Archive for December, 2007
December 30, 2007 at 9:48 pm · Filed under SLOAN, dance, video, wingers, life, youtube
Giggles:
I just thought I would quickly post this YouTube video of a Kia commercial we saw yesterday. It made me giglgle, so maybe it will do the same for you. And beyond being funny, it looks beautiful too!
Hours:
Now that the bulk of my days are filled with lots of new exciting activities (i.e. work of a new sort for me) I am now having to learn how to effectively manage my time in a different way.
My excitement for dancing was controlled by the fact that rehearsals, classes and performances were at set times, and beyond that, I was limited by the amount of physical activity my body could healthily sustain. After years of dancing, I became more and more aware of how much my body could take, without overdoing it for the next day.
In terms of this new type of work, I am only limited by less concrete things (sleep, life, etc) and have less experience in knowing when I need to come up for air. Hopefully, just like with dance, I will learn to better understand my limitations with my new activities over time. (Resolution #1 - Breathe.)
Balance is a delicate thing and I am in awe of people who have figured out their special formula of work, life and play.
Also, lost in the shuffle recently have been NEW CONTRIBUTOR REQUESTS. If you are one of the individuals who wrote to us in the past few months, I apologize if we have not yet gotten back to you! We are planning on responding to everyone over the first few weeks of the new year. (Resolution #2 - Try to be better at responding to emails in a timely manner)
Pretending the Santa hat Pom-Pom is a snowball… Doug and I took these at Lakeside Lounge for a holiday e-card.
Thanks so much to everyone who has visited and participated in our site over the past year. We’re hoping to start on some new ways that we can contribute to the dance world and help keep us all engaged, thinking about, and supporting dance over the coming year. Here’s to 2008!
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
December 30, 2007 at 4:57 pm · Filed under dance
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
December 28, 2007 at 5:46 pm · Filed under dance, MATTHEW
The past month has been a whirlwind of excitement and sadness. In fact, the past year has been a whirlwind of excitement and sadness. After eight months of dealing with Epstein Barr Virus, and improving very slowly, I made the decision to spend the winter months with my family in Montana. Even though I’m aware that it is probably the only “right” decision in this constant state of flux that I’m in, that awareness didn’t make it any easier to come to. It was a choice that I wrestled with for months, but now that my feet are planted in the snowy ground, I believe (fingers crossed) that I have made the right decision.
My brain continues to ride a roller-coaster of emotion surrounding being sidelined from ABT for what (at the very least) will be a full year. It’s a rather unfathomable thing to type, but I try to keep reminding myself that I’ve been fortunate enough to explore other sides of my artistic life. First of those explorations just hit newsstands a few weeks ago! My first published article in “Dance Spirit” Magazine arrives in the January issue (with NYCB’s Kathyrn Morgan on the cover) and I feel relieved to have it out on the stands. Reading it (as it deals with my health issues) is difficult for me, but writing it was therapeutic and I’m thankful for the opportunity. In addition to that, I have two articles in the upcoming issue of “Movmnt” Magazine, alongside fellow Winger Taylor Gordon.
While I’m here in Montana, things will be rather sparse on the dancing end of life. It’s been five months since I set foot inside a studio (other than to photograph) and I’m going to attempt to begin getting back in shape in the coming months. It seems as daunting as hiking the enormous mountains that surround me here in Montana. Speaking of, since I don’t have much in the dance department to share, I wanted to post a few photos of the Big Sky State. It’s a corner of the country that few get to see, but that everyone should experience at some point in their life! That’s not to say there will be no dancing in my posts over the next few months. I’ve still got plenty of Dancer Trading Cards up my sleeve! In the meantime, I update my blog “Ranting Details” almost every day. It shows the less dance oriented side of my life, so if you feel inclined…check it out! Happy Holidays.
(Just a few cows.)
(I think I see Jake Gyllenhal in the background.)
(Typical Montana sky.)
(Should I climb it?)
(The beginning of a gorgeous Montana sunset.)
(Part two.)
Recent Posts by matthew
December 26, 2007 at 3:18 am · Filed under dance, studio, dancers, class, stuttgart ballet, photography, PATRICIO, ballet de santiago, patricio melo, pointe, ballet argentino de la plata
To me is great when I can take class pictures, this is from different companies, some are from Ballet de Santiago, Ballet de Stuttgart, Ballet Argentino de La Plata, and some from private class, I hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas.
Natalia Berrios (Ballet de Santiago).
Marcela Goicoechea Principal Star (Ballet de Santiago).
Ballet de Stuttgart.
Sebastien Galtier (Ballet de Stuttgart).
Ballet Argentino de La Plata.
Genoveva Surur (Ballet Argentino de La Plata).
Andreza Randisek (Ballet de Santiago).
Ballet de Santiago.
Karina Olmedo (Private Class).
Private Class.
Ballet de Stuttgart.
Ballet de Stuttgart.
Ballet Argentino de La Plata.
Ballet Argentino de La Plata.
Ballet Argentino de La Plata.
Ballet de Stuttgart.
Ballet de Stuttgart.
Nicolas Caudullo (Ballet de Santiago).
Sofia Menteguiaga (Ballet de Santiago).
Luis Ortigoza Principal Star Ballet de Santiago (Private Class).
Luis Ortigoza Principal Star Ballet de Santiago (Private Class).
Recent Posts by patricio
December 24, 2007 at 4:00 pm · Filed under SLOAN, dance, recommendations, TONY, EVAN MCKIE, MEGAN, wingers, life, MIKI, MAIA, iphone, TAYLOR, MATTHEW, BRIAN, holiday, gifts
As a holiday gift to all of you, (I apologize for it’s lateness)…
A sampling of Winger contributors gave our thoughts on what we (or other people involved in dance) might be excited about for the holidays.
We’ve suggested some things that are useful, inspiring, or just plain cool.
Popular among many contributors were spa treatments (and related goodies), magazine subscriptions, books, music, performance tickets, and the iPhone.
Enjoy!
Also,
LOLAstretch Gift Certificates, which enables the receiver to design their own leotard.
“Give the gift of creative control!”
Another thing I would recommend is season tickets to BAM. - CANDICE
“Look before you leap: an advice guide for choreographers” by Ann Whitley
The description on the back says:
“This is not a book about how to choreograph. It is a practical guide to the negotation, preparation, organization and continuing care of choreographic work. It is intended as a useful source of reference for choreographers, assistant choreographers, dance teachers, managers, administrators, amateurs, movements specialists, composers, designers, technicians and all those who collaborate with choreographers.”
Also,
There is an annual publication in South Africa called “Contacts” - this book contains all contact information for people working in the industry.
A grant to make a work … finding out that my funding applications were successful …. or even just finding a sponsor to support my work;
The completion of my MA thesis.
Spa Treatments for those sore bodies.
Alternative health remedies / tonics to keep us healthy during the intense seasons
Calender with beautiful pics
Funky bag to keep all the rehearsal stuff in
Beautiful journal - to write new ideas in
A subscription to a magazine is always a great gift idea that keeps on giving through-out the year. - MAIA
Also,
Touchstone by Laurie R. King
This book doesn’t come out till Boxing Day, so I guess it doesn’t technically qualify for holiday gift giving status (though I suppose you can always give New Year’s presents… why not?), but Laurie R. King is one of my favorite mystery writers. Her stories are always deliciously smart and satisfyingly precise.
Chocolate
One of those gifts that can very rarely go wrong (though my sister has a friend who likes neither chocolate nor peanut butter! Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups must be like a bad nightmare to him). My recent obsessions are Green and Black’s dark chocolate (really flavorful, but not too bitter) and Theo Chocolate’s “Bread and Chocolate” bar, which is dark chocolate pocked with the tiniest crumbs of salty baugette. This sounds like a really bizarre and unpleasant combination, but it’s addictive and delicious. Plus, the wrapper is a cheerful yellow and has adorable, cartoonish cats on it. - MEGAN
Also,
Tickets to The Nutcracker, Christmas Carol or Passion. - MIKI
Also,
I like all cotton sweats. hate cotton/poly blend. Yuck!
Something like these.
And of course the essential stocking stuffer, We B Girlz. - TONY
Also,
I’d love to be able to design my own ballet-wear somehow… but, like, with a few drags and a click.
…and a puppy. - EVAN
Also,
A subscription to Answers4dancers.com - good website that lists auditions.
And what tops my Xmas wish list this year:
*an iphone or blackberry so I can organize my rehearsal schedule and check emails between running from class to work to where ever! - TAYLOR
Also,
A membership to a museum.
An iTunes gift certificate to purchase some good warm-up music. - MATTHEW
Also,
Always useful - iTunes gift certificates and Starbucks gift cards. (There are four of these within a sic block radius of Lincoln Center).
And warm fuzzy things. - SLOAN
(From Ian, a dancer with Les Ballets Grandiva, who will be joining our family very soon…)
The top on my list are gift certificates for 90 minute massages at the Equinox Spa and 60 minute session gift cards for True Pilates and True Pilates East - anything that soothes aching 35 year old muscles!
Truth be told, I am also a sucker for anything from Hermes in the Hermes orange along with any little Louis Vuitton accessory like the I-Pod case. I guess that’s my two or four cents. - IAN
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
December 24, 2007 at 4:41 am · Filed under dance, Nutcracker, ANNE, ballet austin
So this afternoon over here at Ballet Austin, we finished our Nutcracker run. I think 25 performances in all, that’s a lot of snow corps for those of us that do it every time. And let me tell you, I’ll be wearing fluffy slippers this Christmas!
Before Paul and I head off to Seattle to visit his family over the holidays, and of course watch one more Nutcracker (Paul’s younger brothers are in PNB’s production). I wanted to send off one more Nutcracker post.
Since our dressing rooms are of course segregated by gender I didn’t really get to follow any of our male dancers as they prepared for their show. But I did snap a few of Paul pre-performance along with other dancers warming up for our second show of the day.
Here’s a shot of a chunk of the group just as we’re about to start notes, led by Assoc. Director Michelle Martin, followed by a couple of Paul and some of the other dancers stretching and warming up.
One of my favorite points of view is upstage center. It’s one of those views that if you’ve never performed onstage, you’ve never seen. Here’s that point of view while Paul and his partner Allisyn review some highlights from the Snow Pas de Deux about 45 minutes before curtain.
Paul and Allisyn spend a good part of Act I in a hallway beneath the stage stretching and keeping their bodies moving. I never had the chance to catch that moment photographically because of my change from Party Scene to Snow. For this particular show after Paul finished Act I as the Snow King, he also shows up in Act II with Ashley (see Sugar Plum Paparazzi) in Arabian.
The two snow scene photos below were taken by Tony Spielberg again, and the Arabian one I took myself.
And since I seem to always forget to post photos of myself, here’s one of myself and my wonderful partner Jim in Arabian (in another photo by Tony)
And this one is for Amy:
During the overture to Act II, EVERY time… the waltz corps which is usually our apprentices (sometimes there’s a trainee or two in there, or this year a company member…) links together in a circle center stage and sways. Act II has a LOT of dancing for the waltz corps and I think the circle, centers them, calms them if they’re nervous and reminds them that they’re all in it together. I don’t know when this tradition started I’ve seen it every year I’ve been here and there’s always a second year apprentice or two to pass on the tradition the next year. For our final show today almost all the diverts joined in the pre-Act II circle. Here’s a shot of the circle last year.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Recent Posts by anne marie melendez
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