bombshell.

When I was a little kid, I remember having a big birthday party at my house with more friends than I could count.

I believe it started well. Cake, presents, the usual. Then everything changed.

I went from having fun to being completely overwhelmed by the amount of attention that was on me.

I left my own party and hid in my closet.

It's been nearly 20 years since I felt this way. But yesterday, it happened again.

More than ever before, I am truly touched and honoured with how everything happened during the Vancouver's Next Bombshell competition on Friday. Throughout the night, a series of events and factors played both in and out of my favour, and I ended up placing second overall.

Being a new face in the Vancouver dance scene, I was beside myself to have so much support from my peers and the judging panel.

The day after the show(and many verbal and Facebook messages later) I left another dance rehearsal and couldn't hold it in any longer. That same feeling I had when I was 4 years-old came up, and all I wanted to do was hide for a moment.

I've dabbled and struggled with injuries over the last five years, and never really thought I would dance, much less perform like I did before it.

Tears aren't normal welcome personally, but whether you're 4, 14 or 24, this feeling doesn't change. I'm still in a daze from it all, but realized this was all part of the process.

THANK YOU to everyone who voted and/or supported me this weekend. It doesn't go unnoticed!

one_love.

Last night was the start of something big.

The first meeting for every new project is scary. Even if you know the them, you're never sure what you're really getting into. Ideas start to fly, connections are made, disagreements happen and so much more is to come.

As we sat in a circle, the cast of The Lovers Cabaret, Lovers of Marley listened intently to each other as we went around and introduced ourselves.

One of the unifying chords, about half of us expressed a break up with dance.

"It wasn't you, it's me. We need some time apart," was a repeated phrase over, and over and over.

Being in a slightly older cast, we've been around the block a few times. It's truly something to be a part of a project that everyone didn't just want to be a involved with, we all had to be in this. 

Sorry, I'm not sorry. My next few months are going to be completely full of reggae, contemporary and everything Bob Marley-related. I can't wait.

Save the date, The Lovers Cabaret presents: The Lovers of Marley will premiere at The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver on February 6 and 8, 2014.

whirlwind.

Whew...well the last few days have certainly been a bit of a whirlwind.

I have to say, I did not anticipate to see and be a part of so much dance happening in Vancouver!

Everywhere I go, I'm either running into dancers or teachers from class, seeing a poster to come take classes at various studios or for another show.

This past weekend I ended up at two dance shows celebrating various types of movement in the city. In many ways, these are the "networking" events of the dance world.

I got to see some incredible performers, choreographers and get a scope of the many companies and people involved in each.

As I'm moving more into a choreography and producing role (never fear, I won't stop performing anytime soon), it's been very interesting to be coming into a community fresh and seeing everyone for the first time.

Yes, I've already encountered some people I'm not interested in working with because of their attitude. However, the rest of you are still looking mighty fine - I'm looking forward to working with many of you throughout the coming year on some great projects.

What are you waiting for? Kick up those heels and get dancing!

neil.

"And now go, and make interesting mistakes. 

Make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. 

Break rules. 

Leave the world more interesting for your being here. 

Make good art."

- Neil Gaiman

#preach.

This is something I'm really focusing on for the remainder of the year - making good art. 

I was talking to a colleague the other day about the struggle of being an artists, in whatever medium rings your bell. 

If it's your career, you never have quite enough time to process and gain those creative juices back to their full potential (girl has bills to pay!) However, when you take the time off, you're not miserable by any means, but you realize how much you crave every moment you have to create. 

Needless to say, I'm experimenting. 

I'm currently dancing, training and teaching, while working on other non-dance related projects. 

It feeling incredibe to be a student again, but also satisfying to have the opportunity to lead and train others in something I love.  

I fully admit, I have made some major mistakes in the past year, and I learned a lot. In particular, I learned when the time was to step back, reevaluate and take charge in a different and new direction. 

Let's go back to making art. Art for arts' sake. Passion projects. Whatever. I'm in. 

projects.

My apologies for being a bit m.i.a. on the blogette this week. When you least expect it, things pop up and come together in ways you never thought were even an option.

I'm very lucky to be working with some fabulous people in Kelowna and Vancouver in the dance, digital media and communication world on a couple incredible projects.

Likewise, my Toronto friends have been extremely supportive over the last few weeks - even though I'm not there, I feel beyond connected through the various outlets available.

Needless to say, thank you to so many for your support over the last few months. This move to Vancouver has been spectacular so far, and it's only been five weeks!

I heard this quote the other day, and it really reinforced the attitude I feel I've been around the last few months:

A negative mind will never give you a positive life. 

Right? So good. 

dinner.

The other day, someone asked me an interesting question that really got me thinking.

"If you had a dinner table set for you and three guests, who would they be?

They can be living or passed, and at any age." 

I knew my answer right away. I would love to have dinner with:

- Karen Kain, the current Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada 

 - Late German choreographer Pina Bausch, right after she choreographed "The Rite of Spring" 

- Nico Archambault, the first winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada. 

If I could, I would also sneak a chair in to seat Michael Jackson during the "Thriller" heyday. 

I would be fascinated to hear each of their views on dance in 2013. Is it too commercial? Do average people still go to the ballet? What needs to change? 

With digital technology connecting us more than ever before, we can watch and share dance content so easily. As a choreographer, YouTube has become a huge source of personal and artistic inspiration, and has allowed me to watch full performances from around the world. 

However, I do wonder if this is actually helping or hindering our art. There have been many artists caught copying choreography from performances they have never seen in person. Some argue it's artistic plagiarism. 

For Pina Bausch and Michael Jackson, they both were apart of iconic moments in dance and movement that have and will continue to be reinterpreted and copied to no end. How do they feel? Was there ever any doubt while working and performing these pieces that it wouldn't work? Can they grasp what their impact was, and still is to the dance community? 

From there, I would be interested in hearing from Kain and and Archambault if what Jackson and Bausch did for dance really was significant. The National Ballet of Canada and So You Think You Can Dance Canada are obviously very different stages for movement, but in many ways, they have the same roots. If not, who would they identify as the movers and shakers (pun intended)? 

Of course, after dinner I would suggest that we all go out dancing. 

I've started asking my peers this same question, and have gotten some really interesting answers. 

Some talk about sitting down with grandparents they never knew, the future President of the United States, Beyonce, the actor who played Big Bird and so on.

So now I ask you...

If you could have dinner with three people of any time period, at any age, currently alive (or not), who would they be? 

Just a thought. 

mountain.

Well...hello, hello! 

I detest blogs that haven't been updated, and I'm very guilty of that right now. However, the past week and a half has had me running around the city like a mad person - but I loved every single moment of it. 

Between last-minute CBR rehearsals, performing, networking, helping plan and execute Divas in the City 4, taking part in year-end festivities,  I have finally found a moment to relax. 

Looking back at everything that has happened over the last 10 months,  I have made some mistakes, make some leaps and made connections I will cherish for the rest of my life. 

There are a few more things brewing in my pot - for now, I'm looking forward to taking some time off and refuelling before making my next move. Expect more happening on the writing/social media side, and then some dance and instructional work coming up in the fall. 

But first, coffee and time to tackle the mountain (and I mean it, mountain) of laundry that has been glaring at me since I got back from B.C. 

Enjoy the sunshine and expect a more updated blog this month! 

shades.

'Twas the night before my next big show...

While having coffee with a friend visiting Toronto, everything I am a part of relly really hit me. Tomorrow, I will perform in a multi-media production with over 50 performers, and we've almost sold out tickets based through our presale. 

After struggling and dancing for years, pining for people to come to shows, it's amazing to be part of a show that people are dying to see. 

As a fresh choreographer, this is a huge platform for my work to be seen. Last night in dress rehearsal, several colleagues came to me and said how much they admired my pieces. I am truly, truly touched, and hope the public enjoys my choreography as well. 

To my students, peers, teachers, artistic director, friends and family who have all taken the time and energy to support this production in your own way - thank you. 

Especially to my parents, even though they physically can't be here, were ears and eyes in their own way. They believed in me way back when I was six-years-old as a cat on stage doing jazz squares in dance recitals. We've come a long way Mom and Dad!  

My dancing is dedicated to you all. 

Time for rest and mental preparation - tomorrow is the night we've been waiting six months for! 

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).

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!

speigel.

Not only is this little video quite special, so is the song which accompanies it.

"Spiegel im Speigel", as performed by the Bergen Philiharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philarmonic Wind Quintet and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, was used in the modern piece, "White Light" choreographed by Viktor Kabaniaev for Moving Arts Dance.

A few weeks after watching professional dancers Holly Morrow and Devon LaRussa perform this piece, I knew I wanted to study modern movement. I dedicated myself to training five to six days a week as an apprentice to Moving Arts Dance throughout my sophomore year of high school. From Graham floorwork to Alvin Ailey-inspired Afro-Cuban, I couldn't get enough of this new form of movement.

I learned several variations of the company's choreography, including the "White Light"(watch two of my colleagues performing it on YouTube here).

Even though it's been six years since my apprenticeship, whenever I hear those first few notes of "Spiegel im Speigel", my ears perk up and body falls right into the choreography. It's a piece of music that sticks with you.

Just a little moment from today.

sophomore.

The Dancers Among Us by the incredible Jordan Matter 

While most people were at home decorating cookies and the house this past Christmas, I was in the dance studio, choreographing. To me, it's just another home I was thrilled to be back in.

Now several months later, the choreography I set then will premiere this weekend in British Columbia at the Shine Dance Competition.

After a successful run through the competition circuit last spring, I'm very excited to see how my choreography does in its sophomore year.

Over lunch last week, one of my best friends asked me the most difficult (and frequent) question I have gotten over the past year.

"Portia, where do you come up with your dance concepts? How did start doing choreography?"

free.

No matter how much they deny it, every performer has a "moment" before they step in front of the audience. 

It's doesn't have to be classed as a full-fledged freak out, or even anxious twitching movement. Some deny it repetitively. 

"I'm fine, totally fine. Let's do this. I'm fine. Let's go. Yep. Yep. Yep." 

We've all been performing for long enough that it's second nature to just come out and lay it on the stage. I've been doing this since for 15 years - it all started at the recreation centre. Now I'm performing to sold-out crowds in Toronto. 

My moment always happens right before the music starts and waiting for the curtain to open. It just doesn't seem real to me, and more than once, I've thought to myself, what is my life? Whoa. 

The moment the light hits you, anxiety, doubt and pressure disappears. 

On stage, I'm free. 

Thank you to some of my dear friends who came out to see me dance last night. I can't wait to perform and finish choreographing our full-length show in June. 

Happy Sunday and have a great week. 

process.

Whew, what a week it's been so far. Working out at the TV station, dancing, booking clients for social media training...and to cap it off, getting ready to perform this weekend. 

I have been thinking a lot about "the process" this past week. 

With both of my careers, my peers and I spend endless hours  training, researching, interviewing, watching, et cetera until putting together the final product. 

Whether it's an article, television segment or a show, I find the process, though the most  difficult part, can sometimes be my favourite piece of a project. 

True, there are few things better than seeing your name in print or that moment when you step into the lights. However, the process if vital to making that moment happen. 

In a world where it seems like everyone demands to be paid every moment they "work" it was interesting to see what I found off-hours. The process doesn't happen in the nine to five time frame. It happens when you're in an impromptu Can Can dance rehearsal. Or running to the library archive to find a document to quote in once sentence. 

It's through building relationships, keeping your eyes open and most importantly, stepping back. Looking at things from the outside personally help me work more effectively. 

I've said it once, and I'll say it again, so much of this is relates back to what Charlie Skinner says in an episode of one of my favourite shows, The Newsroom. At the end of all the hard work, sometimes we then forget to relish in the result of the process. 

"It's going to be a long night and we need you to work fast and we need you to work well. But once in a while, take three seconds- you can't spare more than that- take three seconds to notice where you are and what you're doing."

Just a thought. 

dancelife.

One of the things Toronto is very blessed with is an endless amount of things see and do any night. There's concerts, cabarets, films, parties, flash mobs - whatever you're into, there's something here.

I had the pleasure of attending a few shows this past week that featured dancers and choreographers I greatly admire. At all the venues, I found myself surrounded by so many people I have met at auditions, in class or workshops that I can call my friends.

Two very cool moments happened last night while in the crowded Virgin Mobile Mod Club at the show Urbanesque.

A choreographer who hired me for a flash mob gig a few months back (i.e. a plethora of dancers were hired for us to "mob" the venue) came and up put her arms around me. I was floored that she remembered exactly who I was.

In line for a drink, another woman tapped my shoulder and said, "You're Portia Favro right? I've seen you perform -  I'm a huge fan!"

I was floored.

In a community that really, I have only been a part for about a year, knows who I am. What started out as a stress release while I was at school has blossomed into something else.

I didn't plan to be a part of any of this, but I have fully been pulled in and accepted here.

This industry, like so many, is small but oh-so supportive. It embraces the uniqueness of each performer, cultivates individuality and supports each other. A huge part of the audience at many shows I've either attended or danced in are made up of those in the community.

This is something I haven't seen anywhere else. Perhaps it's because I came from an area where there were just so many dancers, each of us was just a number. And true, we all are a number or just a brunette when we're in an audition. However, once you land the job, it's about personality. It's your character. Your individual dance and performer persona is accentuated here.

Oh man Toronto, it's good to be here.

vibe.

I have some big news for y'all. 

I've booked my flight and I'm very excited to announce that I am going to be the emcee at this year's The Vibe Dance Competition in Kelowna, B.C.! 

Besides hosting the competition from May 2-5, I will also be choreographing a short routine for the "Audition Dance Off" to be performed for our judges that weekend.

I'm very excited to be a part of The Vibe team and see the performances by dancers from across B.C. and Alberta.

Check out more information about The Vibe Dance Competition here.

Needless to say, I'm breaking out the champagne and having a little celebration - have a beautiful rest of the weekend!

veil.

Assisting Carla Catherwood teach our choreography last night in rehearal. 

I think choreographer Mia Michaels put it best: 

"...being acknowledged [with an Emmy] for being me, and not trying to be anything but me, is powerful...I always had to work so hard to be where I am, and I don't mind it. Because now, people know me for me." 

Obviously I don't have the same kind of mind as Mia Michaels - she's a brilliant creative director and choreographer - but her quote has really resonated with me. 

My parents, friends, students,  artistic peers and so many more have taken me exactly as I am. 

There's no veil concealing what I do. What you see is what you get. 

showgirl.

This showgirl/writer has some tired legs from dancing and working mucho these past few weeks. 

Mixed in with this chilly weather, I'm dreaming to warm, clear days and sandy shores. 

True to form, there's never a dull moment in my maison. Heading off to perform a country line dance this afternoon and celebrating a new dance session with my fellow comrades tonight. 

More to come this weekend on the blogette - I have a few treats stewing! 

shall.

I grew up watching countless classic dance movies  - Step Up, Center Stage, Flashdance, A Chorus Line to name a few.

But above all, the movie Shall We Dance will always stay closest to my heart. 

It's hard to believe that it came out almost 10 years ago, but I can distinctly remember going to the movie theatre on a whim with my parents to see it. 

Having only recently been introduced to Richard Gere's smooth moves in Chicago a few years before, I had a small idea of what I was getting into. However, I didn't expect this little film to have such a major impact on both my parents and myself. 

Tired of his mundane life, Richard Gere's character signs up for ballroom dance classes on a whim after seeing the teacher (Jennifer Lopez) in the studio window. After weeks of trying, failing, getting back up and more training, Gere's character starts to find an immense amount of joy in dance. This leads to Gere entering a ballroom dance competition and succeeding. 

However, one of the best moments in the movie has hardly any dance happening in it at all. 

There is a scene when Gere and his fellow new dance comrades are anxiously waiting in the studio for their class to start. Jennifer Lopez walks into the room - shoulders back, chin lifted and literally gliding. 

I remember being seated between my parents in the movie theatre, and during this moment, my dad reached across me to grab my mother's hand as Gere and Lopez started to dance. 

There is another part in the movie when Lopez's character talks about starting to take dance seriously when she was eight years old. My mother leaned into me and whispered "same as you." 

In so many ways, I think that was the night I decided I needed to have dance, in whatever form it was, in my life. 

This evolved into teaching children, teens and adults of all levels, choreographing and now performing professionally. 

There are tough days. The times when I get cut first in an audition. When I'm in pain from rehearsal. When it just doesn't seem like I can catch a break. 

But that's life. Success doesn't have to be measured by those standing ovations. I'm seeing that it can be in those quiet moments between a teacher and her student. 

So friends, shall we dance? 

aos.

Whew...it's been a busy week to say the least (but full of all good things). Between working two jobs, preparing for dance and my side projects, the first few weeks of 2013 have been jam-packed, but fantastic.

I'm taking the weekend off to relax my brain (and my sore toes from running around in heels all week) until something very exciting starts next week!

I have been dancing with a group of fantastic ladies since September 2011 in the Army of Sass, and have had the opportunity to dance in several large-scale productions, countless gigs and completely fall back in love with performing.

Our last show featured over 50 beautiful dancers performing Beyonce-style choreography to remixed Christmas music, and we sold out our venue. To have over 800 people show up to watch dance still blows my mind, and I can't wait to get back in the studio.

Only this time...I'm going to be choreographing and teaching a group of dancers for our next huge show in June 2013 called "Confessions".

Stay tuned for more to come - I'll be teaching open classes for all levels, choreographing my feet off and dancing with my team of ladies at the same time.

2013, you're off to a magnificent start.

Defintely feeling like some choreography to this is in order. Make sure to come to class this Monday, January 14 at 8:30PM at Citadel in Toronto!