totally un-ballet related but...

i'm obsessed with the new alexander wang campaign video.

ballerina project

if you love black and white ballet photos as much as i do, be sure to check out the ballet project on facebook.  

every body

so thanks to the glorious world of twitter, i was introduced to "my body image", the body image focused blog by Theresa Ruth Howard.  after about two minutes scanning through her posts i realized it was going to be my new must read.  her mix of cleverly crafted sentences and harsh truths about modern day society make you just want to stand up and yell "SO TRUE" (which i'm currently keeping myself from doing for the sake of becoming the crazy in starbucks).

dancers tend to get so focused on the notion that we are not good enough without the perfect body/measurements/size/shape.  i know personally that the constant drive to be as thin and toned as the girl standing next to me at the barre almost killed my love for dance.  i had to remove myself from any comparison to remember that i do this for joy, for myself, not so someone can judge me or my size.

because in reality what makes humans so interesting and so beautiful is our variation; the unique aspects of our personalities, bodies, minds, these should all be celebrated.  this seems so obvious, yet the notion of "skinny" and "fat" seems to have overwhelmed modern society to the point where its important to have a blog like Ms. Howard's to remind us.  please check it out, you won't be disappointed!

and remember, no matter what size you are, dancing from the heart is what matters!

    

degas: master impressionist

travel essentials

i've been traveling a lot lately, moving around, looking for apartments up north, and visiting my friends before we all start working/dancing. in my travels i've learned there are a few things i cannot live without!

any sort of travel is pretty detrimental to your skin so i always bring moisturizer when i travel, specifically korres yogurt moisturizer.  i love it because its all natural and not tested on animals, plus feels very luxurious and keeps my skin clear and hydrated. 

i love drinking tea; some would say im addicted.  i always keep with me Zen green tea and Calm herbal tea.  they're both delicious and they keep you hydrated no matter where you are! 

i don't know why airplanes are always so cold, but they definitely are!  but i'm okay with it because i adore wearing scarves; i'm that ridiculous girl who wears scarves in june in southern california.  i always bring scarves when traveling, not only because they keep you warm, but they're so comfortable they just remind you home.

the idiot by fyodor dostoevsky is one of my absolute favorite books.  i never travel without it because every time i re-read it, i discover something new.  regardless of what book it is, traveling is a great time to catch up on all those novels you have collecting dust on your bookshelf (if you're like me that is!).

  

so i know this sounds silly, but i never travel without bunheads exercise bands.  when i'm sitting all day i get so anxious and antsy that its nice to be able to stretch out my feet or do tricep extensions.  people may give you weird looks when you bust out an exercise band, but to each their own right?!

   

sorry for the disappearance! fun pointe magazine article!

so just as i got super into this blog, my life got a little too busy!

i finally graduated college in June which was amazing. i know i used to complain about my parents pressuring me to pursue higher education, but it really was worth it. such a fantastic feeling.

i am also in the process of moving and changing companies, which is nerve wracking and terrifying, yet insanely exciting. i cannot wait!

so while i was off trying to juggle my crazy summer, pointe magazine came out with a fantastic new issue with Miami ballet's beautiful Patricia Delgado. one of the coolest articles they published was "A Day In Her Pointe Shoes: Wendy Whelan". i had the amazing honor of meeting Ms. Whelan briefly last year and she is one of the sweetest, most amazing dancers i've ever had the pleasure to take class with. i love this article because it gives us a peak into her exciting ballerina life, you should definitely check it out!

pointe magazine article