Schmi-schmelly (sounds like “schm-schmelly”)

Nicknames of have my Senior Hip Hop and Lyrical girls:

1. Schmexi/Pexi
   
2. Schmi-schmelly/Mitchy/Andrea Boccelli
   
3. Schmischmina/C-Dub
   
4. Mo-mo/Cyclops
   
5. Gabbers/Gimpy/Nemo/Guppy/Gabriel/Gabe/Schmabe
   

– these name encompass, for various reasons, the 5 girls that make this awesome group.

Today at practice it was in the air – the stank of the inability to practice with full effort. The taxing hours after a week of finals, the flu that is plaguing public high schools, and practically 20 hours a week of dance had all my students run down to the ground. So, what did their magnanimous (cough cough) coach decide? Recharge day! Quality stretching, rest, and rejuvenation for the upcoming competition is exactly what they needed…

…of course no time wasted; they ARE having an EXTRA 8:00am rehearsal this weekend. Full hair, full make up, full breakfast!

This Happened...

Today, while teaching, I was:

peed on
snotted on
coughed on
peed on again
bled on (girl lost a tooth; it was a gusher)

Crazy part: I totally don't mind. A little water, soap, sanitizer...a few good blinks to let it mentally soak in (no pun intended)...and I'm good to go - something about sweet, little kids - I just can't be upset at that.

My Faithful Sidekicks

Even though I call them 'sidekicks' (because I see them almost every day),they truly are MAIN cast members. These siblings have so much intelligence, personality, talent, charm and best of all: great character.

***

Big Brother: A sponge for information - this dude is an almanac of facts. He knows so much about life science (not just for someone his age, but compared to people of all ages), and he doesn't miss a beat! Don't try to talk in adult code in front of this one - he picks up on all of it.

Big Sister: Watch out for this quick one! She will observe your every move, and the next thing you know she's able to act 10 years her senior. A kid at heart, but wise beyond her years - it's true. Not to mention she's talented beyond reason.

Squirt: Not even a year here and she's taking the place by storm. She might not be making full sentences but she can already have full conversations with you through gestures, nods, and what seem to be actual responses to your questions. The coolest part is that she's already dancing, literally! She bounces to hip hop music, sings to musical theater, and is glued to ballet.

***

Baby coughs on cue! An actress already!

'Liger' (lion/tiger) on the loose, 100% improv.

Amazing Much?

Sage is in my musical theater class. In class I teach the girls techniques in singing, dancing and acting. For this improv exercise, Sage had no idea what questions I would ask her, nor did she have any time to prepare dialogue. This is totally off the cuff, and I was pretty impressed.

Take note of Sage's demeanor during the entire introduction; I love how she's eying the camera and posturing herself - hysterical!

1,2,3: GO TEAM!

One of my awesome hip hop teams; can't brag enough about these girls' great energy and work ethic!

We're 2 weeks away from our first competition...rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals! We're correcting, cleaning and finishing up the last details for our dances - but a really important detail is team morale. To keep the energy positive I'm always sure to include fun times and some quality team building!

Live, In Living Color

These dance acts I DREAM of seeing live one day, in living color:

JANET JACKSON.

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER.
RUSSIA'S BOLSHOI BALLET.Janet - words cannot describe how much I love her choreo, dancing, delivery, music, music for my own dance classes/teams, and how much she has revolutionized the performance of commercial hip hop.

Alvin Ailey - love love love the work this company does; the dancers are phenomenal; the choreo is always cutting edge for contemporary dance; beautiful. Their dancers have perfect lines, and inpiring angles to work with. Alvin Ailey is one of the premier multi-ethnic dance companies in America. I really identify with their American roots and principles, and their cultural background.

The Bolshoi - enough said. The famed Bolshoi Theater of Russia is arguably the top ballet in the world, having starred dancers from the ranks of Mikhail Baryshnikov. It has parented the premier Bolshoi Ballet Academy. It is globally known for productions of Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Spartacus, and countless others.

Improved Contemp. Piece for 2010 Season

After an inspiring solo practice Friday with my WONDERFUL soloist this year, the creativity was flowing! I love this song, "Falling" by Keri Noble - this is my on-the-spot improv, doing contemporary style dance. The girls and I liked the choreo that came out for it, so I'll definitely use it.

**The sweet baby and child's voice you hear are my faithful sidekicks Catherine and Victoria.

CHOREOGRAPHY IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY BELONGING TO SARA FLYNN; ANY USAGE OF SAID CHOREOGRAPHY IS CONSIDERED STEALING.

The Government Tree

Yesterday a student explained to me that the United States has an actual "Government Tree" ...he thought that since we have 3 branches of government that they must OF COURSE come from our Governemnt tree. Right? Trees have branches:)

Kids rock.

CUSSING

Freaking.

I use often use 'freaking' as a substitute for words like really, unbelievably, and of course the obvious swear word. Examples:

"That movie was so freakin' long! The last 5 scenes were unecessary!"
"What the freak is happening here?!"
"That dance was freaking amazing!!"

In class (6 year old hip hop) I made the GROSS error of using the word freaking when talking about how awesome their dance was. Your language must be beyond reproach at all times whilst teaching kids - mine usually is! As soon as I had said it, the feelings of regret and paranoia filled my mind, only to be met by the shrill voice of a little girl, "Miss Sara! That is CUSSING." Short, red head, widest eyes known to man, hands held wide to the sides, look of distress, surprise and discomfort, and the strong possible emphasis on the "c" sound of cussing.

"You're right, Natalie, that is not a good word to say. Miss Sara should not have said it at all, and I'm very sorry for using that word. Sometimes I say that word at home, and that is not ok," I responded to her in front of the class. No sooner did I finish my apology, than a boisterous 6 year old JUMPS right in and yells,

"Natalie, that is NOT cussing! B****, S***, and D*** - THAT'S cussing!"

No joke! She just up and says it in front of the class! Natalie's jaw drops right open, and another girl (who is soft-spoken and always proper) throws her palms to her ears and starts crying. (I had to do one of those really slow blinks, where you almost press your eye lids together then open them really far apart in order to absorb the reverberating shock of what you've just witnessed.)

Needless to say, I immediately explain to the girl that we absolutely cannot use that language in class, and the consequence is not earning the prized sicker at the end of the hour. After some discussion and a good session of freeze dance, the girls moved on and we had a cuss-free zone, and a really great class I might add.

Teaching dance: never a dull moment.

Daniela

Today I watched a shy, timid girl break through into a bold, enthusiastic dancer. I saw self-confidence radiate from her smile, and energy move through her entire body as she executed the choreo I gave the class. Daniela. She was proud of herself - her dancing and her beauty. Strong work ethic, some intelligence, and the heart to press forward are an unstoppable mix. Daniela stepped it up to the next level today; both personally and on the dance floor.

When a dancers stops dancing to the choreography, and starts dancing through the choreography it's an incredible, definitive, and specific moment. Witnessing that moment is a lot like witnessing a baby take his or her first steps. It's breath-taking, exciting, and happens in the blink of an eye. You can see it coming, weeks or months of building up to it...but when it happens it's somehow a complete (and amazing) surprise.

Daniela - you go girl. You're totally and utterly: a dancer.

Days like today I'm reminded about how significantly rewarding my job is.