Interview with Henrik Lamark - Professional Ballet Dancer and Blogger Extraordinaire

Henrik Lamark, author of Tights and Tiaras.com. © Jørgen Mathisen

Henrik Lamark

Age: 25

Born in Ålesund, Norway

Lives in Győr, Hungary and dances with The Győr National Ballet of Hungary

At what age did you begin dancing?

I started dancing already at four, but I had a severe hip displacement, and went through a series of surgery from age 6 to about 8. I started dancing more seriously in my teens. I wrote a post on Tights and Tiaras about how I began to dance, and what the surgery did (and didn't) mean to my career called "The importance of not assuming". 

How did you know you wanted to dance?

I'm not sure how, but I know I told my parents I wanted to become a dancer already at age three. I have no clue where that thought came from, but being a stubborn bastard, I lived up to the idea. It wasn't like it was always written in stone that I should dance either - my background and abilities were far from ideal, and I didn't really decide to become a dancer until my mid teens, but the interest were always there, and I never doubted it.

Being a boy, did you feel pressure to not dance ?

I did in academic school and from other kids, but fortunately, I always had my parents and my teachers that supported me and cheered me on to continue doing what I enjoyed, and not listen to others. Without that support, I don't think I would have continued dancing. Today, that is one of the things that engage me, showing the world it's ok for a boy to dance! Not all young male dancers is lucky to have the support around them I had, and that is a shame. In my post on men in ballet I try to confront some of the prejudices connected to male dancing.

Henrik as Ego from Carmina Burana Hungarian Opera House

Did anyone ever tell you you could NOT be  dancer? If so why?

My doctors kind of did, although not to me directly as much as to my parents. Today, I am very happy that my parents chose to let that decision be mine instead of anyone elses. I was always well informed about the handicap my hip surgery could cause, but it was never presented to me as a problem, and therefore, I didn't treat it as one either. In short, my parents gave me the opportunity to find out for myself if my legs could do this, and it turned out, they could. I have had very little problems with my hips in my career, and many of my colleagues don't even know about the surgery I had as a kid. If they would have listened to the doctors, I would never even have started what would become the obsession of my life. 

Were your parents supportive?

Always! They were, and still are, the pillars my whole career was built on. I know I can always rely on them to support me and help me make good decisions. They are my biggest fans :) I wrote more about that too in the post I linked to earlier. 

When did you realize dance would be a career for you?

When I was accepted to the Hungarian State Dance Academy at 18, I was thrilled by finally doing dance on a professional level. But that it would actually become my career wasn't really clear to me until I was standing in my first company, the Donetsk Ballet of Ukraine, with a contract and a spot in the boys changing rooms. That was a great feeling - I did it! I'm a dancer!

Practicing with partner Anna Krupp from the Hungarian National Ballet 

for pas de deux. © Daniel Bolla

What is your least favorite thing about ballet?

It's so frickin' hard! Ballet technique is just a pain in the behind, to be honest!! Everything needs to be repeated until boredom, polished and exercised until it works - everybody who dances know it takes a lot of hard work!

What is your favorite thing about ballet?

My favorite thing about ballet is that it allows me to "turn off" the rest of the world. Dancing requires such a devotion and concentration, when I dance, there is nothing else. It's a great feeling, a mixture of total calmness and adrenaline. It's like zen, really, peace of mind through hard physical work. Or, at least for me, it is… 

Most difficult skill to master?

I have probably spent more time practicing pirouettes than any other part of the classical ballet repertoire, still I wouldn't say I have mastered it yet. That's whats great about ballet - you never master it, you only improve. There is always room for improvement, to be better, to take it up another notch.

Blogger Extraordinaire

You have your own blog Tights and Tiaras, how did that come about?

Ballet is often considered a very closed and inapproachable world, and I wanted to open it up a little. Many people have little idea of what it means to live like a professional dancer, and I wanted to share my experiences, my passion for dance and my life as a dancer with those who don't necessarily know all the ballets, the steps and the whole "world" that exists around dance. So I started Tights and Tiaras. Today, two years later, it's still developing, but I have gotten a good, solid base of readers that support me and helps me continue to develop the site. I have a lot of plans for the blog in the future, now I just need to find the time and the means to actually put the plans into life..

I saw the t-shirts where can people buy them?

The Tights and Tiaras t-shirts were the first item of some merchandize I wanted to create for the blog. The shirts can be bought from our merchandize page

What are your future goals?

I still want to do a lot of dancing in my life, I want to learn new techniques and dance several different pieces for as long as my body will let me. But I also want to develop as a person, experience a lot, travel, meet lots of different people. I guess my goals are to make as much out of life as possible, both concerning my passion, and outside of it. 

What advice to you have for other young dancers, especially the boys?

Work your butt of! Don't rest a day - you are young, full of energy, and you are laying the foundation of what your whole dancing life will be built upon. Listen to your teachers, your mentors, your parents and your friends, but try to figure out things on yourself as well. No two bodies are the same, but you are lucky - you don't need to know how all of them work, just the one thats yours! Work with it, get to know your body! What happens if I do this, or that? How can my body do that turn, that jump, that pose? And follow your heart! The most important thing of all is that you enjoy what you are doing. Only then will you be truly happy, and only then will that happiness and love for dance show through your movements! 

What is your favorite ballet?

Romeo and Juliet for it's passion. Giselle for it's diversity. Swan Lake for the ideal. Bajadére for the depth. The big ballets are all great tales, with so much more to them than what you can see from a short clip on YouTube. One must simply go to the theatre and breathe in the whole ballet to understand what a great art-form it is. I don't have one favorite ballet, it all depends on my mood, my day, the production and the theatre. 

What is your favorite variation?

Albrecht's second act variation is great, it is a simple variation, but has the depth, allows you to add your personality and some story into a quite short piece. I guess that is my favorite one, although there are so many good variations. All for their own purpose, I guess. 

You recently had some time off due to surgery. What was the surgery for and did you want to insane!?

A part of the meniscus of my right knee broke off in December, and I had to have it removed. It is a relatively frequent injury, and not a very complicated surgery. Still, it's surgery, and recovering takes time. I did want to go crazy from not being able to train, but once the knee got good enough to start working with a physical therapist and such, I got a bit more relaxed mentally as well. I have also learned a lot about my body in the recovery process, for which I'm happy! I'm hoping that when I finally recover completely (the doc says March is realistic…) I'm going to be stronger than I was before the injury, both physically and mentally! 

How long will it take you to get back to your prior level of dancing?

Well, it depends on how the knee handles the stress and workload that comes with full training.. The first period of recovery was slower than we thought, but now, I'm working with full   intensity, and things are getting better fast. But with the training comes stress, and just yesterday my knee swelled up to like three times it's size, not a good sign. But I'm working on it every day, and there are small improvements all the time, so I'm confident it will turn out good.

Did you ever compete?

I did some internal competitions in school, but I never attended any big international competition. 

What do you think about competitions?

I think competitions can be a great way for a dancer to improve their skills and compare themselves to others from other schools and companies. That said, I think it's important to remember ballet is about more than just bravura and tricks, which tends to get more attention at a competition. 

Who has been the most influential person in your life as a dancer?

My first and my last ballet teachers! My master, Mr. György Szakály, taught me the last three years of school, and I learned a lot from him. But also my first teacher was very important to me. Her name was Heather Hebbert, she taught ballet to kids in my home city in northern Norway. She was a great teacher, strict, but kind, and was very supportive. I think I learned the love for dance from her!

What shoes do you wear?

I wear Sansha pro's - I like how they are soft and shapeable to the foot. But I sometimes feel their fit is a bit like the one of a garbage bag. I guess I haven't found 'my shoe' yet, although I've tried quite a few ballet shoes through the years… 

Where do you buy your dance wear for men?

I usually buy a lot of my dance wear in sports shops. I like to use clothes that aren't necessarily made specially for dancers, it's cheaper, and they are often of better quality than dance wear. I also usually buy dance wear from dance shops when I'm traveling or on tour, it's cool to have something that reminds you of places you have been. 

My company provide me with the basic dance wear, like dance belts, shoes and such, which is great, both financially, and time wise - we don't have to spend time finding and buying those things ourselves.

Henrik's Links

Blog: Tights and Tiaras

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TightsandTiaras

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tightsandtiaras

Please add anything else you would like to add:

Thank you for featuring me on the site, and keep doing your stuff, I enjoy it a lot! For all dancers out there, keep dancing, put your heart in it, and show what you do to the world! Tell folks about Tights and Tiaras and dance on! :)

Cheers, 

H

Ballet Babble Interview with Taylor Gordon a Freelance Dancer in NYC

Taylor Gordon
Age: 23
Height: 5'4"
Hometown: Massachusetts
Received training at: Boston Ballet, The Rock School, Ballet Academy East, ABT, Miami City Ballet
Website: www.taylorgordononline.com
Twitter: twitter.com/taylorgordon

Photo Credit Brian Mengini

Where did it all begin? A lot of dancers were hooked at their first Nutcracker viewing, what was it for you? My family owned and ran a local dance studio in my small hometown, so I grew up dancing as soon as I could walk! I took class with "the big girls" by age 3 and loved being onstage. I started getting serious after seeing Boston Ballet's Nutcracker around age 5 and then joined the school the following year.

What age were you put on pointe? I started pointe class when I was 10 but just at barre. I was a young one in my level and started slow.

Did you have a teacher that inspired you or that you credit for most of your training? My current teacher Kat Wildish has been an amazing inspiration, coach, and mentor. I started working with her after I completed my full ballet training, but she gave me the confidence and guidance to work professionally. She constantly challenges me, picking at my technique and artistic choices - but it's amazing to work with someone who knows you so well as both a dancer and a person.

I've seen dancers do crazy things to pointe shoes, even pour water all over them. What type of pointe shoes do you wear and do have a routine for them like ripping out the shank and gluing it back in, or....? I wear Capezios and have my break-in routine down pat: first I rip the inner soles out so I can feel more grounded in the shoe. I cut down the shank a little lower than ¾ of the way down – I’ve always had “bad feet” and that helps me create better lines. After sewing on the ribbons I put the shoe on and wet all around the bunion area so it softens up and molds to my foot.

Do you use toe pads? Have you tried with out? Do you think there is any benefit to not wearing them? I’ve been wearing these wonderful things called “Happy Toes” made by So Danca since my 2nd year of pointe after being required to use just lambswool (ouch). They are pink and only cover the top and tips of the toes instead of continuing under the ball of the foot like most toe pads, and I love how they let me feel the bottom of my shoe. They’re really hard to find in the US but they last a long time.

How do you handle blisters, I noticed you had one in the middle of your crazy Nutcracker schedule? Luckily I hardly ever get blisters, but yes, I did have a bad one during my Nutcracker season. Using Orajel to numb the area around it helps as well as Second Skin or a normal blister band-aid. Mine was so bad on the bottom of my arch that I put 2 round corn pads over it so my shoe would rub against that instead of the open skin. Ow!

Do you consider yourself flexible? Do you have a stretching routine? I’ve always been limber but I’m definitely not one of those gumby dancers, haha. The most important things for me to stretch are my hip flexors and my calves. I run around between dance jobs and desk jobs, so sitting down a lot makes my hips tight. I like to lay down with a yoga block under my pelvis, hug one knee into my chest, and let the other leg fall to the floor to release the front of the hip. I also love using a yoga strap to get deep into my quads and hamstrings (but don’t get to do that nearly as much as I’d like!)

Didn't you used to dance for the Rockettes? Where else have you danced and do you have a dream job? Yep, I danced in the ensemble of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular for two years. It was such a fun show in such a gorgeous, enormous theater! It was also a great experience to break out of the ballet realm and tap into musical theater more. Next up for me is The Metropolitan Opera Ballet this spring, which is definitely one of my dream jobs! That’s one of ballet’s greatest stages and I’m so excited to perform at Lincoln Center! Besides that I’ve danced with a ton of small companies around the city, including Exit 12 Dance Company, Ballet for Young Audiences, Rebecca Kelly Ballet, Albano Ballet, New American Youth Ballet, Untitled|Collective, Push Factor Dance Company, DTW's Studio Series/Oren Barnoy, Felice Lesser Dance Theater, and several independent choreographers. I’ve been in an episode of MTV’s MADE and have done promotional performances for XBOX Kinect, Dancing with the Stars, and others.

How do you manage your crazy schedule, can you tell us what roles you had this season? It’s not easy! But there’s so much I want to do in life and so much I want to dance…I’m always happiest when I have just a little too much to do, haha. Luckily everyone I work with understands my insanity and is flexible with my schedule (thank goodness!). As for roles this fall season: a contemporary part in Jeremy McQueen’s “Concerto Nuovo,” a robot ballerina in Felice Lesser’s “Funding the Arts,” and 11 different parts in 2 productions of “The Nutcracker,” including Clara, 2 versions of doll, snow soloist, snow corps, Arabian, marzipan, Chinese, party parent, mouse, and waltz of the flowers.

Do you have a day job and how flexible are they with your dance schedule? I work part-time at a publicity agency as office assistant. I’ve been here 2 years now and am extremely fortunate to have found a day job that will work around my audition and rehearsal schedule. I’ve never had to wait tables or anything like that, which is great because I have a college degree AND a master’s degree. I seem to have found a good balance between “starving artist” and being able to afford rent in NYC comfortably.

Don't you teach pilates? When did you get certified for that? Do you think it is a good "day" job for dancers? Yes! I received my certification from Pilates Academy International/Pilates on Fifth while I was recovering from having surgery on my Achilles. I had taken Pilates a lot while in ballet school but didn’t fully appreciate its benefits until facing an injury. Pilates has made me so much stronger and I love teaching and helping others find that strength. I teach regularly at Sanctuary Pilates, Gold’s Gym, and Synergy Fitness. You can see my full teaching schedule of 8 classes/week for 2012 here (https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=r5upuiao5i6i48pna0d2ckls04%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York)

What about college? Doesn't seem to have a place in most dancer's lives? I believe college is extremely important for dancers to become well-rounded people. My path was non-traditional: I graduated from high school at age 16, received my BA degree in Communication Arts from Marymount Manhattan college by age 19, and completed my master’s degree in publishing by age 20. I guess I’m a dork and have always loved school, haha. I miss it.

Was/is your family supportive of your dancing? I am so grateful for all the support my family has given me over the years and I honestly would never be where I am now without them. My mom and grandmother ran our hometown dance studio, so it’s definitely a dance family. My whole family would drive me in and out of Boston an hour each way for ballet classes. They come to any performances they can. It’s wonderful.

Who is your favorite ballet dancer? I don’t have just one! There are so many gorgeous artists out there and I feel like watching each of them gives you something to add to your own dancing.

What advice do you have for other girls wanting to dance in NYC? If they don’t get into a big company what are their options? Dancing in NYC is difficult not only because the talent pool is rich and large but because living in NYC is hard enough alone. As young dancers we’re often trained to believe that our only goal is to be a prima ballerina in a major company, when in reality there are so many other options if you really want to dance. You have to be willing to put up with a LOT to do what you love. Audition for everything, take class with different people, meet everyone you can, take every opportunity at the beginning. Even if you start off dancing for free, if you stick it out a freelance career will grow.

Do you do other types of dance besides ballet? Ballet has always been my main focus, but I love jazz and musical theater dance as well. I’ve done some lovely modern work as well, but that’s more challenging for me personally.

Have you had any bad experiences with diva type of dancers or demanding directors/choreographers ? They say you have to have thick skin for this industry, do you agree? You most definitely have to have thick skin in this industry. Unfortunately, because dance is a physical activity, our bodies are our tools. You have to find a way to separate your self-esteem in dance and in life, I think. It’s hard. Directors can be awful sometimes, but once you experience that you learn more about yourself and more about the kind of people you’d rather be working with. The nice ones are out there – you just have to look!

What is your dream role and why? And what is your favorite ballet? Again, there are so many! I would love to dance Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. I think that’s probably my favorite ballet. Such gorgeous music. When ABT does it at the Met I super with them (ie. stand onstage as an extra) and I get to watch those top notch dancers up close in those roles. Right now I’m really intrigued by telling a story through dance, and developing my acting and artistry in a way that builds character onstage. This year I’ve gotten to dance the lead in 2 full-length ballets and that has given me the opportunity to flesh out ideas that I never had the chance to.

Do you listen to classical music at all outside of ballet? If not what do you like? Classical music is always beautiful – especially if it’s NOT the music you hear over and over again in ballet class day in and day out, haha. Besides classical I like just general easy listening or pop – I’m not a great one to ask about current music, but whatever Pandora plays is usually good, haha.

What was it like shooting with Brian Mengini, do you enjoy photo shoots? Brian is awesome! I had seen his photos online for a while and we connected on Twitter and really wanted to work together. I went down for his EmpoweredMe project and it was a great shoot. I NEVER like dance photos of myself – don’t have the pretty feet or hyperextended legs I’ve always wanted – but all of his photos were lovely! I was so impressed and I really hope I get to work with him again.

Photo Credit Brian Mengini

How did you get into writing/blogging? I’ve done creative writing since about age 5 when I’d make up poems about dogs and ice cream. When I got to college I got more serious about it and I interned at Pointe Magazine. They let me write just small blurbs because I was just getting started, but after that I had so much to say about dance that I started my own blog (www.turnedin.blogspot.com) and contributed to The Winger (www.thewinger.com) when it was still so new. From there I slowly built up a portfolio of print clips in publications like Dance Teacher, Movmnt, and M Life Magazine Las Vegas. Things get so busy so I don’t always have as much time to pitch article ideas as I’d like, but I really enjoy the process of writing.

Would you ever dance anywhere besides NYC? Have you always been a city girl? Actually I really badly want to dance in Europe! I love NYC and am most definitely a city girl, but I’m starting to feel like I may have more options elsewhere. I don’t really want to move to another city in the US (what’s better than NYC?! Haha) so I love the idea of going abroad. We’ll see!

Do you have time for a social life? If so what do you like to do? My social life often takes a back seat to work, but when I do have free time I love exploring NYC, sitting in coffee shops, going to yummy Italian dinners, reading (dance autobiographies are a favorite), and going to see other performances. I’m also a big fan of Glee, Friends, and Sex & the City J

Your favorite quote? ‘Follow your dreams.’ But why be a follower when you can be a leader?

Please add anything else you'd like to say that I wouldn't know to ask about ;) I’m beyond grateful to be doing what I love in the city of my dreams! Thanks for a great interview! :)

Nutcracker 2011

I guess I should have been blogging the whole time but there just wasn't time. I was dancing about 25 hours a week and was at the studio 7 days a week, sometimes twice! Of course this year has to be named the best of all because I was cast as Clara. Honestly I was not expecting it because I am new to this studio. I was understudy last year at my old studio then my teacher relocated. So I had little hope of actually getting the part especially since my teacher was not involved in casting and he knows me best . Anyway I got it and it was amazing just like I thought it would be. Here I am with Miss Robin. She was one of the people that selected me for Clara :)

Unfortunately I did not get to dance with a good friend of mine who was cast as prince because I was an inch taller than him. But other than that I cannot complain at all. The dress was really pretty, a little heavy, but so pretty. I guess some Mom's had pitched in on a year prior to get a new dress. Glad they did. Saw the old one. Not pretty! :) Sorry but it wasn't, so I can see why they did that! I loved the nightgown too for Dream Scene, which was my favorite part by the way. I love the fog and the mice and it's so dramatic. I really am so happy I got to play this part and I would totally do it again ! I don't know how my mom would feel about rolling all those ringlets again for dress rehearsal and each show, 5 times this year counting the parade! Luckily they lasted overnight for the student show. She also had to do Kyla's ringlets for gingersnap and candy cane 9 times for every show and dress rehearsal.

Actually at San Diego Ballet they have the backstage volunteers roll hair for "quality" control. I guess not all moms can do it. But I couldn't get over it. I have never been at a studio where they do everyone's hair for curls. Pretty impressive.

As far as rehearsals I was usually there a couple hours on Saturday and all day Sunday mostly. Then of course there is a tech and dress rehearsal for each theater. Except for this Christmas festival we did. Now that was interesting. But I have to say very, very fun. First year they did it and I don't think they advertised too well because it was a smaller crowd but I'd dance in a parking lot for stray cats if I was given the choice to dance or not! So for me it was fun. The airport is right there and the planes were coming in just next to the giant stage . Kind of cool actually. Our dressing room was a tent and it was cold outside! But again... really, really fun.


The funniest things from this year was when this little boy Pearson had to stand in for the sheep that runs out and around a company dancer because the other sheep wasn't ready. So he runs out but not far enough around the dancer and he got kicked and you heard him yell out "hey" it was hilarious. Then one night, again with the sheep, we were rehearsing for the student show and the sheep were gone so 2 teen girls were goofing off and started to come out as the little sheep and Javier yells at the top of his lungs from a seat in the audience "No Messing Around" it was pretty funny :) Javier is the other Artistic director along with Robin. He also plays Drosselmeyer. He does teach one of my classes too. I like his class because he moves quickly. He is the other person that helped select me for Clara. Thank you Javier!

The final show was the best because w got a standing ovation and a lot of the student's parents were there and all my family was there. I got a ton of flowers and got to take photos after the show with some little kids in my costume. I hope they are inspired to stay with ballet like me!

Oh and the absolute best part of all of it was my teacher Mr. Max was Cavalier and I got to curtsey to him and bow with him and Sugar Plum played by Abby Avery. It was the most amazing experience ever! I didn't want it to end. I always feel that way, except the year I got soldier for the 2nd time :), but especially this year. I'd also like to say that Dew Drop played by
Stephanie Maiorano was perfect. You can click on their names or go to this link to see all of the company . The guys are very nice and funny too, especially Matt Carney.


So now we roll from Nutcracker into Summer Intensive Auditions and for some YAGP. I plan to do YAGP next year when I turn 14. I haven't felt totally ready up to this point but I think by this time next year I can do a good job not just an okay job. I'll keep blogging. Sorry it has been slow but we have been super busy and my mom has to help me so there you go. More coming soon! :)


xox,

Robbie

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Maria Kochetkova Artist Spotlight - Principal Dancer San Francisco Ballet

YAGP documentary "First Position" is now touring film festivals - premiering in Toronto

A film by Bess Kargman


A year long journey following six ballet dancers as they prepare for YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) the most prestigious international ballet competition for students. Watch as they sacrifice, struggle and succeed in the highly competitive world of ballet.

Website

Unofficial Trailer

Facebook updates

UPDATE: FIRST POSITION'S world premiere will be on Sunday Sept 11 in Toronto. The theater seats 500 people and when tickets go on sale we will put up a link. There will be a second screening there on Sat Sept 17. Tickets for World Premier in Toronto go on sale 9/3/11. The third week in September the film will be screening in Boston and the 4th week in Vancouver.

ANNOUNCEMENT: First Position will be playing at film festivals in the following cities this fall/winter: Toronto, Boston, New York, Vancouver, San Francisco and Tel Aviv. This is a partial list. Other film festivals in cities around the country (and world) will be determined late August.

Superstars of ABT to perform Firebird in Orange County, CA Spring 2012!

Segerstrom Center will celebrate their 25th Anniversary Season with American Ballet Theatre's world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's new production of The Firebird. March 29 - April 1, 2012 in Segerstrom Hall.

Scheduled to perform in The Firebird:

Natalia Osipova: Born in Moscow and a soloist at Bolshoi Ballet, 2009 Spring Season marked Osipova’s first appearance with American Ballet Theatre where she also currently performs as soloist.

Misty Copeland: Misty Copeland took her first ballet class at the age of 13 in San Pedro, California at the San Pedro Dance Center. In 2007, Misty Copeland became a soloist at ABT.

Isabella Boylston: Started dancing at age 3. Boylston won the 2009 Princess Grace Award and was nominated for the 2010 Prix Benois de la Danse. Recently promoted to ABT soloist this summer 6/2011!

Read more and get tickets - available to the individuals February 2012

VIP Screening of Masha (Maria Kochetkova Documentary)

Wednesday night we were able to attend the screening of "Masha" . It's a documentary by Bronwen Parker-Rhodes following ballerina Maria Kochetkova as she prepares for a performance of a new solo work at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

We felt very privileged to be able to view 30 minutes of footage from the documentary which is still a work in progress. We had attended "Reflections - The Bolshoi Project" at OPAC (Orange County, CA) and were able to enjoy many behind the scenes footage from this show, including Maria using facetime during a fitting. She would describe the alterations using the video phone and then ship the costume back to the designer. Pretty cool =)

It was a small group of adults but the theater at Dolby Labs was pretty much full. Robbie was the only child. Maria had kindly left her a signed magazine at OPAC at the security desk months ago and remembered doing so. She was very sweet and gracious. Down to earth, beautiful and so tiny. As you can see not much bigger than Robbie who is 12! But, she is pure muscle and her divine artistry comes through in the film. She is a true artist and you can feel her passion for dancing and like many ballerinas, I think it is safe to say she is a perfectionist with an incredible work ethic. You have to buy the DVD just to see what she rolls out her muscles with and how she stretches her back! =)

She also let us know that San Francisco Ballet will be returning to Orange County to perform Romeo and Juliet this fall! Not sure yet which show she will be performing Juliet.

San Francisco Ballet
with Pacific Symphony

September 27, 28, 30 & Oct. 1, 2
Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Naturally we are very excited for the release of the completed documentary, seeing how we pretty have every ballet doc ever made! We have uploaded more photos, like Robbie with her Masha autographs, on www.facebook.com/balletbabble .

how was the abt summer intensive? =)

I LOVED it! I hope I get in next year!!! <3

Ask me a question...

Launching our new Barre Page on the blog!

We will embed videos on the BARRE page so you can practice at home and follow along! First up Elissa!

Final Performance and Headed Home!

Wow! Five weeks! I may have mentioned this but I told my mom I'm not ready to live here "YET". I'm so going to live here SOMEDAY! Okay final performance was amazing. So fun! I think we did a good job just me and one other girl were traveling backwards on this one part and we went into the screen kind of . But it was no big deal. What a cool looking school (Frank Sinatra) . The theater was nice and mostly full for the 12pm show. The older students are AMAZING! I mean AMAZING! If you ever hear anyone say ABT is too crowded or just a money maker (yah we heard that)  - they DO NOT have any idea what they are talking about. Totally amazing dancers and program. I will try out again. Yes I will. You should have seen the boys and their feet! Everyone was really, really good.

Congrats to everyone that got into JKO school. Even some people that did not fill out the form to be considered and evaluated were invited to JKO. My friend filled it out, she got in and she is hoping she can make the commute from New Jersey. It's about 45 minutes. I did not fill it out because it clearly states you have to relocate if you aren't in the area, of course. Someday I will fill it out!!!

People were crying. We all signed each others ABT SI t-shirts. The good byes were sad but I got a lot of phone numbers so we can all text each other ;) It would be great if we all came back next year! Praying!

I found out today that when me and my mom go to San Francisco we are getting our hair cuts at a salon there. If you have seen the pictures on facebook you will say hooray! My hair is so long and gross right now! I think I mentioned this already  but it is really bugging me.  I also hope I can get my braces off asap! Over it! I can not wait to sleep in my own bed tomorrow night!

Thanks to my mom for editing all the blogs for me ;) Goodnight!!!!!!! 

xoxo,

Robbie

Wrapping up! Week 5!

Been really busy and tired so it has been hard to post! This week I started out with a sore foot from Friday so I caved in and took time out of class to go to PT (Physical Therapy) . It was a good idea because I learned some things about my positioning in turning out that I need to work on and I got some home work! I'll blog more about that when I get home and probably show a video in case anyone else has the same problem. But on Wed night my Mom asked how is your foot and I had totally forgot about it so you know what that means... it's fine! Phew!

We got our ABT SI T-shirts and some abt hair accessories on Wed. We are all taking the subway to Frank Sinatra School of Art for the Final Performance and we will be matching- that way we won't lose any bun heads hopefully.Our level red doesn't have any variations on pointe but they are still super fun. One reminds me of family scene/ party scene from Nutcracker because we get to do acting and it's like a party kind of with a prince etc. It's really fun! Yes we ordered a video. ;)

Wed night we went to the movies with some other girls from our class and saw Super 8. SCARY and sad. Our carpet is getting ripped out in the hall of our dorm too and it smells terrible. But over all I love the dorms! We got lucky because we really had no idea about anything and if it would be nice or not! I mean you hear horror stories about mice, bed bugs, loud people. It was nice and the food was good. I liked the roof top too and the tv room.

So there is an article in Pointe magazine (HERE) about how hard it is to get into ABT and NYCB and it lists some other choices of companies etc! AHHHHHHHHH! Scarier than Super 8. I know we have to have a plan B but I WANT to dance for ABT. I'll keep trying hard and I am going to audition for this SI again next year. My mom read on a forum that just because you went one year does not mean you will get accepted the next so you always have to be on your toes! Ha!! ;)

Soon I will be home with my cat, bunny, mom, dogs, sister and her new rat Mr. Nibbles. I can not wait to catch up on Vampire Diaries. I need to watch all of season 1 and part of season 2 before the new ones start! Oh and then we are going to San Francisco to see Maria Kochetkova's documentary screening and I'm also going to get a new hair cut there for school. My hair is soooooooo long!

xoxox,

Robbie

Final Week at ABT SI 2011!

Summary: Heat Wave! Tired! Foot hurts below the ankle on outside but it's okay- lots of ice- overworked! Final Performance at the end of the week! See the ad on abt.org- pretty cool!

Kyono's Mom treated us to Chinese food tonight for our hard work the last few weeks ;) We picked up some mad libs and that should keep us busy on the way home Saturday! I grabbed some I heart NY shirts and some last minute gifts today!


It has been sooooo hot! I will miss the city for sure but am very happy to go home and see my family and my pets. My cat will be so happy to see me I know that! Okay more updates through the last week. :)

xox

Robbie

Park Sae-eun (Korea) signs w/ the Paris Opera Ballet!

"This has been my dream since I was a child."

Prix de Lausanne '07

 Congratulations Park Sae-eun (Korea) for signing w/ the Paris Opera Ballet! POB is so exclusive that only 5 percent of its 180 dancers come from outside France! It's actually the law! She is the winner of Prix de Lausanne 2007 and IBC Varna 2010 and danced with ABT II for 2 years (her first place finish in Lausanne earned her that spot) . She is 22 years old and auditioned for the Paris Opera Ballet on July 4th. She finished third among more than 100 applicants. She received an offer to sign with the company the next day. The contract will last until the spring.

Week 4 ABT NYC Summer Intensive 2011 by Robbie

That's me on the left ;) I am going to miss my friends!

This week has been really fun and HOT and HUMID! 96 on Thursday! Classes have been great this week. I've had all my favorite teachers and tons of fun with my friends. We have been leaving for lunch and buying food at a nearby cafe typa place. Have I mentioned that I LOVE the city. I want to go back to see my family but other than that I really don't want to leave.

I found out that all my dances are in the early show next Friday which is good because they will be all on one video. Some people are spread across 2 shows. We do have dances in class on pointe but I don't think we are on pointe for the show at all. Only bummer about being in the day show only is my friend Ann from youtube can't make the day show. BUT she is visiting me tonight. She will pick me up at ABT and walk back with us to the dorm. I think we will grab some dinner on the way. She lives in NY and crosses the Manhattan bridge to go to school so she knows how to get around. 

The dorms are great. The food is good and last night we watched SYTYCD and night before that was Phantom of the Opera. Some girls brought some DVD's so now I know for next time if I come back. We also had a small fridge brought to our room so that helps and we have a/c of course!! You have to have it here!

I am still on my first pair of pointe shoes. I know it depends on your feet etc but I think most everyone is still on first pair so don't go crazy buying pointe shoes if you are in the 12/13 age group. I came with 3 Russian Pointes, 4 pair if you count my grishkos that were already pretty broken in but I'm not using those . Okay well I guess that is all for now! Class starts at 10 today because no yoga!

OH... I wanted to mention that one of the teachers, Kate Lydon is the Editor in Chief for Dance Spirit Magazine and Olga Dvorovenko is Irina's Mom ;) 

xoxo,

Robbie

Masha, a Portrait of Ballerina Maria Kochetkova - I'm so there!

A Documentary project in San Francisco, CA by Bronwen Parker-Rhodes

It's official! We are going to see the Masha Documentary in August! Beyond excited! Maria Kochetkova is one of my favorite dancers. I saw her at Reflections - The Bolshoi Project at OPAC where I had my pointe shoes signed by some famous dancers! Maria was so nice and left a signed magazine at security for me but I did not see her. I am so, so excited to be going to San Fran for even just one day to watch the movie screening and hopefully meet her! It's kind of a big deal because I have never been to San Fran and as you know I am spending 5 weeks in NY for ABT Summer Intensive. This is a huge surprise and I am so excited. I will for sure blog from there and take photos!! Fingers crossed I get my pointe shoes signed!

xoxox,

Robbie

July 13-14 ABT Summer Intensive New York 2011 End of Week 3 post by Naomi

Getting silly... maybe week 3 is the breaking point ;)

 Today's blog is by Naomi - Kyono's Mom

I can't believe that our NY journey has already passed more than a half way through.  Just two more weeks indeed.

Since we've moved into Markles Residence we've met many more dancers of ABT summer intensive and have chance to speak to their moms as well, so we feel as we've got some team-mates.  Since my girls are the youngest of all they have given girls a warm attention.  Just let me explain about this facility to you.  This Markles Residence is built in 1923( I believe this is the year) by Mr. and Mrs. Markles who had compassion toward young artists and business women who couldn't afford to stay in an expensive hotels in NYC, but passionate about their dreams.  As a result they have made a great amount of donation to build this facility and they wanted this facility to be a evangeline residence where people who stay here can experience "Christ like love".   I have to say that we are so blessed to stay here.

About our special tour in NYC.  We went see one of the great Broadway show "Chicago" last weekend and it was sooooooo great and girls loved it very much.  Our seats are awesome orchestra seat and the theater was quite small, so we could almost feel actors body heat and their sweat.

Yesterday, girls and I went TKTS the discount tickets booth to buy the tickets of Billy Elliot show.  The one so famous especially among ballet dancers because of there are so much of dancing scenes and just a lot of fun watching it. Well, we know that the office opens at 11:00, so we got at a box office around 11:10, we saw more than 100 people in line......  We were in line for nearly 1.5 hours to get our tickets hoping that we get a great seats.  We got mezzanine tickets which was not bad, but we couldn't see actors facial expressions : (    People who are serious going to see a great broadway musical they must have been  at the line much much earlier than us, so next time we will know what to do.  Well, living in NYC is like anything else when we learn new thing..... Life is about learning!  Thanks to the Lord that you gave me an ability to learn things ; )  Anyways, Billy Elliot was 5 THUMBS UP!!!! for sure it was just great fun show, and we are shocked  by enormous energy of Billy and other wonderful actors.  It was totally worth for us lining 1.5hrs.  I want to go see it many more times and I definitely recommend to all of age groups.

Talking about learning, since we've lived for 3weeks, one of the things that I learned is about a cross walk.  Although when it's red New Yorkers go cross it as long as cars are not coming to run over you I think it's one of adaptations skills of us human.  When you've got to go you've got to go thing and I now follow them, so I became part New Yorkers, New Diegans (because I'm Sun Diegans by now).  Another thing I found of an good adaptation is a "dog park" here is located underneath of freeway.  It was very nice one by South Sea Port and it was covered by many gigantic dog toys made by cement and water drinking facility for Dogs.  Only thing I wish it was not so attractive was the entire park was barricaded by thick metal bars to the point it's hard to see inside.  I thought that dogs in San Diego are so blessed to be at open sky dog parks with a lot of sunshine.