NEW ballet school, job and nyc family member :)

Wow this week has been quite eventful!
I started my summer intensive with Gelsey Kirkland and her AMAZING faculty at her classical ballet school in chinatown/tribeca area!
- Gelsey Kirkland is a ballet legend.  An ex-cocaine addict, anorexic ballerina; she has overcome some crazy addictions and love affairs that were very public, over-exagerated and known during her stellar ballet career. As a ballerina she was amazingly theatrical, graceful, musical, technical and of course constantly evolving and growing because she was constantly working on improving, expanding and learning about the arts in general. Essentially Gelsey Kirkland (in my eyes) is one of the most successful ballerinas and the ideal proto-type. As a dancer she did everything possible to learn and never stopped working or thought that she had reach a perfect diva-worthy level. I think she overcame her eating disorder and addiction and heartbreak because she is capable of learning from her mistakes and let go!

Anyways in person the woman is absolutely lovely and unassuming. She definitely has a presence to her and I must say when she first walked over and gave me a correction part of me was trying to fix what she was telling me and at the same time I was thinking OH MY GOD GELSEY KIRKLAND IS TOUCHING MY NECK!!!!
Needless to say I have learned SO much in a mere five days that I am swiftly falling in love with her school. The way the classes are carried, the seriousness of the students, the professionalism of the teachers and the minimal neurotic atmosphere in the studio is a perfect balance/environment for me. I can just say that I am thriving and am so so grateful that I try and not to think of when these four weeks shall end...because the idea of leaving makes me feel slightly panicked and teary eyed.
Might I add that Ms. Kirkland kind of reminds me of a pretty slim elongated version of edna mode in the incredibles movie. Of course personality wise there nothing

alike its just in the glasses.....

ANYWAYS on randomish updates outside of my ballet life
-I got a second job! I Train on Monday evening for it and its awesome because it works with my current dance and work schedule! its essentially a hiring company for events that require some sort of hospitality from carrying hour de ourves at a Bat Mitzvah to doing promo/publicity work for a company! Every week I log in my availability and they look at the event, its requirements etc and you work whenever you match the event and are able to.
anyways its huge stress relief to think of some additional income coming my way :)
- Now most importantly is that today I was wandering around after work, window shopping for the new jobs uniform, I randomly decided to enter petco. I looked around; looking yearningly at the kittens, cats, bunnies and hamsters that I know I wouldn't be able to have. And suddenly I saw this huge magenta betta fish and I decided I really did want one. So I went on my phone googled betta fish read about what are its ideal habitats, plants, food, water temps and mainly made sure it wouldnt die on me in my un-air conditioned apartment. And guess what the sturdy, Thai-origined Betta os a trooper who thrives in water at an average of 76 degrees! SOOOO  I asked the petco guy to double check on the magenta Betta I had seen. He told me it was healthy and explained what makes a Betta healthy (they look alert and have evenly colored scales and no white spots or discoloration) He also explained to me what the differences in the types of Bettas there were. I asked for the price of the magenta Betta which honestly kind of looked like an oversized tutu and alas he ended up showing me the BABIES. They are all very small about 1-2 cm long AND you have no idea what they will look like when theyre full grown. The idea of raising my own Baby and watching it grow appealed to my motherly instinct. The one I chose was is so tiny and squiggly and looks so curious and so BABY like even if it is a fish, that I fell in love right away. Thus I bought my baby. BTW it has no name for now until I find out its personality although subconciously I keep calling her Coral.
Also I almost had an anxiety attack carrying her home on the subway I had her and her supplies in a paper LOFT bag and was clutching it nervously convinced that someone would smash her or she would be jiggled to death like that terrible girl in Finding Nemo. Anyways we made it safely off the subway and barely made it to the 99C and up store where I bought a large glass mason jar to be her new aquarium.And of course to keep it interesting; while walking home, I got caught in an impromtu rainstorm. The paper bag dissolved in my arms just as I made it to my front porch. Fortunately all was well and I washed her aquarium put in the gravel and the live plant on a rock in it and introduced her to her new home. She rapidly adapted to it and is presently swimming in!
ANYWAYS
I am one happy Betta Mom and very inspired and grateful person overall!

MAH BABY^^^^^
oh and heres a link to Ms. Kirkland Dancing <3

ALMOST One year later.....

Well I arrived to NYC and have survived 10 months so far. This city is definitely the busiest place and filled with the busiest people; even tourists don't relax here! These past 10 months have been intense!
I have been through probably every emotion possible except romantic love.
When I first arrived to NYC I was blown off my feet!! All the music, theatre, dance, old buildings, cultures, races, gay people, restaurants, museums, drag queens, bars, aspiring artists, wall street guys, hipsters, models, manorexics,anorexics, left over wall street protestors that are homeless and are addicted to heroine, crazy people that roam the street, aspiring dancers, aspiring actors, uptight republicans, mega liberals, hare krishna chanting people, dog owners and essentially every type of person and place you can think of are all found in one city.
throw in a hurricane, some snowstorms and now tropical rain storms
and personal transformation. injury and illness.......
It has literally taken me these 10 months to process it.
Dance wise I would like to say that I have grown alot since I arrived; my mind is much more open to all forms of dance and I also now know why I dance and what I want to do with it and how i dont give a f- about other peoples opinion...including teachers. That being said I obviously would prefer to be approved of :)
Personally I have learned to be completely comfortable being alone, Because I have been alone so much it has brought in a lot of self discovery. I spent a majority of the time here feeling depressed probably brought on by being lonely. I now have learned to be grateful that I am homesick because I have been blessed with knowing and befriending and living with amazing loving, giving and responsible beings.
I finally snapped out of the depression when I grew completley comfortable with myself and finally listened to my own advice which was to fully love myself and not care about other people think.

Also it helped that I finally have made some very few but lovely friends and the whole time I had a great job to go to where I could see people who were older and happier than me.

School here is quite intense . The schedule is very busy but not overwhelming to me physically as much mentally. It was extremely hard for me to interact with the people/gaggle of girls because for so many years I have avoided most society in general because I have been quite weary of  how they will treat me and have set up a protective barrier. Now I have taken it down finally ....and have nice acquaintances at the school but not any genuine friendships; which is totally fine.
I also had a fascinating rooming experience; which I guess is necessary and part of the dorm life experience; needless to say I have listed it with high school as not completely damaging but not something I am will wistfully think of returning to.
 Luckily I have work and a life outside of the school keeping me sane!
I love my job, my coworkers everything. It is what has kept me sane and has provided me a safe haven that I could go to. There was one point where I dreaded being in my apartment/dorm and would walk in the streets for as long as possible to get away from the environment there. My coworkers were always very kind and understanding and I honestly owe ALOT to them.

Overall I am so happy I stuck it out and lasted the school year. I am much more confident in my dancing and person. I am very grateful and happy, I still miss my friends at home yet I no longer think that I should be there or am missing out NYC is where I am meant to be for now :)

Next Monday I start an Intensive at the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet academy and I am super excited to go!!!!
also grateful because I havent danced in two weeks because I was having alot of pain in my achilles but its all been fixed by my amazing chiropractor who happens to be an ex dancer....but more on that later!! For now i must go to the gym!!!
-Sofia

heres a picture of a sunset at the Hudson river :)
  

Step 3: Don't forget You have an imagination

Yesterday can essentially be summarized by a few words; walk, thrift, pintrest.
What did I do? well Sarah and I walked to a thirft store and I got to see even more sights and sounds of Baltimore. I really do love how much more history there is on this side of the country....it really is quite obvious and really does make a difference. Heres a visual tour of what I saw whilst walking:

COOLEST DORMS I HAVE EVER SEEN

This house reminds me of full house/ sesame street it may just be the stoop but I also like the flowery shrubs they have out front.

 I found the performing arts center!!! ....actually I must confess I walked past this the first night but I didn't take a picture until yesterday.

Ello mate! this place reminds me of thee YOU KAY! If I were younger I would try and find the longest dress I own put my hair up and pretend I was walking through my gardens in the Victorian era.

btw this is the sculpture building, and for print making majors as well

Anyways after strolling through Baltimore we finally made it to our destination...THE THRIFT STORE!
here I had waay to much fun.I kept hearing Spanish which was weird because it is definitely not common to hear it here as it is along the border. I met a man from Barbados and his daughter Natalia and his wife who were extremely loud and jolly. I shall provide visual aid as I describe my thrift store experience:

First of all this thrift store was huge and had so much stuff, alot of stuff from the 90's too! My main fascination was cool thing about the east coast #3 They have real winter clothes in thrift stores 
As you can see by the aisles of scarves hats andlegit winter coats.

I found this sweater, and this hat...why did i put them on you ask?
MARY KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN WORE OUTFITS JUST LIKE THIS IN THEIR YOU'RE INVITED BALLET PARTY!! andddd I used to think they were the most fashionable people ever, so I fulfilled my childhood dream of having an outfit like theirs for approximately 30 seconds.

OK this requires explanation. I found A huge fur coat. It brought a couple of ideas. SOOO i played pretend:

- One it reminded me of when I played refugee mom as a seven year old child (I would sit on my bed and pretend I was leaving seven of my children in the old world as I took a ship to the new world. I would take my baby doll, a drawing of my fictional family and one blanket. I would pretend I suffered sea sickness and felt extreme relief when I saw the Statue of liberty in the horizon. Yes I was and odd child indeed) Anyways the first pic on the bottom left is me, thinking back of my fictional children, finally wearing the fur coat I pictured while I pretended as a child.

the one on the right ..... I simply said in a thick russian accent

" My name is Sergei, and EYE am frrrom thee Sovyet Uuunyuhn"
     .....................................need I say more?

Anyways after this highly successful thrift store/ blast in the past experience; in which I did buy a bag. And saw a dress from the early 2000's that Im pretty sure my barbie doll had. Sarah and I returned to MICA where we went to the MICA bookstore/supply store. I have mainly been to the UC'S....this is the best school supply store ever. Its essentially an art store!

books?...nah drawing stuff instead! Art school rocks.

After our excursions Sarah went to class, I went to the gym we hung out and then proceeded to go and find a recipe on pintrest for Vegan, Low Fat Gluten Free Banana Bluberry Bread! Heres a pictorial version of the process:

 We ate it this morning for breakfast...it was pretty damn goood. :))

As for today....main event is we walked 7 miles in about 89 degree weather to the Harbor! this also really just can be explained by pictures I dont have much to say...except that:

EAST WEST THE OCEAN IS BEST!.... such a comfort to see some sort of oceanic body of water.

Anyhow heres what I saw

WE MADE IT TO THE HARBOR!!! that's the aquarium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science building it was quite nice

We wandered into a Museum store, and inside I found a vintage postcard of SAN DIEGO ...weird huh? also there was this bus that was covered with broken glass and tile...And squirrels! I do admit they were creepy.

WOW. :)

ANYWAYS TOMMORROW I GO TO NYC I CANT WAIT WOOOOP WOOOOP

READY TO TRAVEL ;)

 

Step 2: Leave the nest

I left my mom ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! After spending 18+ years with her to watch me, nag, fuss, feed and scold me (thus teaching me what to NOT do)...all that work she put into me; and I left her!
I went through airport security and had to look back one last time as tears flooded out of their ducts. I had no pride, I shook with emotion and then....boarded a plane. I sat next to the window on the left side and was soon joined by two ladies in their late sixties. Man could they chatter! They went to school together and had their yearbooks with them. I had put on my iPod and as " You ain't nothing but a hound dog" randomly played, I glanced over to see the black and white pictures of girls with early sixties outfits, nicely greased hairdo's and nuns with crazy looking habits. It was quite entertaining hearing them talk about their kids, their grandchildren, their grandchildren's nannies and what happened to they're classmates ('OH MY GOSH ROSEMARIE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?!' etc.) I glanced out the window to see the California landscape which soon transitioned to arizona/utah/deserty whatever. (My geology teacher would be proud to know that I identified many different geological things; such as an alluvial fan and a river that I assumed was quite old because of the degree of its meander.)
As usual I was blown away by the clouds. From far away they looked like glaciers against and extremely blue ocean. I almost felt like saying "I FOUND THE GLACIERS THEY EVAPORATED AND REFORMED UP IN THE SKY!!!!!!!!!!!"... but then we flew through them and I realized they were not solid.

I fell asleep and woke up...I looked out the windows and saw so many trees I thought it had to be water. Awesome thing about the east coast#1they have trees!!

When I arrived to Baltimore the first thing I saw was the word CALIFORNIA...it was in the food court apparently there is a chain called California tortilla. I sure love situational irony. I made it to baggage claim and happily greeted my friend Sarah. We got my suitcase and headed to go on the lightrail which is like a trolley/train. Awesome thing about the east coast #2 public transportation.
We boarded the train and I got my first glimpses of Baltimore.

The first glimpse

Penn Station

It is so cool it has a mixture of modern architecture with all these brick buildings that remind me of the Industrial revolution. We got to Sarah's apartment and rested for a bit before heading off to go to get dinner at a dining hall. Art school is cool. There are so many kids wandering around with portfolios wearing outfits I would never have the nerve to wear, with really cool, edgy haircuts. Also the campus is Beautiful.

Graphic design building "The Brown Building"

Catholic Church in the middle of MICA

After dinner, Sarah had class and I hung out in the library. Once she got out she showed me her friends places that are really close to the campus.
These places were awesome! They are warehouses that were converted into homes and are mainly shared amongst art students/ artists. The places are about 3000 square feet and cost $1500 a month to rent (divide that amongst 5 people its about $300 each, cheap.) In the ones I got to see they have huge windows and people built rooms, then have a vast amount of space to all hang out in. Two of them had a stage where they host concerts for all different types of musicians. Whats really nice is there is art all over the walls, some made by the current residents or their friends, others had old work from the previous artists who lived in them. Here are some pictures of some of these warehouse homes:

this is the coolest room I saw which belongs to a guy called Ebbie. He also happens to have an amazing record collection/addiction to music.

 Today I wandered out and took a bus to John Hopkins University which has a beautiful campus...and totally different vibe than art school. (honestly I probably blend in more there...I'm not cool enough for art school). Then I got back to Sarah's apartment and went to the gym in her apartment complex and lo and behold I FOUND A ZUMBA CLASS. At the end of class the teacher informed me that " for a white girl I suuuure have rhythm." :)
OH about my mother....I skype-d my family today to and I am proud to say I did NOT cry when I saw them. Leaving the nest is not too hard, thanks to technology....and new places to distract you :)

Step 1: Entertain a Bored Teenager

I'm sitting in a cafe in which I feel I slowly came to accept who I was during the oh so painful high school years. For me, as for many, I found high school horrible....horribly dull. I picked up on all the cliques and those silly peer evaluations that teenagers do. I spent two years at a "stereotypical" high school with a football team and cheerleaders, no one was mean to me, I had a nice group of friends but....I was bored. By bored I don't mean I wanted to go to parties and get drunk and kill my brain cells by experimenting with drugs to experience different "sensations" that was to risky (in my 14 year old opinion). I also didn't want to revolve my life around homework and robotic and debate teams... that meant I'd have to spend even more time with kids from school. I didn't like how those kids seem to think they were smarter or more likely to succeed than the other kids who didn't try as hard or partied more. Actually I DID figure out how I didn't like how all these different people with different interests, disliked each other and looked down upon each other. 

At the beginning of my freshmen year I though I would do theatre in high school....until I found out that to do theatre you had to put up with thespian initiation. This essentially meant that to prove my dedication I would have to spend a whole week doing whatever an older thespian told me to do....and go dressed up to class. I had no desire to be bossed around and hazed by some kids on a power trip. To be honest I was extremely disappointed.

Luckily I was taking dance for p.e. In that class I rediscovered that I loved dancing. At the same time I was part of a local production of (the tragically cheesy) High School Musical. The choreographer told me I was a good dancer and asked me where I trained, I said I didn't. He told me I should try ballet. A few months after the musical ended, I asked the dance p.e. teacher if there were any ballet studios she recommended. I looked them up in the phone book and went to the one I thought looked best. The studio I chose was two blocks from the beach and about five minutes from my house. I remember wandering in for my first class. I was 14, the studio floor was a white gray and the bright lights and mirrors made it seem so shiny. I took place at a barre behind a little dark haired girl who was 7. As the class began I tried my best to follow the steps. I remember being impressed that this little girl could remember these combinations and move her legs so fast. The only thing I did effortlessly were the splits, apparently I was naturally flexible. I found the class extremely challenging and I loved the music, the movements matching the music, it made me see a new form of expression. I found a challenge!!!! I began to take class two times a week, I gradually started going three times a week, and finally five times a week. 

What about high school you ask? Oh dear lord it sucked, the kids were the same. They all worried if they were invited to parties or had 4.0's or if the person they liked saw them the other day when their outfit was so not cute and they had a pimple. Did I sympathize? not really. Did I care....no. OK I cared that I didn't care. Luckily the main worry that everyone had; I had resolved. WHAT DO WE DO FRIDAY NIGHT?!....I was going to ballet damn it.  

Eventually my friends got used to me always going to ballet, so they stopped asking me to hang out, they would have plans on those rare days I was free. I became kind of lonely, but not mad. I had decided to embark on this crazy journey.I understood they didn't mean to ignore me either. I started going to this cafe where I sit right now. Here I met some really cool people who were older than me, mainly my friend Justin. He writes music, produced music, his life is music. I owe a lot to him, he made me feel sane for not caring about all the things my friends cared for and he also understood my passion for dance and the discipline the arts require (here's a link to his website http://justinfroese.com/)

As we fast-forward four years later:

I am at this cafe I said goodbye to friends before I go to continue studying dance in NYC...little did I know where this would lead four years ago....

now

                                                          LET THE GAMES BEGIN! 

-the first dance picture I took in Solana Beach CA 2009