Dance Resolutions 2013

1 year ago I made resolutions for 2012. I made an update about them in July in light of new discoveries and to see whether I had accomplished them. Did I? Let's check again.

1. Get in shape, lose weight - shape...maybe. I'm a lot stronger than I was at this time last year, both mentally and physically. I do still need to lose weight, but I'm proud that I'm exactly the same weight and maybe a pound or two less than I was at this time last year. I haven't gained weight over break, thank goodness, and I know my weaknesses now.
2. Post more on this blog and my YouTube channel - nope. I've been pretty bad about posting, and I feel like at times I feel that I have nothing to say. I hope that I never lose sight of my love for dance and that I never feel like that again.
3. Do pointe more - yes and no. I accomplished this during spring of the last school year, but this semester I've been too tired and injured for pointe (sustained both back and foot injuries as well as more rehearsals). But my feet are still strong enough, and I'll get back to it when I'm well enough to do so.
4. Keep sleeping - yes. I've done well with this one. Still 6-7+ hours every school night.
5. Drink more water - sometimes. I've lost sight of this one every now and then. It's still a work in progress, but I'm getting there.

Imagine this says 2012-2013. Photo Credit

For 2013, what do I want?

1. Build strength - I know what my weaknesses are now and what I need to do to build myself up. I want to build a fitness regimen for my day, week, and month, and hopefully keep it up all year long! I'll do my core workout, sun salutation, work with my theraband, stretch, and jump rope when I don't have a gym handy.
2. Drink more water - yep. This one stays. I want to clear my skin, have more energy, lose weight, and stay healthy.
3. Take care - of injuries before and when they arise. Of my mental and emotional health. Of my nutrition. I have done a lot of listening to my body this year and I know what it needs. I just need to gear my life and choices towards giving it what it needs. 
4. Build a regimen - this kind of includes all of the three above, but I want to build a daily regimen for myself. I've done pretty good with keeping up my facial skincare routine, but I want to add using body lotion, foot lotion, and hand lotion. I want to keep up a daily/weekly exercise routine, and pamper myself once a week. Things like that.
5. Be more thankful, positive, and happy - I've spent a lot of my life being negative, sad, and selfish. I'd like to start living.
6. Stop being afraid - of the future. I have a piece to choreograph that will debut in mid February, and I'm scared to death. I'm trying to decide what city to move to to dance in in the future, and I'm scared to death. I'm worrying about auditions next year, and I'm scared to death. Truth is, I'm tired of being scared. I've read the book Art and Fear a few times, and I know that fear is what holds me back the most as a dancer and as an artist. I just need to let go. And on that subject...
7. Relax - take time for myself. Make myself an epsom salt foot soak or bubble bath. Go out and have fun. Quit worrying. Stop being so serious on stage and enjoy the moments (it makes the dancing look better too). Snuggle under my electric blanket. Be young.

I wish you all a happy and safe New Year's! Keep dancing!

Love, Daisy
daisyatthedancelife@gmail.com

After Christmas/New Year's Sales

I thought that everything would be on sale. I suppose I thought wrong. However, there are a few things in the dance world that are a little discounted. I thought I'd round up all of the specials on dancewear that are running this week!

Special Holiday offers:
Discount Dance Supply has a 10% off orders of $90 or more with the code WISH12 (expires 1/3/13), or save 10% off orders of $100 or more with the code DMJAN9647 from Dance Magazine (expires 1/31/13). They also have a fantastic clearance section and lots of new arrivals.

**UPDATE: Discount Dance is now offering $10 off dance shoes when you order $125 or more through 1/9/13 with the code JANSHOE.

All About Dance is offering 15% off all tights, but it ends today (Friday 12/28)! They also offer free shipping and returns on all orders every day (new favorite dancewear site)!

For studio owners, Revolution Dancewear is offering $200 in credit towards dancewear for opening a merchant account with NAB.

Capezio is giving away a brand new 2013 dance bag full of products valued at $450! Enter here with just your email address, and they'll even give you 10% off the entire store on the date you enter. 


Other offers:
Dancewear Solutions has over 200 items in their clearance section up to 60% off (free shipping on orders of $150 or more).

Capezio is offering $3.95 flat rate shipping on all orders, or free shipping with $100 orders.

American Apparel dancewear is so colorful! Free shipping with orders of $50 or more on the whole store (that's not hard with AA).

Danskin offers 20% off your order for signing up for their email list and free shipping with orders of $75 and over.

Dancewear Corner offers free shipping on $50 and up orders every day.

Youtube Best of the Best: Updates 25

Lexi Dysart - Asking Too Much
I love the soundtrack of this piece, but even more, I love that it looks like the soundtrack was written for the dance.

Ian Eastwood & Brian Puspos - Christmas Eve
In the spirit of the holiday (even if it's over)! I know what I could have wanted for Christmas...

Sidi Larbi Cherkaqui - Sigur Ros - Valtari (Vimeo)
WARNING: this one's got some female toplessness involved (it's European.), but it's actually very effectively used. This piece is visually and emotionally stunning. It helps that two fantastic dancers/contortionists that have such an intimate connection were paired with a brilliant director and innovative choreographer. Beautiful.

Karen Chuang - Send Me Down by Haim
She's small but feisty, and always one for movement invention. Gorgeous!

Merry Christmas!

A ballerina on my Christmas tree :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my readers (and everyone else too)! It's been a great year of happiness, disappointment, inspiration, failure, and love. All of it is necessary for shaping who we are and what we become, and I'm thankful for every minute of every emotion.

 I hope I've helped, inspired, or enlightened you about something this year! I know I have learned things from this blog and from some of you! Thank you for everything.

Love,
Daisy
daisyatthedancelife@gmail.com

For the Dancer with Holiday Spirit: Gifts and Crafts

Hi everyone! Last year I did a gift list for dancers, and all of that still holds true. However, this will be a little different: a list of everything holiday-y and dancer-y that I think will be perfect this holiday season for a dancer in your life, or just for yourself ;) Happy holidays!

#1 Paper Snowflake Ballerinas

Photo Credit

These are hanging in my college's studio office as we speak. They're simply cut outs of ballerinas in tutus with paper snowflakes folded over the tutus! So easy (if you're good with scissors or an xacto knife) for older girls, and you can have littler girls cut out the snowflakes for the tutus!

#2 Leotards I adore this season.

Discount Dance - Natalie

http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_N8625.html?pid=10060&Shop=Brand&SID=415528284

http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_N8699.html?pid=19011&Shop=Brand&SID=415528284


http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_N8679.html?pid=19009&Shop=Brand&SID=415528284



Just to name a few!

#3 Beauty gifts
The Body Shop has some absolutely great sales running - free standard shipping, $30 for 3 items, buy 3 get 3 free/buy 2 get 2 free...it's endless! I love their tea tree oil line.
Sephora has some great fast gift options as well! Their Philosophy body/bath line would be perfect for any dancer. A good quality nail clipper could make a huge difference for a pointe dancer.
Something nice from Ben Nye (for performances) or Mac (performance + daily use) will be great for a dancer who is looking to upgrade her makeup collection, performance or daily.

General beauty gift ideas:

• scented/shimmery body lotion
• foot lotion
• bun/hair accessories
• bubble bath
• bath salts (look for an epsom salt-based one with some lavender - will help minimize soreness and aid mind and muscle relaxation, or make your own bath salts!)

#4 Recipes/Crafts

1. this peppermint sugar scrub and peppermint foot scrub are great DIYs, even if it's not edible.
2. tip for baking cookies that spread out too fast: set the temperature to 350-375 degrees, up the baking time to 10-15 minutes (make sure to check on them), and put your cookie dough in a muffin tin. The cookies will be abnormally shaped (slightly muffin-esque), but they will be uniformly sized, easy to remove (grease the pan with a little olive oil and run a knife around the edges right after they come out of the oven), and won't burn on the edges!
3. this honey lip balm looks amazing!
4. when all else fails, a cute handmade card and gift card will show someone you care!

20,000 views!

My darling readers,

I, for one, can't believe I'm making this post now. I made my 10,000 views post in June of this year, meaning I received 10,000 views in about a year. Can you believe I've had another 10,000 in only half a year since then? 20,000 views and 155 posts!

I have had so much fun writing and updating this blog. It's even more of a pleasure to see that more and more people are accessing and reading what I have to say. It's been a personal journey as well - looking back at my old posts has taught me about myself and even reminded me of things to keep in mind and improve in myself and my own dancing. Even if none of you see this, I had to let you know and thank you, because I'm way too excited! I will continue to make posts that are hopefully more tailored to your interests and feedback via the survey I held and the comments I've been receiving.

To everyone who is traveling home or with family for the holidays soon - be safe in your travels and have fun!
To students who finished, are finishing, or will soon be taking finals - good luck/congratulations! Term's over!
To all - a good night :) and happy holidays! Thank you for reading!

Love,
Daisy
daisyatthedancelife@gmail.com

Pet Peeve: The Question Part 2

This post from HelloGiggles is possibly one of the more important things I've read recently. It's titled: "How to answer the question 'What do you do?' while chasing your dream." Because we all will run into that problem one day, the dreaded question that I talked about in Part 1 of this post.

If you're like me (still some kind of student), you can answer "What do you do" or "what's your major" or "what do you want to do" with "I'm a dancer/dance major" and people respond with "Oh, that's so cool! Good for you, I wish I could dance," or something like that. When you get past 25 and are living in a tiny apartment with no heat and 5 other roommates and work 3 jobs, answering "I'm a dancer" is questionable at best.

This is a great article because it does empower you to take hold of your life and answer honestly, but still gives you tips for those situations where honesty isn't the best policy. You do need to be able to answer "I'm a dancer" with pride, but also to know when dance will not be respected as an occupation (and be met with the question "Yes, but what do you actually do?").

In the end, the message is to not be driven up the wall by other people's views and opinions and to do your art for yourself. Dance because you want to and quit because you're done, not because other people want you to or don't like you. You'll thank yourself in the end.

Youtube Best of the Best: Updates 24

S**T Kingz - Let Me Get This Right by Neyo :: Urban Dance Camp
This is so good and so sexy I might just start crushing...

Amanda Tae for Alexis and Jeanine Mason - For You
This choreography doesn't have the greatest continuity, but there are interesting movements and moments, and it most certainly showcases Alexis and Jeanine beautifully. They dance so similarly, yet are so beautiful individually and have their own voices. This piece shows that they both have incredible strength and clarity as well as emotional depth and love for each other.

George Balanchine - He Taught America How To Dance
This is a short article from DanceSpirit (by Margaret Fuhrer) that gives you a short idea of who Balanchine was and what he did for the dance world. Just in case you didn't already know, love dance history, or just love NYCB or dance in general...

Keone Madrid - Lois Lane
This piece is just so musical, so well executed, and so great with the suspenders.

Richard Walters - Spirit of the Stairway
This isn't dance, it's just music. That happens to be absolutely breathtakingly beautiful for dance. My jazz teacher just did a brilliant combination to this piece, and I wanted to share. :)

Mike Song and Anthony Lee - Vocal Dancing
This is so creative and funny.