The Invasion

My Studio

Image Courtesy of: Ballet West

So to begin let me just say that I am being invaded. Well that's kind of how it feels but not exactly whats going on.

About a two months ago out of the blue I got I text on a group message of one of my dance groups saying that Ballet West is buying our studio. When I saw the text I left and replied "Stop joking with me, I'm not an Idiot" but then more people started saying it and I started to freak out. I didn't understand how one day I could be going to the Park City Dance Academy and the next day to Ballet West.

A few days later we were told that there was a very important meeting to attend at dance and all classes at that time were cancelled, and it shocked me when they said they will be delivering "Exciting News". I thought how could this be exciting news, Ballet West is going to destroy everything!! All the traditions we have all, all of the classes we have besides ballet, I was mad.

When I got to the meeting all the students and parents gathered around Ballet West's directors and faculty. I had many question to ask and was ready to get it over with. Many of the questions I wanted to know many people asked before I could, and some of it I was ok with but other things made me very mad. For example someone asked if we're going to continue putting on the nutcracker, their response was kind of vague they said "Well we will be doing nutcracker next year, but..........after that.......we don't know." So that basically means that next year will be my last year doing nutcracker which I am VERY sad about. I have been looking forward to performing in the nutcracker as a junior and senior in high school since I was a little girl, because that is when you get the best lead roles.

I am happy that we will get to have some new teachers and classes will be more intense and demanding, but I am still pretty nervous about a lot of the changes.

So to get to my last point, the reason I am writing about this now is auditions for next years placements are tomorrow. I am pretty nervous, but the only reason I am not extremely nervous is because my teachers that I have now will also be giving input on where I should be placed using their experience with me from the past few years. That is good because then it is not all based on how I do in the audition.

Well now I go to the Peggy Bergmann Ballet West Academy at Park City.........Wish me luck!

Family Number 2

                   Contemporary Group                                 Halloween
           Image Courtesy of: Instructor           Image Courtesy of: Instructor

One of my favorite things about dance is the people I am spending so many hours with. A lot of the girls that I dance with today I have been dancing with since I was in elementary school. These girls have become my second family.

When you have known someone for many so years and spend a lot of hours a day with them you grow very close. You also become very comfortable with each other.

One of my favorite things about being so close to the girls I dance with is they really help me become a better dancer. We really push each other, but not in a really mean or aggressive way because we all want to see each other be successful. Also since we are so close we are really open to receiving constructive criticism because again it will only make us better.

As much as I love dancing with these girls I also love spending time out of dance with them. It is weird because some people can be so different depending on the environment they are in. For example I know everyone so well I dance with, but when we are together outside of dance it is almost like your with a different person. Now we are trying to spend more time together out of dance to get to know each other better and become a stronger team.

I think it is really important to know your teammates well because it can help your team as whole be a lot more successful.

You know I am talking about how great these girls are but just remember they are like my second family so we do get into arguments. The arguments are just like arguing with a sibling because you know that you will eventually work it out. Also we are usually arguing about something stupid like which foot we start with in a combination.

A lot of the girls I dance with are a year older then me and in tenth grade and I always think about how sad it will be to see them go. But for now I am trying to enjoy every fun moment with them.

Night of Shining Stars

Night of Shining Stars Promotional Flyer

Image Courtesy of: Ballet West

I attended the Night of Shining Stars gala on Saturday February, 27th. I went to the gala because it was an extension of Youth American Grand Prix which was the competition I was competing in that weekend. Actually some of the performers in the gala competed in YAGP earlier that day. 

The performance was incredible! They brought out professional dancers from around the world. The dancers were from New York City Ballet, San Fransisco Ballet, Dancing with the Stars, MOMIX, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet, and Ballet Red. 

One of my favorite performances of the night was one performed by Nicole Loizides and Todd Burnsed from MOMIX, it was called Millennium Skiva. The entire piece was performed on skies, and they were wearing these sliver body suits and silver skies that were reflecting all the light. In the piece they were shifting their weight back and forth. They were also jumping up on the tips of the skies. I had never seen anything like it.

One of my other favorite performances was performed by this thirteen year old. She was incredible! I was shocked that she was almost better then some of the soloists from the professional companies. Which was even more of a shock was the next day I found out that she had sick the whole weekend and during the performance was running a 102 fever. I thought it was amazing how well she performed, you never would have known she was sick.

My absolute favorite things about the gala were being able to see some of the most talented young dancers in the country and winners of previous Youth American Grand Prix competition. I also loved being able to see some of the best professional dancers in the world perform right next to each other. I have never seen so much talent in one show.