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Redstorm

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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
    Ballet Mom
  • City**
    Northern CA
  1. Naomi went to Pacific Coasts this year and didn't make it into the top 4. She was 3rd in her short and then dropped to 5th. She has been plagued by injuries over the years. Both Naomi and Sasha were lifting weights and doing pilates when they were only 10 or 11 years old. That combined with the time on the ice working on triples at a very young age, most likely caused the injuries they have endured. I just found an old skating magazine that featured Naomi as the new star of the ice and a hopeful for the Olympics...way back when.
  2. Sasha Cohen came to our rink one time when she was a junior level skater. I was in awe of her. She was so confident and breathtaking to watch. I don't think the pressure had gotten to her yet. At the time, her coach was coaching another up and coming star...Naomi Nari Nam. It wasn't too much later that both skaters had injuries. Some speculated that the training they had undertaken caused the injuries. Unfortunetely Naomi never really came back and Sasha's attitude changed.
  3. I completely agree with Lillianna! So much so that we have purchased tickets to see Don Quixote and Elite Synchopations AGAIN! :yes: I also loved Jewels...especially Diamonds. The costumes, dancing and set designs were breathtaking. My daughters favorite dancer is Yuan Yuan Tan, so of course ANY ballet that she is in becomes my daughters favorite. We are looking forward to next season. Our first tickets are for February 8th, the day after the SFB's SI audition. My daughter will be inspired!
  4. I was told about this show about 4 to 5 months ago and have been waiting for a ballet to be on. My dd's teacher said they usually have a ballet once or more a month. I keep checking but so far nothing. Hopefully they will start showing ballets again soon.
  5. Skaters are all small. Nancy Kerrigan was classified as enormous and she was a mere 5'7"!!! The only skaters over the 5'6" mark are usually ice dancers or men. If you go to www.usfsa.org and look up the current elite level skaters bio's, they list their height. One of the reasons my daughter chose dancing over skating was because one coach kept telling her she was going to be too tall. (She was only 4'10" at the time). She was probably right since my dd is now 5'4 1/2" and 12 years of age. When we go to the rink to visit my daughters skating friends, she towers above them even with their skates on. Several of her skating pals have done quite well this year too!! Danielle Kahle was one of the US skaters at this very event. (She used to be coached by my daughters old coach) Another skating buddy took the gold at Junior Nationals in the Juvenile level, her ex pairs partner took the silver at JR Nationals and two more friends are off to Nationals at the the Novice level! Quite a successful group of kids from her old club!
  6. I should send a picture of dogs chewing pointe shoes! I have 3 St. Bernards and have caught them all at one time or another tugging on the ribbons of a pointe shoe! For some reason they LIKE the smell. :green:
  7. I am definetely a planner. We buy season tickets to the SFB for select performances. I do this not only because if I don't purchase ahead, I will fill my calander up but also because of the benefits to being a subscriber. SFB offers quite a bit to their subscribers including fee free changes if by chance something does pop up on the date we have scheduled. We will attend other companies performances that come around to Cal or Berkeley if we are free, but the majority of our ballet is watched at the SFB. (My daughters dream company)
  8. My daughter and I have season tickets to the SFB and love getting dressed up for the performances. It isn't too often that we have occasions to put on our "fancy" clothes and enjoy a night out. We usually make a day out of it. Dinner, a bit of shopping and then the performance. We both look so forward to the new season. We have seen all kinds of outfits at the ballet, but usually everyone is tastefully dressed. The Nutcracker is especially fun! I love to see all the little ones all dressed up in their Christmas clothes. Even my daughter loves to put on her prettiest dress for that one!
  9. I know of 12 year olds with stress fractures. Pilates had nothing to do with it. I know of another young and upcoming skater who had to miss Junior Nationals last year because of terrible knee problems (she was 13). Another whose mother was so worried about weight and making Nationals that she actually would take the food right out of her daughters hands. That young girl had 3 stress fractures within one year and looked like she was starving to death. Another 12 year old friend of my daughters spent 3 weeks in the hospital due to weight and stress issues. I could go on but I am sure you get the idea. And this is only at one rink! I realize there are the same type (or similar) issues in any sport but in most other sports the emphasis on obtaining the "gold" is not at 16 or 17 years of age.
  10. With the new judging system the skaters will be rewarded for quality of skating rather than quantity. Instead of seeing a large amount of triple jumps, many not even making a complete rotation, you will see more spins, footwork and artistry. A perfect example was a recent competition in Nebelhorn Germany where Jennifer Don took first place. She had maybe one triple and a beautifully choreographed program with gorgeous spins and excellant footwork. She won over other skaters who attempted a much more difficult program but did not execute it to the perfection that Jennifer did with a much less difficult program. The new system will bring out a much broader range of skaters. The emphasis will be more on the quality of the overall performance not on how many cheated jumps can be crammed into a 4 minute program. A skater like Sasha Cohen will do very well with the new system because she is not only an exceptional jumper but her artistry is comparable to Michele Kwan, not to mention her extension. I was really glad to see this new system in play. It is being used in this current round of competitions as well. It will be interesting to watch. Also...the new system takes a lot of the power away from the judges, so no more hanky panky deal making.
  11. The hip and other bone/ligament injuries in skaters has been a problem for a very long time. The pressure on kids at a VERY young age to accomplish jumps is overwhelming. The USFSA (United States Figure Skating Assoc.) has placed age restrictions on the lower levels of skating. This means to qualify for Junior Nationals at the Juvenile level, you must be 12 or under. The jumps allowed for this level consist of all double jumps including the double axel. Now, figure out how early the kids in this level are practicing multi revolutional jumps. Most of the children attempting this are at a critical growth time where their bones have not come close to full maturity. The damage done by the constant falling, over time, can damage growth plates, joints, and bones and may not show up for years. I know this from first hand experience. My daughter was working on a double axel at 10. She was doing all other double jumps and some double/double combinations. Many of the jumps are practiced with a harness, but not for long. Many coaches do not want the child to get too comfortable and then be afraid to fall. The only levels in skating without age restrictions are the higher levels....Novice, Junior and Senior. Although, I may be wrong about the first 2. Obviously, we left the ice long before reaching those levels. I know several kids at our old club that have had injuries more severe and continue to skate. Most are tendinitos in the ankles or feet, a lot of knee problems, some stress fractures in the feet and other bone development problems. Not to mention the emotional toll that level of competition takes on a young child. My daughter is much happier and has never regretted her decision to quit skating. I admit, I do miss it a bit, but watching her dance and the light that sparkles in her eyes when she dances was worth giving up my visions of gold.
  12. Was anyone at the Saturday night performance of Jewels? I was wondering what your opinion was of Rubies?
  13. Happy Birthday! :party: Keep up the great work!!!
  14. I guess we all experienced some sort of disruption or bad behavior at a performance...here's mine. Last year I bought season tickets for SFB as a gift for my hard working dd. We had wonderful seats and enjoyed all the performances...except one. We were to see Elite Synchopations (sp?). Neither one of us knew what to expect, so when the curtain went up we were on the edge of our seats! My daughter had the biggest smile on her face. The costumes were wonderful! Very shortly after the curtain went up...a man sat down right in front of my daughter. He had an odor about him that was annoying but not too offensive. The problem was, he wouldn't stop itching! I don't know if he needed a bath or what. He scratched his head over and over, then his side then his neck, then his face....I am sure you get the picture. He kept shifting back and forth to get better scratching coverage. I am sure the people behind my daughter were getting upset too. She kept moving to see around him. The whole night was a fiasco. It was such a disappointment to miss so much of this fabulous ballet. :angry:
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