Hip Hop Shakespeare Workshop

 

  The workshop today was great! It was very similar to Ate Delphine's theatre classes in Locsin's last summer; we played games, did scenes, only, of course, it was more concentrated in Shakespeare and lines from Rap songs. I felt (and this is just Day 1) that the exercises we did were really creative and that I will truly benefit from this workshop at the end of it  :D


  My favorite exercise so far is one where we are divided into groups of five and each of us are given a verse to perform. The verse can be either Shakespearean or one from a rap song. We don't have to perform it according to what the verse or song is really about but we can use it (or it's idea) to create an entirely new thing.

  The first verse my group got was a few words from Romeo and Juliet. Akala (our instructor) said that we didn't have to let the words make sense. We did a kind of kung-fu-i rescue the princess thing ^_^ Haha... The next time around, the verse we got was a lot longer. It was a verse from Eminem's Stan. We did a sort of personality confusion scene wherin one of my group mates was the real person and the rest of us were his multiple personalities that in the end he had to chose from. It was kinda heavy, the topic. I was watching Stan in YouTube a while ago and I'm so interested at how you can really deliver a few words and turn it into a totally different thing.

  So tomorrow, were supposed to do sort of the same thing with A Midsummer Night's Dream. My groupmates want to meet up early to rehearse and stuff like that. So a little something about my group. There are five of us, three boys, two girls. I thing the three older ones already have acting experience. I think their theatre teachers. I'm the youngest of the group, actually, the youngest in the whole class!

  After the workshop, Mom and generous Tita Clara (Who used to dance ballet in Locsin's too) took me to That's D' Pointe! It was the biggest dance shop I had ever been to and, a dream come true, they have a barre!!!

  I bought a pair of ballet shoes because, as I have probably already mentioned earlier, My old ones are like... d e a d

  Please click the link bellow to see all the photos from today :)

Hip Hop Shakespeare Workshop

What's Left of Summer...

  Arrived at CAP yesterday at around 5:30. The house was full and me and two other girls had to squeeze our way through the crowd. I was afraid that would cause a riot but I guess those waiting understood that we were performers (well, sort of) ^_^ 

  During LCB shows, performers either stay backstage, or near the 'aprons' (the stairs on the side of the stage). In last night's show, the Baby's Ballet and Ballets 1a to 2 stayed within the audience. We had to form a really long line (it was particularly challenging with the Baby's Ballet) and trek backstage. I think it would have been easier if we all stayed near the aprons... 


  Backstage was all cheering and goodbyes after the show. Everyone was hugging everyone... There was a party in Locsin's that night, I didn't go, though :| 

  My LCB friends watched the show. The were all asking why I did not dance and if I would watch their show on Sunday. They told me to wait for the show to end, and to wait for them to come out when it did. Wow! This week is really, well, theatrical... cultural, rather; this Saturday, we are also going to watch a charity concert by the Agdao Violin Center.


  Bought a book of  Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. I find I enjoy reading it. It's a really good book because on one page, there's Shakespeare's prose and on the other page a plain English version of it :)  

Last day of Rehearsal (Theatre)

  Wow, I have been posting a whole lot lately :) I was late for Theatre yesterday. I arrived at around 8:40, ten minutes after schedule -_- Ate Delphine choreographed a short dance for our entrance as giants. It's full of jumps and stomping around. My back hurt a little after :O I stopped applying hot compress, following the advice of my parents; "Let it heal by it''s self."

  I went back to Locsin's yesterday afternoon for the ballet rehearsal. We rehearsed with the Babies Ballet class and they were very good ^_^ At least for that day... I went home, though, before the rehearsal for the other classes started (the show will be divided into two parts; Ballet [Midsummer], and the other dances [Broadway]). But I was able to take pics of Kuya Arnel's Jazz class doing some last minute clean up :D

  This afternoon, I have to head to Locsin's by three for the last Theatre rehearsal before the show tomorrow (Aaaaaa!! It's tomorrow already!). At around 6, we'll have a dress tech. I guess make-up wont be too dark, but Ate Delphine hasn't mentioned anything about that yet.

  I plan to take lot's of pics with my class mates for memories but we'll see if there's time tonight... 

  

  Bye for now, I'm going to check out this slideshow by The Australian Ballet: 50 Years of The Australian Ballet hope you (and I) enjoy it! ^_^

Good Morning Theatre :)

Manong Jessi painting props

  Theatre class today from 9am to 12 pm  :) When I got to Locsin's at around 8:30 this morning, there was this long blue piece of mesh cloth on the stage. It's for the giant heads... I mentioned previously that we have to use movement to express ourselves because our faces are covered... That's true, but let me get this straight, it doesn't mean that our faces should remain expressionless. It's kind of hard to say something with conviction while your face is blank :|

  Our giant costume was hot and itchy with the mesh. Our heads also became more inclined to sliding off so Ate Didelphine decided to attach the mesh onto them. The color of my mesh is pink BTW ^_^ ... there were only two giants today because our Diwatakasilipan was absent so Jobelle filled in the role :) Nursiva, the damsel of this play, was also absent... Teacher Agnes watched us for a while. Rumor has it that she's watching the whole thing on Friday @_@

Ate Delphine and Kuya John
measuring the cloth for the giant costume on Jose

  Tomorrow the giants are expected to be at the studio by 8:30. We have to do a dance or something... I wonder... Oh! I should not forget my corrections. I had 2: Don't forget the ad-lib while chasing Nursiva, and tie my bangs :D

  Watching this documentary on YouTube. It's about a modern production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline with the brilliant Tom Hiddleston in the cast... 

  

Run Thru Season

Giant heads for Theatre :)

  We did a run thru of A Midsummer Night's Dream today. For me the best number was the dance of the birds (I think) choreographed by Kuya Henry and performed by his class. I kinda felt like crying watching my peers dance.. I could have been there... With them...

  At the end of the run, Teacher Agnes asked the younger kids "What time is our rehearsal tomorrow?" and they said, "Foooouuuur." "In the...?" "(innocent voice) Morning" BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Other funny stuff that happened today included a little kid saying, "Ugh, that Lola (Grandma) again!" when she saw Teacher Agnes :O So mean! Ate Jill (who's playing Tatiana in Midsummer) told me about it... Another one:

TR. AGNES:  You will not talk while I am talking. You can only talk when I say 'Questions?'
  You will answer, 'None' :P

  We rehearsed and finished Si Diwatakasilipan at si Talabusaw at Theatre today :) It's really strange with the giant heads. You can't estimate if your going to bump your "head" or not... But it's cool at the same time because we have to use movement to express your emotions since our heads cannot change expression...

  GTG for now, I still have to do my exercise therapy thing.. :) Thanks for dropping by!Run Thru

Summertime!!!

My "Johawk"

  Today started with a ballet class. Followed by another ballet class. Now that I'm a scholar I have to attend both Ballet 3 and 4. I actually found it energizing.Though I wouldn't say I did well. teacher Agnes. made me downgrade a bit. She told me not to turn during this one exercise and not to do the frappes on releve. I now know the reason for my back pains. Teacher Agnes said that I arch my back too much. I have to work on tucking in my behind O.o Someone must'v told her that I cried during the rehearsal for Midsummer...

  I went home for lunch since my next class Hip Hop was still at 4 p.m. I spent the afternoon styling a "Johawk". It's this hairstyle dancer Joey Dowling does on herself. It's like a Mohawk without having to shave off your hair :P Yeah mehn! My hair sure stole the scene ^_^ "How many hairpins did you use?" "Can I touch your hair?" "How did you do that?" Haha!

  Of course I had to join Hip Hop. Our instructor's style is very "Old School" We learned stuff like Scooby Doo, Jazz Split (iDentity crew member Manjo's signature move), Pimp walk, and a lot more :))

  Jazz was next. I'm in Jazz 2. In the first floor studio, the faculty and original Ballet 4 were also dancing Jazz under the instruction of Tita Bing, Achi Yam, and Kuya Kevin, my teachers at LCB! Tita Bing will be teaching Tap too. Since Jazz 2 is still at 6 p.m., I went upstairs to watch Jazz 1 and talk with a few classmates waiting there too ^_^

Jazz 1 taught by Kuya Arnel

  Jazz was super fun! I can still do a triple pirouette after months of not practicing! Our teacher is Kuya Arnel. Aside from   pirouettes we also did this awesome jump called a side jette. We also did some routines ^_^

  Tomorrow, we'll have Tap and Modern and I'll be assisting for Ballet 1b and babies. I'm particularly excited for Modern ^_^

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The Locsin's Dance Workshop is offering classes on Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Hip Hop... For inquiries call The Locsin's Dance Workshop at (63 82) 227-4753 
The Locsin's Dance Workshop 89 Elpidio Quirino Ave., Davao City 8000, Philippines

Dress Tech for "Midsummer"

Gettin' ready

  Dress tech last night! It doesn't feel like show day yet. Well maybe it's because I haven't seen the audience yet. My back didn't hurt as much as yesterday but it was still very painful...
  
  Must head off for pre-performance class at 3 p.m. later, rehearse at 4, and prepare at 5. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. 6:00 - SHOWTIME!!! ^_^

  I have some good news... Christine (My fellow Beginner's Pointe) and I are going to be scholars for the summer!!! We will be taking all classes and assisting with the younger kids :) Aaaiiieeeee!!! Meeting with Teacher Agnes this Sunday...

  Anyway, here are some pics I took during the recital. My parents weren't there, though, to take shots of me dancing :( Please tag me on Facebook nalang :D   Oh, and for those watching this evening and tomorrow please, do not take pictures! Teacher Agnes is very strict about the safety of her dancers :) Thanks!

Katrina with Elf makeup by Ate Delphine

Katrina, Me, and Dianne

  What a night!

  My friend uploaded pic's of the Abreeza Dance Competition on Facebook. I still need his permission to post the pics on my blog.. hehehe... Entry on that comming soon :D 


  Identity (No they are not called  Justice Geeks) won second place. Second place battling F. Bustamante High School (Yeah, there were only two competitors) FIRST SCHOOL TROPHY EVER, Oh Yeah!!!

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A Midsummer Night's Dream - The Locsin Dance Workshop's 64th Annual Recital. March 10 and 11.(Saturday and Sunday) 6pm, at The Locsin Dance Workshop, 89 Elpidio Quirino Ave., Davao City 8000, Philippines

 Tel. No.: (63 82) 227-4753

Final Practices

7:30-11:00 a.m.- Practice dance

11:00- 12:30 a.m.- fix remix

12:30-1:00 p.m. - Lunch (I can’t believe you guys ordered fast food…)

 1:00-3:00p.m. -dance

  This is generally what the dance crew did yesterday. We (they, rather) were still not done with the dance when I left yesterday afternoon. 

  In my last entry I said I was backing out. well, I did. Thankfully it was not too bad an uproar as I thought it would be. I still came to practice but left early. 

  This morning, the crew went to Abreeza Mall to block their formations. The competition is tonight. They'r going against F. Bustamante High School. 2 competitors? Will winning that be counted? -_- 

  The crew still doesn't have a name. Suggestions from the members ranged from "Justice Geeks" to "Fingerprint" (which I think is too I.Am.Me)... Good luck guys!

   Dress tech for recital today! :) I love dress tech. You get to put make up and wear your costume... We've already been rehearsing with lights but this is our first dress rehearsal. 

  My backs bee hurting really bad though. Just the right side. I hope it' not serious :(

  Here's a sneak peek of the preparations for A Midsummer Night's Dream:

We are also going to to re-cap Dancing to Gershwin, the one we did for Christmas. There will be two shows, Saturday and Sunday, both at 6pm. Tickets are P 150 each

I'm So Proud !

  I liked our dance practice in school today :) I think we progressed well. The other crew members are listening well and every one adds useful suggestions and listens to each other, considers, tries to incorporate new ideas... It's really great teamwork!

  I'm kind of scared though because one of my friends said that he saw dancers practicing on the Abreeza Mall stage, and we haven't even finished our dance yet! D:

  Remix, where are you?!! ♫ I just need you noooowww!!!♫ lol :P We finnished the first part of the remix though, which is mainly the cause of my happiness :D Wait, no, we still need to cover about 4 counts... Oh well :)  

  PANIC: Two weeks left T_T

  Teacher Agnes finished the choreography for the overture of A Midsummer Night's Dream. More rehearsals... Recital is... also two weeks away -_-

  

  Just for the record, we are doing an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's, not the exact choreography by Balanchine. I believe we are using Mendelssohn's music though :D

 {This post has been modified from it's original form}

Torture Session

  "You have to straighten your knees, Amber, It's very painful to see a bad habit so embedded in the system... It's like the corrupt government!"

  These were Teacher Agnes' words to me during our class this morning. For the first time since I started dancing in Locsin's, we did pirouettes on pointe. We also did the whole barre exercise en pointe today. "Do not let your energy drop." said Teacher Agnes, "Every time it drops, it's like a scar on the step. [When you dance this way] you look like a face with lots of scars and pimples" :| By the time Teacher Agnes started choreographing our part, my thighs were torturing me...

  Ballet has a different kind of tiredness. It's not like you'r so tired that you want to collapse like in sports it's more like you still want to dance but don't want to do it properly anymore... maybe it's just me being lazy :| I guess that's why my mom always says that dancers have higher stamina than long distance runners...

  The beginner's pointe class and Ballet 3 (my classes) are dancing the part of the faeries. I like our dance. I mean the one on ballet flats. We've got a lot of acting parts. The part of Oberon will be performed by a guest artist. I forgot to catch his name though... I really have to work on my arch, and my knees, and my hips, which go up during piques especially on the left :( Luckily, Teacher Agnes wants to make her dancers look good on stage so she assigned partners to those in Beg. pointes to support our arabesques and echapes. My partner is Inah :) I'm getting to know Inah better nowadays. Its so fun hehe.. since I'm not so good at sign language yet, we get to talk by writing or chatting.

  I guess today was a torture session not because I was tired, I wasn't. It was because I simply couldn't do it...

  Our 64th Annual Recital will be on March 11 (March 10 for Ballet 1A, 1C, and 2) featuring an adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We will also be re-staging Dancing to Gershwin, which we performed last Christmas :) 

Dahon: Ikalawang Galaw

ATTENTION PLEASE! ^_^  

Agnes Locsin's "Dahon: Ikalawang Galaw" Will be showing in the Locsin Dance Workshop on Febuary 10, 11, and 12, Starring Georgette Sanchez. More about the piece HERE.

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Teacher Agnes

  I now get why there are nets with leaves on our classroom ceiling. Props for "Dahon" :D
  It was a freezing, unusual-Davao-weather-day today!!! Wore warmers to school and Ballet. I don't like dancing with cold calves... I don't know if it's possible or connected, but my legs hurt when I stretch cold muscles :| I read that they need to be warm... But maybe I was just influenced by that information :P

  We learned our entrance for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Teacher Agnes is slowly adding. little by little. I'm curious about my pointe number with fellow pointe starter, Christine... It was so cute today when we wore similar outfits, each with dashes of our personalities. Christine, lady-like and sweet, Me, boyish and laid back.
  So excited to watch "Dahon"!!!

Just A Thought...

Georgette Sanchez in Encatada

  Georgette Sanchez did not take class with us this morning. But she watched our Gershwin piece which we will be dancing again for the next recital alongside "A Midsummer Night's". Teacher Agnes explained that our recital will be just be based on "A Midsummer Night's". We will wear more modern costumes. No tutus.
  I have to work on Gershwin. Will keep watching the videos and take note of my mistakes... This morning before class started, I was walking up the stairs in my pointe shoes and I stubbed my toe on the step >_< No dead nails though...
  Ate Gorgette/ Ms. Sanchez (that awkward moment when you don't know what to call an older person O.o) will be teaching on Monday, Chinese New Year (red leotard opportunity XP). But I think it's Ballet 4 not 3 :| I found this article about her very interesting: Mindanao Times; Lifestyle, Dancing leaves
  I suddenly, for some reason I don't know, thought of myself as Georgette Sanchez for a while. You know, kind of like put myself in her shoes, and I thought that if I'm like an adult already, and I'd read my past blog entries, I'd probably cry :')... Just a though...

Ballet Chuck's

  I got pretty bored changing my shoelaces form black to white and back, so I decided to give it a balletic spin. I'm proud of the results!

  This morning, I woke up at seven but I didn't get out till 30 minutes after. Ate breakfast as quickly as possible and left the house. It was one of those cold, rainy, grey days.We had a one hour pointe class followed by a regular class. I felt very shaky. My classmate said it might be the sugar I ate for breakfast :| My toenails hurt now... I remember, I forgot to trim them :( No blisters to show off though :P None in a long time...
  Were doing "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for our next recital. So excited! Beginners on pointe are going to dance a short number, the rest of the show will be on soft shoes :D
  Lots of dancers opt not to watch videos of whatever role their dancing so that they won't get 'influenced'.
  We did "A Midsummer" in the first quarter of school for English. We had to role play a scene from it and it was HILARIOUS!