Month: July 2014

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My Playlist II

Lovelies, I downloaded new music yesterday…! I seriously can’t get over how great these songs are. I’ve organized them according to music artist, just as I did last time. Enjoy.

1. Just Older – Bon Jovi – Crush
2. Have A Nice Day – Bon Jovi – Have A Nice Day
3. Summertime – Bon Jovi – Lost Highway
4. I’m With You – Bon Jovi – What About Now (Deluxe Version)
5. What About Now – Bon Jovi – What About Now (Deluxe Version)
6. What’s Left of Me – Bon Jovi – What About Now (Deluxe Version)
7. Beautiful World – Bon Jovi – What About Now (Deluxe Version)
8. Everything’s OK – Chris Rice – Run the Earth, Watch the Sky
9. Fly to Paradise (Main Mix) – Eric Whitacre Singers, Will Dawes, Hila Plitmann and Guy Sigsworth – Single
10. Angel By Your Side – Francesca Battistelli – Hundred More Years
11. Motion Of Mercy – Francesca Battistelli – Hundred More Years
12. Beautiful, Beautiful – Francesca Battistelli – My Paper Heart (Bonus Track Version)
13. Free To Be Me [Dented Fender Sessions] – Francesca Battistelli – My Paper Heart: Dented Fender Sessions
14. I’m Letting Go [Dented Fender Sessions] – Francesca Battistelli – My Paper Heart: Dented Fender Sessions
15. When Mercy Found Me – Rhett Walker Band – Come to the River

<3
Aquinnah
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Confidently Joyful

 

“Really, what’s the worst that can happen? You fall down.” – Miss Jenna

I must admit, it is rather bizarre that in dance, it’s easier for people (myself included) to perform Italian fouettes than it is for them to smile. We put so much effort into looking beautiful on the outside; we forget about the beauty of our hearts, of our minds and of our souls. Do you think that if we smiled more, those Italian fouettes would be really lovely? Do you believe that if we smiled more, we’d stop being so incredibly uptight? Is there such a world as that? I think…

… yes.
I haven’t taken a full-on jazz class since I was six years old, but Leaps and Turns is dragging the jazz hands right out of me! From soutenus, to four-step pirouettes, to six-step pirouettes, to arabesque turns, to tilt turns, to grand jetes, to calypsos, to Russians, to “Wow, I didn’t even know that move existed.” ALL of these, however, have one, HUGE THING in common.
You must perform them confidently. You have to perform them with “something on your face,” or the audience is going to get bored. And really, what dancer is sad enough to bore an audience with a JAZZ piece?
I can honestly say that I am one thousand times more likely to make it across the room with one six-step pirouette than I was five weeks ago. And yes, it has something to do with the fact that I can actually perform the turn correctly now, but really, it’s because I’m confident. Not overconfident but just enough. One day, I’ll be confidently joyful, too.
And just when I thought my week with Miss Jenna was over: “Okay, well, I’m obviously not Miss Sara.”
Miss Jenna subbed for ballet and pointe yesterday. It was awesome.
We did a lot of barre, a lot of stretching and a whole LOT of jumping in ballet. You lovelies definitely would have laughed at our pitiful attempt at Miss Jenna’s final combination. “This is what happens when you give them Coca-Cola at 8pm…!”
And now we know: no “coke” after eight.
Pointe shoes may be “torture devices for the feet,” but Miss Jenna gave Angela, Sarah and I a class to remember! Most of the lesson was spent in center, so our instructor had to remind us several times, “It’s very rare that people die during pointe work. You have a better chance of dying out in the parking lot.”
What I gladly realized yesterday is that after five weeks of jazz class, I’ve gained enough confidence to be noticeable in my ballet dancing.
And that’s the best feeling in the world.
Aquinnah
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Live Long, Live Strong

Well, this has been an extremely long week. That stated, this is going to be a very long post. I apologize in advance!

First off, this post is dedicated to “my peeps”, who drove all the way down here from Wisconsin to vacation and ended up sweeping, moving mattresses, cleaning bathrooms, installing ceiling fans, cooking, doing laundry, taking out trash and fist fighting over who the heck was going to pay for groceries.

It has been such an amazing start to July. Honestly, I push for this week every year. Because this week means Bible Conference at the ministry, and Bible Conference means Alex and Julie and my peeps, all gathered together in my home state. This year, that meant moving seven extra family members into our new house!

It was amazing. We did everything from swimming [in the pouring rain] (Yes, I have played 500 before. No, I’m not going to beat you at it.), to Texas Road House (“More soda!”), to mini golfing (“This is how the pros do it!”), to a campfire (“Here, Kaden, you can toast my marshmallow. You’ll love it!”), to a barbeque (“Well, Kaden, it looks like I’m stuck here. You’ll have to go get my dessert for me.”), to Five Guys (“Just get the little hamburger!”), to an Avengers movie marathon (“Wait, who’s he? Is he important?”).

Memorable quotes from the B&B adventures? We got those covered.

Dad: We were ready to have a fistfight in the middle of King Soopers. That would have proved highly entertaining for all of the other shoppers.

Mom: Will you just relax, please? You’re on vacation for crying out loud!

Me: I have no idea who you are. But I’ll take your barbeque ticket!

Kaden: No, I don’t have a wife! I’m not married!

Brody: We could go get slurpees….

Gauge: Aw, you guys live here, too? This is awesome!

Dan: I’m going to go install the ceiling fans.

Becky: Live long, live strong!

Jerad: We’re going to have to stop this movie like every two minutes because I’m not going to get it.

Jace: It was the grass!

Emma: Men!– they do what they wanna do.

Needless to say, we get along like a big, happy family of ten people, whom no restaurant can seat at the same table. I was so sad to see them go.

Somewhere in there, I managed to make it to Leaps and Turns, where we worked on switch leaps and jazz fouettes, and ballet, where I flat-out failed multiple across-the-floor combinations because I was so exhausted.

And fall classes are here!

Monday: Training 3 with Miss Mia

Wednesday: Advanced Modern and Training 3 w/pointe with Miss Sara

Friday: Training 3 with Miss Sara/Miss Bethanny and Intermediate Pointe One with Miss Mimi

Amen!
Aquinnah