Leeds Fest!

Oh dear, I don't know how I'm going to last a day! I am excited beyond belief about Leeds Festival this year as it's my first time going to a music festival and some of my FAVOURITE bands will be playing; The Maccabees, GUNS N ROSES!, Queens of the Stone Age, Dizzee Rascal, Enter Shikari, New Young Pony Club, Klaxons and the ALMIGHTY Blink 182.
I've seen The Maccabees twice before and they were absolutely incredible. For my and my friends they were our first gig and we got completely smushed by everybody going mental to their music. Dizzee Rascal I have never seen and I can predict that he will be amazing to watch as I've seen him on the telly at other festivals :) I'm in a bit of a dilemma as what to take to eat, so far I've figured I'll take cereal bars, crisps and biscuits..so I'm thinking I'll need something a bit healthier too haha! Any suggestions? If any of you have any useful festival tips, please please share them because I really could do with a few pointers! Also, share your festival experiences, have you been to any this year?

I love finding old photographs :)

Hannah, Laura and Me. Just found this one, taken 3 years ago in the dance studio changing rooms at school, everybody loves a good leotard! As Clarice Bean would say, 'I do balancing and smiling in tights.'

Christopher Bruce's Hush

I'm very excited because in A level dance at the moment, each of us are doing a 'performance piece', in which we take a piece of repetoire and make it our own. I've been assigned this dance from Christopher Bruce's 'Hush', which is all about circus folks! I've started learning it and making it into a solo with my teacher and it's so fun and quirky to perform :) Another work we're studying in Christopher Bruce's 'Rooster' which uses Rolling Stones songs as the soundtrack - how cool is that!? My friend Hannah is doing the 'Ruby Tuesday' dance, Danielle is 'Paint it Black' and Sabrina is 'Little Red Rooster'. They're all so fun to watch and Christopher Bruce is becoming one of my favourite choreographers. Luckily we're going to watch 'Hush' later on this year so I'll get a grasp of the character I'm portraying in my piece :) Who are your favourite choreographers and which works have you seen? Comment away! Peace x

Achey achey achey!

Just had a lovely ballet class for the end of term, a break from the usual ISTD exam work and lots of unset excersises. We did a variation on an extract from La Bayadere which was pretty fast and furious, I have utter respect for anyone who could have done it on pointe because I certainly wouldn't be able to! Yesterday was the auditions for the 2010/2011 Ludus Youth Dance Company and we did some pretty cool lifts, but as I'm usually being lifted I found being the lifter quite hard, even though my partner was tiny haha! My shoulders are aching like mad but it's a satisfying feeling from working hard:)

Einaudi!

I'm really happy at the moment as in my Performance Studies a level classes we're studying post-modern practitioners, meaning that I get to study Ludovici Einaudi! He is one of my all-time favourite composers, his music is so beautiful and haunting. I went to watch him at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester for his Nightbook tour and it was completely entrancing! Luckily me and my two friends managed to get to the front of the queue after the show and got to meet him! The Snow Prelude 2, Nightbook,  Diveneire and I Giorni are my favourite pieces at the moment :) I reccommend his music to piano players like me as it is so fun to play. Here are some pictures of the night, we even met his band!

Dancing in Dublin

Just got back from an amazing trip to Dublin with Ludus Youth Dance Company. We've performed a really cool contemporary piece about the economy and the government and how it controls our lives, as if we are puppets. We're coming to the end of our year as a company before we have to re-audition next year, and our last project is the U:Dance Festival in Birmingham! We're performing an amazing piece called GAMER, based around retro arcade games. I've uploaded a video so have a watch! These photos are shots of our company members, courtesy of Josh, also a member :)

LYDC GAMER

Dancing Feet

Just been to watch Street Dance 3D at the cinemas, it's really got me in a dancey mood :D Pretty good film if not a taaaad bit cheesy, but what is life without cheesiness?

Keane!

I'm very excited because to celebrate my birthday this week, me and my boyfriend are going to Sherwood Forest to watch KEANEEE! And as I usually do after gigs, I end up listening to some of the songs after I've seen them live and think, I wish I'd known the words to this at the actual concert! So I'm having a good listen, Clear Skies is a favourite at the moment and Spiralling is also top of the list, I'm slightly worried for when they play Somewhere Only We Know as the waterworks will start, such a beautiful song! *cries*

Avatar

I really wasn't sure about this film when it came out and had no idea what it was about, but I have officially watched it and it's safe to say that it is FAB! It's quite a hefty plot and needs your undivided attention to fully understand whats going on, but it's the most visually stunning thing I have seen in a long time! I have a funny feeling its based on the Vietnam War too..but who knows ^^

Abersoch Tomorrow!

Cannot wait to get away! Me and the family are going staying in Abersoch in Wales, one of the best places on earth, and it will be lovely to just kick back and relax by the beach :) Hopefully the weather will be nice. Got lots of work to do there in preparation for my last two A Level exams - Vietnam War and English Literature! But luckily for English i'm studying The Great Gatsby, which is a joy :)

So I've started recording a few things..

They're all in very early stages of being put together - I've been recording the songs on Voice Memo on my iPod, (Which is brilliant!)
I've set up a music myspace and uploaded a few of my favourites - www.myspace.com/dontcallmeeloise.
I'm not much of a singer but I love singing anyway, add me on myspace, I'd really appreciate your feedback and to see what you think of the music! :) Feel free to suggest any songs I should cover too. Peace and Love <3

Have just found an old piano book..

And have embarrassingly been sat for twenty minutes playing what I find a very nice arrangement of the Eastenders theme tune! ;) Had to stop halfway through playing Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire because it's bad luck to sing Christmas song when its not Christmas. Very important rule.

Don't Stop Believing!

Now as much as I dearly love Glee, I can't help but feel a little bit sad that so much attention is being drawn away from the original, and the best version of Don't Stop Believing. As far as I can see, no one does it better than Journey, and people should embrace the older version just as much as the new commercial versions that are coming out as well! God bless you Steve Perry, Peace!:)

I think I'm allergic to mornings.

I am very thankful that it is Saturday, because this means i am awake at no earlier, than 11 am. On weekdays I get up for college, which consists of 1 alarm, pressed on snooze around 10 times from 7am to 8.30am, and then I am unable to stay awake after the last alarm until my family has to shout me to get up. I really need to start going to bed earlier!

Songwriting

I have always loved singing, but never really have been terribly good at it. My first debut, as a small child, was entitled, 'I Don't Like Flies', comprising of that very line sang over and over again. Since I started high school, song writing has become my escape in those times of need and comfort, and I always feel so much better from just writing down whatever is on my mind. I have only recently started putting music to my songs, with the aid of my trusty piano and guitar! And I really must advise anyone, to just write down how your feeling when times get rough. Even if it's not a song, it can make you breathe a sigh of positivity after that initial frustrated scribble, and sometimes, (in my case) make you burst out laughing when reading them back in years to come! Absolute comedy gold. 

Well here is the start of my blog! After my dear Mum has got so hooked on writing hers, skybluesea, I felt the urge to join in the fun. :)