AHHHHH.

Okay so, working at an animal hospital, working at a daycare, teaching dance, taking dance 4-5 times a week, preparing a solo, getting ready for a recital, searching for a new job, AND keeping up with a blog is just too. damn. much. That movie (all bloggers know it) Julie & Julia really inspired me to pursue what I love 365 days a year. I thought blogging about my passion, being dance, everyday would prove something?
But ya know what...Julie had no life! She had time to prepare a gourmet meal for 5 hours everyday and then blog about it. Sometimes she would cook 2 of those meals a day?! I applaud that women for doing it! Though, you know that part where she collapses and cries in the middle of the kitchen like a pathetic ball? Well, now I understand why.
I'm 18 and I'm already working myself to death! Dancing almost everyday is perfect. Working 6 days a week with crappy pay and hours...not so much. Did I mention I drive a car in dire need of repairs everyday? I need that something uplifting to happen, similair to the phone call julie gets after she cries like a pathetic ball. I need a new job. Something I can be proud of. I need to quit the animal hospital and find something.
My awesome hip-hop teacher works at the Hard Rock Casino. He suggested I try applying there. After I finish this blog I am going online to apply. He says, "You will make bank!" I sure hope so.
Let's stop being so negative for just a paragraph. I am performing a solo in June. Talk about a dream! My chances of working at the Hard Rock are high! I teach dance!! Granted some of my little dancers to be tend to run wild, I still enjoy it. It's a small stepping stone to my dream. Last but not least, I conquered dancing 365 days a long, long, long time ago! I have been dancing since I was 3, and I don't need to blog EVERYDAY to prove I am passionate about something! Dance is my passion. I just put too much pressure on myself.
With that being said, please follow me. :)

same ol 5 6 7 and 8

Day five was Sunday, typical practice. Day six, was Tuesday same classes. Hip-hop, ballet, and my private. Of course, Tuesdays are also the days I teach dance. Day 7 was Thursday. I teach dance that day as well. I also take my stretch class. And Day 8 was Friday my pointe class.

I'm getting sick of the same routine. Sure I do alot, and you would think, "how does that get old?" Well, let me tell you. I do the same rushed routine every week. Work job # 1 go, go home, rush to job #2, go home, rush to dance, rush, rush, home, dance, job, work.....AHHHH!!!!

I need to change it up but how? I know I'm improving with every class I take which is fantastic, but I'm getting bored. I want more of a challenge. I think I'm going to drop my stretch class, and sign up for another pointe class and a lyrical class. Both of them on Monday. PROBLEM: I work Monday. Maybe I can talk my boss into changing my hours around...again.

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for the award mamma. I'm too good with speeches, but I'll give it a whirl. ;D Thank you to mu mom for introducing me to the world of blogging. Thank you to my dance teachers, girls, and instructors.

Here are my random 10 facts.

FACT 1: I love my dog Gracie lou more than anyone can ever love a pet.

FACT 2: I can not shuffle cards to save my life!!

FACT 3: Like my mom, I would love to downsize to an RV and travel. I would just have to make sure it would feel like home to Gracie.

FACT 4: If I had a dime for everytime I got lost driving, bills would be the LEAST of my worries.

FACT 5: When I talk to my dog aliens think I'm trying to contact them. I talk in a very high voice with every vowel being dragged out at the VERY top of my lungs.

FACTt 5: I'm ALWAYS doing something, I tend to squeeze in everything and make time as tight as possible...speaking of tight timing, I'm late for my sushi date.

FACT 6: I am ALWAYS late! Tell me to be anywhere at least a half hour early than the desired time. Chances are, however, I will still be late.

FACT 7: My car is my closet. I have work uniforms for both jobs, play clothes, dance clothes, and shoes. It makes life convenient, and gives me a reason to deny peopel rides. :D

FACT 8: I trip over everything, even things you can't even see. Odd because I dance. (please refer to my older post, "failing at flailing).

FACT 9: I am behind in the worlds technology more than a grandma using a telegraph.

FACT 10: I talk too fast...way too fast.

refreshed

This whole 365 dance has been doing but stressing me out!! I WILL complete this task, but it's not gonna by dancing EVERYDAY for a whole year. When i dance it will count as a day. So, Tuesday was my new day one.
I completed my solo in my private class and didn't get done with dance practice till 11!
Day 2, Wednesday, was my callback for my solo...I forgot the last two 8-counts. But it happens to us all!
Day 3, Thursday, was my stretch class. Very simple and relaxing class.
Friday, day 4, was my pointe class!! We began choreographing for the recital and it's a spicy little number to Spanish music. It really is turning out better than I thought.
Day 5? Well it hasn't come yet. I did not dance today. Instead, I went into work at the animal hospital, made plans for sushi and a movie, and decided to catch up on my blog.

oops

I Haven't been keeping up with my blog. I'm really disappointed...
I want to start all over. Tomorrow will be my brand new "day one" . I have decided, however, to go about this 365 thing a little differently.

will be...

I will be posting about Friday Saturday Sunday Monday and today (days 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) after dance today. As you know, my Tuesdays are jam packed.

Days 3, 4, and 5

Tuesday was day 3 of my "365 days of dance". Real quick, let me give you a typical Tuesday schedule.
7am-1pm work.
Get home, get ready for dance lessons, leave by 3:45pm(it's very close to my house)
4pm-5pm 3 year old dance lessons.
Get home, eat something quick, usually an unhealthy item, and leave by 5:30pm.
Get to my studio by 6:00pm.
6-7 ballet, 7-8 hip-hop, 8-9 private class.
Of course by the end of EVERY Tuesday I am sore. With this being said, let me move on to my day 4 which was yesterday.

Yesterday...ah Wednesdays. Wednesdays used to be the one day I really didn't feel like dancing. Why? Well because random parts of, if not my entire body, hurts! For this week my spots are my calves, ribs, shoulders, and upper arms. With aching calves, practicing my pointe was out of the question. I really just thought about skipping yesterday and starting all over...again. But that wouldn't be dedication now would it?

So what did I do? I stretched. I sat in my room and tried to stretch out my muscles. I guess I made up my own form of yoga, and yes, I consider stretching a form of dance. Afterwards I took a hot bubble bath and read a book. I have found a way around my unbearably sore Wednesdays. It will be something I do every Wednesday. You should do the same.

Moving on to day 5, today. Today I got mirrors for my little dance room. Well, I didn't, a couple people I know gave them to me and brought them to my work. Now, instead just ballet barres, I have mirrors. Yes, I know, EXCITING!! Anyways, I taught the 4-5 year old class and was very impressed with myself. A new kid, or should I say dancer, will be signing up for next session. I managed my time well and had a little more control over the class! It went well.

After my dance lessons I rushed to me own studio for my own dance class. Today was only one class. A stretch, jumps, and turns class. Where everyone...stretches, say it with me now, jumps, and turns. :) It's probably one of my favorite classes. I learned today that my double stags are actually...pretty darn good. I also learned that I have the opportunity to perform a solo in the recital coming up in June. :) It all just depends on my private classes.

There are your days 3, 4, and 5. Only 360 more to go...but who's counting anyways?
(Mom's que to raise hand and say, "Me.")

relapsing and venting

Relapsing, that is what I did Saturday. Before you jump to your assumptions let me say it's not what you think. You see, I am trying to dance 365 days straight, and Saturday...I didn't. Even though it would have only been day 3 I decided to start over. Sunday being my new official 1st day. I had an hour and a half practice at a studio some friends and I rent. On Monday I went to another class to observe another dance teachers teaching skills. Today, I taught my 3 year old class, and afterwards I had my own ballet class, a hip-hop class, and then my private class. An hour of teaching dance and then 3 hours of DOING dance. Needless to say, I'm pooped. That was my relapsing story, now for the venting.

Like I said earlier, I just started giving 3-5 year olds dance lessons. Tuesdays are the 3 year olds. The 1st class I taught, 2 weeks ago, went okay. The Toddlers screamed, not cried, screamed as soon the parents left the room. Because of this, I allowed the parents to sit in the studio and watch. They were not a distraction, in fact the kids performed better with the parents there. I mean how independent can you expect a 3 year old to be?

The 2nd class, last week, a mother insisted on all the parents staying out of the room for it was an unnecessary distraction to the learning. I disagreed and allowed the parents that had attached kids to stay in the studio, while all the parents were more than welcome to sit outside the room. That "more that welcome" I just stated, was for a certain mother if you catch my drift.
Frustrated the...assertive(?) parent sat outside the room and complained to the other parents. If you ask me THAT'S an unnecessary distraction.

Fed up with the class, the mother withdrew her kid fron the class. Yes, she took out her kid because I allowed the parents to be in the studio. I could understand if they were a distraction or if I al around failed as a dance teacher, but that is not the case. Let me tel you however, I felt terrible. It was only my 2nd time teaching and I really did feel like I failed. Hence, the reason why I decided to go to another dance class and observe the teaching. Guess who I ran into.

As I walked into the much bigger and nicer studio I saw, Mrs. Assertive. Pretending like we didn't see eachother I walked right into the studio and watched. Come to find the more experienced teacher used skills similair to mine. I certainly need improvement, but I realized I did't fail at all. After talking to the teacher I felt much better. She said there will always be a parent who disagrees, a child who will push my buttons, and a lesson plan I can barely deal with. I just need to see that, for an 18 year old, I am doing fabulous. My dream is to teach dance...and here I am. I may not have a big class, it may not be the best studio, but I'm teaching. I'm starting my dream and I won't let one parent's opinion get into my head and ruin my confidence. There is my venting, despite the fact I only have 2 followers, one of them being my mom, I feel better.

Don't postpone the simple things

Before I officially explain this blog, let me just say I postpone showers like the water will kill me. Too personal to put in a blog? Sorry, I'm very open. Anyways...

My studio is about 30 minutes away from my home, and the drive there is always filled with traffic and break lights. Usually my routine is to squeeze in a nap, wake up at 5, stretch, get dressed, and leave by 5:30. (Keep in mind today is Friday. Fridays are my pointe classes, my most important class of the week.)

Today, however, my routine got slightly jumbled. I got up at 5:00 jumped in the shower, tied my hair in a tight bun, threw on some make-up, and looked at the time. 5:40...I didn't do a double take, I just stared with a furrowed brow. By the time I got my multiple layers of dance wear on it would have been 5:50. By the time I got to the studio it would have been 6:20-6:30. Confused as to how the time went by I remembered...shower. If only I had done it 2, maybe 3, days ago I would have been on time and dancing rather than typing about my missed class.

In order to make up for my missed practice, I tied up my pointe shoes and did about 30 minutes of plies, degages, eleves, releves, and battements. My ballet barre was the back of a computer chair, BUT at least I danced today. So, please note, it is day 2 of my 365 days of dancing.
Note #2 Don't postpone the little things, getting gas, doing the laundry, picking up a gift, or even taking a shower. It's not worth the rushed time.

success.

Every Thursday I teach Beginning jazz, hip-hop, and ballet to 4-5 year olds. It's very new to me because I have never taught children so young...I have never taught children period. Today, however I felt much more confident than last week. Most of the kids willingly went into the dance room and were excited to start. I started them off with some very simple and basic stretches then jumped right into the hip-hop. It was probably the only time I ever found little kids with attitudes adorable. I had them cross there arms over their chests, stomp there feet, and nod there heads.
After 30 minutes of stretching and hip-hop I started basic jazz. I learned from last week trying to teach the kids terminology such as, chasse and shanae mean nothing to them. So instead I had them "skip in the field", "leap over puddles", and "turn like the wind". This was much easier for them to understand. Then came ballet.
I had all the kids migrate to the ballet bar. Now no matter what kind of bar it is, in the children's mind it is looked at as, a monkey bar. My 20 minute bar schedule turned into 5 minutes of telling them not to climb on it, 3 minutes of "I'm thirsty", 5 more minutes of explaining how to turn out your feet, the remaining 7 was rushed plies, releves in 1st and 2nd position.
Despite the ruined schedule, mixed terminology, and rushed timing, the class went very well and I enjoy teaching them as they teach me.

failing at flailing gracefully

Yesterday I worked on my solo. There is a combination I have been trying to conquer and am determined to put in my solo. The combo is a double shanae right into a single stag right into a double stag and ending with a "C" jump.
Now for those of you who have no idea what that is, the best way I could explain this is by saying the dancer is constantly jumping into the air while turning with the legs bent in different positions for each jump. It is, what I call, flailing gracefully. I however just flail.
I get up in the air for the single stag and complete it nicely, then the double stag, and by the "C" jump...I am simply flailing. My head can't comprehend all the turning and no gravity, my legs stiffen when I attempt to bend them, and my arms do something I can't exactly call graceful.
I have 2 weeks until the auditions and I will learn to dominate the single stag, double stag, "C" jump ending. I WILL flail gracefully.

official 1st day.

So today is my official 1st day of beginning my 365 days of dance. Since I don't have work until 4 today I have made it my "todo" day. After I finish tending to my firebelly toads, I will begin working on my solo for a performance at my old school. The auditions are Feb 5th, and it has to be perfect. I'll write how it goes tonight. Stay tuned!!!

-Marissa

(love you mamma)

my first blog

this is my blog stay tuned