Ballet

Ballet class starts tomorrow night and I'm super excited! Image via Soft Serve Girl.

Ballet

Today, I ended my 18 month (I cannot believe it has been that long!) ballet hiatus and celebrated by purchasing a pink skirt! Despite the fact that I'm 26 and most ballerinas peak before they're 30, I'm super excited to start classes at a school in my neighbourhood at the end of September. Image via Beyond Robson.

Ballerinas

I'm finding myself missing ballet class (despite being the worst ballerina of all time). Images via Ballerina Project, which offers so much inspiration to get back to it and dance! You can read more about the Project here (found via Cup of Jo).

P.S. I think I'll attend the Connie Parsons School of Dance open house in a few weeks to sign up for adult ballet classes!

Tunes

We've decided to make our own iPod playlist of music for our wedding reception (made possible by a docking station and complete sound system at our venue). The result of this decision has been a significant amount of YouTube surfing to find just the right mix of songs that set just the right mood. So far we've created a YouTube playlist of potential songs for the cocktail portion of our reception. If curious, check out our current selections here. All images via Jonas Peterson.

Ballroom

We all know that staying active is important. Last winter, I explored ballet. This winter, Greg and I will be taking dance lessons together. I'm so excited! While we haven't selected the style of dance yet, I'm leaning towards the romance of ballroom dancing.

Dance booklet cover via Calsidy Rose.

P.S. Don't you love this vintage 1937 illustration? The booklet promised to teach folks "to dance their way to popularity and good times."

Tutus

This photo of tutus makes me miss my ballet lessons that are on hiatus this summer. Image via English Muse.

I'm also loving these candid portraits from Urban Weeds. Capturing natural beauty is the best!

Talent

Fake it 'til you make it; truer words have yet to be uttered as regards my creative abilities. I wasn't born with perfect pitch or poetic vigour. However, I have tried my hand at tap dancing, painting, singing, theatre, violin and ballet. With such a string of ventures (many short-lived), one could come to the conclusion that I give up too easily (and they'd be half right).

While I do feel pangs of jealously when I see others create in ways that seems to be effortless from the outside, I think the most cathartic way for me to release creative energy is through the written word. I don't linger for long with the green eyed monster. While I've enjoyed the other pursuits, I don't feel empty without their accomplishments and embellishments.

This love affair with words began a long time ago. As a child I wrote poetry and preferred to play with books over dolls. In the midst of my teenage angst, I dabbled in online journalism and wrote a short story that to this day I reflect upon fondly. In my university years, I wrote a bi-weekly newspaper column. For a long time I missed that writing, and in fact, many days I still do. Thinking about words (and even fonts) excites me. Thankfully writing, albeit not of the creative bent, is a major component of my current profession.

Greg and I chatted about creative energy on our road trip. We were exposed to poets, actors, musicians and potters. The joy that stretched across their faces when talking about their art was infectious. It got us to thinking about our own energies. In thinking back on that side-by-side chat on a hazy Saturday evening, I write this post as a commitment to myself to delve into writing more thoroughly. I'm sitting at a juncture in my life right now, and I'd like to use my pen more frequently in this next chapter. I'm venturing forward with the intention to write another short story. We shall see where this pursuit takes me. I think this is one of those truck stops.

Image via Janny Brocken.

P.S. I haven't given up on ballet, and hope to continue in the fall.

Ballet

Ballet class has been improving.

I should rephrase my previous statement; I have been improving at ballet. Ballet requires all my concentration just to make a semi-passable movement. The dance isn't for the faint of heart either; your feet are bound to cramp and ache after a good class. I have such admiration for ballet dancers like Beatriz Stix-Brunnell. These women (and men!) truly blend artistry from the waist up with athleticism from the waist down. It is only now occurring to me that my face, my expression is as important as my feet work when I dance. I have much to learn and am happy Dance Alberta will be offering classes throughout the summer.

I am inspired by the three hundred years of dancers that came before me and have accomplished what I certainly will not (time and natural talent not being on my side). Photographer Richard Calmes has beautiful galleries of ballerinas that showcase the grace and elegance of the dancers and the dance. Here are some images that inspire and encourage me:

If I have learned one thing from my three months in ballet, it is that you must in your life take on and work towards mastering skills and abilities that do not come naturally to you. I have long said I have no rhythm. While this has not changed much, I now am doing something about it instead of accepting the title I foisted upon myself. There have not been too many occasions in my life where I have tried things that I didn't already know I could conquer. Ballet opens up my possibilities beyond just 'doing what comes naturally'.

Photos via Richard Calmes.

St. John's

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador - City of Legends

St. John's

I was raised in the oldest city in North America. Originally known as "Rio de San Johem", St. John's has English, Italian and Portuguese roots. History remarks that Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto landed in Bonavista on June 24, 1497 and found a sea brimming with cod fish. St. John's was selected as the capital due to its strategic, sheltered harbour. Its main drag, Water Street, is the oldest street in North America and was developed between 1541 and 1546. Settled in the beginning by fishermen from South Devon, St. John's eventually grew to become the centre of commerce and politics in the province.

St. John's is also minutes from the most easterly point in North America, Cape Spear. The city is wrapped in the North Atlantic. And though I am biased, I think it is home to the friendliest crop of people in Canada. Since 1949, St. John's has been the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

If your travels happen to bring you to St. John's, here's how I recommend you occupy your time:

Where to Stay: Should an extended stay in the city be in the cards, I recommend Hometel on Signal Hill. Though brownstones are not traditional St. John's structures (they're more indicative of a modern remake of homes in Dublin), the location of these rooms and houses at the base of Signal Hill and on the eastern outskirts of downtown makes them a worthy consideration. For more traditional St. John's flair, orient yourself in Jellybean-centre Gower Street at one of the row house bed and breakfasts. The Narrows and Bonne Esperance are notable options.

Bonne Esperance

Where to Eat: Fine dining options have grown exponentially in recent years as the city has blossomed into an oil and gas capital. For breakfast, roll down to Duckworth Street's The Bagel Cafe and Figgs for hearty fare. For lunch, check out the Austism Centre's Pantry at Shamrock Farm for fresh soups and salads. For dinner, overlook the Atlantic Ocean in nearby Portugal Cove-St. Phillip's at award-winning, Atlantica.

Atlantica

For those seeking a vegetarian meal, try The Sprout on Duckworth. For a traditional Newfoundland meal, try Bacalao. Ensure you also make time to grab a hot chocolate and cheesecake at Coffee Matters on Military Road. Aqua, Blue on Water, Basho, The Gypsy Tea Room and The Vault are sure to please those looking for fine dining.

Where to Drink: Spend time catching up with friends over cocktails and spicy wedges at the Australian coffee house and cafe, Tangled Up in Blue on Bates Hill. Reflect on your college days at The Republic. Get screeched in at Christian's on George Street. Taste local beers at the Quidi Vidi Brewery in Quidi Vidi village.

Quidi Vidi Brewery

Where to Shop: Twisted Sisters Boutik on Water Street is the premiere shop for Canadian designers, great shoes and locally made purses and jewelry in the city. August and Lotta Stockholm nearby offers chic Scandinavian designs and great leather shoes. For fun, locally designed and made t-shirts, try Living Planet. Belbin's Grocery on Quidi Vidi Road is a wonderful family groceteria with healthy take-away options and smiling service.

Earrings at Twisted Sisters Boutik

Sites to See: Signal Hill where Marconi sent the first telegraph. Icebergs in May and June. The Royal St. John's Regatta on the first Wednesday in August. The Rooms provincial museum and art gallery. The Battery fishing village at the edge of downtown. The St. John's Haunted Hike for ghost stories. The Grand Concourse Authority's walking trails, namely Rennies River. The intricate Rawlins Cross. The pink-white-green tricolour flying on the Southside Hills overlooking St. John's Harbour. Irish step dancing lessons from Shawn Silver.

All photos are from the respective websites listed.

Stretch

Ballet class is getting better. I am learning to concentrate more and to feel the placement of my legs, back and arms, instead of staring at my feet or being unable to peel my eyes off the mirror. I particularly enjoy the floor stretching sessions that we go through mid-class. As a result, I have stretching goals. It has occurred to me that if I post these goals here, I might actually undertake the practice to meet my goals over the next year.

Right now, this is the easiest sort of position for me. It is right out of the pages of any big box yoga class.

Surprisingly, this stretch is easy to get into and hold. It is my one dance class victories. The actual difficulty of this position is unknown to me, but it makes me feel as if I am making progress, even if I have been able to orient my body in this way long before I started talking ballet lessons.

This is my (lofty) goal. I have read up on how to work up to doing the splits. It seems an impossibility from where I am now.