Not much of a post, but if you’ve been waiting to watch Dance Academy (like me), it’s now available on Netflix!
What is your favorite dance tv show?
February 24, 2014
Sochi 2014 Olympics: Meryl Davis and Charlie White
I’ve been glued to my television the past couple of days, partly because I was at my parents and had cable. I’ve been primarily watching one thing: the Olympics.
While I’ve been watching a bit of everything from curling to bobsledding, ice skating has to be my favorite (even though I’m pretty awful on skates). I especially love ice dancing and Meryl Davis and Charlie White:
Gracie Gold was also one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what she does in the upcoming years.
I’ve also loved the ballet at the opening and closing ceremonies–I just wish there had been MORE of it, or that NBC had shown more of it:
Sitting here listening to @kristengillette complain about @NBCOlympics showing more of the chandelier than the ballet. #Sochi2014
— Hoai-Quoc Vinh (@HQ_Vinh) February 24, 2014
Did you watch any of the Olympics? What was your favorite/least favorite part?
February 19, 2014
Think Less. Dance More. From Bush Ballerina
Sometimes I take for granted how easily it is for me to get to ballet class. Even if I often moan and groan about how difficult it is to get there in this snow and awful weather.
Bush Ballerina is amazing for teaching herself ballet over in Australia (I featured her on the blog back in October). She only gets the chance every once in awhile to take a class in Sydney, so she’s selling some pretty awesome gear to help pay for some classes in the city.
Check out her post about it and make sure to visit her store for super cute shirts (and more). They’ve got awesome taglines like “Think Less. Dance More.” and “Believe & Become.”
February 18, 2014
The Perks of Not Getting into the Broad Street Run
When I first saw that people were getting emails on Sunday night saying they had been selected for the Broad Street Run, I began hyper-checking my e-mail (which I frequently do when I’m expecting an important e-mail). I could sense that I hadn’t gotten in. Yesterday morning, although I had no rejection e-mail, I checked the list and knew that HQ and I hadn’t gotten into the lottery.
At first I was upset. It was supposed to be HQ’s Valentine’s Day gift. I’ve always wanted to run the Broad Street Run and I had to give up my bib last year due to injury. After a little while, I realized it was for the best.
Now, I can take my time with my recovery and not stress out that I have to be ready for ten miles in May. I can schedule a half marathon when I feel ready. (Plus, it means more time for ballet).
Have you ever been upset by a setback that turned out to be a blessing in disguise?
February 17, 2014
Guest Post: Ballet Skirt Tutorial
I wanted to share a ballet skirt I made, inspired by all the wonderful printed skirts I see on professional Ballerinas. This was a fairly easy project, I’m by no means an advanced seamstress, but it does involve a sewing machine. The skirt is pretty one size fits all, but you could always add, or subtract depending on your measurements or desired fit. For a bit of background, I’m a US side 6, and my model in the photos is a US 4.
You will need:
1.25 Metres polyester chiffon (you can use silk as well, but you will need to hem it by hand)
3 Metres of 2-3cm ribbon
Thread
Scissors
Sewing Machine
Pins
Candle
1. Draft your pattern. I used an old ballet skirt to draft a rough pattern on some wrapping paper I had lying around. You can easily follow my pattern, just draw out the waist measurement and work from there. I also always draw the right side of the pattern, mark the centre line, and then fold to make the left (think of it like making a construction paper heart) to give completely symmetrical results. You can play around with the shape as well. Lengthening the back (the dotted line) will make it longer in the back, and shortening it to the same length as the front will give an even line all the way around. Also make sure to try on your pattern before cutting, that way you can make any adjustments before cutting the fabric.
2. Lay your pattern on the fabric as shown, by cutting on the diagonal (as shown) you are making it bias cut, which gives it that super great drape. Pin in the corners, bottom and top. Carefully cut around the pattern.
3. Take your ribbon and find the middle point and mark with a pin. Find the middle point of your skirt, mark with a pin. Match the two middle points, and fold the ribbon evenly over the top of the skirt and pin in place. Work in both directions, making sure that the top of the skirt is sealed in the ribbon, and pinned securely.
4. Sew along the bottom edge of the ribbon; I used a zigzag stitch, and backstitched at both edges.
5. At this point your skirt is pretty much done, but you still have that pesky bottom hem to deal with. You can painstakingly hand stitch a rolled hem, but I opted for the easy out and burned it. Because it is synthetic chiffon, it basically just melts, preventing it from fraying. I’ve heard a wood burning tool works great for this, but I don’t have one, so I just lit a candle and carefully held the edge near it, not in it, and waited for it melt before moving on to the next section. I also tested it first on a piece of scrap fabrics, because different fibres respond differently. If the burning technique doesn’t work, you could also buy some of the fray stop products available at any craft store.
So there you go, any easy Saturday afternoon adult ballet project!
Visit Nicola’s blog here.
