ttaymremmus

Alright, I really don’t like talking about myself when it comes to these things. I feel weird about it. But I think my “secret sauce” is musicality and ability to pick up and retain choreography. I would have to say that technically, I’m pretty decent. But my strong points are reflecting the music in my body when I dance and learning choreography quickly.

I auditioned for a jazz piece on Monday, and the choreography was to a Bernstein piece. The choreography was really syncopated and somewhat confusing, but I was able to pick it up after the first few times it was shown. Learning it for me was fairly easy, but the counts were all over the place. It was difficult to connect the counts to the music because the timing was constantly changing, but after listening to the music a few times, it was easy for me to dance on the music. I’m not trying to seem conceited or superior, but I felt that I was one of only a small handful of people that were able to execute the steps on the music with the right timing. I hope that made me stand out against some of the other dancers who didn’t have exactly the right timing.

As far as money goes, that’s always going to be tough, and I’ve already accepted that. Getting a contract with a company is great because that means getting paid. But that’s a long road to go down, and it takes a lot of patience. Usually, to get a corps contract, you first have to get into the second company – if that particular company has a second company – then get an apprenticeship. It can take lots of years and sucking up. And if you aren’t good enough to get into the second company or get an apprenticeship, you have to be a trainee first. That means you’re paying the school or the company to train there so that you MIGHT have a chance at getting a contract someday in the future.

I think I will probably have to have a job while I’m trying to get into a company, but if and when I get a contract with a company, I should be able to live off of what I would make dancing without having to get a second job. But really, I love dancing so much that I wouldn’t mind working another job in order to be able to keep dancing. Also, the higher your rank in a company, the more you get paid. The principal dancers get paid the highest, followed by the soloists, and then the corps. So you can’t really slow down once you’ve fought your way into the company.

I think I need better communication skills or something. I’m sometimes shy when it comes to dancing. I am a humble person, and I don’t want to ever seem like I’m showing off in class or something. In class, I tend to stand in the back and dance for myself, not for approval from my teachers or fellow students. I think my mindset is that I want to be recognized for my talent, not for my ability to be obnoxiously in everyone’s face seeking attention all the time. But my mom likes to tell me that “the squeaky wheel gets the oil,” and that if I want something, I have to let people know how much I want it. I obviously have a problem with doing that, but I know that in this industry, that’s sometimes how it works. So especially in auditions, I need to work on showing people that I want the job, or the part, or whatever it may be. I guess I need to be more self-promotional.

Also, I’ve always wanted to be in a ballet company, but honestly, I feel confident enough in so many techniques and forms of dance that I would rather do anything than nothing. If it doesn’t end up working out with ballet, I will gladly go for and accept any other dancing job, whether it be in a modern company, on Broadway, or even commercial dancing. I think that having the ballet company goal will push me to achieve it, but I also won’t let myself be limited by that goal. I’m open to any and all possibilities, and I will never rule something out just because it’s not my favorite style of dance or my dream job.

I’m going to audition for as many things as I can after graduating, and I think that a degree from SMU will really be beneficial for me because of the strong reputation of Meadows. I really hope to go straight from college to a company without having to backtrack and be stuck in an unpaid trainee program for any amount of time. I think that I will be artistically mature and prepared for any dance job, and I will try to market myself as a very versatile, adaptable dancer. But seriously I want to be in a ballet company so bad.

“The Hobbit” will usher in a new technology at movie theaters

I don’t think these people know what “controversial” means. This movie technology is awesome but definitely not controversial. I read The Hobbit last year after seeing a LOTR marathon, and I loved it a lot. I’m really excited that they’re making a movie of it, and I’m also really excited to see what this new movie technology will bring. I’m a huge fan of movies. I could watch movies all day every day forever. So I’m glad someone invented something new to make it all the more enjoyable for people like me.

The Hobbit trailer

Let the Month of Sugar Plums Begin!

As we all know, Christmas is the best time of everyone’s lives. November and December are the best months out of the whole year, and I get SO EXCITED ABOUT IT. I’ve been in one real Nutcracker. I was rat #7 in Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker in 2010, and I was the best fighting rat you’ve ever seen. I didn’t even get to do snow in the Studio A show. Like rly? So I haven’t actually played a big role in a real Nutcracker ever, but I still love it forever. Also, I’ve never seen Balanchine’s Nutcracker. I’m his biggest fan.

In Hawaii, a coral reef infection has biologists alarmed

I have cousins that live in Florida, and I used to visit them and go to the beach almost every summer. I love the ocean and the coast so so much, and this stuff makes me so sad. That time BP had that huge oil spill was basically the worst thing ever. And I really hate seeing nature being destroyed by people. I think I’m probably a tree hugger or something. But that’s not a bad thing. I just like nature and stuff. I wish I could say it to where it doesn’t sound so cheesy.

Review: Trey McIntyre Project

I’ve never seen the Trey McIntyre Project perform, but I’ve heard only good things about them. Trey is labeled as a ballet choreographer, but that’s a loose term. Also, Ryan Redmond is in this company. He went to Juilliard, and I’m pretty sure he was in the same class as one of my friends, McKenna Birmingham. So I don’t actually know him. Only sort of. But I still think it’s pretty cool. This review made me really wish I could have seen the performance.

Pittsburgh Ballet Buys Strip District Property

My best friend ever, Gaby, went to PBT last year. She didn’t like it very much but that’s only because she didn’t have any friends. And also, Cooper went there and he’s in the company there so I’m assuming he likes it. But anyway, I’m glad they’re expanding. It’s exciting that so many companies are renovating and expanding because it means they’re able to reach out to more people and get more people interested in ballet and the arts in general. So yay for that. Here’s a picture of Gaby and I doing ballet stuff:

Syrian Jet Strikes Close to Border With Turkey

Alright, stuff like this makes me want to be a Hobbit so I can just frolic in the Shire all day long and not worry about anything. I don’t have much insight into what this means or why it’s important, but I do know that it’s not good. I mean when is it ever good for people to be firing missiles all willy nilly everywhere. I don’t ever think violence or an overly involved government helps anything. Like that one guy said, “something something government works for the people, not the other way around or something.” Maybe that was Reagan but who knows. Here’s a song:

For What It’s Worth

1. What did I learn about Minnie’s and the community it serves?

Minnie’s serves the West Plano area, which is a pretty wealthy area of Texas. Statistically, on one of our trips, we found out that the majority of the people we served were under the age of 18.

2. What is unique about Minnie’s Food Pantry?

The unique part about Minnie’s is that the atmosphere is so drastically different from that of other food pantries I’e been to. Minnie kept telling us to make the boxes of food look pretty because “presentation is everything!” They really make an effort to make everyone feel comfortable and excited about going to the food pantry. It’s such an uplifting attitude, and it’s really puts everyone in a good mood!

3. What type of awareness would I like to raise in regard to Minnie’s Food Pantry?

I would like to let people know how fulfilling and awesome it is to volunteer at Minnie’s Food Pantry. I don’t think most people know that they can help solve hunger issues just by volunteering at a local food pantry. People get overwhelmed and discouraged because they think they can’t make a difference when it comes to hunger and poverty issues. But Minnie’s has proved to me that hunger and poverty are everywhere, and that I can help just by giving my time and effort.

4. What have I learned about poverty and hunger in North Dallas?

I’ve learned simply that it exists in North Dallas. When I think of North Dallas cities, I tend to think that everyone is wealthy and well-off, and I didn’t expect so much hunger and poverty to be right in the middle of a pretty wealthy area. It made me realize that poverty and hunger are happening where I am and that I can help and actually make a difference.

5. Why was this engagement important?

This engagement is important because it raises awareness for issues that these people are facing daily. It helped me to want to get more involved in the community and give back to people. I’ve been able to see that my help counts for something and that I have the ability to change someone’s day or week. It’s really empowering, and I want to continue helping and serving my community.

6. How can I use what I’ve learned through volunteering at the Food Bank to serve my art?

Art comes from experience, and I can definitely use this experience when choreographing or creating movement or art. If you’re going to create a work centered around a social issue or some sort of injustice, you have to experience it first hand. That way, when you create, it’s more real, and the audience can see that. When you choreograph from experience is when it’s the most powerful and meaningful.

7. What is the message I’d like to send out?

I’d like to let everyone know that attitude is everything. I was able to see that Minnie’s Food Pantry did the most good by making the customers feel like they were appreciated, and that their circumstances didn’t define them as an individual. Treating everyone as equal is really important.

8. How can dance be a vehicle to catalyze social-justice and social change?

Dance usually provokes emotions that people don’t usually feel or that people don’t think about often, and it can be a great way to get people thinking about issues that they can help solve.

Students Head Back to School, While Transit Remains Hobbled

I have a bunch of friends that go to school and live in New York, so Sandy was definitely scary for them. I’ve never been in a hurricane, and I don’t imagine anyone would want to. I’m reading a book in English about hurricane Katrina called Zeitoun. I haven’t gotten that far in it, but I like what I’ve read so far. Has there ever even been a hurricane in New York before? I think the climate there is not one that usually encounters hurricanes, and it seemed very out of place to me. Even through all the destruction New York encountered, it is still beautiful.

Val Caniparoli

I can’t choreograph. I do it if I have to do it for a class. I don’t enjoy choreographing. I wish people would stop trying to make me do it because I don’t intend to be a choreographer ever in my life. I would rather be a librarian. I like ballet and I also like jumping around when songs I like come on. Speaking of that, I hate improvisation also. When someone says “improv for 5 minutes,” I just want to run around and skip and roll around on the floor. But apparently that’s not dancing and it shouldn’t be done when doing improv stuff. SO THEN WHAT DO I DO. It’s so contradictory to me. I would like to dance. Just because I want to be a dancer doesn’t mean I want to choreograph also. In other, more related news, I have so much respect for people who can choreograph. Like the guy in this article.