Writing's of an American Dancer

2008-2009 School Year Rewind

2009-05-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! I made it through my first year of High School. I have mixed feelings about the closing of this school year. On one hand, I am overjoyed! I am looking forward to three months of sun and sleep...+ work...but on the other hand, I am poignant about the passing of such a memorable year. I made new friends, and lost others. I became a Lieutenant Governor on the District Board of Key Club...and lost my ability to dance ballet.
My teachers were amazing, always willing to help. I was privileged to find out what kind of people they really are, and I am proud to say I was taught by them. Most of all, I am amazed at how fast this year went by. It feels like I started last week and now final exams are staring me in the face.
Tonight I will watch my sister walk across the field, receive her diploma, and step into a new chapter in her life. I will cheer for her and cry. I am losing her but I am so proud of her accomplishment. I know I am being melodramatic, but it makes you think. The chapters in our lives can begin and end so quickly, are we valuing the time we have been given?
Never regret anything in your life. If it was a mistake, it was also a learning experience. Embrace change and never let yourself live inside a "box".

Modeling Wiliam Carlos Williams

2009-05-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thousands have study the artistic flow of William Carlos Williams's "The Red Wheelbarrow". It has been said that he truly understands that universal language that is poetry.
In an attempt to model Williams's artistic genius, I have written my own poem in with the lilt of Williams's beautiful language usage.

Truly Living

So much depends upon
The passage of time
seconds speed past us as
OUR
Purpose leaves us behind

Technology On the Run!

2009-04-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

With all the possibilities in this new millennium, it is possible to find a techie tool for every aspect of our daily lives. If I could pick one of the thousands of ways to navigate through the day with the use of a modern technology, I would have to say the internet.

In just a few years, the Internet has consolidated itself as a very powerful platform that has changed the way the world does business, and the way people communicate. The Internet, as no other communicative device, has given an International, a "Globalized" dimension to the world. Internet has become the Universal source of information for millions of people, at home, at school, and at work. From 1995 to March of this year, the use of internet has leaped from 16 million users to 1,596 million users.

With the use of internet a person can chat with long-lost classmates, research their ancestral history, upload photos from their phone, and promote their personal business on their own web site; all at the click of a button, at the same time!

Company of Swans Rewind

2009-04-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt. Sing like no one is listening. Live life like its heaven on earth......Courage is fear that has said its prayers.

--William Purkey/--Karl Barth

Eva Ibbotson's A Company of Swans captivated me with its dangerous adventures and heart-stopping romance. This New York Times Best-Selling author teaches us all a valid lesson; follow your dreams and love with no thought of failure.

A Company of Swans is placed in 1912 Cambridge, England. A world full of beautiful churches, sprawling park gardens, and prestigious colleges; life in 1912 is never as perfect as it looks on the surface. Harriet Morton is following in her fathers academic footsteps on the outside...but is a true ballerina at heart. With her very soul Harriet lives her love of dance in Madame Lavarre's famed dance school a few hours a week. When offered the position as the "eighteenth swan" in a Russian ballet company on its way to its Amazon tour...Harriet finally sees a way out of her dry, dull life full of lies. When her father and aunt deny her her dream, Harriet takes matters into her own hands. Through deceit and a false identity, she runs away with the ballet company to the wild, lush jungle of the Amazon. Little does Harriet know that as she dances away into her life dream...she is being tracked down...
Ibbotson's hypnotic, poetic language leaps like a raging river from the page straight into your imagination. Ibbotson's novels are the kind that you read from cover to cover...Putting one of her books down mid-way is an impossible action. As the story unfolds in the fast flowing manner in which Eva writes, sudden twists and turns leap into the plot.

Ibbotson was born in Vienna, but fled with her family to England when the Nazis came to power. With her priceless experience, Eva can place her novels into a time and place that she has been and understands. She makes the character's world real and tangible...able to see behind closed eyelids.
For all those who are addicted to forbidden romances and whirlwind adventures; a Company of
Swans is the perfect antidote.
pages: 384

Spring is Here!

2009-04-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

I love spring! I love how everything suddenly jumps into being, growing furiously and trying to reach the sun. Unfortunately, just like the sudden freezes that be-speckle the month of March, life can change just as quickly.
My personal spring break started spectacularly. I went on an amazing mountain hike that ended with a waterfall, went camping...(in the back yard), spent time with my friends, and finally caught up on sleep! Closer to the end of the week I went to a doctor appointment concerning some swelling and pains I had been experiencing in my ankles. I am a ballet dancer and have been working tirelessly for over half a decade to perfect my technique on my pointe shoes. Ballet is a relentless, tiring, and beautiful art. I love it and planned to continue it in college and beyond. In that one meeting the doctor shattered my life plans. I was told that I had long, flexible ligaments that made dancing en pointe no longer possible. If I continued to dance on pointe shoes I would permanently damage my feet and have to stop dancing altogether. As a dancer at heart, that is truly devastating news. With the Podiatrist's words ringing in my head, I watched as a metaphorical freeze covered my "spring".
So, with a few words, I found out that your whole life can change. My spring break started out with a burst of color and ended with a dull and cold rain.
I might sound melodramatic, I probably do, but this tale ends well. After continual nights of crying myself to sleep, I realized something very obvious but none the less true. It doesn't matter how much I cry, it wont change my genetic make-up or my situation. The best way for me to handle this blow to the heart is to be strong and move on.
A note to all those struggling with grief and hardship, or like in my case, those who get dealt some bad news; all the tears in the world will change nothing. The only solution to the pain is to except the inevitable and charish what you still have.

Ayn Rand and What Kills Collective Thought

2009-04-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

In Ayn Rand's widely known novel, Anthem, she gives an example of what life might be like if there was no individualism, no freedom, and no "I". In a recent essay contest I choose a prompt that centered around her novel. My prompt focused on the short lifespans of the citizens in Equality 7-2521's "Utopian" society.
I wrote my essay around three main concepts. 1). No Freedom 2). "WE" concept 3). Hygiene.
The first point of my essay, No Freedom, stated how strict and ridged the rules of the society were. Everything was schedule down to the last minute, and the decisions were dictated by the Council. Nothing is of an individual choice, not your job, where you will live, or even what clothing you wear. No person has the right to make their own choices. All choices must be made together and be identical.
The second point of my essay, the "WE" concept, describes the great law that all live under and many struggle inwardly with. The law states that We are one in all and all in one. There is no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever. This law does not allow for any individualism whatsoever. There is no individual thought or action, all citizens must be in agreement. No laughter is permitted unless all laugh together.
My last point, Hygiene, speaks of how all technology has been lost because the ideals were not of a collective thought. Slowly all knowledge of medical treatments for life-threatening diseases were lost until Equality 7-2521's society reduced to the medival method of blood-letting to cure illnesses. Also, taking care of ones personal hygiene is not a top priority and each citizen sleeps and works in the same garment with few washes between wearing. The loss of so much knowledge has reduced the world's societies to barbaric, germ-filled cities.
With Ayn Rand's Anthem, she has introduced us to a world with no freedom and where idividualism is forbidden.

How Can You Perfect Your World?

2009-03-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

“Abandon all hopes of utopia - there are people involved”
--Clayton Cramer--
I love this quote. It truly makes you think. Is there any possibility of a TRUE utopia? I do not believe it possible on this earth. With every "perfect" society, there is a rebellious streak; someone who will stand up and be different.
I am a Christian, a Jesus Freak. I stand by my faith with pride. My views on a "Utopia" are these...
As a Christian I want to tell as many people as possible about how amazing and life-changing God is. I believe that there is no possibility of a Utopia on this earth. Even if I could change everyone in the world to a Christian, the problems we face everyday will still be here. The single parent working three jobs still has to pay the bills, even if the bill collector is kind and understanding on the phone.
I myself define 'utopia' a little differently. I call being saved by the living, all-powerful, and loving God, Utopia. To spend eternity with the God who saved me from a painful death and loves me unconditionally; I call that a TRUE utopia. Also, Heaven in its self is a utopia.
In short, God is the way to eternal life in heaven, which is the truest utopia.

Have You Ever Stood Out In a Crowd?

2009-02-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever taken a stand for something you believed in? You get that exhilarating feeling and at the same time you feel sick. You feel like all of your muscles were set on vibrate and your stomach fell out onto the floor. Your throat closes and you suddenly have no idea what to say...and that is just the beginning.

I have taken many of stands in my life, whether it was for religion, politics, a friend, or my own reputation. Whatever it was, I performed them with pride. As I look back on the issues I have stood up for, I am thankful of everyone and would do them over again the same way.

When you take a stand for something, you have to know and except that some people will agree, some will not listen , and some will hate you for it. Whatever the outcome, stand by your morals, because they will never steer you wrong.

Is Leadership Everything?

2008-12-12T11:13:00.001-08:00

In William Shakespear's play, Julius Caesar, Caesar found out that leadership over friendship will never work. Julius had it all, a devoted wife, surrounded by friends and practically the king of Rome. The citizens of his beloved country loved and worshipped him. Never would he have guessed that his exalted position and status over his friends, his ambition, would cause his closest advisers and friends to become his biggest threats and enemies. Brutus, one of Caesar's closest few, plotted against him and was the first to stab him in the back. A wound that lead to his death.
A lesson that should be followed by everyone, the best leader can also follow. A leader can not truely lead if he/she loses their followers due to pride and hautiness.

2008-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

In the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, a self-help book, Sean Covey writes about what it means to be proactive. Now, I would love to say that I follow the virtues of a proactive person; some being that you are not easily offended, you take responsibility for your choices, and think before you act. Unfortunately, I tend to focus on the negative, on the things I can not change.
For example; I was in a hurry to get to school, running behind and very worried that I was going to be late, when a suburban whipped out in front of me and then slowed down to a speed that was twenty miles below the speed limit. Now, my first reaction was to roll down my window and tell them to move it!
Thankfully, the words of Sean Covey about being proactive came to my mind, and I reassessed the situation. I could yell at the driver and ride his bumper, or I could be proactive and shake it off, not letting it bother me.
I choose to be proactive...which I can't tell you how much better it made me feel to do the right thing. Right then, I decided to implicate Sean Covey's proactive principal throughout all of the other infuriating situations in my life. I advise you, my readers, to read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, because its unassailable advice gives you the wisdom to become a better, more grounded person.

Your Personal Bank Account

2008-11-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens", bestselling book by Sean Covey, he writes about the personal bank account. This section of his book has a very personal place in my heart, because he talks about the steps to take to get your life in order with a list that he calls the PBA list. In this list, you deposit or withdraw good habits. Some deposits, keeping promises to yourself, doing small acts of kindness, and being honest, are metioned on the right side of the PBA list. Sean also mentions some withdraws in your PBA list on the bad side such as wearing yourself out and neglecting your talents.
This list is personal to me because I tend to stray to the bad side of his list. I have a tendency to wear myself out with all the activities, clubs and classes that I can cram into the 24 hours of each day. With Sean Covey's help, I have been fighting back to the right side of his PBA list. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is feeling stressed out and/or depressed. His book has helped me to realize what a mess my priorities were and how I can get my life, adittude and self-perseption in the right order. Please, read this book. It will change your life.

Does John McCain Know What He is Doing?

2008-10-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

This blog is about showing my support for Presidential Nominee John McCain's look on education in the United States.
Firstly, I recognize that McCain is the best choice because he believes that Americans education must be worthy of the promises he makes to the U.S students and their parents. Nominee McCain understands that America is a nation committed to equal opportunity without equal access to excellent education. I trust his word when he promises to pursue reforms that address the underlying cultural problems in our education system.
Secondly, I uphold John McCain's efforts to charge the schools with the responsibility of educating their students, and that they must have the resources and management authority to deliver on that responsibility. Further more, that the schools must report to the parents and the public on their progress.
Thirdly and lastly, I highly support the Republican Presidential Nominee's view that Americans should be placed, with their children, at the center of the education process; empowering parents by greatly expanding the ability of parents to choose among schools for their children. I also support his beliefs that all federal financial support must be predicated on providing parents the ability to move their children, and dollars associated with them, from failing school.

Is Sci-Fi a 'Superior' Genre?

2008-10-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

When the "Science Fiction" genre comes to mind, I can't help thinking of cheesy B-rated movies. The kinds that cause a person to groan, sigh, or make other general noises of annoyance. Please, do not judge this genre as I have continually done in the past. I am an avid book-reader, but I have never really focus on the genres that I read. Now that I have had the 'light bulb' turned on, I not only realize that I love the 'Sci-Fi' genre, but that I read books placed under its mysterious genus all the time! Take for example the very popular "Twilight Saga" by Stephenie Meyer. It is placed in the 'Sci-Fi' genre as the classic hero/heroine/monsters & myths story. Don't get me wrong, the 'Twilight Saga' has nothing to do with the traditional, evil look on vampires, but is most defiantly 'Science Fiction'. Yet, it is one of the most renowned series of its time. It is not judged as a stereotypical 'Planet of the Apes' fluke gone wrong, but as highly sought-after pieces of literature.
I will conclude with this thought. Please, don't condemn all Science Fiction genres as B-rated, because you never know what kinds of movies or books under its title may catch your eye and hold you.

2008-09-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

SHADOW
Shadow is like no other super-hero. Although she is fast, strong, and beautiful; she has a rather strange job. She is a chef to the homeless and financially unsound citizens of New York City. She delivers three meals a day for all those in need, by flying over the sprawling city on her grey, black tipped, feathered wings. With her magic ring glowing brighter the nearer she gets; she locates the hungry people and swoops down to rescue there rumbling stomachs. With her two story bakery in the very middle of New York, she feeds one starving citizen at a time.