Jumat, 20 Agustus 2010

Children in ballet: practice, auditions & careers

Ballet was transformed into the elegant dance it is today from dances originally performed by European country peasants. In the 15th century, Italian princes performed poetry, music, singing and dancing in their courts. They developed a dance form, and the special steps for the ballet. During the 17th century professional ballet dancers began to appear. King Louis XIV of France, a dancer himself, established France as the center of the ballet world and french became the language of ballet to this day. Yes, men were the original dancers of stage ballet, and women had to earn their right to dance publicly.

It is important that the child who wants to pursue ballet as a career begin their intensive study early on in their childhood. Training as a professional dancer needs to start by the 11 or 12 for girls and about 14 for boys. An early start helps develop the flexibility and strength in the muscles and bones of the dancer.

There are two options to studying ballet. One ballet option will be to study at a school that has a local qualified ballet teacher teaching ballet exclusively to youngsters. The other option would be to audition for a full-time ballet school where ballet and academic classes are offered in one place. Most pupils will live at the school, eating, sleeping going to academic classes as well as learning dance, music, drama and choreography lessons.

In the Beginners class, dancers learn technique, basic movements at the barre, jumps and traveling steps. An advanced class will work on the same excercises and finish with pointe work for the girls, and jump practice for the boys. Classes are slow and careful focusing on perfecting simple steps. The training will gradually progress to more complicated movements and combinations of steps. The dancers learn how to use their bodies correctly , so that they avoid injuring themselves later on more difficult movement. A dancer will move to pointe work when her feet, ankles and back are strong enough to support her weight correctly.

Occasionally, the school will put on perfomances, recitals, for the parents and public. Here is where the dancer demonstrates what skills she has learned and learns to develop an awareness of where others are on the stage. Stage performances are essential for motivation, incentive to practice hard and helps you get used to performing in front of an audience. If the school is large enough they will also perform an annual Nutcracker at the end of the year.

Auditions are usually required for class advancement, for Summer School Abroad and entrance into a Ballet Academy. This is a dance test in front of examiners who look for youngsters with talent, correct physique, sensitivity to music and physical control. The examiners look dancers who have the potential to develop into a level of excellence. Audition applicants also have a physical examination to check their joints, shape of their foot (for pointe work) and straight legs that turn-out properly.

The ultimate ambition for the dancer is to gain a position performing for a professional company. In order to be chosen and obtain a contract as a professional dancer new dancers must have excellent technique, physique and stage presence. Wages, good working conditions, additional classes, costumes and shoes and tights are all provided. Some ballet companies tour and the dancer will need to be away from home for long periods of time. Most performing careers are short, rarely lasting beyond the mid-thirties. Injuries are also common and one can miss a year or two of performances. It is important to get experience and work qualifications in other areas that will enable the dancer to continue in the ballet field.

Other careers a ballet dancer may want to pursue when their ballet route has been exhausted, can include dancing for musicals, as a Choreographer, or a Dance Notator (Reads and writes scores of repertory) may also take on the role of Ballet Director/Mistress who coordinates and schedules school performances. The more obvious role an ex-dancer will take on is of a Ballet Teacher. Here he or she will help the next generation of dancers learn the Classical technique and the love of dancing. Training usually takes three years, but many dance colleges will provide a one-year course to dancers who have danced professionally.

Ballet takes many years of training for the young dancer. But with dedication and determination, and the love of the classical ballet, one can pursue a career in ballet in one of the various exciting areas.


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How to write a novel and get it published

Is there a book inside of you that you've always wanted to write? Before you start typing "Chapter 1," the following tips will get you off to the best start and increase your chances of selling the finished product to a publisher.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO WRITE?

Writing is perceived by most people as a very glamorous and profitable career. Many of them, in fact, believe that it's a fairly easy way to get rich quick. The reality is that writing is hard work and that it often takes years to establish your reputation, much less be able to pay the bills with your royalty checks. If you want to write a book, you need to have the discipline to stick with it, the thick skin to handle rejection, and the belief that you really have something interesting to say.

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW

In the years I have taught workshops, it never ceases to amaze me how many people want to write medical thrillers, detective stories, or tales of international intrigue and yet know absolutely nothing about their proposed subject matter. Even a work of fiction needs to stand up to the scrutiny of discerning readers and experts who know these subjects well. Unless you're crafting fantasy or science fiction and are inventing the requisite parameters in which the characters will function, you will need to perform copious amounts of research to ensure accuracy. Always remember that readers hate to be lied to. All it takes is for them to find one error (i.e., "Columbus discovered America in 1493") and they will assume you lied about everything else as well.

READ THE COMPETITION

Is there a market for your book? To know if there is, you need to be a voracious reader of similarly themed books and keep watch on the weekly best seller lists. You also need to perform topic searches on sites such as Amazon.com and get a sense of how many books like yours are already in print. In the event that there are only 3 books out there on your exact subject and 2 of them are already out of print, that doesn't necessarily mean the world is ready for yours. It could mean that the reading public just doesn't find that topic compelling enough to sustain sales.

RESEARCH THE PUBLISHERS

Request submission guidelines from those publishers who produce the kind of books you want to write. You wouldn't, for instance, send a romance novel to a publisher that only produces techno-thrillers. Speaking of genres, your chances of breaking in as a newcomer are higher if you are writing category fiction rather than mainstream. Your chances are also good if you are a recognized expert on a non-fiction subject; i.e., you're a chef/restaurant owner penning your first cookbook. Submission guidelines can be found on the Internet as well as in annual reference books such as "Writers Market" and trade magazines related to writing. Follow these guidelines to the letter; never assume that an editor will make an exception just because your mom said your novel was brilliant. Nor should you ever send a copy of your entire book unless it has been requested.

WORK FROM AN OUTLINE

Once you know what your novel is about, construct an outline and identify key scenes that occur from beginning to end. To ensure that you are equitably parsing out the action, determine how many pages you want the finished product to be. Let's say that you decide it will be 300 pages. That means that the first 100 pages are the beginning, the next 100 constitute the middle, and you have the last 100 to resolve things. Keep in mind that if a work of fiction is to be successful, it needs to have a strong conflict, escalating complications, and a satisfying and believable conclusion. Manuscripts should be double-spaced, numbered, and in a 12 point, easy to read font such as Courier, Times New Roman or Bookman. Ink should be black and paper should be white 20# bond.

WRITING IS A REAL JOB

There are lots of writers who have yet to start their novels because they are waiting for a big chunk of free time. This is not realistic. If you're going to write a book, you need to get up an hour earlier, go to bed an hour later, carry a notebook or recorder with you at all times, and tell your family not to interrupt you during whatever blocks of time you have carved out for yourself. Think of it this way: if you only typed 1 page a day of your book for a full year, you would have a 365 page novel at the year's end. Treat your writing as a professional job and it will yield the results you desire.

BACK UP YOUR FILES

Never store your entire novel on your hard-drive alone. The current proliferation of computer viruses could erase your 75,000 word labor of love within seconds! Make copies of your work on a CD of floppy. Some authors even go for the added security of making two copies and storing the second one at a different location in the event of fire, flood, theft, etc.

RECRUIT SOME READERS

Once you tell people you are writing a book, their participation in the process as readers can be a great motivator to stick with your writing schedule. Not only can they provide valuable feedback but also assist in catching typos that your computer spell-check may have missed. If you feel self-conscious about friends and family reading your story, join a local writer’s critique group.

DO YOU WANT AN AGENT?

Many of the major publishing houses will not read unsolicited submissions. Instead they focus their attention on manuscripts that have come to them through agents. An agent does all of the legwork for you in identifying the best market for your novel and executing a contract for advances and royalties. Agents can be found via the Internet or in "Writers Market."

BE PROFESSIONAL

Always enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope in all communications with editors and agents. If you want your manuscript returned, enclose sufficient postage for that as well. Always send fresh copies of your work rather than those which have been widely circulated. Do not call editors on the phone every day to ask them if they have read your book yet.

LEARN FROM REJECTION

Writing is a subjective craft. What 1 person hates, the next 9 people could be thrilled about. If everyone who reads it has exactly the same criticisms, however, you need to take these remarks seriously and go back into the project with revisions. Keep in mind that the process of writing your first book will teach you everything you need to know to make your next book even better.

HANG IN THERE

The writers who ultimately become successful and recognized are often the ones who simply outlasted the competition. If you really enjoy writing and would, in fact, continue to write even if you never made a dime from it, you are already head and shoulders above all of the author wannabes who wistfully keep saying, "Maybe someday..."


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Agatha Christie biography of an author

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born at home on September 15, 1890. She was the third child of Frederick Alvah and Clarissa Beochmer Miller. Her father was an American who had been living in England for twenty years. Her mother was English. Agatha lived at Ashfield in Torquay, Devonshire.

When Agatha was 11, her father died. Before his death, he had begun teaching her arithmetic. Agatha never went to school. Her mother believed education destroyed the brain and ruined the eyes. She taught Agatha history and something called "general knowledge". Agatha read newspaper articles. The house was filled with books, and all three children were encouraged to read.

As a teenager, Agatha read the Sherlock Holmes books. Early in the 1900s, she was heavily influenced by the novelist Eden Phillpotts. He lived nearby and she would visit him regularly. He mentored Agatha, encouraging and guiding her reading.

After the death of her father, Agatha was taken to arithmetic classes twice a week. Her teachers instilled a respect for money in her. She also took Swedish exercise classes, piano, singing, and dancing lessons. At 16, she attended finishing school in Paris, where she remained for two years. She spoke French and German. She also took gymnastics and tennis lessons.

As a young woman, she was attached to her mother. Mrs. Miller wanted her daughter to be a concert pianist or a professional opera singer. Agatha was a talented pianist and had a clear soprano voice. However, Agatha preferred nursing. She was described as tall, Scandinavian in coloring with reddish-gold hair, nice, fun, shy, bright, and loyal.

After finishing school, Agatha spent three months in Egypt with her mother. During this time, she was officially engaged to Reggie Lucy, a major in the gunners. Upon returning to England, Agatha met Lieutenant Archibald Christie of the Royal Field Artillery, later of the Royal Flying Corps. Archibald was described as steady and popular by a fellow officer. After a two year engagement, Agatha and Archibald were married by special license at the parish church of Emmanuel, Clifton, Bristol, on December 24, 1914.

During the war, she became a nurse near Torquay to be near her mother. She was a favorite with the recovering soldiers. She soon advanced to the dispensary. She used her nursing experience later to write her first detective novel.

Agatha's first foray into public writing was a poem that was published in "The Road of Dreams". The only detective stories she had read were Sherlock Holmes and a French novel called Mystery of the Yellow Room. Her sister Madge taunted Agatha to write a detective story in which the ending could not be guessed quickly. For three weeks, Agatha stayed at Moorland Hotel, Hay Tor, Dartmoor, where she wrote her first detective novel, The Mysterious Affair At Styles. This was the world's first introduction to her famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. The book was based on Agatha's nursing experience. Styles was an exact replica of Torquay.

Mrs. Christie was in charge of herself and her career. Letters to her publishers were businesslike and crisp. Her second book was published in 1922. This marked the beginning of a book-a-year record. She was on the bestseller list for the rest of her life. Agatha took great pleasure attending parties with other authors at the home of one of her lifelong friends, who happened to be her first publisher's nephew. He enjoyed gathering writers to talk about their styles, interests, and lives.

In 1919, Agatha gave birth to her only child, Rosalind, named after Shakespeare's heroine. Agatha went with her husband on a British Empire Exhibition in 1922. Her sister looked after Rosalind. Agatha was seasick most of the time. The tour went to Madeira, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Hawaii, Canada, and the United States. In 1923, Archibald joined Austral Trust Ltd. He was immediately placed on the board. He was responsible for share activities. The family moved to Scotswood, Sunningdale. They stayed for two years. A larger house was bought nearby. It was called Styles after Agatha's first book. Agatha retained a flat at 8 Addison Mansions, Kensington, where much of her business was done. Agatha's agent for over fifty years was Edmunk Cork of Hughes Massie Ltd. He took her from Bodley Head, where six of her books had been published, to William Collins Sons & Co., Ltd., who published the rest of her work.

In 1926, she wrote her masterpiece, The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd. It was the most discussed detective story ever written. Many believed she had broken the sacred rules set down by the Detection Club. The idea for the plot device was given to her by a friend. He suggested she should make the narrator of the story double as the murderer.

On December 3, 1926, the newspaper headlines stated "Agatha Christie Vanishes". Mrs. Christie disappeared for ten days. The solution was partly resolved when she was found on the eleventh day in the north of London. Clarissa Miller, Agatha's mother, had died after a severe illness. Agatha spent a month in the south of France to recuperate, mourn, and relax from the stress of overwork. She had also found out her husband was in love with another woman. Agatha was highly imaginative and sensitive. She was caught by surprise and thrown totally off balance. The police at the time believed she dealt with the situation in a way she could understand it; with mystery, deception, and revenge. Her disappearance was planned with methodical care.

On the morning of her disappearance, she and her husband had an argument. She left a letter for her husband and one for her secretary, telling her to cancel all weekend engagements. Then she went for a drive.

Mrs. Christie was found living at the Harrogate Hydropathic Hotel. She claimed she was suffering from amnesia. Seeing her husband at the hotel, she said he was her brother. Two doctors diagnosed her as suffering from an unquestionable loss of memory. Mrs. Christie said it was the result of too many troubles at once: the death of her mother, an earache, a toothache, gastritis, memory lapses, sleepwalking, and "buckets of tears". The police believed Agatha Christie was mentally distraught, filled with revenge, and in degradation of misery. She did what any other woman would have done, deciding to teach her husband a lesson.

Archibald and Agatha Christie stayed together for two more years. Divorce was granted in an undefended suit. Agatha received custody of Rosalind. After the divorce, she went to southern Iraq to join an archaeological dig. There she met Max Mallowan, an archaeological assistant. The two were completely unlike in background, education, profession and age, but both recognized they complimented each other. Max and Agatha were married in September 1930.

Agatha Christie's book sales are only surpassed by the Bible. She is second only to Shakespeare as the most often translated writer in the English language. Between 1930 and 1956, six romantic novels appeared under her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott. Between 1930 and 1939, twenty-four mysteries were published. She wrote an original play, produced in 1934. She wrote another play that was not published until 1973. She also adapted a short story into a play, produced in 1936. She accompanied Max on his archaeological digs, taking her portable typewriter along. She believed, however, she owed a higher responsibility to her husband and household than to her publishers and readers.

In September 1939, during the Second World War, Max was stationed in Tripolitania. Agatha lived in London, serving as dispenser at University College Hospital. Her daughter Rosalind had married Huber deBurgh Prichard. Her grandson Matthew was born in 1943. Rosalind was widowed during the war. She later married Anthony Hicks.

Agatha's off-duty hours were spent plotting, planning, and writing. Between 1940 and 1945, ten new novels were published and two stage adaptations of earlier novels were made. She also wrote the last Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries. These were to be kept in her publisher's vault. Neither would be published until after her death. She deeded all rights to her novels to her husband and her daughter. Her fifty-sixth novel was published in 1950. Her short story, "Three Blind Mice", was first aired on the radio in 1947. It was adapted to a stage play and called "The Mousetrap". It holds the record as the longest running play produced. It opened on the London stage in 1952. On the night of Agatha's death, "The Mousetrap" was giving its 9,612th consecutive performance.

Agatha Christie won the Commander of the Order of the British Empire decoration in 1956 for being the most popular British crime mystery writer. She became president of the Detection Club in 1958. Between 1956 and 1960, four mysteries and one collection of short stories were published, as well as three plays being produced. Her husband received the same decoration as she in 1960, his for archaeology. In 1966, she and Max went on a lecture tour of the United States and Canada. Max received a knighthood in 1968, giving them the titles of Sir Max and Lady Mallowan. Agatha received an Order of Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1971. She was now Dame Agatha Christie.

By 1971 most of her time was spent at her home, Winterbrook House, in Wallingford. In 1972, she broke her leg and experienced heart trouble that required considerable bed rest. New mysteries were produced regularly every year to the end of 1973. In 1974, Agatha had a recurrence of heart trouble. She gave her last interview to Lord Snowdon in the same year. She told him she wanted to be remembered as a good writer of detective and thriller books. She also told him the writing that had given her the most enjoyment was her romance books. Her last public appearance was in 1974 at the opening of the movie version of her novel, Murder On The Orient Express.

In 1975, Agatha Christie was experiencing failing health and increasing weakness. She made over all rights to "The Mousetrap" to her grandson. Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christie Mallowan died peacefully in Wallingford on January 12, 1976. She was buried in the country churchyard of Cholsey parish near her home.

Agatha's interests spanned her lifetime. She loved cricket and enjoyed collecting objects, two things she picked up from her father. She picked up her interest in trees and love for gardening from her mentor, Eden Phillpotts. She enjoyed shopping and was pleased she could do so in Torquay undetected. She took a professional interest in the design of her own book covers. She was fascinated by archaeology.

Agatha Christie was described in her life as imaginative, happy in her own company, never lonely, modest, and a good listener. She was paranoiac in her shyness of strangers. She was secretive, professional in business, and had an inborn sense of public relations. She projected sturdy middle class respectability. She was reserved, reluctant to be interviewed, and averse to discussing her personal life. She had an engaging sense of humor and delighted in perceived incongruity. She was a talented pianist and singer. She was a non-smoker and a non-drinker. She had a deep-rooted avoidance of controversy and worked hard to attain her privacy.


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Single parenting tips: good and bad ideas for moving responsibilities to older siblings

Being a parent with a busy schedule isn’t easy, especially if that parent is raising the kids alone. It’s hard to balance taking care of kids, having a career, maintaining finances, and everything else that is necessary to sustain a household. Family members have to contribute their time and effort in order to keep the household running smoothly. When families work together, life is easier for everyone. Mom or dad certainly can’t do it alone.

The first step to attaining a smooth-running single parent household is the assignment of duties to family members. Even the youngest children can perform simple duties to help out. Preschoolers can be taught to pick up their toys, throw away trash, and empty wastepaper baskets. If children are expected to do these things as soon as they are old enough, they will have an understanding of the importance of cooperation. They will also be more likely to help out without being asked as they grow and mature.

Younger school-age children are capable of setting the table, feeding pets, drying dishes, emptying the dishwasher, dusting, and picking up after themselves. They should be given a list of weekly chores in which they are expected to complete within a specific timeframe.

Older children can help entertain younger siblings, wash dishes, pull weeds, rake leaves, sweep, vacuum, and help with laundry. They should also be expected to pick up after themselves and maintain a clean room. As soon as they are old enough to do these chores, they should be expected to do them on a regular basis.

Teenage children are capable of all of the aforementioned duties as well as meal preparation, bathroom cleaning, kitchen cleaning, floor washing, and lawn mowing. Although this sounds like a lot of work, these duties can be shared with siblings of similar age as well as with the parent.

As children become older and more capable, household chores can be passed on. Duties that were once required of older children should be handed down at the appropriate time. Have the older children instruct their younger siblings in the right way to accomplish these tasks. They are wonderful teachers and role models for younger brothers and sisters.

This plan sounds simple, but it’s not always easy to get family members to do what is expected of them. Make it clear that certain privileges will be taken away unless the required tasks are completed. Favorite toys and activities can be used as an incentive as well. Put what is expected of them in writing, and have them mark off the duties as they have been completed.

Not all parents believe in or are financially able to hand out weekly allowances. Children should contribute to the family without expecting monetary compensation, but they should be given extra time and attention for a job well done. One idea is to hand out weekly tokens or coupons that can be exchanged for time spent at a local park or turned in for special one-on-one time spent with a parent. This time could be spent playing a favorite board game, tossing a ball around, taking a walk, or going out for a special treat. Quality time is the most valuable incentive of all.

Making children accountable for daily and weekly chores will give them a sense of responsibility that will help mold them into dependable adults. It will give them a sense of worth and a feeling of pride when they are rewarded with the greatest payment of all – your thanks, praise, and special attention.


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Parenting Tips: How to be a work at home mom

"I can't get any writing done because the kids are in my face!"

"I can't surf the net for my cash programs because the kids always want to play a computer game."

"How do I run these transcription projects downtown with three kids in tow?"

These are the dilemmas an increasing number of parents face who work from home. The cost of childcare is prohibitive, especially for more than one child. With more children diagnosed with disorders such as autism and ADHD, parents want to be at home with their special needs children after school.

The Internet is bursting with home based business opportunities and freelance or outsourced work. It seems like a dream: regaining some of the income lost when one parent goes to work but still being able to have a stay at home parent for the kids.

For some parents, however, it seems like a nightmare after a few weeks. Children need attention but the work at home parent needs a few hours each day to work.

Here are some tips, arranged by age group.

Infants and Toddlers

* Take advantage of their earlier bedtimes to get some busy work done in the evenings.

* If your work involves the computer, you CAN learn to type with a toddler on your lap. Keep wandering hands busy with a toy, bottle or sippy cup.

* Children age 2 and up can spend short bursts of time playing near your workspace.

* Keep a few small toys or board books in a desk drawer and use them only for times when you are working so they seem like a novelty

* Join or start a cooperative playgroup in your neighborhood with at least six children where two mothers take all of the children once or twice per week for an hour or hour and a half on a rotating schedule.

Preschoolers, age 3-5

* Clear off a corner of your workspace for your preschooler to color in coloring books or draw pictures on plain paper. Many preschoolers love the idea of "working" along with a parent at their desk.

* Keep a drawer or box near your workspace with books, paper, crayons, colored pencils, clay, or other creative materials

* Keep dry cereal, juice boxes, individual sized packages of graham cracker snacks, goldfish crackers, canned fruit cups, and other nutritious snacks handy so your children can help themselves to their morning and afternoon snack

* Add variety to the day by allowing short videos or TV breaks, and try to place your workspace near a window where you can watch your child play outside in the yard while you work.

School Age 6 and up.

* After school or on weekends have your preteen sit near your workspace and do homework while you work. If you are doing "busy work" where you can work and converse at the same time, use the time to catch up on your child's day.

* If you need a block of uninterrupted time, set up an informal coop arrangement with other neighborhood parents to host playdates or video film festival afternoons on days off from school and reclaim some of the days formerly filled with wails of "I'm bored."

* Set up a housework/special time coop arrangement with your older children. If they complete certain household chores for you, thus freeing up more time for your work, you will spend "special time" with them on a certain activity of their choice: riding bicycles or inline skating, going out for ice cream or sharing an order of french fries, seeing a movie, or anything else they choose for which you are willing to treat them.

With some ingeniuity on your part, and cooperation on your children's part, working at home can work for the whole family.


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