So I have been crazy busy lately with my new business. Sorry to be slacking in the posts! Here's what I have been doing: www.jewel-images.com It's my new portrait photography business! It has kicked into high gear and my clients are taking a lot of my time!
But not so much that I can't skate or decide on music for next years Orginial Dance.
So after weeks and weeks of hunting we have decided on.....(drumroll please)
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Street Dance!
Holy cow! We are going to be hip-hopping, locking and popping on ice! What a departure from the norm huh? We are skating to Usher's "Yeah!" and Eminem "Lose yourself". Woa!
Well, The ISU defined street dance as folk music, so we picked it! Check out wikpedia's definition:
And of course the ISU communique(see page 3):
"The arrangement of the chosen music should give a genuine feel for folk/country dance. It should be very distant from the feeling of the Grand Ballroom. Examples include: Village, Square, Street, Barn dance, Hoedown, Mazurka, Polka, Tarantella, Hula, Hora, Csardas, Kalinka, Gapak, Gipsy, Syrtaky, Scottish, Irish, Jig, Reel, Guajira, Cumbia, Jarabe, Fandango, Aborigines Dance, Chinese minorities dances, Lesginka, Country Waltz, Flamenco etc.
Tango is not included in the above mentioned Folk /Country dances as it was the rhythm used in the previous season.
The folk/country dance character and style must be translated to the ice by flow and use of edges.
Vocal music is permitted. Variations of tempo within one selection of music are permitted. Each selection of music may have different tempo."
We are so excited and really hope this well challenge us as dancers and really get us working harder on the ice. Our coach Anthony Darnell is perfect for this type of choreography and we can't wait to start learning the new moves!
Until Next Time,
---J
Monday, July 23, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Local Competition in 2 weeks!
Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. Sorry....
I've been on vacation for the last 10 days and been out of town. Needless to say, Jordan and I are competing in the Ice Spalding Classic June 15th! It's a local competition here in Portland. We will be competing next year's compulsory dances; The Starlight Waltz and the Paso Doble. We've only been working on the dances for about a month and a half, so we'll be really rusty, but we're going to do it! It will be practice, practice, practice for the next two weeks straight! Some of the other local teams from around the area are joining in too. It should be pretty fun. The plan is to compete July 4th weekend at the Portland Ice Classic, but we'll see how we do in two weeks. The goal is to compete a lot MORE this year! It's hard to fit it all in with work schedules and life taking over. That's the plight of an adult figure skater!
Until Next Time,
---J
I've been on vacation for the last 10 days and been out of town. Needless to say, Jordan and I are competing in the Ice Spalding Classic June 15th! It's a local competition here in Portland. We will be competing next year's compulsory dances; The Starlight Waltz and the Paso Doble. We've only been working on the dances for about a month and a half, so we'll be really rusty, but we're going to do it! It will be practice, practice, practice for the next two weeks straight! Some of the other local teams from around the area are joining in too. It should be pretty fun. The plan is to compete July 4th weekend at the Portland Ice Classic, but we'll see how we do in two weeks. The goal is to compete a lot MORE this year! It's hard to fit it all in with work schedules and life taking over. That's the plight of an adult figure skater!
Until Next Time,
---J
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Holy Sheep! We're In The Paper!
So the Columbian Daily News came out today, and right there on the front page of the Sports section was a HUGE picture of me and Jordan. Whoa! That is soooo cool!
The photo was taken by Columbian Photographer Janet L. Mathews.
Paul Danzer, sports writer for the Columbian, wrote a geat article on all five dance teams who arrived home from Chicago with medals. It was so touching and we are all tickled!
Here's the link: See The Story
The article took up half the front page of the sports section and half the back page as well and included four great pictures. Thanks Paul!
Just goes to show...it doesn't matter how old you are. You CAN start and be somewhat successful in a competitive sport when your all grown up!
Until Next Time,
---J
Friday, April 20, 2007
We are so blessed...
Reflecting on this last season tonight, I was inspired to write a new entry. The topic: Gratitude.
Thanks....
Thanks to our family and our friends. You know who you are and I hope you know how much Jordan and I appreiate all you do for us.
I was reading all the comments you have all left on our website. Some of them made me giggle and laugh. Others made me nostaligic and one of them even made me tear up. Some of them came from people we met long ago and lost touch with. Others have come from nephews, nieces and friends from far away. Some of them are co-workers and fellow competitors.
Even though I DON'T know many of you personally, I want to tell you how much your support means to us. I am touched that people who have never even met me can still take the time to write well wishes and good luck notes. It amazes me that you are willing to do so, and that you think so highly of Jordan and I as a team.
It means so much to us and we are so grateful.
So, thank you to everyone out there.... known and unknown.
You are in our hearts with humbleness and gratitude.
---J
Thanks....
Thanks to our family and our friends. You know who you are and I hope you know how much Jordan and I appreiate all you do for us.
I was reading all the comments you have all left on our website. Some of them made me giggle and laugh. Others made me nostaligic and one of them even made me tear up. Some of them came from people we met long ago and lost touch with. Others have come from nephews, nieces and friends from far away. Some of them are co-workers and fellow competitors.
Even though I DON'T know many of you personally, I want to tell you how much your support means to us. I am touched that people who have never even met me can still take the time to write well wishes and good luck notes. It amazes me that you are willing to do so, and that you think so highly of Jordan and I as a team.
It means so much to us and we are so grateful.
So, thank you to everyone out there.... known and unknown.
You are in our hearts with humbleness and gratitude.
---J
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Folk Music???
It's back to the grind. Time to focus on the year ahead. That means finding music.
Key word: FINDING.
The ISU has set next year's Original Dance rythm to Folk/Country music.
Folk-slash-Country?? What on earth is that?
That's not even traditional ballroom!
Well, apparently it's "root" music---music that reflects the "roots" of a culture or country.
I have now spent several hours trying to find decent, dance-able folk music. It's challenging to say the least. Not that folk music isn't dance-able. Atfer all, that's what it was designed for. But it was designed to be danced very fast on a FLOOR! Trying to transfer that to ice is well, challenging to say the least! LOL.
I have a few ideas that aren't too bad, but I'm still looking for more. If you know of any good folk/country music or sources of it(it can be from any country in the world), let me know....
I'm killin' myself here!
Help?
Until Next Time,
---J
Key word: FINDING.
The ISU has set next year's Original Dance rythm to Folk/Country music.
Folk-slash-Country?? What on earth is that?
That's not even traditional ballroom!
Well, apparently it's "root" music---music that reflects the "roots" of a culture or country.
I have now spent several hours trying to find decent, dance-able folk music. It's challenging to say the least. Not that folk music isn't dance-able. Atfer all, that's what it was designed for. But it was designed to be danced very fast on a FLOOR! Trying to transfer that to ice is well, challenging to say the least! LOL.
I have a few ideas that aren't too bad, but I'm still looking for more. If you know of any good folk/country music or sources of it(it can be from any country in the world), let me know....
I'm killin' myself here!
Help?
Until Next Time,
---J
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Nationals Blog!
PLEASE SEE LINK BELOW FOR UPDATES FROM FRI April 6th -SUN April 15th.
Ok so I'm really going Gung-Ho on this blogging thing. I have created a new one JUST for the 2007 US Adult National Championships! I'm bringing my laptop and my Nikon D80 with me to Chicago, so it will be lots of pictures and lots of fun!
Get a Behind-The-Scenes look at this years competition! Check it out while we're there!
http://adultnationals2007.blogspot.com
In the meantime, I'm still putting hundreds of rhinestones on my dresses. They're starting to look pretty cool! The skates are sharpened and I've started to pack. We have one more practice tomorrow before it's off to the races!
Until Next Time,
---J
Ok so I'm really going Gung-Ho on this blogging thing. I have created a new one JUST for the 2007 US Adult National Championships! I'm bringing my laptop and my Nikon D80 with me to Chicago, so it will be lots of pictures and lots of fun!
Get a Behind-The-Scenes look at this years competition! Check it out while we're there!
http://adultnationals2007.blogspot.com
In the meantime, I'm still putting hundreds of rhinestones on my dresses. They're starting to look pretty cool! The skates are sharpened and I've started to pack. We have one more practice tomorrow before it's off to the races!
Until Next Time,
---J
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Sick.....Ugh!
Jordan and I are both sick. He's got it worse than I do, but why now?
Poor guy. His voice is off...he's exhausted. We can't practice and we leave in FIVE days! Hopefully, tomorrow will be a different day.
On a lighter note....the Columbian Newspaper out of Vancouver,WA wants to do a story on the five teams heading to Nationals from our area. Yippee! I know. I know. I'm on TV everyday. Why do I care? Cause it's the NEWSpaper! So cool....
Alas, the grass is always greener, right?
Tonight, is rhinestoning night. I plan to put the equivalent of about 2000 rhinsstones on my costume before we compete. Yikes. I have a lot of work to do. I may be doing it on the plane as we fly to Chicago. I'll post before and after pics...just for kicks and grins!
Until Next Time,
---J
Poor guy. His voice is off...he's exhausted. We can't practice and we leave in FIVE days! Hopefully, tomorrow will be a different day.
On a lighter note....the Columbian Newspaper out of Vancouver,WA wants to do a story on the five teams heading to Nationals from our area. Yippee! I know. I know. I'm on TV everyday. Why do I care? Cause it's the NEWSpaper! So cool....
Alas, the grass is always greener, right?
Tonight, is rhinestoning night. I plan to put the equivalent of about 2000 rhinsstones on my costume before we compete. Yikes. I have a lot of work to do. I may be doing it on the plane as we fly to Chicago. I'll post before and after pics...just for kicks and grins!
Until Next Time,
---J
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