As i shared with you last week, that i'm preparing myself and planning ballet classes for children with special needs. I've been researching and reading a lot about these children, I thought my eyes and heart were open for the 1st time and i felt more passionate to share the joy of dancing with these amazing kids.
What children with special needs wish you knew
I'm just "me" and that's ok
I need friends along the way
I want to know God's Word
I like it when you talk to me
I won't give up-Don't you
I'm not sick- I have a Disability
I mess up-Like any other kid
I know God can use me-No matter what
Special needs children can benefit from dance, movement and music:-
-Boost self-esteem
-Build balance and coordination
-Increase muscle strength
-Increase muscle endurance
-Build flexibility
-Encourage team work, co operation and group skills
-Develop an awareness of beat, rhythm and movement to music skills
-Develop an understanding of musical qualities and the relationship of music to emotion and mood
Watch this video. Class brings joy of dance to children with Down syndrome.
How Dance instructor Todd taught a group of special need children.
Good tips and reference for my up-coming classes with the children in my church.
Instructor Todd Rosenlieb talks about the challenges and rewards of teaching dance to children with Down syndrome, as part of a six-week Adaptive Class that recently wrapped up its first session in Norfolk.
Top 7 reason why dancing is good for you
Dance to a healthier you!
Even as a child, i love moving my feet to rhythms and music. It makes me feel happy. I enjoyed moving and spinning around my room to the music from the stereo. I remembered the feeling was so good, lifted up my mood and get my heart pumping, leaving my cheek so rosy.
Here are few reason why we should dance:-
1) Dancing makes you happy
You brain releases a type of 'happy hormone' called endorphines, when you are exercising. Personally, i feel very tired and lazy if i stop exersicing for awhile; on the contrary, after a vigorious session of dance lesson, i feel much more energetic and my spirit uplifted. Can you imagine, a happy wife goes back home, husband is happy too. A happy mother return home to her home and children, happy family. Your whole life changes, relationship become better, work performance improve etc. It is a very positive and good cycle.
2) Self esteem booster
Mastering a routine, keeping good musical quality while dancing, builds confidence. It gives you a sense of achievement and successful when you master it. Not only you will feel that you are good, when you lose weight along the way, you would love to look into the mirror in the studio to check out your new self!
3) Keeps you young
Years ago, i attended a dance workshop, i met this 60 years old ballet mistress from Hong Kong. She look absolutely young physically, so flexible. When ask of her secret of staying young, she share with us her daily stretching routine, kept herself active teaching, ate a well balanced meal and get plenty of fluid. Voila! Dancing make you younger.
4) Stimulate your creative juice
Dancing, will stimulate your creative side of brain. You will learn to create your own steps after few years of learning. The best feeling is to be able to watch your own choreography come to live on stage!
5) Keeps the weight off
Dancing is a good form of exercising. Many people have lose weight dancing, and manage to maintain to keep their weight off by continue dancing!
6) Improve metabolism
Exercising increases metabolism rate. That is a fact! The more you move, the more calories you will burn.
7) Make some good friends along the way.
Your children will thank you for sending them to ballet/ dance lessons. I did! When i was six, my mother enrolled me into ballet class. I was a chubby little shy lassie, since i join my dance class, i made so many friends and slowly gain confidence. I coudn't wait for dance class every week!
New York City Ballet Spring Gala 2010
The 2010 New York City Ballet Spring Gala on April 29th featured a special preview of the exciting commissions premiering during the New Choreography and Music Festival.
Among famous dancers, Sarah Jessica Parker and Natalie Portman also stepped out for the 2010 New York City Ballet Spring Gala in NYC on Thursday evening. Natalie who wore Lanvin, had a special reason to be there — her boyfriend Benjamin Millepied is among the performers — and she recently played a ballerina in a movie, Black Swan alongside Mila Kunis. Sarah Jessica Parker is a huge supporter of the arts in New York including recently narrating an audio tour for the Met. The style icon wore a blush-colored, hand-embroidered cocktail dress by Elie Saab Haute Couture and a jacket by L'Wren Scottalso, wore a perfectly appropriate bun for the event.
Beautiful gala preparation set-up at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Evening programme include world premiere of 2 ballets, New Millepied Ballet & New Ratmansky Ballet.
Making of Ballet Pointe Shoe
Have you ever make your old pointe shoe into soft shoe? I had a lot of fun, dismantling, pulling and taking out nails out of the old pointe shoe, while marveled at the anatomy of my pointe shoe, making into a wearable soft shoe.
Today's blog post, I want to share about the process of making a pointe shoe.
Here goes...
Step 1-2: Cutting, Sewing
The vamp section, quarter sections and linings that form the upper of the toe shoe are cut. After inspecting the fabric for imperfections, cutting room staffs do multicuts of yards of satin and lining material for stock shoes using hydraulic press to cut many layers at one time. Seamstresses at sewing machines join the fronts and backs (vamps and quarters) of the upper, and sew the satin and cotton lining sections of the upper together.
Step 3: Preparing the Insole, shank, and outer sole
The insole, shank, and outer sole are cut out of large pieces of leather to the shape needed by heavy mechanical presses.
Step 4: Pulling over
Pointe shoes are made on a straight last and have no right or left since this kind of "no-footed" construction gives better balance and a truer, straighter point.
Step 5-9: Blocking,The lasting steps, stitching and turning, insole insertion and Hammering out
Fabric, paper and special formula glue are used to build up the inside of the box.
The lasting step begins as the shoemaker pulls the uppers taut and uses his hands as well as various pushing and pulling instruments to mold the still soft block into its finished pointe shape, square, long, flat, oval, or curved.
He inserts the pleats by hand and pushes them into position with an awl-like instrument called the bone.
The pleats are stitched down with linen thread, and excess cloth is trimmed.
The insole and attached reinforcing shank are placed inside the shoe with glue and nails.
Step 10: Drying
Finished shoes are placed on a rack to dry for 2 to 4 days. At some factories, the shoes are baked in a hot-air oven.
Step 11: Inspection
Dried shoes are inspected for quality, and either stored until needed or prepared for shipment.
Today's blog post, I want to share about the process of making a pointe shoe.
Here goes...
Step 1-2: Cutting, Sewing
The vamp section, quarter sections and linings that form the upper of the toe shoe are cut. After inspecting the fabric for imperfections, cutting room staffs do multicuts of yards of satin and lining material for stock shoes using hydraulic press to cut many layers at one time. Seamstresses at sewing machines join the fronts and backs (vamps and quarters) of the upper, and sew the satin and cotton lining sections of the upper together.
Step 3: Preparing the Insole, shank, and outer sole
The insole, shank, and outer sole are cut out of large pieces of leather to the shape needed by heavy mechanical presses.
Step 4: Pulling over
Pointe shoes are made on a straight last and have no right or left since this kind of "no-footed" construction gives better balance and a truer, straighter point.
Step 5-9: Blocking,The lasting steps, stitching and turning, insole insertion and Hammering out
Fabric, paper and special formula glue are used to build up the inside of the box.
The lasting step begins as the shoemaker pulls the uppers taut and uses his hands as well as various pushing and pulling instruments to mold the still soft block into its finished pointe shape, square, long, flat, oval, or curved.
He inserts the pleats by hand and pushes them into position with an awl-like instrument called the bone.
The pleats are stitched down with linen thread, and excess cloth is trimmed.
The insole and attached reinforcing shank are placed inside the shoe with glue and nails.
Step 10: Drying
Finished shoes are placed on a rack to dry for 2 to 4 days. At some factories, the shoes are baked in a hot-air oven.
Step 11: Inspection
Dried shoes are inspected for quality, and either stored until needed or prepared for shipment.
Ballet inspired party/ cocktail dresses
Have you ever plan to get dress up for a party the night before. Close your eye, you see yourself wearing a beautiful dress in the party. Indulge yourself. Become a walking dream. Getting dress for a party is the perfect way to get into the mood for having a good times!
Be the belle of the party!
Here are some ballet-inspired party/cocktail dresses.
Enjoy!
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I love this! Here is a Don Loper Vintage dress.
1950s vintage AMETHYST BLUE nylon party gown.
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Oscar De la Renta evening/wedding gown. Can you imagine them in other beautiful colours?
How about accessories for a party?
Here we see the beautiful flower head-wear from Carmen.
Salmon peach big rose blossom wedding flower hair comb
So pretty!
Be the belle of the party!
Here are some ballet-inspired party/cocktail dresses.
Enjoy!
.JPG)
I love this! Here is a Don Loper Vintage dress.
1950s vintage AMETHYST BLUE nylon party gown.
-600x400.jpg)
Oscar De la Renta evening/wedding gown. Can you imagine them in other beautiful colours?
How about accessories for a party?
Here we see the beautiful flower head-wear from Carmen.
Salmon peach big rose blossom wedding flower hair comb
So pretty!
Celebrities and their little ballerinas
Suri Cruise Is a Rainy Day Ballerina in NYC With Katie Holmes
The former “Simple Life” babe Nicole Richie couldn’t have looked happier as she picked up her baby girl –clad in a pink tutu - from her ballet class.
Actress Isla Fisher and her daughter Olive Cohen leaving a ballet class in Studio City, CA.
DVD review: Margot
Watched BBC4 drama 'Margot' yesterday, i wasn't really impressed by this movie about Margot Fonteyn. Maybe I was expecting to watch someone who can dance to play the legendary ballerina, unfortunately, the actress wasn't a dancer.
Margot played by English actress Anne-Marie Duff. (Sideline a bit here- Duff is married to the actor James McAvoy!! The cute actor in the movie 'Atonement' & 'Narnia'.)
Margot Fonteyn cause worldwide surge of excitement when she paired with Russian ballet legend Rudolph Nureyev (Played by Michiel Huisman).
Despite their age difference of 19 years, they created one of the most enduring and celebrated ballet partnership of all time!
Overall, it is a good drama, for a ballet researcher/lover/maniac like me, however, do not expect to watch a lot of technical ballet dance move and Duff doesn't particularly look like Fonteyn.