carey.

Just some tidbits I'm loving right now...

I got a feeling it's going to be a divine, hot and lovely summer. It's nearly 30C in Toronto today, and I'm on the edge of a few really incredible opportunities taking off. 

Yep, feeling pretty good. 

Enjoy the sunshine and the weekend! 

start.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you've probably notice I have been "pinning" a plethora of Rolling Stones photos lately.

I grew up listening to The Rolling Stones, and their music literally made appearances at our breakfast table. In fact, my first concert was the San Francisco stop of their "Bigger Bang" tour.

This music runs in my blood, and I've been flirting with the idea of a producing a showcase featuring the music of the world's greatest rock and roll band for the last year. Although I'm working on several different projects that are requiring my full artistic attention, I'm hoping to focus making this a reality as soon as I can.

It's been 50 years since band was formed, and I want to celebrate how music has changed as well.

My friends, I am on the hunt for amazing covers, remixes, etc. of anything by The Rolling Stones. I found this cover of "Miss You" by Justin Timberlake a few weeks ago, and immediately, my choreographic brain started tingling...



This is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm not sure where this path will go, but I'm hoping to collect a plethora of songs and formulate more of a story and direction from there.

Feel free to post in the comments below or tweet me (@PortiaFavro) if you hear anything fantastic.

Thank you and stay tuned!

karaoke.

I have a not-so-secret confession to make: I have become a karaoke addict.

It all happened a few months ago after a dance show. On a chilly Thursday night, a couple friends and I were wandering down Queen West, when one of them said, "Hey, I know a great karaoke place around here."

Why not? I thought.

Since then, if I have a Thursday night off, I'm at karaoke.

I'll preface this - I can't sing for the life of me. In fact, I've been cast a "bad singer" for gigs. Sure, I can carry a tune along with a group of people (fake it until you make it), but I'm pretty gnarly solo.

However, I don't know if it's the atmosphere, the people or just the acceptance of the audience for getting up there and trying, but karaoke has been one of my favourite pastimes over the last few months. At this particular joint, there's a steady crew every week, and whether you're the next Mariah Carey or me, everyone cheers for you when you're singing.

This isn't one of those stories about "finding yourself" and being accepted by strangers. Most of my peers that I go with and I are performers, emcees and writers, and are used to putting our necks out. We're constantly judged, and have no shame anymore.

In fact, I think karaoke has been a form of performance education.

As a dancer, I obviously understand the power and communication of body movement. You can convey so much through the pace, timing and sharpness when you dance.

When you're on the microphone, you can't move like a dancer.

The first time standing up in front of the crowd, I realized that if I flipped into "dancer mode" I would be moving too far away from the microphone, or breathing too heavy to sing.

Karaoke and singing has taught me how to perform using the subtle nuances of my face and upper body. Yes, I can still move, but it's a different interpretation. Instead of kicking and jumping, I've learned  to correspond my movements to the music I'm singing. I've realized it's a true talent to entertain your audience, keep pace with your breath and also follow lyrics on a screen.

To some, karaoke is just a fun way to let out some stress, and I highly recommend it for that. For me, it's become a bit of a performance exercise class.

The best part of it? Homework includes finding the best song for each week to hopefully make the audience sing along with you.

What am I performing this week? Well, you'll just have to join me at karaoke to find out.

Shameless Karaoke, 10PM at The Savoy (Queen West and Beaconsfield).

playlist.

Happy Saturday!

Although I've been a bit under the weather this past week (pesky spring cold, go away!) I've been moving steadfast toward a couple of new goals, tying up some loose ends on some big projects and finally enjoying a touch of warm weather.

In honour of The Rolling Stones performing in Toronto tonight - it only makes sense to kick off the playlist with a mixup of one of their newer singles "Doom and Gloom". Normally I would shun any remixes of their music, but this version by Benny Benassi is actually pretty fantastic.

This past year I've really developed a taste and interest in electronic and dubstep music (who would have thought...) but I'm finding it the easiest to teach my warm up in class, and also tune out when I need to focus on work. The beat feels like a metronome - consistent and keeping time.

Here's a sneak peek into what I've been listening to over the past few weeks gearing up on new choreography, teaching class, and writing, writing, writing.

Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend!

douglass.

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. 

Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. 

They want rain without thunder and lightning. 

They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. 

This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle."

- Frederick Douglass

101.

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a great long weekend - don't you love that tomorrow is already Wednesday (and that means we're almost to the next weekend...)

Life has not been short of projects, classes and work since I got back from B.C. last week. If you didn't know already, my latest client, DivaGirl Fitness and I have teamed up to run a series of "how-to" articles about social media.

I'm constantly asked many little questions about how to use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and many other networks effectively for both personal branding and businesses, and I'm hoping these posts will be a good resource and reference point for interested parties.

Check out my first post here - "How to be a social media diva - Twitter 101". Stay tuned, I'll be posted my next article in June!

Have a great afternoon.

luhrmann.

I fell head over sparkly high heels into Baz Luhrmann's world over 10 years ago.

After seeing Mouling Rouge!, I didn't become just a fan, it became my obsession. I played the moview soundtrack over and over on my mint green boom box, choreographed routines in my living room to "Roxanne" and dreamed of seeing the famous cabaret in Paris one day.

Needless to say, I'm a Luhrmann fan through and through. I still remember feeling something different when I watched Moulin Rouge! It was as though someone had untapped the most creative things out our imaginations (and with awesome music) translated it onto the big screen.

It's truly been a decade since I've felt that same magic while in a movie theatre. With high expectations, I am pleased to report how much I adored Luhrmann's latest project, The Great Gatsby. 

Having recently reread the epic story (I had studied it in high school but didn't understand a majority of it), I had a fresh memory and knew exactly what was going to happen in the movie.

Is it perfect? Of course not, no movie is. However, the casting is impeccable, the scenery matched what I had imagined, and Lana Del Rey's song "Young and Beautiful" hauntingly hangs onto you after the film is long over.



The film itself is complete eye candy, with each frame somehow becoming more beautiful than the next. Leonardo DiCaprio is perfect as the mysterious Jay Gatsby, and as a friend and I discussed, it's refreshing to see him in a slightly more quirky/comedic role than what we're used to seeing him do.

All in all, absolutely my favourite movie of the year (so far). Give yourself a treat and head to the cinema to see this on the big screen - it's worth every moment.

penny.

Talk about a throwback Thursday - it's been 10 years since Britney Spears and Madonna teamed up in the "Me Against the Music" video.

I was dancing competitively as a jazz and tap student at the time, and remember one of girls, Penny, had just left the studio to pursue a professional career in dance.

To me, she had made it. Penny landed a backup dancer position in the video, "Me Against The Music". You can see Penny at the 1 minute and 40 second mark, when Britney and Madonna are dancing opposite each other through a wall - Penny is just off of Britney's right shoulder.

For me, this was my first brush at the professional world of dance - when someone you know makes it, it completely changes your perspective. I remember thinking that maybe one day, I could dance for Britney Spears.

Now, I may not be dancing for Britney Spears (but would in a heartbeat if she decided to revisit The Oynx Hotel Tour circa 2003), but I'm still performing professionally at various events, shows and across the city.

As I've written before, I'm now finding a niche and passion for instruction and choreography. Seeing may students emerge as performers after 13 weeks of serious training has made me feel that maybe, just maybe, I might be making it in my own way. P

I never thought that "Me Against The Music" would be a milestone for me - but it has reminded me just how many things can change, how my movement has changed and ultimately how my perspective has changed. Sometimes fulfilling your passion does not always mean being in front of the camera. Sometimes it's building up those who will be.

And I'm more than okay with that.

top5.

This month's Top 5 is appropriately B.C.-themed. 

I feel like I split my life between this two provinces, and in a sense, have two lives. As I have jumped right back into my Toronto lifestyle, I still feel the aftershocks of my trip (notably, the time difference has been throwing me off a bit!) 

However, being back in the studio with my dancers, at the office with the DivaGirls and enjoying this touch of sunshine are all signs of some fantastic things coming around the corner. 

Without further ado, here's May's Top 5. 

Emceeing The Vibe Dance Competition. 

After four days, 700 performances and meeting 2,900 dancers (plus their teachers) you would think I would be all danced out. Rather, I'm thirsty for more! 

I saw some incredible performances and my choreography on stage for the first time - Brittney did her best solo performance of the season, I am so proud of her! 

This was truly an awesome experience, and I'm looking forward to emceeing again. 

Workshops. 

The day after The Vibe Dance Competition, I got to teach a fantastic workshop hosted by Luki Dance Productions in Kelowna, B.C. . 

Make sure to pick up the June issue of Snap Okanagan for some shots from inside the studio. 

I made the trek down to Vancouver and got to work with some of the fabulous dancers of the Army of Sass at Steve Nash Fitness World - a couple of my girlfriends, my cousin and fabulous boss from Toronto all came out to class. Thank you for the support ladies! 

Sightseeing. 

I love this shot of one of my favourite places in Vancouver. Sad the Canucks aren't in the playoffs anymore, but maybe next year...

My latest obsession - The Juice Truck in Gastown. This is a great (and healthy) food truck idea. 

Vancouver Art Gallery. 

Throughout university, I took as many art history classes as I could - what would the chances be that I would get to the Vancouver Art Gallery  to find that they had a whole exhibit about art, politics and comics I have actually studied? Maus is one of my favourite graphic novels, and it was so interesting to see the evolution of sketches in person. 

As well, The Grand Hotel exhibit is a must-see about the abodes which inspired music, writing, culture and more throughout the 20th century. 

Meeting up with Alicahaaay. 

It's hard to believe that had not seen each other in almost a year - miss living with you roomie. 

Hope to see you again soon B.C., it was lovely. 

van.

I'm back Toronto! 

I know people say that time flies when you're having fun, and that absolutely applies to the past 12 days. I had the time of my life emceeing, teaching and brainstorming some new projects in both Kelowna and Vancouver. 

I wholeheartedly believe in taking chances and jumping at opportunities when they present themselves, and this trip was no exception. 

More than ever, my training in time management, flexibility and improvisation kicked in to help me throughout various situations during this trip. This allowed me to plant some great project seeds, and I  can't wait to see what they grow into on the west coast. 

A couple huge shout outs the people who helped make some incredible things happen:

Reflections Dance Studio

The Vibe Dance Competition 

Jessica Hurd 

Vanessa Young and AOS Vancouver

Lucy Hazelwood and Luki Dance Productions

and of course...Mom & Dad 

Thank you for supporting me as I chase after my dreams, no matter where they take me or how wild they are. 

okanagan.

Whoa, it's been a wild week in the Okanagan!

I had an amazing time hosting The Vibe Dance Competition, which featured over 2,900 dancers and 750 performances throughout the weekend. A huge thank you to The Vibe team and the backstage crew - I couldn't have done my job without all your help and support.

However, there's no rest for the wicked - I had a fantastic opportunity to teach a masterclass yesterday in Kelowna, and am heading to Vancouver tomorrow to work with a couple dance companies and visit friends. But before I jet off again, I'm heading outside to soak in some of this Okanagan sunshine (it's 29C here today!)

All in all, not too bad of a week! I'm very lucky to have had the time to come back to my home province to work and visit my friends and family.

Again, I won't be posting regularly on the blogette until I'm back in Toronto next week. Stay updated by following me on Twitter and Instagram (@PortiaFavro).

Have a fabulous rest of the week!