Famous Dancers Part III

Famous Ballerina Irina Baranova

Irina Baranova was born in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) in the Russian Empire on March 13, 1919. Irina was interested in ballet since she was very young. Irina left Russia when she when she was a little girl and moved to Romania where her mother taught her simple ballet exercises. By the time she was 9 her family had moved to Paris so she could study ballet professionally. She made her debut at the Paris Opera when she was 11.When she was only 12 years old she was discovered by the famous choreographer George Balanchine. At age 14 she danced as Odette, the lead ballerina in Swan Lake. She moved from Paris to Australia when she was 17 where she lived until she died. She retired from dance when she was only 27. She was married twice and had three children. She died in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia on June 28, 2008 at age 89.

Famous Dancers Part II

Famous Modern Dancer Martha Graham

Martha Graham is a famous modern dancer who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 11, 1894 and died in New York City at the age of 96 on April 1, 1991. She was married, divorced and had no children. She is considered to be a legendary modern dancer. Martha Graham did not begin to study dance until she was in her teens. Her family moved to California. They did not approve of Martha studying dance. She began taking classes at Denishawn in Los Angeles. At Denishawn she was a student, a teacher and performer. She then moved to New York and in 1926 she established her own dance company. Some people thought that Martha Graham’s experimental style was jarring and ugly but she said that her dance was spiritual.

Famous Dancers Part I

Famous Jazz Dancer Jack Cole

Jack Cole was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on April 27, 1911 and died on February 27, 1974. His birth name was John Ewing Richter. He was an American dancer, choreographer and theater director known as the father of Theatrical Jazz Dance. Jack Cole began to study dance with Denishawn in New York in the late 1920’s. He made his professional debut in 1930 at the age of 19. Jack Cole studied and danced in New York City and Hollywood, California. He created the style of jazz dance still seen on Broadway shows, Hollywood movie musicals and music videos today. He choreographed many jazz theater dances for famous actresses such as Marilyn Monroe in “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best friend” from the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.   

Galloping Escapade

“Sophia, pull back on your reins,” my teacher yelled. I was 8 years old and it was my first time at M-Bar-C Ranch, a horse farm in the woods on Whidbey Island. Until that summer, I had never galloped before.  As we drove up the gravel driveway, I saw a donkey, a white deer and horses in the pasture.  The horses were grazing on the dirty green grass. I could hear them snorting, neighing and whinnying as if they were greeting me. I arrived at the ranch with a brown paper bag lunch and my pink boots that I had just purchased from the second hand store in Freeland. I walked into a cold, concrete floored building.  It smelled like a mixture of Kleenex with hay. Numerous people were already there sitting on wooden chairs lined up in the center of the room facing a small white board. Others were sitting around a long, grey plastic folding table, chatting. Some friendly teenage volunteers said hello to me. A handful of campers were already there sitting alone, wearing jeans and holding their lunches.  My mom and the director chatted.

“Nice talking to you”, the director concluded. She smiled at my mom and scanned the room. “Sorry, but we have to start the class.”

I gave my mom a huge hug. “Goodbye, Mommy” I said quietly.

“Goodbye sweetie. I love you and you are going to do great. See you at 3:00,” my mother reassured me kindly. I didn’t want to be left alone but my mom had to go.

I turned my head and looked at the white board. It had everyone’s name on it, including mine, with the assigned horses for the week. I walked over nervously to see which horse I had been given. I got a horse called Dancer!   After the director spoke for a while, the group walked down to the horse ring and I met Dancer. He was a chestnut brown purebred Arabian gelding. During that week we learned gobs about horses. By Wednesday we were ready to go on a trail ride in the forest. I tacked up Dancer and grabbed his reigns and took him to a step stool. I thrust my left foot in the stirrup and pushed myself up while I swung my right leg up and over the saddle. It was a cool, clear morning and we were all ready to go. The campers were jittery with excitement to be going on our first trail ride and we were looking forward to eating a picnic lunch in the woods. The campers, mounted on their horses, filed up in line and meandered towards the trail head. I held the leather reigns tightly in my hands, sitting on the Western leather saddle with a huge horn in the front to hold onto. My furry helmet was fastened under my neck. Cautiously descending the first hill, dusty dirt flew everywhere and I was close to the back of the line.  We passed through a dry grass pasture sprinkled with dandelions still moist from the morning dew.

Suddenly, Dancer broke from the line and began to gallop full speed. I thought I would fall off and become paralyzed, picturing myself thrown from the horse and with a concussion. Terrified, I closed my eyes tightly. Dancer bolted across the flat turf. I began falling off. My saddle was slipping. Dancer finally slowed down and suddenly stopped at the beginning of the line, right next to my instructor’s horse.

“Oh, are you OK?” my instructor asked.  “Dancer probably wanted to be at the front of the line because my horse is his girlfriend!” she explained.

I didn’t want to go on the trail ride any more. I was terrified of galloping again.

“Trust me. It will be fun,” my teacher reassured me.

We continued the ride and went on to a clearing among the trees. My teacher praised me and was proud of me for holding on. I could see that one of the teenage volunteers was jealous of me because the teacher was so proud. We tied up our horses to hitching posts. We had a picnic on the ground next to a big wooden cross.  One of the older volunteers told us a story.  While listening to the story I saw what I would have been missing if I had not gone on the trail ride. I understood that day if I face my fears I will enjoy what I was scared of and find out it was worth it. 

My Halloween Pumpkin

I carved my pumpkin this Halloween. It was a cat. It was easy to do. All you have to do is find a picture on the internet, tape it on the pumpkin, trace it with a thumb tack and then you carve it out. And voila!

This is the stencil I used.

The Layers of the Earth

In science I had to do an assignment on the layers of the earth. I thought to myself  "I am very good at doing presentations with Window's Movie Maker" so I put together a slide show presentation and I hope you like it.

An Everyday Object

 I am in a photography class. My assignment was to take an every day object and think about the many ways I could photograph it. I could put it in places where it would not likely be found or take pictures from different angles. I thought to myself, "What is an object that I use everyday? A hairbrush! Almost everybody uses a hairbrush." I decided that I would put the hairbrush in places where I would not usually find one. I put my pink, silver plastic hairbrush in a plant, standing up on my bed and in a bubble bath. I also took close up pictures of it.

Pinhole Photography

What is pinhole photography?

Pinhole photography is the use of a small dark chamber with one small hole in it. Among other things, you can use a Pringles Can, a green pepper or a shoe box! How does a pinhole camera work? The light reflects off of the object and goes through the pinhole and is projected onto a screen and images look upside down. It is unique because you are using the earliest form of photography. Pinhole cameras have been used for looking at eclipes of the sun.

I made a pinhole camera out of a Pringles Can.

Here is the link to the instructions I used: http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/pringles_pinhole.html

Make-Up Creativity Design Project

The inspiration for my make up creativity design was my grandmother. She likes to do puzzles in the summer when I visit her. One time she bought a puzzle of all four seasons. I liked the idea of a puzzle face girl for my make up creativity design. But just a puzzle face girl was not enough. So, I remembered the puzzle my grandmother bought and decided to go for the four seasons idea. My design is a girl’s face with puzzle pieces on her face representing all four seasons. I chose the title, “The Seasons of Life” because in life things change.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven books written by a woman named J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter is a boy who is an orphan and a wizard. He lives with his aunt and uncle who are terrible to him. He also has a really mean cousin who bullies him a lot. Then, he goes to a magical school for wizards and witches called Hogwarts and makes friends and has many adventures.

I read the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,  this summer and just watched the movie. I am reading the second Harry Potter book. It is called, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.Every time I finish a book in the series I will watch the movie afterward.

When I am on Whidbey Island, I like to read while laying in the hammock at my grandma's summer house.

 It is fun to curl up with good book.

I like to read in bed when I just wake up in the morning.

A Night at Benihana's

I went to Benihana's with my father, my mother, my two older brothers and my parents' friends from Spain. There were 7 people in all and we had a fabulous dinner. I ordered rice with tofu and vegetables. The  chef made the rice into a beautiful heart.

Benihana's puts gourmet food on your plate and offers great entertainment.

My Girl Scout Media Journey Video

I am a girl scout  in Troop 276. This year I am a Cadette and we did a journey about media awareness. I made a video about media awareness. Here you go. I hope you enjoy it.

Spa Day

On Sunday I went to the spa with my Mom and my BFF. We got manicures and pedicures. 

 They gave us lemonade. The service was very good. I recommend this spa.

 My nail color was red and toes were turquoise and gold and my BFF chose purple for her nails and blue and purple for her toes.

Stitch and Sew

On Easter Sunday I made a fabulous dress.

It is a quite simple to make a dress.

Just get some pre-smocked elasticized material from JoAnn's Fabrics. First you iron your cloth then sew up the hem at the bottom. Then you sew the sides together. If you want straps, you add straps. I chose strapless.

This simple and affordable dress is great for putting on over your bathing suit if you want to go to the beach, a pool party or to wear out and about and around the town.

Whidbey Island

Every summer we visit my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins in Seattle, Washington. We go up to my grandma's beach house on Whidbey Island. The house is called, Baby Beach.

Here is a picture of the view from the back yard.

If you go swimming the water is freezing cold.

Lounging after a nice day of building forts and walking on the beach.

I love to kayak and visit my friend "Sealy the seal".

Sometimes I play cards in the backyard.

Picking blueberries on Whidbey Island, 2009

Gravity

Last week while studying with FLVS I had to do an assignment for my science class on gravity and air resistance.

I made two videos.

Flower Headbands

One day I went to JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts and saw flowers and an idea popped into my head. Why don't we make flower headbands? 

 

Daffodil

Just for fun

Little Bluem

Pink Explosion

I asked my mom if we could buy the materials and she said, "Yes."

My Papa

This is my Papa and me on Christmas Eve, 2011.

My Dog Chloe

My Dog Chloe

This picture was taken in November of 2007. My puppy, Chloe was only 6 weeks old. I was 7 years old. Chloe is a Golden Doodle. She is very playful. When she was a puppy, she used to chew on shoes and gnaw on the sofa legs.

The Nutcracker

I was in the Nutcracker Ballet in December, 2011.
I was in the party scene.

It was my 5th year in The Nutcracker.