A True Victorian Lifestyler!

I came across this link to a British news article on Facebook, and upon reading it, my jaw dropped in sheer happiness. Here's a woman who has done what I have always dreamed of doing...

How to live the Downton dream in a one-bed flat!

Julia Wood has created a plush and luxurious Victorian wonderland for herself. Her small flat in inner-city Leicester is the result of years of careful collecting and furnishing. From breakfast to bedtime, she is decked out in Victorian and Edwardian era-inspried clothing. This isn't just a visual preference, but her manners, morals, and beliefs accompany her tangible tastes. Her speaks of her wardrobe:

"Jeans? Never. To me they represent everything that is wrong with modern society. Everything is too casual these days. There is casual sex, casual talk. Everything is disposable — from microwave meals to morals. It’s all gone to pot really."

This true lady puts me to shame! I deeply agree with her, and her disillusion with the 21st century world  mirrors my own thoughts and feelings. However, she has had the drive and determination that many of us lack - she has gone and DONE IT by God! She has surrounded herself with what truly makes her happy, and created her own Victorian sanctuary.

I wouldn't be surprised if I end up in a similar situation when I grow older. In her interview she said that her fascination with the past began in her late teens, and her first piece of historical clothing was a pair of silk breeches that she would wear to school. I too used to wear knee-breeches and stockings to highschool as well! 

She speaks about how she bought her first velvet chaise when she got her first home, and the transformation began from there. This proves to be an important detail - if you want something so complete as a Victorian bedroom, one should consider resisting the urge to fill one's current bedroom with contemporary cheap crap. Just wait and save. If you know where to look, antique and recreation furniture is not hard to find or procure, and if you are diligent about not spending funds on the cheap stuff, you should have the money for it too. My own family owns quite a few nice pieces, and my Beau can attest to this principle as well - nearly his entire closet contains vintage and antique clothing. His modern wardrobe is miniscule yet hardworking.

This lady as set the bar, and I am willing to aim for it. Perhaps not right now, but certainly in the future. This seems like a relaxing and pampered way to age and live one's life - away from the endless crunch and clatter, whine and grind of this sloppy and angry century.

The Big "Black Swan Controversy" - What you need to know...

 "I only care to speak the truth. The truth is that no one, not Natalie Portman, or even myself can come anywhere close to the level of a professional ballerina in a year and a half. Period" - Sarah Lane

Actual photo of Lane with motion-capture dots. 

While I am late in writing this, some people may not be following the Black Swan scandal as much as I. I hope this article will enlighten you!

Let me sum up the whole 'Sarah Lane vs. Natalie Portman' fiasco:

In the film Black Swan, Natalie Portman plays a ballerina. She is shown dancing in the film, both full-body shots and waist-up shots. Interviews and most behind-the-scenes footage have depicted Portman as having danced nearly all her scenes. Watch almost any interview with Portman, and she talks about how difficult it was losing weight and training for the film. While relatively little was said about the dancing, the public still was (mis)lead to believe that every dance scene in the film was danced by Portman herself.

20/20 Segment  - Excellent little documentary. Really helps you understand why Lane (and ballet) deserves more credit. Includes beautiful footage of Lane dancing, and interview with her, and interview with Wendy Perron, the DANCE Magazine blogger who helped bring this controversy to light.

Then Natalie on an Oscar for Best Actress. This is when the sparks began to fly. Many balletomanes and dancers already knew of Sarah Lane - the ABT dancer who acted as Portman's dance double - and were a little irked when Portman didn't acknowledge her work in the Oscar acceptance speech, even though she mentioned camera men and such. Dancers knew that Portman could not have possibly danced all the scenes in the film with only 18 months of dance training, and that the real ballet artistry that enthralled viewers was the work of Sarah Lane.

In the weeks that followed, more information came to light that Fox may have been deliberately keeping the small amount of dance work that Portman actually did under the rug. Sarah Lane came forward with the statement that Portman only did about 5% of the dancing, not the 75% previously claimed by Darren Aronofsky, the director. Lane also said that she was told not to take any interviews before the Oscars. There has been a heated back and forth debate over this.

Wall Street Journal Article, plus interview with Sarah Lane

 Recently, a special effects reel was released online, intending to be for the special features of the DVD. In the original, they showed clips of Sarah Lane dancing across the floor, and then having her face "replaced" with Portman's via computer. Facial replacement is not a new thing, and has even been used in Lord of the Rings. The actress wears tiny dots on her face during filming so the special-effects crew can replace her face later with another. However, in a re-released reel of the special effects used in the film, all the facial replacement scenes were cut.

I've heard from quite a few of my peers and other people that Sarah Lane is just being a whiny bitch because she didn't get her dues, and she is supposed to be hidden because that's her job. I won't lie, but this view makes me fume with rage. Sarah Lane deserves to be recognized - the art of ballet deserves to be recognized. To be a dance double is very different than being a stunt double, since ballet demands not only sheer physical effort (far more than most realize), but artistry, grace, and poise.

There is simply no way in hell that anyone can dance ballet (in pointe shoes no less) like in the film with only 18 months of training, even if that training was intensive. Ballet takes years and years of daily work. While dancers know this, most of the public does not.

I highly encourage people to educate themselves on this subject to see what a travesty this is towards Sarah Lane and the ballet world in general.

Wall Street Journal article by Sarah Lane  - If you read a single article, let it be this one. Written by Sarah herself, it beautifully illustrates the work needed to be a real ballerina.

"My only wish is that Natalie, Darren and certain others who worked closely on the movie, could have grasped the beauty and the heart of true ballet. If they had, they would have advocated for this art more and given the real dancers the credit that they deserve."  - Sarah Lane

Sarah Lane as Princess Florine in "The Sleeping Beauty", ABT

"Horseland" SIM Review

Every so often I have a bizarre urge to play horse SIM games. I used to really like them as a child, and I used to play them in the early days when they were almost never automated, and all transactions had to be done by hand through PMs. I remember fondly “Concordia”, an older SIM that I used to waste oh-so many delightful hours on. And who can forget SIMs made with “Ex-Pages”?

“Horseland” was the first major automated SIM, I believe, and it honestly hasn’t changed much since it’s creation. I went back there last week after a *lengthy* absence and was quite disappointed that it still has the same boring, static, confusing home page. However, they have added a semi-decent flash element to their games. Instead of generic clip-art horse pictures, or a picture you steal from another site, you now have a badly drawn flash horse. While they may have hundreds of different breeds to choose from, the horse remains the same, save for color changes, which are not that well designed anyway. You also play games to earn coins to by things for your avatar and horse, but the games are basic (yet some have the merit of being addictive), and the choices for tack and clothing are severely limited. You would think that with all the people paying money to play as a Premium member, they would revamp their site...

Horseland does have the nice ability to enter shows which are actual flash-based jumping games instead of random number generators or numbers being pumped out based on your horse’s stats. The downside - only Premium (paid) members can create, design, and run them, and as a result, the courses are nothing like actual jump and hunt courses, but instead rows of jumps, since most of the 13 year old girls who play the game have no idea how to design a true course.

The website also has a flash based “World” to go riding in and chat with friends. It’s terribly basic, with poor horse animation and no where to really go. Eh. I stopped playing the game soon after I viewed all the features.

In summary, sort of cute, but terrible graphics. Has great potential, but they need to get some good artists on their creative team. I suppose young children may like it.

Rubens' Horse Study WIP

 

A few weeks ago I managed to draw something! I have been in a massive, horrendous art slump lately, and the only way I could manage to draw anything was to sit in front of the TV and do a master study. This is the horse from Ruben's The Duke of Lerma, 1603.  It's a truly gorgeous and sweet animal with beautiful Bambi-eyes and a stunning mane. 

First sketched in pencil, then Sakura Micron pens.

"Riding Club Championships" Review

THIS GAME IS NOW ON FACEBOOK. 
I regret to report that "Riding Club Championships" has shut down their game as of April 8, 2011. ArtPlant, the studio that created the game, announced that they were not making enough money to continue hosting the game. It's not surprising, and in my opinion ArtPlant made some very serious errors in marketing and promoting the game. For one, they originally released it as a fully paid game - in which you had to pay real cash in order to play longer than the two-hour trial. This shut the game off to what would have been their largest audience - young girls - in addition to almost everyone else. Bad move. Second, they made the decision to open the game up for free (good move), yet not create any options to make money, such as introducing items that could be bought for real money or subscriptions (bad move, again). Honestly, I'm surprised that ArtPlant made so many fatally BAD decisions. 

There is one ray of good news. ArtPlant has decided to re-release the game on Facebook. You can find it here:
Riding Club Championships on Facebook

~~~~~~~

I'm always up for a good horse SIM. I am not a heavy player of games at all - maybe an hour here and there every few weeks. I also don't play many games. For me to pick up a game, it has to be slick and graphically gorgeous. Otherwise, I have no interest.

I came across "Riding Club Championships" about one or two years ago. It looked really fun, with accurate graphics and game play in a completely 3D world with nice looking locations. There was only one catch - the game required the user to pay real money to play. I left it and thought nothing more. 

Imagine my surprise, during a desperate late-night search for some equine entertainment, to discover that Riding Club Championships had been made completely free in October of 2010! HUZZAH! Without much hesitation I created an account and downloaded the game. 

Riding Club Championships Review

http://www.ridingclub.com/ 

    You download the program onto your computer. It is not a browser-based game like Howrse or even Horse Isle. After you download the program, it opens up full-screen and guides you through creating your rider avatar and your horse. 

    For you avatar, you choose between a plain white female with a few bland hair colors (no hair styles besides the default loose bun) or an African-American. You can also choose a frighteningly buff and intimidating male rider. The skin tones are not that great, with the Caucasian tones looking almost pink. The animation and design of the riders is not as good as those of the equines. Hands are large and clownish, and there is no real diversity in faces. Blah.
    Designing your horse is much more fun. There are quite a few coat colors, and you can mix and match your coat and mane/tail colors. You can also overlay a pattern, such as different paint patterns, spots, blazes, and dapples. However, all horses come in the same default base - a light breed with an Arab-ish face. No breeds. You can name your horse anything you like, but you cannot chose the sex, breed, or age of your horse.

    Once you finish your horse, you are taken to a field with some jumps. Riding your newly created horse, you get a quick tutorial of how to control your steed how how to steer. I quite like the controls and the options available. Not only can you can you change gaits (walk, trot, canter, halt), but you can also control the speed of the gait by holding the up or down arrows. You change gaits with the number keys.
    Jumping is a challenge, since you must estimate when to hit the spacebar to jump without an aid. In other games, you have a meter or signal that tells you when to jump, making the game a little easier. The riding system in RCC is well designed, yet challenging enough for even adult game-players.
    After the tutorial, you can choose to “Accept Horse” or back to further customize you equine.
BEWARE - once you have accepted your horse and rider, there is no going back, and that is the horse you are stuck with for the game.

Horse and Rider with tack and clothing purchased from the shop.

     From the main screen, you can choose a variety of options. After sampling most of them, you can get the feel for the game - it is centered on riding and competing, and has less focus on the “pet” and simulation/customization aspects.

    The grooming simulation, the only thing you can do with your horse besides ride him, is one of the best I have ever seen of any online, paid game, or otherwise. You groom with specific grooming tools that serve different functions, and you have to groom the entire animal by swerving 360 degrees around him. That even includes the top of his back, his legs, his rear, and even his stomach. The dirt really comes off and his mane even straightens and gets fluffy when you use the mane comb. It’s fun and easy to groom, and the mouse and camera controls are perfect  and easy on the eyes.
    I really enjoy the fact that your horse gets progressively dirtier the more you ride. The dirtier he is, the more “grumpy” he is, which affects his performance.

    After grooming, you will have to complete a series of practice tests in order to advance to Tier 2 (which allows you to compete), as well as get a better hang of riding and jumping.
    The lessons are instructed and led by a blonde woman with a pleasant English accent. The animation on the lady isn’t that advanced, but as soon as you start riding through the “Paces” test, you’ll be amazed at how nice the riding animation is. Again, RCC takes the cake for some of the best horse animation I have seen in a game.
    You will have three separate lessons to learn and improve your Paces, Maneuvering, and Jumping technique. You will need to complete all of them with only one mistake or less - otherwise you will not receive your “pass” and will have to take it again. However, I felt no anger in having to repeat the lessons - the riding experience is so much fun!
    Some people complain that the instructor is annoying, but I find her quite enjoyable. The dialog is very good, and doesn’t feel forced, fake, or uneducated at all. A few terms could be a little more accurate, but overall she is a great NPC. She’s even wearing a safety vest!
    I have played a few games in which the learning curve for riding controls was so difficult that I stopped playing. While RCC is challenging, it is not so difficult as to discourage users. The camera is smooth and rather thrilling at times, following your horse and rider perfectly. The jumping is spot on, accurate, and fun.

    After passing all the lessons, you will have moved on to Tier 2. Time to start competing! You can first begin by trying out the unlocked courses on your own. Courses are set in all sorts of fun locations, from snowy Norway to sandy Australian beaches to English manor estates. You can choose from maneuvering courses, show jumping, and dressage (which is rather tricky!). You will not have access to cross-country courses until Tier 3.

Show Jumping. The white bulls-eye only indicates whether your horse is capable of clearing the jump.

    Again, while the courses are challenging, I found myself improving with each round. The fact that you can speed up (extend) and slow down (collect) your horse in each gait is immensely helpful and helps add another sense of satisfying realism to the game.
    When you are ready, you can compete against other online users or custom groups of your friends.

I don't think that putting an arena next to a massive Ferris wheel is the best idea...

    Sound effects are pretty good, but there could be more of them. 
    Music is standard and rather dull (has nothing on HorseIsle’s great soundtrack!). Sounds a lot like the canned soft rock used in “The Saddle Club” television show. I generally turn the music off, keep the sounds on, and blast some dramatic classical music.

    This game does not offer a lot of features for those who would like more a “digital pet” or action/adventure experience. You can only groom your horse and ride him. Your avatar cannot walk around the stable or do any ground-work.
    There is little in the way of wardrobe either. The options for riding clothing and horse tack is severely limited. There is only one style of bridle, saddle, wraps, and saddle pads in a few colors and patterns. You will need coinage to purchase the items, which are obtained from winning shows against other players or betting in “King of the Hill” matches.

    I wish that if the game developers could work on one thing, it would be adding more customization features. It would be nice to have a bigger and more diverse amount of clothing and tack, as well as being able to better customize your avatar’s face, skin tone, and hair.

    The nice aspect about this game is that developers are still adding features after the game’s release. I think this game could really go far and attract a lot of members if it was better advertised (and more members blogged and promoted it). It has a LOT of potential, and I hope to see it grow to include more adventuring aspects that didn’t center around competition. It would be fun to have virtual worlds to explore, quests to do, things to collect, and people to talk to.
    Originally, this game cost money to play (they offered a free, two-hour trial). Recently, they released it free to all members. While I applaud this move (smart!), I wonder if the game was “abandoned” by developers and will not be updated any longer. I hope that is not so, since this game really is a diamond among horse sims.

Outfit: Casual Steampunk

Here is a casual Steampunk-inspired outfit that I wore about a week ago. It's made up of pieces that can be easily attained (save for the Laura Ashley blouse), and are not necessarily expensive. It's toned down, but different and unique enough to describe the wearer as a steamer. Perfect for little outings in towns and cities that are not necessarily accepting of OTT alternative fashion.

Whenever I head out for dinner, cafes, shopping, and the like, I always try to dress up. I usually do not wear fashion to school, since my college is not exactly accepting of alternative fashion (or fashion in general), and I prefer to blend in and focus on my studies, not the multitude of stares I usually get. I do dress up for class occasionally, and it depends on my mood and confidence that day.

Anyway, here you are:

Blouse: Laura Ashely (eBay)

Vest: Xhilaration (Target)

Belt: Ariat

Pants: Jones New York (Ross)

Jodhpur Garters: Local Tack shop, no brand.

Boots: The Walking Co. 

Watch: Mossimo (Target)

"Swan" One of the Best Mangas you've never heard of...

Swan, by Kyoko Ariyoshi. Published by CMX Manga. 15 volumes.

I have never been a huge consumer of manga. In truth, there have not been very many titles that truly intrigued me. However, there is one series that has taken my heart (and my bookshelf).
I first heard about Swan from the Princess Tutu community. I didn't know very much about it, save that it was an older shojo manga about ballet. I finally found the first issue for sale at Wondercon, and I was hooked.

This manga is beautiful. Each page is an artistic delight as characters dance across each page, their emotions and feelings beautifully penned in a 70s style that is very appealing. The main character, Masumi Hijiri, is a very aspiring character. She struggles to succeed in a prestigious ballet school, even though she is from the country and does not have the best technique. However, she has a deep passion for dance that will be familiar to anyone who has ever felt the desire to make their dreams a reality. She has has believable flaws - no Mary Sues here!

I was surprised by how well researched this manga is. It is thick with ballet technique, famous dancers, and classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Little Humpbacked Horse, and La Sylphide. However, even a non-dancer should enjoy it, since it does provide helpful notations on more obscure subjects.

~Where to Buy Swan~ 
Swan can be difficult to find. I have picked up most of my volumes at conventions and at Kinokuniya book stores. If you local bookstore doesn't carry it, you can always try requesting it. It is currently out of print.  

Here is a collection of quotes about the series from different reviews. They capture the feeling of the series perfectly!:

I fell in love with Swan not because it’s about ballet, but because it’s so hardcore about it. The dancers sweat as hard and compete as ruthlessly as any athlete in a sports manga....Swan is the tasty manga equivalent of gritty American films from the 1970s. It is the Taxi Driver or the Apocalypse Now of ballet manga...The art of Swan is freaking amazing. During ballet sequences Ariyoshi illustrates time in gorgeous cinematic sequences, following the dancers’ movements in trails across the page. Drawn in the experimental 1970s, Ariyoshi experiments with panel layout. Masumi’s worries and fears break out of square borders into explosive layouts. Even through the psychedelic sequences, everything stays legible. Reading across a page of Swan is much less confusing than picking your way through the randomly scattered dialog bubbles of modern shojo. ~ Erin Finnegan

Incidentally: The real tragedy here is the fact that CMX still had six volumes to go in serializing Kyoko Ariyoshi’s ballet drama, Swan, quite conceivably the most formally daring children’s comic ever drawn. Working hot on the heels of the revolution in shojo manga in the early 1970s, Ariyoshi’s daring page compositions skillfully blended imagery and structure to evoke mood, motion and emotion like few other cartoonists before or since — I can almost picture sweat flying from her brow as her pen leapt across the board, setting new benchmarks for innovation that cartoonists would spend the next three decades trying (and failing) to match. These days, we in the West lionize Bernard Krigstein and Jim Steranko’s all-too-brief bodies of work for things that artists like Ariyoshi did as a matter of course for thousands of pages at a stretch. Every practicing cartoonist should own at least two volumes of Swan. - From http://www.tcj.com, commenting on the demise of CMX.

Swan is a series so packed with drama, beauty, pain, and art that you'll wonder why today's shoujo stories feel so bare. Full of the blood, sweat, and tears of both success and failure, it's a sports manga dressed in a tutu and draped in glittering, syrupy romance. The theatrics are big, but so is life. Swan is more than just ballet; it's a rich narrative that defines classic shoujo. An unfinished run is a devastating hit to my bookshelves. - Julie Rosato from http://www.mania.com

Some additional sample pages - I love how dynamic this manga is!

This is why I love thrift stores....

My mother and I donate a lot of things to Goodwill. Not only do we get a tax deduction (which can be quite beneficial during tax time if you end up donating a lot of stuff), but we get clutter out of the house. Whether Goodwill actually helps out people in need can be debatable, but I know that our local Goodwill has prices low enough to service the people who really need it.

I don't purchase many items from thrift stores, but I enjoy browsing. The trick with thrift is to browse often, and buy little. It may take a while to find something really good, but if you have a good eye, you can find some real treasures. I try not to go overboard at thrift stores - I want to save money, so I only tend to purchase really special or unique items.

I was very, very lucky last week. I was browsing the dress racks, and I flash of black velvet caught my eye. I pulled out a gorgeous Scott McClintock short party dress from the 80s. I immediately fell in love and bought it on the spot. It has a beautiful shape and fits me like a glove. The off the shoulder lace collar has thick, gorgeous lace. I was greatly attracted the to the design, since it echos the Victorian dance dresses that I'm so fond of. It has silk covered elastic straps that help keep the dress in place and a delicate tulle petticoat with decorative lace edging.

I will most likely be wearing it to the social dance parties that my dance partner and I have been planning on going to, like Swing Goth and Friday Night Waltz.

Size: 4
Total Cost: $7 (Not a typo!)

Having Compassion for Compassionate Eaters

    Quite simply, there are a number of animals that I would never consume. While I am not yet a vegetarian, I’m conscious about my meat intake and I am working to limit the amount of animals I eat (I can’t remember when I’ve last had a steak). I have had a great deal of love, compassion, and empathy for animals since I was very young.
    I refuse to consume duck, goose, deer, and lamb/sheep. I just love these animals too much (and have known many of them personally), especially ducks. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE ducks. In having such a love for fowl as I do, I have encountered a good deal of rudeness concerning my interests. Some of the comments that I have received have been downright cruel. I don’t deserve this kind of treatment, and neither does anyone else.
    No matter who you are, what you eat, or what your beliefs on animal welfare are, you need to be compassionate and polite to people who have different beliefs than you do.

    More often than I would like, the first time I tell someone that I don’t consume ducks, I almost always get some comment about ducks being eaten/hunted/killed. This is rude. When someone tells you that they don’t eat an animal, you do not return the conversation by talking about how delicious that animal is. Firstly, it’s cruel, insensitive, and rude. Secondly, it shows your poor conversation skills. If you someone tells you that they don’t eat an animal, and the first thing you say is “Oh, I LOVE eating [insert animal]!! They are SOOOOO yummy!“, then you have a lot to learn about how to carry on a polite conversation, and quite frankly, you are rude and insensitive.
    Do not talk about how someone you know is a duck hunter, how you ate duck last night, how your dog is trained to retrieve the dead carcasses of ducks, how you LOVE to eat ducks, how stupid it is not to eat ducks, how yummy ducks are, what balut is, or anything related to the destruction of ducks.
    Instead, you need to find something nice to say to carry on the conversation.

    “Oh, that’s really sweet. I’ve never met anyone like that.”
    “Do you have a pet duck?”
    “I used to feed ducks at the local pond when I was a kid. They had really wet bills…”
                                    “What is your favorite kind of duck?”

    Remember Thumper’s famous words: “If you can’t say nothing’ nice…don’t say nothing’ at all”. The same holds true when you encounter a compassionate eater. If you feel something insensitive and mean welling up in you, do these two things: First, realize that you have compassion issues to work on. However, be proud with yourself that you were able to catch your impulse and hold your tongue. Second: smile, give an interested “huh!”, nod, and change the subject. “What kind of foods can you eat?” is a good way to steer the conversation in another direction.

    If you encounter some one who has dietary practices that you are not sure about (such as a vegan or someone who follows Kosher practices), you need to curb the desire to approach something you don’t understand with aggression, fear, or hostility. Instead, politely ask some questions. What does keeping Kosher entail? If you don’t eat animal products, what are some of your favorite foods to eat? Are your parents the same way? How long have you been eating like that, or have you been doing it all your life? Make sure you ask these with a smile, not a smirk. Don’t be haughty or confrontational. If you are afraid that your question might be rude, either don’t ask it, or start off with a disclaimer - “Oh, I hope this isn’t rude, because I’ve never known anyone like you, but I’m really curious…”
    I would advise against drilling into someone about religious beliefs, if they have any. “Why do you believe this? Are your parents forcing you?” are questions better left unsaid. It can cause tension!

    When eating out with friends, keep their dietary choices in mind. Make sure to choose restaurants that have something for everyone, and don’t stupidly point out, “Oh they serve DUCK here! Look!”. Strangely, some people almost impulsively begin to point out every dead duck in the vicinity after they learn about me. They don’t seem to mean to be cruel, but it’s almost like an impulsive reaction that some people tend to have. Someone once even ordered roast duck during my birthday dinner - when they knew very, very well of my sensitivities. Always try to check yourself - are you feeling urges to hurt someone based on their interests?
    Should you refrain from eating a treasured animal in front of your friend or loved one? In my personal opinion, if you genuinely care about them, yes. You can eat baby puppies on your own time, but when you’re with your best buddy, spare them the discomfort, and spare yourself the chance of an argument or a tense day.

At the end of the day, remember that your Compassionate Eater-friend is probably refraining from eating certain (or all) animals because she has a love for life….And what could be wrong with that?

Ballet Polyvore

Enjoy!

A Beautiful Ballet Dream by LordMoufMouf featuring ballerina shoes

Hidden Joys of Cable TV

Just letting people know that I am now using the DISQUS commenting platform. Some comments, for whatever reasons, don't come through - or are displayed on my Blogger comment box, but not on the blog. Huh? Anyway, if I do not reply to a comment of yours, please do not be angry - I probably am unable to reply for technical reasons. :(

I'm still ill with a cold. Since the heat ducts under our house are broken due to flooding, we have not had heat for about a month. The landlord (we rent) is working on it, but it is taking a long time. To stay warm, I am forced to remain in the living room in front of a space heater. Because the electrical system is fickle, we can't plug in too many heaters, so most of the house is cold.

In the mornings, I have recently discovered a delightful little channel with perfect morning programming - TTV or Tokyo TV. It's channel 174 for me, and I have fallen in love! In the mornings, they have different programs from NHK World that feature life and culture in Japan. They are in English, and they explore everything from gardens, language, umbrella makers, young Sherpas, hotels and hospitality, the different seasons, and fashion. The programs are not slick - they have canned music and feel "older", but they focus on beautiful locations. The pace is slow and relaxed as they explore different locales in Japan or follow the day of a particular resident. They have been very insightful, and deepen my love for Japan even more. I loved the episode about the traditional umbrella maker, and this morning they had a 15 minute show that explained the differences in Japanese hotels from American ones.

The best programming tends to be in the mornings, and they have news and business stuff for the rest of the day. What I love is the variety of shows (some are quite short) and the non-violent, relaxed, sweet content. It is the perfect way to wake up and enjoy my morning coffee.

To see if you also get TTV which features NHK World in the mornings, check this website.

Princess Tutu Polyvore

Every so often, I enjoy creating a set or two on Polyvore.com. Sometimes I prefer not to get sucked in to internet stuff like this, since I much rather focus on my artwork. However, after long hours of studying and class, it can be a relaxing activity.
Anyway, here is a Princess Tutu inspired set!

A Princess Named Tutu by LordMoufMouf featuring ballet flats shoes

Gingerbread and Lemon Curd

It's holiday season, so of course it's gingerbread season!

   I'm stuck inside with a cold. We have not had heat in the house for about a month, so I'm huddled in front of the TV watching a "Toddlers and Tiaras" marathon and having a gingerbread snack. I'm also enjoying Celestial Seasonings' Sugar Plum Spice tea. Yum!

   Not all gingerbread is created equal, and sometimes it can be difficult to bake the perfect loaf. However, some store-bought gingerbread can satisfy the holiday cravings.
   We started off the season with a loaf from Trader Joe's. At first it looks very appetizing, and you get a decent amount for the price. However, it is chronically dry (like many of TJ's baked goods), and the only redeeming factor is the yummy powdered sugar top. It doesn't have a whole lot of ginger bite, but that may appeal to some people who are not fans of ginger.
   However, the gingerbread cake from Whole Foods was worlds better, and it only cost a dollar more. It was soft, moist, and packed a good load of ginger. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wished to purchase a gingerbread cake this year. I'm not a huge fan of gingerbread cookies or houses (to eat I mean!), since they tend to be tasteless and dry. I have always wanted to decorate a gingerbread house, but I have never had the chance! :(

We can't forget the best condiment for gingerbread! By far, my favorite thing to slather over the holiday cake (or crumpets, or scones) is lemon curd. If you have never had it, you have no idea what you're missing! Some people mistake it for lemon honey, since it has a smooth, viscous consistency and a pale yellow color. The best lemon curd is going to taste like a sweet lemon instead of sugar. Unfortunately, most lemon curds that I have tried all have too much sugar. The best brand has been from Trader Joe's. It's buttery and has just the right amount of lemon. It comes in a cute square glass jar and is even imported from England. It's also perfect for baking and filling pastries. Of course, it tastes fantastic on gingerbread, and can help liven up dry loafs.

Starting Ballet as an Adult or Older Teen

    With the release of the film “Black Swan” and a growing presence of classical ballet in the media (at last!), I thought it would be time to write up a few articles on adult ballet. I started ballet when I was only 19 years old, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. Lately, I have been getting a lot of questions on starting ballet as an adult.

    I hope these guides will inspire you to dance. Remember - you will never know if you don’t try!

Starting Ballet as an Adult or Older Teen

Ballet can be practiced and enjoyed at any age!

    As long as you are reasonably fit and have no major problems in your back, feet, or knees, it is absolutely possible to become a ballet dancer. It is also possible to learn to dance in pointe shoes. You will improve your flexibility, strength, musicality, and grace more than you could imagine, and well as develop a body awareness that will aid any other physical sport you may engage in. There are some limits to a late-starting ballet dancer, and it may be more difficult to find a studio, but the rewards will be boundless!

    Finding a Studio

    This step may be one of the hardest, but don’t give up! You may have to do some serious searching, but the studio makes or breaks the dancer. A good studio will offer appropriate classes, good instruction, and maybe even performance opportunities.

    Begin by consulting your yellow-pages. Not all studios in your area may have website or be listed on yelp.com or google, but be sure to try to locate a number of studios instead of just focusing on one or two. Collect numbers and homepages (if they have one) and begin your search. Not all studios are going to offer adult classes, and not all adult classes are created equal. Call around and ask if you can watch a class.

What to look for in a quality studio (coming soon!)

    Many studios will offer the first class free, so take advantage of this and give it a try! Your first class may seem daunting, but try to remind yourself that you are learning a completely new skill that is unlike anything else - you will get better!

    If at all possible, try to take classes at your very own college, and don’t overlook the benefits of community college. I took my very first (and some of the best) classes at my community college. You usually get more instruction, and the studios can be rather nice. Plus, there can also be performance opportunities. Classes at a community college can also be much, much cheaper than at a private studio.

Here are a few of the most common questions I have heard from people looking to start ballet:

   

    “How many classes should I be taking per week?”

    This will all depend on what you hope to achieve from ballet. Ideally, if you want to see yourself progressing and learning rapidly, you will want to take at least two classes per week, and if you ever want to dance en pointe, you will need to take at least three classes. You can certainly progress with only one class per week, but you will find that your body may not have the strength and muscle memory to function to the fullest, and you may find yourself frustrated. Over time, you will find that your knowledge on ballet will increase, but your body will not be able to get up to what your mind has learned. Top dancers will dance everyday for hours, since ballet requires a great deal of repetition. The more hours and classes you take, the faster and more dramatic your progression will be.

    “But I’m not flexible! I won’t be able to do anything!”

    You’re talking to one of the least flexible girls on the planet here! You can have a great deal of fun in ballet even if you can’t do the splits or even achieve a 90 degree arabesque. You’ll find that not everything is about flexibility - and you will also discover your strengths in other areas, such as jumping, fluidity, or turns. Don’t let flexibility keep you from trying ballet!

    You will certainly see yourself gaining flexibility as you begin to train. By stretching before and after class, as well as stretching at home, you will surprise yourself with how much natural flexibility you may actually have!

    “Can I do pointe?”

    With the proper training and conditioning, yes! Be aware that it will not be easy, and it could take years to achieve. It is safe to say that one needs to be dancing regularly at least 2-3 times a week for at least two years before starting basic pointe work. In most cases, it may take you longer than that. If you continue to train seriously, stretch and strengthen at least every other day, and educate yourself outside of your classes, there is a very good chance that you can become a successful and happy pointe dancer.

    While you don’t need to be super flexible to dance en pointe, you will need to have excellent technique and strong feet. If pointe is your dream, look for a studio that focuses more on technique than on “tricks”. The barre part of class should not be rushed in a hurry to get to the center, and the instructor should also stress that dancers strengthen themselves safely and often. Make sure there are other adults en pointe already, and that pointe classes are already in place for adults. Some studios may not teach adult pointe, so do your research.

    “I don’t want to ruin my feet.”

    Ballet is going to give you the strongest feet of your life! Over time, you are going to become very well acquainted with every nuance of your feet and toes. Many of the exercises at the barre are focused on creating strong, articulate, supple, and responsive feet.

    Can your feet be ruined by taking ballet? Well, yes - if you are 8 years old and wearing ill fitting pointe shoes. Many of the “bad feet” stories in ballet result from a young child (whose bones have not finished developing) being put in pointe shoes too early. The shoes can squish and deform young feet. An adult need not worry about that happening! However, there will always be pain from badly-fitted pointe shoes, regardless of your age. This is why it is crucial that you and your first shoe fitter be very knowledgeable on foot anatomy and pointe fitting techniques.

   

    “I’m clumsy and I can’t dance!”

    THAT’S WHY YOU TAKE DANCE CLASSES. Do you think classes are just for amazing dancers with natural talent? No! If you feel that you “can’t dance”, what you really mean is that you do not have control over your body, have poor body awareness, and lack musicality. Ballet will fix this. You will discover muscles and control that you never knew you could have, and you will develop the confidence and musical ear needed for dancing. Plus, you will develop poise and grace. I used to be pretty clumsy and gangly myself, but now people comment on my elegance. You will love your new you!

    “I really want to perform. Will this ever be possible?”

    YES! You need to do some serious hunting for a studio that offers performance opportunities for adults, but it’s completely possible. I have been lucky enough to dance at a studio that caters primarily to adults, and I have already been in two performances. It’s such a rewarding experience, and I highly recommend it. Also be on the lookout for auditions and performances by other studios in the area. You don’t have to perform just at your home studio!

    “Do I really have to wear a leotard and tights?”

    Do you want to excel? Do you want to receive more advanced corrections? Do you want to avoid injury? If you answered “Yes”, than you absolutely need to wear a leo and tights - and nothing else. The black leotard and pink tights are the standard uniform of ballet for a reason - you can actually see your body. You and your instructor are able to see every nuance, muscle, and bone, and this is crucial for correct technique. Your instructor can’t give you many corrections if she can’t see you. Developing correct turnout requires that your knees and hips (and the muscles around them) are visible - if you are turning out incorrectly, you can get terrible injuries in your knees. 

    A leotard and tights are also “no fuss” clothing. No socks to pull up, no shirt to pull down, no pants to pull up, and nothing to adjust. Nothing is going to pop or slip with a leo. You can leap, slide, jump, roll, stretch, bend over, bend backwards, and turn without having to worry about your clothes. 

    I have also found that teachers will tend to give a little more attention to students who show they are devoted to studying ballet - and those students generally are wearing the correct attire even if the class does not have a dress code. I will oftentimes be the only student in a class in just a leo and tights, and I find that I tend to get more corrections and attention - because the teacher can actually see my body.

    I will have more information on choosing a leotard, tights, slippers, and accessories in a future article.

    “I’m really self-conscious. I’m afraid everyone will be staring at me!”

    Don’t worry about it. Most people will be too busy concentrating in class to be looking at other students. I’ve never heard ladies gossiping about other students in the class or complaining about their looks. Most dancers are too busy worrying about themselves and their own technique to worry about someone else.

    Plus, if you are a teenager, realize that teens are still dealing with an “imaginary audience” - an overwhelming feeling that EVERYBODY is always looking at them, even when no one really is. This is natural part of teenage development, and you will eventually grow out of it.

    I hope that this article has given you the confidence and information needed to start taking ballet! If you have any more questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will try to answer them!

Additional Articles about Adult Ballet by Miss Etherington:

-Adult Ballet Students: You are Not the Problem

Dancers are the athletes of God. ~Albert Einstein