Tutus and toe shoes...

After the day I had yesterday it was nice to have a day with less stress. Not 'no stress'. Just less. Spent the morning and part of the afternoon with my kids, before Handsome went to his dad's and Rabbit went across the street to a friend's house for the night.

Me? I spent a while getting lost in a couple of movies and a little while researching music. I watched Serendipity. I love that movie because the female lead, played by Kate Beckinsale, and I share a similar view. I believe that everything happens for a reason. EVERYTHING. I believe that while we have the freedom to choose and make decisions, there are in fact various signs in our lives that guide us on our way.

I believe that Mel and I are friends because of this very reason. We met because both our Mother's died and we were both misfits. (See: http://melaniehenryonline.com/component/content/article/1-main-blog/87-what-she-deserves.html ) She is an empath. She doesn't advertise this, but she is. So my belief in sign doesn't really phase her. lol On our 52 block walk on the streets of NYC were filled with them, each one pointing me in the right direction. She knows what those signs were, and they were right. :)

The music I was researching is for a piece I was hired to choreograph and teach for another H.S. dance team. Having issues picking out the right song, but I'll find it. I don't have to teach until the 27th of August, so there's no need to rush into anything just to get it done. I don't work that way. I'm a perfectionist. But only when it comes to my work. I just want it to be perfect to *me*. I don't do anything half assed.

Choreographing for a dance team is much different than choreographing a 'performance' piece. There are certain rules I have to follow for a dance team piece based on what competition they're participating in. If they're allowed to do any acro, the use and placement of props, how long the piece can be, lines, spacing, sharpness and precision of movement, etc...

A 'performance' piece has no limits. I like to work on both for various reasons. I like to choreograph for dance teams because I like the discipline it instills in dancers. I like to choreograph 'performance' pieces and combos for workshops because I like when I have free creative reign. I feel my best work comes out when I'm allowed the freedom to create.  I'm a bit of a rule breaker about certain things.

One of my favorite things to choreograph and kind of what I'm known for is choreographing a Classical Ballet piece to non traditional Classical Ballet music. A few of my favorite pieces I've done are to the songs Money Makes the World Go Round, Show Me the Money, and Love Lockdown. Each dancer in tutus, toes shoes and all.  I am grounded in Ballet but the Hip Hop dancer in me doesn't always like classical music. So I like to meld the two worlds. In order to do that though, you have to feel the music in a way most people can't even hear. It's fun to listen to a song and pull out the strings while everyone else pays attention to the drums, and the bass. It's even more fun when you can pick out all the instruments at different moments in the song.

Think toe shoes and tutus and then listen to this song with my ears. :)  http://youtu.be/wTMbkYW2Uno


P.s.- Channing Tatum? Wooooosaaaahhhhh. Proof that there are fine men who know how to dance. #justsayin