Aquinnah – Page 3 – Dancing Angel

02/14/2016

Recital Central 2016

It feels like spring today. I don’t usually like spring (one word: brown), but I do love sunshine, so it’s been good. Plus, three-day weekend. 🙂

This is one of those posts that I write for my own benefit. Because sometimes, dancers and writers alike just have to get themselves organized. While I have you here, though, I recommend this year’s Bible verses. They’re worth smiling about.

***

Beauty in Motion Showcase on May 13th
Dress Rehearsal on May 7th

1. Spanish Dance
Combined Training– Ms. Sara
“You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” Psalms 30:11
Hair: bun
Attire: pink tights, pink ballet shoes

6. Requiem for a Tower
Advanced Modern– Ms. Sara
“He will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every face and remove His people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 25:8
Attire: black leotard

11. God’s Warriors
Intermediate Pointe 2– Ms. Mia
“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.” Deuteronomy 20:1
Hair: bun
Attire: nude pointe shoes

15. I Will Sing of My Redeemer
Leaps and Turns– Miss Bethanny
“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story…” Psalms 107:2a
Hair: half up
Attire: tan tights, tan jazz shoes

19. Daylight
Training 3– Ms. Sara
“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalms 90:12
Hair: bun
Attire: pink tights, pointe shoes

***

Recital 1 on May 14th
Dress Rehearsal on May 4th

1. Spanish Dance

9. Daddy’s Girl
Ballet/Tap– Miss Bethanny
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:15
Attire: pink tights, pink ballet shoes

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Recital 2 on May 14th
Dress Rehearsal on May 10th

14. Simple Gifts
Ballet 1A– Miss Bethanny
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13
Hair: low bun
Attire: pink tights, pink ballet shoes

***

Recital 3 on May 14th
Dress Rehearsal on May 9th

10. Spanish Dance

16. Dawn
Pre-Training– Miss Beth
“He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. Yahweh, the God of Hosts, is His name.” Amos 4:13
Hair: bun
Attire: pink tights, pink ballet shoes

***

Aquinnah

02/11/2016

Life is like…

Happy [belated] New Year to all of you lovely dancers! I’ve been meaning, and meaning and seriously meaning to write this, but between school, dance classes, teaching dance classes and driving hours alone, life is like… *cue Lorelai Gilmore* Falling Pizza Box

… this pizza box.

But forget about the measly trials and tribulations (Please excuse me while my brain explodes.) of the 16-year-old girl. We’ve got happier things to talk about!

It’s February, and Recital choreography is moving into full swing. “Dawn” is the Pre-Training piece (and also the 2005 theme song for Pride and Prejudice because you absolutely wanted to know that above all else. Not that I’m an Austen fanatic or something because… eh em. Whatever.). “Darkest Before the Dawn”, lovingly called, “God’s Warriors”, is our Intermediate Pointe 2 dance, and if anyone would like to share with me the secret to pancaking pointe shoes, I’m all ears. We’ll be using bows (We would’ve been okay with lightsabers, too, but it’s no big deal. I’m sort of totally in love with the bows.), but the audience is not to fear; we’re going without the included arrows. Advanced Modern’s “Requiem for a Tower” has us crawling around in the orchestra pit (Can you say, “YAAAASSSS!”?), and “Daylight” makes the Training 3s want to cry artsy tears. Sorry for the bad description– I’ve written a lot today. Both Requiem and Daylight will be finished soon. We haven’t begun choreography in Leaps and Turns, Ballet/Tap or Ballet 1A just yet, but I know that “I Will Sing of My Redeemer”, “Daddy’s Girl” and “Simple Gifts” are bound to be spectacular. “Spanish Dance”, the combined Training piece, is challenging without all of the 1s and 2s, but we’ll get there. We always do. Until then, I’ll be over here rolling out my calves and trying to remember all of this stunningly beautiful choreography like…

Yeah.

In other news, we’ve changed the Leaps and Turns costume to an equally beautiful dress. I don’t have a picture, but April is coming, and Picture Week is soon to follow. Recital info was sent out this week, so I’ve been compiling Recital Central for the year, but I figured I should elaborate on this great stuff first. Consider my elaboration pretty much over. Except you definitely want to…

Dancing Lorelai

… see The Fall, Faith’s upcoming performance. I’ll be helping backstage, but you don’t want to miss this show.

The crazies are coming, so don’t forget…

Lorelai on Sleep

and enjoy every minute. *heart emojis*

To return very soon,

Aquinnah

GIF One (1) Credit: OMGYASKWEEN. Pizza, Nodding. Digital image. Giphy. Giphy, 11 Feb. 2016. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.

GIF Two (2) Credit: KRWELCH3. Coffee, Gilmore Girls. Digital image. Giphy. Giphy, 11 Feb. 2016. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.

GIF Three (3) Credit: OMGYASKWEEN. Dancing, Pizza, Nodding. Digital image. Giphy. Giphy, 11 Feb. 2016. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.

GIF Four (4) Credit: Tumblr. Pretty, Sleep, Gilmore Girls. Digital image. Giphy. Giphy, 11 Feb. 2016. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.

12/18/201502/18/2019

Christmas Dances 2015

I just love Christmas. I love snow, and hot chocolate (massive toss-up between peppermint and caramel right now), and movies (I think I’ve seen Elf three times already….), and pajamas, and bells and music.

I performed my final Christmas piece of the season yesterday, and I’m almost ready for break… because combined Training class, of course! Last week’s Friday lesson ended up being the nursing home outreach and a hot chocolate party, so I’m super excited to see what this final class of 2015 brings.

I’m having a terrible time cutting the video of Christmas Eve in Sarajevo, but if I ever figure it out, I’ll post a part of that right HERE. Before we performed the T3 piece, Miss Sara taught us the Spanish variation from Nutcracker. It was a good day.

Wednesday was rather awesome, too. We drank hot chocolate and created group pieces in jazz, and then I taught both ballet/tap and 1A. I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first tap class as a teacher, but it was such a joy to work with the kiddos! The 1A kids learned half of the Sugar Plum variation, which was a total dream come true for me. By the smiles I was getting, I think the little ballerinas were pretty happy. 🙂 Christmastime is just the best.

Enjoy these hours leading up to the big day and a very happy New Year to you and yours,

Aquinnah

12/16/2015

Nine Days until Christmas

The final week of Christmas performances has struck again, and I’ll be teaching two classes today. I’m so ready to be done with Personal Finance for the year. On a more random note, since we don’t perform One Small Child until tomorrow night, Moriah, Emma and I decided to have tea yesterday. Presenting the best three minutes of your day thus far…:

I think it’s safe to say that my writing is better than my camera face. *cheesy smile*

xoxo,

Aquinnah

12/06/2015

Recital Costumes 2016

It’s been a weekend of SATs, Christmas decorations, glitter and a second Thanksgiving spent at home, all preceded by a week of costumes and Christmas dances by the ballet/tap and 1A kiddos. I am happier than I’ve been in weeks. The holiday season usually sees to that.

Pre-Training

Intermediate Pointe 2

Leaps and Turns (with tan tights and tan jazz shoes)

Ballet/Tap

Ballet 1A

Advanced Modern (skirt in black with black leotard)

Training combined (with fans)

Gorgeous, right? This year’s Training 3 piece will be performed in our navy leotards and black wrap skirts. I am so super excited about all of these dances! For now, we’ll be performing Mary, Did You Know tomorrow and Christmas Eve in Sarajevo at a nursing home on Friday. It’s going to be a good week.

But first!– super secret Christmas projects to complete before Monday strikes again.

Happy Sunday,

Girl who Had to Ask for Extra Time to “fill in the corresponding circles” on the SAT because Her Name is So Long

11/09/2015

DDD 2015

Hey, Autumn! AUTUMN! No, move OVER, Winter… WINTER. I’m not TALKING to you! Autumn! SLOW DOWN!

*poof* Brain cells.

I can hardly believe that the first week of November has come and gone, leaving me with six Christmas dances, impending travels and a whole lot to write about.

DDD was this weekend, and though it was significantly different from last year’s fundraiser, I won’t soon forget it. I love Ms. Patrizia’s master classes, and I love the local high school, and I love my artsy community. My studio may stick out in a crowd… but that’s what happens when you pray, “Let us be light”.

Saying goodbye to Arise was hard. I didn’t want it to go. I think I could have performed it at every show for the rest of my life and been okay, but change is a necessary part of life, and A LOT of things are changing… hopefully for the better. While Pre-Training, ballet/tap combo and ballet 1A learn “Charlie Brown Medley” and “Born is the King”, I’m practicing Sugarplum and “Christmas Eve in Sarajevo” in Training 3; “Mary, Did You Know” in pointe; and “One Small Child” in modern. I’m also making college pro-con lists like a true Gilmore and trying to survive Personal Finance. Gotta love Personal Finance.

On the 30th of October (Wow, I’m behind…), we combined the Training Division in one awesome ballet class with Miss Bethanny and Miss Sara, as we’ll be doing each month through May. I hadn’t realized how big Training has become. I loved being able to meet our new family members. They’re awesome.

I’ve been teaching one combination per week in Pre-Training, and I’ll be teaching most of ballet 1A on Wednesday. I’m going to have to learn a whole lot of choreography on Thursday because next Thursday, I’ll be on my way to Clemson University. Fifteen-year-old me is beating up 16-year-old me right now, after being previously pummeled by 12-year-old me last week, but I’m really, really excited to get to South Carolina.

To new adventures,

Aquinnah

10/17/2015

Surviving Achilles Tendinitis

Tomorrow marks my sixth week with Achilles tendinitis, and I’ve had it up to here with it! My first and foremost recommendation to the dancers of the world: Don’t wait all summer to get your back adjusted. Chances are, if it feels like your tailbone is out of alignment, it is. And the longer you walk around lopsided, the harder it will be to walk correctly again. I would know. I wish I didn’t.

If, however, it’s too late for you, too, I’ve decided to put together an Achilles Tendinitis Survival Kit to make your life (and mine) a little easier. As Miss Tori put it: Achilles tendinitis feels about as good as having two broken legs, and there are a whole lot of ways to make it worse. But let’s be positive! Here’s how I’m making it better:

Chiropractor

As dancers, we know our bodies better than most people. If something’s not right, we tend to notice right away. Be positive (don’t talk your body down!) but don’t ignore what your body is telling you.

Cold Laser Treatment

My chiropractor recommended a 20-minute cold laser treatment on my Achilles. My first thought was, Ow, ow, ow, pain, no, bad idea, I think not, let’s leave before I get my legs melted off. But it’s actually painless. It took a few days, but I did notice a difference in my calves! From what I was told, it works miracles on some people!

Massaging

Massaging actually made a huge difference. My mom became a sports medicine expert in September, but she’s not really interested in making a career out of it, so you’ll have to find your own massage therapist… sorry about that.

Biofreeze

My life. Biofreeze has helped me more than anything else. No massaging required… a 30-second, DIY, get-better-quick remedy for the OMG, when did I turn into an injury magnet? moments.

Vitamin C

If you put the vitamin powder in applesauce, you can’t even taste how gross it actually is! Or just eat a kiwi.

Stuff I Can’t Recommend

Over-stretching… THAT was a bad idea. Balancing on releve also wasn’t great fun. Jumping… that’d be scary. And pointe. Even if you have gorgeous new Euro Stretch shoes that you’re dying to break in… don’t.

Stuff Other People Recommend

Hot baths, heating pads and essential oils (lavender and peppermint) are all things that seem to work for others but haven’t worked on me. That’s not to say they won’t help you along!

And finally…

I AM NOT A DOCTOR, AND I DON’T PRETEND TO BE. I’m just a dancer, trying to recover quickly and documenting how 16-year-old me reacted to Achilles tendinitis. It is one of those things that can only heal with rest, and so I say once again: listen to your body. Be nice to yourself. Stay positive! You can beat this.

Aquinnah