Tuesday, February 28, 2012

jason.

This may very well be one of the most beautiful combo's I've seen. Jason Parsons is one of my favourite choreographers, and I'm thrilled to see him teaching at one of the biggest dance conventions, NYCDA.

Check out his choreography below:


For those of you not familiar with dance conventions, basically it's a weekend of eight-plus hours of dance classes in various cities all over the country, with a plethora of teachers. There's roughly 400-500 dancers there, split up into beginner, junior and senior rooms.

It's crowded, hot, and a ton of fun...I won't lie. I loved every moment of it, because I got to just dance my feet off.

I was very lucky growing up in California to have the opportunity to attend so many that came to the Bay Area and Southern California, and take classes from choreographers like Gil Storming, Mandy Moore, Mia Michaels, Blake McGrath, NappyTabs and even more before they became stars on So You Think You Can Dance.

The only downfall of these conventions is they can feel like a giant competition the entire weekend. I remember always feeling the need to hit the choreography so hard to make myself stand out to the teacher, and attack, attack, attack each movement.

That's me, when I really know the choreography. I'm also older and can pick it up in class that much faster and make something of it for me, no one else.

Contemporary and modern dance that really expresses what dance is about - the movement of the body - is a new technique in the last few years. Gone are those sappy pieces. Jason Parsons and other choreographers even just introducing it in this setting to a mass amount of people.

This is a whole concept (that is so simple, really) that I didn't find out about until I was a little older. I was introduced to "artistic movement processing" (will explain later...that's a whole other story) when I was an apprentice to Moving Arts Dance.

I hope on a smaller scale, that's what my dancers feel with the pieces I made for them in Kelowna.

Time will tell. I can't wait to see and hear about their performances.

Just a (dance) thought of the day.

Monday, February 27, 2012

mantra6.


Solid first day at my internship - started work on a segment going to air, brushed shoulders with a few journalism idols and I'm feeling like a real grown up.

I'm happy and sad all at the same time - I have been so ready to be done school that this feels like a vacation. However, it's also the introduction to the world as a career woman, which I always saw as being far away.

The time is now.

No matter how dark the winter may be, I'm going to be bright. It's all good.

PS on a totally unrelated note (and I never do this!) here's my best dressed pick from last night's Academy Awards ceremony: Gwyneth Paltrow in a white Tom Ford dress. Effortless and stunning.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

choices.

"...I thought about choices.

Since birth modern women have been told that we can do and be anything we want,
be an astronaut, the head of an internet company, a stay-at-home mom.

There aren't any rules any more.

Choices are endless.
And apparently, they can all be delivered right to your door.

But is it possible that we've gotten so spoiled by choices that we've become unable to make one? That part of us knows that once you choose something,
one man, one great apartment, one amazing job, another option goes away?

Are we a generation women who can't choose just one from column 'A'?

Did we all have too much to handle, or was Samantha right?

Can we have it all?"

- Carrie Bradsaw, Sex and the City (Season 3, episode 10)

Saturday, February 25, 2012

oscar.

On the eve of the Academy Awards, I'm very excited to start my yearly ritual and wait anxiously to see who's wearing what.

I won't lie, the classic dresses Audrey Hepburn, Cher and other icons have worn to the Oscar ceremony will always be some of the most memorable and beautiful dresses we will remember. However, I don't think we give enough credit to some of our modern actresses (and I'm talking the ladies who pull out the big chops for in both their role choices, and wardrobes).

Below I've collected my favourite looks from over the past few years (and a little before then as well...just to keep good measure). Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Hilary Swank will always be best dressed in my books.










PS note about Michelle Williams - I saw My Week With Marilyn the other day and absolutely died. It's fabulous, real and Williams made me believe I was watching the bombshell herself in 2012. I hope she wins best actress!

Friday, February 24, 2012

spontaneity.


As much as I like the carefree and spontaneous nature of my life (and I have to be, I'm a journalist), there's a part of me that will always love routine, repetition and the comfort of what's coming next.

One small way I can maintain and have control over at least one aspect of my life is knowing where to go for certain things. The wonderful thing about living in a metropolitan city like Toronto is you can be out walking at any hour of the day or night, and the coffee shops are still full of people working, the bars are busy with young and old partiers, and you get ice cream at 10PM just because you feel like it.

One of my girlfriends and I have our religious date. Some may think it's boring, but for us, it's perfect. We have a token restaurant we both love (and I don't get to enough), and end up hours-long conversations about everything over soba noodles.

Our apartments are steady. In a time when I know I'll be moving out of what's been my home for the past few years, I can really see how this little place has grown up with me, and I think I'll miss these lime green walls.

On Monday, I'm starting the last half of my semester working at CTV's Canada AM as an intern. I tested the travel route today, and it's interested to see how this will now be my new constant. Right now, it's the eve again. The eve on the unknown.

Who knows what's going to happen? I'm willing to try. It's the spontaneity that keeps us alive.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

alicia.

My crown of friends is full of sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds. There's no rhinestone or faux-glitter around me. I genuinely have a fantastic group of ladies and gentlemen that I can count on no matter what.

Today, my darling roommate, journalism peer and friend moved back home to complete her internship in Vancouver. You don't find many people that click with you so well, and I can't even imagine what my university experience would have been like had we not moved in together.

Miss you already girl, all the best! Thanks for believing in me, helping me up when I tripped (literally and figuratively) and the nonstop giggles. I'll see you in B.C.!
















Tuesday, February 21, 2012

dazzle.

Let’s face it:

I want it all— just like you and everybody else.

It may not be in the cards,

but the prospect is so dazzling that I have to try.

- Lauren Bacall


Monday, February 20, 2012

commit.


Is there anything better than waking up to no commitments?

No work, no school, no alarms.

Usually this is a type of luxury reserved for the odd Sunday or even a vacation away for me. Growing up in a family of five people and two dogs, minus Christmas Day, someone is always up early for whatever their day is bringing them.

Living in residence and now in an apartment with roommates is very similar. True, we aren't all functioning as a proper family, but we're still aware and cautious about each other's schedules.

There's also the part of me that is very carpe diem, and believes sleep is for the dead. We're young, free and allowed to do whatever we want. why waste it on sleep?

Welcome to reading week, where every night is Saturday, the sun is shining and for the first time, I'm completely free of midterms, essays and commitments. This week is open (minus a few things I have to do, because I finally have the time) but that's just it - here's the time that we've been given to catch up on because we've been out doing other things instead of sleeping for the past seven weeks.

Carpe diem indeed. Time to sip coffee, watch a few episodes of Sex and the City and spend long, luxurious hours reading in coffee shops and window shopping.

When your everyday is full of high energy activities, these quieter ones can feel like an adventure all on their own.

I leave you with one of the chillest songs I've found lately: Fleet Foxes cover Robyn's "Dancing on my Own" below (check out their cover of Lykke Li's "Little Bit" as well)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

nuvo.


There are few things I love more than being on the stage.

Whether it be in an intimate small venue, on a football field for a halftime show or proper theatre - there's something otherworldy about standing on the platform and looking out to the audience.

All in all, the show went supremely well this past Friday, with approxamently 480 people coming to see us.

I can't even describe the feeling and energy that came alive that night. We walked onstage, and felt it. We hit it.

I am so proud of my dance family and all the hard work I have seen my director and other dancers put into this show, and I think it was our best one to date.

To be a part of something so much bigger than just me really blows my mind, and puts a reality check back into the situation.

But not too much reality - it was a Wonderland-themed show after all.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and after a good week off from school, work and life, we'll be back at for the next show in May!

Again, I can't express enough how thankful I am for all the support of my friends and family - I wouldn't be able to live this dream without you. Merci, gracias, thank you for coming!

Friday, February 17, 2012

B&W28.













Here's my multimedia feature I did for my last week in the Ryersonian masthead called "Catwalk versus sidewalk". Check it out online here.