Cute St. Patty's Day Munchkin

As promised, I made a St. Patty's Day tutu for my niece, and was thrilled to see that it fit and that she was all smiles in it!

Pretty Pointes

Part of the teacher training I'm attending this week in Toronto is teaching pointe work to dancers who have just gotten their first pair of pointe shoes.  The training of pointe work is extremely important as it takes a great amount of strength and can be damaging to a student's technique and body if done incorrectly.  We had a pointe shoe fitter from The DanceShoppe in Toronto visit our studio today and give us a presentation on all the new kinds of pointe shoes and new technologies that make pointe shoes today so much more comfortable and workable than shoes of old.  Here are some pictures I took; I know I'm a dancer and biased towards the beauty of classical dance, but aren't they so pretty?!

I used to fit pointe shoes at Contra Costa Dancewear in Walnut Creek, Ca, so I had a great appreciation for our presenter and all her knowledge.  The untrained eye may not know how much goes into both creating and wearing pointe shoes, but it is quite a process.  The shoes should fit like a glove, too much room lets feet slide in and out of the shoe, and shoes too tight can result in foot deformations.  Since no two people have the same shape or structure of foot, there need to be a variety of shoes with different features that will support and enhance a dancer's pointe work.  Today's dancer's are much more lucky in the variety of shoes, when pointe work first appeared on stage in the 1830's, dancers would mostly just tightly bind their feet with cardboard and bandages or darn their flat shoes!  You can see in some of these pictures below that today's shoes are made from a variety of cardboard, layers of glue, burlap and satin.  I'd never seen a shoe cut in half, so I was fascinated to see the "guts" of the shoe.  Pretty amazing right?

My favorite (looking anyways, I didn't get to try the shoe on to see how it actually fit my foot) was Principal Princess, a brand I'd never heard of before.  Check out the sole (shank) of the shoe and the inner lining.  Cute!  Interested in learning more about the pointe shoe?  Here's a great website:  http://www.the-perfect-pointe.com/PointeHistory.html

Dancing on pointe is every young dancer's dream, and all dancers have to work hard to become strong enough to get that first pair of shoes.  To me, pointe work can embody all that dance can be: ethereal yet strong, lyrical and grounded, light and graceful but also deep and profound.  In other words, just some of the qualities that make me love dance so much.

CYC Dance in Concord Patch!

Just a quick note to let you all know about the article on CYC (Community Youth Center) featured on Concord Patch.  Check it out and see if you can find the picture of my cute dancers in our studio!

http://concord-ca.patch.com/articles/youth-center-focuses-on-discipline-dedication

On another note, I'm in Toronto, Ontario this week for a teacher training and will have lots of fun and inspiring things to share soon, stay tuned!

Sweet Tart

I love a good treat, especially if it's a sweet treat.  My favorite new place to find fun confections is at Sweet Tart in Todos Santos Plaza in Downtown Concord.  Janice and I are now considered regulars to owner Mary Ann, and yesterday we chatted with her in her cute shop while munching on these cute mini cupcakes and savoring some frozen yogurt.

From upper left: Basil Lemon Blueberry, Strawberry, Thai Tea, Red Velvet and Tarot

I'm heading to Canada tomorrow for a Royal Academy of Dance teacher training, and I'm going to be missing my weekly (or bi, or sometimes tri weekly) trips to Sweet Tart!  Oh well, I'm sure it'll make me that much more appreciative of these sweet treats once I get back to the states.

Happy Birthday Tutu You!

My friend and co-worker Kristina's birthday was yesterday, and at her request, I made this purple tutu for her to wear around the office.  She's a beautiful model, and was tickled (I'd say pink, but it was really more purple) by the new addition to her wardrobe.

To see Kristina in all her birthday glory, check out www.janicejavier.com and her site, Pretty Ponderations.  Janice knows how to do a party up in style; my tutu was just one element to a fantastically purple and very sweet celebration.

This Little Light of Mine

One of the perks of being a teacher is all the wonderful goodies that parents and students shower me with around the holidays or after performances; I'm a very lucky teacher!  One bonus on top of that bonus is that they're often dance/ballet themed!  One of my advanced dancers and her family were thoughtful enough to have this adorable nightlight made for me last year after our Nutcracker season.

Not only is it super cute, it's personalized!  I'm a big fan of things that are personalized, and my student definitely knows I'm Katrena Ballerina through and through!

The Ballerina Project

There isn't a dancer I know (big or small) who isn't involved in their own "ballerina project".  The act of coming to class every day, or every week, is part of the discipline (and to me, beauty) of my chosen art.  I believe dancers, and what many people observe and admire about dancers is their very aware and present presence.  From a young age, dancers are taught to bring their entire being to their classes and their performances, to not leave part of you behind.  Dancing requires every essence of an individual's being, and like in many other sports and arts, dancers are demanded that they be respectful and committed; dancers take on these qualities in a special way.  It can be seen in their intense focus during class, and in their grace walking down the street.

Photo: Dane Shitagi

The Ballerina Project showcases some amazingly beautiful photography, and I think their projects capture the universal quiet poise that dancers are admired for radiating.  These photos make me thoughtful and very glad to be a dancer and to have dance's grace in my life.