by jennifer grambs I'M writing this in the woods of Maine. The ocean is a mere few yards away. Trees and shrubs born in this Bar Harbor village surround the screened-in porch I have made my office. It is attached to an impossibly tiny cabin where my husband and I are staying. We have ditched our tent for a few nights to enjoy the comfort of an actual structure with a roof and walls. A one-room wooden homestead, but seems an exotic adventure to us compared to life in a tent. It’s really hot, both the cabin and the weather. When I say hot, I also mean way cool. Birds are chirping. I think they are looking over my shoulder as I write this. I can tell from their manic singing that they find my grammar irritating. Squirrels are playing games, running up and down these spruce trees. They're relaxed and happy; they are not bothered by my phrasing or mixed metaphors. Music coming from my iPad interrupts these idyllic moments. I realize that in the midst of all this wonderful nature, I'm thinking of ballet and Cyndi Lauper and my class-ful of ballerinas and danseur back in the city. How funny is that? Well, for one thing, the song I'm playing is TRUE COLORS, a tune I hadn't paid attention to until Cyndi won all those Tony awards for her Broadway show "Kinky Boots." TRUE COLORS is now a favorite of mine. The words inspire me. Make me want to rebel, to move forcefully. But now with teaching our ballet class so much on my mind, I think of the song as a way for us to stretch and move with strength and attitude. Who knew? If I could, I'd send the class a text message. "Practice your plies and jetes while I'm away," it would say. But I can't text. My iPhone battery has run down. So, instead, I'm blogging a few paragraphs that may not reach a single dancer. In my heart, I feel I'm doing the right thing by suggesting this: Picture the way we always begin class. Both feet firmly planted on the floor, as if we are feeling the energy of the ground beneath us. Imagine that the energy we create springs upward, from our toes to the tip of our heads. | Extend your arms upwards, then out from side to side, down and around. Right arm; left arm. Bend your knees in a slight plie and lift, lift, lift yourself upwards. as if a silver thread connects you to the sky. And do all this as Cyndi sings about Showing Your True Colors. SEE WHAT I MEAN about how the music and Cyndi's words move you to stretch as your muscles warm and your dance movements become easier and prettier? Uh oh, you don't have iTunes or a way to listen to TRUE COLORS? Doesn't matter. You can still dance and stretch. Just think of your own TRUE COLORS. And, as Cyndi Lauper wrote and would tell you if she were your ballet teacher: So don't be afraid to let them show Your true colors True colors are beautiful, Like a rainbow Thanks for stretching, Jennifer |
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Hi Ballerinas,
This first blog isn't about ballet, but it does celebrate a July 4th holiday in the Wild West. So I'm certain you'll enjoy it. To read my article about July 4th in the Badlands of South Dakota on the Lakota Sioux Reservation, just click the following link: http://koakompass.com/12/07/23/fireworks-on-the-frontier/ OR you can simply google Fireworks on the Frontier and add my name. The stetson hat above is an example of some photos you'll see. This is my authentic cowboy hat sitting on the dashboard as we headed West last year on assignment to write and photograph articles about camping in the West. As you'll read in the article, this hat was given to me by a Montana rancher and his wife who we met at a local saloon several years ago in a sleepy, sheepherding town. When I admired the worn hat, Don -- the first real Cowboy I've ever me -- took it off, signed it inside the brim and gave it away...something he does a lot, says his wife, Em -- the first Cowgirl I've ever met. I promised to wear the hat on our travels and write about those adventures, especially on trips back to the West when we visit this wonderful husband and wife ranching team. So far, that amazing hat has travelled up to the Arctic Circle to Barrow, Alaska, as well as New England and Canada, and has even marched in NYC's Easter Parade. But it has never danced in Our Ballet Class. Not yet! *** |
AuthorI'm Jennifer, your ballet teacher. This is where I will blog about anything ballet...and other things, too. So keep checking in.
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