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

'On Stage' LCB Summer Show

 Watched The LCB Summer show yesterday :) Really great energy! Mom and I went to CAP early to do the make up of her friend's daughter  :D Bella cooperated well for her age, shes only 3, and her make up was a success!

  The dance numbers included adaptations of dances from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Bombay Dreams, Sleeping Beauty, Fame, Newsies, Anything Goes, and Step Up 3D.

   I'd say I liked the Hip Hop and Newsies numbers most :)

  I hope you guys like my blog's new look ^_^ Please leave a comment if u can!!!

Missing Out

Our Lab, Cornelia

  Kuya John told me not to demonstrate the steps for Ballet 1b this morning. He asked another ballet classmate of mine, Therese, to demo (thank you, Therese!!!). She has such nicely arched feet and hyper extended knees.
I just went around correcting the little girls.

  I have to talk to Teacher Agnes. My classmates said that she noticed I wasn't attending class and told them to tell her if they have injuries.

  Inah updates me about Hip Hop. They'r learning all the good steps when I'm not there!!! They did Dougie last Tuesday and yesterday, they were taught Krumping :( Plus, Kuya Arnel started choreographing in Jazz!

A Maya Bird

  For Theatre, we were asked to observe an animal. I'm observing a maya bird. I could observe our Labrador Cornelia, but I thought a dog would be too common (speaking of which, I'm developing feelings for Teacher Agnes' pug O.o). Plus if Ate Delphine asked us to act it out, I don't think I can sustain crawling.

  Well, wish me luck this afternoon :) Will be off to attend Theatre and assist Babies Ballet in a while. Hopefully I can talk to Teacher Agnes...

Back Pain

Advirtisment I saw in
a bus stop in SG

  Today there is Ballet, Hip Hop, and Jazz. But I'm not attending. Yesterday, my back started hurting again and I cried again. The back pain started Saturday night but I ignored it :( We went swimming the next day but it didn't make my back pain worse so I took it as a good sign and went to class the next day, yesterday.

  I came earlier than usual and saw Georgette Sanchez ♥_♥ During Ballet 1C which I assist in, I just tried to remember my posture. Teacher Agnes was watching us. Kuya John, the teacher of 1C actually has the same problem as me. He helped me with my pull up and knees. He also told me to stretch the muscles on the front of my legs (quadriceps) so that they will 'flatten'.

  My back started hurting after Ballet, but only a little. During tap it also hurt but it was worse during modern :( It was already bad after Modern 1 but I was able to make it through Modern 2. The crunches and core exercises helped, I guess.

  When class ended, I couldn't even bend down to pick up my bag and I was just letting my water jug fall on the floor because I couldn't stoop down to put it carefully T_T Then when I got home, the usual, ice-pack, tears...

  So, there you go,. I've decided not to attend classes and only come into the ones I'll assist and Theatre class, which has a different recital and does not require much dancing. Ate Delphine says we're going to do a play.

Last Day of the Dancing Week

  Yesterday morning at ballet, Teacher Agnes made me transfer to a barre closer to her. I usually take my place near the leftmost window in front of the mirror. She asked me to stay on the barre in front of my usual place. I don't know if this means I'm improving (Ballet 5 takes the barres closest to T. Agnes), or if she wants to observe me more. Dad says both are good anyway...

  Teacher Agnes let me and Christine rest. She said we were tired and that our legs were getting heavier.

The Glass Ballerina

  We had lunch at a friends house where I noticed this pretty glass ballerina figurine and where I took this picture:

  I just noticed how my foot looked in the mirror ^_^ It's actually not so clear here but, I think it's improved, though, Teacher Agnes keeps telling me to "Go higher!!!"

  

  Hip hop in Locsins is more technical compared to the classes in LCB, where it's more choreographic. Yesterday, we learned tutting, sliding, floating, and popping. Our instructor even includes some history; where the step came from, who made it, and those stuff...

  Jazz class was fun as usual :) We did grand jetes and my favorite step; the fan kick. One time, all of us were trying out the exercise from the corner of the room. Kuya Arnel was watching and correcting us. After one practice while marking with the music, he said; "Disaster Coordinating Council Davao Branch" we all laughed :P Inah and I were assigned to memorize the warm up since our "memory card" Patricia, is leaving for a week :| 

   All (well, most) of my ballet classmates are in Tugbok, Mintal right now, visiting the Locsin family's mosoleum. It's the death anniversary of Carmen Locsin, Teacher Agnes' mom. She just passed away last year.

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 ^_^

* * *
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

Empathy

Alex, Joy, Me and Meg ♥ 

 Schools out!!!! The pics from the grad part were great! ♥ Gosh I'll miss everyone!!! They sure make me wanna go back to school :P I danced with almost everyone, Man, it was sooo fun!!!! :D 

Leading the prayer at the Community Day

 The last few days were filled with practices in preparation for our Community Day (a.k.a Graduation Ceremony in other schools). Each class was required to present a dance number. Our class, the 2nd years, decided to dance to HSM3's "Night to Remember". My friend Alex and I took over the choreography. 
  Though slow and basic, I found Alex's steps hard to follow. "Ok," I said to myself, "what's wrong?" Usually when I am given a step I try to perform it the best I can, in my very own way. It did not work so this time. Then I tried something. I guess it was inspired by our studying "Empathy" in our Character Education Class. I tried putting myself in Alex's shoes. I tried to think like her. "OK, Alex likes to jump, she's tall, how does that feel like?" soon, the steps seemed easy enough! I just found this little discovery of mine cool... ^_^
  iDentity  performed again! The same dance number, but this time, I was a part of it :)) My sister took a video...Will upload it as soon as I can get my hands on our family camera :P

Besties and me on the last day of school :))

Word of Advice

  Cheena was able to upload a video of F. Bustamante's High School dance group performing in the competition. They won first place, they had better synchronization :|
  When my Mom watched both videos she enlightened me on some reasons F. Bustamante won.

1. They kept moving, their dance was action packed. Climax all the way. Ours had drops.
2. Ours was too 'theatrical'. Mom said that it wouldn't appeal to the Davao audience :|

 Well... I have good news. Pat said that if we are performing for our school's Community Day, I'm back in the crew!
  Pat is also thinking of having shirts printed for us. I suggested that we could have "codenames" and add that to our shirts. If that plan pushes through, I'd like to be known as 'Ming'. Justin, one of our crew members (the one who did the headstand), keeps teasing me "Hao Ming" so yeah... LOL :P

Inah and Me ♡

  So, Sunday, before the last performance of the school year, the faculty members, scholars, and would-be-scholars, had a meeting with Teacher Agnes. We fixed our class and assisting schedules.
  I'm going to assist Ballet 1A with Inah :D My goal for the summer is to learn sign language. The alphabet and the signs ♡
  Locsins is now offering Hip Hop classes. At the sound of this, the full fledged ballerinas groaned. I signed H I P H O P to Inah and both our faces beamed. ♡ hahaha
  That was the first time I ever heard teenagers complain at the sound of Hip Hop. Usually at school when I mention ballet, the guys laugh ["Tights, tights"]. And some ask if it hurts @_@
  One of my ballet classmates said "I'f Hip Hop is not required, I'm not joining!" LOLOLOLOL
Can't wait XD And Ate Georgette is coming back to perform for Mommy Locsin's (Tr. Agnes' Mom) anniversary :D

  

iDentity in Abreeza!!!

  Thank's so much to my friend and schoolmate, Cheena Chi, for uploading this video!!! Gosh! I'm actually impressed :D

  The music can't be heard in the last part though.. Sorry about that :( something about the mix etc...

S for Stressssss

  Ballet is everyday this week... I don't know what to do!!! I want to give up! When I climbed to the third floor of the school building to practice, I didn't care. I just chose wherever I was standing to lie down and lament.
Before I give up let me pause and ask myself:

1. What do I prioritize more. The competition, or the run thru?
BOTH!!! I'll be missing out on equally important thing if I don't go to either.

2. Which one is a major stress factor?
The hip hop practices! [How do you get people your age to listen to you without threatening them that you'll throw a pointe show if they don't keep quiet]

3. Where am I most needed?
Competition: Choreo (mine isn't very good, BTW)
Ballet: Fairy. One of only two people in the Beginners Pointe Class. Photoshoot after rehearsal on Friday.

T_T

  I shouldn't have chosen activities that are spaced too close together :( Stress is bad. This is making me sick, seriously. I've been getting headaches, a runny nose, and a sore throat, this weekend...

  Lets see... decision time :S This is so UN-professional -_-

Just a quick fact:
Did you know that another term for pointing the foot is "Plantar Flexion" :) Just got it out of Dance Anatomy.


Note to Self: Must replenish supply of Ballet Pics. The ones I have right now are getting... boring -_-


P.S. The box of my Grishko's are softening. Another "In The Shoes" entry coming up! Maybe around April :)

Practice

  With the recital and the dance competition coming up this week, I have barely had time to go online.
  The dance crew practiced in my mom's yoga studio yesterday. Three members did not come but at least we were able to add some steps :| I'm worried we have less than a week but we still don't have steps for two minutes of the music :(
  Here are two videos of the crew members:

Alvaro, Pat, and Justin - tutting.

Pat tutting

NOTE: They just copied the tutting from YouTube so in-case the guy who made it watches these videos, we still give him the credit Ok?

  I finally found skin tone tights and leos. That's D' Pointe was out of stock so I [disappointedly] went to Victoria Plaza and bought Body Music. This brand has very thin material. The tights were ok but the leos were just s e e - t h r u . I solved the problem by sewing a layer of padding inside :)

Clumsy Moment @_@

  Wow! I've been so busy! This week has been e v e n t f u l! On Monday, Pat told me about this dance competition in Abreeza Mall this March. In that same day, we pooled all the school's reputed dancers and started planning. The crew members include the former instructors of the Dance Club, Pat, Erik, and me.
  After practicing for our dance, I rush down three floors to band practice. When there is no band practice, however, I go to ballet class in Locsins.
  I do this alongside studying, homework, projects etc. @_@ The surprising thing is... I like it! I'm actually enjoying my ka-busyhan... 
  This afternoon, during dance practice, one of the crew members, Alvaro, was working on the remix for the dance in Pat's laptop. I had to leave early for band so I pulled out the plug of my laptop's charger. In the process of doing that, I hit Pat's charger.Turns out that the battery's broken so she can't work without charging the computer... I hope you guessed what happened... yeah, the remix.. it... umm... T_T... A portion of the new parts (especially the really impressive transition Alvaro worked out) was deleted T_T And it's ALL MY FAULT!!!! No words...
  We all huddled together waiting for the computer to re-start... T_T Clumsy moment....GRRRRR!!!!

Music Recital

From L to R: Pat, Me, and Eric

Whew! Stress is over! Dance Club Performed for the Music Recital in School which, thankfully, only the parents of participants watched. We did it! Though, they exited before it was time because they forgot the steps... O.O We carried it well though. Eric did some freestyle :D Heres a clip:

Me and pat with our teachers

Showtime!

  We asked our school principal if we could have a show for the Dance Club. She gave us a trial. She will let us have an intermission number in the music recital and if we pull off a good performance, she'll let us have a show of our own!!!

  Were dancing to Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie". We increased the number of classes from Fridays, to EVERYDAY (except weekends, of course). So far we have eight dancer, a good number, with five others still pending...

  I'm so happy. Was so stressed out about this while we were planning the practices but it's all good now that I know we have enough time and meet-ups. I just have to pray that we teach them well and they get the steps. SIGH...

  Photo credits to my classmate Yassy :)

Shallow Happiness...

  One of my classmates has been bringing a ballpen to class. I thought at first she was just being funny but today Teacher Agnes asked for it. I thought she was going to confiscate it but instead she gave it to another classmate. Turns out your supposed to hold it with only your thumb to correct the hands.

  Teacher Agnes pointed out the Ballet 3 class one by one. "You have to keep practicing, you have to concentrate, etc., etc." To me (and a few others)  she said "Mababaw lang ang kaligayahan mo, your contented without having to work so hard!"

  Ouch..

  Yesterday at Dance Club. I only had 2 students. I taught them a routine to Katy Perry's ET. It was mostly arm movements. I made them look like one person with many arms :D Should have taken a video!

  One of my own DC students taught me to baby freeze!!! I'm so happy!!!!! :D

Ballet In, Jazz Out

Agripipna Vaganova

  One on one classes are so tiring. But my energy is up this week :D Kuya Henry said that starting next week we will have classes more like the ones in BM. Vaganova technique.
  My pull up and arms are still nowhere... My arms have been a problem since last summer. I don't know if I've always had lifeless arms or if it developed over time :|
  I haven' blogged about Dance Club for quite some time now. This is because there hasn't been any meet ups for over two weeks now.
  We won't be teaching Jazz any more, though. We think it's the reason that people don't attend :| It was Pat's idea. When I told the students they wore relieved expressions...

Haters

  So this guy tells me that ballet is boring and that dance club just makes our bodies hurt. What is he throwing at me? I mean what the heck will he get from saying these things anyway? He’s not even part of Dance club! Well, he was but he quit and told me he hates it.

  Ok, I have to understand that when you go professional there will be standing ovations and tomato throwing. There will be times when you’ll be booed off the stage and, when that happens, you just have to remember all the people who said you were talented.

  I still have my loyal Dance club-ers to count on for inspiration. Yes my own students inspire me. They inspire me to keep going because they like what I do, that what I do works for them. They are so much nicer than my little critic anyway.

  It’s useless to ask “What did I do to get this kind of treatment?” because we’ll never know. So many different things go on in people’s minds and there could be a thousand things for him to dislike me. Maybe he finds me annoying, self centered. Or maybe he’s just jealous or doesn't even know the magnitude of what he's saying… :P

  And maybe ballet is boring, TO HIM. And maybe dance club is a strenuous activity, FOR HIM. It’s all a matter of opinion and one guy with foul mouth aint’ gonna’ make mah dance club crumble!!!! Movie stars get it all the time, I mean all this talk of Justin Bieber or Charice being cyber bullied. That’s how it rolls…

Haters only make you famous!

Random Week

DEEEEEEEP Exhale... I've been feeling very un-inspired and un-energized and tired... in short kapoy, Bisaya for tired :P Teacher Agnes hasn't been teaching though. She went to Manila to attend the funeral of Noordin Jumbalon, Ballet Philippines' Principal dancer.. I think :(
  It's funny how close the people are in this country's Ballet world. I mean, everyone knows everyone, more or less...
 Dance club was rather unproductive this week T_T We only had 4 students... Were think of not having formally taught classes... You know poeple will meet up and bring any dance they want with them be it Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap... Like in Step Up 3. We might get our old members back... But some students want me to continue teaching so I'm thinking that anyone, OK, anyone, can teach what ever new dance move they learned... Still thinking about it... :D

Music for Friday

 This Friday the music source, Pat, can't attend dance club. I downloaded loads of songs last Tuesday so I'm safe... Whew! My only problem will be if my computer decides to act up and break down unexpectedly :S Lets hope for the best and that I can take picture :D One of my friends took a video of the whole club  last meeting, hope I can post it :D
 
  Pat and I are think of this Jazz routine for our Halloween performance. We have a lot of ideas for lifting but we haven't checked on Eric about it who, obviously, will be the one taking all the weight. lol :D Pat's also getting excited about the costumes. Were thinking of hats and jackets <3 Typical Jazz...

  Only one person has given me their reply slip from the comittment letter since Friday... Hope I'll still have enough students... though, I should remind myself, we are aiming for Quality Dancers not just quantity... :D

 
  

So You Think You Can Dance

  Plus this Friday will be Jazz, the least like of the two dances we teach... I wish they'd like it, I mean, why not?