Wednesday, June 22, 2005

The sun id shining!

So I've got hayfever...but I can willingly suffer this for the feel of warmth on my skin. I used hate summer, the sweat, the unflattering clothes, the way people expect you to be happy because it's summer.

But all this has changing, since I lost a bit of weigh I sweat less and finding my dream deoderant helps too...not really your usual blog content but I want to sing the praises of this Sanex Extra Dry stuff. It really works, it kind to your skin and it comes in this cool packaging, ensuring the ball is always downwards meaning every last drop get used. Top marks, and only 99p at my work.

Except it own't be my work for much longer. I handed my notice in on Monday. As of the 27th I no longer work there :-) Which is good as I start work as temporary holiday relief on the phones at Dad's office. No more shelf stacking for me. If you should phone Pickfords Removals and Storage, Bath you shall be talking to me first.. not that I'm fond of phones so it will be interesting.

As for knitting...there was a really interesting article in the times on Saturday about how in some school in the US ADHD kids are being giving knitting to do to focus them and how knitting is relaxing. Nothing new to us knitters, but ressuring to know the rest of the world is catching on.
Click for more
As for other crafty endevours, I'm working on some secret projects for some birthdays this weekend too. I hope they turn out alright.

I've had three out my four final exams and after my last minute full scale panic attack I'm wel into the swing of them and so looking forward to finishing. I want a summer!!! lol

Love to all

The sun id shining!

So I've got hayfever...but I can willingly suffer this for the feel of warmth on my skin. I used hate summer, the sweat, the unflattering clothes, the way people expect you to be happy because it's summer.

But all this has changing, since I lost a bit of weigh I sweat less and finding my dream deoderant helps too...not really your usual blog content but I want to sing the praises of this Sanex Extra Dry stuff. It really works, it kind to your skin and it comes in this cool packaging, ensuring the ball is always downwards meaning every last drop get used. Top marks, and only 99p at my work.

Except it own't be my work for much longer. I handed my notice in on Monday. As of the 27th I no longer work there :-) Which is good as I start work as temporary holiday relief on the phones at Dad's office. No more shelf stacking for me. If you should phone Pickfords Removals and Storage, Bath you shall be talking to me first.. not that I'm fond of phones so it will be interesting.

As for knitting...there was a really interesting article in the times on Saturday about how in some school in the US ADHD kids are being giving knitting to do to focus them and how knitting is relaxing. Nothing new to us knitters, but ressuring to know the rest of the world is catching on.
Click for more
As for other crafty endevours, I'm working on some secret projects for some birthdays this weekend too. I hope they turn out alright.

I've had three out my four final exams and after my last minute full scale panic attack I'm wel into the swing of them and so looking forward to finishing. I want a summer!!! lol

Love to all

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my black terror

Black Terror is an anagram of Rob's full name. Scary huh?

And it's his birthday today, he's 23...:-) Bless 'im. Man I lurve him so much the evil demon boy that he is.

So send him birthday wishes with the telepathy you must have.

Funny week here in Alexland. Saturday last week was Rob's early party...pictures follow below. We had scaletrix, twister, dance mats, tents, ping pong and beer. Good times, and Rob seemed to enjoy himself, which was the whole point!

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Jon who had had his lip pierced that day was off the alcohol and so was talking to a puppet

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Lizzy managed two bottles of white on her own..*gasp*

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The birthday boy and me snuggling up for warmth in the garden. Note the pj trousers under my dress as i wanted to play twister.

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Tim, Erica and the lovely Sarah who is rescuing us and coming to Ireland with us! Can't wait!

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Fran's bum, and Laine's back as they play twister with Rob looking on.

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Tim failing miserably at twister

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Some of Spiderbaby...good luck for battle of the bands!

The party didn't end at mine, a whole load of us went to Lizzy's, where she spent her time telling us not to go into the kitchen as her cat was sleeping, and asking us where we got the bread from. [She has a large pink bread bin with "Bread" written on the side.]

Fronk, Rob and I stayed, more to keep an eye on her i think than anything else. Unfortuantely, Rob had an allergic reactio to Lizzy's cats and had an asthma attack. This resulted in little sleep for him, me waking Lizzy at 6am to ask if she had any antihistimines, then me walking to the Tesco Express and buying them along with fruit juice and sausages for brekkie. I make a mean sausage sandwhich.

It's a week full of revision for me as my first exams are on monday the 20th.

Ooh...can you pray/think positive thoughts/do whatever you do in this situation for my nana, and Rob's nan? Both are in hospital atm. Rob's nan has a suspected cancer, so his mum is in Peterborough to see her, thus missing his birthday, and my nana fell and broke her wrist and kneecap. Both are very special ladies, and mean alot to us and we want them at the wedding dammit!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my black terror

Black Terror is an anagram of Rob's full name. Scary huh?

And it's his birthday today, he's 23...:-) Bless 'im. Man I lurve him so much the evil demon boy that he is.

So send him birthday wishes with the telepathy you must have.

Funny week here in Alexland. Saturday last week was Rob's early party...pictures follow below. We had scaletrix, twister, dance mats, tents, ping pong and beer. Good times, and Rob seemed to enjoy himself, which was the whole point!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Jon who had had his lip pierced that day was off the alcohol and so was talking to a puppet

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Lizzy managed two bottles of white on her own..*gasp*

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
The birthday boy and me snuggling up for warmth in the garden. Note the pj trousers under my dress as i wanted to play twister.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Tim, Erica and the lovely Sarah who is rescuing us and coming to Ireland with us! Can't wait!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Fran's bum, and Laine's back as they play twister with Rob looking on.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Tim failing miserably at twister

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Some of Spiderbaby...good luck for battle of the bands!

The party didn't end at mine, a whole load of us went to Lizzy's, where she spent her time telling us not to go into the kitchen as her cat was sleeping, and asking us where we got the bread from. [She has a large pink bread bin with "Bread" written on the side.]

Fronk, Rob and I stayed, more to keep an eye on her i think than anything else. Unfortuantely, Rob had an allergic reactio to Lizzy's cats and had an asthma attack. This resulted in little sleep for him, me waking Lizzy at 6am to ask if she had any antihistimines, then me walking to the Tesco Express and buying them along with fruit juice and sausages for brekkie. I make a mean sausage sandwhich.

It's a week full of revision for me as my first exams are on monday the 20th.

Ooh...can you pray/think positive thoughts/do whatever you do in this situation for my nana, and Rob's nan? Both are in hospital atm. Rob's nan has a suspected cancer, so his mum is in Peterborough to see her, thus missing his birthday, and my nana fell and broke her wrist and kneecap. Both are very special ladies, and mean alot to us and we want them at the wedding dammit!

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Dance essay

Identify two live professional dance performances that you have seen recently. Compare these in terms of style, subject matter, movement content, structure, personnel and physical setting.


Two live performances that I have been privileged to see during my A Level studies are ‘Such Longing’ by Richard Alston and ‘Flesh and Blood/Double Take’ double bill by Lea Anderson. I saw the Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs perform Anderson’s work at the Merlin Theatre, Frome, in 2004, and Alston’s work performed by his company, Richard Alston Dance Company at the Theatre Royal, Bath, in 2005.

Alston and Anderson are very different choreographers, Alston being a very classical movement material driven contemporary choreographer. Anderson is a postmodern choreographer and her work tries to shed all the ‘traditional’ aspects of contemporary dance.


‘Such Longing’ is a very lyrical piece created by Alston to an accompaniment of Chopin Nocturnes and Etudes. Alston was inspired by the feelings in the music and the story of Chopin’s love affair and memories of his homeland. In complete contrast, Anderson’s double bill was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her dance career, and to see if it was possible for her male company, the Featherstonehaughs to dance a work created for her female company, the Cholmondeleys and vice versa.


‘Double Take’ has a bright, almost realistic lighting design, which reminds me of a nightclub or a party. ‘Such Longing’ contrasts with this double bill as it is performed under a dreamy, subtle lighting design in soft purples and blues, fitting for it’s romantic subject matter. The physical setting differs enormously too. ‘Double Take’ in front of a gold foil fringe curtain as fits the cabaret style of this piece. There are tables and chairs on the side of the stage for the dancers to sit on whilst not performing, and beer and cigarettes. Alston’s dancers remain off stage in a traditional dance manner. Anderson’s set design fits with her post modern style, effectively breaking the dance rules by leaving everything on show and bringing the dancers back stage beer and cigarettes on stage.


Alston uses classically driven movement vocabulary. In the first solo for a male dancer there is use of arabesque with leans in and out of this position, in the second solo for a male dancer the movement becomes more fluid with distinctive upturned palms during hand gestures. There are a series of duets, and during one of these, the female dancer leans back over the male dancers thigh before plunging backwards creating an arched shape has her head hangs by her heels. There is also use of a repeated motif in a duet where the male dancer holds the female dancer under her arms, and she sinks into a deep pliƩ in first, her heels lifting from the floor.


Anderson’s movement vocabulary has evolved from the study of pedestrian movement. Her piece is created from a number of short sections. In the first of these, the dancers stand in a grid formation, and perform a karaoke style number with each dancer singing a line in turn before passing the microphone and long lead to next dancer in a series of inventive ways. Between singing their lines, the dancer pose in ever changing typical posture of a karaoke bar, from nervous stances to full blown arms out stretched ‘look at me’ shapes. They also change position within their grid formation. In the ‘Barstools’ section, 3 dancers take the stage with their barstools, and perform a series of every day gestures, such as miming drinking, campily pointing their fingers at imaginary friends in a ‘you the man’ pose and falling drunkenly from their stools. These are repeated in canon and in unison and become more and more exaggerated throughout the section developing from mere pedestrian movement to full blown dance. In the last section of the dance, the dancers take to the stage individually, and each have a ‘Fame’ like moment, showing off their favourite moves, bursting with exuberance.


There is also a difference in costume; the dancers in Alston’s piece wear simple trousers and dresses in muted tones that match the lighting. They allow easy movement and do not distract the dancers or the audience. Anderson’s dancers in ‘Double Take’ have various suits in tweedy fabrics in a range of brown shades. They dance in leather brogues and wear ties. The Alston dancers dance exclusively in bare feet, the reintroduction of shoes into dance being a postmodern device. The suits of the Anderson’s dancers limit their movement, and as the piece progresses various items such as the ties and jackets are removes as the section require.


As for personnel, the dancers chosen by Richard Alston are all of the similar build and stature providing a pleasing uniformity to his company, something that suits the style of his work. Anderson chose women of varying heights and builds and used these in her choreography to comic effect, for example during the first section following a tall, blond dancer with a deep voice with a small, bird like dancer with a very high pitched voice.


Over all, Alston’s work is far more serious in tone, as the accompaniment and the subject matter would dictate. The feelings expressed in the music are treated sensitively by Alston’s choreography. Anderson’s work is positively irreverent, and intentionally provokes laughter in the audience at times. She uses the familiar pedestrian gestures to subtly poke fun at habits and mannerism the audience can recognise in themselves.

Dance essay

Identify two live professional dance performances that you have seen recently. Compare these in terms of style, subject matter, movement content, structure, personnel and physical setting.

Two live performances that I have been privileged to see during my A Level studies are ‘Such Longing’ by Richard Alston and ‘Flesh and Blood/Double Take’ double bill by Lea Anderson. I saw the Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs perform Anderson’s work at the Merlin Theatre, Frome, in 2004, and Alston’s work performed by his company, Richard Alston Dance Company at the Theatre Royal, Bath, in 2005.
Alston and Anderson are very different choreographers, Alston being a very classical movement material driven contemporary choreographer. Anderson is a postmodern choreographer and her work tries to shed all the ‘traditional’ aspects of contemporary dance.

‘Such Longing’ is a very lyrical piece created by Alston to an accompaniment of Chopin Nocturnes and Etudes. Alston was inspired by the feelings in the music and the story of Chopin’s love affair and memories of his homeland. In complete contrast, Anderson’s double bill was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her dance career, and to see if it was possible for her male company, the Featherstonehaughs to dance a work created for her female company, the Cholmondeleys and vice versa.

‘Double Take’ has a bright, almost realistic lighting design, which reminds me of a nightclub or a party. ‘Such Longing’ contrasts with this double bill as it is performed under a dreamy, subtle lighting design in soft purples and blues, fitting for it’s romantic subject matter. The physical setting differs enormously too. ‘Double Take’ in front of a gold foil fringe curtain as fits the cabaret style of this piece. There are tables and chairs on the side of the stage for the dancers to sit on whilst not performing, and beer and cigarettes. Alston’s dancers remain off stage in a traditional dance manner. Anderson’s set design fits with her post modern style, effectively breaking the dance rules by leaving everything on show and bringing the dancers back stage beer and cigarettes on stage.

Alston uses classically driven movement vocabulary. In the first solo for a male dancer there is use of arabesque with leans in and out of this position, in the second solo for a male dancer the movement becomes more fluid with distinctive upturned palms during hand gestures. There are a series of duets, and during one of these, the female dancer leans back over the male dancers thigh before plunging backwards creating an arched shape has her head hangs by her heels. There is also use of a repeated motif in a duet where the male dancer holds the female dancer under her arms, and she sinks into a deep pliƩ in first, her heels lifting from the floor.

Anderson’s movement vocabulary has evolved from the study of pedestrian movement. Her piece is created from a number of short sections. In the first of these, the dancers stand in a grid formation, and perform a karaoke style number with each dancer singing a line in turn before passing the microphone and long lead to next dancer in a series of inventive ways. Between singing their lines, the dancer pose in ever changing typical posture of a karaoke bar, from nervous stances to full blown arms out stretched ‘look at me’ shapes. They also change position within their grid formation. In the ‘Barstools’ section, 3 dancers take the stage with their barstools, and perform a series of every day gestures, such as miming drinking, campily pointing their fingers at imaginary friends in a ‘you the man’ pose and falling drunkenly from their stools. These are repeated in canon and in unison and become more and more exaggerated throughout the section developing from mere pedestrian movement to full blown dance. In the last section of the dance, the dancers take to the stage individually, and each have a ‘Fame’ like moment, showing off their favourite moves, bursting with exuberance.

There is also a difference in costume; the dancers in Alston’s piece wear simple trousers and dresses in muted tones that match the lighting. They allow easy movement and do not distract the dancers or the audience. Anderson’s dancers in ‘Double Take’ have various suits in tweedy fabrics in a range of brown shades. They dance in leather brogues and wear ties. The Alston dancers dance exclusively in bare feet, the reintroduction of shoes into dance being a postmodern device. The suits of the Anderson’s dancers limit their movement, and as the piece progresses various items such as the ties and jackets are removes as the section require.

As for personnel, the dancers chosen by Richard Alston are all of the similar build and stature providing a pleasing uniformity to his company, something that suits the style of his work. Anderson chose women of varying heights and builds and used these in her choreography to comic effect, for example during the first section following a tall, blond dancer with a deep voice with a small, bird like dancer with a very high pitched voice.

Over all, Alston’s work is far more serious in tone, as the accompaniment and the subject matter would dictate. The feelings expressed in the music are treated sensitively by Alston’s choreography. Anderson’s work is positively irreverent, and intentionally provokes laughter in the audience at times. She uses the familiar pedestrian gestures to subtly poke fun at habits and mannerism the audience can recognise in themselves.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

University checklist

University checklist


Useful for all prospective students, check it out!

University checklist

University checklist

Useful for all prospective students, check it out!
‘A good dance technician is not necessarily the best dancer.’ Outline the characteristics of a good dance technician and discuss the skills, other than those of technique, which make a good dancer.

Dance is a holistic art form, requiring the practitioner to have a wide range of skills. These skills fall in two categories, technical skills and expressive skills. In this essay I will look at the skills that make a good dancer, and the skills that a good dance technician will possess.

Firstly the good dancer technician is someone who has mastered the technical skills of dance at a high level. These skills are core stability, balance, alignment, posture, kinaesthetic awareness, control, flexibility and strength. Possessing these all of these skill to a high standard would make the person a perfect dancer physically.

Having good core stability and control would mean the person would be able to direct the way their body moves, ensuring the movement was always performed in the right way. Good core stability would compliment the person’s good posture and alignment, ensuring the body was always in the correct dynamic position of readiness for dance.
High levels of flexibility and strength would work in tandem, allowing the person a wide range of movement in their joints, with the power behind the movement to sustain it and hold it in a range of positions. Kinaesthetic awareness allows the person to know what their body is doing without being able to see it, for example, the person being aware of where their leg is whilst performing an arabesque behind them. This would help the person with spacing in a dance environment.

The dance technician might be able to execute the movements perfectly, yet with out expressive skill the dance would appear soulless and dead to the audience. The expressive skills of dance are musicality, focus, projection
‘A good dance technician is not necessarily the best dancer.’ Outline the characteristics of a good dance technician and discuss the skills, other than those of technique, which make a good dancer.

Dance is a holistic art form, requiring the practitioner to have a wide range of skills. These skills fall in two categories, technical skills and expressive skills. In this essay I will look at the skills that make a good dancer, and the skills that a good dance technician will possess.

Firstly the good dancer technician is someone who has mastered the technical skills of dance at a high level. These skills are core stability, balance, alignment, posture, kinaesthetic awareness, control, flexibility and strength. Possessing these all of these skill to a high standard would make the person a perfect dancer physically.

Having good core stability and control would mean the person would be able to direct the way their body moves, ensuring the movement was always performed in the right way. Good core stability would compliment the person’s good posture and alignment, ensuring the body was always in the correct dynamic position of readiness for dance.
High levels of flexibility and strength would work in tandem, allowing the person a wide range of movement in their joints, with the power behind the movement to sustain it and hold it in a range of positions. Kinaesthetic awareness allows the person to know what their body is doing without being able to see it, for example, the person being aware of where their leg is whilst performing an arabesque behind them. This would help the person with spacing in a dance environment.

The dance technician might be able to execute the movements perfectly, yet with out expressive skill the dance would appear soulless and dead to the audience. The expressive skills of dance are musicality, focus, projection

Finally a new post.

I know this is pure laziness on my part, but I blog when the desire strikes.

And it's struck.

On the knitting side - I'm in a show in July as Aslan the Lion in The Magician's Nephew, and have a Cats style CATSUIT!! Which involves furry leg warmers and glovelets. Now the knitting wasn't difficult, 10mm needles, chunky yellow cotton yarn from a charity shop. It's the crochet hooking the little yarn pieces on to the yellow fabric that bores me. Oh well I'm sure it'll look effective on stage.

Most of my life recently has been revising, I'm unsure how far i'm gettgin along but the basic knowledge is there, and I'm trusting God to help me out. I hate panicking in exams. I really really want to show the world that Christians can be sucessful and that God honours hard work. I hope I working hard enough to beat my predicitions. I know I can do it.

I've also been looking after Rob a bit. He needs some tender loving care what with his bike injury playing up again. It's nice being a nurse, getting icepacks and drinks, though whining "I want a drink!" like a petulant child just makes me laugh and stand around doing nothing til I get aplease. We've been being silly recently, just making each other laugh and boy is it good to laugh.

I saw some people today walking out their lesson in a huge group, laughing and joking in the sunshine.

I find it hard because alot of my friends from school are into stuff i don't really like, like getting drunk etc... There isn't really anyone around Rob's age either who isn't down the pub every weekend. We get on really well with the couple I babysit for, but we can't really be friends with them as they pay me. I'd gladly look after their kids for free, and when they get i form going out, we often end up sitting chatting for an hour. Brent paraglides and is going to take Rob up on a tandem when the weathers good again. I'd love to have a go, but I'm not sure how much I'd love to..lol

Finally a new post.

I know this is pure laziness on my part, but I blog when the desire strikes.

And it's struck.

On the knitting side - I'm in a show in July as Aslan the Lion in The Magician's Nephew, and have a Cats style CATSUIT!! Which involves furry leg warmers and glovelets. Now the knitting wasn't difficult, 10mm needles, chunky yellow cotton yarn from a charity shop. It's the crochet hooking the little yarn pieces on to the yellow fabric that bores me. Oh well I'm sure it'll look effective on stage.

Most of my life recently has been revising, I'm unsure how far i'm gettgin along but the basic knowledge is there, and I'm trusting God to help me out. I hate panicking in exams. I really really want to show the world that Christians can be sucessful and that God honours hard work. I hope I working hard enough to beat my predicitions. I know I can do it.

I've also been looking after Rob a bit. He needs some tender loving care what with his bike injury playing up again. It's nice being a nurse, getting icepacks and drinks, though whining "I want a drink!" like a petulant child just makes me laugh and stand around doing nothing til I get aplease. We've been being silly recently, just making each other laugh and boy is it good to laugh.

I saw some people today walking out their lesson in a huge group, laughing and joking in the sunshine.

I find it hard because alot of my friends from school are into stuff i don't really like, like getting drunk etc... There isn't really anyone around Rob's age either who isn't down the pub every weekend. We get on really well with the couple I babysit for, but we can't really be friends with them as they pay me. I'd gladly look after their kids for free, and when they get i form going out, we often end up sitting chatting for an hour. Brent paraglides and is going to take Rob up on a tandem when the weathers good again. I'd love to have a go, but I'm not sure how much I'd love to..lol