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My mom has told me she used to ask “little me” what I wanted to be when I grow up. When I was around 3, the answer was, “to be an ice skater”(that was during the time of Kristi Yamaguchi). She said when she checked in again, a few months later, I said “a princess”. When my mom told me you can’t be a princess when you grow up, because it’s not a job, I apparently replied, “Well, if I can’t be a princess a ballerina will do. They are just as beautiful.” It was then that she decided to enroll me into Contra Costa Ballet Center, and my dancing career began. You know, I didn’t like ballet very much at first. We constantly had to listen to this boring music with no one singing, keep straight faces, suck in our belly’s, and were not allowed to socialize. All of those things were hard for me, and well for many other little girls, because we were all LITTLE. We wanted to have fun and skip and laugh. Sometimes, if we were good, we were allowed to skip, but mostly ballet and fun did...

Just close your eyes The time has come the clock has stopped and the road is done The path we traveled it was rough somehow we never got enough the emotions in it, kept us with it but my heart and head say stop here we are at the edge of this cliff the voice i hear is in the distant abyss and i wish that i could tell you how when and why but my lips are glued closed and im pissed at the edge that we r standing i can see us maybe fall at the edge that we r standing i can see one step back wont be all cause it takes and takes and takes more than just that to save you and me and break this bad habitat here we are at the edge of this cliff the voice i hear is in the distant abyss and i wish that i could tell you how when and why but my lips are glued closed and I'm pissed Look around you, we are here and I didn't even force you no whispers in ears and no needing to coerce you side by side we may stand but we're on uneven grounds in case you nee...

There aren’t many things that intimidate me, and if there are, I am pretty good at faking it until I’m making it. Contact improv is one of those marvelous things that intimidates, and flat out scares me. Being required to get involved in an actual jam didn’t seem scary until the day I showed up. It’s hard for me to let go of that sense of “being right” when it comes to dance. I come from a place where you must “do everything correctly” or you are a “horrible person”. So needless to say the fear of failing in public scarred me to death and made me so nervous I couldn’t stop shaking. However, having made it through three successful improve jams, I am here to say that there is nothing better than contact improvisational dancing. The initial movement scared me. Many people jumped right into it after warming up, and I had to stretch a little longer than I normally do so I could prepare for what might lay ahead. As I slowly made my way toward the crowd of people I started to over a...

Dear PaPa, I want you to know how much you mean to me. Not just because you are my grandpa, but because you are an amazingly positive, hard working, successful, honest person. I have always felt that whenever I see you there is a light that surrounds you, a glow that never fades (even when you did have cancer). Also whenever you speak it’s almost as if there is a microphone echoing your words into the distance for all to hear. Your pressence is never overlooked and never taken for granted and for that I am not only proud, but honored to know you. Everything you have ever said has always had so much wisdom and positiveness that I have often felt like I needed you in my life more. I am completely thankful to not only have you in my life, but have your blood flow through my veins. There is no other person that is as wise, hard working, giving, humorous, organized, focused, successful and honest as you. If I could only have one or two of those traits more in my life I feel like i...

I want my solo to have some combination of the following words: suspended sharp sudden explosive strong fluid off balance athletic

I've felt invisible lately.  Like in my performances, and even sometimes in my classes.  I was given an opportunity to take a ballet class for free at Shawl-Anderson in Berkeley and I jumped at the offer.  This morning I got up scared and nervous because I haven't danced at a studio in a long time.  I kind of hoped that the teacher would notice me, and she did. She was constantly adjusting and correcting me (which is a good thing in ballet class).  She called me out and even asked me to lead a few times. It was great, but then I thought oh well, she kind of knows me so she is showing me some extra attention.  Well as we were wrapping up pne of the advanced students came over to me and said you danced beautifully, good job.  I was so shocked and excited.  Then I continured to gather my things and another teacher came up to me and said your double turns are just gorgeous, you are a beautiful dancer.  I was so speachless.  Especially be...