that a 3 hour class and then another one and a half hour class that will end at 6. I do have a 4 hour break though for lunch so that is okay and I can handle it. Fridays are supposed to be enjoyed and but I hate Fridays. I have my 7:30 class again and then another class till 10:30 and from there I dont have another class 'till 4:30 in the afternoon. I have 6 hours of doing nothing so I go to my aunt's house and pretty much stay there since it is close to campus instead of driving an hour home and then fighting the traffic going back and then going home again. It does have its perks because I can do homework, go to the mall since its close and more importunately catch up on my sleep. My aunt lets me sleep in the spare if I'm lucky my 2 year old niece doesn't wake me.So that is pretty much my weekly course scdule that is defienelty a pain especially when you know it is almost over.

So about that professor, I have a long break because I was supposed to have a class but the professor moved it to Saturday and I picked a afternoon class because I have my Saturdays full because of my internship and ballet so I had an ordeal of this but I got it sorted after going to our department chair and clearing it. My tip if you having an interfering schedule is just stay calm and try to deal with and if you need help don't be afraid to ask. I got it sorted and now I am not that worried about failing that class.

I don't technically work yet but I do have an internship that I am finishing up this year at the dance company I'm taking ballet at so it all works out I guess. I started in the summer and need to finish 400 hours as a requirement to graduate. I was supposed to be done with this but I got sick and had tonsillitis which I almost had to have surgery for. The doctor put me on a 3 week rest so that lost me hours which I couldn't get done. Now I am making up for it and they don't mind me there since it gives them help. I really want to work there when I graduate because dance is what I wanted to be my career anyways. So every Saturday I get in about 5-8 hours it depends on what time I get in after class and then how long I stay. My ballet class is counted so I get an hour after that. Right now I have about 150 hours left to complete.

Do I have a social life? Kind of. I don't go out with friends that much because I either am doing my work or I'm at dance but I do make time if I have to especially since we have such a long break in between classes.I'm not the kind of person who goes out much though. I love being at home cuddled in bed with my laptop or a good book so if I do have time I'll either be on my laptop or reading those are the two things I can't live without.

My Tips |

1. Stay calm if you are in a stressful situation

This will help because in the end it will work out if you let it.

2. Prioritize things you think are more important

If dance is more important than something that day then go ahead.

3. Stay organized and keep in mind time management

I have my iPhone to help me organize my schedule or a diary/agenda could help. I'm really good with managing my time so work on that if you have to.

4. Do school work in your spare time

I have a long break so I sneak in my assignments there so I don't have to worry about them when I get home.

5. Find time for personal activities

With everything going on everyone needs a break so find something you enjoy.

6. Try not to procrastinate

I know I am kind of guilty of this but it rmember to get it done so you have time for dance.

7. Get some help if you feel like you need it

Don't be that person who swamps themselves, if you need a hand don't be afraid to ask a friend or a family member.

8. Don't freak out over little things

Another thing I do way too often but I am learning that I don't have to be.

9. Set a goal and aim to accomplish it

Set up a set of goals for that week so you can get it all done and feel better about it.

10. Reward yourself once in a while

If you want something you've been eying then go for it we deserve something for our hard work!

So it is just a balancing act. Just like ballet you have to balance and to be able to go en pointe and right now my life is just like that. I hope you enjoyed getting a little glimpse of my personal life and the tips I shared. I hope I helped a little and you can do it to!

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Dance Diary | 11th Week of Ballet

Hi and welcome again to my 11th week dance diary! I can't believe I have been doing this for more or less than 11 weeks! That is a lot and I will probably being saying this in the next coming weeks too so I guess time can just fly.

This week I actually got to dance unlike last week and I can tell I really missed it! It was nice getting last week off and just watching the performance of Giselle but I still wanted to dance myself. So coming in this week I promised myself I would work hard and not be so easy like I have been in the previous weeks. I wanted to make an effort and not be shy to ask and see if I am doing things correctly.

I actually did more stretching this week before class. I usually just stretch a little and then wait until class to really warm up but this makes things easier. I can really feel I am getting flexible again and thank goodness for that. I can really feel a difference in general so this makes me happy that I am getting closer to losing weight and going en pointe soon! I did a few lounges in the hall and tried touching my toes for about a minute and then repeating and it did really help.

In class, I was going for my regular spot but the teacher moved me to the front barre and right in the center so technically I was front and center in front of the mirror and thought it was so weird to be there but I think seeing myself up close like that has made me more aware of myself to correct and see what I'm doing. I usually am a few rows away from the mirror so I can't see myself that much but now I'm right there. It is a little intimidating because I am a little overweight and I can see my body much more but the leotard is my best friend and it hides everything so well and I don't feel as large and I'm thrilled about that. So as I'm there the teacher demonstrates right beside me and I get more of an up close look to see what the steps are.

I did get corrections today and since some of the major dancers weren't in class the teacher is focusing on us again. I guess since the performance is over we can go back to normal. I shouldn't be happy I got corrections right but since I know it can help me and since I haven't gotten corrections in a while I guess that is good. I did get my tendu really stretched and she really made me pointed and that made me hurt my thighs and so did the plies but I pushed and worked every muscle as much as I could. Before I held back a little because I was scared I could hurt myself but now I am getting comfortable and trusting my body more and I am testing how far I can go without hurting myself that is and I think it is working.

Barre was fine and we aren't doing the same routines every week which is good so we do various steps that we don't get tired of. I am memorizing it in my head but sometimes I cannot get my body to do it. I am starting to get everything back and my body has learned now too but sometimes my brain and body just don't want to listen and it gets frustrating because right after we do it I can do it perfectly but while we are doing it with music I just lose it. I did notice when we do it on the left side I am better and can really just perfect it but on the right it just looks blah. I hope I can fix it soon. Also I have noticed that the teacher was right and holding your core really helps my balance and this week she has referred to it as "not spilling the soup" if we keep our cores nice and strong then we can hold up and it is making a difference.

As for any injuries none so far. My ankle isn't hurting that much when I go up on releve anymore and it just cracks but it isn't like the last two weeks. I guess since I had a rest and wasn't on it that much because of school being canceled all week and me just cuddled in bed it really gave it time to heal. I can go higher in demi-pointe now that it doesn't hurt and i can hold my balance better than I did in the beginning.

After barre we did some split stretches which I needed and I can feel my splits coming back and I am so close to it! I thought I was supposed to point my toes in splits because last time I had them flexed and the teacher corrected me to always point my toes not matter what because that is the trademark of a ballerina so I can almost point my toe so  it can reach the floor but she came over to flex it and that is when I felt the stretch. I knew something was wrong when I thought it was too easy and I really felt it once i got my foot stretched out. I am better in the back and I really want to practice that stretch at home now but I am still a little afraid I will hurt myself. I am just going to ease towards it. I still can't get up without using my hands and stand in an arabesque. I am heavy so I need some support but I am getting better and just using my knees to get up instead of my hands so I guess yay for improvement. The teacher doesn't say anything because I know she can't push my limits and I'm glad she doesn't.

We did some center but we don't do it that long since we spend almost the whole hour at the barre. We did a few port a bras and then we did across the room which is my favorite but we could only do one step. I wish we did turns still but we are slowly getting there I think. I hope i can do some turns soon because I really want to. The last thing we did was balanche in the center which is my favorite step and then we hold a pose. Since I have mastered it and knew it since I was little I think that is what makes it my favorite.

That is what I did in ballet. A little long and a lot of details I hope. I took notes after class so I can add them to this dance diary and I think I will be doing it so I can remember to add some more points. I hope I get to be in the December recital because we are doing Cinderella and I really want to join. I am literally counting the days. I almost forgot this week's picture is my turnout. I just got done with class and put my legwarmers on and thought I would take a picture since I haven't been posting pictures for my dance diary lately. I probably need to work on my turnout more but there it is.

I think that is enough for today. I hope you enjoy this weeks dance diary and can't wait for next weeks!

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Throwback Thursday | Rockin Robin

My first Throwback Thursday!

I found a recital CD from 10 years ago! Can you believe it has been 10 years!? That means this was taken in 2003! How time flies. So I decided to do screen shots of one dance in particular and maybe do some more in the upcoming weeks of the show because I did a lot of dances during this particular show. It is kind of nostalgic watching it and I definitely miss it.

This by far was my favorite from that show. The theme was Color Me Dancing and it was all about color if you couldn't guess. The dance was called Rockin' Robin and we danced to of course Rockin' Robin by Bobby Day.

I love the costume and I was getting tickled by the feathers all through the dance but you can't really tell. The skirt was just strings like the Hollywood version kind of thing. I loved the head piece the most and I remember begging my mom if I could wear it to school but she said no but I really loved the head pieces at the time.

This was a tap number and I loved the tap numbers the most. I also just realized that whenever I did tap I was always front and center. I did not know that before but watching my tap dances I was always put in the front and I was very tall for my age which you'd think they would put me in the back. It makes me proud to think that they thought I was a great tap dancer and to be given that honor makes me so happy. That is why I loved tap maybe because I had such passion for it.

And since I did that 'I Miss Tap Dancing' last Tuesday I thought this would be perfect to show off after doing that blog post because of how much I miss it!

I hope you liked my throwback. I can't wait to do more! If you want to see a studio picture of the costume I put one on my dance history post.

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Where to find me?

Just wanted to do a post on where you can find me on the internet! I have pretty much every social media platform so I thought I would share them with you!

Email
If you'd like to contact me for any reason. I love any email I get and it is always open for anything!

Twitter
I love checking twitter and mostly tweet about dance and my personal life so if you want a sneak peek in what I do than go follow!

Facebook
This blog has its own facebook page so if you would like to like it go right ahead. I mostly just update it with the latest posts!

Tumblr
I Have a dance tumblr dedicated to only dance! If you would like to follow please do, I am obsessed with this site and post ballet and dance pictures everyday!

Instagram
This is my dance instagram. I will hopefully start putting more pictures of me dancing on their once I get to class again. I also put some pretty images I found on tumblr s go ahead and follow!

Blog
I also have a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog! I took a break for a while there to focous on this blog but I will be back with more posts soon!

I have all my links on the side so if you like you can access it there. I hope you like it and tomorrows post is really exciting for me so I hope you're looking forward to it like I am!

xo

Jackie

I Miss Tap Dancing!

So I wanted to write this because since I started doing ballet I kind started to miss tap. I mean I was more of a tap dancer than a ballerina so when I'm in class I forget that it is ballet and my feet kind of just tap. Does that make sense? I know that some of the moves can be similer but I end up tapping it and I am so glad my teacher doesn't notice.

In my last dance diary. I said I brought my tap shoes to the studio to do some tap exercises and I loved it. The studio I go to doesn't offer a tap class and so this was new to them to see. There is only one studio I know of in my country that offers a tap class and it is across town from where I dance at now. The studio is pretty far and since I live in the country area the city is pretty far from me and both the dance studios would be a 2 hour drive for me if there is no traffic and there is always traffic. I'm still debating when after I graduate if I want to go and take a tap class. I sacrifice my Saturday's to go to my current studio already and if I went to both that would be a problem as for commuting there. It is just a thought for now though.

I was in the zone and the people just starred at me in awe. I liked it a little but it was kind of strange like I was doing something wrong. But tapping again was so thrilling. I enjoyed it so much and I felt special that I have this talent and can do it. Since it is rare for others to see I thought it was nice for them to experience it isn't common dance around here so that made me feel like I was the only one who could do it.

When I saw this on tumblr, my heart broke. I mean I am starting to see that tap isn't as popular as it was and it is sad because it is a beautiful art form just like ballet. My dream since I was a little girl was to become a dancer teacher. I know some girls dream to be a professional dancer or even a prima ballerina but mine was simple. I wanted to own my own dance studio and teach ballet and tap. I hope one day I could teach tap and get this dance more popular again. It would be nice to see more tap dancing and it wouldn't fade away.

I hope you liked my tap talk! I really miss it and I am trying my best to do as much. Maybe on the weekends I can start up my old tap routines and do them again but maybe without tap shoes since the neighbors might go crazy if I start tapping in my apartment. Well I'll see you in my next blog post!

xo
Jackie

Dance Diary | 10th Week of Ballet

So, I didn't get to dance this week because the company had it's first show and we got to watch for free. The students all went because who will teach classes when the dance teachers are either part of the show are are working for it.

I was disappointed because I really wanted to do ballet because it feels like I haven't danced in forever. I am so waiting for our three week break from school so I could have dance 3 days a week and not spend my week waiting to dance.

I will write a review for the ballet I watched. The company restaged Giselle and was really good. I got to sell soviner programs and posters and all that fun stuff in the lobby before and after so that was fun.

I hope this Wednesday  can take a class but I doubt it because it is a holiday here so they might be closed but I am crossing my fingers they aren't. So if they are open look forward to a post this Wednesday! If not then I have some interesting blog post this week and even some cool pictures too coming out!

xo
Jackie

Dance Diary | 9th Week of Ballet

And today is my 9th week of dancing! How fast has it been? I can't really believe how time just goes by. Now what did I do this week?

I tried not letting last week get to me so I went in after my college class with my mom this time because she wanted to see me dance again I guess. She probably misses taking me to dance and still thinks I'm that little girl she always drove wearing a tutu and lugging around all those dance shoes. I hate to admit it but I missed how she sat there for hours waiting for me while I danced. It just feels so nostalgic and even though I'm just 20 she probably thinks I'm so grown up going to classes by myself now.

I did have to work a little because I had my classmate from college come by so we could work on our thesis. I thought I would have time but she came so late and I was going to be late for class. We are doing our thesis about ballet and so we had to observe the comapny class and since it was almost going to start when she arrived I was running up and down the hall with her in my ballet shoes to get the details sorted and it was just a mess but finally I had to push her to come into the studio so we could take pictures and get everything sorted and stuff like that.

The good news about all that was I got to dance a little with the company. A dream come true right? I was so excited and even though I was there for only 10 minutes so I could attend my regular class. It felt so professional and to me the best part was they had a piano guy! Yeah a real life guy playing the ballet music. I know it is such a small detail but I never had a class that had a guy play the music instead of a cassette. It was amazing and a highlight definitely.

So my expereince was that they were so trained and looked amazing. A lot of them didn't wear ballet shoes and they wore a lot of layers and they just looked so professional and just I really wanted to stay and do the class but I didn't want to disrupt. I would of put pictures but I can't because they are for my thesis and there is copyright issues so I couldn't but I do have some for my memories and to add to my scrapbook!

So after we got our pictures and videos I left to go to my regular class and another teacher took class with us but I don't really like her but I had to be at the barre with her and I was just ignoring her. She is young and has the body of a ballerina but doesn't dance there that much anymore. I won't get into why I don't like her but it was just weird having her there.

I also noticed I am not getting corrected anymore and I know that should be a good thing but the teacher is focusing on the other dancers like the ones who are majoring in dance and the ones who will be in the recital. The others like me who are there because it is a hobby aren't getting critique either. I know she should correct the others more but I would like to know if I should do anything better or have anything be done in a certain way. I am hoping it will be over when the recital is over and that will stop her favoritism. I also hope its normal when big shows are coming up but I was always in a class that was going to recital so we would all be prepped. I'll let you know next week if it is the same because if that is the case I would like to change studios if I'm not going to get any good dance training.

Well that was a long one this week! It makes up for my short ones the previous weeks! So as always see you next week!

xo  Jackie

Dance Diary | 8th Week of Ballet

And I'm here again with another Dance Diary! Well class was okay this week and I can say I've been a little sick but I am still there making it and I still took class. I noticce I was a little sore this week for some reason especially when I went on releve but I am trying not to force myself and I just want to take it easy.

I don't get to do the recital after all because I think it is supposed to be cast and I don't really fit in I guess. I don't understand the dance schools requirements and I'm a little bummed because I was so into it and was so excited but I guess it doesn't workout that way. I have been trying not to let it get me down but I still really wanted to dance on stage again. I was talking with my dad and I hate to admit I was upset because it might be my weight and I don't have that ballerina body but that is why I am there to try and lose some pounds and then work harder to get in shape. He told me stop thinking like that and not judge them right away because it might be cause I'm new and they don't want me to over do myself. I am trying to listen but I always have that thought in the back of my mind and I know therre might be some great over wieght ballerinas and that I shouldnt worry at all.

I just went home right away after class and I usually stay a while but I wasnt in the mood this week. I hope next week is better and I don't have to think and just dance because isnt dance supposed to get rid of your emtions and help you. I guess I'll just use dance to not think and just do what I love without their stupid opinion if they have one about me. I am still deciding though if after my internship if I should still dance with them if they won't treat me good. There are a few studios I could try and I might get better treatment as a dancer.

I think it's because they are a company and train company members there so they don't know how to deal with others. It is just an opinion but I hope it's true. Well I guess I'll be back again next week.

xo  Jackie