On the Plane Again

My last day in New York was not a pleasant one, getting up at 4 AM to go to the airport. And we didn't even know if we could get on that flight. My dad and I were flying stand-by to get home and there were no more empty seats available so we were praying that someone wouldn't show up. It ended up working but I didn't have any time to sleep with a 2 year old girl sitting next to me! I missed my family and the cool weather here but really missed NY.

I am very grateful that I went and had wonderful people who helped me. I have learned and trained from the best and know what I need to work on. I will miss seeing company dancers in classes and getting their signatures. I will miss the honking of taxis, crowded streets and sirens wailing at night.

Again I would like to thank everyone who helped support me and I appreciate it very much!

A Delicious Treat with Dad

After all the hassle of packing up and sending stuff home, I finally got to relax and enjoy a day with my dad. One of my favorite shows on TV is Cake Boss. I've always craved one of there pastries when watching it but this time I didn't have to because We went there! I was wanting to sleep in more but in order to not wait in a 3 hour line we had to get in gear. Thankfully I had google maps on my phone or else we would be lost. We got there 8:15 and saw the line across the street! So we hopped in line regardless of the wait. It took about 2 hours for the whole process! When it was our turn to order we got cannoli, a lobster tail, wedding cookies and a red velvet cupcake. It was the best dessert I have had! I got to see Buddy's sister...I think it was Grace and people were getting her autograph haha=) It was a lot more calmer than the show...less screaming and yelling! I saw the table where Buddy takes his orders and the little stair that he brings his cakes down! It was just so cool to be there!

After our treat we decided to go to the Brooklyn Bridge. I took some ballet picture there and just enjoyed the view. Our last stop of the day was the Empire State Building! We were very happy when there was almost no line to buy tickets and security. But then it came time to wait for the elevator which seemed forever! Once finished with that elevator there was another elevator line! We were not up for it! About half way through the line we saw people leaving the line to go somewhere else... which turned out to be the stairs! So we followed along... thankfully it was only 6 flights of steps. And so we thought that was the last line! We went out to the observation deck on the 86th floor! It was super high up and I was afraid I would drop my phone while trying to take pictures! I was blown away by the view... it was gorgeous! We saw almost everything.... my dad tried to find our hotel which was almost impossible. Besides the view the breeze felt nice. And we were done and dead for the day!

My last class with Mrs. Ware

My Last Classes

I was so sad to think that this was my last week. I loved my teacher, Mrs. Ware. She is so sweet and respectful of everyone. I felt she focused more on our technique and how we are doing the steps. The two most important things she wanted us to get out of her classes were to "plie more" and "be one with the music." Mrs. Ware would always tell us about Mr. Balanchine and her experiences. Every pointe class she does this fun combination that everyone loves to do and right before we go she would say "If your happy show it, If you aren't show it anyway." I feel those are things I can use through out my career. Then my other main teacher was Mrs. Killian. She is always cheerful and knows a lot about the foot which is very helpful when you have an injury. I felt in her classes that she got a lot more done and gave us combinations that challenged us. I am very glad I had those teachers and learned tons from them.
 I was glad that our pointe classes where an hour and a half long instead of only an hour class like how it is at PNB. It has prepared me for level 6 when I start at PNB and has made me a stronger dancer. My favorite class is probably variations because you get to learn variations from ballets and learn new steps. I wish I could have continued classes but I will have to wait till next year!

More Ballets!

On Wednesday I got to go see a Kirov ballet. It wasn't the best but it was still cool seeing something new. The next day I got to see Mary Poppins! I loved it! I found it more enjoyable to watch and the music was amazing! I would love to see it again. Finally on Saturday we went to Saratoga for A New York City Ballet performance. I loved the ballet. We got to see Apollo, Serenade and The Magic Flute. My favorite was Serenade because it was so classic and beautiful! But the only part I hated about the trip was the long bus ride which took 3 hours each way! Luckily we got to ride in coach buses but still I didn't get to sleep=( That was the highlights of the week but it is so crazy how the time flys when your having fun!

Harry Potter Stars Across the Street!

Monday morning I woke up to see a red carpet that said Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows sprawled across Lincoln Centers fountain!! I instantly knew this was something I could NOT miss! As most of you know I am a huge Harry Potter fan along with some of my friends. I was freaking out all day and could barley concentrate in class. We walked to Times Square before the event to go to get somethings and go to the Disney store:) I kept telling my friends to hurry up and that we needed to be there an hour and a half early. So we rushed back hoping to see what was going on but...no. There was only a few people who were allowed inside of the boundaries so we couldn't see a thing! So our solution was to go up to our dorm and try. It actually worked and we had a great view except for the fact that we didn't know who was who. But with the technology of my camera I was able to snatch a picture of Emma Watson! I didn't see anyone else but I was still satisfied with this.

Later that day, i heard that only about 30 people, that didn't have tickets, got let in. They got signatures of Emma Watson, Tom Felton and Jay Manuel. Also, my friend got a free ticket to the movie that night were she could sit next to Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint! But since of our curfew she couldn.t go! She was so mad she had to give up a $7,000 dollar ticket!

Back to Work!

After the nice 4th, i got back to business. My favorite class on Tuesdays is character. We have an old but awesome Russian teacher. You can barley understand him but his combination's are fabulous! It is one of those things where you have to be there to understand. Going on with the week, on Wednesday was a day that I will always remember. When it happened we were in center, in pointe class. A girl was showing a combination but as you know if you don't turn out from your hips, some things can go very wrong! She basically, while showing in front of everyone, dislocated her knee cap and it didn't pop back in! Everyone felt so bad for her and she was crying and must have been in a lot of pain! we had to end class right then, and then had to go straight to pilaties. She went to the hospital and came back with crutches and a knee brace that basically covered her whole leg. They said she could maybe only take half of a class in September at the most! She is an amazing dancer and went to SAB last summer too! I felt so bad that she might just have to go home after the first week!

Meanwhile, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I was trying to go to Billy Elliot on standby (if people who don't show up in their spot, you get to have a chance in the drawing of names) and just when I thought on the last day i wouldn't make it, I was the 2nd to last to get picked! i was so glad I went because it is one Broadway show you have to see here! Then finally came Saturday were after variations my friends and i went to the Time Warner Building to see if there were any shops we liked (turned out there weren't too many). But we did find Sephora were we just HAD to give ourselves makeovers! And that summed up my 2nd week at SAB! It is still so weird to think I only have 3 weeks left! It is going way too fast!

Holiday With A Curfew?

I was so thankful for the 4th of July because I didn't have to take any classes in pain from working so hard the first week! Even though I had to get up early, the trip to the Bronx Zoo was worth it. We all took a little yellow bus to the zoo, (which I would have died without water!) The nice part about going here in such a big group was that they let us wander off around the zoo with our friends...but the worst part is that we stayed there for 6 hours in the heat! I wish I could post pictures on my blog but unfortunately there is no slot to put my chip in=( After going around and seeing all the animals, we decided to ride the carousal again! Haha...it's nice to be a little kid. After the long day of walking, it was so nice to relax and watch Cake Boss! I really want to go down to there one day while I am here...like when my dad picks me up...*hint, hint*:) Since we have our curfew, we weren't aloud to go out to watch any of the fireworks. But luckily our room faced the show...we turned all our lights off, got cozy and enjoyed the sound (the window was cracked open), the show and the entertainment of my roomies. My favorite firework was a smiley face, which I got a picture of :) I had a lot of fun that day and am looking forward to more like it.

Living the Life of an SAB Summer Student

Wow! There is so much to say, I don't know where to start! On Sunday, the move in day, I got up so excited to see what the dorms, studios and building was like. Unfortunately, to see all that, the taxi driver would have to take us to the right street! We ended up going about 10 minuets past our destination because my mom "said the address wrong"...haha. After standing in the crazy long line to get into the check in...We found out our dorm room number! I was lucky to room with Amanda, whom i met at an audition in Seattle, and be in the same suite as Emily who goes to PNB with me. After I got settled in my small room, all the floors had a quick meeting and then came the ice cream social where we got to meet new people and play some games. Since our curfew started that night, I had to rush back up stairs and waited in my room till they came in to call role...while waiting, I met all the other dancers in my suite. Surprisingly, Bella (also a PNB dancer) was in my suite, then there was Rocio who was from France,Tess from California, Sarah, Destenie, Emily and Amanda. It felt so weird the first day to think that I would be practically living here for the next 5 weeks.At 11, I finally feel asleep wishing I was in my own huge, cozy bed at home.

When I woke up I got ready for my placement class which happened at 10:45.I later found out I was placed in group 2 for my classes. I would have 12 classes a week varying from 1-2  hours for each class. I have technique, pointe, character and variations each week. When I came back from my placement class, I realized that my pointe shoes were missing. I was never sure if they were stolen or simply just feel out of my bag. We reported it to the front desk and they didn't have any clue...I was so disappointed, especially since it was the FIRST day! I went out with my roommates, trying to shake it off. When I returned, they were on my bed.I still can't figure out who put them there. I just hope this doesn't happen again!

The following days consisted of my classes, exploring the neighborhood around SAB and some fun activities. I got to go on the Double Decker Bus Tour, which was cool to see Manhattan all lit up at night, then I got to go to American Ballet Theater's Swan Lake, which was an amazing show.My favorite activity was Zarkana! It was an amazing Cirque du Soleil show at the Radio City Music Hall. I would go see it again anytime! My favorite stores around SAB are Pinkberry (the best frozen yogurt shop around), Bed, Bath and Beyond (which has everything you need) and Himalayan Crafts ( which carries muck lucks, a new trend in the ballet world).

My daily routine would be getting up at 7:30 to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Then go back up to my dorm to get ready for my 11:30 technique class down on the 5th floor where all the studios are. After my 2 hour long technique class, I would go to lunch and change into my white leotard for pointe at 2-3:30. If I had 3 classes that day I would go to that class but normally Some of my friends would check out to go somewhere outside of the Rose building. Later, we would come back to dinner (which I love their pizza!) Sometimes they have in house activities for those who are not out, some of the activities count for our color war points. Color Wars is a big thing here...this is basically how it works: Each dorm floor has a color (ex. I am on the 18th floor and our color is light blue), We compete against the other colors by earning points and at the end of the summer they add them up to which the winning color earns a pizza party.

Finally Sunday came around. I was planning to sleep in, until the thunder woke me up! It was super loud, I thought It was a gunshot or something! Later on, I went to church, just a block away. It is so convenient to have it right there.It was weird not sitting with my family, but everyone was welcoming (even though half were visitors). Later I did my laundry.. which i didn't know how to work because it was different from my one at home. That ended my first week at SAB! Very exciting and crammed with fun and learning.

Learning the New York Way of Life

First off, I would like to thank all the people who helped me out with my ballet. I really appreciate what you have done and am glad I made the choice to come here. When I arrived it looked just like Seattle, gray sky with clouds and rain. But when I got out a little more, it is almost like a whole different world. My first impressions of New York is that it is boisterous, bustling, diverse and colorful. Something new I learned, was that they fine you for honking. I love New York City but I don't think I would like to live here. So far I have gone to the Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center, Wall street, Times Square and the Freed store for a point shoe fitting. I have got to experience the culture of New York... the taxis, subways, buying food off the street carts and getting a haircut in a place that looks like the mafia came through! It was super cool seeing the Statue of Liberty and going on the pedestal of the statue... even though I found out on the subway ride to there, that I forgot the battery to our camera.=) Thank goodness for cell phones!  I can't wait for my check in at SAB tomorrow and see what fun that brings me.              

1 Day Left!

Less than 24 hours till I board the plane for New York! Still so many things to do, yet no time left...It has snuck up on me so fast! My suitcase is about to explode and so is my mom=) I am going to The School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York, or well known as New York City Ballet. It is a five week program which I will be doing mostly ballet but also lots of fun activities and touring. I get to stay in a dorm room with hopefully one of my friends... the dorms, studios and cafeteria are all an elevator ride away. I was looking forward to a sunny, blue day out when I arrive but I heard we are just in time for the thunderstorms but the weird thing for us, is that it will be 84 degrees! I guess I'm just not used to that.