"Let's see you try this dance!" written by Tinypliny on estrip.org

Category: dance

08/04/14 06:59 - ID#59269

Let's see you try this dance!

How come I have never seen this crazy dance before. So insanely awesome! :)

Looks like the women have the easy parts. hahaha

Permalink: Let_s_see_you_try_this_dance_.html
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Last Modified: 08/04/14 07:29

Category: dance

11/18/11 09:37 - ID#55540

The Emperor's Waltz

The Waltz is my most favourite kind of classical music after sonorous abstract cello recitals and baroque orchestral works. Wait till you reach around 3:20, when they give the dance a modern interpretation. :)

Permalink: The_Emperor_s_Waltz.html
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Last Modified: 11/18/11 09:38

Category: dance

08/23/11 02:45 - ID#55005

Calling Matthew to be AndrÃ© Rieu's photographer!!!

This is it! (e:Matthew), you need to enter the AndrÃ© Rieu photography contest!

Sign up on Rieu's site.

DO it now!!
Think of all the glory if you are picked!!

Permalink: Calling_Matthew_to_be_Andr_Rieu_s_photographer_.html
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Last Modified: 08/23/11 02:54

Category: dance

08/08/11 08:38 - ID#54907

Back from ballet

I needed a hardcore workout today to channel all that excess nervous energy. Quite luckily Kolleen emailed me right when I was thinking about going to her class.

I was soaking wet by the time we were done and far away from anything resembling graceful but I had a bunch of fun.

They have a African Movement Workshop on Wednesday. I know it conflicts with yoga, but is anyone interested in going with me? It's $12.50 for the evening if we turn up to the class together.

Permalink: Back_from_ballet.html
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Last Modified: 08/08/11 08:42

Category: dance

07/28/11 11:15 - ID#54807

Break a leg. The keith way.

Permalink: Break_a_leg_The_keith_way_.html
Words: 2
Last Modified: 07/28/11 11:15

Category: dance

07/14/11 11:22 - ID#54700

Urdhva Dhanurasana

I finally did it yesterday. I got to the Upward Bow/Wheel pose without sagging on my yoga mat.

I wasn't expecting to reach the pose at all. But my head was suddenly suspended in mid air and I was looking at (e:Paul) on the nearby mat upside down. It was a very happy moment. Erin's wonderful practice at Hand to Heart yoga has finally started making a positive difference to my upper body strength.

And now for the next yoga frontier...

Check back in a year. ;-)

tinypliny writes at 06:06:55 07/14/11 - Comment #63591: (e:Paul) - not only did Erin say it was the next step, she demonstrated the Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana (the one-legged upward/inverted bow). Those must be some really high-powered specs! I thought I was the blind one because I intentionally don't wear specs.

tinypliny writes at 05:57:03 07/14/11 - Comment #63589: I am pretty relieved that you are not my yoga teacher, (e:metalpeter)! Last time you were insisting that do all the inversions with tea cups balanced.

LOL, but you are right though. I am not sure I could do it all the time. Maybe yesterday was a fluke... I am going to try and reach the next stage but can't tell when that will be. And (e:Paul) is always messing up gymnastics with yoga. He doesn't see the fine line... ;-)

metalpeter writes at 05:11:16 07/14/11 - Comment #63587: Now related to that (e:tinypliny) now that you have that down... The next part is to get it mastered so you can all ways do it... Not not sure if they do this in Yoga... But I think the next step would be to start moving your hands in closer to your feet (acrobatics maybe.......Once they are in (from what I have seen) close enough both feet can come off the floor?

metalpeter writes at 05:08:17 07/14/11 - Comment #63586: Isn't a back hand spring Gymnasitics?

heidi writes at 01:13:38 07/14/11 - Comment #63580: (I went Monday... maybe tonight?)

heidi writes at 01:13:16 07/14/11 - Comment #63579: Dammit... yoga was calling me last night and I shoulda just listened. Congrats on the wheel!

paul writes at 12:24:04 07/14/11 - Comment #63577: (e:Terry) says she said it. I must have not noticed because I didn't have my glasses on.

paul writes at 12:23:28 07/14/11 - Comment #63576: Oh I can totally do that. I wish she had said that was the next step.

The next step after that is back handspring!

Permalink: Urdhva_Dhanurasana.html
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Last Modified: 07/14/11 11:22

Category: dance

06/01/11 11:35 - ID#54395

Stretching Everyday

I now think stretching is the key to being fit. Every element of ballet and yoga that make me feel awesome about myself involve stretching in some form. I think this post summarizes the value of stretching:

Also has this nifty basic stretches diagram:

What if you used every small timespan of just twiddling your thumbs to stretch a muscle instead? How many stretches could you accumulate in a day? How much fitness would you gain? What if you stretched whenever you remembered to throughout the week, throughout the month, pretty much whenever it was feasible? Would it make a difference to your body?

I am going to find out!! Mid-year resolution #1!

libertad writes at 06:49:28 06/02/11 - Comment #62677: She is a trainer that specializes in motivational interviewing, she is doing the stretching as a side thing.

heidi writes at 10:29:55 06/01/11 - Comment #62676: Unlimited summer yoga passes now to Aug. 31 $70!!! :::link::: I already got mine. I am committing myself to one yoga class each week during bar review. Wednesdays are most likely but there's one Tuesday nights that looks like it might be an okay alternative.

tinypliny writes at 08:04:04 06/01/11 - Comment #62675: They have a PhD for physical trainers? Why am I not doing such a cool PhD programme?!

libertad writes at 07:52:04 06/01/11 - Comment #62671: It was just me and someone else from my office with the PHD trainer they hired, it really did seem helpful to do that this morning. We did it in the short period of time when we get there and when the phone lines open. She is hoping to do this twice a week with a couple people each time.

tinypliny writes at 06:52:50 06/01/11 - Comment #62663: Unfortunately, no :( I have too much on my mind... I don't think I can afford the 1.5 hour today. I am promising myself that I will go regularly from next week till the end of summer...

paul writes at 06:36:26 06/01/11 - Comment #62661: Speaking of stretching - are you going tonight?

tinypliny writes at 05:40:44 06/01/11 - Comment #62659: That is funny, (e:libertad)! Was it for your office alone or for the whole institute?

tinypliny writes at 05:40:14 06/01/11 - Comment #62658: Well.. stretching is exercise. The best form there is! :)

metalpeter writes at 05:37:19 06/01/11 - Comment #62655: A couple of those stretches look a lot like a couple exercises....

libertad writes at 02:40:46 06/01/11 - Comment #62647: That's funny you wrote this today. Today at the start of my work day we went outside and did stretches and simple yoga poses. They are testing allowing us to do this a couple of times a week. We shall see how long that lasts. It was a really nice surprise this morning.

Permalink: Stretching_Everyday.html
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Last Modified: 06/01/11 11:35

Category: dance

05/13/11 09:40 - ID#54274

Ballet Class with Olga

I really enjoyed Anne Bass's wonderful documentary, "Dancing Across Borders".

In particular, I loved this sequence from the documentary.

It showcases an intense ballet lesson that Sokvannara "Sy" Sar, a Cambodian who came to NYC to learn ballet, takes with Olga Kostritzky, simply the best beginner ballet teacher there can be.
Notice Sy's perfect form and the controlled leg lifts. I wonder if I will ever get there.

I had no idea Google put whole documentaries online on Youtube. You can watch the entire film here:

Permalink: Ballet_Class_with_Olga.html
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Last Modified: 05/13/11 09:40

Category: dance

05/12/11 12:16 - ID#54269

Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana

After pining for yoga class for a month, I finally made it yesterday. Thanks mainly to a strategically timed phone call from (e:Paul), just as I was getting ready to spend the evening in the office.

In class, Erin gave us the option of trying the Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana (compass or sundial pose) or leg splits. I was secretly interested in going the splits way because of my not-so-secret obsession with ballet. But the sundial/compass pose looked pretty cool so most of the class that had an opinion at that point voted in favour of trying it out. I decided to abandon my secret agenda and went with the class.

And, wow! The Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana was totally worth going with the class chorus.

That doesn't mean I reached the full expression of the pose. Far from it. But I ALMOST got there with a yogi's choice scaled-down version. (e:Paul)-Super-Yogi later told me that this pose was tough, even for him. He has a theory that he is only good at asanas that involve upper body strength (but we all know it's just a theory and a flawed one at that, because I did watch him out of the corner of my eyes, and he totally reached the asana!)

After yoga, (e:Paul) and I hung out for dinner. We cooked palak paneer (which, I thought was a slight disaster because our most-probable guess purchase of a "paneer"-like-Italian-basket cheese pulled a meltdown in the frying pan). I should have known better than to have trusted an Italian cheese to behave like paneer or at least have tested it before throwing it all in or just used the most-probably-fry-able Goya Queso Blanco, instead. But I didn't do any of these things.

I guess there is always next time but If you will excuse me, I need to go and bask in my yoga mediocrity and palak-paneer miscalculation now.

Permalink: Parivrtta_Surya_Yantrasana.html
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Last Modified: 05/12/11 12:17

Category: dance

05/11/11 06:38 - ID#54259

Who was Martha Graham?

I am absolutely fascinated with the Google doodle today! It just keeps getting better and better. I followed links and read so much about Martha Graham because of that awesome doodle.