Aquinnah – Page 4 – Dancing Angel

09/29/2015

3 Things You Should Know about Divergent

*This post has several SPOILERS, but not enough to ruin your reading. It is dedicated to anyone and everyone who has ever considered reading the Divergent series and to the hope that they will, against all odds, choose to do so.*

Divergent

Divergent is NOT The Hunger Games

This is the absolute, #1 quote that I hear about the Divergent series. “It’s basically The Hunger Games,” they say. “It’s a spin-off of The Hunger Games. If you’ve read The Hunger Games, you really don’t need to read Divergent. It’s exactly the same.”

All the time.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but after the first book alone, it was clear to me that Veronica Roth’s utopian world is a far cry from Suzanne Collins’s dystopian one. It’s all about the vocabulary…

Dystopian – an extremely miserable society

Utopian – a society which strives for perfect life

Wait… what? Doesn’t that mean that Divergent and The Hunger Games are… opposites?!

Not totally. Everyone has their own idea of what “perfect life” would look like. When those ideas get caught in the judgment filter, they go one of two ways. They are (Here we go!)… they are (Yeah, baby!)… they ARE (SO READY!)… Divergent or The Hunger Games (When did I become so predictable, anyway?).

Both Divergent and The Hunger Games blame human nature for society’s issues. “Let us fix your genetics!” becomes a utopian process. “We’ll wipe anyone who disagrees with us off the map!” becomes a dystopian process. But “fixing” people so that they can be “perfect” is bound to irritate someone who believes there’s nothing wrong with their gentetics (*raises hand*). That causes civil war. And being told that you’ll need to sacrifice one to two children per year as a reminder–to you–of–your own–statist government simply can’t be taken with a grain of salt. That causes civil war.

So, maybe the messages are the same. Maybe perfect life can’t be achieved.

But let’s be honest. Katniss and Tris are so utterly different, one huge similarity is essentially drowned by differences big and small. In the end, it comes down to what each of them is willing to sacrifice. And I haven’t even started on that yet…

Tris is an Original

I have never read a character so unique and not for reasons you might think. In her society, Tris is normal. She has her own irritations, but that first chapter doesn’t scream, “Hey! HEY! I’m totally against my perfect society! I’m going against the grain! I want to be different!” Actually, like any 16-year-old, Tris just wants to fit in with anyone who seems to have their life figured out better than she does her own. And that’s what made her special from the first page.

In today’s world, everybody wants this “perfectly flawed” protagonist. I’ve heard Tris win the title many times, and, unlike with Katniss, I can see it. Tris is a mess. She wants to be selfless, and brave, and smart, and kind AND honest, and she’s not allowed. She wants to fit in with everyone, but she can’t. She wants to love people and trust people, but she can’t.

And–let’s be real–Tris is smarter at the end of Allegiant than Katniss was on page one of The Hunger Games. And we all know what happened to Katniss after page one.

Everybody Hates Allegiant… Almost

Are you screaming at me yet?

I did not hate Allegiant!

I did not like it either.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a more depressing ending note or a cliffhanger that I wanted resolved more. Also, though I eventually understood the necessity, I didn’t need to get all up inside Four’s head. I never expected him to be so whiny, I guess.

But there were good parts. Hopefully, by now, you want to know what they are. If not, convince them or confuse them, right?

I may be opinionated, but I enjoy listening to other people’s opinions! If you have one to share, I’d love to hear it through the comments [below] or the contact form [above].

Aquinnah

Photo Credit: Fear doesn’t shut you down. Emilie. 2015. We Heart It. Web. 29 September 2015. View photo.

09/27/2015

My Newly Discovered, Jumping Up and Down in a Hot and Sweaty Crowd Life

Title credits to Moriah… 🙂

I never expected to attend a school dance. I started homeschooling full-time in my freshman year of high school, and I never looked back. If I want to, I can graduate this year, and I do want to. I’m ready to move on, and my previous opinions on college have changed drastically. I might even consider going.

Last year, between eating spoonfuls of ketchup (which I can’t recommend) and making prank calls (“Hey, this is Alex…”), I signed a piece of paper and promised that I would attend Homecoming 2015 with Moriah. Adysen agreed, too. I was pretty sure it was a joke.

Needless to say, it wasn’t.

One flat iron and two curling irons later, my hair was ready, along with my makeup and even my nails, which I never bother to paint because PERFORMANCES, of course. I put jewelry on, including my great-grandmother’s pearls, and bought new shoes. And, after hours and hours and hours and HOURS of shopping… my parents found this beautiful dress. I could never express how thankful I am for those two who know me so well.

Ask Adysen, Moriah, Sarah or Olivia– I take on school dances like a ballerina. My whip and nae nae looks like second position preparation and croise, and I had to take off my heels before I could do any kind of jumping…. But it was fun! I got advice like, “Harness your inner monkey.” We had a big studio group, and we jumped, and danced and sang as a group. We laughed as a group. We ran around looking for people and water bottles. We watched glow sticks (and various people) fly across the gym. We also came up with seemingly random things like Cookie Butter and Icee and took this college-worthy picture:

So, thank you, Moriah, for making us go to homecoming. I won’t forget it, and neither will Adysen, since they decided to play Turn Down For What. #onpoint Thank you both for a winner of a shopping trip and an even better dance. You never know how strong you are until you dance in heels… or something like that.

Here’s to hot pink and sparkly butterflies, hot and sweaty crowds and our first and last homecoming as the three musketeers. I love you guys!

Aquinnah

09/17/2015

How Penguins Run

There used to be a relevant story as far as the title goes, but now I can’t remember the details.

I’ve never been a fan of change (who is, really?), so it’s been a challenging week. It wasn’t always nice, especially when I got my expanders yanked out yesterday, and I cried all over the dentist (They were happy tears to begin with, but then I realized just how much my mouth hurt….). More importantly, I’m adapting. I get up and finish my schoolwork as fast as I can, and one of these days, I’ll be finished with mathematics… forever! And once I reminded myself that 50+ little ballerinas aren’t as intimidating as they seem, I was able to settle into my new intern position. And, of course, it’s always nice to leave life’s various stresses behind and just dance for a few hours. This paragraph is dedicated to Moriah, who so kindly shared her good day with me last Wednesday. 🙂

Our first leaps/turns warm-up of fall semester was done outside in the sunshine. That was a first and, hopefully, not last. Some change is good… especially if you’re getting your vitamin D! I’ve never had 50+ students before, but I’m loving that experience, too. I’m so blessed, lovelies, to be spending my days with these kiddos. I was even able to sub for a 6-9-year-old tap class today, which was difficult, being that I’m not an expert in tap, but really satisfying.

Training and modern are awesome. We’ve welcomed a bunch of new sisters (and brothers too!) and teachers. It’s shaping up to be a wonderful year.

Intermediate Pointe 2 with Ms. Mia started on Monday, and I’ve already learned so much. Thank God for new shoes next month!

After three weeks of rehearsals, Advanced Modern and Training 2, along with a variety of other classes, performed at an annual carnival last weekend. It was an honor to learn and perform Symphony No 8. Looking forward to DDD!

So, it wasn’t the most comfortable week. I guess, a lot of times, uncomfortable is the way to go. That’s how we learn. And today was more comfortable; basic science can explain that. Humans adapt. We’re cool that way.

Love,

Aquinnah

09/03/2015

Pumpkin Pie Playlist

I have this thing about autumn. Generally speaking, it’s a lot of tea, and sweaters and wool socks. It makes me think of apples and pumpkins and lots and lots of pie. It also means school. And even though it’s not technically fall yet, I need a playlist just for trigonometry.

For whatever odd reason, most quiet songs sound melancholy to me. But autumn is also quiet, in my mind, unlike spring (which is refreshing), summer (which is upbeat) or winter (which was made for Christmas sing-alongs). This playlist would make good background noise.

Pumpkin Pie Playlist

The Broken Beautiful by Ellie Holcomb
A Little Longer by Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson
For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield
Blind Love by Bon Jovi
Breathe You In by Thousand Foot Krutch
Fight Song/Amazing Grace by The Piano Guys
God Made Girls by RaeLynn
The Hanging Tree by James Newton Howard
Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning by Bon Jovi
Here I Am To Worship by Hillsong
Seamless by Sabrina Carpenter
La Seine and I Cabaret by Vanessa Paradis
What Do I Know of Holy by Addison Road
Home by Phillip Phillips

On Burning Bridges: I like it. End random I-had-better-point-out….

Dance starts in less than a week with leaps and turns… AH! I’m so ready for this new year.

xoxo,

Aquinnah

08/17/2015

Photo Shoot ’15

Tomorrow, I turn 16. It’s kind of strange to think about. I always thought that when I turned 16, I would feel instantaneously different, but today, I’ve been thinking about all the great stuff that happened while I was 15. It wasn’t such a bad year itself– crazy, yes, but not bad.

I’ve been meaning to post these pictures for awhile, having finished this year’s photo shoot at last, and I’m glad to be doing it now. Though I’ve since gotten braces and performed in the summer showcase, these costumes represent some of my favorite moments from my 15th year, and these pictures are dear to my heart. I do hope you enjoy.

I loved the costume – Garden of the Gods scenery combination.

Brody: Quinnah, why don’t you look at the camera?!

Just hoping that the mountain bikers wouldn’t run me over…

Catching fire

“Be multiplied”

Brody: Seriously, Quinnah!– LOOK AT THE CAMERA!

Please, don’t rain.

Desert breeze…

… blow me away

This one was Brody’s idea. 😉

Colorado clouds on point

Little brothers are the special little boys in your life who pick you flowers and take pictures of you with the flowers.

Road trip to Rangeley– this is right after I fell in the swamp. The Blochs live on, and Dad and I had a good laugh.

Dad: Stay right there! Don’t move! I have an idea.

Can you see the fairies?

What dancers actually look like when they’re tying pointe shoes in the freezing cold after falling into a swamp.

What dancers wish they looked like when they’re tying pointe shoes in the freezing cold after falling into a swamp.

Possibly the greatest picture of me ever taken. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. I guess falling in a swamp does that to you (obviously, it was a terribly traumatic experience).

xoxo

08/03/2015

Harry Potter and when He Lived in My Closet

I was born into the Harry Potter generation. J. K. Rowling had published The Prisoner of Azkaban just before I was born, and my parents bought a copy of the renowned series (through the fourth book) in 2000, shortly after The Goblet of Fire was released. It was a gorgeous, completely hardcover set, and it spent several years in the back of my closet before my mom threw the entirety of it in the dumpster. I kid you not.

You see, I was afraid of my closet, and I never went in there alone, so the top shelf was the perfect hiding spot for Harry Potter. Harry Potter contained magic, and magic was dark, and darkness was evil, so Harry eventually had a three-second peek at my bedroom before disappearing down the upstairs hallway and into the trash.

I never forgot the cover of The Goblet of Fire, though, as Harry and I looked at each other for the first time, beneath my mother’s arm. There was a brief exchange, during which I asked her what she was carrying. She told me that they were books– bad, scary books. So I let them go.

Rowling Quote

At this point in my life, my mom is able to call my dog a “muggle.” She doesn’t really know what that means–Can a dog actually be a muggle anyway?–but she knows the word, so I feel partially accomplished. My dad, on another hand, has perfected the nonverbal spell which entails thrusting his wand (fork) upward at the dinner table and looking pointedly at Kaden (who immediately sits up straight).

We didn’t get to this point instantaneously. As a matter of fact, I thought Brody had gone mental when he asked my mom if he could read The Sorcerer’s Stone. I nearly passed out when she told him yes. A year later, I can’t imagine her saying no.

Most of my Harry Potter books are on my e-reader, and I love them so much more than those that spent so long in my closet– mostly because I got to read these ones. But I’ll never forget that moment–that fraction of a second–when I saw 14-year-old Harry for the first time, smiling from the cover of the latest book.

Through this series, I’ve learned one very specific thing: You cannot know a person 100% until they’ve been given two things: money and power. Ginny Weasley taught me that age is not a direct relation to power. All of the Weasleys together taught me the importance of family. Sirius Black taught me that who you are expected to become is not necessarily who you are to be in the future. Remus Lupin taught me never to judge people by what they are but by heart. Luna Lovegood taught me not to take everything so seriously. Neville Longbottom taught me to stay determined. Albus Dumbledore taught me to search for the good in others, even when it is difficult. Hermione Granger taught me that knowledge is beauty. Ron Weasley taught me to laugh whenever possible and for as long as possible. Severus Snape taught me that love goes beyond all magic.

Harry Potter–though he had to wait 15 years–taught me the power of friendship. He taught me to do what’s right instead of finding an easier way.

And J. K. Rowling. She taught me that little details, seemingly insignificant, are what matter most in the end.

The Deathly Hallows ended in an epilogue. I’m glad. It makes me feel that the story isn’t over. In fact, a new chapter has begun.

Always

Aquinnah

Photo one (1) Credit: Magic world…. Anonymous. 2015. We Heart It. Web. 2 August 2015. View photo.

Photo two (2) Credit: the stories we love best. Lisa. 2015. We Heart It. Web. 2 August 2015. View photo.

Photo three (3) Credit: Always. alexis. 2015. We Heart It. Web. 2 August 2015. View photo.

07/31/2015

Something about Summer

There’s something about summer that makes me look forward to it every year. Maybe it’s the sunshine or the way the grass smells in the morning. Maybe it’s the birds that insist on waking me up so that I can fall back to sleep. Maybe it’s having the time to sit in bed and disappear into a good book. Maybe it’s the present possibility to do anything, everything and nothing as I see fit.

My thought process this morning, around 5am: I have a lot of stuff to do today. I wonder what everyone posted on Instagram last night. I should probably write today. What if that update messed with iTunes? Or Rosetta Stone? Can I reopen Rosetta Stone? How’ll I ever get back into Rosetta Stone?! And I was getting pretty good at French, too. If I go on Pinterest right now, I’ll never get off. Oooh, but Big Hero 6— that’s where my Big Hero 6 board is. Does the dog whine this loudly EVERY MORNING? I’m gonna read Harry– nope. Everyone died. Why do all the good characters die? Next week is going to be crazy. Stop trying to get me to read, Harry Potter; I only have two chapters left in Deathly Hallows. I’m so hungry. But it’s only 5am. There’s so much laundry to be done. Why did I wake up in the first place? My calves are so tight. Oooh, Pinterest.

And therein, folks, is why I’m awake at this ungodly hour, watching the innumerable rabbits hop around in the backyard. I’m not quite up to Lorelai Gilmore’s random string of thoughts standard, but I think I’m getting better…. Summer was meant for sleeping late!

I’ve been denying it for awhile, but July is coming to a close. I could do without the giant cardboard pencils hanging from the ceiling in every shopping center around the city, but yes, July is ending. I can hardly believe that summer semester is over; I’ve learned so much. On Wednesday, in pointe, we taught ourselves the first Odalisque variation. Yesterday, in choreography/improv, we analyzed the cinematography, choreography and costume in the above video, PAINTED. While we each had a different perspective on the piece, we all agreed that our analysis was far more objective than it would have been seven weeks ago. It’s bittersweet– seeing choreography in parts rather than as a whole. “It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart,” said Finnick Odair. I think the same goes for dance: It takes ten times as long to put a piece back together as it does to mentally take it apart. Once I could see the little details and quirks in this video, it was impossible to un-see them. Visualizing the over-all meaning of the dance became difficult until we watched it a second time, and the puzzle rebuilt itself. My one empty brain cell–bam!–fried. Leaps and Turns was a phenomenal experience, too, teaching me how to get out of my head and just dance. I can’t wait for it to start up again in the fall.

With fall comes Training 3 with Miss Mia, Miss Sara and Miss Bethanny; intermediate pointe 2 with Miss Mia; leaps/turns with Miss Bethanny; and advanced modern with Miss Sara. I’m also SUPER excited to be interning with Miss Beth in Pre-Training and Bethanny in ballet/tap and ballet 1A.

For now, I’m hanging on to summer and the wonderful people in it. To my dear Caroline: As the original Training 1s break up yet again, I pray every blessing over you and your family. God has such wonderful plans for this next adventure, and although I am going to miss you terribly, I’m so excited to see where those plans take you. Love you and miss you already, girl.

Aquinnah