Dance..How do they do it?

I just walked in the doors and my toes are dirty and raw. Six hours of dance is enough for one day. Today, we had master classes at Summit Dance Shoppe. Choreographers from all over the United States came in to teach us combinations and expand our knowledge in the world of dance. It really got me wondering on how they do it. How does a person exert so much passion into such a tiring and difficult task. But, then it hit me. It's merely because they ARE so passionate about what they do. They strive to be the best and thats what has made them the best.

They told us that we can do whatever we want if we put our mind to it. If we want to do five turns instead of four, we can most defenitely do that. It is all about whats in your mind. Now us, as teenagers, think to ourselves (sarcastically) "Yeah, we've never heard that expression before." However, I realized if you actually believe in yourself and you actually set your mind on what you want to do, dance in general is 10 times easier. Practicing this expression today made me feel so much more comfortable. It was more enjoyable for me to dance when I practiced that mind set.

I give so much credit to the choreographers; the ones we had today and the other great ones still out there. Dance is an art, and it is by no means an easy form of it. The ones who can lecture and teach and create this art, like them, deserve a lot of credit.

Well, 6 hours later I am starting to feel a little tired and hungry. Dinner is ready so I better go!

Language and Identity

To me, there is a defenite relationship between language and identity. In simplest terms, the language you speak is what identifies who you are and where you may be from. However, the relationship between the two can get way deeper. For example, the language you use in your writing is how you are looked upon and identified, as an author and person. The words and phrases and ideas you portray in what you say on paper is your voice, your specific language. When people read it, that is how they will see you, label you and be able to identify you.
Your language can reveal many things about you such as race, gender, age, occupation, level of education and culture. But like I said before, it can be twisted into different meanings as well. It makes you you. It has to do with identity because you are your own identity, and thats the best way I can put it. It's almost like the phrase "you are what you eat." Except with this, you are what you say and write. Your language (literally or metaphorically) constructs your identity. When used, it forms a sense of who we are. Thats how I see it, and thats how I compare the two as a relationship.

Which One? By Amber

After reading both essays "Why I Write", by George Orwell and Joan Didion, it was clear to me on which one I resonated with more. The main idea of Orwell's was that he has always known he wanted/should be a writer. In contrast, the main idea of Didion's was that it took her years to discover that a writer is what she should be. With that said, I think that Orwell's piece resonates with me more.

I feel that being a writer isn't something you just wake up and decide. It's something that sticks with you for a long time. The things you do in your childhood could play roll in this as well, like Orwell. For example, as a child Orwell described himself failing in most of his writings. People can relate to that as they get fed up and frustrated when they write. However, that doesn't mean they are bad at it or should give up, and Orwell proves this. I also feel like you always have somewhat of an idea that writing is something you may be good at. Then, you may find yourself practicing and engaging in writing all the time, like Orwell did.

George Orwell was negative about his own writing, but he was generally positive about different reasons for writing. I liked his essay because it gave ideas and motives for not just him, but for all writers in general. Didion's essay wasn't as easy to relate to because it gave only personal experiences she had with writing, which were all pretty negative and incomplete. It seemed as though she was unfocused and unsure of what she really wanted. Orwell on the other hand was sure of what he knew, which was that he would be a writer, even though he didn't always like the idea of it. His motives are really inspirational and I find them interesting and relatable. After reading Orwell's essay, one thing I read that has stuck with me is when he basically said " you live in the story and can't stop your thoughts and ideas." Now, those were not his direct words, but a summary of what he was trying to get across. I think that this is 100% true. When you write, you are letting out emotions, whether they are yours or ones you need to give a character. You almost get addicted to the words and moments you are in. This is why I relate best to Orwell's essay. He gives a lot of good points and things I can strongly relate to. Didion's essay was interesting, but Orwell's essay has ideas and things that will stick with me for a while, and I will think back on them when I am stuck.

My first...

This is my first blog I have ever done. I never thought I would actually start blogging, especially today after all the trouble I had with my account and computer! I think it is exciting and interesting that we are able to do this as a class. It should be convenient once we all get the hang of it. At first, I thought being able to choose your own topic would be a lot easier and more fun. However, now that I actually have to do that I've realized it's not as easy as I had once thought.
Anyway, now that the year has started I have to get into my normal school routine and begin to focus more. I am excited to start the year. I am very glad I got into AP Comp, as I know the waiting list is suppose to be really long. I enjoy writing though so this class should be fun and entertaining. I feel like I am a pretty creative person, so hopefully it will begin to show through in my writing! Thanks for listening! I am super excited :)