Pointe Shoe Care

So, at a local dance store they told how to re-harden the boxes of my shoes. And I thought I would share that with you.

 What You Will Need:
- paint brush
- dead pointe shoes
- oven
- acrylic based floor wax
-small container
- baking tray
- aluminum foil

Instructions:

1. Reheat oven to 250 degrees.
2.Pour a very small amout of floor wax into small container (With this a little goes a long way).
3. Take paint brush and paint the floor wax in the entire box of your shoes.
4. Repeat on other shoe.
5. Line baking tray with aluminum foil and place pointe shoes on tray.
6. Now turn OFF oven and put pointe shoes in, keep in there for 2-4 hours.

                     
When you take them out they will be hard and ready to dance in.
 

My Passion

ACMA has become my second home, my home away from home. I got in when I was in sixth grade. At the time my focus was singing, I wanted to be a pop star. Second semester came around, and it was now time to face the dreaded Intro to Dance. Mr. Watanabe came into the tap room and sat down at the stool in the front against the mirror. For the next two or three weeks, I came in with a dark cloud over my head. I didn’t want to dance, I didn’t want to do develope leaps across the floor or plies. I would much rather play kickball and talk to my friends.

However, in the next few weeks everything changed, my point of view as well as  I physically felt happier dancing. Then, in the first few days of April Mr. Watanabe came in, sat in the front like the very first day, and told us that we had the chance to continue to dance at ACMA. From now on he would be watching us to see if we were ready to go into Beginning Dance next year. A whisper filled the room, almost everyone wanted to move forward in dance. He pulled out a piece of paper and told us to write our name down if we were interested. I’ll just say that the paper was full by lunch time. I made sure to dress in my best dance clothes from then on. Hoping that this would help my chances, and knowing that it made me more confident. Finally the pressure and anxiety flooded away, but was quickly replaced by a knot in my stomach twisting and growing bigger.

He, again sat in the front with the list in hand. We all grew silence, all trying to see through the paper but unable to. He went through the list slowly, little did I know at the time that this moment would change my life. “Darcy O’Barr.” My heart stopped, unable to breath for what seemed like hours. I look at my friends who also got in, we all were just smiling. Not saying anything, just relief and happiness. Mr. Watanabe was my mentor, the person that changed my life forever. I tell myself that even if I didn’t have him for Intro to Dance I still would have found a way to dance. I now know that that is not true, Mr. Watanabe set me on the path that I am walking now.

I know that I want to dance, and if that is not what I end up, dance will always be a part of me. Instead of wanting to be a pop star (which was highly unrealistic) I want to dance. I have been dance for almost three years and I still can’t get enough.   

Summertime

Summer is now apon us, it's starting to get warm but is not there yet. The weekly trips to the library, yard work, seeing your friends outside of school. Those are things to remember. Yesterday, we drove to Washington. It was a day trip that we all loved. We went because, we wanted to go to Wienerschnitzel. You see, we hadn't been in three years. And it was yummy. Anyway, Happy 4th of July!!!!!!

School's Out

Finally, high schoolers... School is out and this summer is going to rock. I am going to miss everyone so much, and the teachers leaving. They all have impacted my life so much. I love them all, next year is not going to be the same without them. Have a great summer, see you next year!!!

The Party's Over

Recital is now over. Our tap teacher is retiring, and many many friends are leaving. This was our last recital together and it will so be our last day together. I hate change, it always brings bad things. But on the off chance that it won't, those things are the best. I love my friends, they are like family to me, but if they have to change schools... then they do, and I can't stop them. I love you guys, stay in touch.

Swim

I learned to swim yesterday. Thanks to Ballerina 24. you help me with so much. Now swimming  is hard, it may not be for those of you who have been swimming all your life. But I have been swimming for two days. Today, for some added fun, we recreated jaws. Fun, I know.    

Costumes

I find that every year the costumes that we get for recital aggravate me. They are always ugly, blue or pink, and no matter how high up you get they are unflattering on any and every body type. And that is how it always will be, I guess. Sad, I know.

Recital Prep.

Recital, two weeks of the year where you get closer to your friends than your family. 14 days of long hours, food, and dance. Recital is a show showing all the work you've done in  the past year. It shows how you started the year, and how far you have progressed since than. I love recital and can't wait!

(If only our costumes were that pretty.)

Summer

This summer is going to be the best yet. I not moving, changing schools, or changing friends. I will be volunteering at a special education summer school, and taking dance classes at a studio. Finally, but I am paying for them. Still a great summer ahead. Not to mention that I am going to learn to swim this summer, I must. It's ridiculous that I don't know already, so this summer I will.

Pointe Shoes!!!!

So, today after pointe class my friends (against my wishes) told me to ask our ballet teacher when I will be ready to go on pointe. I am very happy I asked, because he said that I can start in the fall!!! I am so happy, thank you to my friends that forced me to talk to him. Excitement....  

Birthday

Today was my birthday, and i just want to thank everyone for the great presents! I love them, and they are so me. Thanks to my best friends!

Betrayal

I, as you know go to an art school. My lovely friends have decided to go to  a  different high school next year. This post is not to talk of how mad I am at them, but about how much I will miss them. I love them, them are my second family. A family that I can joke with, dance with, and be there for them. I don't know how I will survive high school with out them. I still will have some of my best friends, but it will feel incomplete and imperfect. Because, we are the perfect group. Everyday, not seeing you. I can't do it, I don't want to do it. But I guess this means that the time we have left will have to be even more awesome... if that possible.

The Long Weekend

This weekend was a long one, three days instead of two. On Friday I stayed home, looking out the window once and awhile. It hailed for about fifteen minutes, then it decided to pour rain. It was raining so hard that I was scared that the roof was going to cave it. It then grew very sunny and stayed in the mid 60's until late at night. Oregon, you are two faced.

Movie Musicals

One of my hobbies is watching musicals. I find that not many people my age watch musicals. Everyday I come home from school, (after all my dance classes) do some homework, and watch a musical or two. I have been watching and loving musicals for a good part of my life. This really has helps me in dance, because when I'm not dancing I'm watching dance.  

How Awesome Is This?

Not only have to tap, but have to tap on pointe.

Spring Break

Happy spring break to all. As usual all my friends are going some place fun, like to the beach or skiing. I of course will be doing nothing during break. Do some homework, watch movies. this will be the extent of my break. But to all that have elaborate plans, enjoy.

Gluten Free

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease two years ago. Celiac Disease is when your body thinks of gluten as something harmful and starts to attack it. It of course is not and the body is just attacking itself. Which leaves scares in the stomach and large intestine. Being gluten free and dancing becomes very hard because not many gluten free foods are filling, or appetizing. I find that my friends are very supportive and try to help me. Gluten free food is always healthy, even when it is "junk food". It however keeps my body healthy and ready to dance.

Quotes to Live By

I love dance quotes because I find that they are true.  
                 
There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.  ~Vicki Baum


To dance is to be out of yourself.  Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.  ~Agnes De Mille


Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another.  ~Author Unknown


I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.  ~George Balanchine


Dance first.  Think later.  It's the natural order.  ~Samuel Beckett


Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health - it rusts your spirit and your hips.  ~Terri Guillemets 

Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.  ~Havelock Ellis

In Class

In both my ballet and my pre-pointe class I am nowhere near one of the best. But no matter how bad I am I love to dance. I am not looking for sympathy or complements when I say I am not good, I know I am supposed to have confidence, and believe in myself and my abilities. But that is not what I am thinking when I watch myself dance. Even though I am not good I still love to dance and that's what counts.    

The Performance

My school is putting on their spring production, and I am backstage crew. Being part of a show is fun and exciting as well  as stressing you out a lot. This is my second show being a part of the theater company. And I love it! On both shows I was crew. But I don't want to just be crew, I want to be on the other side of the curtain, and center stage.

Life of a Dancer

Today I was science class and my friends were talking about sports, I said that I don't do sports. Now these people are in my dance class and said" Yes you do, you dance." I know that dance is a sport but I never look at it as such. I then said," Dance is not a sport, it is a life style." I like that, and they all said oh and nodded. Because it is true, you start dancing and whether you quit or not, you have changed. My dance teachers always say that dancer have a discipline that transfers to everything that they do. And that discipline follows you through school and throughout the rest of their lives.

Fred Astaire

If you are a dancer hopefully you know who Fred Astaire is or was. He was one of the most famous dancer in the movies and on vaudeville. He was talented, and in too many movies to count. At my school, in the tap room there is a picture of him on the wall, this picture and every time I see it I feel that I am following his foot steps. But so far only his very first steps. I wish I could of met Fred Astaire or people that knew him. Fred Astaire I salute you.

Pointe

Because I am on pre-pointe the thought of being on pointe occupies my every thought. Pointe is the dream of all girls who take ballet, the goal of all who dance. My friend is on pointe and though I am jealous I know that she is great. I believe that she will be up there someday. I wish that I was on pointe, pointe is something that even non-dancer look at and find beautiful and unnatural. A woman standing on her toes? How bazaar yet beautiful.

What is the song of your soul?

Last semester in my theater class one of the projects we had to do was show the class the real us, the us with all of our masks dropped. We did that by finding a song that we just loved and rocked our world. Then we had to do something to that song. Some people in the class sang the song, one even beat boxed to his song. I, being a dancer choreographed to my song. Which was Be Ok by Ingrid Michealson. I loved this project because I really saw the real me and realness of everyone in that class. You could see the masks drop. So let me ask you, What is the song of your soul?

To Preform

I go to a preforming arts high school. I've been going there for three years. I went to sing and act... well let's just say that I don't sing anymore. But last year dancing became my life and I now dance and act. I work tech on shows in the theater department, And take two after school dance classes. As well as dance classes everyday as part of my normal class schedule. I love my school, we eat lunch during class or in the hallways, we have no lockers, and we take dance, theater, drawing, painting, sculpture, book arts, Shakespeare, script writing, ceramics, computer animation, and film classes. These are only some of the classes that are offered not including our core classes.  My first year here they built a theater complete with seating for 400, a full floor of catwalks, and a black box. I wouldn't trade my three years at my school for anything in the world. When we first walked into the theater the principle said that this theater is our living room and the school our home. We must treat is as such. Welcome home.