Once a Dancer... is an autobiography written by Alregra Kent, through her eyes. Her story was written to tell people her story and struggles as a young, flourishing dancer, and it did just that. Born as Iris Cohen, it begins in her childhood where you learn of her parent's separation, and the changing of her name. As a young girl, she always longed to dance, but didn't get farther than her living room, because her family didn't stay in one place long enough to begin lessons. Eventually, when they settle down a bit in New York, and she was eleven years old, she began lessons at the School of American Ballet. At first she was uncoordinated, and nothing close to a beautiful dancer. At first she thought she was squandering her time on something she could never succeed at. But she had no qualms. She leaped high, pointed her toes, listened to every word of her instructor Irina Najinska, and improved greatly within her first year. She was happy to finally have the supp rt of her mom, but she still needed something all to herself. So she never expressed her emotions around her mom. "No one can touch silence." (page 39) She believed that silence was as loud as anything else.
After dancing for three years, she was recognized by George Balnchine. A famous and well respected choreographer. As her dancing developed, she danced with New York City Ballet, and traveled all around the world performing lead roles such as Ivesiana, Agon, and Bugaku. Jumping high, and being light on her toes made her become world famous. She retired from professional ballet in 1981 and began to teach.
Year by year this story went through her life. There wasn't much dialogue at the beginning. Towards the end there was more talking and less "in her head." Which made things a little more exciting. Writing all her life events in order definitely helped with knowing and understanding when things happened. One thing that kept the book interesting were the random quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They all had something to do with dance, and Alegra's experience in dance. Not only were they entertaining, but also demonstrated the way Alegra thought about life. "Commit the oldest sins, the newest kinds of ways." (Shakespeare, page 107)
This book demonstrates a lot about dance. It shows the difficulty of training and learning technique. It also shows how one must give their life to dance if they want to be successful. They cannot care about where they live, where they are touring, or how much money they make. They must be dancing out of love for ballet. If dancing for the love of money, you are in the wrong profession. "...I relied on dance itself." (page 134) It also shows how ballet can portray hidden emotion, for example when Alegra danced in La Sonnambula, "Even though there is death, the illusion of her carrying him upward suggests rising above mourning. Grief is something how transcended through the beauty of the image." (page 138)
I thought this book was very hard to get through. The way it was written often lost me. It would go from something like her mother's behaviour, directly to trying to how much she loved the company. Separately these things made sense, but not together. It was just confusing. I didn't enjoy this book, but critics did. "She danced with talent, great wit, and humor. Now she writes with all three." (Alexandra Danilova) Not once did I laugh at this book, and i never heard anything clever or talented about the writing. Although the story was decent, i would not recommend this book to most people.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Exercise
Because it burns calories that are stored as fats, exercise is a big contributor to weight loss and a healthy life. Exercise can prevent diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis by strengthening muscles, lowering blood pressure and promoting bone formation. It is also a good way to curtail stress, and heighten your self esteem.
Not everyone enjoys exercise, but there are many types to choose from. The most effective are aerobic exercises that involve rhythm and repetition. This includes cycling, cross training, swimming, and walking. Walking, and running are the easiest of all aerobic activities, but cycling and swimming are less straining on the joints, and involve more strenuous activity.
Another type of excercise is stength training. This can help, not only muscles to become stronger, but also tendons, bones, and ligaments. And, stronger musles also help to burn calories more rapidly. Types of strength training are weight lifting and resistance training. In weight lifting, weights are lifted in different ways or on different machines to tone and strengthen muscles. Resistance training often includes elastic bands that are pulled in opposite directions creating tension.
Exercise is an important part of a healthy life. It burns calories, stengthens muscles, and makes the body function more properly. It helps to lose weight, and can help one to feel good, not only physically, but mentally. Great incentives to start exercising!!
Works Cited
Chang, Louise, and Cleveland Clinic. "Health and Diet." Web MD. 2004. 16 Dec. 2008 http://www.webmd.com/diet/exercise-weight-control?page=2
"Types of Exercise." Becomehealthy.com. 2004. Becomehealthy.com. 7 Jan. 2009 http://www.becomehealthynow.com/category/exercisetypes/
Not everyone enjoys exercise, but there are many types to choose from. The most effective are aerobic exercises that involve rhythm and repetition. This includes cycling, cross training, swimming, and walking. Walking, and running are the easiest of all aerobic activities, but cycling and swimming are less straining on the joints, and involve more strenuous activity.
Another type of excercise is stength training. This can help, not only muscles to become stronger, but also tendons, bones, and ligaments. And, stronger musles also help to burn calories more rapidly. Types of strength training are weight lifting and resistance training. In weight lifting, weights are lifted in different ways or on different machines to tone and strengthen muscles. Resistance training often includes elastic bands that are pulled in opposite directions creating tension.
Exercise is an important part of a healthy life. It burns calories, stengthens muscles, and makes the body function more properly. It helps to lose weight, and can help one to feel good, not only physically, but mentally. Great incentives to start exercising!!
Works Cited
Chang, Louise, and Cleveland Clinic. "Health and Diet." Web MD. 2004. 16 Dec. 2008 http://www.webmd.com/diet/exercise-weight-control?page=2
"Types of Exercise." Becomehealthy.com. 2004. Becomehealthy.com. 7 Jan. 2009 http://www.becomehealthynow.com/category/exercisetypes/
Monday, January 5, 2009
WANT
Elongated limbs,
pointed toes.
Injured anima,
empty torsos.
Starving bodies,
starving minds,
other dreams are left behind.
One thing needed,
this above all.
Nothing stops them,
not even the fall.
Spinning on stage,
dancing through life,
a long tangled journey and dangerous strife.
Living in darkness,
chained into love.
Striving for beauty,
controlled from above.
Living a life,
of others' not self,
live in the moment heart on the shelf.
pointed toes.
Injured anima,
empty torsos.
Starving bodies,
starving minds,
other dreams are left behind.
One thing needed,
this above all.
Nothing stops them,
not even the fall.
Spinning on stage,
dancing through life,
a long tangled journey and dangerous strife.
Living in darkness,
chained into love.
Striving for beauty,
controlled from above.
Living a life,
of others' not self,
live in the moment heart on the shelf.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Bibliographies
"The History of Ballet." Tip Toe Dance Wear. Tip Toe Dance Wear. 2 Nov. 2008 http://www.tiptoedancewear.com/ballet-history/
This source contributes information about history of ballet, history of ballet shoes, and dance attire through the ages. Each individual topic is covered through a variety of different categories such as the development of ballet, first ballet instruction, and ballet in America. Also covered is dancing on pointe, pointe shoe designers, dancewear code, and the adaptation of tights.
This site is credible and reliable. None of the information appeared biased, and all the basic information was given. Compared to other sources this website was most helpful because it was short and sweet but contained a lot of information, and it was easy to read. This source wanted to let readers know of the history of ballet and it did just that.
This source was very helpful to me. I found it very easy to understand. Also, it contained the exact information I was looking for, and i could easily translate the information into my blog. It gave simple, quick, background information that i needed to explain where ballet came from.
"Ballet: Ideal Body Type, Injury Treatment and Prevention." Cleveland Clinic. 2008. Cleveland Clinic. 4 Nov. 2008 http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/ballet_injuries/hic_ballet_ideal_body_type_injury_treatment_and_prevention.aspx
This website was full of medical information. It tells the ideal body type a dancer strives for and why a dancer would want that certain characteristic. The shape of the legs, the proportions, and how the feet should work are included, but with explanations of how the muscles and tendons should also work. This website also includes the different stages of dance, and common dance injuries and how they are treated.
This source seemed very true and not biased. They only stated facts. Also, the Cleveland Clinic is a medical center and would not publish any untrue information. It is very professional and lets people know why companies look for what they do.
I loved this website. As a dancer I could relate to all the facts stated. I understood why the most common injuries were the most common, and I learned why dancers look for certain things. I knew it was because it made a dancer more beautiful, but the website explained on much more detail.
School of American Ballet. "Overview." The School of American Ballet. 2008. School of American Ballet. 12 Nov. 2008 http://www.sab.org/school/overview.php
The overview of School of American Ballet contained mostly information on what kinds of student they take, and how much they practice. The faculty was introduced, many of which have worked with Balanchine. Also, opportunities to perform was included which stated which performances they performed, and how one can get a role.
The School of American Ballet is very, very, well known. Therefore this source is very credible. All facts assumed to be true, and nothing seemed exaggerated. This source easily informs people of what to expect from the school.
This source wasn't the most helpful. I had wanted to know the history of the school, but all I could find was the very brief overview. I did use a lot of information out of this source, but I wish I could have gotten more.
"Eating Disorders." National Institute of Mental Health. June 2008. National Institute of Mental Health. 4 Nov. 2008 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders/complete-publication.shtml
This site has information on eating disorders. It tells about how to tell whether or not someone has an eating disorder. It also tells exactly what an eating disorder is and how to treat them.
Being a medical institute, this source is completely true to its facts. All the facts are credible, and the information is laid out clearly. This source achieves the goal of informing people about eating disorders and what we can do to help.
This source told me lots of things that i didn't know. I didn't know much about eating disorders, but this source told me all I needed to know about them. It also helped me connect eating disorders to ballet.
"A Brief History." The Julliard School. The Julliard School. 14 Nov. 2008 http://www.juilliard.edu/about/history.html
The history of Julliard contained mostly information on the past and background of the Julliard School. It talks about how it was founded and who founded is and about the program Also, opportunities to perform was included which stated which performances they performed, and how one can get a role.
This source is very reliable. Julliard has a big reputation to live up to so, the information is clear and credible. It doesn't say anything like "this school is the best" and only states facts. It also helps people to know what the school is all about.
This source was only helpful for one of my blogs, but for that one, it definitely did the job. I learned lots about Julliard that I didn't know before, and I could easily compare facts about it to other schools.
Ellis-Christiansen, Tricia. "What is Ballet?" WiseGEEK. 2003. 15 Sept. 2008 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ballet.htm
This website was loaded with information. It mainly focused on where and why ballet originated. But it also talked about the clothing, and technique of long ago ballerinas. It briefly talked about famous dancers and choreographers in the past, and their favorite composers to dance to.
To tell this source is credible is near to impossible. Wise Geek seems very unprofessional in their formatting. The only thing to show that this source is credible, is that it has the same information as many other reliable sources.
I enjoyed using this source. It helped me understand in detail how dance was a long time ago. It helped me complete my background blog with the history and progression of dance. Although this source may not be very reliable, i learned a lot from and it and used a lot of the information for class.
This source contributes information about history of ballet, history of ballet shoes, and dance attire through the ages. Each individual topic is covered through a variety of different categories such as the development of ballet, first ballet instruction, and ballet in America. Also covered is dancing on pointe, pointe shoe designers, dancewear code, and the adaptation of tights.
This site is credible and reliable. None of the information appeared biased, and all the basic information was given. Compared to other sources this website was most helpful because it was short and sweet but contained a lot of information, and it was easy to read. This source wanted to let readers know of the history of ballet and it did just that.
This source was very helpful to me. I found it very easy to understand. Also, it contained the exact information I was looking for, and i could easily translate the information into my blog. It gave simple, quick, background information that i needed to explain where ballet came from.
"Ballet: Ideal Body Type, Injury Treatment and Prevention." Cleveland Clinic. 2008. Cleveland Clinic. 4 Nov. 2008 http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/ballet_injuries/hic_ballet_ideal_body_type_injury_treatment_and_prevention.aspx
This website was full of medical information. It tells the ideal body type a dancer strives for and why a dancer would want that certain characteristic. The shape of the legs, the proportions, and how the feet should work are included, but with explanations of how the muscles and tendons should also work. This website also includes the different stages of dance, and common dance injuries and how they are treated.
I loved this website. As a dancer I could relate to all the facts stated. I understood why the most common injuries were the most common, and I learned why dancers look for certain things. I knew it was because it made a dancer more beautiful, but the website explained on much more detail.
School of American Ballet. "Overview." The School of American Ballet. 2008. School of American Ballet. 12 Nov. 2008 http://www.sab.org/school/overview.php
The overview of School of American Ballet contained mostly information on what kinds of student they take, and how much they practice. The faculty was introduced, many of which have worked with Balanchine. Also, opportunities to perform was included which stated which performances they performed, and how one can get a role.
The School of American Ballet is very, very, well known. Therefore this source is very credible. All facts assumed to be true, and nothing seemed exaggerated. This source easily informs people of what to expect from the school.
This source wasn't the most helpful. I had wanted to know the history of the school, but all I could find was the very brief overview. I did use a lot of information out of this source, but I wish I could have gotten more.
This site has information on eating disorders. It tells about how to tell whether or not someone has an eating disorder. It also tells exactly what an eating disorder is and how to treat them.
Being a medical institute, this source is completely true to its facts. All the facts are credible, and the information is laid out clearly. This source achieves the goal of informing people about eating disorders and what we can do to help.
This source told me lots of things that i didn't know. I didn't know much about eating disorders, but this source told me all I needed to know about them. It also helped me connect eating disorders to ballet.
"A Brief History." The Julliard School. The Julliard School. 14 Nov. 2008 http://www.juilliard.edu/about/history.html
The history of Julliard contained mostly information on the past and background of the Julliard School. It talks about how it was founded and who founded is and about the program Also, opportunities to perform was included which stated which performances they performed, and how one can get a role.
This source is very reliable. Julliard has a big reputation to live up to so, the information is clear and credible. It doesn't say anything like "this school is the best" and only states facts. It also helps people to know what the school is all about.
This source was only helpful for one of my blogs, but for that one, it definitely did the job. I learned lots about Julliard that I didn't know before, and I could easily compare facts about it to other schools.
Ellis-Christiansen, Tricia. "What is Ballet?" WiseGEEK. 2003. 15 Sept. 2008 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ballet.htm
This website was loaded with information. It mainly focused on where and why ballet originated. But it also talked about the clothing, and technique of long ago ballerinas. It briefly talked about famous dancers and choreographers in the past, and their favorite composers to dance to.
To tell this source is credible is near to impossible. Wise Geek seems very unprofessional in their formatting. The only thing to show that this source is credible, is that it has the same information as many other reliable sources.
I enjoyed using this source. It helped me understand in detail how dance was a long time ago. It helped me complete my background blog with the history and progression of dance. Although this source may not be very reliable, i learned a lot from and it and used a lot of the information for class.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Nike Cooperation
1 Bowerman Drive
Beaverton, OR 97005
Dear Nike,
As a dancer, I believe that you, Nike, could venture to create the better pointe shoe. Pointe shoes have been made the same for over a hundred years, but I think you could change this. With your unconventional style and athletic knowledge, you could make many dancers happy.
The life of pointe shoes fluctuates between dancers and different foot types, but if made out of something more durable (than glue) they could probably last longer than two weeks. But the structure of the shoe and traditional style must remain the same, because as anal as ballerinas are, we will not allow colored pointe shoes for most classical ballet pieces! But we would love to have a shoe that lasts a month or more.
Also, pointe shoes are not being made with the same quality. Many companies have been slacking in their processes and the shoes just don't feel the same anymore. Just last night, my friend put on a brand new pair of pointe shoes and they were soft in the toes after the first exercise. This had never before happened to any of us and was very, very odd. I think that you could be a reliable source of ballet shoes, and always make a shoe that a dancer can count on to support her when dancing, just like all of your other products.
To conclude, Nike, in my opinion is a very altruistic cooperation. You are constantly coming up with new ideas to help different types of athletes, and i believe that you could apply this also to ballet. Please make the next best pointe shoe!!
Sincerely,
Cheyene Johnson
1 Bowerman Drive
Beaverton, OR 97005
Dear Nike,
As a dancer, I believe that you, Nike, could venture to create the better pointe shoe. Pointe shoes have been made the same for over a hundred years, but I think you could change this. With your unconventional style and athletic knowledge, you could make many dancers happy.
The life of pointe shoes fluctuates between dancers and different foot types, but if made out of something more durable (than glue) they could probably last longer than two weeks. But the structure of the shoe and traditional style must remain the same, because as anal as ballerinas are, we will not allow colored pointe shoes for most classical ballet pieces! But we would love to have a shoe that lasts a month or more.
Also, pointe shoes are not being made with the same quality. Many companies have been slacking in their processes and the shoes just don't feel the same anymore. Just last night, my friend put on a brand new pair of pointe shoes and they were soft in the toes after the first exercise. This had never before happened to any of us and was very, very odd. I think that you could be a reliable source of ballet shoes, and always make a shoe that a dancer can count on to support her when dancing, just like all of your other products.
To conclude, Nike, in my opinion is a very altruistic cooperation. You are constantly coming up with new ideas to help different types of athletes, and i believe that you could apply this also to ballet. Please make the next best pointe shoe!!
Sincerely,
Cheyene Johnson
Friday, November 14, 2008
Falling Economy
The stock market crash is hurting people across the nation. Businesses are going bankrupt, people are losing jobs, and many have gone homeless. A part of our country that is not often mentioned is the dance industry. But this small part of the U.S. has also been greatly impacted by this economic downfall.
Many companies have had to shorten performances, because of this recession. The most surprising is the very successful New York City Ballet. Instead of an intended three week performance, the dates have been shortened by one week. It is sad to think that the most predominant company in the nation is having to shorten performance dates because they cannot simply afford it.
Although the New York City Ballet's loss is nominal compared to the rest of the country, it is still very surprising. Dancers who dance for this company are getting payed less because of the lesser shows. And to begin, dancers do not get payed a lot, so even the dancers in the U.S. are under a lot of turmoil.
Works Cited
Itzkoff, Dave. "Citing Tough Economy, Ballet Shortens Saratoga Season." New York TImes. 4 Nov. 2008. 14 Nov. 2008
Diagram of the Foot
This is a diagram of the bones of the foot. A dancers most valuable attribute is their feet, because, obviously, it's a bit difficult to dance without them. Feet are very intricate and contain very tiny bones which enhance a dancers ability to dance on pointe and can bend and move in beautiful ways for a dancer aesthetic needs.
This is an x-ray of a foot in a pointe shoe. If a dancer were to damage a vital bone in their foot, dancing on pointe would become near to impossible.Works (photos) Cited
http://runsanfran.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/t-shirts-and-running-shorts/
www.chanhongoh.com/diamond_pointe.shtml
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