#tbh all the ballets are excellent

[sunny-prongs]

Ballet dancer James and Hip hop dancer Reggie

Okay I love the dance AU with James being the hip hop dancer and Regulus the ballet one BUT imagine;

James always loved dancing, since he started to walk he seemed that he was dancing. Naturally his parents teached him all the dance they know but it was never enough for their son so they decided to let him go to all the dance class he wanted to.

Ballet was the one he started to like the best and the one he excelled the most. On the other hand, after he one day came back from his hip hop class crying he refused to ever go again and totally gave up on this style.

Regulus have been raised to be the perfect ballet dancer, his mother was famous for her elegance and grace before being pregnant and quiting the scene and because of that she projected her dreams on her sons, wanting to make them be even better than what she was. But Regulus hated this type of dance, he was sick every time he needed to go in class and it was just torture for him.

When he was around 13 he skipped class, feeling too bad to go he asked to go home and his teacher, scared to hurt Walburga's son, let him go. On his way home he of course walked the slowest possible trying to reach home at the hour he was supposed to after his class and that's when he met Barty.

Barty was apparently spying the ballet class since a while because he immediately knew who was Regulus and how much he despited ballet class. They talked a bit, mostly Barty talking while following Reg' on his way home, until finally Barty said he was dancing hip hop with his friends. Regulus tried to hide his curiosity but at the end when Barty told him a day, an hour and a place to join them, the boy just go without thinking much.

Of course he joined the group, became friends with them and started to learn this dance style which seemed to be a revelation for him. Regulus hate ballet because it make him feel trapped but hip hop is just completely the opposite, letting him feel free for the first time in his life.

I don't know how things would happen tbh but Regulus would end up teaching James hip hop trying to make him like it as much as he does and reciprocated until eventually both start loving each other's dancing styles deeply and fell in love with each other 🤭

#marauders #james potter #james #regulus black #regulus #jegulus #sunseeker #starchaser #james x regulus #regulus x james #barty and regulus' friendship #ballet dancer james #hip hop dancer regulus #dance AU

[ofmays]

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ❍﹒𝙼𝙰𝚈 𝚂𝙰𝙸𝙻𝙴𝙴. history major &&; stereotypical brooding bookworm : house pulgasari's vice captain with an expertise in BLOOD MANIPULATION and RBF. . . he also really loves tchaikovsky and wine ( ONLY RED !! ) and will one hundred percent talk your ears off about the rise and fall of marie-antoinette &&; the roman empire — the roman empire IS his roman empire !!

hi everyone !! really excited to get to writing with everyone and learn about your muses all the more !! i'm finn ( he/they, 24 ) & i'll be writing MAY while staying here !! here are some direct links to may's PROFILE, his ANOMALY and his unfinished PLOTS page that i'll definitely get to in due time !! ( here's a quick rules page too for reference !! ) below this i'll leave a tldr on his background and ability, feel free to like this post if you're interested in plotting, but be warned that i'm going to be messaging each and every one of you anyways !! :3c

tw: small mention of blood/animal death !! i tried to be as brief as possible so apologies for the word vomit fr...

⠀ ❍﹒ current : brief about may as of now !!

may "kwanchai" sailee — don't call him kwanchai though...nobody does... !! currently 25 and is a taurus sun, cap moon and sag rising to anyone who knows what that means !! he is currently on his post-graduate year of history and is house pulgasari's vice captain (its very srs to him ok ??) he's known to be a hermit and keep to himself, mostly tucked away in corners of the library or campus. he love love LOVES classical music and what he studies, don't ask him about his interests or he won't shut up !! oh, and definitely don't ask him about his anomaly or he'll try to k*ll you with his brain . . .

⠀ ❍﹒ background : he doesn’t really have a tragic backstory tbh…all of his current problems stem from his distaste for his anomaly and what kind of person it makes him !! below i’ve left some trivia points i guess ?? just to get to know him better !!

— may is born to two loving parents in bangkok, thailand as their first son, a product of their pre-arranged marriage. he has one older sister and one younger sister. although his parents would disagree, he’s incredibly spoiled by them and is their secret favorite child (for some reason…) they are incredibly wealthy due to may's father's involvement in the fuel industry.

— throughout his youth, he attended only the best of the best schools and after school activities. he picked up ballet at a young age and excelled at it along with his studies. he still loves ballet to this day, but is far too dedicated to his current major: history, to pick it back up. he settles on watching drama rehearsals for now. a certain hamlet is just way too eye catching for him to look away…

— he learned of his anomaly at age eleven when a mouse was caught in a trap at home. he didn’t like seeing the mouse in distress, it evoked something in him, and the next thing he knows he’s directing blood back into its wound, steady, steady…until the pressure became too much and he near explodes the creature in his palm, killing it. since then he’s had a distaste for his ability and only uses it on himself.

— blood based anomalies run in his family, and while may has never been shamed for his ability, he was instructed throughout his life to keep it a secret while he attended high ranking schools. little did may know that it would prove to be incredibly difficult to keep his ability to himself due to his blood empathy, and soon enough his parents realized that it wouldn't be easy to hide it. in search of answers they found nuvilli, a drug currently in production. along with providing generous donations to the drug itself, and later to seoul university for anomalies, may was admitted to the university on the base of a scholarship, but to anyone else he basically paid his way in.

— may is extreeeemely anti-social...like really anti-social, and it's mostly to protect his own mental health with his blood empathy, nothing personal !! (most of the time) he gets a bad reputation for his overall attitude and anomaly; most would see him as intimidating(? or something similar!) and weird. he's actually really sweet under it all though, he has a lot of love and care to give !!

— being the vice captain of pulgasari is like a full time job to him /srs. he seemingly becomes a whole new person while taking part in games and meetings; entirely more confident. it's the only time he actually gets to show off his anomaly without feeling like a freak for it !! he's known to be pretty involved on field during games-- he's kiiind of an ace but he definitely won't say that about himself . . .

❍﹒ anomaly : a brief breakdown !!

may has a blood manipulation ability, he can use it for blood-bending and blood links, and suffers from blood empathy as a by product. he can only use blood for bending (from himself and from others) when it is visible. he's kinda really ashamed of his anomaly and doesn't talk about it a lot or use it :/ his main weaknesses are sight proximity and water !!

❍﹒ plots : a few quick ones i just thought of rn !!

— tutor may where may tutors your muse and helps them with school work ?? he's very studious and likes to help others when it comes to school work !! he also has a lot of extra time to himself due to being in his post-graduate year of uni !! (less days for a whooole lot more work to do) this is one of those plots where may will actually force himself to be social . . . — house pulgasari members plz plz plz !! self explanatory but maybe they get to see a different more confident side of may !! — his one and only sole ex that ruined his mental for months after they broke up because he swore he wouldn't get into a relationship for that EXACT REASON but he did it anyways and it went way worse than he could have ever anticipated !! both of them probably sucked like it was bad for both parties . . . — people who also live in the yellow hall !! self explanatory again >< — those who are in different houses than house pulgasari...they probably don't like may and may doesn't like them either...a fun competitive plot :3c — overall just people that get on may's nerves and visa-versa !! he has a very short temper and doesn't have a lot of patience for people, this paired with his anti-socialness does NOT make him the most pleasant person to be around on a surface level fdghdf

ok shutting up for now but if you have any ideas for plots please do not hold back, may is very dependent on them for connections !!

#nm:intro #𝐨𝐟𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐬 ﹒ ∬ ﹒ † ﹒ intro. #okok i probs wrote too much but im v excited to b here(: #my plotspage will be done VERY SOON i promise i SWEARRRR

[stellarbisexual]

tag game: tag 9 people you'd like to get to know better

tagged by @what-alchemy <3

last song: Opening theme to Girl Meets Farm on Food Network (this is how I'm spending NYE)

currently reading: Real Queer America, in prep for a gay book club in South Brooklyn that I'll be attending for the first time. I've been slightly offended by the dragging NYC has gotten in the book so far though, lol.

last movie: Blackberry, was fucking excellent. THE GLENN HOWERTON DRAMATIC ROLE ERA HAS COMMENCED.

currently watching: Rewatching aaaaaaall of Jersey Shore from season 1 and more horrified by it all than I've ever been. Also my accent is thicker than it's ever been.

currently craving: some serious flirtation or an orgasm tbh lol

currently consuming: I ALSO HAD GUMMY BEARS FOR THE OCCASION! XD And a lil glass of sparkling brut.

three ships: Richie/Eddie, as they're the last ship I was actively writing; Chris Pine/ballet; and me/someone fucking great in 2024

first ship: JC/Justin in NSYNC, though this was years before I actually started reading the fic. My high school bestie and I caught their Disney channel concert on TV and immediately were like, "Uh, those two are in love." And that theory has persisted through the years. My feelings about JT have soured like a motherfucker since then, but their love is still real to me. Who wouldn't have been in love with JC at that impressionable age?

I WAS. (this was iconique, IYKYK)

favorite color: purple

currently working on: Welp my solo show got into a festival, soooooo I'm doing heavy edits on the script, which until a couple of months ago I hadn't touched since 2021. Wowza. I'm also writing a very fun, very gay rom-com that I'm really excited about.

I can't do 9 but I do tag @jouissants @thatmysticbafflingwonder and @suedescripture AND WHATEVER ALLIE'S NAME CURRENTLY IS bc I miss you all. @moonfirerainbow there ya go. lol.

#memes #happy new year y'all #ilu

[cacklingblobbittyrabbitty]

unhinged rainbow magic post 11 of 12

Ok most of this is insane rambling but for one part of it you’re going to need to remember Bethany the Ballet Fairy’s tragic backstory of having a gay quarter life crisis because of a homoerotic ballet rivalry with a girl who she loses the lead role in a show to please and thank you

MAGICAL CREATURES FAIRIES (hurray for cute animals again!)

Ashley Dragon looks like a dragon version of nessie the loch ness monster, which is a great design tbh DRAGON ON THE JEANS YES Also different versions of dragons! we love diversity Outfit does not match but she makes me not care! It’s different colours but its the right shade of each colour (this is such good colour theory knowledge El well done) HAIR EXCELLENCE Pockets! Sandals are not the right shade of yellow, it should match the top or the dragon on the trousers - also the chunky looking design is ugly, she needs to either go barefoot or have jesus sandals

Lara So well put together oh my god This is a witch not a fairy Adorable kitty! Cat lady vibes (cardigan) but super super cool (skinny jeans and boots) I am WEAK for those boots omg Lovely hair as well

Erin How is her hair literal fire??? Idk but I am Loving It Lara’s a witch, Erin is a goddess Freckles!!!!!! THIS is how you do a headband! The honeysuckle fire flower thing? ADORABLE Viking esque fur neck thing is NICE it has how to train your dragon vibes She’d take me to a pagan ritual involving a bonfire and I’d enjoy it Dress? INSANE This is a GOOD BELT TAKE NOTES it’s a lovely asymmetrical waist ribbon band thing!!!!!  Her delightful sandals have greek goddess vibes I’m living Girl could set me on fire and i’d thank her

Rihanna AHHHHH THE LIL BUBBLE AND THE SEAHORSE ARE SO CUTE Congrats on having decent blonde hair! Barefoot + anklet = beach ass vibes babey Her dress gives me the feeling of being underwater and looking up at the sun Mamma Mia vibes! Groovy and beachy and blonde This dress is kinda growing on me ngl The hem looks good on her and I like the shape of the neckline, but it should be a thinner line of green Rihanna absolutely votes for the Green Party btw

Sophia  Her creature is a cygnet cos it’s small and raggedy but it’s white instead of grey? First impressions she kinda looks like a bad art project but still cute I really like her hair tho its very cute with the ribbon Movie sleepover vibes This girl is wearing slippers. A pyjama top. And a really nice skirt. Is she halfway through getting dressed???? Feathery inspiration of her skirt is good, it looks like she’s halfway through a swan transformation Colour scheme is very cute and dreamy vibes

HEADCANONS: please remember Bethany’s backstory again thank you! This is the girl who takes the role of Odette in Bethany’s dance company, and the girl with whom Bethany has a homoerotic rivalry. Sophia weaponises flirting because it amuses her, especially aggressive flirting, like Bethany can be leaning against a wall and Sophia will come and put her leg up on Bethany’s shoulder. Sophia just delights in getting really close to her all the time. Sophia is into Bethany, Bethany is into her, Bethany knows neither of these facts. She has a high ponytail when she’s doing ballet and it just makes Bethany's brain go offline. Later in life they’ll run into each other, when Sophia has a high-powered ballet girlfriend and Bethany has her wife the costume designer and her really chill life. Sophia will apologise for making Bethany freak out but she really was into Bethany, and Bethany will reply yeah you fucked up my life for sure, but I don’t think I would have quit without you so thanks. Also your leg gave me horny nightmares. 

Leona (unicorn) Shit this is horrific I hate it all Well done on having a cute animal and absolutely nothing else Long flowy blue dress with more renaissance vibes please (see below picture) 

ok good we fixed it moving on

Caitlin (ice bear) The bear is so fluffy and it looks like shiver from barbie and the magic of pegasus awwww Swiss ski resort vibes are top notch Colour scheme? Yes Fluffiness? Yes Cosiness? Yes The haircut is really cute but I want more of a brown shade with less green in it thanks

#rainbow magic #rainbow magic fairies #magical creatures fairies

[ballet-symphonie]

Hey Ale, if you could make a top5 with Valiulina, Sharova, Koshkaryova, Kuprina and Karamysheva. How would you choose? From first to fifth place. Oh, and I know they're all great (Valiulina my favorite).

Maria Koshkaryova- seemingly has it all right now. The presence, the clarity, the control, and the big one: reliability. She's proven that she's got the right temperament to succeed in this profession. She nailed her Masha debuts, was rock solid at the competition when everyone around her faltered, and held it together for all the grad performances.

Angelina Karamysheva- Knows how to use what she's got and that is a huge puzzle solved. I'm always a sucker for girls who can jump, some of her variations chosen really portrayed her in a flattering light like Coppelia and Kitri. Was a bit hit or miss in bigger moments, this is why she needs another year of school. I worry the most about her career because she doesn't have ideal proportions for Russian ballet. Could honestly see MT not taking her or keeping her in the corps forever. Wouldn't be surprised if she ended up elsewhere tbh.

Yaroslavna Kuprina- Came into the competition as the underdog and really made the most of her opportunities and got herself a traineeship for it! Reminds me a bit of young Alina Somova, she's got an excellent, flexible body that lends itself well to nice extensions but doesn't always keep the turnout in between these big poses. However, what I like is that you can see her fight. When she is a little bit off, she doesn't let her body collapse, she grabs her core and just refuses to fall off her leg.

Sofia Valiullina- Stylistically, she's my favorite by far. Her upper body and the elegance she has even as a 6th-year student but I found her lack of confidence and honestly bad repertoire selection for Moscow IBC to be damaging. When she gets nervous, she gets sloppy and closed off. This needs to change in her final year, she needs more belief in herself!

Anna Sharova- She's last simply because I've seen the least of her and have very little to judge her on.

#Anna Sharova- #Sofia Valiullina #Yaroslavna Kuprina #Angelina Karamysheva #Maria Koshkaryova #vba #vaganova ballet academy #russian ballet #ballet #ballerina

[angelofverdum]

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

I started watching this show because people kept saying it was like PLL but darker, scarier, and better.

I watched PLL when it came out, and I think it had so much potential that it hurt how they wasted it.

I went into this show keeping in mind that it wasn't the same show.

The only thing they share is the name.

I think the OG Liars were more interesting. It had a balance between fun and drama. Even tho I dislike Aria so much, and Emily (I love you Shay Mitchell) bored me to death, it was fun to watch.

These girls just met in school, and they didn't experience the same loss that the OG did. Even tho Alison was a bitch (she should have been A at the end, btw), she was their friend. These girls are together just because their mothers were awful.

Sarah was a delight to watch as Alison, she had the whole town in shambles, but here Karen was annoying as hell. Although someone said that Imogene's mom was Ali and Karen was just collateral damage.

The mothers are pretty awful, even in the present day. One of them is letting her kid gets blamed for her drugs, and the other says things like "I can pay for your life, but I can't control it?"

One of them might be a saint, though because what do you mean you took a 15-year-old girl that is 6 months pregnant, and she is planning to keep it.

And the actress have chemistry, and they could have work, but the writing was terrible. Teenagers don't talk like that, jock boyfriends and popular girls are overdone, do people still were those letterman jackets?

They don't talk about things that happened to them or don't care. It feels fake. I think they rushed their friendship.

Imogene was a good character. I just hate when, in shows like this one, where there is a lot of action, a character is pregnant, not that they care at all. A lot of people didn't like Imogen or Bailee Madison, but for me, she was the best actress among them, and that always going to make you a favorite on my list.

Tabby was annoying as hell with the movie references. There is no way someone talks like that; not even people who are obsessed with friends talk like that.

Noa was ok. I really like her as a character, but her story was kinda boring, tbh.

Mouse was the one I liked the least. I just didn't like her story. I was bored the whole time.

Farn was just so stiff. I don't know how to explain it, but I didn't feel any emotions with her. Her mother is a terrible mother, btw.

I also find it funny that faran was supposed to love ballet, but they didn't show us how an amazing dancer she was. She was just going from black to white swan.

I hate every man in the show. All of them.

Also, I can believe they were all interested in boys. That is homophobia. All the reboots and revivals trying to be more inclusive and here is PLL doing the opposite. Well, at least one of the moms is married to a woman.

BTW, there was no mention of Noa and Tabby's fathers.

Also -A was a letdown. A grown-ass man doing all this. Boring. Let the kids have fun.

It wasn't until I finished the whole show I found out that the creator of the show was the man from Riverdale. I didn't want to know anything because I was afraid I was going to spoil myself.

The original was excellent in the early seasons, or at least the mystery was enough to keep you coming back. The acting was perfect (Looking at you Troian, my beloved who ran circles around every actor in there)

I don't know if I'll watch season 2. The jury is still out on that

#PLL original sin #I guess? #This went longer than I expected #but damn why this man is still writing teen drama #PLL #pll og sin

[questwithambition]

100 days of productivity- day 91 (19/10/21)

Started work at 7am on my coursework, and proceeded to make very little progress throughout the day: I got stuck on something and kept turning in circles which is very frustrating. I did gather some courage and emailed my lecturer, so hopefully help will be on its way at some point.

But on a positive note it’s world ballet day, so I watched a lot of live ballet classes / performances (and commented on them via text with a friend) - the Royal Ballet one was amazing and I’m so excited to head back.

#tbh all the ballets are excellent #questwithambition #100 days of productivity #studyblr #studyspo #study inspiration #student #univeristy #engineering #study motivation #dance #ballet #world ballet day #stem #food

[viktoriakomova]

in all sinceritea 🍵 tho, basically every beam rotation of an ncaa meet on the sec network/espn that is commentated by kathy johnson clarke is a *masterclass* in excellent gymnastics commentary.

ive always felt like gym commentary is one of those things where if it's really high quality, you tend not to notice it. kathy's really feels like it's PART of the meet you're watching, as opposed to talking heads reacting to footage they're showing you (picking out the names of skills, pointing out deductions but just saying something like 'oh, a little mistake there' or 'yikes, that was a major error' when they fall or even 'they will deduct X tenths for that' if you're really lucky). kathy talks, DURING the routine, about what the judges are looking for (amplitude, hitting and holding positions, hitting handstands on bars, connections on beam, keeping legs together and straight). when a gymnast makes a mistake, kathy not only points out that it was a mistake and what the mistake was, but WHY the gymnast made that mistake (wrong angle punching off of the floor, drifting off the center on beam, missing the release point swinging into a skill on bars, etc.), as someone who never did gymnastics at any level, I find those comments to be very insightful and informative.

one of my absolute favorite things she does, which is exceptionally rare in comparison to other commentators, is how often she draws attention to minute details of form like pointing the feet, hitting oversplits, posture, hand accents, turning out the legs, keeping the shoulders down and back on leaps, etc. she highlights the dance elements of the sport and has a clear respect and appreciation for ballet, whereas tim daggett on nbc will (again, if you're lucky enough to get anything this substantial out of him) touch on something like a gymnast's lines, toepoint etc. tangentially, usually with some coded phrase like "she has that international look that the judges love" (by which he almost always means skinny, and by the way you can have great lines and not be stick thin, and vice versa)

i even feel like her commentary has given me a keener eye as a gymnastics fan for form deductions and finer points of technique than i did before i started following ncaa gym (I watched starting in 2013ish but didn't follow it seriously until the 2016 season). i have a strong dance background so I can spot unpointed or sickled feet and bent knees and incomplete split leaps from a mile away lol, but things like handstand angles on bars, proper vault blocking technique, punching into tumbling passes, regrasping the bars with straight elbows, etc. are all things I had to learn about second-hand. reading in the code of points all deductions for doing that stuff wrong is one thing, actually seeing it and having someone say if it's good or bad is another.

i especially love how beginner-friendly her commentary is, for the reasons i stated above. you don't have to know anything about gymnastics to watch a meet she's calling and follow along and understand what you're looking at. that's so incredibly important for a sport that seems impenetrably complicated at first glance. my mom, who knows next to nothing about gymnastics, has seen like MAYBE 4 ncaa meets on TV. kathy and bart were commentating the second one we ever watched together, and my mom even told me that she loved the way kathy explained things.

she makes it easy to understand without dumbing anything down. she names some of the skills a gymnast is doing in that moment, but that's just punctuation for the more in-depth description and analysis. she doesn't shy away from technical terms, but she doesn't let it get jargony (that's a fine line to walk tbh) and viewers can infer what it generally means based on context.

she also makes a point to be positive and constructive, not to talk about a fall on beam like it's the end of the goddamn world (ahem tim), to acknowledge when a gymnast has improved on something over the course of the season, to point out what the gymnast is doing right as well as the deductions she's incurring (instead of just doing the latter, ahem tim).

there's a reason seasoned gym fans love listening to her just as much. if you haven't noticed by now, we LOVE kathy. her commentary is easy to follow if you don't know gymnastics, but as a gymnastics nerd it's also a joy to watch the meets she calls because she DOES go into detail. the breadth and depth of her knowledge of the sport is incredibly impressive. she gives thorough analysis of routines, we get to hear an expert break down every skill in real time and critique it. and in addition to all that stuff, her enthusiasm for the sport is evident. she reminds me of the things i love most about gymnastics.

tl;dr:

every commentator should have to write a 5 page essay analyzing queen kathy johnson clarke's commentary before they're allowed on the air. it is literally Impossible to do it better than she does, she's the gold standard

#gymnastics #kathy johnson clarke #sorry bart i didnt mean to erase you like this lmfaooooo #thoughts #c

[jostenneil]

I would like some shoujo recs! I haven't read any in a longtime. I don't mind if they have love triangles or love quadrangles as long as the dynamics are good.

i’m sorry for getting to this late! and i hope it’s okay to rec some josei as well, the only difference between shoujo and josei strictly speaking is the age demographic, otherwise both traditionally cater towards women (not that other ppl can’t read these obv!) 

princess tutu (anime) - this is one of the greatest pieces of shoujo i’ve ever been exposed to. it centers on a rly clever and cathartic adaptation of the swan lake mythos, and what’s most interesting about it is its focus on storytelling. the primary tag line of the show is “may those who accept their fate be granted happiness. may those who defy their fate be granted glory”. it’s all about the characters making choices and realizing their own ability to write the story that follows, rather than remaining shackled to the insidious story penned by the primary villain, drosselmeyer. the relationships are complex and dark but also rly healing in the long run, and the ballet aesthetics are exquisite! 

kanata kara (manga) - this isekai manga centers on noriko, a girl suddenly dropped into an alternate world where she’s referred to as “the awakening”, fated to awaken the monstrous sky demon. everyone in this world is bent on getting “the awakening” first to use it to their own benefit, but noriko is actually found by the sky demon, a boy named izark, and they start to travel together through various countries while on the run. the rly charming point of kanata kara is that noriko doesn’t magically know the language of the world, she has to learn it entirely from scratch. she’s also someone who works rly hard to be useful and a source of solid support for izark and the friends she makes, and i think that coupled with the narrative message of each person having their part to play in the betterment of the world is rly inspiring to read about 

akagami no shirayukihime (anime/manga) - shirayuki is a girl with rly vibrant red hair, and the prince of her country wants her as his concubine bc of it, so she decides to run away to the neighboring country. there she meets the country’s second prince, zen, along with his friends at the palace, and she makes a new living for herself as a palace pharmacist. it’s a rly sweet manga that i appreciate for delving into the behind the scenes part of court politics, particularly bc we tend to think that fantasies imply battles, but that’s not necessarily the end all, be all of relations between countries. there’s also a wonderful focus on shirayuki’s work as a pharmacist, and how her knowledge of plants and medicinal herbs helps her support zen as he works to become a prince more involved with his people 

legend of basara (manga) - this series focuses on a post apocalyptic japan ruled by an oppressive emperor. a child of prophecy is fated to be born into a village and save the country, and when twins are born, the villagers assume the brother is the fated savior. when they grow up, however, one of the emperor’s sons, the red king, kills the brother, and so his sister, sarasa, has to pretend she’s the one who died so she can carry on the revolution as her brother, else all hope is lost. all of this is tied in with the fact that in her rare free time, sarasa happens to meet a boy named shuri, who is actually the red king! neither of them know each other’s real identities or that they’re the ones facing each other on the battlefield, so it makes for a rly angty romance, coupled in with excellent political commentary on privilege and oppression. shuri has one of the best antagonist to protagonist developments i’ve ever seen, and sarasa is a great example of a character vested with so much responsibility, who wants to bring her people to freedom but also be just a normal girl 

honey and clover (anime/manga) - this is one of my all time favorites! it follows some university students attending art school and their day-to-day life as they struggle to create, maintain relationships with each other, graduate, etc. i think chica umino’s works in general can be exemplified by her portrayal of every day life, and how it’s not so mundane and actually carries a lot of emotion. there’s so much catharsis present in this work for me bc it really reaches out to people who feel lost of purposeless or alone in their lives and feel like they have no reason to continue creating or moving forward. i think it also has a rly realistic portrayal of romance in the sense that its focus is on how characters grow through romance rather than whether they end up with a certain person. esp if you’re a college student, i think it’ll rly resonate with you 

kobato (manga) - this was serialized in a seinen magazine for some reason but i think most ppl agree it feels shoujo in delivery. it’s probably my personal favorite clamp work. the floral aesthetics and artwork of angels is absolutely gorgeous, and it features a rly endearing story about a girl, kobato, who must collect “healed hearts” in a bottle in order to return to a certain place. i can’t really reveal what i most enjoy about it without giving away serious spoilers, but there’s that classic clamp execution of the binding nature of contracts and weighing the things we want against the things we must do, which makes for some rly heartfelt, angsty progressions. mostly i just love seeing the narrative unfold kobato, as she starts off as is this seemingly naive girl who we come to realize is actually hurting deeply inside

lovely complex (anime) - this is a classic so if you’ve already heard of it i wouldn’t be surprised but nonetheless it’s probably my favorite in that area of early 00s shoujo romcoms. the story follows risa and otani, who are known as a comedic duo in their high school bc she’s unusually tall and he’s unusually short. there’s lots of gags and kidding around, but ultimately the story delves into how both of them subconsciously fall for each other despite treating each other like gag men at first. there’s comedic love triangles and plenty of miscommunication galore, but i think it takes these shoujo tropes and puts a rly refreshing twist on them that drives you crazy in a way that’s actually very entertaining. the infamous bear curry gag has practically been immortalized in shoujo fandom 

yumeiro patissiere (manga) - this is another one most people have probably heard of BUT, that’s usually bc of the anime. the manga is actually much shorter and different in some ways, and at the end of the day i think i prefer it, esp art wise as the charm in matsumoto’s art style is just impossible to replicate anywhere else. it follows a girl named ichigo, who has a very sensitive taste palate and is spontaneously selected to attend a patissieres academy, despite the fact that she can’t cook for shit! she’s placed in the a-level class alongside the academy’s three genius students, commonly called the “sweets princes”, and they befriend and gradually help her hone her skills until she’s at a level where she can compete with them on a team. all in all it’s a rly endearing story about perseverance, hard work, and the desire to make ppl happy with the food you make for them (kitchen princess is also a predecessor to this series that i think may even have heavily inspired it and i would recommend it, too! it’s just a little on the darker side in terms of dramatics) 

this is just the start of a list tbh but these are some of my all time favorites that came to mind! do let me know if you try out and enjoy any of them, i would love to hear about it ❤️

#princess tutu #kanata kara #akagami no shirayukihime #legend of basara #honey and clover #lovely complex #yumeiro patissiere #not really but that's the only tag i can think to put it in #mine:recs

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Rate/review the productions of Don Carlo(s) you've seen so far

yeah!!!! I'll try to keep this short because heat + exhaustion = not fully in the mood to Think Super Hard.

London 1985: the OG for me. mostly like the edit, although I wish the full Act III, Scene 1 and the Lacrimosa were there. cast is superb top to bottom; I particularly adore Luis Lima's practically-perfect-in-every-way Carlo. and the Dramatic Zoom In On Filippo Is Iconic.

London 2008: same edit as the above so no comment on that. I mostly like this production although I'm not a fan of the spoken dialogue during the auto-da-fe or the ending. Pappano is excellent as always; I also really like this cast though the Met 2010 one is better across the board IMO (yes even the people who were in both).

Met 2010: basically the same as above except swap in Nezet-Seguin for Pappano. Furlanetto is the One True King.

Paris 1996: thanks for including the extended bits. not a fan of the production aesthetic (golly golly why did you do that to Alagna and Hampson). the cast is excellent.

Paris 2017: cast is great, the Cage sucks, the ending sucks, the costumes are amazing, the projections are kinda confusing but still cool, I would die to look like Elina Garanca in this production.

Parma 2016: cast is mostly good (although I'm not a fan of the Éboli), production has an interesting aesthetic vibe I like but isn't particularly interesting, lads that Filippo/Rodrigo duet is GAY, four act versions can go die.

Amsterdam 2004: once again, screw the four act version. cast is very good although nowhere near my favorite. love the idea of setting it in a tomb. the transition from Rodrigo's death to "Tu che la vanita" breaks my heart.

Vienna 2020: the cast is amazing, I love that this one is virtually uncut, I'm a huge sucker for how they did the ballet, wasn't a fan of the end of the auto da fe, WHY did Éboli get killed off.

Vienna 2015: the cast is pretty good. the production just seems like they threw a bunch of randomness on the stage. I don't even know honestly

Met 1980: the production is every period drama lover's dream. the cast is excellent, in particular Tatiana Troyanos My Beloved, who somehow looks even better with an eyepatch.

Met 1983: tbh I don't remember much about this though it's the same production. but I do remember that Mirella Freni My Beloved was excellent as always.

San Francisco 2016: THIS BE GAY. THIS BE GAAAAAAAAAAY. that is all. actually this is very nice as a whole lol. not a huge fan of some of the cuts (no fainting???) but it's nice and the cast is great.

Liège 2020: incredibly pretty, I liked this staging overall, and the cast is great.

Turin 2013: it's been a while but this production from what I remember was marvelously period although once again screw the four-act version. I mostly remember Abdrazakov and Tézier nailing their big duet (and the latter nailing his death scene later on).

#opera #opera tag #opera asks #Don Carlo #Don Carlos #Verdi #Giuseppe Verdi #14 productions in all #and there's still MANY MORE I have to watch

[kishimoto-did-us-dirty]

Naruto Arts School AU

Reposting bc I love this post and bc I can lol

Character

- major

description

Naruto

-Drums

okie nobody can deny that our main boy over here is a loud soul, however, he can also carry a damn good beat that compliments his band mates’ music really well. Tbh, he sucked at music to begin with and had trouble matching rhythms and listening to his band mates when they played, however he eventually became a really good rhythm maker.

Sasuke

-Guitar (lead)

He’d be assigned to the same band as Naruto, and that’s how they met. This boy is a damn good guitarist y’all, but has attitude problems™, and used to not be able to deal with Naruto’s haphazard beat making, thus perpetuating a rivalry between the two. He constantly feels overshadowed by his elder brother Itachi, a piano major.

Sakura

- Dance

Ya girl fucking demolishes every single dance routine. Initially starting out with a focus on ballet (pre-shippuden in canon), our pink headed queen soon realized that she wasn’t getting the full experience of what it meant to dance. Her point shoes were her loves, however they hurt and nipped in places not just physical. She realized that she didn’t want to be pigeonholed into a genre of which she would be inhibited by standard, and rather to dance so as to forget technical perfection. Thus, what would partner with post-shippuden Sakura in canon, Art School AU Sakura got into hip-hop. And bitch, she goes hard. A lot of the other girls who she used to dance ballet with admire her for her absolutely BODYING her dance routines, but also for never sacrificing her femininity to dance and not taking BS for being a girl who goes so hard in a male-dominated genre. (Some people believe that hip-hop is heavy hitting and a little metaphorically “dark” so to speak, which Sakura is not. So obviously I expect a little disagreement regarding this, however if you look at people like Delaney Glazer or Kaycee Rice, that is how Sakura would dance).

Hinata

- Creative Writing

Shy and bookworm-like, Hinata can write the best poetry, romance and adventure pieces out of all the creative-writing majors. She’s especially good at writing character relationships and development, and has such a subtle sense of intelligent wit in her writing, that if you blinked you would miss it. However should you catch it, you’re sure to chuckle. Her only struggle is that she tends to drag on in important scenes, stretching them against the regular flow of the rest of her writing. Needs validation for her writing through an IV drip.

Kiba

- Drums OR Photography

Drums for obvious reasons (loud and obnoxious), although ruff boi looks good with a camera, too. Great at landscapes and street photography.

Shino

- Creative Writing OR Photography

I could definitely see Shino having fucking beautiful handwriting, and being a beast at writing anything within the sci-fi realm. I could also see him doing some journalism, and writing for the school paper. He’s very good at the logic of his sci-fi books and coming up with logical but enrapturing stories, that intermingle knowledge and mystery. He’s a very specific type of read, however, and may not appeal to all, however if you enjoy anything similar to Star Wars or Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, then Shino is your author. If this doesn’t float your boat, though, try photography-major Shino. He can get the best angles of bugs he sees, and has an extensive portfolio with entomology-related snapshots.

Ino

- Dance

Like Sakura, she, too, began with a focus on ballet, however began to branch out into contemporary ballet a little later than Sakura. This is another reason why Sakura switched her focuses, as she and Ino had always had a fierce rivalry for dieting (ballet dancers are pressured to be as thin as possible) as well as battling for technical perfection when they were ballet focused. As the two grew, Ino focused more so on contemporary, but can certainly do some hip-hop with Sakura every now and then, just as Sakura occasionally takes a contemporary class with her. The two still have a rivalry, however, just not to the previous extent as when they were actively competing against each other. They’re more like sisters.

Shikamaru

- Guitar (bass) OR Creative Writing OR Architecture

Smart boy’s a tricky one. He would either be a bassist, a mystery and historical fiction writer, or, of his school offers it, be great at architecture. Idrk.

Choji

- ermmmmm….. maybe graphic design? Tech theatre (props)? Vocal???

Choji is hARD dwnccnpc (that’s what she said). I could see him behind a computer screen, animating and designing games/covers/posters or whatever. He could also do something in theatre, but I don’t think he would do anything up on stage. Something like props would suit him. He might do something in music, tho???? Can he sing???? Help???

UPDATE: Choji is a band kid. He plays tuba or some shit. Big boy got big lungs.

Tenten

- Dance

Always has been, and always will be a hip-hop dancer. She wanted to be like Tsunade, a legendary dancer and followed in her footsteps, taking up hip-hop. (that’s why Sakura focused on hip-hop, too, because Tsunade mentored her and taught a few of her classes, too). Tenten is fast and can keep up with any beat. Not only is she a great dancer, but she’s also athletic, and does track and field (cross country), football, and softball at another school too, since the arts schools doesn’t offer it. Overall great dancer with styl. She’s really looked up to by some of her underclassmen for her cheery, but badass style and skill.

Lee

- DANCE (hip-hop, too)

It’s sweat. It’s burn. It’s energy. It’s Lee.

Neji

- Violin

First chair violinist in his freshman year for the school’s philharmonic orchestra. He be extra like that.

Gaara

- Guitar (bass)

He had a lonely childhood with neglectful/abusive parents, and rock music really helped him with that. Emo music is emo and often made fun of, but the songs have messages and Gaara related, so self-taught himself the bass guitar to help cope, and bring him closer to the music that salvaged him.

Kankuro

-Art

Specifically sculpting. For obvious reasons.

Temari

- Acting

Girl can make you cry with some of her monologues. Total lead. Has a seriousness in her acting that makes her believable, however can falter on the less-serious roles. She may also double-major in whatever Shikamaru does. And she’s better at it than him.

Itachi

-Piano

Boy could play any etude at age 7. Performed at Carnegie Hall when he was 10. And no, he didn’t pay to play there. The hall invited him. Began composing at 9. Has perfect pitch. Owns international awards. If he’s not at school it’s because he’s traveling to play for crowds. He excels at classical and baroque, however has an ear for romantic, and enjoys playing/composing pieces either written or inspired by romantic pieces. Enjoys Schumann, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky. Hates modern classical music, though. Can only take cinematic pieces composed by people like Williams, however can’t stand Prokofiev at all. He does like modern music, though, so long as it’s outside of the orchestral/classical music realm. He likes R&B. He would have liked to do film with Shisui, particularly producing, however his parents pressure him with piano, so he helps Shisui with student films and projects outside of school (will probably pursue film after graduating, tho).

Shisui

- FILM / VIDEO PRODUCTION

Fight me on this!!! THIS BOY IS SO GOOD AT CINEMATOGRAPHY MY FILMMAKING ASS CAN’T EVEN. AS SOMEONE WHO IS IN LOVE WITH FILMOGRAPHY, TRUST ME, SHISUI HAS IT™. THE IT™. HE’S GOOD AT EVERYTHING. CINEMATOGRAPHY. DIRECTING. SCREENWRITING. GRIP-WORK. EDITING. PRODUCING. HE’S SUCH A FILM NERD TOO, AND WATCHES OLD FILMS ALL THE TIME. HE’S JUST TOO GOOD AT IT. DOES STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TOO. HE’S OVERALL A GENIUS WITH CAMERAS. Does film with Itachi outside of school and teaches him, and the two are overall geniuses at filmography. They want to start their own studio together (they do, and it becomes huge). He becomes a leading director, while Itachi becomes a producer and directs sometimes too.

Sasori, Deidara, and Sai

Guess.

Kakashi

- Saxophone

It’s the only thing that suits him and it suits him so well. Has suave.

Obito (omfg his arms y'all)

- Not to say drums or anything, but…. drums.

Narutard 2.0. But he also dabbles in other areas of music. Like, he can also play guitar and sing. He’s also pretty good at music production. Makes R&B sometimes. He wasn’t always the best musician but proved to be a late bloomer, and really harnessed his potential. Tries to be as suave as Kakashi and his saxophone. He isn’t.

Hashirama

- Vocal

OkaYYYYYY. VOCAL GOD. CAN DO RIFFS AND RUNS AND HAS PERFECT PITCH. ALSO THE SWEETEST GUY??? WAS A CHAMBER SINGER AS A FRESHMAN. EVERYONE LOVES HIM, GOOD BOY ENERGY.

Likes to belt.

Madara

- Piano

Total prodigy, but hates classical music. Once was accompanist to Hashirama for a solo vocal performance and hasn’t been left alone since.

Tobirama

- Viola or Cello

Some sort of string instrument and takes it very seriously. Probably plays cello because violas are violas and that’s lame (if you know, you know). Has almost as many awards as Itachi and Madara, but hates his usual piano accompanist, Izuna.

Izuna

- Piano

Also a piano god. The uchihas breed them. Hates being accompanist for Tobirama. They’re secretly best friends though, don’t tell anyone.

Karin

- Tech Theatre.

Idk why. Probably started out with props and made her way up to TD (technical director) in senior year.

Suigetsu

- Tech Theatre

Fucking hates theatre kids. Assistant TD. Karin hates him.

Jugo

- Visual Art

Paints landscapes and nature. Really good with oils and gouache respectively.

Yamato

- lmao Trumpet.

Met Kakashi since they both play brass, but boy he ain’t got that suave. That’s why he plays trumpet. Lmao he plays the fucking trumpet anjdwcnojdnn.

Rin

- Vocal

Sweetest voice and could also play the acoustic guitar when she sang. Died in a car accident junior year. Kakashi was at the wheel when they got hit by a drunk driver. Obito saw the whole thing.

Kurenai

- Visual Art

Can create dream like paintings that almost seem like illusions.

Asuma

- Cello / guitar

Used to play cello because of his parents, but loves to play guitar. Can sing but his voice is raspy from smoking.

Gai

Who the fuck do you think teaches dance?

Jiraiya

- Guitar (lead)

Used to major in lead guitar. Sucked at first. Probably has a couple, casual Grammy Awards (they’re actually not that hard to be awarded with, The Recording Academy award many people outside of mainstream media. My school has a few). Now teachers as head of the Band department at this school.

Tsunade

-Dance

Legendary dancer. Probably toured with a few famous people. Now teaches. Mentored Sakura, and mentored Ino but for a shorter time.

Orochimaru

- Idk, didgeridoo, or some shit

Definitely a wood wind. Flute maybe??? Teaches now but no one knows what he does. Pedophile. Has a thing for Sasuke.

#naruto #naruto headcanons #sasuke #sakura #hinata #itachi #shisui #uchiha clan #hashirama #tobirama #kakashi #madara #obito #kankuro #neji #gaara #kiba #shino #shikamaru #sasori #sai #jiraiya #tsunade #orochimaru #izuna #tenten #gai #asuma #deidara

[balletroyale]

Tired of all the hate the younger generation is getting tbh.. Don't know if you've seen ballet-symphonie's post, but she has a point. Idk in what world Zakharova, Vishneva or Smirnova started out as excellent performers the minute they stepped onstage

I’m tired of people thinking that we can’t critique dancers tbh. 

1. It’s not hate, it’s criticism directed NOT at the young dancer, but at the people who have given them opportunities they aren’t ready for. When you decide to have a public facing job in that way, you make yourself liable to critiques from the public. 

2. It’s not even all of the younger generation. Do you really look at my blog and think, “hm, she hates ALL young dancers.” I regularly write very positively on Sevenard, Trikoz, Kokoreva, Khiteeva, Shakirova (if she counts as young)

3. Did I ever say that those dancers didn’t get criticism when they were young? It’s also funny because none of the dancers you’ve listed are any dancers that I heap praise on now. I’m pretty infamous, for example, about disliking Zakharova. 

4. There actually are dancers who transition beautifully into theatre and are excellent performers the moment they step onstage. Evgenia Obraztsova is one. Renata Shakirova is another. Natalia Osipova is one more. They were given in their early years appropriate roles that were right for their ability, which helped TREMENDOUSLY. Obviously this is subjective and my opinion. But I would dispute the claim that it NEVER happens. 

But the point is, there has NEVER been a dancer who I’ve magically forgotten about all their shortcomings as a younger dancer and loved as they got older. I still don’t love Somova, Smirnova, or Skorik, but I can recognize how they’ve matured. But claiming that I’ve had amnesia for dancers is just not correct. I would never say, when asked, that I’ve always loved a dancer who I critiqued in their youth. If Khoreva, for example, matures into a dancer with beautiful acting abilities and musicality, I will of course acknowledged when asked that I didn’t always like her performances. But would I really have to preface any comment I made about her with, “I didn’t always like her”? 

We always should judge dancers IN THE PRESENT MOMENT. Judging them in comparison to what you use to think of them is not helpful or fair. People can grow and you like them better, but that doesn’t mean you always have to reference how you felt in the past. 

But just to reiterate, if you put yourself on stage (no matter who makes the decisions about what you are dancing), you make yourself liable for criticism. 

#ask #ballet #Anonymous

[monotonous-minutia]

Cendrillon (Met 2018)

Started last night, fell asleep halfway through (it was a weird day), the post somehow survived without being saved and here we are.

I wonder if there are any spoilers on the walls.

POWER TO THE TROUSER ROLES mezzos rule (I know that’s not what he meant but given there’s a trouser mezzo in this opera I can’t help but wonder if it’s a pun)

<3

second time I’ve seen her as Cinderella and so far Massenet’s is more depressing than Rossini’s

okay this is a bit trippy

I love her so much

those horses area liiiiittle creepy

Prince is sassy

okay that ballet or whatever was super weird and a little disturbing tbh

and it’s just going to keep getting weirder isn’t it

he’s having it about as much as I am

now things are happening very quickly also I’m getting a lot of Greek Chorus vibes from this piece

what am i supposed to focus on i can’t keep my eyes off either of these two i think my head is going to explode

yeah definitely more depressing also subtitles please quit it with the question marks, this is week 16 you should have it figured out by now

the choreography just keeps getting weirder but Kim was made for this role so I can forgive it I suppose

wait what

but apparently you don’t get a name

hello goodbye i’m dead

so wait that WASN’T the happy ending?

oh dang well that happened also what is it with these French bass-baritone dads that just stand there while their children lie dying on the ground

cause of death two mezzos being insanely adorable and in love

sure mom, sure

I mean you had me going there for a while also Lucette’s smile ahhh

meta af

come on cowards let your mezzos kiss onstage

I still love her despite her unexpected moral ambiguity

This was my first time with this opera and it was very interesting. A lot of unexpected twists and turns and very depressing at points; it’s been a while since I’ve read the original original fairy tale so I’m not sure if it’s going for greater accuracy or if Henri Cain likes torturing audiences or if Massent’s music just lends itself best to depressing (the only other operas of his I’ve seen/heard are Thaïs and Werther so).

The fact that the Prince is a mezzo though sold me 1000% because, well, you know me...

I kinda want to talk to the choreographer to see what exactly was going through their mind with this production because the dance sequences were super weird and (as mentioned above) a little disturbing...like at one point it insinuated that they ate the Prince...which...how does one come up with that, let alone have the place of mind to pull it off...

the set was interesting though, with all the text on the walls from the story. It really lent itself well to the surreal sound of the music (which was fantastic at evoking the fairy tale feel) and the strange, extremely flowery libretto. The costumes for the supers were pretty Extra and I get they were going for a comic feeling but it was kind of distracting and didn’t really suit the more somber feel of this piece.

even if the production had been terrible though it still would have been worth it because this cast was phenomenal. Like a production with just one of them would have sold me but ALL FOUR IN ONE PLACE like seriously it was a diva awesomeness overload and that might have been part of the reason I couldn’t finish it in one sitting.

For one thing, Joyce DiDonato pretty much owns the role of Cinderella now in any incarnation and it may be my personal opinion or it could be fact, who knows. I can’t get over how amazing and versatile she is and that voice and her face and she’s so cute and her acting is on point and her expressions and her chemistry with the other performers and and and ahhhhhhhhhhhh she pulled off the smol sweet fragile tiny adorable sad selfless spritely little Cinderella so well and I died.

Kathleen Kim as the Fairy Godmother was a stroke of genius. She was so PRETTY and her voice matches the character perfectly and all her little quirks and expressions really portrayed the depth of this character who was a very surprising incarnation. She’s not the totally sweet, altruistic fairy that we’re used to. Idk what her whole plan was, or her motives, of if it’s just a French Opera Thing that everything has to be more complicated and it’s not complete if all the heroes aren’t at the brink of death at some point, but whatever the reasoning, Kim OWNED it and despite my initial disbelief at the unexpected twist she convinced me. I don’t think just anyone could pull that off. Kim is something special.

I haven’t seen her in as many things but imo Alice Coote is one of the best trouser mezzos. I don’t really get into gendered appearances or ways of moving around because gender is fluid and not binary etc. etc. but for the sake of storytelling and character portrayals DANG (WO)MAN she nails it to the point that if I see her in an interview or something offstage I invariably think “Oh, what, she’s not actually a boy” ALSO she is just EXTREMELY cute and sassy and I love her expressions and pretty much everything about her so yeah. Also I can’t express my nerdy happiness that the two leads are mezzos. But also frustration because excuse me, it’s not a fairy tale if the prince and princess don’t kiss at the end, that’s like the whole point, and I’m pretty sure if he’d been a tenor they’d let it happen, but god forbid we get the tiniest bit of gay onstage.

And Stephanie Blythe--I keep seeing her in all these incredibly different roles and keep thinking at some point she’s not going to be able to pull it off because they’re all so different and then I keep getting more impressed because she does pull it off and then I feel bad for doubting her. This evil stepmother also had a surprising ending and I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be funny or ironic or maybe both, but, like Kim, Blythe was excellent at capturing the ambiguity.

sooooo anyway that’s me nerding out about my divas and I’d give the production 3/5 probably, points taken for the weird costumes and disturbing ballet sequences and not letting the ladies kiss onstage. But the cast gets 100/5 because, well, if you got this far you know why.

#Cendrillon #Cinderella #Jules Massenet #Henri Cain #opera #opera tag #fairy tale opera #met opera streams #divas #mezzos #all the mezzos #sopranos #DIVA AWESOMENESS OVERLOAD #ahhhh #Joyce DiDonato #Alice Coote #Kathleen Kim #Stephanie Blythe #eeek #okay i'm done #opera reactions #monotonous-minutia reacts #monotonous-minutia critiques

[ballet-symphonie]

what do you think of maria khoreva's kitri debut? when i heard the news i wasn't too thrilled since i thought they would have her debut roles like o/o before ever even giving her kitri, tbh i never even considered the possibility of her doing kitri. she's just not very kitri like. but when i watched the videos, i actually was quite pleasantly surprised? as in it's not completely terrible like people expected. i think the final variation was not great with the passes, but i quite like her act 1 variation. lots of people brought up the lack of perfect fifths or her "changing the choreography" as in opting for a more nureyev arrangement in the beginning. but i myself don't really scrutinize the fifth positions in that particular variation and yeahhh her not doing the "usual" mariinsky choreography was a bit sketchy (i mean why wouldn't she do it if she COULD do it?) but it's not a super serious problem for me. if it works, it works, AND she added in the sissone instead. it's all rather good for a debut. yeah, she's not a typical kitri but i think mariinsky kitris were never thaaat wild to begin with. novikova is a good example. tereshkina is as wild as they make them but still very different from someone like krysanova at the bolshoi. what's interesting is i've quickly noticed a lot of people even her own fans have reservations about her kitri and expressed disappointment. what's your opinion?

Honestly, I believe Kitri was her weakest debut yet and this one has been received the worst. She’s not suited for the choreographic demands (she struggles with jumps, especially consecutive ones and quick turns and movements) and she really struggles to play light hearted, playful characters. It was the same in her Paquita, we just see Maria on stage with frozen in a big eyed smile. At least Bayadere she could redeem herself with the big white adagio, but she doesn’t have such a chance here in DQ.

About the act 1 variation: The classics pride adherence to the choreographic text, traditionalism. Khoreva changed the version ( or more accurately made a new one) because she couldn’t do the Gorsky or Nureyev versions. Otherwise there’s no reason to change. She’s not a fast turner and she’s changed double stepovers before (look her Medora variation, opening diagonal) but she made a very boring composition. The Nureyev version calls for an explosive grand jete forward, not just another sissone. This was changed because it’s easier (sissone requires less strength than grand jete because it takes of two feet not one) but now she does the same sissone 5 times in a variation that’s only 45 seconds long? Not to mention that her turnout disappears when she does the Nureyev replacement step and she doesn’t close 5th position a single time (the diagonal is really unclear) and she runs out of steam by the end. This is classical ballet, 5th position is everything.

Novikova does an excellent job with Kitri and she has similar strengths with Khoreva. Here’s her act 1, yes she doesn’t jump after the first set of turns but the stepovers are fast, closed clearly into 5th, and with more dynamic and interesting transitions musically. And the 5th positions on the diagonal are much clearer. You can watch clips of her both with her husband and Kim/ Shkylarov and see that her characterization is well developed, she is cute and subtly flirtatious and charming (especially with her husband of course). It’s an interesting comparison because Novikova’s characterization is something for Khoreva to strive for.

#ballet #ballerina #Maria Khoreva #ballet text post #ballet ask #mariinsky theater #mariinsky #kitri #Don Quixote #olesya Novikova

[aquaviolent]

🌈!

we need some fandom positivity tonight tbh so send me a  🌈 and i’ll compliment you/your blog

{ ohmygosh hi YOU!! i know we’ve mostly only talked in asks BUT seeing your serena on my dash always makes me a lil giddy, just because i’m like, omg. i get to read some excellent top tier character interactions and its all for free?! i know she’s pretty much a blank slate in canon so i LOVEEEE seeing what you did with her! i love that she knows ballet and she’s so graceful yet reserved and i want very much to interact some more if that’s ok with you! i can think of like 2992094834 scenarios in my head ... always always feel free to hop into my messages whenever you want! }

#ooc;; #ask memes;; #{ rose talks } #iruludavare

[rz-053]

Time to drop some facts about the best ship on the entire website, CoricoPlatoNzo!! I really do love this shop, tbh I think they work very well together

Proincest and propedophilia ship freak DNI 🎉🍾🥂

Coricopat is the brains of the operation, and his exceptional patience and keen instinct makes facilitating communication easy between the three.

Plato is the most artistic of the group, being passionate about ballet and often trading quick beginner lessons with Coricopat for Coricopat's insight into divination.

Alonzo has a keen eye for how to set a party or otherwise smaller social gathering. His manner can be abrasive, but once the vibe gets going he can really pull people together. He isn't the glue that holds them together however- the other two often joke about selling him for five bucks and a rubber duck, and that the rubber duck has more use.

The glue that holds them together is each of their strengths in cohabitation with others- Coricopat is sensitive and telepathic, though may be occasionally moody and antisocial, Alonzo has thrumming charisma and a sense for social tension, but can be abrasive and annoying, and Plato's easygoing, quiet nature makes it very easy for him to learn about and understand others, as well as being laid back enough to mesh well with other's energy and vibes. He does, however have a protective streak that may sometimes manifest as aggression or, more often, unclear hostility.

Alonzo thinks hes slinky and sexy but in reality that man does not move at all beneath the ribs. He dances like a white boy who thinks 2 minutes of jackhammering w/o making out makes him a god. Hes not a bad guy, he just isnt limber and refuses to let Coricopat or Plato help him loosen up because he thinks hes already so loose, his dancing might shake him to pieces.

Plato LOVES picking his boyfriends up and carrying them. Coricopat is partial to being used as any form of athletic equipment when Plato exercises, particularly being princess carried with a book in his hands while Plato uses him for deadlifts. Alonzo is partial to Plato's piggybacks.

Alonzo is a major bargain shopper, but Plato is a cheapskate. Plato prefers getting the cheapest possible, but Alonzo is excellent at getting maximum bang for you buck. Coricopat doesnt care as long as he can purchase fancy sodas and his preferred snacks.

#coricopat #plato #alonzo #plato cats #alonzo cats #cats fandom #cats ship #cats the musical #cats musical #cats broadway #cats tseliot #coricoplatonzo #cats poly ship #cats gay ship #cats headcanons