Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

GORGEOUS NEW "HARVEST CORNUCOPIA" POSTER!!!!

 
I REPLACED THE "E" IN "HARVEST" WITH A MAPLE LEAF!!!!
 
NOTICE THE SECOND "O" IN "CORNUCOPIA" IS A PUMPKIN WITH MY FACE "CARVED" IN IT???
 
I LIKE TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH MY ARTWORK FOR MY CONCERTS!!

Friday, November 22, 2013

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

 
 A GORGEOUS FLOWER 
& SOME DECORATIONS
 CREATE A CUTE TURKEY!



 





Wednesday, November 6, 2013

HUNGER GAMES: KATNISS, KATDEEN or KIRNISS?

 
 
KATNISS.
 
I REALLY LIKE THAT NAME, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES I TRIP OVER IT
AND CALL HER
KATDEEN EVERNISS
BY ACCIDENT!
 
OOPS!!
 
LOL!   :)
 
THE REASON WHY I LIKE IT IS BECAUSE IT IS PRETTY AND UNUSUAL.
 
MY MOM WANTED ME TO HAVE A NAME THAT WAS PRETTY AND UNUSUAL,TOO,
AND SO SHE CAME UP WITH
KIRA.
 
RELUCTANTLY.
 
SHE WAS CONVINCED SHE WAS HAVING A BOY AND HAD CHOSEN NOT TO FIND OUT WHO SHE WAS CARRYING, PREFERRING TO BE SURPRISED AT THE BIRTH.
 
SO, SHE HAD SOME GREAT BOYS NAMES, (I HEAR ALEXANDER WAS AT THE TOP OF HER LIST ALONG WITH A FEW OTHERS), BUT ALAS, NO GIRLS NAMES UP UNTIL THE LAST WEEK BEFORE HER DUE DATE.
 
THINKING IT WOULD BE WISE TO HAVE A GIRL'S NAME IN STORAGE (JUST IN CASE!!)
SHE CHOSE KIRA.
 
SHE HAD BEEN READING AYN RAND'S BOOK
 
"WE THE LIVING",
 
AND SHE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE HEROINE OF THE NOVEL. ESPECIALLY HER STRENGTH AND SPIRIT.
 
(A GREAT PLOT SYNOPSIS IS AVAILABLE ON WIKIPEDIA...HERE ARE SOME EXCERPTS FROM THAT WEBSITE. DO THEY SEEM SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR? BOY, SO MANY TYPES OF PARALLELS TO THE HUNGER GAMES INCLUDING A LOVE TRIANGLE TO BOOT!)
 
 
Kira Argounova, the protagonist of the story, is the younger daughter of a bourgeois family. An independent spirit with a will to match, she rejects any attempt by her family or the nascent Soviet State to cast her into a mold.
 
She plans to storm the male bastion of engineers, and show her prowess by building structures like a lightweight aluminum bridge. Kira's strength of resolve to fulfill her dream is asserted at various points in the storyline. Becoming a highly competent engineer would be Kira's carving for herself a niche in a society that has become characterless and anonymous, and whose primary purpose in life has been reduced to subsistence rather than excellence.
 
The severity of life in the newly Socialist Russia is biting and cruel, especially for the people belonging to the now-stigmatized middle class.
 
THERE USED TO BE FEW OF US
"KIRAS"
AROUND.
GROWING UP, I ACTUALLY ONLY KNEW OF ONE MORE GIRL NAMED
KIRA.
 
THEN A FEW YEARS BACK, IT BECAME ONE OF THE "HOT BABY NAMES" AND NOW WE ARE A DIME A DOZEN!
SIGH.
"KIRA" IS STILL PRETTY,
 BUT SLIGHTLY LESS UNUSUAL NOW.
SIGH.
 
THEN THERE IS THE STORY OF THE FRANKLIN PARK ZOO! THEY HAD A NEW BABY GORILLA AND HAD A PUBLIC CONTEST TO DECIDE WHAT TO NAME HER.
 
HERE IS WHAT THE FRANKLIN PARK ZOO'S WEBSITE HAS TO SAY ABOUT HER:
 
Kira is the offspring of Kit and Kiki, and she was parent-raised. She's been learning mothering skills from her mom, Kiki, by watching her care for her two younger sisters, Kimani and Kambiri.
Kira is described as the "peacemaker" of the gorilla group. She is very protective of her two younger sisters.
Her mother, Kiki, has been described as the group's queen, and Kira is definitely the princess. Zookeepers say she is just like her mother.
 
 
I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT THEY RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF SUGGESTIONS BUT WHEN THE DUST CLEARED,
"KIRA"
 WAS CHOSEN!
YEAH!!!
 
I FOUND THIS OLD NEWSPAPER CLIP AT THE SUN JOURNAL'S WEBSITE:
 
 
 
SO, THERE YOU GO...
MEANS "STRONG WOMAN".
YUP.
ANY WAY YOU SLICE AND DICE IT.
 
OF COURSE, WHEN I AM ASKED MY NAME BY STRANGERS, THEY OFTEN INCORRECTLY ASSUME I SPELL MY NAME:
"KEIRA".
AS IN KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, OF COURSE.
 
MY STOCK ANSWER THAT ALWAYS ELICITS A SMILE IS:
"I SPELL MY NAME K.I.R.A, AS I'VE DROPPED THE "E" BECAUSE I FIND I CAN JUMP HIGHER WITHOUT THE EXTRA LETTER."
 :)
 
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.
AS SHAKESPEARE SAID,
"WHAT'S IN A NAME? 
THAT WHICH WE CALL A ROSE
 BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD
SMELL AS SWEET"...
 
MAYBE,
BUT I'M STICKING WITH KIRA.
 
ALTHOUGH ONE CAN HAVE FUN WITH THE IDEA OF A...
"KIRNISS EVERMON???
 


Sunday, November 3, 2013

HUNGRY FOR THE HUNGER GAMES!!!

 
 
HUNGRY, STARVED, RAVENOUS & FAMISHED FOR THE HUNGER GAMES!!!
 
"CATCHING FIRE"
COMING OUT SOON!!!
 
I ACTUALLY MISSED THIS AMAZING MOVIE LAST YEAR WHEN IT CAME OUT AND HAVE ONLY SEEN IT ON DVD.
 
THEY THINK OF EVERYTHING...
 
FOR THE RELEASE OF THE NEWEST MOVIE, THEY ARE DOING THE DOUBLE FEATURE OF PART 1 AND PART 2 ON THURSDAY!
 
AWESOME!!!
 
GUESS WHERE I'LL BE?
 
(PHOTO OF MY BAG I BOUGHT AT CAFEPRESS)

HUNGER GAMES: KEEP CALM AND MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!!!

 
(PARTIAL QUOTE FROM
THE HUNGER GAMES)
 
HOW PERFECT?...
 
COMBINING
"KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON"
WITH
"MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR"...
 
I DID MY OWN VERSION RECENTLY FOR MY AWARD-WINNING INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO:
"RAISING THE BARRE,
KEEP CALM AND DANCE ON"!!
 
 
 
 
THIS VIDEO WON
DANCE TEACHER
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO OF THE MONTH, VIEWER'S CHOICE!!!
 
 
I SHARE MY FOCUSING TECHNIQUES FOR DANCERS IN THE VIDEO.
 
I SURVIVED A "BALLET BLIZZARD", (WHERE AS A SNOWFLAKE IN THE NUTCRACKER), A TECHNICAL GLITCH CAUSED SNOW TO BE DUMPED DOWN ON ME ALL IN A HEAP INSTEAD OF SPRINKLING DOWN GENTLY THROUGHOUT THE DANCE.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I DON'T KNOW IF THE ODDS WERE EXACTLY IN MY FAVOR JUST THEN,
BUT
"KEEPING CALM AND DANCING ON" ALLOWED ME TO
LEAP INTO THE NEWSPAPER!!
 
(The blog's first photo shows my cafepress tote bag)
 
 
FOOTNOTE:
 
WAIT!! 
PERHAPS THE ODDS ACTUALLY WERE IN MY FAVOR...
IF IT WAS JUST ANOTHER ORDINARY
"DAY AT THE OFFICE"
 ( A ROUTINE SNOW PERFORMANCE),
I WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WRITE ABOUT HERE, WOULD I? CERTAINLY NOT THE "HEROICS" OF FORGING ON THROUGH A PERFORMANCE IN A "BLINDING SNOWSTORM", DANCING ON DANGEROUS SNOW HEAPS ON THE GROUND, ETC., ETC., ETC.!!!
 
WHICH JUST SEGUES US
INTO ANOTHER QUOTE:
 
"WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS,
MAKE LEMONADE"!!!
 
 


HUNGER GAMES: THE ONLY THING STRONGER THAN FEAR IS HOPE!!!

 
"HOPE. IT IS THE
ONLY THING STRONGER THAN FEAR."
(QUOTE FROM THE HUNGER GAMES)
 
WITH MY MOM'S ILLNESS, AND WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES I'VE GONE THROUGH IN MY LIFE, I REALIZE THIS QUOTE SPEAKS TO ME IN A REALLY POWERFUL WAY.
 
MY MOM'S DOCTORS THOUGHT SHE WOULD DIE IN ONE MONTH BUT SHE HASN'T!!
 
AS YOU MAY RECALL FROM MY EARLIER BLOG POST "MY GUIDING LIGHT", I FOUND INFO THAT DIRECTLY HELPED WITH HER MEDICAL CONDITION!!
 
EVERYONE TRIED TO TELL ME SHE WAS IN A "HOPELESS" STATE AND TRIED TO MAKE ME HOPELESS,TOO.
 
AS MY BLOG POST SHOWED, I FOUGHT AGAINST THE TIDE OF HOPELESSNESS AND FOUND NEW CONCRETE ANSWERS TO HELP HER...
 
WHAT A POWERFUL QUOTE FROM SUCH A POWERFUL AUTHOR.
 
THANK YOU, SUZANNE COLLINS, FOR ARTICULATING WHAT I WAS STRIVING FOR ON MY OWN.
 
(PHOTO SHOWS A WALL HANGING
 FOUND ON ETSY FROM STEPHIISHOP)
 

Thursday, October 31, 2013

FRIDAY...DO YOU KNOW WHY IT'S CALLED FRIDAY???

DO YOU KNOW WHY IT'S CALLED
"FRIDAY"??
 
BECAUSE YOU ARE SO "FRIED" FROM DEALING WITH ALL OF THE
 STRESS OF THE WEEK!!

IN FACT, IT COULD EVEN BE PRONOUNCED
"FRIED-AY" AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
 
BUT NOT TO FEAR, BECAUSE AFTER "FRIDAY", THERE COMES
THE "WEEKEND"!!!
 
DO YOU KNOW WHAT
THE "WEEKEND" MEANS?
 
IT MEANS YOU WILL STOP FEELING "WEAK" FROM THE STRESS OF THE "WEEK"...IN OTHER WORDS THE "WEAK" WILL FINALLY "END"!!
 
THIS IS GOOD NEWS!!!!
 
THEN COMES "MONDAY",
BUT DON'T ASK ME
WHAT "MONDAY" MEANS,
BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA.  :)
 
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS SHOW ME FEELING RELAXED:
 
THESE SHOW ME RIGHT
AFTER WINNING MY
NATIONAL DANCE TITLE!
 

 
 
CHRISTMAS!
 
 
FAMILY VACATION AT DISNEY WORLD!
 





 
RELAXING AT THE
BOSTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
BEFORE MY WORLD PREMIERE
OF MY ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE
"POE BALLET",
THE TELL-TALE HEART,
A TRULY "POE-ETIC" BALLET!!!
 

 



 
RELAXING BEFORE MY UNIQUE CONCERT: ARIAS AND ARABESQUES,
"THE CARMEN SUITE".
(LIVE OPERA AND
MY DANCING AND CHOREOGRAPHY!!!!)
 
 
RELAXING AT
CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY
TELEVISION STATION
AFTER GIVING AN INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE AT THEIR TV STUDIO!!!
 

 
RELAXING IN THE STUDIO
WITH MY
 REGIONAL DANCE COMPETITION TROPHY!
I WON A TITLE AT
A REGIONAL COMPETITION
AND WON
PLATINUM AWARDS FOR MY DANCING!!!
 
 
RELAXING IN THE STUDIO
FOLLOWING THE PHOTOSHOOT
FOR MY
RISING STAR WEBPAGE
ON CAPEZIO'S WEBSITE!!
 



 
RELAXING BEFORE MY
SOLD-OUT CONCERT:
ARIAS AND ARABESQUES
"THE DIE FLEDERMAUS SUITE"!
I PERFORMED ON
THE PIANO DURING
THE DANCE FINALE!!!!
 
 
RELAXING IN THE PARK
NEXT TO
THE ACADEMY BUILDING
WHERE I WAS ASKED TO TEACH
CREATIVE MOVEMENT FOR CHILDREN. HIRED BY THE THEN
 DIRECTOR OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS DANCE FESTIVAL
FOR HER OUTREACH CLASS IN
THE ACADEMY BUILDING.
 




 
 
RELAXING WITH MY DANCE PARTNER!!!
WE WENT ON TO A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WHERE MY CHOREOGRAPHY SAW US RECEIVING MORE THAN 28,000 VIEWS OF US DANCING TOGETHER!!!
 
RELAXING AT THE
PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AFTER WINNING
A SPECIAL AWARD
FROM THE JUDGES
FOR MY "BEAUTIFUL TURNS"!!!
 



 
RELAXING AFTER MY SUCCESSFUL PHOTOSHOOT FOR
STUFF MAGAZINE'S
"ONE NIGHT IN BOSTON"
 (ONLINE EDITION)!!!
 



 
RELAXING IN SEATTLE
AFTER FINISHING A 2-WEEK
NATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHIC INTENSIVE WHERE I ENDED UP BECOMING
DANCE TEACHER MAGAZINE'S
EDITORS' CHOICE
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
FOR WORK I DID THERE!!!!
 

 
 

 
THE PURE JOY OF MOVEMENT-
THE BEST RELAXATION THERE IS!!!!