The Fall Festival

Welcome back readers! This week, my school participated in another dance performance. But don’t worry; it’s not as long or exciting as the last one.

This past weekend, my sister and some of my dance peers performed at St. Mel’s Fall Festival. As a team, we make the executive decision to take this weekend off and not perform, but my sister’s team was eager to do so, and some of my other friends were signed up as well.

Since the call time was not until 6:45, we had all day to sit and relax (I don’t know about you, but I’ve been watching A LOT of ABC Family’s “13 Nights of Halloween” which is really getting me into the mood for Halloween). So at 5:45, I helped my sister with her makeup and costume and she did her hair.

We arrived at St. Mel’s School at 6:40 and went into their auditorium to get ready. The auditorium is HUGE and finding space for everyone to get ready was easy. The stage just outside the auditorium where our dancers were scheduled to perform on the other hand is rather small. What’s more, it’s not very slippery, so it’s hard to turn on (I know from my own experience dancing there last year) and it is hollow, so whenever you land from a leap, no matter how soft, you hear it.

My sister’s dance went on first. The dance was incredibly energetic this time and was a lot of fun to watch (for song and costume info, check out http://adancersbalance.blogspot.com/2015/10/competition-1dance-moms-at-sheer-talent.html). “Ashley” did her solo next. Something about the way the stage lights were positioned made her look stunning and she danced just as well. Her sister “Isabelle” followed and WOW did she perform well! She worked it and made everyone in the audience smile. The duet was next. Unfortunately, I was back stage helping the other girls get their costumes together, so I didn’t have the chance to watch, but from what I’ve heard, they performed well. “Liz” was the final solo. She looked beautiful (so beautiful, in fact, that a couple of boys in the audience were commenting  on her every move, talking about how pretty and amazing she was).

After the dance, my instructor invited people from the audience to come on stage and dance the “Cha Cha Slide” (to make time for some quick costume changes). Everyone looked as if they were having a great time. The special team went on last. For such a big group and such a small space, they adjusted very well.

Following the last dance, most of the girls and the instructors went on a ride. Unfortunately, my sister was too short to go on “The Star Dancer”. As for me, I’m not one for rides that flip you upside-down or rollercoasters, so I wouldn’t have gone on it anyway. My sister, tired and disappointed, wanted to go home, so that was the end of the night.

Thanks again for reading! Tune in next week for more about my crazy life!

Competition #2: "Dance Moms" at NYDA

You know those days when you wake up, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, everything goes your way, and it's just a great day? Well, yesterday was not one of those days.

It was the season’s second dance competition, and my team’s first, which was definitely more than a little nerve-racking. Our day started at about 7:50, when my dad woke me and my sister up, and we had breakfast, did our makeup, got our costumes on, and left the house at 9:15, still sleepwalking.

We drove to Calabasas High School, where the competition was being held. This competition was called New York Dance Experience (or NYDE). This competition was not like any other competition for two reasons. One, the stars of the show Dance Moms once again attended. Second, after you dance, your team stands in the middle of the stage as you listen to the judges critique you live, in front of the whole audience. That was probably the thing that my team was most worried about.

This competition moved a lot faster and was more organized than the one last week. We only waited in line for about 10 minutes. We had a release form signed (just like last time), took a picture holding our release forms, and then got a stamp proving that we had the release forms signed.

From there, we went to the dressing room…more like area, actually. It was a very small space, with no door, just a curtain. My hair was done, and I touched up my makeup. The Dance Moms made their big entrance, but because this was my THIRD Dance Moms competition, I decided to sit out the screaming and yelling outside; been there, done that.

I walked into the auditorium for the solos. The judges were introduced and it began. “Ashley” went first, dancing very well. Her costume looked stunning on stage with the color of the lights chosen for the competition (for performance information see my previous post. http://adancersbalance.blogspot.com/2015/10/competition-1dance-moms-at-sheer-talent.html). Next was “Emma”, performing one of the best I had ever seen.

The Dance Moms came out while everyone was screaming and yelling. I was on the other side of the auditorium (last time I was lucky and was sitting right next to them), but I had done this before, and let other people have a chance.

Mackenzie’s solo came first. It was called “I Just Wanna Sit on the Couch and Eat Chips” (if you’re a fan of Dance Moms, you see the irony in the title). Her dance was actually very cute. She used a couch as a prop and used it very well. Kendall and Nia also had solos. I can’t remember what they were called, but they danced well. Kendall danced a contemporary/lyrical solo and Nia a jazz solo.

The Dance Moms left, and the real competition resumed. “Liz” danced and looked beautiful. The judges were very blunt in their critiques and no feelings were spared.

Because the competition was running behind, there was no official “lunch break” time, so we made our own time to sit outside and eat. While we were eating, the duet went on and I caught it from the doorway. But from what I saw, they were cute and danced well.

As we were finishing lunch, a woman who works for the competition came up to us and told us that we were on in five numbers. That meant five numbers to stretch, practice, sew in the head-pieces, finish getting ready and get back-stage. It was absolute chaos. No one was prepared for this. After being there for almost six hours, we expected to be ready early, but obviously that was not the case.

 

Hastily, we ran backstage just as my sister’s dance went on. Then, something unexpected happened: a team came backstage. I gave one of the girls a little smile as if to say “hey,” or “good luck” and the girl waved back to me. I looked at her jacket to see what studio she was from. Lo and behold, the girl was Jojo. I absolutely flipped out on the inside, but on the outside I was cool and collected.

We finished up practicing just in time to go on. We began to dance (we dance to the song D.A.N.C.E. by Justice) and it didn’t go as well as hoped. I fell out of one of my turns, one of the dancers forgot a step, and another got hurt… the list of missteps goes on. About halfway through the dance, I thought to myself, “If the ALDC girls are backstage, and they’re going on next, does that mean….AAHHH!!!” We were the only dance that Abby and the moms actually watched. The one time we don’t dance well, they watched. That may have been the scariest thing that happened all day.

After we danced, we stood on stage and awaited the critiques. The judges were not kind to the performance. Okay, maybe that’s not completely fair. They were…thorough. Very thorough. I don’t really want to go into much detail about what they said, but it was hard to listen to.

We walked off stage, disappointed. But not too disappointed. Because the ALDC went right after us, and we were in the changing room, we missed their group dance. From what I heard, we didn’t miss much. All I know is that it was called “Hungry like the Wolf” and they wore wolf heads as part of their costume.

It was awards time. Here are the results (the order from least to greatest is Gold, High Gold, and Elite Gold; don’t read the results after “D.A.N.C.E.” if you want to be surprised during the show):

·         “Dead in the Water” (“Ashley”) – High Gold

·         “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (“Emma”) –Elite Gold – Highest Score in Teen Contemporary – 4^th Place in Teen Solo

·         “This is My Now” (“Liz”) – Elite Gold – Highest Score in Junior Lyrical

·         “You Can’t Stop the Beat” (My Sister’s Dance) – High Gold – Highest Score in Junior Line Musical Theater

·         “D.A.N.C.E.” (My Dance) – Gold L (we did BAD)

 

!!Spoiler Alert!!

Dance Moms: Episode Two, Season Six

 

·         “I Just Wanna Sit on the Couch and Eat Chips” (Mackenzie) – Elite Gold – 4^th Place in Junior Solo

·         Kendall – Elite Gold – 3^rd Place in Junior Solo

·         Nia – Elite Gold – 2^nd Place in Teen Solo

·         “Hungry like the Wolf” – Elite Gold – 1^st Place in Teen Group

We got home around 5:30, and just took the time to relax. We laughed about the competition and prayed we’d do better next time.

That was about it! Thanks for reading!

*If you’re interested in seeing the ALDC dances mentioned or possibly one of mine (no guarantees, but you never know…), watch (Dance Moms) episode two, season six (T.V. air date: TBD... I'll let you know).

 

 

Competition #1:"Dance Moms" at Sheer Talent

Hello! Sorry I'm posting this so late in the week, but I needed to wait for what happened this weekend to happen, so here it is.

This week was our first dance competition. MY dance team wasn't competing, but my sister's was and so were my friends' solos. I went to support them and the rest of my teammates.

This competition was a little bit different though: it was against the cast of the show Dance Moms. That means Abby Lee Miller, Gianna Martello, Ava Cota, Jeanette Cota, Maddie Ziegler, Mackenzie Ziegler, Nia Frazier, Kendall Vertes, Jojo Siwa, the newest member of the team Brynn Rumfallow, and their mothers were there. Unfortunately, for all of you Kalani fans, including me, there was no sign of her or Kira. It could have something to do with the baby or the engagement, but it is unclear at the moment. Anyway, let me take you through the process of the competition.

My sister and I woke up at 7:50 or so. I didn't dance at this competition because so many people on my team couldn't attend (we found out about the competition at the last minute). So I got ready while my sister put on her stage makeup (basically, its regular makeup times five) and her costume. It is a dress (with black shorts underneath) with a black sparkly top and a pink frilly skirt. Since the song is "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray (60's style), her hair was styled in a Bouffant.

We arrived in Glendale around 9:45 after a 30 minute drive. This competition was called Sheer Talent, which we have attended in the past. It was held at the Alex Theater, a beautiful Greek theater with incredible architecture and design. As a Greek mythology and history lover, I was absolutely in awe of the décor.

It was brutally hot and standing in my team jacket and pants was awful. We had to get a release form signed (since there was a chance that we were going to be on TV), had to get our pictures taken holding the release form, and got a stamp to verify that a release form was signed. After about an hour of standing in a hot line, my friend and I (let's call her Veronica), who was on my team and also wasn't competing (both of our younger sisters were competing) told the people standing in front of the door that we were dancers and our team was inside. So yes, we snuck in (OOOOOH!).

We went upstairs to the changing area and helped my sister and the other girls finish getting ready. The competition began, but before the dancing could start, the announcer informed us that the Dance Moms were there. What he didn't tell us was that they were the moms from the Abby Lee Dance Company's (ALDC) new rival studio: JC's Broadway Dance Academy (JCBDA). Everyone ran outside and right past the moms. It was a funny moment. Then, the ALDC girls finally came. I was so close to them. It was very exciting.

Everyone returned inside. My sister's dance was first, so she went on. It was one of the best her group had ever done that dance. It was really energetic and amazing. Next, was my sister's friend's solo (we're going to call her Liz). She danced to "This is My Now" by Jordin Sparks. She danced beautifully. Just so you can look for it if you watch the episode, she was wearing a bright blue two-piece costume.

It was time for the Dance Moms solos. JCBDA came out first and I got a picture with Jeanette Cota. When the ALDC came out, I got a picture with Abby Lee Miller. I can't believe I actually got to meet her. I'm so happy. A boy from JCBDA (Gavin; for the Dance Moms fans out there, he used to dance with the Candy Apple's Dance Center ) performed first (after we waited for an hour for everyone to come out). He was absolutely AMAZING!!! His turns were flawless and his extensions were perfection. After the dance, Jojo came out in her costume and told Abby that her solo was not in the program. Abby told her that she wasn't dancing, and Jojo started to cry. I felt awful. Jojo's mom Jessalynn got mad at Abby and told her to let her dance. Abby agreed, but then got mad at the show producers for not having all the dances signed up. She declared that she was going to do the signing up now, and the show went on. The ALDC had two solos: Brynn and Jojo. Brynn is a very pretty dancer, but her choreography was just okay. Jojo had a jazz solo. She has improved a lot since last season, but her choreography was subpar. The ALDC and JCBDA went back to their dressing room, and the show went on.

One of my friends was next (she's going to be Emma). She danced to "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as performed by Lorde (it’s in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire). She was amazing. She wore a forest green two piece. Another one of my friends (Ashley) did a solo to "Dead in the Water" by Ellie Goulding (it’s in Divergent), wearing a dark blue costume. Again, it was awesome. Ashley's sister (Isabelle) went on next for a solo to "Supermodel (You Better Work)" by RuPaul. I love her dance so much. She wore a bright pink one piece and her hair was in a crimped ponytail.

It was lunch break time. My mom got my sister and I Chipotle and we ate in the dressing area. My sister hung out with some of her friends while I took the time to relax. The rest of the girls came back from their meals, and it was time to get ready for the next dance. It was the specialty group dance with some of my sister's friends and some of my friends. They danced to a cover of "Imagine" (I'm not quite sure who sings it unfortunately) and wore a pretty silver one piece. They danced very well. The final dance of my team was a duet by two of my sister's friends. They danced to "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronsan ft. Bruno Mars. They are super cute and I love their dance. They wore a pink and black outfit with a short tutu-like skirt.

After another hour and a half or so, the Dance Moms group dance came on. The group dance was called "The Girl in the Plastic Bubble" and had Mackenzie, Brynn, Kendall, and Nia. Jojo was the girl in the bubble. Maddie wasn't in the dance (she probably had a filming or something in the week so she couldn't learn the dance), but she came in and picked up the deflated bubble off of the stage and received a standing ovation from Abby. JCBDA set up the props for their dance: "The Waiting Room”. Apparently, it took more than 2 minutes to set up the props and get the dancers on stage, which is against the rules. Jeanette, the owner of the studio, argued that the dancers start off stage and were waiting for the music to start (which ended up being true). Abby, taking every opportunity for the other studio not to perform said it was too late anyway. The director of the competition agreed with Abby. After a lot of yelling and arguing, it was decided that the group would dance. The dance ended up being absolutely SPECTACULAR. I got chills it was so amazing. Maybe my expectations were a little low, but I loved the dance. Watch out for another controversy. I'm not sure of the details, but it was something about each studio stealing choreography from each other.

It was awards time. Here are the results (the order from least to greatest is Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and Diamond; don’t read the results after “Uptown Funk” if you want to be surprised during the show):

• "You Can't Stop The Beat" (My Sister’s Dance) - Titanium - 1st Place in Junior Group Line Production
• "This is My Now" (“Liz”)  - Titanium - 1st Place in Junior Solo
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (“Emma”) - Titanium - 3rd Place in Teen Solo
• "Dead in the Water" (“Ashley”) - Platinum - 4th Place in Teen Solo
• "Supermodel" (“Isabelle”) – Platinum in Pre-Teen Solo
• "Imagine" (Special Group) - Platinum - 1st Place in Junior Group
• "Uptown Funk" (Duet) - Titanium - 1st Place in Junior Duet/Trio

     !!Spoiler Alert!!    

 Dance Moms: Episode One, Season Six

 

_____________________________________________________________

• “The Comeback” (Gavin) - Diamond - 2nd Place (I'm pretty sure) in Pre-Teen Solo
• “The Coronation” (Brynn) - Diamond - 1st Place in Pre-Teen Solo
• “Own It” (Jojo) - Titanium in Pre-Teen Solo
• "The Girl in the Plastic Bubble" (ALDC Group) - Diamond - 1st Place in Teen Group
• "The Waiting Room" (JCBDA Group) - Diamond - 2nd Place in Teen Group (completely unfair)

After the awards, my sister ended up getting a picture with Jojo, while others got pictures with Maddie and Kendall.

That was about it. We got home around 7:00. My whole family was exhausted. It was a really long day. But, overall it was a good competition. It ran three hours late and everyone was ready to get home and go to sleep. There is another competition next week (which I am competing in; wish me luck), so I will keep you posted on that. Thanks for reading!

*If you’re interested in seeing the ALDC or JCBDA dances mentioned or possibly one of mine (no guarantees, but you never know…), watch (Dance Moms) episode one, season six (T.V. air date: TBD... I'll let you know).

 

A Dilemma

Hello again! It's Natalie. Unfortunately, last week of dance was not exciting at all. But I have a dilemma and was wondering if you could help me solve the problem.

So, in about two weeks, I am going to a dance competition with the cast of the show Dance Moms. That's very exciting, but I was invited to go to Disneyland the same day. This being Disneyland's 60th anniversary AND Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, I expect that it will be a big celebration. I love Disneyland and have been wanting to go for a long time. I'm pretty positive that I won't be going that day. So, the day after the competition is another day that I could possibly go. The problem is, I have my first rehearsal for my small, special dance group. I'm not sure what I should miss.

Another problem, I'm not even sure whether I want to do the small group. It's just more time that I don't have. With my Bat Mitzvah coming up and homework and friends, I'm don't know whether or not this is the right time. There will be more opportunities, and maybe I should take them instead. But, everybody in my dance group has either a solo, duet, or small group. I don't want to be the only person without something. I don't know whether or not I will feel bad during a competition or when the groups are showing their dances to the class. When I'm at a competition and am sitting in the audience while all of my friends are backstage, getting ready, I may feel horrible. Or I may be relieved that I don't have more to do.

Now, I could always talk to my dance teacher about the group rehearsal time being changed, or talk to my friends' parents about changing the Disneyland date, but assuming that nothing can be changed, what should I do? Please comment your opinions below and let me know what you would do. Thanks!

Until next week...