Winter Cold and Weekend Competitions

On the train after my dance classes in Tawa.

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all keeping warm. Sooo cold at the moment!!!!!
Winter is well on it's way over here.
It has been very cold coming home late at night from my classes in Tawa.
I have to walk home from the railway station with all the frost setting in.
It's really nice when it's not windy or raining.

It's been a full on week or so for me, lots of practicing and of course all my classes.
Last week I had a photo shoot for a woman's magazine.
Phew, it takes a lot of time and we had to do re-take after re-take of jetes, pirouettes etc for a good action shot.  It took a few hours.

Last weekend I went to the Boy's Master Class with the Royal New Zealand Ballet which was taught by Massimo Murru from La Scala Ballet in Italy.
He is in New Zealand as guest Ballet Master for the RNZB.
It was such a great class and I really enjoyed it.
There was quite a lot of boys taking the class this time.

It's the Queen's Birthday Comps in Lower Hutt this weekend and I will be dancing all four days dancing thirteen of my dances.
I'm even entered in the song and dance class which is going to be funny as my voice is really croaky at the moment.
I will be doing Robin Hood for this.  It has become my musical theatre dance now as I have Miss Hannigan now for my demi-character.
I can't wait to do Miss Hannigan again.

Ameno

Mum's made me some new costumes and added a few more details to my Ameno costume which meant I had to lie down on the floor with the heater on (coz it's so cold here), with my costume on while Mum painted it. Then she had to dry the paint with the hair dryer before I could take it off without paint going everywhere.
She also had to make me a new tunic for Robin Hood as I have grown out of my old one.

Looking forward to comps tonight, it's the variations tonight.  I'm in the Senior Championship.
This comp will be the last one that I will be doing at the Little theatre this year.
We can't afford to do any more than three competitions this year, so I'm making the most of them.
I'm doing thirteen dances this weekend, and none of them are repeats.

Next comps are the Kapiti Comps in July, the last for the year, and I will be dancing 16 times.
I'm going to be very tired but at least they are very close to home.
No Travelling!!!!!!

I'll be heading off to Lower Hutt soon, to go to the Little Theatre.
Wish me luck
                   
                      Salem  :-)

Dance Art Comps and I've finally done it!!!!!!!

Getting ready to dance Siegfried.

I had a very busy weekend just gone.  I had my first competition of the year and had been busy working on two new dances.
A new contemporary and a new demi-character.
I was so excited to debut them!!!!

I got a bit of a shock when seeing the size of the stage at the theatre which I have performed on so many times .......... it was so small .......... and I have grown soooo much.
I really had to concentrate on making my dances "smaller".

Stretching and warming up.

I was performing over three days, on Friday night I did my new contemporary dance " Running up that Hill".
The adjudicator commented "Beautiful flowing work showing good pathways...."
I was pleased with how I performed it for the first time and I was awarded 3rd Place.

Then I had my neo-classical "Cold" and was awarded 1st Place.
Wow, what a good first day!!!!

"James"  - La Sylphide Act II variation

It was bright and early to the theatre on Saturday morning, first my little friend Emma danced her demi-character which was so cute and then it was my turn to do my Krackowiak character dance.

It was so hard to dance this dance in such a small space.
I practice it in a large studio.
But I was really happy with it and was awarded 3rd Place.

Warming up for "Ameno"

My barefoot dance "Ameno" was next, I've been playing with the choreography for this a bit.
 Now I have three versions of this, and I like them all.
This time I danced version no.2 and got a Highly Commended (which is 5th Place).  Very pleased with that.

Siegfried

After having a break all afternoon, we came back for the evening session where I danced my lyrical and was in the Senior Championship dancing two variations

The variations I performed were "Siegfried" from Swan Lake, and "James" from La Sylphide Act II.
I always enjoy doing variations as they may be short but they are just full on.

I got Highly Commended for my lyrical and "Most Promising Senior Variation Dancer".  So cool!!!!

"Miss Hannigan"

It was back to the theatre and ready to perform by 8 am.  Oh boy was it so early.

To early in the morning especially as it was my birthday.

But I was very excited.  I was about to perform my new demi-character.

I had kept it a secret.  All anyone knew was that I was dancing en pointe.

My first time performing on stage, at a competition, en pointe!!!!!!!!

And I was performing as Miss Hannigan from "Annie".

The lovely Miss Hannigan :-)

It caused a bit of a stir and a lot of laughter as I like to do comedy demi-characters.
I had so much fun and it was over too soon.
But I had done it!!!!!!!!

I was awarded 1st Place.  I couldn't believe it.

Last up was my classical and I really enjoyed dancing that and I managed it fit it quite nicely on the stage.
I came 2nd Place for that.

I found out later that I also had won the Encouragement Special Award for 11 years and over.
A great way to end my birthday.

         **  Salem  **