Dance Bag Challenge

I know I'm a little late with this, but it's been crazy busy over here, with taking about 21 hours of dance a week and then teaching 6+ hours a week (my privates run over sometimes and I don't mind at all!).

I was so excited to do this challenge! It was first posted by Wellies and Pears and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to do it! Mine is always completely stuffed and bordering on ridiculous. Not that I'm complaining - I like to be prepared! Be prepared though...it's definitely photo heavy.

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I got my bag last semester after my other bag was just not cutting it. I had the other for about ten years though, so it was a trooper, but just not nearly big enough. This one is plenty big and has a pointe shoe pocket, water bottle pocket, little mesh pocket, plus a little front zipped part with a little mesh part inside it. A downside is that the tightening thing for the water bottle pocket broke right away and the bag is ripping above the pointe shoe pocket. I really need to not pack it so much.

This is the bag I use for my shoes. It's mesh and I've had it for years but because I tend to carry too much, one of the straps is ripping so I'm glad to have finally found a use for it this semester. I really just never got around to getting a mesh pouch for shoes, so I started using this a few weeks ago. It actually works out nicely. In the front zipper, I carry a little sewing kit and tape that I'll admit I never really use, but it's good to have just in case.

Can you believe I actually use almost all of these? This is the contents of my mesh packpack. The pointe shoes on the top left are the ones I'm currently using and actually live in the pointe shoe pocket but I threw them here for this picture. Everything else lives in this mag inside my dance bag. I've got my beloved gel toe pads, and old pretty dead pair of pointe shoes (both Russian Muse), tan jazz shoes, black jazz shoes, 2 pairs of canvas ballet flats, and three different pairs/styles of footies for modern dance. My dance performance classes have plenty of modern dances, so these are a must for me. I don't really use the footies that have the holes for the toes, but they've come in handy when my boyfriend forgets his own. The leather ones are holey and I'm not sure why I still have them in there. I am loving the canvas pair. 

The contents of the little mesh pouch on the dance bag. I usually have my hair down for Dance Performance 2 and sometimes for 1, but need it up for ballet, so I need these. Also, occasionally I've been asked for one if others forget to bring something to stick their hair up, so I'm glad I have so many. The button is from when I saw the show with my boyfriend and it's a favorite of mine so I leave it in sight!

This crap was all in the front zipped pocket. A couple granola bars, a 90 calorie cookie thing, and a case with safety pins and buttons. I took this jewelry off the first day back to Dance Performance 1 this semester, and forgot to take it out. I've had the pointe shoe necklace for years, and got the other two from my boyfriend's mom this past Christmas. It's a music note bracelet, and a dancer necklace. I love them all.

This is the contents of the main part of my dance bag (plus the mesh backpack goes on top of it all before zipping up). Vitamins, pre-workout for Dance Performance 1 when I'm just dead (it's from 4pm-8:45pm twice a week). A water bottle, deodorant, moleskin I never use, two pairs of legwarmers, a sweat towel (green), a stretch band (purple), a wrap skirt for ballet, an extra set of clothes, and various types of tapes (for injuries), and a bandage for when my knee hates me. 

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That's probably a bit much. Haha.

Now on to the questions!

1. What’s in your dance bag and why?
All of the above, because I swear I'll need all of it. I could probably stand to take a few things out though.

2. Where did you get your bag and how long have you been using it?
I got it from a local dance store last semester (Fall 2014) because the one I used for ten years was just too small.

3. Is there anything dance related that you keep in your bag at all times… you know, the essentials?
All o' that! ^

4. Is there anything that you keep in your bag for good luck?
Nope. I'm not superstitious. 

5. If your bag had a name what would it be?
Misty! Because it's tough, but pretty. :)

6. How badly does you bag smell right now?
Haaaaaaa...let's not go there. *throws in some dryer sheets*

7. If there is anything you could change about your bag or its contents, what would it be?
I want one of those spiky balls because they sound luxurious after hours of dance. And I have a heel spur and digging things into my arch feels amazing. Also I wouldn't mind if my bag had more color. Like, maybe PURPLE. Or if it were floral (pastel).

8. Anything else you want to mention?
I now would very much love a Vera Bradley bag. Haha. Beauuutiful!

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Thanks to Wellies and Pears for this challenge! It was fun.

Other blogs I read who have done the challenge:
We Do Ballet
balletandorbust

Click on over and check them out, along with the original!

This Week in Dance...New Students!

So, this week has been interesting. My boyfriend, who I waltz with, has a pinched nerve in his neck, making his arm hurt really bad. I hate seeing him in pain. :sadface: He missed our Dance Performance 2 class on Tuesday and then was back, but limited, on Thursday. I really hope it's better soon. Poor thing. Also, we got a new lift added on, so hopefully we'll be back at it next week.
 

Pointe has been coming along okay. I've been taking ballet for eleven years and pointe for nearly five. But...I could be stronger at pointe. That's why I had decided to take Intermediate Ballet and only wear pointe shoes (at least for barre) this semester. I'm fine with anything with releves on both feet, or two-to-one, but I have a lot of trouble doing releve on just one foot. Like ballones. 

In Dance Performance 1 today, we started the pointe dance for the show. It's actually one I did before. It's a Spanish dance and has a lot of coupe bourrees (I think that's what they're called). I like this dance. It's cute. 

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I had my Adult Ballet (17+ anyways) class today. I got two new students!! That brings my total up to a whopping three for that class. Ha. But they seemed to have fun and they'll be coming back.


I also worked with my Friday lyrical student and added on a new section to Say Something. It had a part that actually didn't work like I'd planned. One thing didn't fill up enough counts so I'm going to have to rework it. Bah. But other than that, that class went really well.


Even more good news...I got another little student back AND her sister. They will be taking class Mondays. All of my younger ones are on Mondays. One of the kids, "Linda" was in the Christmas show but hasn't been back since. She's a little firecracker. She's only seven but has sarcasm like a teenager. But...I like her. Haha. She keeps me on my toes. >.> Apparently, (the studio owner told me) that the grandma of the two girls specifically asked that I be their teacher. I can't be mad at that! haha. She didn't want anyone else to teach her granddaughters. Now if only I can get her to stay quiet during classes!

Exciting!!

I was featured in Adult Ballerina Project! Click on over and read my profile. :)

http://adultballerinaproject.com/adult-ballerina-profile-erika-raelyn-covarrubias/

Lifts: NAILED IT

Ever had a problem with a particular move and then just changed one thing and then suddenly, everything was better, the clouds opened up, and the sun was your personal spotlight?


Well, that may be a tad bit exaggerated, but you feel me.

My boyfriend/waltz partner and I were struggling with the lifts we have to do in our waltz dance we're performing in June. The first is basically a turn that I get into by doing a chaines to him and then grabbing my right arm around his waist and the left just hangs open/back while my legs are in double attitude. He grabs his right arm around the left side of my waist. This was the hardest for us. I'm not one of the little size 0 girls...far from it. I'm a plus-size woman and have a good 80lbs on most of the others that are doing lifts. (Ugh, I hate that number...I need that to go down!). This makes things difficult with a lift where he has to lift around the waist.

So, anyways, we have been actually doing it with my right hand clutching his right shoulder as well, for now, until we've got it down, and then I'll do it with my arm free and hanging gracefully. But what's been happening is that we haven't been able to get around two times (he does two turns with me like that). We have been lucky to make t around once and usually, I was slipping out of it, and we have tried everything. But...not really. I was previously wearing a leotard that was a more slippery material (lycra?) and as I'm a bigger size, I was not about to go without one. NO. Not happening.


This Thursday, I wore a cotton leotard and guess what? We nailed that lift AND the third lift. (Facing away from him, I grab him around the neck with my right arm (behind me) and he puts his right arm around the left side of my waist. I end up kind of at an angle with toes pointed in second and he takes me around once.


It was SUCH a relief to get them both and almost effortless. My teacher was commenting across the room, cheering for us, because, dammit, we finally got it! YES!!


The second lift is the only one we've got to get now. It's more complicated and has me doing a fankick overhead IN THE AIR, but I have no doubt we'll get it. Our one practice with it went well. I just have to get the end. The only reason we didn't get that one yesterday was that he always ended up facing me instead of the same direction so I could get into it.


Let me paint you a picture. But um...with words. So, never mind. haha. I do a chaines away from him as he pivots to be facing the same direction (upstage). I then take a step with my left foot and battement my right leg and he gets his left arm under my butt (and right around my waist, where I grab his wrist with my right hand, and put my left arm around his shoulder/neck). Then when he's pushing me way up, I fankick the right, then left leg. and then arch my back as my legs warm around his back and he lets go under my butt and grabs my left thigh with his left hand and I'm literally wrapped around his back.

Yeah.


So, that's...happening. Now that I think of it, I'm not sure what happens with his and my right arms. We've only gotten as far as the fankick. (WHEEEEE!) By the way, the fankick is basically parallel with the ceiling. Like a helicopter over his head. It's fun.

Stay tuned for more news on THAT. lol.


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In other news, I've been nailing a double pique on both sides just about every time (single, single, double is a regular for my ballet teacher).


Things are good.

The Name (Pic Heavy) and My Bedroom

 So, back when I was a little one, I was OBSESSED with teddy bears. Seriously, my childhood bedroom looked like a teddy bear museum. And/or a Boyd's Bears museum. I'm not even kidding. This led to my childhood nickname. When I was around five years old, my uncle started greeting me with "Erika Bearika of America!" Over time, this shortened to "Erika Bearika" and then, finally, "Bearika." I'm 29 years old and this nickname is still used by a few family members. (I usually use another nickname, Hysterika, for some social media, but Bearika is near and dear to me.)


So, now, as a 29 year old, I live with my boyfriend about half the time, and live with my best friend half the time. My fur babies live with my best friend because my boyfriend and I haven't gotten a place of our own yet and my babies can't live where we currently are. So I share a bedroom with my boyfriend Monday night through Thursday night and stay in my own bedroom at my best friend's house Friday night through Sunday night. I miss my babies too much to be away from them the whole time. The wonderful thing about having a room of my own is being able to decorate it how I want. It's like 50% teddybears and teenage decor from when I was a teen and about 50% "Oh-a-dancer-lives-here." So, it probably looks like a 12 year old's room. hahaha.


I also recently got some of my things back from my parents from when I was a kid so I'm surrounding myself with these things of comfort.




This was one of the teddy bears I cuddled up with when I slept as a kid. I loved Precious Moments.

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 Some super heavy bookends I had as a kid. Boyd's Bears, I'm pretty sure. (Sorry the second one is blurry.)

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An adorable bear I love because of the color.

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A bear my best friend got me years ago. Skelanimals are pretty great. Fits me so well. :)

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The top one here went above my bed as a teen. A Boyd's Bear, as is the one with the hat. I think the Winnie came from The Disney Store.

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This was a thrift store find (a few years ago). How perfect is it that it mixes two things I adore!?
Bears and ballet. Yassss. (This should have been the picture I used at the top but I'm too lazy to do it now.)

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And now, just because, a few pictures of my bedroom. Needs improvement, obviously.

I should have turned the light off. I threw and old dance ("Step In Time") performance hat over my fan. Old school calendar turned to the Phantom of the Opera photo. This calendar is from the 60's, I believe. Above my closet, BAD WOLF is spray painted in stencil. Points if you get the reference.

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My paternal grandfather traveled the globe and brought back those two dolls near the corner. Yes, I do still have my old Treasure Troll collection. *smirk*

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I need to find a way to make this prettier, and wash my actual comforter (not pictured), but I love my room. I have so many more dead pointe shoes I could add to that but I'm not sure if I want to. I kind of want to hang some of that fake snow above them so it's more like the "pointe shoe cemetary" I envisioned it to be. This was just a quickie thing.
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Anyways, feel free to link up your bedroom in the comments, or tell me the story of your blog name! I'd love to hear it.

Flu...Porqueeeeeeee

Sorry I have not been blogging as much. I have been hit with the stomach flu and haven't been to a single class since last Thursday. (I dance Monday through Friday, and teach Monday, Friday, and Saturday.) This thing has really messed everything up. I can't keep much of anything down and have zero energy. I am not 100% yet (maybe 40%) but I'm returning to classes tomorrow. I don't really have a choice. I have to work on lifts (aerials) in Dance Performance tomorrow, so we shall see how it goes! I plan on writing a blog about last week today sometime. Stay tuned!

And please, send happy thoughts for tomorrow!

I hope none of you caught this! I've had it about a week now. *grumble*
Hashtagbahhumbug

Friday Lyrical Matchy Matchy

     So, this past Friday, I taught my third Lyrical class of the season (ever). So far, I've had one student, but I'm gaining two more next week, so I'm excited about that! The one student I've had is thirteen and so cute! She is focused, driven, excited, and asks questions and I just love that. She really wants to work. 

She got her first pair of Lyrical shoes (similar to these)

I've got them in a nude color and she wanted to get some like I had so she got some, but in pink. So cute. So, again, we started with ab work and then I showed her the foot positions and arm positions and after, we moved on to barre. We worked on plies in first, second, and third (new), tendus and degages, which I slowed down, rond de jambes, and battements. My battement combination includes doing it all over again, but in attitude, so after showing her what attitudes are and how they look and feel, she did them. I love her natural turnout and winged feet. She does them second nature. Wonderful!

After barre, I introduced her to the barre stretch. I want to put splits into the Lyrical dance, so I really want to work on doing them at the barre. I love a good barre stretch.

When we were there, I noticed that she had leggings and sliding a bare leg on wood feels good for nobody, so I tossed one of my pink legwarmers to her. She loved the stretch. Who doesn't!

We went on to a brief across the floor and center, and then on to the dance. Her attitude on adage has improved. I think to further improve it, I need to work on having her balance it in center and then slooooowly turn. The turn in the dance is four counts, but I'll slow it down for her further in center. 

I took out the pencil turn and just had a slower roll to the floor and up into a skater turn (is there a real term for that?) and into an arabesque. I then added on the next part, which is actually around 30 seconds after the first section I taught. I will fill in the blanks later. 

I realized Bella had a black leotard on, and black leggings (along with my one pink legwarmer), and that's what I had on underneath, so I whipped off my tshirt, and threw on my second pink legwarmer so we could be twinning. 

I stuck a cute bunny sticker over her face but trust me, she's cute as a button.