Ice dancing

Ice dancing is a discipline of figure skating that draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976.
Ice dancing, at one time, resembled ballroom dancing on the ice, but has become more and more athletic. Ice dancers do intricate footwork sequences to music and must skate to a certain beat. Ice dancing can be practiced and performed by solo skaters.There are several pattern ice dances, which include set patterns and set steps, that figure skaters can learn and master. Pattern ice dances can be done with or without a partner.
Ice dancing can look easier than single or pair skating, but actually, can be more difficult. For that reason, some ice skaters don't like ice dancing. Doing pattern ice dances does not require jumping or spinning, so ice dancing is popular among adult figure skaters. 







Below is a link to watch a couple ice dance at the Olympics.

http://www.olympic.org/videos/figure-skating-ice-dance-short-program

Alice in Wonderland- Cinema

Alice, an unpretentious and individual 19-year-old, is betrothed to a dunce of an English nobleman. At her engagement party, she escapes the crowd to consider whether to go through with the marriage and falls down a hole in the garden after spotting an unusual rabbit. Arriving in a strange and surreal place called "Underland," she finds herself in a world that resembles the nightmares she had as a child, filled with talking animals, villainous queens and knights, and frumious bandersnatches. Alice realizes that she is there for a reason--to conquer the horrific Jabberwocky and restore the rightful queen to her throne.

There are a variety of shots incorporated into the movie like eye level, medium, close up and wide shots.

Color is a large part of Burton's camera mastery. He shoots in over saturated and under saturated color, to help add to the Gothic mystery or surreal and dreamlike states.

Computer generated imagery are used to create scenes or special effects.

This fantasy movie was directed by Tim Burton. The film was shot in the United Kingdom and the United States.

I choose this movie because everyone has seen Alice in Wonderland but it is very interesting how they remade the film.

The Odyssey- Theatre

Odysseus was war hero who conquered Trojan, using a big wood horse gift. When he returns home, Poseidon gets angry at him because he killed his son, and makes return difficult.His travel takes 10 years because of Poseidon and they get sack of winds from Aiolos, which one of crew curiosity opens and it blows them off the end of the earth. They encounter Cyclops, Seirens, Kirke and he also visits the underworld seeing his mother. After several adventures he returns to Ithaka to see his wife Penelope. There was a contest, whoever could string Odysseus' bow gets her. Odysseus comes and accomplishes it and she realizes that it's really him. 

Somehow in middle school I signed up for Theater as an elective. We had to recreate this play. In high school I later went on to read  and watch quite a bit of Ancient Greek literature. I would say it is more interesting to watch then read because through gestures you can understand the plot but reading and understanding it takes effort.

Written by Homer, The Odyssey is a Epic Poem.

The link below gives a brief view of the play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KMNu4sZRSc

The Color of Water-Literature

The Color of Water tells the remarkable story of Ruth McBride Jordan, the two good men she married, and the 12 good children she raised. Jordan, born Rachel Shilsky, a Polish Jew, immigrated to America soon after birth; as an adult she moved to New York City, leaving her family and faith behind in Virginia. Jordan met and married a black man, making her isolation even more profound. The book is a success story, a testament to one woman's true heart, solid values, and indomitable will. Ruth Jordan battled not only racism but also poverty to raise her children and, despite being sorely tested, never wavered. In telling her story--along with her son's--The Color of Water addresses racial identity with compassion, insight, and realism. It is, in a word, inspiring, and you will finish it with unalloyed admiration for a flawed but remarkable individual. And, perhaps, a little more faith in us all.

I remember in high school a teacher asked me how it was like to grow up biracial. Immature, innocent, naive- call it what you want, I simply told her "just like everyone else", not really knowing how to answer the question or why she would ask that. The same teacher gave me this book. This book put into perspective things I didn't understand and couldn't explain. I choose this piece of literature because i think it is a great read that everyone would enjoy!!

The Color of Water is a non fiction, memoir. Written by James McBride in 1995. 

1990's

Hands down, the 90s had some of the best music. The 90s saw the rise of the best bands and artists of all times. We were educated by Lauryn Hill. Tupac told us to keep our head up. Nirvana captured 90s angst like no one else, while No Doubt made us all wish we were skaters from Cali. Or how could we forget our introduction to pop divas Brittany Spears, and Christina Aguilera. We found out what makes Shania Twain feel like a woman and what fires up the Dixie Chicks up. Then there were the divas – Whitney, Mariah, Celine – who sang and demanded their way into our hearts. No matter what genre – rock, rap, pop, punk, country – the music was just incredible.

Being born in the late 80's, I grew up singing and dancing in the 90's. Music is the sole source that helps me understand how older people don't keep up with the times. You can't ask me whose the best artist in any genre in 2014, but I know all about the 90's. Here are a couple of my favorite records that remind me of childhood.



1. Micheal Bolton- How an I supposed to live w/o you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFood_bTOX4

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers- Under the bridge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyJn9gz8UHY

3.Mr. Big- To be with you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWsVAGCeITA

4. Snap- Rhythm is a dancer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMPM1q_Uyxc

5. Damn Yankees- High enough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_uh8XjgLTE

6. TLC- Waterfalls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4

book shelf building

     The Library of Kansas City, which was founded in 1873, presents an architectural structure that reflects its function - is unique building of this kind in the world - "The Community Bookshelf" is a striking feature of city's downtown. It runs along the south wall of the Central Library's parking garage on 10th Street between Wyandotte Street and Baltimore Avenue. The book spines, which measure approximately 25 feet by 9 feet, are made of aluminum with applied large format graphics . The shelf showcases 22 titles reflecting a wide variety of reading interests as suggested by Kansas City readers and then selected by The Kansas City Public Library Board of Trustees.

     Among the titles selected are "Cien Anos de Soledad" (100 Years of Solitude) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "The Republic" by Plato, "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens etc.. and Children's Stories like "Winnie the Pooh" by A. A. Milne or "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum

     The project was realized by Dimensional Innovations. It has won multiple awards; including an SEGD Award and an IDEA award. 

      This is an amazing attraction for a city. This building is an example of 'apparent function', where the form follows function. This building is very interesting to me because of my attraction to books. I'm a firm believer in preserving books and libraries. Everything doesn't have to run on electricity.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tahitian Girl

Tahitian Girl ca. 1896, created from two separate but conjoined wood carvings. The Head, and Torso are conjoined by a small metal bracket on the back and the seam is covered by a felt necklace. The necklace includes a mother-of-pearl amulet, a braid, and a small pink shell.

Gauguin left France for the South Seas in 1887 in hopes of finding a culture unchanged by modern civilization.   Although Tahiti had been long-ago despoiled by contact with Europeans, Gauguin propagated in his art the fantasy of a 'primitive' island paradise.

This sculpture is interesting to me because the discrepancy in size of the torso and head. The head being bigger makes me feel like she is portraying a sense of being proud and strong. While her body is smaller portrays to me her sense of insecurity. When you’re scared you push your shoulders out and display this confidence but really you want to curl up in the fetal position.