Tag Archives: instagram

weekend reads

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I have been back in PVD for less than 24 hours, now I’m off to New York to see my sweet Gma. If you’re in the bloggy mood, a few fun links from around the web..

Flip through the newest dance magazine,The Wonderful World of Dance, here. Gorgeous! (download it here)

Cannot wait to see this new dance film.

Isabella Boylston dishes on her #squadgoals cast and how her debut festival, Ballet Sun Valley, came to fruition.

Do you guys follow BalletMoods? It gets me every time.

A familiar face in DanceSpirit. ;)

 

 

photo of Iana Salenko by @pickledthoughts for The Wonderful World of Dance.

planes and pains (+ an announcement!)

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Tonight (or more accurately, tomorrow morning at 5 am) A and I leave for our Nutcracker guesting with the North Ballet Academy in Minnesota, and we are beyond excited!  Of course, since timing always seems to spite me, I came down with a pretty bad case of bursitis in my left foot (re: sort of a giant deep blister on top of my bunion, lovely, I know) this morning and wasn’t able to do much dancing today.  Lucky me, right?  But! I’ve got a few prescriptions and a determined mind to help me through these next few weeks.  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

In light of this fun journey and a few other collaborations/surprises coming up on Setting The Barre, I’ve decided to open an exclusive STB instagram account, so I can easily share updates on my travels and behind-the-scenes peeks with all of you!  To follow along, find STB @settingthebarre on instagram.

Let the madness begin…xo, k.

dynamite

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With the final performance of Up Close On Hope complete, the bows taken, and the celebratory champagne bottles popped, I can finally admit that I am eagerly anticipating the holiday season.  There’s something about finishing the first program of the season that (in my eyes) validates my Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s Eve excitement (read: one week off for the sole purpose of eating awesome food/Nutcracker time!/winter lay-off excitement).

Friday night, I had the pleasure of performing George Birkadze’s Dynamite with two of my best friends, Kara and Brenna.  Set to a pounding bass line and hip hop-infused beat strong enough to rival any Dubstep you could dish up, this piece was a far cry from last week’s Le Carneval de Venise.  The costumes were tight, black biketards (that’s a unitard with short shorts instead of a full leg, for those of you who may be less familiar with the world of leotards), the makeup was heavy, and in my mind I was singing this and channeling Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (or really, any movie she’s ever made, or just her badass self in her everyday life would probably suffice as well…girlfriend is fierce).    Anyway, besides my epic blank-out about 30 seconds into the performance, it was a pretty awesome experience.

And for any of you who were anxiously awaiting the toptions decision (I know you were all holding your breath right, right?!?!), as you can see, I did in fact go with a very plain, simple billowy white top and nude pumps.  Because this skirt speaks for itself.  And speak it did…

Until next time chickadees!

life lately…

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…as told by my iPhone and the instagram application…

Fall is in full swing here in Providence, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  The ground is painted with gilded leaves, the air is almost as crisp as a bushel of fresh apples- but certainly not as sweet!- and squash, cranberry, and all other forms winter fruit/veggie cravings have finally become completely acceptable.  In other words, life is good.

Last weekend I ventured up to Boston for one night (which is always an adventure), then the roommie and I hosted the first of many “app parties”, in which friends gather, a tremendous healthy amount of yummy appetizers are served, and everyone laughs.  Until our stomachs hurt.  Or maybe there was just too much cheese consumed?  Either way I’m okay with it.

What’s your favorite thing about autumn?

stuck in her daydream

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This weekend I did an impressive amount of bargain shopping.  I purchased a medley of fancy little goodies all under $10, but I’d say the $4.99 (previously $50) top I snatched up at Urban Outfitters in Boston takes the cake- especially since I didn’t waste any time debuting it that evening for a much needed girl’s night out.  I also scored a whole smorgasbord of free pretties from Clinique thanks to their awesome promotion going on now at Macy’s.  All in all, it was a successful weekend of deal chasing, sushi eating, wine sipping and friend visiting.  Now onto a dance-packed week…first performance of the season tomorrow!  Bring it on!

Hope you all had a fabulous Columbus Day weekend. xo.

hanging out

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When we’re not sweating our faces off in rehearsals, we dancers sometimes do things like this…

Yes, partner stretching.  It’s a beloved pass time.  Today’s stretching venue of choice?  A Regina Spektor-themed pas de deux rehearsal, where we got to watch Brenna, Vincent, Tegan and Ian dancey dancing their booties off…

..and the phrase “blood, sweat and tears went into this” rang truer than ever; In the midst of a fancy lift gone awry, one dancer bit off a little more than he could chew.  Yes I’m being cryptic, but the long and the short of it is, there was a hip-to-mouth collision (not something you need to worry about at your average day job), which resulted in an emergency room visit for one dancer to stitch up a very bloody lip.  Don’t worry- he’s okay!  In fact, he’ll be back in the studio tonight to run rehearsal for a piece he is choreographing.  So if anyone ever tries to tell you dancers aren’t tough…#balletisforbeasts

cashmere and chai

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{yoon sweater, free people tunic, frye sandals, marc jacobs crossbody, ray-ban clubmasters}

It is reeeaallly feeling like fall here in Providence!  I must say, as much as I love warm weather and tank tops, I cannot help but miss my cozy sweaters and knee-high boots during those sweaty summer months.  Today I “bundled up” with this ultra soft cashmere cropped sweater by Yoon (last seen here) thrown over my favorite Free People tunic.  Honestly, this dress was without a doubt my most frequently worn item of this summer- I swear I just kept reaching for it over and over, and it never got old.  I can’t wait to bring it into fall with boots, jackets, sweaters, and heels.  Of course the vanilla chai is a mandatory accessory!

What makes you excited for fall?

today

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Today I walked the streets of downtown Providence…

…took a moment to enjoy the urban beauty in this alley way…
…shopped around Craftland and admired their window displays……sipped hot tea, drew on chalkboard walls and played Connect Four and Crossword Cubes…
…spotted some of Shepard Fairey’s legendary street art…
…and bought some fun new hoops at Queen of Hearts on Westminster.

It was a good day, to say the least.  Tomorrow is my last full day of summer before the new season starts and it’s back to the studio.  Such a bittersweet feeling…sad to see summer end but hopeful for this upcoming year.  Due to my increasingly superb procrastination skills, it looks like tomorrow will be spent sewing various ballet shoes.  Wishing you all a fantastic Monday!

xx

dog days

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{A few photos from my instagram that have defined August thus far}

For me, these past few weeks have been bittersweet.  On one hand I am ready to get back into my regular routine and have a schedule again, but on the other hand, the beginning of fall means a whole lot less sleeping in, rarer beach days and my favorite cousin/best friend leaving to study abroad in Rome for a whole 4 months!  But, just as boots and scarves make up for a lack of beach trips, there is a silver lining: her educational enlightenment creates the perfect excuse for me to take a trip to Italy, where leather bags and boots are plentiful!  Until then, I’ll be clinging on to my canvas beach bag and flip flops as I absorb the last of those beautiful summer sunsets.