Runthrough

  Today we had ballet class, then rehearsal, then runthrough of Grand Pas and Paquita, then a break then a runthrough of La Bayadere which went 45 minutes over time. Oh dear! Tomorrow we have our demonstration day starting at 9:30 and going to 3:30. I am quite excited to perform everything but also quite nervous. Wish I could write in more detail but I really need to go to bed!
<3

Grand Pas Classique!

  During the past two days we have learnt the variation from Grand pas Classique. I really, really, really love it. It is one of those variations which is extremely challenging and is known to be super hard. I was so worried when our teacher said we were going to be learning it. It always has looked so difficult!
 Fortunately for me it is not as bad as I thought it would be.... actually I think I have fallen in love with it. I really want to get it coached so that I could perform the full variation for an show, competition or an audition video e.t.c. I really surprised myself when it was my turn to do the variation in variations class and I managed everything even all the releves on diagonal first time through. I didn't think I was able to do it but it was fairly easy for me =). The variation was for from perfect but I love doing it!!! And I love the music!!! And I just love it!!!
To understand what I'm talking about you should definitely check this video out. It has both Sylvie Guillem and Elisabeth Platel doing the variation. Personally I like Elisabeth Platel doing it better in this video.
                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXnPVTHtzVI

This is the Pas de Deux before the variations. Dancers are Elena Vostrotina and Dmitri Semionov from the Semperoper in Dresden... she has such beautiful legs and feet!!!

                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=932QPQDXvw0&feature=related

Paquita

  Another post!
We had class with Jean-Yves Esquerre today, I enjoyed his class and hope to learn a lot from him. He gives really good corrections. However at barre he noticed that my grands battements side are still a bit "hip hoppy" i.e. my hip moves too much... I felt kind of frustrated because  I have been working on it for soooo long. Seriously every time we do grands battements I think "Ok hips stay still, stay still, stay still"... Obviously my hard work in that aspect still hasn't paid off... grr....

 On a more positive note in repertoire class we are doing Paquita which I already know and have already performed. I would have liked to be learning something new, but the last time I did Paquita was so long ago that it almost felt like I was learning a new ballet (almost).

                                                  SFB performing Paquita (Yuan Yuan Tan)

After class I went to the Dancer's Transition Resource Centre. They are helping me figure out what I will do in term of funding my tuition next year. They were extremely helpful and I would recommend that canadian dancers look into becoming a member.
Check out the Dancer's Transition Resource Centre

Summertime!

  Well now it is the summer and so far it has been very exciting!

First I went to Toronto which was an amazing experience. I was there for a week with Ballet Jorgen and really enjoyed the experience. The program was great, it is brand new and was very small. I wish I could have stayed longer & highly recommend it for anyone wanting to clean up their technique. I  felt as though I got to really know the company closely. I will definitely be auditioning for them this year.

Tara Butler and Preston McBain, encouraging, inspiring dancers and teachers http://www.balletjorgen.ca/

Then I came back home, after a busy week going to the gym, swimming, doing chores, and relaxing a bit, summer school at The Goh finally started!
I can't believe it has been 3 weeks already. We have been having class with Che, Ping and repertoire with Chan.  I've really enjoyed our repertoire classes because we have been learning The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadere. The first ballet DVD I ever received was La Bayadere and The Kindgdom of the Shades is my favourite part... basically I forced all my close friends who came over to watch it... I have watched it over and over again, and always have wished for the day when I would finally be able to learn and perform it.
   So naturally I was overjoyed to learn it (while everyone else was feeling like they wanted to die). The Shades start off with all of us coming down a ramp in a series of extremly slow gruelling arabesques. The first girl especially has to lots of repetitions before we finally do something else. I was 7th in line and I felt tired!!! It is so beautiful to watch when it is done well though and not boring at all somehow!!!
Then it goes into a very slow adagio part, and then it went into a jumping part and then into variations.
I did the Second variation which one of my friends told me to try one time a long time ago, somehow I don't think it was a perfect fit like I had hoped but it was good to learn! All in all after the Coda was over we were all dripping, dripping, dripping... it felt good to perform it on Friday, a dream come true.
Please watch the entrance of the Shades here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4wzCIWHHOc

The same day I managed to achieve two other major goals to do with my back flexibility which made me so happy. It was a great Friday.

Right now I have been watching Raise the Red Lantern by the Central Ballet of China. It is a beautiful, beatiful ballet, the dancers are really amazing and the sets/ drama is incredible. It is truly theatre and I beg you to watch it! When I was in London they were performing it at the Royal Opera House and I really wish I had gone and seen it because it would be so incredible live!

Year End Performance

    Tomorrow we have our year end performance. We actually have three over the course of the weekend but tomorrow night is going to be the professional division's performance so hopefully it will be the best. I am going to be performing in Raymonda, Yellow River and a contemporary piece.
      I am really excited to perform but also really sad because a lot of my friends will be leaving this year and not coming back. It will be our last show together and so... final!.
     That's all I am going to write tonight. After the performances I have a week off before I start dancing again so I will try to write more <3

Demonstration Class

   Today we had a demonstration class which meant that friends and family could come watch. I was quite nervous but it went well. Afterwards we had a whole day of rehearsals and dress rehearsals. It was exhausting but good! At least we get to sleep in tomorrow. Happy Sunday!

Ashley Bouder of NYBC taken by Gene Schiavone

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