Getting ready for October!

For the people in Germany it's Oktoberfest (well, probably for "some" others, too), but for me it's a month for breast cancer awareness.

Mother, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, girl, WOMAN.

I carry my ribbon for You <3

Something I have - Iittala's small pink Aalto-vase

Something I have - a pink reflector

Something I have (2 of these) - Iittala's HotCool glass/mug

Something I have - Fiskars's scissor set

Something I have - Fiskars's bag (not the tools though :))

Something I have (a couple of these, with 2 design ones :)) - the Finnish Pink Ribbon <3

Pink Ribbon cancer trust

This is the link to the Finnish Breast Cancer / Pink Ribbon Cancer Trust pages <3

Here's the online shop for Finnish Pink Ribbon products =)

(All pictures found with google.)

Scheherazade!!!

Okay, yesterday was all WOW the whole day... I'll try to summarize things later, but for now, just pictures related to the second piece of FNB's performance (though I Really Did Like them both).

-> wikipedia

-> http://blog.davidhthomas.net/2009/10/clarinet-tone-talk-4-scheherazade-cadenza/

-> http://immoraltales.tumblr.com/post/5600972780

-> http://www.australiadancing.org/subjects/4661.html

-> http://sarabex.tumblr.com/post/7912246872/uliana-lopatkina-and-farukh-ruzimatov

-> www.ooppera.fi (promo photo of the pieces I saw yesterday)

-> http://city.evenemax.fi/FI/Tapahtumat/Tiedot/tabid/281/EvId/141012/language/fi-FI/Default.aspx (Finnish ballerina Tiina Myllymäki :))

-> http://theatrex.net/Ida/scheherazade.htm

-> http://www.criticaldance.com/interviews/2002/ntsisk021030.html

More Muppets - with BALLET!

Hahaha! :D Just last night before going to bed I made a post with a video of pdd between me & Nureyev - today I found out this blogpost that's about the top 7 dance-related Muppet Moments!!! :D It really made me smile, because it was a super-similar timing and I real-ly did not know about it as I went to bed.

Go here and read & watch, it's hilarious! :D (Lot's of smiles today ;))
-> Bodies Never Lie: The Top 7 Dance-Related Muppet Moments

***

p.s. Tomorrow no ballet (like today), but maybe Tuesday... Some of M-P's magic?? Who knows... But surely there'll be a night with FNO :)

A pas de deux for me and Nureyev!

...nuff said :D

Dance gear, vol.1

There was a time, when the only things needed for ballet class were: one white leotard / white tights / white ballet slippers / a hairband or something to keep the hair off my face.

Nowadays it goes like this:

-> Wednesday class (90 min. + 30 min. pointe): either ballet pinkish convertible tights Or capri-leggings in some color / dark grey shorts (or some Might call them hot pants) Or the bright blue ones / sports bra / a tank Or camisole top in some color / another tank top with longer hem (colors to choose here also) Or a very-short-sleeved sportshirt (not as snug fitting as the tank tops are) / black shrug / light pink legwarmers (I'm trying to design & knit my own, but too lazy to actually do it) / one pair of ballet slippers (3 favorite pairs to choose from, also some others that are not-so-nice-on-feet) / one pair of pointe shoes (2 pairs that I vary) / depending on the pointes: ouch pouches Or blue gelpads / some tape for toes / bobby pins / water bottle

-> Friday (90 min.): those tights Or leggings (different than on Wed, because I want the stuff to "live longer") / shorts Or the other ones / sports bra / tank Or camisole top (different again) / another tank Or the other shirt (yap, different) / the shrug / legwarmers / ballet slippers (different...) / bobby pins / water bottle

-> Saturday (75 min. + 15 min. pointe): Same as Wednesday, but again different pieces of clothing.

-> Saturday vol.2 (not every week, but 90 min. anyway): Same as Friday, but Again different pieces.


***

What can we think of all this? Well, at least that I'm a geek when it comes to ballet stuff. But also: I. Am. Old. I need to be warm in the beginning already, my muscles (and that stupid left ankle) often feel too tight/jammed and need to be warmed up some more, stretched... And what's with this water?? In my childhood-teenage years/days, we didn't drink during classes. Except in the very last year or too, and even then it was a small mug for each and only a sip every now and then. I feel So Thirsty now. Also I sweat more. (How charming :D)

And with pointes we only used some lambwool and maybe some bandaid. Nobody in our class knew about any fancy pouches or pads. Only with my very last teenage pointes did I buy a pair of foam pads... These days them pouches/pads/cushions/etc. are more a rule than exception. And again - I like it :)

***

So here are the friends of my feet (toes, to be exact).

Junior style, but the larger version.

Love these, too :) ...only they are Ridiculously expensive in Finland... (well, so are the OP's)

These are those Historical first ones, foam pads from Footlight :) (And tiny heap of lambwool.)

***

As I earlier wrote about this certain little cat that wasn't feeling well... She had to be put asleep, permanently :( But it's all okay for her now... Warm thoughts for my brother and his girl.

Bolshoi Ballet - Class Concert 2011

Just bumbed into this lovely production in youtube (don't know if it'll stay there for long, recommend to see it soon). Don't know the coreographer nor the music, but it's all very enjoyable :) And it gets more and more wild towards the end! Also it's not too "serious", tiny sparks of humour are also (maybe) visible... :) All three parts on video here, after them some pictures (took screenprints myself, nothing brilliant :P).








From part one, just loved the skills of these girls! :)

(There are also boys appearing in all three parts :D)

From part two :)

(There's a Lot of other stuff happening in this part, too, but the little girls in the corner were So Cute at the end of this pdd!! :))

From part three :) (A-ma-zingggggggg.... Those jumps and well, Everything.)

Let me just say: WOW...

Adorable <3

Everyone :)

Thank you.

Pointes of my life, vol.4

Capezio Contempora's :)

I still remember buying these. It was some Tuesday in the middle of May, I think I was 14,5 years old. We went to Helsinki with grandma & grandpa (bless his soul), to the Footlight-shop @ Fredrikinkatu. There was a man and he told me to sit, then took a look at my feet (without shoes of course) and guessed my size exactly right :D He then brought couple pairs and I tried them on. This pair felt just perfect. We bought some satin ribbon too, and a pair of "foamy" toe pads (a bit like these). Before them I'd been using only tape/bandaid and lamb wool, so they felt luxurious! :) All this happened during the school day, don't know how mom had gotten me a day off school hours :P When we came back home, I went to a music history exam (and got 4½ out of 5!!). It was a Gooooood day :)

Other photos...

You can almost see it here: I cut the fabric/satin from the platform, but didn't sew the sides. Instead I put some glue on them and let it dry. They stayed quite neat all the way :D

I really like this picture of a dancer. Too bad they don't have it anymore on the shoes.

O means oikea = right (on the other shoe there's V for vasen = left).

***

I had 2 classes on Saturday and the next one is on Wednesday. 3 days without classes feels TOO LONG!!! Yesterday I took a look at the "exercise schedule" of my first dance school. There is a 90-minute-long stretching class on Monday evenings and a "jomon shindo"-class on Sundays that I find the most interesting. Maybe I'll buy a card for 10 classes and go every now and then... Last night I wrote in fb that this addiction is horrible! One lovely friend (who's very much into dancing tango and all that sorts) corrected me: "It's not an addiction. It is passion." I do agree :) And what a healthy passion this is... Keeps me in better shape than in Years. YAY for that ;)

***

What would a Monday be without some gloomy news... In our family "circle" there's a small cat (not mine, this one), who's having an operation done tomorrow. If it doesn't help her, there's very probably going to be a shot/vaccination that takes her to the greener grounds... :( Let's all hope for the better way, for the operation to really help. She's so pretty and small and lovely and all, most of the time. But the other side ain't nothing that nice. Not at all. And it's very sad.

***

For today's weather.

Not Her, but very much alike... Found this cutie from weheartit.com.