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This is my grandmother. Her name was Ettenaej (Eh-teh-nawj). 

I just had to mention her because she was a woman of not only many-a-talents, but much wisdom. Ettenaej was famous among my relatives because she would do tedious rituals every morning, the moment she awoke from her bed. These rituals supposedly helped with the sustainability of her energy, throughout the day. She was an amazing woman, and I still feel very unfortunate to not have met such an incredible person. 

P.S.- I don’t know why people keep telling me that this picture of my grandmother, Ettenaej, looks like me--it isn’t!

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I LOVE YOU ALL!

This was like from more than two years ago omg... But I hope you feel da love I’ve felt for you this entire semester, PROF HASSONNN. Oh, and the rest of the class too. muah. 

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“Jeanette, eat hot with some toasted and buttered bread : )”

While I was sick, my older sister brought me some ham and green peas soup, with lots and lots of persimmon. On a cold night, I came back home from school, walked to my door, and saw this on my doorstep... After heating up the soup with some toasted and buttered bread, I felt so much better the next day. I was full of energy!!! 

Tip for this post: It doesn’t hurt to have people who love you help fuel up on your energy! ;)

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My Reaction to the Comments About My Blog on D2L

The picture I share with you all is my “Ohhh, I see. Hmm” face. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the two girls who commented on my page gave really great suggestions to add to my blog for further improvement. (Oh, and this is also my “I am pleasantly surprised” face.) 

For example, I plan on making a blog post in response to Megan Talbot’s question for me: “What are the best ways to get to know and really become your character when in a musical?” Such a great question. Thanks, Megan! 

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This is a great video to understand more on how to have an improved level of sustainable energy, as a performer--but for this video, it’s geared more towards dancers. Still, great educational video!

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                                Human Anatomy for a Dancer

Focus

            When you see a photograph of a dancer, dangerously sustaining herself in an arabesque on a balance beam, what is going through your mind? Perhaps you are thinking the dancer is beautiful, graceful, powerful… However, the way a dancer’s thought process works is not that of an average person’s. She is constantly looking for new ways to extend her strength and flexibility. As the dancer is putting in all that she has into that simple arabesque (either leg extended out to the back), she is smiling with joy—being proud of herself that through all of those difficult and painful training, it really paid off. Based on my experience as a dancer and extensive research on the anatomy of dance, I have found incredible facts that every person who aspires to be a professional dancer should know. I will be covering the anatomy behind the following topics: spine, core, shoulder girdle/arms, and legs; how in this 21st century, knowing the basic anatomies of the human body, benefits young female dancers of Los Angeles to understand the limitations of their bodies and to know what is anatomically correct and incorrect.  

Introducing the Human Spine

          A basic human’s spine is made up of thirty-three bones called the vertebrae that chain the skull, shoulders, ribs, hips, and legs, it is the heart of your skeleton. The vertebrae is joined together by small, fluid, rubber-like tissues called discs. These are responsible for absorbing shock when you perform any jumping or lifting movements, in order to prevent any damages to the spine. Based on the book, Dance Anatomy, by Jacqui Haas, the movement in all of the spinal region, is what creates the flexibility for a dancer in the back. For example, although a “large combré (back-bend) type movement can be gorgeous, the tendency is to overextend in the neck and the lower back without trying to incorporate any effective movement through the thoracic spine (midback). Transmitting forces equally will allow the entire spine to work for you. Using only the neck or lower back will cause added physical stress in those specific areas and eventually tighten and weaken the rest of the spine” (Haas, 13).

         The spine is divided into three main regions— the cervical spine, the thoracic spine, and the lumbar and sacral spine.

         Haas explains that the cervical spine supports your head, with its seven vertebrae stacked neatly on top of each other. Each neck vertebrae is labeled as C1 through C7. Cervical vertebrae 1 (also known as atlas) is “literally a bony ring that is responsible for carrying the skull” (Haas, 15). Cervical vertebrae 2 (also known as the axis) is a tiny bone that rises through the hoop of C1—where the whole movement of C1 and C2 create the action of pivoting and rotation of the head.

        Continuing down the spine from the cervical region, the vertebrae gradually becomes bigger. This is what it called the thoracic spine, which contains twelve large vertebrae—T1 through T12. As Jacqui Haas explains, the “increasing size of the vertebrae with the added attachments of the ribs creates the lack of flexibility and mobility in this area, notably called the thoracic cage or rib cage” (Haas, 16).

        The lumbar spine, or the lower-back, contains five vertebrae (L1 through L5), and has more mobility than the region above it, the thoracic spine. However, due to the bigger room for flexibility, this can increase chances of having lower back injury. For example, when performing a combré (the back-bend), dancers tend to bend more from the lumbar area than the thoracic in order to make it seem like they are going back farther than they actually can… Which then can wear out the discs in their spines, allowing “weakness in the ligaments” (Haas, 16). Haas also explains that in order to decrease chances of having lower-back injuries, it would be important for dancers to understand “basic spine education, awareness of body placement, and the ability to apply abdominal strengthening work to your spinal movements” (Haas, 16).

         According to Jacqui Haas, “there is also greater movement between the last vertebra and the sacrum. The sacrum is triangular in shape and is composed of five fused vertebrae (S1 to S5). It takes on the load of the upper body, transferring it to the pelvic girdle” (Haas, 16).

Introducing Basics of the Core

          “Use your core! Suck in your belly! Tighten those abdominal muscles!” Dancers have heard it all. But what does it really mean to use your core? Most people (including dancers) do not understand the basics of what the core is, and what it actually does. They just understand that it is supposed to help with the body’s overall stability.

        The abdominal muscles contain four major layers: the transversus abdominis muscle, the rectus abdominis, the internal oblique, and the external oblique.

         Based on the blog of professional dancer, Katherine Moore, the rectus abdominis “runs down the front of the belly from the rib cage all the way to pubic bone, and is responsible for postural support and spinal flexion, which modern dancers might have some familiarity with in the form of a ‘contraction’ (Moore). Alongside the rectus abdominis muscle, are the external and internal obliques—these “muscles assist with side bending and twisting, among other actions” (Moore). Finally, surrounding the entire abdominal area, is the powerful transversus abdominis. This muscle is responsible for “compression of internal organs, breathing, and stabilization of the spine” (Moore), but also provides a “brace effect while you dance” (Haas, 52).

            The one common mistake that dancers make is that when they are told to “use their abs”, they misinterpret this as contracting their rectus abdominis so tightly, that their freedom of movement is very limited. Doing this usually “causes the pelvis to be ‘tucked,’ where the tailbone curves more foreword than is necessary” (Moore). The core (no pun intended) to finding the correct way of muscle engagement in the core is simply just have a slight adjustment visually and the use of breath. As Katherine Moore explains, “if you are standing in first position, instead of thinking of the front of your belly contracting, you can imagine that your belly button is sliding in towards your spine as you exhale, and then maintain that engagement while continuing to breathe normally. If you are unable to breathe normally, then you are either contracting too hard or not engaging the proper muscles” (Moore).

Basic Shoulder Anatomy

            The shoulder girdle is made up of three bones: the scapula, the clavicle, and the humerus.

            The scapula (also known as shoulder blade), is a complex bone that is attached to many muscles “which support movement and stabilization of the shoulder” (Sports Injury Clinic). This bone is encased by seventeen muscles, which “provide control and stabilization against the thoracic wall (the ribcage). This is sometimes referred to as the ‘Scapulothoracic Joint’ although it is not technically an actual joint (Sports Injury Clinic).

          The clavicle (otherwise known as the collar bone) is “an S-shaped bone and is the main connection between the upper arm and the rest of the axial skeleton” (Sports Injury Clinic). This bone is also attached to major muscles, such as pectoralis major, trapezius, sternoclaedomastoid, sternohyoid, and subclavius.

           The humerus (upper arm bone) is the “ball of the ball and socket joint of the shoulder” (Sports Injury Clinic). This bone’s main aspect is the large movement it makes, which plays a major role in daily activities that people involve themselves in.

           The three main joints in the shoulder girdle are glenohumeral joint (GHJ), acromioclavicular joint (ACJ), and sternoclavicular joint (SCJ). Another “joint” (though not technically an actual joint) is the scapulothoracic joint. This particular “joint” is when the scapula works directly with the thoracic wall (rib cage), hence the combined named: scapula – thoracic.

             In classical ballet, there is a movement called the port de bras. This means “carriage of the arms”. It is like in the picture above of the skeletal ballerina—her arms are in high fifth. To get to that position (or to complete the movement correctly), the “port de bras should move with fluidity but must incorporate scapular stability. […] The scapula must stabilize and move in an upward rotational pattern, not elevate” (Haas, 88).

Basic Anatomy of Legs

            In dance, legs and feet are one of the most important aspect to complete the visual of a dancer. Especially when extended long and lean in the air, it completes the art of dance. In the leg, there is the longest and strongest bone of the whole body, called the femur. It “angles down from the pelvis to form the top of the knee joint” (Haas, 125). The femur is attached tightly to the hip socket by three ligaments: the iliofemoral, pubofemoral, and ischiofemoral ligaments. When a dancer extends his or her leg out to the front in the air, all three of these ligaments relax in order to create more room for bigger motion (for example, higher extension of the leg). Below the femur, is the patella. Commonly known as the knee-cap, is a “free-floating bone within the tendon of the thigh muscle group (quadriceps femoris) inserting into the tibia” (Haas, 125).

           In the knee joint, there are four ligaments: “the medial collateral ligament (which connects the femur and tibia), the lateral collateral ligament (which connects the femur and fibula), the anterior cruciate ligament, and the posterior cruciate ligament (which cross over each other and connect the femur and the tibia)” (Haas, 126). All four of these ligaments provide support, but can be severely injured when alignment is out of place. For example, when landing on the group from a high jump/leap, there is a proper way to land for the ligaments not to be shocked. Unfortunately, most dancers are more focused on how high they are able to leap in the air, and how big and long they are able to extend their legs… This is another great reason why it is important for dancers to understand basic human anatomy, so that they will know how to make their bodies last.

           Overall, this concludes the basics of anatomy. If I wanted to go further into depth with the specifics, I would have to write a whole novel. The anatomy of the human body is fascinating, but it is also very challenging because there is just so much to cover! As I had said before, for dancers to learn how the human body works is crucial for them, especially if they are planning on making a living as dancers. Their body is their product, and unfortunately, there do not understand that. There are so many talented dancers out there, but there are not that many smart, talented dancers. Those that know nutritionally what their body needs and does not need… Those that know how to listen and communicate with their bodies… In my entire lifetime as a dancer, I have probably only met four dancers who were extremely into what they eat, how to keep their bodies stress-free, and what to do to make themselves last as dancers for the rest of their lives. We all live in a world where humans are incredibly lazy to take better care of their nutrition and physical activeness… Which is why I think dancers automatically assume that since they are constantly training every day anyways, they get to eat whatever they want. It is true—have you ever seen what a group of young dancers eat during their break time? Hot Cheetos, Skittles, Oreo cookies, Doritos…you name it. All the junk food you can think of, they will be eating it. It is just not humanely possible for your body to function and to sustain its energy throughout the day on a bunch of preservatives and vitaminless junk. Not only nutritionally, but physically as well. Before starting a dance routine or choreography, you must slowly awaken the body by warming it up, and stretching it out so that it is at its best once you start the performance, or even class.

              Due to the sake of starting and finishing this assignment, I have learned so much through my research that will benefit me not only as a dancer, but as a healthy human being. Although my choice of topic was that of a challenging one, I do not regret writing about human anatomy…Since my research was geared towards kinesiology of dance, I will be keeping in mind a lot of what I learned while I am at the ballet bar in my dance classes!

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The mask that I wore in this choreography represents False Conviction. Behind that mask, I was an innocent human being just like everybody else. 

It was that one day when I realized... 

That one day when everyone thought that I was the one who killed him. 

That one day when the trial did not pass, and I ended up serving up to 30 years in prison. 

That one day when they electrocuted me to death...

...was when I realized I couldn’t do anything to make people believe that I was innocent. That mask was to shield my fear, my depression, my helplessness, my cry for help...

The death penalty is selfish, we should not have the right to be a god and decide who gets to die and who does not. We are humans, we are bound to make constant errors from faulty evidence.We are not God, we are cowardly human beings who do not deserve the right to execute someone because “it’s the law”. 

Screw the law - where did our basic human rights go?

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“Unintentional or willful human error plays a major role in the injustice of the death penalty.” This picture right above here is an image of a 14 year-old boy named George Stinney. Back in 1944, he was convicted of murdering two white girls.The trial lasted two hours, and the all-white juries agreed that George Stinney be executed three months later. 

70 years later after he’s been executed, in December 2014, a judge came up with a conclusion that after searching and searching, there was absolutely no evidence to support the conviction of George Stinney. 

This just brings up another point of mine - eyewitness misidentification. 

“Eyewitness misidentification is the greatest contributing factor to wrongful convictions proven by DNA testing, playing a role in more than 70% of convictions overturned through DNA testing nationwide.”

Police lineups are usually never accurate. Because people are biased (whether they intend to be or not), psychological studies show that people try to make things be seen the way they want it to be looked at. 

Here is a link to an article that sums this argument up: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/the-evolving-science-of-police-lineups/381046/

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My previous post reminded me of this very inspirational quote by Vince Lombardi. You know that saying “practice makes perfect”? Well, it’s not true. Only perfect practice makes perfect. Do it right. Be persistent. It cannot get any more perfect than this.

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An important thing I learned is to continuously work towards my goal every day. Missing just a day of practice will only bring me two steps back, just after I took one step forward. Therefore, when the time of presenting myself to the audience comes, I won’t be prepared. I’ll just be performing on stage cold-feet because I wouldn’t have been continuously training myself all those months that I had free time. It’s difficult to do, but I realized that I have to carve out at least 30 minutes of my time a day to not only exercise my body muscles and stamina, but my vocal muscles as well. Otherwise my singing abilities will decrease dramatically due to months and months of not training. Another important thing that I strive to do is to stimulate my actor’s brain. Just because I am not in a production or auditioning for one, does not mean that I should stop reviewing my monologues and character analysis. There is always ALWAYS more room for improvement!

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Both seriously amazing performers. It was interesting for me to watch the Broadway version of this show “Promises, Promises!” after I was involved in this production myself. In the way my director directed it, I saw how there was so much more dancing in this scene/number, but there were barely any in this Broadway version itself.  At the time, I was being pompous - remarking at how I put in so much more effort and energy into my character than Katie Finneran did... But that was not the case at all. Sure, I put in more energy physically, but Katie Finneran nailed the character of Margie MacDougall emotionally so well. I still have so much to learn... I’m excited!! 

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Simple conditioning exercise for stronger core: Resulting in less use of excess body energy

There is always a conditioning routine that I usually follow in order to engage all of the necessary muscles I’ll have to use before a performance or dance class. One of the conditioning movements that I believe is a vital thing to do before every performance/dance class (or any other physical exercise for that matter) is sit-ups and planks. Doing this not only warms up your body, it fuels up the one thing that holds your body in place—your core! It is extremely important that you engage this part of your body in the beginning before any activity that requires intense body energy. Having a tight core while performing/dancing is what keeps you solid and strong. For example, in a 4-hour Ballet class, something as simple as the exercise of being up on relevé and arms in high fifth—you are balancing. If you are not wobbling or falling over, you are stable. Why? Because you are engaging your core! If you were to just let your tummy hang while the rest of your body was working hard to keep your body balanced, you would fall over because Captain Core fell asleep!

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My previous post reminded me of this video... There is absolutely no other way to summarize what Shia LaBeouf is saying. You just have to watch it for yourself to understand. I love him so much I CANTTTT. omfg.

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If you want to make something happen, don’t wait around for it to work itself out. Just. Do. It. 

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Having some quiet time (in my case listening to music and goofing around)  before a huge night of performance results in less stress levels, therefore conserving more energy for later!

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I would rather fail a million times than to give up at all.