The Scottish Play...

As I'm sitting here typing this, I am sneezing and scrubbing my eyes like mad, and drinking plenty to combat a sore throat and headache. I'm cursing hayfever a lot today; I've had too many lessons in silence with my head bent over my work, and also a PE lesson on the running track, which all increased my snotty-nose-iness.

This morning as soon as I woke up, I just knew that today wouldn't be my day. I woke up thoroughly exhausted from a trip I went on last night with school, and took three quarters of an hour getting ready in my room, leaving only fifteen to pack my bag, eat and do everything else I needed to do. And I was already sneezing my head off. So that went very well. And to top it all off, we had to do long-distance running and sprints in PE, my idea of Hell on Earth!

What trip did I go on last night, you may ask? It was a school trip to see a performance of Macbeth (see here for my favourite comedy sketch) in a beautiful park not too far away, and it was amazing!

I'm on the far left

Here's a photo of me and some of my school friends!

Thanks for reading!

Tunesday...

So this is a bit of an old song, but I only found it the other day. Well, my friend Charlie sent me the link whilst we were skyping, and I love it, even though I never knew this movie existed!

Think Happy...37/52...

Aside from endless revision, I'd say that this week has turned out fairly well. You may know that I haven't got to sit my GCSEs until this time next year, thankfully. But on Friday I did have a German Speaking Exam, which could possibly count towards my GCSE grade, if it's good enough. But now that that's over and done with, I can just sit and feel all summery!

1. I had ballet! Eh, if you saw yesterday's post, you might already know that it didn't go to plan at all. But I did get to see my little girls for (mostly) the first time in a fortnight, and Hannah!

Hannah's a size 3 and I'm a 6! The box doesn't help either, I have tall boxes too!

2. I had a peach for the first time in ages!

3. I found out a load more performance dates for dancing, I'm going to be such a busy little bee!

4. I've been on Skype with Charlie and Ezra a lot these past couple of nights, I think it's been three in a row, and that was such a lot of fun!

5. Planning a YouTuber cinema visit soon! Eek!!

I think that's all for now, so I hope your week was better than mine!

Feeling Discouraged...

So time for a reflection post today, I think. At pointe class today, we were working through feet exercises and basically just working in our shoes. It got me thinking of how I really need to break my shoes in, as soon as possible.

I was really struggling today as a result of the inflexibility of the shanks, especially in my left shoe. This has always been my weaker foot, but at least in my old shoes I had managed to get an arch into the shoe and could get over en pointe easily. Now, I could barely do the exercises, much less correctly. I couldn't get fully onto pointe. I mean, I almost did, but I was cursing my near-rigid shank the entire class. I was going over with bent knees and pushing into my arches hard, for goodness sake!

I know it will all come with time and wearing in my shoes. I've been told a million times. But the thing that annoys me the most is that I used to be able to do all of these things in my sleep, and I know how it feels to do them, but I physically can't now! My old shoes were broken in just right, so when I danced in them they felt like a part of me. But my new shoes feel like they're big, clunky and getting in the way when I dance. I can't move freely in them, and it's all down to not being broken in.

Here's a video of me pirouetting in my new pointes. It really shows how uncomfortable I am doing them in these shoes. You can see my shoulders ride up tall and lack of spotting (not that I ever spot for pirouettes anway, just for chainées).

So please, if any of you have any ways of breaking in my shoes faster (or any tips for pirouettes!), I would very much appreciate it! I felt like crying in frustration all through class and afterwards, I really hate this!

Tunesday...

This song is so pretty, as well as short, but is very simple and beautiful!

Think Happy...36/52...

Hi guys, I have had quite a good week, and it's gone so quickly! I wish time could pass more slowly at times like these, when I'm having good days and looking forward to things it almost feels like I'm wishing my life away. But then again, we all just want to have the good things and reject the bad, so I guess it's only natural.

1. I've made some friendship bracelets, both for myself and some friends. I made the green one for Jack, and the rainbow one for a little girl I teach called Amber. Mine are not pictured.

2. My brother made a yummy 'trifle cheescake' at school this week, with fresh strawberries, custard, cream and biscuit. It tasted so good!

3. On Friday I got the opportunity to dance at a large cricket stadium 40 minutes away from where I live. I danced with my dance school, and it was such an amazing experience! We're dancing there again on 23rd July. There were videos taken, but they were so blurry it's unreal, as the pitch was huge! I'm going to get someone to record our next one on my big camera for better quality footage.

4. Yesterday we did another performance, this time at a fundraiser in a nearby town, and I have better videos of that. I've put them on YouTube for you to see, but as unlisted. We danced them back-to-back, so ten minutes of solid dancing.

The links are HERE and HERE!


5. I'm going blonde again! Yay for summer!

So anyhow, that's my week, I hope you enjoyed the videos and photos!

Tunesday...

I think today's song is ever so pretty, one day I'd love to choreograph a dance to it! Hope you like it!

Think Happy...35/52...

This week hasn't been too bad, I must admit. Sure, there have been down parts, such as a ton of revision and currently having an incredibly swollen lip, but so many good things have happened. Let's get started.

1. I'm totally loving my new blog design! What do you guys think about it; do you love it, hate it, or have any improvements you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments!

2. I had four dance classes yesterday, which was amazing. Very sweaty, and the hardest work I've done in class for a long time, but it felt so good! In ballet we were working our backs and abs (and my friend joined!), in baby ballet we were working on jumps and polkas (the jumps near killed me, I tell you!) and in pointe we were breaking in our shoes, which was good since I had my new ones on.

Afterwards I had more rehearsals for the dances we did at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. I can tell you that we're going to be performing at so many events over the summer! The first is on Friday 13th June at Northants Cricket Grounds, where around 6,500 people could be watching! I'm so excited! We'll be performing there again on 23rd July, and our dance teacher told us that Sky Sports will be there too! Wow!! :D

3. I had a photoshoot with Hannah yesterday, and I really love how the photos turned out! We borrowed the studio after dance classes, where we took the photos Hannah needed for her art GCSE. Want to see some photos? Of course you do!

Now for when Hannah took the camera!

4. A famous dancer called Joel Tolhurst came to the studio and taught the dance squads on Tuesday night, before my contemporary class, so I got to see him! Tan (our teacher) managed to talk Joel into coming along to join in with our contemporary classes, and I think he will be in July - and he's seriously amazing! Maybe, when Tan goes to uni, he could teach the class!

Rightio, I think that's all for today. I'm heading off to bed now, see you soon!

Tunesday...

This week I'd like to share with you a song that Jack introduced me to on Saturday. I love it so much!

Think Happy...34/52...

This week has been pretty good, especially since it's been half-term! Although, I must admit, I just took the opportunity to sit around the house and do absolutely nothing, for the most part! The most productive I've been is doing some of my homework today (eek, I really shouldn't leave it to last minute every time!), and recording a YouTube video - more on that later;)

Revision (why do I look so happy about it?!)

1. Anyway, the first thing that springs to mind when someone says 'happy' is Skype. Again. Why do I always end up engrossed in the virtual world? But seriously, yesterday I spent almost four hours on Skype with Jack again. We spent the first hour or two talking rubbish while we gamed (him on Fifa, myself on Ace of Spades), with the occasional appearance of his cousins and sister. The last two hours I spent talking to him, his sister and two cousins (they were having a sleepover, get it now?) and we even played Disney trivia! I've decided now - we need to have a Disney movie marathon!

2. I've been trying my hair out in a bun all week, and I must say, it makes me look quite grown up! What do you think of it?

3. Oh, remember we talked about a YouTube video earlier? Well here's the link: Ace Of Spades - Girl's Night with Hannah and Carys! Please check it out, like and subscribe if you wish to see more videos like this! I've had so many of my friends comment on how funny they think this video is, and Jack can't shut up making jokes about how I 'get stuck in a crouch'! (P.s. Watch the video to see what I mean!)

4. The only active thing I did for the whole week was a ten minute ab workout I found on YouTube. I actually really enjoyed it, so I went onto my favourite workout site Blogilates and I'm now starting the daily workouts (or at least one exercise from each day!). Wish me luck!

That's all I can think of right now, so thanks for reading, I'll see you on Tuesday for a new song I was introduced to yesterday.