Because synchronized swimming is the best, and I’m going to see Bombay Bicycle Club at The Danforth Music Hall.
Tag: video
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Are You a Hipster?
Ten signs you are in fact a hipster:
1. Your new haircut resembles that of Dan Humphrey in the final season of Gossip Girl.
2. You wear a beanie in the summertime.
3. You’ve recently started your career as a professional blogger, and you thrive on posting photos of all the ways you can style your Chucks.
4. You’ve suddenly developed an obsession with Scandinavia, particularly Denmark. You read Scandinavian Street Style blogs like they are going out of style.
5. You wear more plaid than a lumberjack.
6. You work at American Apparel or are seriously considering attending one of their ‘open-call auditions’ this Wednesday.
7. You own more than one Apple product.
8. You love instagramming photos of latte art and stop hanging out with people when you realize they drink Starbucks and Tim Hortons.
9. You hate when people dance or even sway at concerts.
10. Finally, check out this video to determine once and for all if you’re a hipster:
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… and so she would dance
“Go into the arts, I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
-Kurt Vonnegut
Until quite recently, all I wanted to do was dance. I grew up auditioning for ballet companies and annual production of the Nutcracker and The Lion King. Weekends were spent rehearsing my solos for competition, performing and touring with provincial companies, and teaching the wee ones how to point their toes.
After high school, I found myself at a crossroads, seriously deliberating whether to pursue dance professionally or to obtain a university education. The practicality of a university degree is not lost on me, despite my decision to study English rather than engineering or commerce. However, I do sometimes wistfully pull out my toe shoes or attend a drop-in class that caters to trained contemporary and classical dancers. I still shed a tear whenever I attend a Broadway show, be it in New York or Yorkton.
Dance, especially ballet, can be a controversial subject. Many argue that it imparts a destructive bodily self-consciousness, self-hatred and an unhealthy perfectionistic streak. I can’t deny that is sometimes breeds emotionally under-developed young adults, with overly narcissistic desire to succeed. For me, however, it gave me a vehicle for communication and self-expression when words didn’t seem to fit. It also taught me self-acceptance, for the parts of myself that didn’t seem to fit with my small-town upbringing. Feeling perpetually awkward throughout your high school years is certainly not a rare phenomenon, and a natural part of growing into the person you’re supposed to be. But when I danced, I felt invincible. I worked hard to master my technique, which has paid off in my adult life and in my editorial pursuits.
Check out this video from CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance? Canada entitled “Will I” from the musical RENT. It’s choreographed by Mia Michaels, and features Saskatchewan dancer, Mackenzie Green.
prairie girl musings 