Christmas !!!

Christmas is right around the corner ! Everyone is holiday shopping and looking for the perfect gift. There are a plethora of perfect gifts for dancers. Leotards, legwarmers, massage gift cards, and even Icy Hot are all great gifts for a dancer. For younger dancers, ballerina teddy bears, key chains, and tutus will do the trick! Below is a website full of great gift ideas for the dancer !

http://www.allaboutdance.com/

R.A.D. exams

R.A.D. stands for Royal Academy of Dance. The R.A.D. exams are ballet exams that test your technique in ballet. They test you in stages (grade 1-8, elementary, intermediate, advanced, and advanced 2). It is a very hard exam to take. You have to memorize a whole syllabus. You wear a number and you are tested in a room with one or two girls. It is quite scary ! You either fail, pass, get a merit, or a distinction (which in is the highest). This exam is taught throughout the 70 countries. Every dancer memorizes the same syllabus and then you take the exam in certain places. Taking these exams looks great for college. It is a huge accomplishment to pass these exams, which depending on which level you are taking takes at least a year to learn. I took my intermediate exam last year, and I am working on my advanced exam this year. I passed the intermediate exam with a distinction. If I get a distinction on my advanced 1 and 2 exams, I will be eligible for the "Genne International Ballet Competition." It is basically the ballet Olympics. Last year it was held in Singapore, and this year it will be held in London. Below is a video that explains the competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_vRamS4jhs

Dedication

Dedication is so important when it comes to Ballet. Ballet is extremely hard, time consuming, and painful ! You have to love it and have a passion for it. I definitely am dedicated to Ballet. Ballet is my life, the dance studio is literally my second home. I am always there. The feeling I get when I am on stage is incredible, if only everybody could experience it. But the time and effort it takes to be a ballerina is tremendous. You have to work like crazy to improve your technique, which means lots and lots of classes. Today I was at the theater from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. getting ready for the five shows we are getting ready to perform. Now I have to do the rest of my school work because I am missing school. You have to have dedication to live this life. But it's definitely worth it !

Nutcracker !!!

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I will be performing in the Nutcracker. It is a ballet for anyone who didn't know. We will be doing two shows Friday, two shows Saturday, and one show Sunday. It is my studios 10th anniversary, so this years Nutcracker will be bigger and better ! It will take place at the "Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts." Tickets will be sold at the box office the day of the show. The link below has the times and pictures. I'm sure everyone would enjoy it, and it will get you in the holiday mood !
http://www.ida-dance.com/Company.html

Benefits from Yoga

The other day I took a yoga class. I really enjoyed it because it stretches you and relaxes you at the same time. Also, after the class you feel great ! Yoga refers to traditional mental and physical disciplines originating in India. When people think of yoga they think of meditation. Meditation is a form of yoga, but there are many forms of yoga. Meditation is one of the more relaxing types. What many people do not realize is that yoga is so beneficial mentally and physically, especially for dancers. Physically it stretches your body giving you more flexibility and increases the range of motion in joints. Also, yoga builds strength in your hamstrings, quadriceps, and abdominal muscles. Better posture is also a benefit that comes from yoga. Health benefits include better breathing, less stress/more calm, and concentration/mood. It is also said that yoga lowers the risk of heart disease ! It decreases Cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as a boost in immune system function. Clearly, there are many reasons to take a yoga class. Even though you may be a little sore the next day, just try it and see if you like it !

Nutrition

I decided to write a blog about Nutrition because it is very important not only for a dancer but for everyone. My studio is getting ready to put on the Nutcracker. I will be performing five shows one weekend and then five shows the next ! This means I am always at the studio rehearsing and preparing for the show. On Saturdays I am usually dancing for six or seven hours with only a few breaks. This is where nutrition comes in. If I didn't eat healthy or the right foods, it would be very hard for me to dance for six hours.
The best things to eat when engaging in a high energy sport is nuts, or anything high in protein. Stay away from sugary foods. Eating sugary foods will give you quick energy, but will then quickly wear off and give you what is called a "sugar low." Natural sugars are the way to go. Fruits contains natural sugar. On a break, just eat an orange or any fruit. It will keep you energy up ! Carbohydrates are also very good to eat. Carbs provide the energy that fuels muscle contractions. Once eaten, carbohydrates breakdown into smaller sugars that get absorbed and used as energy. After dancing, or playing any sport that forces you to use muscles, drink some milk or eat fish. This helps keep the muscles you just worked. One of the most important aspects of nutrition is fluids. Drink, drink , drink !! Staying hydrated is very extremely important.When hydrated, muscles are more flexible and more easily moved. On average a dancer (or any athlete) should drink two liters of fluid a day ! I hope this blog entry can help athletes like me become healthier and more knowledgeable about nutrition.