Birthday Girl....

   Wow. It has been a very long time since I have blogged. Way too long! So much has happened since last time. Well I had to sing 'Maybe This Time' from Cabaret again. It didn't go as well as the last time. I felt horrible that day. I woke up nauseous and tired. I got through the day however, and went on to spend my birthday weekend in a celebratory way. Friday night, the 19th of November, I went to East Side Mario's with my two friends Dominique and Emma. We had a great time! Our waiter was great. He brought me a piece of chocolate cake and a gift certificate for a free lunch for my birthday. After dinner we went to Starbucks, and then I dropped them off at home. Later that night I went to Sara's birthday party. I consumed a few beverages and had a great night. Met some new people and had a really great chat with my friend Ricki. Later that night we took Sara home and then Ricki walked me home. It was freezing out and I was wearing ripped tights and heels. I was frozen to the core. I think that night is the cause for my current lung issue.
   Saturday night was my birthday party. I had Emm, Danica, Amber, and of course Davin here. We had a great time. I consumed a few more beverages and we spent the night singing to old school tunes like the backstreet boys and spice girls, playing skip-bo, and chatting. I had cheese cake as my cake. It was great. On Sunday my Dad and Patsy came up. We went out for lunch and then shopping. I got some new clothes and other random house stuff with my birthday cash. We had a good time. After we got back, my dad put some shelves up and then they went home. Danica, Emm, Davin and I spent the rest of the night watching Paranormal State and playing skip-bo. It was a good night. I felt it the next morning though. Ballet was torturous. My body was very sore and exhausted. Monday was my actual birthday and I got around 50 birthday wishes on facebook! It was so great! Thank you everyone for that! It really made me smile. Tuesday was the worse for exhaustion. We had our crazy/ awesome Jazz teacher and she kicked my ass... again. I was absolutely dead after that class. I think I went to bed early that night. At some point I caught up on my sleep. Thursday morning I happened to wake up with a horrible cough. I spare the details, but it wasn't pretty. I ended up not being able to sing that morning. It may have worked out for the better though because now I can use that song as my exam and as my last song performance in class. Later that day I left for Belleville. I had an appointment, but I had some time before it so I went and surprised my friends Jen and Julie at Curves. They were extremely shocked and excited to see me! It was great! After my appointment I went to my good friend Ali's. It was a lot of fun. We spent our time just hanging out and looking at her scrapbooks that she had created. They are very well put together. She needs to have them in a gallery. She did one of Prince Edward County, which is my home as well, that she should put in a museum in the County. It is very well done. Later that night I went to my best friend's place. Jessica's little sister was there. We had a good time just hanging out and chatting. I spent the night there and woke up very early in the morning to drive back to Brockville and go to school. That day was very long and I was very exhausted. I really don't know how I managed to go out that night, but I did. It was Holly's birthday party that night. I had a great time. I consumed some more beverages and then at the end of the night I walked home with Ricki, Sara, and Michael. Ricki walked me back to my apartment, but first we made a stop at MacDonalds. I hate that it is right beside my place, I just have to say that. As we were leaving the restaurant, Ricki and I had our arms linked, and a guy yelled out, "She's a keeper, she's gorgeous!" Ricki was like, "hehe, he thinks we're together." I was like, "hehe, he thinks I'm gorgeous." It was really funny. After he left I ate and went to bed. I spent Saturday hanging out at my place. Davin had some of her family that lives very close to where I'm from come down. They were really nice. Later that day I went to the theater and saw "Burlesque". It was absolutely amazing! I recommend everyone see it! Cher has been my hero since I was 10, and I love singing Christina Aguilera! It was a perfect match. As soon as it comes out on DVD I am buying the special one with extra features, and I am going to buy the soundtrack as well. It was so great! Then that night I had a few friends over to watch "Eat Pray Love". We were all nodding off so we decided to call it a night. The next morning I watched "Eat Pray Love" and it was very good! I loved it. So touching. I watched it again later and played some skip-bo alone. I spent Sunday basically just relaxing. It was great. ♥ 
   Monday, yesterday, was a good day. Ballet went really great. Jazz did as well. I also had a chance to talk to some friends about some stuff and we are now closer. It was a really great day. Today has gone very well as well, minus getting soaked walking home due to the torrential rain we are having. Although I really don't see the difference from any other day here. I swear it rains every other day. I have class now, so this wraps up another post. ♥

History of Jazz Dance

Cheryl,
   This is my Jazz Assignment. Feel free to check out the rest of my blog as well. I was originally going to do my assignment on Bob Fosse, but ultimately decided to do it on the entire history of Jazz dance. I changed the names of my links and works cited, but if you click on them it should take you right to the site. Also, if you'd like, you can sign the comment box that is further down the page on the right. :)

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History of Jazz Dance

   Jazz dance has been around since the late 1800's. African slaves created and practiced jazz dance as an emotional outlet and a form of exercise. The plantation owners allowed this as it kept them fit enough to work in the fields. Most of the original Jazz moves were created in this time. It became more popular with the combination of European jigs and American culture. The first official Jazz dancer was Joe Frisco (seen on left). He performed his Jazz in Vaudeville acts across America from 1910 to the 1930's. "His popular jazz dance act (called by some the 'Jewish Charleston') was a choreographed series of shuffles, camel walks and turns," (Wikipedia). Jazz was performed mostly in Vaudeville acts, night clubs, and restaurants.

   In the 1940's, Jazz dance began being taught in studios and got much more popular. It then went on to the Broadway stage soon after. From there it was formed into the more modern jazz style we all know and love today. Jack Cole (seen on right) had a major role in the modernization of theatrical jazz dance. " He developed a mode of jazz- ethnic- ballet  that prevails as the dominant dancing style in today's musicals, movies, nightclub reviews, television commercials, and music videos... [he] won a place in choreographic history for developing the basic vocabulary of jazz dancing- the kind of dancing done in nightclubs and Broadway musicals," (Wikipedia). Jack Cole's style inspired many of the very famous jazz choreographers, including Bob Fosse. Fosse began performing in the late 1940's. The famous musical Kiss Me Kate was one of his first screen appearances in 1953.

   It was this scene that Bob Fosse (seen on left) choreographed in Kiss Me Kate that began his choreography career. He choreographed his first full show in 1954 and began directing as well in 1960. "Fosse developed a jazz dance style that was immediately recognizable, exuding a stylized, cynical sexuality. Other notable distinctions of his style included the use of turned-in knees, sideways shuffling, and rolled shoulders," (Wikipedia). There are many memorable Fosse- oriented musicals, but the most memorable are Chicago, Pippin, Cabaret and All That Jazz, which is semi- auto biographical. Unfortunately, in 1987, Bob Fosse died of a heart attack. He has since been honoured for his contribution to theatre and dance by way of many Tony Awards, Academy Awards, and Emmy Awards. There is also a Broadway show called Fosse and a documentary on his dance contributions. Jazz dance is the currently the most common form of dance offered in any studio and the most used form of dance in any musical production. Many teachers believe that having a strong classical ballet background is an asset to jazz dance as it allows for the strength needed to perform.

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Works Cited

Jazz Dance

History of Jazz Dance

Wikipedia - Joe Frisco

Wikipedia - Jack Cole

Wikipedia - Bob Fosse

Two Weeks of Chic

   So much has happened in the past two weeks. Last week in school, I had two really good ballet classes, and two really great Jazz classes. I had a Choral exam which I did very well on. I performed my Shakespearean Sonnet, kept a three day food journal, and took a Music History exam. I did really well on both my performance and my exam. I also had my bursary dinner. It was a great night. I brought Kearyn Vos with me. We sat with some people from our program and our dance teacher. It was all around a great night. That weekend I spent at home, alone. I rearranged the living room, cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, and my room. I didn't have computer because it was in for repairs. Turns out my motherboard was friend and I had to get a new one. I didn't get it back until Tuesday. I wanted to make love it! I also read two plays that week. On Thursday in Modern we had the opportunity to choreograph a short number with a group of three. One of my classmates recorded it, and although he didn't put it on YouTube, he did put it on Facebook. See it here! ♥
  Monday and Tuesday brought two more great ballet and jazz classes. We had a new jazz teacher. She is just substituting as of now, but she was great! I got so much music from her laptop. I can't wait until I can actually download it all. I still don't have everything back on my computer. I got my ballet mark as well. I am doing well. I also got my Modern mark. I am doing very well in it as well. I read another play on Monday as well. I wrote my essay for Wednesday's Acting class on Monday, and my essay for Friday's Anatomy class on Wednesday. On Thursday I performed "Maybe This Time" from the musical Cabaret. I did very well, but I have to sing it again next week because he ran out of time to work with me. He seemed very excited though! Friday was a good day of classes, however, I had to sit out of half of my dance production class because I felt very nauseous. We finished our second production number this week. It is a lot of fun. It was overall a great week!
   Both this week and last week I have been doing a new workout routine. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I go to the gym and do an hour of cardio, and then I do between 200 and 300 crunches. I weighed myself last week and I have lost 15 pounds since mid- September. I am very excited to see that! I don't think I will ever be over 200 lbs ever again! In exactly 8 days I will be 22. It is my champagne birthday this year! I am excited but scared at the same time. I'll be 22... I feel so old, even though I'm not. Saturday night we are celebrating by dinner and a movie. It should be a good night. I'll probably be drunk Friday night! Hehehe... I have to drink that champagne!
   This week was definitely interesting to say the least. Friday night I went to Emma's house. We just chilled for a bit while waiting for Cydney to get home. We were going to go to open mic at Bud's, and then to the Dirty Bird "club". Last minute I decided to drink. I was definitely starting to feel the alcohol by the time Cydney was ready to go. By the time we got there, I was pretty drunk. I sang with "Teenage Dream" on the radio, and the bar went nuts! It was great. Then I sang Heart's "Alone", and a few other songs. It was a great time! We then left Bud's and went to the Dirty Bird. I was really buzzing, and we danced all night. Emma left early, but me and Cyd closed the place. It was a great night! First we went back to Cyd n Emma's, and then I went home. The next day I woke up at 2 pm. Davin came home and Danica came over around 2:30. We went over our scene together and then Amber came over. We had a good time. We watched "Gone in 60 Seconds" and I cooked a great dinner. Then Amber and I went to the movies. We saw "Red". It was really good! The movie theater here is very small, even for me. I came home and went to bed. I feel much better today. I am now just writing and listening to music.
   This week I have to read two more plays, do my Jazz History assignment, and perfect another song to perform next week. It should be a good week. ♥

The Song I am loving at the moment is:

Rihana ft. Drake - What's My Name

My Time, My Place

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Every day that passes, I remember my passions,
I discover myself more and more,
I realize I'm okay and at the end of the day,
I recall why I opened this door.
I'm here for myself, my own personal wealth,
I am an artist just striving to grow,
I'm loving my life, despite the past strife,
I finally feel ready for my show.
Every day is a dance, music is my romance,
This actress is taking her stage,
There is no more fear, no time for more tears,
And I'm forgetting about minimum wage.
It's my time to soar, let go like never before,
My future is what I will embrace,
I'm promising to, love everything I do,
It's my song, my dance, my time, my place.

© Mikenze .. November 4th, 2010
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Evanescence -

Good Enough

Under your spell again.
I can't say no to you.
Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand.
I can't say no to you.

Shouldn't let you torture me so sweetly.
Now I can't let go of this dream.
I can't breathe but I feel...

Good enough,
I feel good enough for you.

Drink up sweet decadence.
I can't say no to you,
And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind.
I can't say no to you.

Shouldn't let you conquer me completely.
Now I can't let go of this dream.
Can't believe that I feel...

Good enough,
I feel good enough.
It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good.

And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall.
Pour real life down on me.
'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough.
Am I good enough for you to love me too?

So take care what you ask of me,
'cause I can't say no.

Intensives & Halloween

   So much has happened in 9 days. Last week we had "Intensives". Monday was Tap and Acting Through Song. Tap went amazing! We learned about the great tap artists from the past and we also learned a new routine. Tap is definitely one of my favourites! Acting Through Song also went great. I had the opportunity to sing 'Listen' from Dream Girls and it went really well. He taught me a lot about how to find my character in each song you sing. Tuesday we had Masters with two amazing Opera singers. I did not sing that day but they taught us a lot about how to find your character as well. Wednesday was really fun. We had a morning of Stage Combat and an afternoon of Commercial Work. In Stage Combat we learned simple punches and kicks. We had to make a story for each too. It was fun. Commercial Work was even more fun because we got to sing the 'Daisy' Sour Cream jingle, as well as a cell phone commercial jingle. We really got some good experience for recording a jingle. Thursday we had the morning off and then we had an Agent workshop in the afternoon. This workshop was a really great learning. I took 3 full pages of notes. It was very informative. Friday was our final day of intensives, and we wrapped it up with an Equity workshop and then a Hip Hop workshop. In Equity, it was really cool to hear every one's opinions and learning about the Actor's Union. Hip Hop was really fun. Although it wasn't true hip hop, it was a nice change of pace in style. It was more contemporary and lyrical with a little funk to it. I had a great time during intensives, but I am really glad to get back to regular classes.

   Throughout the entire week, I spent every single evening trying to reprogram my computer properly. It is the most frustrating process because if one thing messes up, you have to start all over again. So this is what I did... 6 different times! Keep in mind that each time it took me around 6 hours to get it to where I thought it should be. On Thursday I finally got it together properly. I really hope so anyway. I haven't turned my computer on since, and I am kind of scared to! I'm sure it'll be fine though.

   This weekend I decided to go home to visit my best friend and then my father. I needed some "me time". I needed time away from Brockville. I needed my best friend. So Friday night I left for Belleville around 2 PM. I got to Jess' place around 3:30 PM. We spent a good 3 hours hanging out and talking. It was great to catch up! Then we left for Kingston to pick up her sisters. We spent 3 hours running around Kingston. I was slightly annoyed but when we got back to her place, we hung out and had a great time. I slept over that night and went to my dad's on Saturday. We went out to my Grandma's and picked up the stuff my mother had sent down with them. I got a dresser and a bunch of kitchen stuff and sheets. I'm excited to see exactly what I got. I watched a movie with my Aunt that night and then hung out with my good friend Ali. Unfortunately, her father passed away last week. It was very sad, but true to herself, she still had a smile on her face. She is a very strong young woman! **R.I.P. ARTHUR RUTTER** We hung out for a bit and then I went back to my dad's and stayed up until 3 AM figuring out what I had to do on Sunday. Sunday morning was nice. Kenzie, our Chiwawa, curled up beside me and cuddled with me as I was laying in bed that morning. This was the first time he has ever done this, so it was very nice for me. I miss my little man ♥! I left my dad's early that afternoon and stopped at Jess' before I left for Brockville. I didn't stay long. When I got home I unpacked my car and chilled with Davin while watching a Paranormal State marathon. After that we went to our friend's place and hung out for a while. I left around 11:30 PM and hit the hay as soon as I got home. It was a great weekend.

   My program had a great time with Halloween this weekend. Everyone dressed up in their crazy costumes and went to the Halloween Pub on Thursday, the house party on Friday, and then they went to Ottawa to see the interactive version of Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm slightly disappointed that I missed out, but I am satisfied with my weekend. ♥