March Dance Challenge 31 – Swan Lake

Video

Well here we are then, the end of the month, so the end of my dance challenge! I must admit I have really enjoyed collecting all my favourite pieces of dance, each one of them having a personal meaning to me. I hope for those of you that are interested in dance have enjoyed my choices.

Now what next? What shall I do for April? because now I’m in the habit of posting everyday, I may as well carry on. I have noticed you get more response from photos, than videos, I suppose because it is a bit of an effort watching a whole video, unless you have a great interest in it. So I could go back to posting a photo, or I did think about posting a favourite piece of music of mine everyday, I’m not sure, what do you think?

Anyway, I started the month with my favourite ballet, and I shall end the month with my favourite ballet, this is the entrance of the swans, the corps de ballet. I love the togetherness, the symmetry of the lines and circles, all moving as one, beautiful! I gave this a go once as part as the corps de ballet in London, it’s harder than you think keeping absolutely perfectly together, took a lot of practise!

I look forward to your April challenge ideas! X

March Dance Challenge 23 – Swan Lake Pas De Quatre

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Back to my favourite ballet, and a best dance line up could not be complete without the Pas De Quatre from Swan Lake, danced by the Bolshol ballet.

The ease and togetherness of the dancers make it look easy when actually this is a really tricky dance to dance, especially as you are attached to someone, so if they go slightly out then that pushes you off balance!

So enjoy x

March Dance Challenge 18 – Natalia Makarova

Video

Back to the ballet today!

This footage is just mesmerising!

It of the great Natalia Makarova dancing the dying swan from my favourite ballet Swan Lake. The fluidity of her arms, how she effortlessly glides across the stage, the emotion she puts into the steps, is just wonderful!

Please enjoy! ….. If you are into that kinda thing! X

March Dance Challenge 2 – Swan lake Pax De Deux

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I have this months blog theme…. March Dance Challenge!

Thanks to bemuzin who suggested I blog about what I know best and that is dancing.

I just had to start with the best piece of ballet the pax de deux (French for dance for two) from the best ballet Swan Lake with my favourite dance company The Bolshoi Ballet.

Now it isn’t going to be ballet everyday, I’m going to chose my favourite dances from film, music, theatre, and TV, all different styles, to hopefully suit everyone. So I hope you enjoy me sharing them, and for you non dance fans, I’m sorry, but I will try and write as normal, and dip into my life experiences. The reason I love this ballet so much is explained in a post I wrote a few days ago here

I suggest you listen to this piece of ballet with a good pair of headphones on to get the full effect of the emotion of the music!

I hope it all works ok, because this is the first time I have posted a video off my ipad! X

Feb Photo Challenge 27 – Lets Dance

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Small Steps

Daily Prompt: Let’s Dance

Daily Prompt

After reading today’s daily prompt, I just had to join in today. The question they ask is,
What are your earliest and fondest memories of dance?

As a few of you know, but if you don’t dance has been the main factor in my life. It consumed my childhood and I’m still dancing now. So for the last 42 years I have been dancing.

The question above I think is in two parts, first the earliest memory, which for me was at the age of two and a half. That was my first stage appearance. I was performing in a pantomime, Jack and The Beanstalk, and I was the mini jack who popped out of a pie that jack had been put in and he had shrunk, so my part was to hide in the pie side stage, then the giant pie got wheeled onto stage and out I popped. I did a twirl and a curtesy and then ran off stage being chased by widow Twankie. I remember this in so much detail. So that is my earliest dance and stage performance.

Now fondest will be harder to answer, baring in mind I was going to ballet from the age of two, dancing classes every night whilst at primary age, then off to ballet school at the age of eleven, then off to performing arts college at sixteen, then becoming a performer, then a dance teacher and still a dance teacher till this day. So as you can imagine in the last forty years I have done hundreds of performances, exams and classes, in all sorts of different places, in fields, in theatres, in residential homes, in studios, in village halls, in schools, on floats to name but a few. So to choose the fondest is very difficult.

But then if you look at the question, it says the fondest memory ‘of’ dance, so my fondest memory, that sticks with me, is when I was a child, I don’t know what age, I was taken to see the ballet Swan Lake at the big top. I remember the emotion I felt as I was watching the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was mesmerized, glued to the ballerinas, watching their feet, their extended legs, the mens high jumps and the music just swept me away. Still now when I watch it I could cry all the way through because it is so beautiful, in fact there is a lump in my throat now just typing this. It’s amazing how something can touch you like that, and for someone else they feel nothing.

Swan Lake Pas de Deux

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Small Steps

As dancing has been my life, it would be daft not to have a page where I can share my favourite pieces of dance, or just ones that interest me. So here is my favourite ballet Swan Lake, I love this duet, it makes me cry every time!