im back home!

So this is very delayed...but the program ended a couple weeks ago and I am currently home enjoying the SoCal sunshine and frantically trying to wrap up the summer homework that I seemed to forget about while I was in San Fran. I miss the ballet program and all of the new friends that I made, but I definitely don't miss the fog...

I absolutely fell in love with the San Francisco ballet school.  I feel that the intensive was the most enlightening and edifying dance experience of my life.  I really can see an improvement in both my dancing and the way I work in class.  The teachers were phenomenal- they were challenging and encouraging at the same time. I would recommend the program to anyone, just bring lots of pointe shoes and lots of sweaters!

That's the thing about San Francisco- it is SO COLD. My only complaints about the summer are the cold and commuting in the cold.  The dorms were pretty far outside the city, so the commute was a bit of a hassle. I didn't believe people that I would actually need to wear winter clothes in the middle of the summer, but every morning I donned my raincoat, jeans, and scarf to walk to the train station.  I am a complete wimp; Orange County doesn't have seasons, so 60 degrees and below is FREEZING.  But even my friends from the east coast complained about the cold! So if you're going to San Francisco, you should wear not only flowers in your hair, but a good jacket. :)

So, if anyone's been actually reading my blog this summer, thank you for your support! If you have any questions about the details of the ballet program, feel free to ask! I know I didn't really go into detail about the  classes.

Oh, and I will still be posting in my blog.  (Ya, we'll see how long that lasts after I go back to school).  Just the same kind of stuff.  I'm still working on the whole blogging thing, and I'm always open for suggestions.

ta ta for now
<3 serendipity

tired feet from pointe shoes!

At the SFB school they do EVERYTHING en pointe.  The schedule isn't overly intense, but I feel like the technique classes en pointe make it really hard!

Some girls here only use paper towels in their pointe shoes to protect their toes, or nothing at all.  They are so hard core! I always have to wear toe pads and my feel still hurt! I swear by lambs wool toepads- I think they are amazing because they are comfortable but thin enough you can still feel your feet working through the floor.  And I also dedicated to masking tape.  I am convinced masking tape is better at protecting toes from blisters than any other medical tape or fancy cushions.

Its funny to see what people do at the end of a long day to relax.  I like to stick my toes on an ice pack some nights because I feel like they get so swollen! Some of my friends fill their empty trash cans up with ice from the cafeteria and soak their feet in ice water.  Epsom salt is really popular too...

One of my favorite things to do after ballet class is to roll out my calves with a pinkie ball or a tennis ball.  They get so tight from wearing pointe shoes all day!

In spite of my constant complaining throughout the day about how much my feet hurt, the long hours of pointe is my favorite part about the SFB intensive.  I think that pointe is more enjoyable than wearing flat shoes, and I hope that it will make my feet stronger!