Switching Studios is... Bittersweet...

I think I am, yet again, switching studios. I have been at three different ones already, and I really thought that this was gonna be a great one and I wouldn't have to worry about having to switch again. But let's face it, I don't like it there. There is drama and politics and I just need to go somewhere else. So I'm switching to my friend's studio. It's closer, I can take more classes, and they are one the same days that don't interfere with my other activities. I think this is going to work out much better for me. Instead of just taking ballet and pointe, I think I'm finally going to be able to get back into tap and lyrical. THANK GOD!!!

Different Kind Of Dancing

So Saturday night was my school's Winter Formal. Even a dancer girl like me can appreciate the simplicity of swaying back and forth with a guy, being perfectly in sync with one another. And aside from the typical dances, there's all those fantastic line dances. You know, the Casper Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Booty Bounce, etc. :) And those require more skill than you would think! Especially Cotton-Eyed Joe. That has to be the most tiring "dance" I've ever done. And let me tell you, my calfs were on fire by the end!! But it was totally worth it. The whole dance was totally worth it. Great night :)

Killer Choreography

So for our show for the drama club at my school, my character has a 30 second solo in the opening scene. Me being a dance director took it upon myself to choreograph it. Of course, because of the restrictions of my basement, I had to choreograph most of it without doing it full out. Plus, I stayed home sick yesterday, and choreographed it because I could not sit anymore. So today I tried it on the stage full out for the first time, still under the weather and still exhausted. It was the most strenuous, difficult, and physically demanding 30 seconds of dance that I have ever had to do!!! What is my problem, that I always feel the need to cram insane amounts of choreography into such little amounts of music!!!

So, long story short, I collapsed right there on the stage after falling out of the last turn in the sequence. I don't know what I was thinking when I made that up, I really don't. But let me tell you, being sick, plus staying up til 3 in the morning because you can't sleep, and then doing some of the craziest killer choreography ever equals a very physically and mentally drained Emma. O well, I guess it was all worth it. After all, that's the definition of dancing my heart out.

I Miss You, Dance

So it's been a while since I have posted, and that is simply because I haven't had a chance to dance in a while! My classes at my studio have started back up, but I didn't go last week. But I just want to dance! I have been doing a lot of kitchen dancing and such :) Drama club has been my main dance source lately.

Thanks to my kitchen dancing, I have made an incredible discovery. My center of gravity is completely off. And I have no idea how to fix it! I continually fall out of my pirouettes. So if there are any dancers out there that have some tips, it would be much appreciated! My good friend did give me a few tips that helped a lot, such as shifting my weight farther over my front foot when I'm in my fourth for prep, and shifting my rib cage forward. These did help a lot. Any other fool proof advice?

As far as my flexibility, the daily stretching has certainly made a difference already. I was always flexible and have had a reputation for being able to kick myself in the face, but I'm feeling less strain which is always good. I'm especially working on my back flexibility because I am working towards a stronger arabesque and attitude. They aren't bad, but I'd like to get it above 90 degrees. Again, any tips dancers?

Time to Start Anew

So as we all know, the New Year is coming up in a couple days here, and I thought, what better way to get even deeper in touch with my inner dancer than to blog about it? I've tried blogging before but I never really got into it and it was always too broad of topics. This time, I am strictly blogging about my dancing (and theatre) experiences.

But I am getting slightly ahead of myself here. My name is Emma Clark, and I am a dancer. I've been dancing pretty much my whole life. For the earlier part of my life, I was mostly a jazz and tap dancer, but as I've gotten older, I have come to appreciate the art of classical ballet, and that is what I focus on more heavily now. And I absolutely love it!! I have also dabbled in acrobatics, hip hop, and lyrical. My biggest goal in life is, well, actually I have two. One is to be a Radio City Rockette, and the other is to perform on Broadway.

Just recently I peformed in two different productions of the Nutcracker. It was the best three weekends of the year! I'm completely in love with performing. But it really made me realize how important my training is and how much I'm slacking. Which I am going to work on for my New Year's resolutions. They consist of:

-Stretching every day
-Joining a gym and working out at least 3 times a week
-Focusing more on my technique
-Blogging about my dance as much as possible

I think that these are pretty substantial goals that are definitely reachable! And this is the beginning.

:)