Nutcracker Auditions

   Nutcracker auditions in May! Last Sunday we had auditions of the Nutcracker, half a year in advance! I am sure that a lot of things will change a lot by December, we'll see.
    Everyone was super nervous for the auditions this time around. The auditions last time were extremely difficult, all on pointe starting in the centre in a studio theatre, with the most difficult combinations. I.e. pirouettes en dehors in attitude and an whole adage basically on one leg. So we were scared that the audition would be that hard again. For one thing Nutcracker wasn't all that long ago and no one really felt like they had improved very much.
    This year fortunately the audition started in flat shoes. The exercises were hard but not half as bad as last year. Then after jumps we changed into pointe shoes and did some exercises on pointe.  Suddenly when I was putting my shoes on I realised that I was missing one of my shoes and my toepads!!! I had to run into the studio that we had warmed up in because I had left them there when I had been taping my toes!!! It was lucky I didn't lose them. I am so careful about making sure I have everything before an audition, so it was really scary.
     I felt really bad during the audition. The exercises weren't that bad but I had to keep reminding myself not to tense up as much and to smile!!! After every exercise I was wishing that I could do it again, better. Especially after one exercise en pointe, I felt really confident so stood front and centre. We started off and I was like "this is going to be great", and then the fouettes came and suddenly I travelled to the right and forwards quite a bit. I was just killing myself wishing that I wasn't in the front. I don't travel much anymore when I do fouettes, but I used to and when you are nervous sometimes old habits reappear. Then I did one too many because I was distracted by my thoughts... hmm that wasn't the best combination ever!
     Finally it was over so they had us line up height wise and make us stand in various lines looking at our heights. It was strange being called a number (I always get worried that I will forget my number) by our normal teachers. We stood around for ages and my knee started hurting a little bit. Finally they let us sit down while they looked at the boys.
   Then they called some of the girls up to do pas de deux with the boys. My number included!!! We just had to do grand pas de chats across the floor with them, but we were pretty cold by that time so it wasn't great.
     Afterwards they announced the casting, I was cast in Snow and Flowers (the same as last year) as well as a Flower soloist. Which means that I get to learn the pas de deux part!!! I was sooooo happy. I am very excited to learn the part - and I really hope that I don't get kicked out right away. I hope that I can do a good job.  =) =) =) I am sooo happy, I could hardly sleep at all Sunday night.
    Yesterday we had class and rehearsals all day (from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) It was exhausting but I had really good classes and felt very happy by then end of the day.
   Well that is my exciting news for now <3

I Survived my Month Without Chocolate!!!

  .... Basically the title says it all! I'm estatic that I accomplished my goal. I almost think that I deserve a medal for this feat! hahaha
      It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be when I first started. I think giving up something all together is much easier than simply allowing yourself some in moderation. Maybe that is just me.
     Ironically yesterday I received my two dance diet books in the mail.

   I have already begun thinking about the possibility of giving up any sweet things for 2 weeks until the Nutcracker auditions (I know, in May). It's not that I eat a lot of them at all, but I felt a lot better about myself since I gave up chocolate entirely. I'm quite optimistic because along with my new diet books I also received a necklace in the mail from my aunt that brings good luck. While I am not a superstitious person I'll take it as a sign!
    Any ways back to reading my books... I need to sew pointe shoes tonight too, but I am the queen of procrastinating any shoe sewing whatsoever, I think I might do it tomorrow, err sometime.

I love Patricia Barker's feet! I'm pretty sure these are hers because she does a lot of the Bloch ads. I had a weeks worth of master classes with her and could hardly concentrate on any of the combination because I would just stare at her feet ... everyone did. They are amazing!

Festival

   Last Saturday we had festival (competition). I am part of a group piece that one of our teachers choreographed. It is neoclassical and I really love it. Actually I always love his choreography, and his choice of music, style e.t.c.  It is always very powerful, and beautiful.
   The competition has been going on for a couple of months. We previously won first place in the ballet category so we went on to the "no borders" category. Which meant that we were up against all types of dancing. Jazz, hip hop, tap, break dancing, contemporary, everything! It is a really fun competition to watch because there are so many different types of dance to see. We got to watch after we had performed and were really impressed by everything!
     Then came the adjudication.
    We were pretty nervous, no one felt like we had performed very well and the other types of dance were so good! 3rd place was a different ballet/modern group, 2nd was a break dancing group that we expected to win. And the our group was announced. 1st place!!! We were very surprised!!!
    We had to perform against 3 other groups later that night for the "Grand Champion Prize". We didn't win although our performance went flawlessly, but most of us did not feel bad about losing because the group that won was amazing. It was a group of 6 young boys... break dancers. You would never guess they were so strong. They were doing back flips, tons of tricks, their timing was perfect, and their attitude was really great.  They were all soooooo enthusiastic on stage. They had everyone cheering and clapping along.  I really thought that they ought to win. I mean it is all taste, how do you judge classical ballet vs. break dancing? + They really deserved to win. Well that's all for now, I hope I didn't bore and confuse you too much! I'm just going to go off and practise my back flips.

    Jk, but I was stretching my feet while writing this. I stretch my feet underneath my chest of drawers almost every night. My feet used to be really, really bad but I stretch them a lot and do a lot of theraband exercise and they are much better now.
    Svetlana Zakharova's feet are amazing! She has such gorgeous feet. And legs, and body, and everything! I wish...
  

Scholarship Auditions

Maria Kochetkova in Raymonda SFB

 Today we had scholarship auditions at our school. This is the first year that they have ever had formal auditions for scholarships... It was quite the nerve-wracking process. A panel of all our teachers was set up in front of the studio and they sat and took notes while we did class.
    The class didn't go very well for me. I was quite nervous,  and I messed up quite badly on some of the combinations. Some things were good but the worst part of all of it was that I still haven't lost any weight. I have been working so hard but to no avail.  I have completely given up chocolate and have been eating so healthily. I've been having a smoothie in the morning, a bean salad for lunch, almonds and fruit as a snack, and my dinner mainly consists of vegetable and some sort of protein.
       You'd think I'd be  skinnier... However my energy has been quite a lot better than it used to be, that is good. I will stick to how I am eating now for at least a couple more weeks to see if my metabolism finally kicks in.
    Any ways I feel really bad about everything because I am trying so hard to lose weight and I really don't want my teachers to think that I don't care, or that I'm lazy, or that I am undedicated. It's very depressing.  Well that's my little rant for now. <3

Too Much Work!

Ahh! Quite stressed to get my BC scholarship awards application in on time. Lots of paperwork!  Videoing on Sunday e.t.c.
Je vais au lit! <3

=( Bad day

... Argh so I'm feeling very grumpy today. Was at dance from 9:00-8:30 yesterday... don't worry I didn't actually dance the whole time. Woke up this morning feeling exhausted. Had a kiwi banana smoothie... note to self NEVER do that again. Apparently kiwis in  the morning make me want to be sick... went to class although the kiwi was crawling up my throat... eww... forwards port de bras.... and I had to leave the room, very quickly.
    Hmmm nice start to the day. Spent the rest of class on the side not dancing... fell asleep and kept waking up confused. Talked with my friends during lunch still felt very tired.

   Then they decided we were going to have a costume fitting for a piece in June which I am not even IN... stuffed me and others into tutus  to fill in for someone else.... to stand around so that the teachers could decided whether they liked the tutus or not. Our class was almost an hour late because of this, which could have been done any other time. Then got shouted at for no reason what so ever while I was standing waiting... no reason what so ever. Made me incredibly angry, no reason... Just "Do you even know what I'm saying!?!?"... Of course I was listening, even though I really wasn't in the piece so I didn't know if the tutu would fit the girl who was supposed to be wearing it because she wasn't there. Had a pretty bad ballet and pointe class.
   Went home, made and ate tofu and broccoli and yellow pepper.
Tutored for 3 consecutive hours. Neck hurts.
   Vacuumed the house.
Now it is ten thirty.
   I really should get to bed.
Night. <3

Officially giving up chocolate!

   I am officially giving up chocolate for an entire month!!!    That is my official pledge... gulp....
I am really optimistic about the whole thing... although kind of nervous because if I fail... well... I sort of agreed to run down the street ohne Kleidung if I fail. WHICH I WILL CERTAINLY NOT DO! So here it is one month!!!

Ahhh! This is going to be hard but I AM going to do it!!!