Changes

Courtesy of www.shwayder.com

“There is nothing permanent except change,” said Heraclitus. My life is constantly changing, but recently, my life has been turned upside down. First of all, in an earlier post I talked about Shwayder Camp. To refresh your memories, I’ve gone to camp for the past five years and this summer will be my last year. Last year it was announced that there would be some major changes being made to the architecture of camp. They’re tearing down the cabins and many of the buildings. This seems like a small problem, except for the fact that many of those buildings have been there since 1948. Also, we sign our names in the cabins at the end of every session, so there are signatures from thousands of people including our former camp director when he was a counselor-in-training. Now, Shwayder will be wiped clean of all of the memories that have made my home so special. 

Secondly, my dance life is going to change drastically. For eighteen years, Park City Dance Academy has been a small-town dance studio that has been gradually growing and improving. The past couple of years have been really big for us because several of our best dancers have gone to compete at YAGP. The Youth American Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world. From there, PCD has caught the attention of Ballet West. Ballet West is a major ballet company, based in Utah. In February, our directors, Sandy and Trish, announced that Park

Courtesy of balletwest.org

City Dance is now one of three satellite programs of Ballet West Academy. I’m stressed because now our ballet program will become more strict. I love ballet, but that is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. You can only go so far as a ballet dancer, but with jazz, tap, and even hip-hop, a dancer could get many different jobs.

There was a meeting that was held with the reps from Ballet West Academy and they said that Nutcracker could be ending after 2016. I’ve grown up with Park City’s Nutcracker and I know that our entire studio would hate to see it go. I’ve talked about Nutcracker in an earlier post, but I didn’t explain how big of a tradition it was. When I was a younger dancer, I always looked up to the Queens: Snow Queen, Waltz Queen, and Angel Queen, that is. Those were the roles given to the most advanced dancers, the best of the best. It was every little girls’ dream at Park City Dance to dance one of those roles. And now, since Nutcracker could be ending, I, along with the other girls in my group, and the extremely talented dancers in the groups below us, will probably never get the chance to dance our dream roles, and that is one of the most heartbreaking changes of all.

Thank you guys for checking in on my blog! I’m really sorry that I haven’t posted in a while. My life is pretty interesting right now, so I promise there will be more posts in the future. I’ll leave you all with a quote from my man, Gary Kubiak, “Life is fair, keep working.” Until next time…

~Rachael

To The Leader of Awkward People

Dear Grace Helbig,

Hey, girl! First things first, you are so amazing, talented, and one of my heroes. It really peeves me when people say that YouTubers are talentless. Obviously, those people haven’t met you. You are one of the most  successful YouTubers and you are an icon to all of the awkward yet kind of confident girls, like me. It’s crazy that ten years ago, you decided to start posting videos to YouTube, and now you have almost three million subscribers, a TV show, a podcast, a hilarious movie, two books, and another movie on the way.

Queen Helbig courtesy of usatoday.com

You also proved that women can be powerful, independent, and can fend for themselves in a field of hundreds of other very successful people. In 2013, you quit your network and started to make your own content again. Luckily, you had a big enough following that your new channel, ItsGrace, flourished. Around the same time, you began to film Camp Takota with the other two-thirds of the Holy Trinity, Mamrie Hart and Hannah Hart.

I started watching your videos in 2011, when your channel was still DailyGrace. You content was hilarious and I was addicted almost immediately. Over the years, I started to watch other YouTubers like Jenna Marbles, Tyler Oakley, Mamrie, and Hannah, but I still watched your videos. These past several years have been very difficult for me and I know that it’s really cliché and annoying for YouTube fans to say this, but your videos truly made me smile when didn’t feel like being happy. I’ve been able to relate to your awkwardness and being able to see your successes has made me believe in myself even more.

When my English teacher asked us all who our ideal readers were, my mind went completely blank. I know that it doesn’t seem like my blog has a theme, but it does. My blog is about me and my life, so my ideal reader needs to be someone that has great impacted my life and has help shape me as a person. Many of my friends may think that that person is some famous dancer, but that person is actually you, Grace Helbig. I know that I’m not as funny as you (and I don’t have your very punctual upload schedule), but I’m trying my best. What we do have in common though is that our content is very personal. We both talk about things that mean a lot to us, and we do it to entertain others. Many people say that the internet is frying kids’ brains and turning them into terrible people, but not you. I know that it is a very small possibility that you will hear about this blog and an even smaller chance that you will read it, but this is my chance to say that you have influenced me for the better. Thank you for everything.

~Rachael

Tuscan Milk: One Gallon 128 Fluid Ounces

Have you ever discovered something that is so absurd, yet so hilarious that the more that you look, the more you are doubled over in pain from laughing? I’ve had that experience many times, but the most recent one was when my dad showed me the reviews for milk on Amazon. This wasn’t just any milk, it was Tuscan Whole Milk: one gallon 128 fluid ounces. What these people did was genius. All of the comments were either dumb complaints, poems, or stories. My family and sat around the table for about an hour, laughing our heads off. A while back, The New York Times wrote an article about crazy commenters, and since then, more ridiculous reviews have been posted. Now, I know that I’m a little late on the Tuscan Milk bandwagon, but it’s never too late to sit and laugh for a while.

Picture courtesy of amazon.com

Some of my favorites are…

“This was by far the freshest milk I have ever tasted. It still had that ‘new milk smell’. I poured some in strategic spots in my house and car, so I can enjoy the smell for weeks to come.”

“This milk worked well when I first got it, but within a few days it wouldn't hold a charge. I called their customer service department and, I don't know if it's in Bangalore or Ireland, but I couldn't understand a word that they said and they began to scream at me.

Finally, though, they sent me another one - but that wouldn't hold a charge, either. I'm beginning to wonder if this is truly meant to be a portable product. I still haven't been able to retrieve my email and the video is murky.

It's a bit heavy, too, to wear on your belt. The good news is that it keeps your hip cool during this sultry summer weather - for a while.”

“I bought this milk a few days ago; it arrived today, and when I opened it, it was a literal explosion of rainbows and kittens. No cows could have made this milk. No, I suspect unicorns.”

“My wife gave birth to our first born in a bathtub filled with Tuscan Whole Milk, she felt no pain at any stage. He is now 5 years old and completing his PhD in quantum bio-mechanics.”

"Doesn't taste a darn thing like a Toucan. I thought "whoa, tropical bird flavor". Boy was I wrong. Returning this immediately.”

If these reviews were able to cheer me up after a crappy day, then someone in this world is doing something right. I know that this post is fairly short, but it has been a long first semester of high school. It’s my pleasure to announce that by the end of Friday, we will be half-way done with the year! My challenge this week is to find a new obsession to laugh at; one that you can tell about to your friends, until they are so sick of it that they want to punch you in the face. My quote today comes from one of the most majestic human beings. Sadly, this truly amazing man just passed away. “I re-invented my image so many times that I’m in denial that I was originally an overweight Korean woman.” -David Bowie

~Rachael

Joy

I wanted to try something a little bit different. Today, I will be writing about a movie. Over the break, I was able to see the movie Joy. Joy starred my personal queen, Jennifer Lawrence. In this movie she played (to much sarcastic surprise) a strong-willed, independent woman, trying to make her way in the world. I can’t think any other movies where she played a character like this… Winters Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, The Poker House, all of the X-Men movies (after 2011), all of The Hunger Games movies, the list goes on and on.

Picture courtesy of wikipedia.org

Joy is about a woman, named Joy (of course), who lives in a large house with her crazy mom, freshly divorced (for the second time) father, her loving grandma, Columbian ex-husband, conniving step-sister, and her two young children. One day, Joy was laid-off from her job. Unable to provide for her mess of a family, Joy and her daughter design a mop; after Joy had cut her hands mopping up broken glass. This new “miracle mop” was self-wringing, with a detachable/washable head. Joy pitch the idea to her dad’s crazy-rich, new girlfriend, whose lawyer did a patent search (there was a man in China with a similar idea, but he allowed it). Joy was able to hire a cheap manufacturer to build the molds that Joy had drawn up. 

After having trouble selling her new product, Joy got help from a friend of her ex-husband to make an infomercial for her mop. She got the deal, however, when the infomercial aired live, the seller was unable to work the mop. Zero mops were sold. Joy went back to the producer of the commercial, and demanded that she would be the one to sell the product. He agree, but Joy’s first appearance on TV was a disaster, until her best friend phoned in and got Joy talking about the product. The “average housewife” on TV was able to hit record breaking sales. 

However, there was a problem with the manufacturer. They were asking for a lot of money, now that the Miracle Mop was a big success. Joy flew to California to confront the company. They claimed that the molds where their other employer’s idea, a man who Joy had never talked to. Joy had to file for bankruptcy, but not before she flew to Texas to find this mystery employer. This man (supposedly) worked for the guy in China. The man in China had no clue about the molds. Joy sued the mystery employer for fraud, and won the money. Joy and her family moved to a bigger house, and she was able to invent more products that would change the world.

This movie is now one of my favorites. The message of independence and empowerment is so strong. Even though Joy was full of many strong actors, they all did an amazing job and their performances complimented each other really well. Over the weekend, Jennifer Lawrence won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, for this film. She also reached out to reporters and the public, demanding for equal pay for women. I feel that it is important for children all over to have an idol who is as strong as her, one who doesn’t just portrays strong women.

Thank you for reading this post! Equality of all kinds is something that means so much to me, so seeing a movie like this made me really happy. My challenge for you is the actually the Golden Rule. What people need to understand is, no matter how bad it sounds, people are constantly judging you and it’s not going to stop any time soon. What you need to do is be a good person. Give everyone else something good to judge. “We got here from hard work, patience, and humility. Don't think the world owes you anything because the world owes you nothing.” - Joy Mangano, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Until next time…

~Rachael

Dance All Night (Tour)

For Hanukkah, my mother graciously bought me tickets to see the Dancing with the Stars live tour. Even though ballroom dancing isn’t my forte, I was ecstatic because I’ve watched Dancing with the Stars for as long as I remember. There was a short while when I stopped watching, but thanks to my friend, Claire, I got back on track, making her my DWTS buddy. So when I read that I could bring a friend with me, she was my goto gal.

Picture courtesy of dwtstour.com

The Dancing with the Stars tour actually started in Salt Lake, so that was cool. Many of the pros are from Utah, which was even cooler. After dance, my mom picked up Claire and I, and drove us down to SLC. We ate dinner then went to the arena. OH MY GOD! It was AMAZING! They were all so talented! Not to mention that Val and Artem are much hotter in person. Sadly, Sharna wasn’t there because she had a tragedy in her family.

Even though she was’t there, the show was still so much fun! At one point, Emma and Keo went into the audience and picked two girls and a guy to dance with the pros. The two girls were speechless, probably because they got to dance with Val and Artem, while the guy was just hilarious. Jim, the guy, and Peta danced to “Hips Don’t Lie”. It was supposed to be a samba, but it just turned into him running around the stage shaking his butt.

After the intermission, the best thing happened. The star that went on tour with them, Alek Skarlatos, danced with Emma Slater. To clarify for all of the non-DWTS die-hard fans, Emma and Alek first danced together during the “Switch-up Week”. Alek’s original parter was Lindsay, but it was really clear that he liked Emma. He even ended up admitting that he did, and he chose her to dance with him and Lindsay during the trio week. Lindsay called Alek out, saying she had an early Christmas present for him. Emma appeared onstage, and she and Alek danced the rumba, the dance that they did for the switch-up week.

I was so sad when the show ended, but I was definitely not disappointed. Claire and I were still buzzing from excitement during the drive home. I got home at eleven and was exhausted. When I woke up the next day, I felt dead. My voice was almost gone from screaming and my ears were still ringing from the music. But when I saw Claire at school, a wave of energy hit me, as we reminisced about the night we’d never forget.

That’s my story! I still can’t believe that I got to see some of my idols dance in person. My challenge this week is a challenge for me, too, because we are going back to school on Monday. We only have two weeks left in the first semester, that means that the year is almost half way done! My quote of the week is, “We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know.” - W. H. Auden.

~Rachael

Nutcracker is Cracking My Life! (Touching on the Subjects of Gratitude and Support)

I have been incredibly busy right now. Most sports are busy during their assigned season, getting busier around state, nationals, finals, whatever. At the Park City Dance Academy we are the busiest at three points in the year… 1) Competition Season 2) The Spring Recital and 3) Nutcracker. The Nutcracker season begins at the end of September with auditions. I wasn’t expecting a role, but I really wanted to be either a demi-soloist for the Waltz of the Flowers, a Spanish dancer, or a Russian. All of those roles are very difficult… and I got none of them. I was disappointed for a day or two, but I needed support my friends and focus on the positive. I was going to be the best in the Waltz of the Flowers Corps de Ballet, and not having other roles to worry about allowed me to focus on just that. However I took a great opportunity.

From left: me, Mia, Taylor, and Faith at the elementary school shows.

Last year, I had the role of the Mouse King (along with Waltz of the Flowers Corps) and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. To add to that, I got to dance with three of my favorite people, Taylor (the Soldier King), Mia (Young Clara), and Faith (Raggedy Andy). I’ve danced with them for years, but this was special. On top of all of that, I got to lead a bunch of little mice in the dance of the Mice and Soldiers. I love little kids, not in a creepy way. At their age, I had idolized my Mouse King. Now I was able to step into my Mouse King’s shoes and feel what it’s like to have the little girls look up to you.

My first year in the Nutcracker as a mouse.

Back to present time, being the former Mouse King, I got to mentor the current Mouse King and T.A. for this year’s mice and soldiers. I got to feel how I felt last year, when I taught the little girls and in my opinion, that is the best feeling, better than getting any role. This brings me to gratitude. As I said in a previous post, dancers are some of the most competitive people I have ever met. We are constantly battling it out for roles or to be the best in the class. That being said, dancers are also some of the most gracious people you will ever meet. There are only a limited number of roles, so there will be broken hearts. But dance requires you to pick up the pieces and move on, being supportive of your friends who’ve gotten roles. I danced for my life to get Mouse King, so did my best friend, Savannah. When I got called back and she didn’t, that could’ve been the end of our friendship, but it wasn’t. I was so lucky that was as supportive as she was. So when the cast list was posted for this year, I couldn’t help but be overjoyed when she was casted as an elephant, the other goofy role that involves a fat suit.

So, yeah! Nutcracker is so stressful, but completely worth it. I couldn’t more excited for this year’s performances or more proud of my mice and my Mouse King protégé. My challenge for the week is similar to last week’s to be more openminded, positive, and gracious. Life is so much better when you don’t dwell on unfair or negative things. And with that, I’ll leave you with a quote. “Keep your face to the sunshine and cannot see a shadow.” ~ Helen Keller ;) Peace out, girl scout!

~Rachael

So You Think You’re A Yogi

Imagine you are so relaxed that you can actually feel energy move through your body. It sounds a little dorky, but that is what yoga is for me. Today I’m going to talk about yoga, yeah this is happening. I haven’t been a big fan of yoga or pilates until this past year. I don’t know why I didn’t like it, it was just something about staying still in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time that was really unappealing to me. But now I can say that I actually really like yoga.

Maya and I at camp

Over the summer, at camp, every night my friend, Maya, and I would do yoga in our cabin. Even though it wasn’t a real yoga class (and we were taking ourselves WAY too seriously), we still had such a good time. Eventually, our entire cabin joined in on our late night yoga sessions, and it became a tradition. Near the end of camp, one of my counselors took a period to teach us some yoga. We had all been pretty tense because of camp ending, so it was perfect for us. At the end of the period, we spent a couple of minutes doing a silent meditation. There was nothing special about it, we had done many other meditations before, but there was just something about this experience that was different.

Perfect representation of savasana courtesy 
of www.namasteyogatherapy.com

I didn’t take yoga again until school rolled around, and dance started up again. On Fridays, we had a new class, Conditioning. Conditioning in my mind was hardcore exercises that would kill me for an hour, but this conditioning was completely different. That first Friday class was my very first pilates class, I can honestly say that it did kill me. This class didn’t test my endurance, but it sure did test my strength. At the end of the first day my entire body ached and I didn’t want to think of the fact that I had another class after that. My teacher, Brenda, told us to lay on our backs for savasana. That was when I realized that the silent meditation I had done at camp finally had a name.

Now, I still battle pilates on Fridays, but knowing that there will be savasana at the end makes it all worth it. This is the time of the week that I can finally relax and be relieved that it’s the weekend. I never thought that I was the type of person who would like yoga, but now that I’ve tried it, I’m a lot less tense about almost everything. My challenge for you this week is to try something that you think you would not usually like, maybe running, cooking, or even yoga. You’ll never know you like something until you try it. And with that, I’ll leave you with a quote from Joan Rivers, “I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw that my bath toys were a toaster and a radio.”

~Rachael