LittleBallerina Adult Ballet

Ballet in the park

Today i woke up, brush up, change into my cutest workout outfit. All black! Armed with my lil MP3 player, walked to a park. I started my warm up routine,

Plie (Centre)
Do this without bar. You would find that doing plie in centre, really workout all your muscle and train good balance.

2x Demi-plie
1x Grande Plie
Rise & Lower
(Arm - Full Port De Bra)

Repeat 10 sets.

Forward bend
Commence with 2nd position (as wide as shoulder width)
Do a full Port de bra forward bend. All the way to the floor.
Recover, bring arms to 5th position, open to 2nd position.
Plie.

Repeat 5 sets (Change your variation with side bends)

Grande Battement Derriere (Facing a bar)
5X Grande Battement Derriere with straight legs (Allowing body move forward, almost like doing a slit)
5x Grande Battement Derriere with bend legs (Body ache back, almost kicking to the back of your head)

Repeat Other leg

To read more about basic steps of ballet:-
The Australian Ballet: Basic Steps

Be creative! Have Fun!

Tiler Peck on Dance Magazine May Cover

One of my new favourite dancer Tiler Peck on the cover of Dance Magazine! Tiler Peck joined New York City Ballet in 2005, when she was a fresh-faced 16-year-old with a dazzling pirouette and a killer jump. Peck, who just turned 21, is now a principal with the NYCB, the youngest principal dancer.

Here, she talks with Dance Magazine's editor-in-chef Wendy Perron. Exclusive footage from the Dance Magazine May 2010 Cover Shoot featuring New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck.

Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild rehearsing Afternoon of a Faun by Jerome Robbins for International Evenings of Dance at the Vail International Dance Festival. I love her pink leotard and white tights! And the studio is just amazing!

Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/dance/82065/tiler-peck-in-the-sleeping-beauty-interview#ixzz0z2F8BvYC

Ballet class for kids with Down Syndrome

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.

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!