Updates!

Hey all!

So I had the presentation at CMC and I think it really well! I was SO nervous. I got the same pre-performance jitters that I used to get before going on stage to dance. It was terrifying and I thought I was going to pass out..not good! Once I got up there though I was pretty comfortable, mostly because my mom and Jackie were up there with me. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and even laughed (when they were supposed to) at some of the things that I said. One of the things that I think really helped me get through it was that I found my "friendly face" in the audience. The one person that smiled every time I looked at her and nodded with encouragement..not sure who she was but thank you!!!

Also the dance is coming together. I have been working a lot of the technique and retraining my body and muscle memory to do movements on my left side. It is very intense and really really frustrating most of the time. Turns that I never had a problem are now almost impossible and it is discouraging. I know that I will be able to do them when the time comes, but until then I'm not so sure what will happen!

Another busy week ahead!

Research Reflection Journal

One of the prompts that Mr. Rieff assigned this week during our weekly class meeting was to review our own research as well as a fellow WISE students research. I think the piece of information from my own research that I have found most interesting is how useful those YouTube videos have been. By watching these videos I have been able to see what I like and don't like in a dance and how I want to take ideas I see from other dancers and manipulate them to work with my own piece. The research that I have done on surgery and stage presence have been very helpful, but the YouTube videos have been the ultimate resource for me. I was looking at my friend Patrick's blog on personal health and fitness and he has found some good articles on weight loss and different types of dieting. I think his article on how different diets affect the body was very interesting. It gave a lot of information that I never thought of and I think that those surprising articles are fun finds along the way.

I think that doing research is the hardest part of this project. It is far more interesting for me to go dance or put together an iMovie than it is to read articles. I do realize that it is an extremely important part of the WISE journal, it just is not my favorite!

Public Speaking.. YIKES!

Tomorrow is the day that I have to go to the hospital to give a presentation of the review of the annual CMC magazine. The person in charge, his name is escaping me at the moment, contacted me and ask, because their main story of this annual review is on me, would I be willing to come in an present my story to a group of people made up of doctors, heads of departments at the hospital, as well as possible investors. It sounds like a great idea at the time.. but now that it is tomorrow and I have to find something to talk about in front of complete strangers.. I am slightly terrified. But at the same time I think this will be a good chance to practice for my end of the year presentation. Never a bad idea to have a dress rehearsal right?! In preparation for tomorrow I decided I would look up some tips on public speaking. The article gave a lot of good tips, but there are two that I think are going to be the most helpful. 1. For this presentation I am the expert. I am the one who knows my story better than anyone else (obviously) so there are no right or wrong answers. I have to remember that I am talking about my own experiences and that I should be totally confident telling the good and the bad parts of it. No one is going to judge me for not knowing the medical terms or giving "false" information.. I AM THE EXPERT HERE.  The second big piece of information that it gave me was to realize that everyone else in that room hates public speaking just as much as I do. They all know what it is like to have to get up in front of people and give presentation. They have all been in my shoes and know that it isn't easy, so they won't be as ready to judge. I also think it is important for me to remember that I am still in high school and these people are professionals who have much more experience than me!

I think I have this under control as long as a make myself an outline of what I want to cover!
Wish me luck!
http://lifehacker.com/161531/public-speaking-dos-and-donts
Abbie

PS. Booked the limo for prom today!!! Yes I did need to share that... I am a teenage girl after all!

Gotta Step It Up

This last week I have kind of been in a slump and I am not really sure why. I have been feeling sick physically and mentally and don't really have anything to blame it on, but I am trying to fight my way out of it. Being in class today I realized that I have been slacking lately when it comes to research and it is time to step it up! We got 2 journal assignments that we have to get done this week, but I will save those for another day, today I want to focus on research.

So I went back to my trusty old YouTube and found another amazing dancer that I had to share. She is a beautiful dancer and the choreography of this piece is fantastic. The music and costume are both very minimal but very very effective. I also like that this dancer didn't go over the top with hard, difficult dance moves. It is clear from her dancing that she is incredibly talented, but she hold back some of her more advanced skills and only does those that are fitting and appropriate for this dance. I know that it can be hard to do this. It is tempting to put all of your best and favorite skills in a dance and it takes control not to. This dancer has done a good job at being careful not to fall into this trap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu6lNGswduE


I have a crazy busy week coming up AHH!

Today was a whirlwind. Tomorrow won't slow down and Wednesday I go to Cayuga Medical Center to give a presentation at their review of the annual magazine that has my story in it! I am slightly terrified, I HATE public speaking! But luckily my mom and my physical therapist Jackie will be there to help me through it! More details on that later!

SO COOL!

Hey guys!

So i FINALLY got to see the pictures from my surgery (I am impatient so this has been a painstaking wait for me). They are probably the coolest things that I have ever seen and some of the most mind boggling. It was weird for me to see them because even though I was awake for surgery I wasn't totally aware of everything they were doing. I realized just how crazy intense the surgery was and how much they actually had to handle my ankle in order to fix it. Now I know why my scars are so impressive... they did some pretty serious work in there! It was especially weird for me to see one of the pictures. I won't post it because it is pretty gory and intense, but it showed my ankle wide open and with the big hole in it. I had NO idea that the hole was that big.. it totally makes sense now why it hurt so much. It is hard for me to wrap my mind around it! I just keep starring at it!

I also got to see the rest of the pictures that Dede Hatch has taken and it is really cool to see the progression from surgery to the studio that I have faced. For me it is hard to see changes because I experience them on a daily basis and they all kind of blend together. But when you look at the pictures that are taken months apart,  it is clear the progress I have made. It is reassuring to see these. I have had some great days, and I have had some bad days. Seeing these pictures makes me realize that even though I had setbacks and bad days where I just wanted it to all be over, I have overcome something that I didn't think I could.. and I think that is pretty awesome.


Mentor meeting with Mrs. Augustine tomorrow.. I can't wait!

Weekly Class Meeting- Audio of the Day

Back to school yet again. I don't know about you but I am definitely counting down the days until summer (39 days left of school in case you are wondering!)

Today in WISE we listened to a podcast.

Brian Grazer says there is a connection between success and disruption. In order to learn you have to step out of your comfort zone. You need to be able to
find people and things that will force you to look at things in a new way and challenge you to things you could never imagine yourself doing. You have to learn how to be told no and learn to accept the best way to grow is to be pushed past all levels you have faced before. There will be more failures than successes in the process but it is those failures and setbacks that you face that make the journey a success.

One way that I have been "disrupted" and have had the boundaries of my comfort zone pushed is in my dancing. I had gotten so comfortable being a right side dominant dancer. Every skill was always with my right leg because that is what I was good at. With this injury I have had to step out of my comfort zone and learn how to be a left sided dancer. It is unnatural for me to do skills with my left foot but I have no choice. I have to learn to do it anyway. Another way I have been disrupted is by having to change my genre of dance. I was an acrobatic dancing and that is where I know I can win and be great. Being a solo lyrical dancer like I have become is totally out of confidence level and I can honestly say tht I am terrified of dancing on stage again, but it is this challenge that will make
Me a better performer.

Two people I could meet and talk to this month is Mia Wise and possibly Michele Smithers. Both are wonderful choreographers and dancers and I think they can give me great information. Two
people that I would love to meet, two "dream" people, are Mia Michaels and Alvin Ally. Both are PHENOMENAL choreographers and are great inspiration for dancers everywhere. I would give anything to have a conversation with these two!

Frustration? Definitely.

Today was one of those days that call only be called "interesting". Too much happened and I don't even know how to process everything. It is one of those moments where I wish I could just go to the studio and dance until I forgot all the stress and can think with a clear mind again. It sucks knowing that I can't do this. Another one of the moments where it is easier to focus on how much I still can't do rather than how much I can. We all have bad days right? Right.

"And how does that make you feel?"

I had another mentor meeting today with Mrs. Augustine and it went really well. We talked a lot about where this journey has led me and how it has changed me. When I am talking to Mrs. Augustine I am able to express all the emotions that I have felt during this project and she has really encouraged me to start writing more about what this has all been like.

I was trying to think of where to start to explain where this journey had taken me and the only logical way I can think to do it is to explain how I am feeling today. Today I had a physical therapy where I finally was able to jump. It was the first time in nearly eight.. EIGHT.. months that I physically left the ground. It was such a weird realization to think that I have been grounded for that long. I was so used to doing backflips everyday and I just spent the last eight months without leaving the ground. It still really hasn't sunk in that I have come so far since surgery. Everyday I find something else that I can do that I couldn't do yesterday and when I look back to August and all the months after surgery when all I wanted was to be able to walk up the stairs again, it is really cool to see how much has improved. It can be hard to think about how much better I am when I am having bad days or when I realize I still have limitations but in the grand scheme of things.. I am doing really well.
Another thing that I have noticed while I have been on this journey is that I am able to realize other people's struggles much more easily than I used to be able to. I guess now that I have been the one struggling to walk down the hall or carry a backpack (which is extremely hard to do while trying to use crutches just so you know!) I have an appreciation for other people who find the daily aspects of life challenging. When someone can't a locker open, figure out a homework assignment, or even something as silly as flipping to the right page in their textbook, the easiest response can be "really? come on get your act together!" After being the one that was always struggling, I realize how frustrating and stressful these things can be and how they can ruin a good day. I have a new sense of sympathy for people who just can't make things go their way.

Going through this journey has made me grow up pretty fast. Having so much taken away from you and having to relearn some of the most basic things (like walking) has allowed me to see things from a different view.

Blog reflection and a Monday pickup!

Today was a busy day in Mr. Reiff's class. We got to discuss a Robert Frost poem, which I found to be really interesting and helpful (call me a nerd but I love poetry!) We also got some feedback on how our journals are going to far. Mr. Reiff gave me some really good insight into what I am doing well and how I can further expand and improve. 

A. One thing that Mr. Reiff suggested was that I continue to incorporate more articles and responses to articles in my blogs. In terms of research I have posted a lot of videos, which he said is good, but he thinks it will benefit me to post/respond to more articles, books, etc about my topic. I think this is the best tip for me to work on because now that my dance is complete, I have the time to research and can find some great information on "what's next?"

B. This week in order to improve my journal I need to focus on three things.

     1. Research and respond to at least one (hopefully 2) articles, books, etc

     2. Reflect how I am feeling about my project up to this point. What has gone the way I expected and what hasn't?

     3. Start researching how to effectively put together an iMovie

C. Three things I need to do before my end of the year presentation (AH!)

    1. Create the iMovie

    2. Finish perfecting my dance and making it performance ready

    3. Learning some tips for public speaking.. something I am TERRIFIED of!

D. What is the biggest different between my journal and the one that I reviewed? I think the biggest difference is that I include a lot more visuals. Miriam concentrated mostly on articles and interview, while I have used more pictures and videos. I am not sure which is better, they are just different. I do however plan on adding more research like Miriam's to my blog ASAP!

So it is the first Monday back from break and if you are anything like me you could use a little humor. In my many hours on YouTube I have watched a bunch of videos of these two little girls and they just crack me up every time! I hope this makes you smile like it did for me! Happy Monday everyone!   PINK! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_cbvBLQ_4Y

Two Tramps in Mud Time Refelection

Break is officially over which means back to school and back to class. Today in our weekly class meeting we read Robert Frost's poem Two Tramps in the Mud Time. Mr Reiff asked us to respond to several prompts...
A.) what is the author saying about the seasons? How permanent are they?

Robert Frost is trying to say that season's come and go, they are here one minute and gone the next. However even when the come for a moment and then leave, they still manage to leave an impression indicating that they were there. They are permanent in this regards even when they are ever changing. This is a lot like people who come in and out of life, but always leave an imprint that they were here for a moment. The people that I am getting to work with and talk to as part of this project are much like the changing seasons. They might only physically be there for a few minutes or a few days, but the help, knowledge, and opinions they leave behind are present even when they are not.


B.) What is the author's difference between doing what one loves and doing what one needs? Which is more important?

I think that in order to do what one needs, one must do what they love. We all need to feel happy and satisfied and content, we would lose our minds without that feeling, and the way that we fill this need is by doing what we love. As a personal example, I needed to have surgery. I needed to stop dancing. But I also love to dance, and need to dance in order to be happy. I did what I needed to do in order to do what I love. Because of this, I don't think you can pick one that is more important than the other. You can not have what you need without having what you love and visa versa.

C.) What does it mean "My object in living is to unite my avocation and my vocation"? How have you done this so far in this project?

Dance is a true passion for me, as is story telling. While I don't want to dance as a profession, I want to dance and college and continue to have it as an avocation throughout the next years. One part of this project that I am learning can turn from something I want to do to something I have to do (as a job) is sharing my story and trying to relate to other people and their personal struggles by telling them mine. I have always been interested in psychology and plan on studying it next year at Geneseo. I want to take the passion I have found telling and sharing my story in a unique way and find a way to help others do the same.

Family (:

So a lot of what I have posted in this blog has been about my journey through surgery and getting back to the stage, but I think I have missed a a piece of the puzzle. If it weren't for my friends and family I don't think I would have been able to keep the motivation high enough to keep going. There were a lot of bad days along the way where I just didn't feel like doing it anymore. I was tired of crutches, tired of not being able to do the things everyone else was doing, and there were a couple days that consisted of me laying in bed crying. But my family was always there to somehow keep me going and moving forward! I love you guys!

My little brother Tucker and I from forever ago. He was always there, willing or not, to wait on me and bring me anything I needed. We can definitely get on each other's nerves but when it comes down to it he was one of the biggest helps during this whole process. ( by the way.. HAPPY 15th Birthday Tuck!!)

 

The world's best siblings! Tucker, Kate, Morgan, and my nephew Milo (probably the cutest little kid ever!) Even though Kate and Morgan live in other states they were always calling me or chatting me on Facebook checking in and asking me how I was feeling. All three of them always told me that I could get through this and I would be back dancing in no time. Most of the time I didn't believe them.. but it was good to hear anyway! I don't know what I would do without them!

So he isn't technically family, but Patrick and I have been best friends since kindergarten so I consider him my brother. I don't know what I would do without this kid. He would come over every night and have movie nights with me, bring me my favorite food, and find ways to entertain us without having to leave the house. He always made me laugh and could turn any bad day into a good one without even trying! He is definitely one of those friends that I am going to have for the rest of my life.. whether he likes it or not! 

Now. Out of everyone who help me throughout this process, my mom (or Momma as I usually call her), is my far my biggest support and biggest fan. This picture was taken after my fall at nationals as we hobbled back to the hotel though the NYC streets. She is the one who took me to every doctors appointment, help me carry everything around the house, and literally anything I couldn't do by myself she was the one there to help me. She is my best friend and I would have been a wreck without her! I love you Momma!

Research!

So it's Friday of break and the boredom is starting to take hold... and the result of this has been more research and A LOT of YouTube videos :)

One of the articles that I found is "7 Secrets of Super Performers". Now that I have finished my dance (YAY!) I am starting to focus less of choreographing and more on performing. I have the steps and the movements down, but that is only half of what goes into this dance. I now have to get the idea and story in my head and in the steps and put the emotion and the feeling behind it to portray it even more to the audience. This article gives really good tips on how to do this. A few of my favorites are 1.  doing more than just smile to show the message. The eyes are the most powerful tool to show your emotion. 2. never dance alone, even in a solo. You have to engage the audience and make them feel like they are on the stage with you. 3. Be confident. The more confident you are in your abilities and your dance the more the comfortable you will be and the easier it will be to tell the story.
I really think that this article will be helpful the closer and closer I get to performing in front of people again. I even bookmarked it on my computer for easy access back to it!! (Here is the link if you want to look at it.. which you all should!)

http://www.danceadvantage.net/2009/02/08/7-secrets-of-super-performers/

Guess What!!

Guess what..... I FINISHED MY DANCE! I was in the studio and after changing some things and tweaking others and I managed to just keep adding on and all of a sudden it was the end of the song. I am really excited about the dance I have created and I think it is really good. I am sure I will still find little things to change to make the dance more fluid or portray my message better but there are no more drastic changes that I want to make! AHHHH! I am so excited!

Also today is going to be a major research day for me. The first article that I found is about dancing and how dance affects the body and the mind. There is no doubt that dance is good exercise and can keep you in shape, but it is also a work out for your mind. In the short term dancing can make you happier. The combination of the release of endorphins and the affect of music on the brain can make you feel happier and less stressed. I know that this is not just some scientific theory, it is definitely true! One of the reasons I love dancing so much is that it can make me feel better and help to relieve stress and put myself in a better mood. This article also mentions the long term affects of dancing on the mind. Dancers become very good at learning things quickly (like new choreography) and being able to remember them not only in words and in your head, but also being able transform it from words to actual movement. In my experience this has made me a very hands on person. People can tell me something or show me something and I can understand it, but to fully learn and remember it I have to try it myself. I find it really interesting how dance and the disciplines that come along with dance  flow over into everyday life and can form the habits that I never really think about

. http://dance.lovetoknow.com/How_Does_Dancing_Affect_the_Mind

April Already?

Happy April Fools Day! Easter was amazing! My older brother Morgan and his fiance (and their adorable puppy Mary) came up from Virginia to visit and it was awesome to see them again! Morgan works for the CIA now, but has completed two tours of Iraq and two in Afghanistan. He is the one who inspired my solo last year. When I'm Gone was all military themed and was definitely one of my favorite dances I have ever done. I learned from that dance that having a passion and a meaning behind a dance can really make it that much more inspirational and touching. I am really excited that my solo this year is going to, hopefully, have the same impact and the same effect.

I will be back in the studio again soon and I am hoping to get another portion of the dance done. I think if I concentrate I might even be able to get the dance done. Who knows we will have to see!

This is the first post of spring break...and get ready there are going to be a lot more!

This is also the picture of my at our regional competition where I  won forth place (out of 23 girls) with my solo! So exciting!