Busy :|

Teacher Agnes

  Mom and I left the house at 8:30 A.M. I was panicking because I thought I would be late. And I almost was. I got inside Locsin's just 10 minutes before time. Much to my relief, Teacher Agnes was outside. I smiled and she smiled back which I though was very un-Teacher Agnes like. I wondered if she was in a good mood. I wondered if she really doesn't like me and if today's class would be good or not.

  The class was rather tiring but I blame that on my busy week. I'm really busy, with the dance club and schoolwork. With ballet to top it off. I had to reduce my one on one classes from twice, to once a week.

  Teacher Agnes made me feel better about my legs when she said my knees were straight and I should just work harder :)

  I now know why my tummy's so big. It's not fat, it's because of my very arched back :| I have to practice standing up straighter, ribs in...

  I don't know what to think of having a teacher telling me off all the time. Does it mean she sees potential so she's trying to hone me or the opposite...

Ballet Bat :P

Trying to get the bat out

  IT WAS SO EPIC!!! Our whole class today was on the barre. At the last exercise we were doing changements and suddenly, there was a bat flying around  the studio like crazy!

  Teacher Agnes was laughing so hard and she even joked about Edward Cullen :P


  The Ballet 4 were huddled together in a corner and one of my classmates ran out the studio ducking!

Silent Kindess

  Inah is in the Ballet 4 class at Locsin's. She's tall and long with really nice feet. There's one thing that sets her apart from the other dancers; she is deaf and mute. In class, her friends relay Teacher Agnes' instructions through sign language and physical correction (moving the leg/arms to the right place/position). According to my classmates she can only hear the vibration and the base of instruments. But that doesn't stop her form dancing and doing her best. And much more...
  This evening in my class, Ballet 3, we were doing jumps from the corner of the room. As I positioned myself, moving my arms from Bra Bas to first, I felt a slight tugging at my Derrier (back) leg. I glance at my back and realized that Inah was trying to turn out my leg. She was helping me, and in the only way she knew how.
 A lot of people have called out to me, "Amber, turn out, Point your toes, breathe," But Inah cant speak, yet she went up to me and helped me like anyone could. I appreciated her kindness and concern..
  If your reading this, Inah, I hope you know that I'm very grateful... Thank you... loads!

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

Flat Feet T_T

  Class on weekdays is 5:30-6:30 p.m. At 4:30, while watching "Ballet Shoes", I was nagging at my mom to leave the house already... The leaving materialized, however, at around 4:50... When we got out of the house we realized that Dad had brought the car. We decided to walk to the main street and wait for Dad to bring the car back.

  Annoyed at my mom, and nervous about being late, I walked haughtily and speedily to the corner. It was just perfect timing that when I got there, an empty Taxi passed. I hailed it, much to Mom's surprise. As I had walked ahead of her, she had to run to me and the cab with her surprised face (she had also stopped to chat with a neighbor).

  I got in the cab and started fixing my bun. I asked her if my hair was alright and she said the bun was heart shaped. Mom took pictures of me in the taxi -_-

  We arrived in Locsin's at exactly 5:00. I was not  late. I apologized to Mom for panicking... Should have just calmed down... I left my water at home :(


  Class was good. Since I was early I was able to watch Ballet 4 practice their variations. One of the girls did the blue bird solo from Sleeping Beauty.. I recognized the music. :D

  On the barre we did some new exercises. I was reprimanded three times. After the second plie exercise, Teacher Agnes told me to work on my arches more. "This exercise is for you, you really need to work on your arches" She said.

  Flat feet T_T

Jogging in Peoples Park and Anne Hathaway Stars In Black Swan?!?!

"Dancing Fountain" People's Park, Davao City

  Came home from jogging in People's Park. Sigh, the irony of fresh air in the middle of a bustling city. People's Park is only a short walk from Locsin's  and is as beautiful at night as it is in the morning. At night, they turn on the "Dancing Fountain". I've never seen it live, just pictures :P This morning, lots of prople were in the park. Jogging, sitting down, walking, there were even some people practicing Arnis! :D
  When we came home, Dad turned on the telly. We don't usually watch local T.V. because it's a school rule not watch T.V. on weekdays.On weekends, though, we watch mostly movies.
  The host in Umagang Kay Ganda was talking about Venus Raj's Black Swan costume. Gosh! She made a mistake with the credits! Its Natalie Portman who starred in the movie NOT Anne Hathaway!!! Outrage much!

  Oh well, we all make mistakes... Will try to post a video of it :P
 

Happenings; Yesterday, Today, etc.

Yes! Got to attend one on one class yesterday :D We had to end early because the older levels had rehearsals. Grrr... Can't get the steps right away '_' "Don't over-think, just dance!" Kuya Henry keeps reminding me. What worries me about myself is that maybe I'm not over-thinking, maybe I'm not thinking at all! :( Not good. This was exactly my problem in LCB.The reason I got reprimanded and cried :S. Brain cells must start working faster >_<
  I have a new point of view with dancing now. Instead of the usual "No pain no gain", It's more of applying the little steps on the barre to other things. For example: when we do plies I won't just concentrate an the step right now, it's not just getting it right and stuff, but while doing it I'll think about the muscles I'm using and how it will help with center work and the choreography.

Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"

     * * *

  School Halloween party this afternoon!!! Hahaha! Of course my very first choice was to go as a ballerina but then I don't have a tutu so I decided to go as a pirate :| Now I'm having second thoughts of going in tights and leotards in a wrap-around skirt and pointe shoes... Oh and, just an idea, copy the makeup from "Black Swan"!!!:P

One On One

I wish I could stretch like that...

  Had a one on one class with Kuya Henry, the Ballet Manila trained teacher, last night. When I woke up this morning I felt very sick. I think I'll have to miss pointe class tomorrow T_T. Why, why, why? This flu has been going around me and my classmates at school. My head hurts so much... I don't remember the last time I had fever. I'm just watching ballet videos and reading BalletNEWS' Cupcakes & Conversation Series.

  Last night Kuya Henry asked me if I was on a diet to which I replied no. It was time I started counting my food, he said, because my tummy sticks out. I tried doing sit ups every day before, when I was still in LCB, but my little bulge just wont go down! :P

  He taught me this stretching routine which they did in BM. Its called Vaganova Stretch. It's really different when there's someone there to help you stretch. It's easier and you get a better stretch. I should do this more often.

   On the barre he said, "Slowly when you move! In ballet your movement is as if you are in an aquarium." which gave me an idea of practicing Por de Bras in a swimming pool. We did pirouettes across the room. "When you turn, attack, no, the attack in ballet is different, were not going to war!"

  Oh yeah and we just used music from the radio, not classical. He said classical makes him sleepy :P

  He also gave me tips for a higher arch. I should wear my pointe shoes around the house and force my arch when sitting down.

  I hope I get better by Monday...

Finally... Pointe Class!!!!!!

  Pointe class finally!!!! :D Teacher Agnes told us to bring our pointes next Saturday. So excited! Hello again, dead toenails, blisters, and bleeding feet...

  During the summer, the last LCB show that I performed in, we used masking tape to protect our feet. I wonder what Teacher Agnes will introduce to us...

Walking To Ballet Class

 Quirino St.,Davao City. I walked underneath that building
to the left of the taxi. 

  I walked from Quirino Doctors Clinic to Locsin's! I guess that's less than a kilometer but its the first time I've ever walked in the street by myself!!! Yeah, LOL :P I love that part of town. Some buildings, like Locsin's, have been there since my grandma was a teenager. Others are really new and only opened this year. It's a busy but calm part of town, If you know what I mean. It's an urban jungle full of people, cars, and noise. But it's still got that old feel to it...
Mom needed to drop by the doctor's for my brother's check up and she asked me if I could  walk. I don't usually get chances like that. I'm not even allowed to go laag or outing with friends without my parents.  I hesitated at first but then I remember one of my friends walking from school to the mall to meet up with her mom. If this wasn't going to be my first time, then when? I clutched my ballet bag for more confidence and walked passed the mob of people waiting to cross the street. It felt liberating. I felt so at home. Davao is my home. What a milestone!
  When I got to Locsin's, I noticed that the studio on the first floor was fixed unusually, with table cloths and a barre draped with leaves in the middle of the stage. I entered through the back and saw one of my classmates. He told me that there was no class because it was Teacher Agnes' Birthday!!!

  Happy Birthday Teacher Agnes!!! :D

  LOL, hehe... Sigh, what a day! :D

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

Bananas After Ballet Class

O_O This just makes my mouth WATER!!!
If only the ice cream were chocolate :P

    It was Saturday and my sister and I went to ballet... After class my teacher was calling someone to get a banana because one of my classmates hadn't eaten any breakfast yet. "Very powerful, bananas." she said.  When I got home I ate one, remembering what she said. Yeah, their high in Potassium, I think, or was that something else... :P Oh well, I'll try to eat one everyday. I remember before, when my mom suffered from this Vertigo thingy, the doctor told her to eat bananas. :D

  Hahaha, just now I thought of Banana Split, mmm, Yum! I bet I'm making you hungry :P speaking of which, I've been feeling very hungry this weekend. I guess its because of my semi vegetarian diet. You see, for the past two weeks, the lunch I've been taking to school is just salad. Sometimes a little fish or chicken in it, so I have had virtually NO meat since my birthday.

  Last night, Dad bought chicken barbecue and, man, I ate like a pig!

My "Essay" on Ballet

  I was going to make a To Do list yesterday when I came across a page on my notebook. It said Essay on Ballet and I quickly remembered that before going to my first ballet class, Mom made me wright an essay for my reason.

  This is what I wrote:

"I want to do Ballet because it looks interesting. I'd like to try it and it also looks fun. I like to dance too. The reason I chose ballet is because I like seeing people dance it. I know some things aren't as easy as they look but I will exert myself at this one :D. With the aim of going to a recital."

  I was around 11 at that time, I think, and the very next day I called Locsin's and inquired about the classes. I was in Ballet level 2.

 

  Just a though: I wish there was a ballet/dance/arts museum here. What memorabilia would be displayed there?....

2 weeks

Ballet Manila's Crystal Gala

  2 weeks of NO Dance Club... Sigh, usually, by now, I'd be counting the minutes before well be dismissed. Today is Kadayawan, a local holiday... Next Friday is our schools Filipino Festival, and its only half a day. If only we could present something for Filipino Fest but I know nothing about folk dancing! :O Except maybe the Filipino folk tales turned Ballet! :P

Candice Adea in Agnes Locsin's Encantada

Double Pirouettes

  Another ballet class...
I'm proud of myself today. After being asked to do a double turn everyone (even the students from the higher level) clapped :)) I think my strength is turns. I feel a wonderful feeling, almost like flying for the very few seconds that I'm spinning .
  Speaking of Pirouettes, the word actually means " to whirl about" in French, and nows the perfect time to share the 32 Fouettes from Swan Lake!



Missing Hip hop...

LCB Hip Hop Studio

    Boredom. My classmates are now in Hip hop finishing Justin Bieber's "Somebody to Love" by Kyle Hanagami  and Miki Emura. I miss LCB PAC, though I'm always laughed at in Hip hop. "Don't turn out!" "Hahaha, Amber, you don't look good dancing Hip hop," Aww, well I like Hip hop. The movement; so bouncy and energetic, and the music; upbeat and fun. But I really couldn't make myself look it.

  Had my first ballet class at the Locsin's Dance Workshop today. We left 30 minutes before time and arrived there early. But I was still late because I didn't know that my class was in the second floor. When I came up the rest of the class was already doing tendus. I felt almost intimidated with the other students but soon realized it was just the right level.

  Our instructor, Teacher Henry, is very particular about pull up.  Here in Locsin's I have to  relax my arms some more while in LCB, they tell me to put life into them. Two places so close to each other, already so different.

  Right now, I'm  concerned with my diet I have to cross-train. My body will still eat like I'm doing the intense everyday classes even though its just a mild thrice-a-week :D

  Looking forward to my next class hopefully I can take pictures around the studio. Another thing to look forward to is my audition in Ballet Manila... Excitement!

Summer 2011

P.S. We don't have pointe class until, probably, the end of the month. I'll try to practice at home. Though I heard its not safe.