Well, it's officially the first weekend of 2014 and I'm thankful for the time off after all the festivities this week! I hope you had a lovely NYE and a little too much fun ringing in 2014.
Without further ado, one of my favourite posts to write is a Top 5 - so why not kick off the year with one? Here's what I'm into at the moment:
Leaf TV.
I'm slightly obsessed with Leaf TV's YouTube channel. Yes, their other social media feeds are great, but there's something really engaging about their how-to videos.
Give yourself some time to watch them - even though many are less than a minute long, you'll want to go through them all. You've been warned.
Colony Bar
I love so many restaurants in my neighbourhood, Kitsliano, but it's hard to beat two for one brunch and Tapped Out Tuesdays at Colony Bar. Whenever I have friends visiting, it's my first stop with for a welcome sip and bite.
I have officially been in my new Vancouver neighourhood for over a week. Luckily, the weather has been staying warm and lovely, allowing lots of opportunity to set out and explore new places, things and events.
Here's what I'm loving (so far) this month...definitely heavy on some Vancouver tidbits!
Pure Nail Bar
This is the best bang for your buck nail-wise that I've seen in the city. They use individula basins - i.e. no cross-contamination - which gets big kudos in my books.
Also, forget Sex and the City. Pure has TV's playing Modern Family and other hilarious shows to keep you entertained.
Kombucha tea
I was skeptical at first when I heard about this - but a dance colleague recommended kombucha tea after my stomach was giving me some issues the other day. It's an interesting taste for sure, but I love the carbonation.
Mad Men
I'm slowly but surely making my way through the first six seasons of Mad Men on NetFlix. Gotta be ready for season seven, which will premire in April 2014.
Jethro's Fine Grub
I feel like everyone has been chatting about Jethro's, saying it's one of the best places for brunch - especially pancakes. I will definitely be trying to make a stop this weekend.
Lady Gaga
I feel like I was a bit late to "Applause", but the more I listen to it, more I love this track. Welcome back Mama Monster.
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.
I have Justin Timberlake's new album, The 20/20 Experience, on repeat. I'm loving the smooth rhythms, old school vibe and of course, his voice.
This album is taking a different direction from what we've seen for awhile. Instead of a la carte singles, The 20/20 Experience is made up of six to eight minute pieces, from ballads to melodies. While there's no track quite like "Sexyback" or "Cry Me a River" I'm still impressed that JT has taken a chance and done something completely different.
Currently loving "Mirrors", and his video. The dancing at the end is incredible - sharp, simple, classic.
One of the first posts I remember people say they saw on my blog was Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi"music video a few years ago.
We hadn't seen a music video like that in awhile - one with a storyline, interesting cinematic and editing choices and fantastic choreography.
Obviously, Lana Del Rey isn't Lady Gaga, but I think she is continuing to be a game changer in not only the music, but also in the fashion (she's the face and inspiration of H&M's fall 2012 collection), beauty (we saw a resurgence of old Hollywood bouffants, cat eyes and interesting nail art this year) and various other communities.
Del Rey's latest music video, "Ride" caught my eye and ear this week - it's a little glamourous, a little Easy Rider and has been in steady rotation on my iPod.
Today we wish goodbye to summer and welcome the first day of autumn.
It's one of the most overanalyzed times - the transition period between seasons. However, I want to go about this a little differently this year.
I strongly believe there a many things that you can associate with a time, place or a memory.
For some, it's smell. Whenever I smell the perfume Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, I instantly remember playing dress up in my mother's closet and at her makeup vanity as a child (yes, I was a glitter girl from the start).
For others, it's taste. My friends and I trade recipes and reminisce about that fabulous cafe here, or that homemade apple pie there.
For a large amount, it's music. It's those songs that come on your iPod you have to listen to it all the way through.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to escape Toronto and head up to a friend's cabin in Muskoka. In my car we were blasting The Darkness and while en route, someone said, "Portia, look out the window into the darkness."
I rolled my eyes, but curiousity got the best of me. I have never seen as many stars there than I did on my way to the cottage in Ontario, and I've lived in both California and British Columbia, where it's wide open space.
The entire weekend consisted to hanging out on the dock, sipping on beers and bonding with new and old friends while the last of our summer-appropriate music played in the background.
It was one of those weekends when you think, "Maybe it just won't snow this year."
Sadly, we did have come home to the city, and our crew jelled back into their daily routines.
Sitting at home wearing a slightly warmer outfit than I was August, one of those songs from my summer playlist came on my shuffle - I instantly smiled, remembering driving somewhere between the Georgian Bay and Toronto, window down and nothing on my mind but that moment.
Hey, maybe we'll get lucky again this year and it won't snow too much.
Here are a few of those songs for me below - what are yours?
I have been totally bitten by the Lana del Rey bug.
Her voice is haunting, beautiful and her music sways somewhere between classic ballads and R and B with heavy beats. Even better? It's all wrapped up in movie-like music videos.
"National Anthem" pulls in some classic Americana references - del Rey impersonating bombshell Marilyn Monroe serenading JFK with a "happy birthday" song, Jack O outfits...Even the filming technique has a vintage feel to it.
Overall, I'm just obsessed. This is my pick track of summer 2012.
Check out the video below:
I'm heading into some crazy preparation and a few weeks of Olympic work, so my apologies for a lack of posts here.
I'll be tweeting mucho during the games, make sure to follow my on Twitter for the latest updates! (@PortiaFavro)
My Saturday night soundtrack consists of my current music obsession, Steed Lord, an experimental art project group/band from Iceland.
The trio, KALI, MEGA and DEMO incorporate dance, music, photography, ornate costumes and some pretty sick choreography into their music videos.
One of my favourite choreographers (and idol) Sonya Tayeh has created the dance pieces in Steed Lord's videos, and I love seeing dancers I knew growing up in California dancing under her direction in them!
Check out one of my pick songs - a bit vocal, a bit electronic, a little dubstep and totally ethereal.
Intrigued?
I have a sneaky feeling they'll be in contact/talks/collaboration or the like with Lady Gaga soon...closer to home, you'll be hearing more of their music in my classes and choreography for the next bit.
I'm obsessed (yet again) with everything in this song, video, etc. I love how Kimbra swings in-between jazz, soul and pop seamlessly in one song. Even via YouTube, you can feel her passion for her craft through the screen.
On Thursday night, I had the pleasure of heading to one of my favourite venues in Toronto, the El Mocambo to review band Parks and Rec's new EP, Seeds Grown Here.
You'll have to stay tuned to The Take Media to hear my official review next week, but to hold you over, here's a cool video I stumbled upon.
I'm still loving summer and all its clothing and floral - but there's still soft spot in me for everything rockability. If you know me, you know that classic rock is my music of choice. For me, the epitome of fashion and music coming together at this moment is Joan Jett and the Runaways (PS the movie is fantastic!)
Jett did colour blocking on the cover of her album I Love Rock and Roll, which is coming into style this fall.
Here are my picks with this divine yellow jacket, which is a little Jett, and a little MJ...and how I would wear it. I put more of a feminine twist on this because that's my personal flavour, but I think this whole look with black leather pants would be smokin'.
Add lots of black eyeliner and messy hair and you'll look like a cherry bomb.
This set makes me can't wait to break out my combat boots that I found for fall. I love Rock n' Roll.
I adore Lady Gaga. I know that her music, fashion sense and videos are all controversial, and the fact that she is commercial despite her avant-garde image and persona fascinates me.
This week, the video for my favourite Gaga song, "Alejandro" was released. As of two days, there are over six million views. There has been so much debate and comments on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter (the same way it was for "Telephone" and "Bad Romance") but I think that there is another way we can look at this video.
A lot of people think that she is copying Madonna in her black and white cinematography and the religious connotations - both similar to the "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer". However, there are other things that her creative team have brought to the platform.
From a dancer and performance aspect, I immediately picked up the references to the movie Cabaretwith the hairstyle and outfits/the dancing on the beds around the four minute mark. The dancing is brilliant in my opinion. So subtle, but clean, sharp, and the simple black costumes (even with the guns bra on Gaga) accentuates the choreography. The dancers and Gaga aren't using smoke and mirrors to distract the audience from the lack of talent, it is there, crisp and raw. I think that the choreography is heavily influenced by Bob Fosse's style, with the flicking wrists, heavy walks and more. Except instead of being "All That Jazz", it's updated.
And what's so wrong with being inspired?
She's inspired by Madonna, who broke so many boundaries for women and identity. Bob Fosse, who changed and modernized the world of dance. Michael Jackson with the mini-film music videos, who burst through the barriers for African American artists.
We might not understand exactly what we're seeing right now, but in 15 years, there'll be something that comes out of this. Artists in the future will be copying her, but in the same way we say no one can replace or ever be as good as Madonna, the same goes for Gaga.
This is my interpretation strictly from a performer's point of view, not getting into the politics of the video, etc. I think "Alejandro" is much more creative than MIA's recent video where she shows an Iraq-esque battlefield and killing/hunting red-haired people like the army would terrorists. That didn't work for me.
I really relate to Lady Gaga in my own way as I have gone into the major arty/ethereal/some-may-think-I'm-weird side of dance and performance, and to see that raw talent and it's place in mainstream entertainment blows my mind.
Here's the video. It's quite out there, but take it for the choreography.
