Changes to my study programme

Hi readers!

Today I'm going to talk about the changes I would like to do to my study programme

I study dance in Universidad de Chile and regarding to the curriculum the first change I would like to do is about the hours of academic technique that we have and the length of this subject in the career. because ballet is the base for the technique and it's very usefull for every single class, I think we should have a ballet class every day to start the day (or maybe after yoga) and during all career's years, the rest of the things and subjects I really don't know deeply, so I don't think about changes that I could do.

I think that maybe five or six years of career is a lot for people who would like to work as a performer, but the carrer has a lot of different subjects that make you more complete and with more knowledge, not only about the performance in dance or about teaching, but about composition, history and different staff. I have heard about the workload is really high, but I haven't lived it so I don't know yet, although it`s very tiring, but it's part of study dance I guess.

About the facilites of the faculty it's very dissapointing because we have had a lot of space problems, and the building is very old and to me very inappropriate for a music and dance faculty, we don't have outside places to stay or a cafeteria, the library is very small, the elevators falls constantly... it leaves much to be desired.

Well, that's it.
See you soon!

Postgraduate studies

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about the possibility of take a postgraduate course after I finish my current study.

I'm not really sure about the postgraduate program that I would like to take, but in Trinity Laban Consevatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK, there are some programs that  interests me like "Dance Performance", "Creative Practice: Transdisciplinary", "Dance Science" and "Dance/Music/Collaborative Arts".

I would like to take those courses because there are very complete in a very prestigious conservatoire that has an amazing building and big gardens, and also because musicians study there too, so the transdisciplinary and the theme of dance and music like collaborative arts could be a really interesting topic to study there.

Like I said, I would like to study in London, it's like my dream place, but maybe it could be in another country like Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil... I don't know, it could be in many many places.

Most of the courses last one year and I would like to be in that full time.

I don't know much about postgraduate studies, but I think it's important to learn about everything and also to recognize what is the most interesting subject for you and concentrate in that to develop a work in that area, usefull and deep.

So that's it, hope you all pass a merry christmast!

My future job

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about a very difficult topic: what I want to do in my future.

Actually I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do in the future, I don't want to close me and think in one thing I want to do because maybe if I want just that only thing and I can't accomplish it would be very disappointing so I keep my possibilities open.

I think maybe I would like to go to another country to study there and also it would be amazing to dance in a company in someplace in the world, and dance in different theaters traveling on the world, but that is the possibility most difficult to accomplish. Another thing I would like to do is study dance but in a different ambit, I would like to study dance as a way to help people with problems, by example children at social risk that need another form to be related with the world or therapies of different things, everything elated with contemporary dance. Also I would like to teach to different kind of people.

I would like to travel, but it isn't a thing that would define my decision of take a job.

About the salary I would like to have a salary that makes me live fine and calm, having a good life, and if I have a family, that allow me to maintain them ok.

That's it for now!

Bye bye.

My biggest Fear

Today I'm going to talk of my biggest fear.

It was really difficult to think about my biggest fear, because people always has worries and all kind of things to deal, but I think it's very normal, and I don't feel that you have to think those issues like life of death issues, I mean of course it is important to think about things that matters in life, but I try to always stay positive and hope the best.

However, something about I'm always thinking is about the future and the work, because of course I want to work in something that like me and found interesting, related with my career, because I think that arts are very important to people and education of sensitive people away from competition and individualism, but nowadays the artists have to compete for the jobs that give you money and stability and the society make it feel unimportant because of all that capitalism system, and that makes the north becomes cloudy and blurry and everything is reduced to individualism and try to be successful, but, what does all that mean?

Feeling this is a constant in my life because we are submerged in a unequal world where everything is competition and nobody cares about the people who is in front of you, and everyone are with angry faces in the streets because most of people are unhappy, all of that make me feel awful and I would like to be helpful to change this.

My Pet

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about my pet.

Since april of this year with my family adopt a little cat, after we lost Frida and passed the sadness, we decided to adopt a new cat. Her name is Pina and in two months she'll have one year.

Pina is more of my big brother and mine, because we love cats and we fight for have one mostly with my dad that despite of being a veterinarian he doesn't like cats or animals in the house. Now we all love Pina included my dad although he always act as if he doesn't like her very much.

I love Pina, she is very sweet and love cuddle people and make company, also she love eat and go out to play and go around.

I think pets are important for human beings, at least for me the cats that I have had have been really important, I love the company that they make.

I always think that I like to be a cat because they are very intelligent and calm, sleep a lot and don't bother anyone unless they need food, also they are cute and soft.

I post you a funny picture of Pina.

Bye Bye!

One of my best vacation

Hi everyone!

Today I'm going to talk about one of the best trip I've ever done.
A few years ago, in 2012 I think, I went to Venezuela with my parents, my two brothers, my aunt, my uncle and my three cousins during two weeks.
We were in different parts of Venezuela like Puerto La Cruz, Maturín and Puerto Ordaz, but the center of the trip was Canaima.
Canaima is a National Park, is in the rain forest, very hot and humid and has a particularity, in there are giants piece of land, actually made of rock and are with vertical walls and flat tops called tepuis.
In one of this Tepuis it is the largest waterfall in the world with almost 1 kilometer of high called Salto Ángel.

In Canaima live Indians called Pemones and they own the tourism in the area, so is very interesting because you have the opportunity to know about their culture, not just you stay there but also because they are the guides of the tours so you can talk a lot with them.
We stayed in a lodge in front of a large lake wich has many waterfalls and there are tours to go there.

With my family did a tour to the bottom of Salto Ángel, we had to take a kind of boat, but with motor and very large, made by the Indians called curiaras, to go against the river flow until the middle of the jungle, then we had to pass trough the jungle to reach the bottom of the waterfall where there was a lot of water and we finally could refreshing ourselves swimming in there, after all that long walk in the jungle.
This was my best vacation because I was in an amazing place, unimaginable with all my family and we lived a lot of moments to remember, and also because the others cities we went we visited family who live there that we never see and it was very nice to be with them and to know the places where they lived.

A country I'd like to visit

Hi everyone! 

Today I'm going to talk about one of many countries that I would like to visit: Mexico.

During all my life I've been listening about Mexico, because my uncle used to lived there and now I have a cousin that lives in Mexico City.

Mexican have a very interesting culture, they celebrate diferent holidays, have a strong bond with the religion, they make a particular crafts, they had very important artists recognized around the world, the architecture is very important and is present the legacy of the ethnic groups in many ways.

The things I have always wanted to visit in Mexico are, first of all, The Blue House or Frida Kahlo Museum because of the history and the artwork that might know there; another place are the pyramids in Teotihuacán to know the history of the different ethnic groups because Teotihuacan was a multi-ethnic city and I think that is very interesting.

Also I'd like to go to Mexico city around November 2, to be there on The Day of the Dead. I'd love to be in that national holiday to be part of the culture and probably go to the Day of the dead parade.

The typical food is another thing that i'd like to try.

That's it! Bye bye.

Sarah Lamb

Today I'm going to write about one of my favorites dancers, Sarah Lamb.

Sarah Lamb is a ballet dancer. She was borne in 1980 in Boston, Massachusetts. Before she was 10 years old she started to study ballet, now she is a principal ballet in the Royal Ballet, in London, England.

Lamb started to study in Boston Ballet School when she was a girl, there she was chosen to star in the annual major professional production of The Nutcracker as young Clara. Later on, as a professional ballet dancer she star on The Nutcracker but now as old Clara, in the same stage.

In 1998, she joined the Boston Ballet, she was promoted to soloist in 2001 and to principal in 2003. She joined The Royal Ballet in 2004 as a first soloist and in 2006 she was promoted to principal.

Sarah has played many roles in ballets like La Sylphide, Mayerling, Onegin, Winter Dreams, Elite Syncopations, Les Patineurs, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Prince of the Pagodas and Human Seasons.

Sarah Lamb has won awards on her career: Gold Medal in 1998 by U.S. President Bill Clinton, three silver medals in 1999 at the International Ballet Competition in Nagoya, Japan, the Sixth NY IBC in 2000, and the USA IBC in 2002.

I fell in love with her when I saw her as Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She is very charismatic and expressive, and she has an amazing technique. She played the role in a wonderful way.

My Favorite Photo

Hi everyone!
Today I'm going to show you one of my favorites photos of my life.
This photo was taken by my friend Marcelo Pacheco. In the photo appear my group of school's friends and I, from left to right: Emi, Gato, Cata, Thomi, Mandi, Coco and I. It was taken on a trip that we did to Algarrobo Beach on December 2014, to my grandmother's house. It was an amazing trip because we were finishing high school, so we did it to say goodbye to school and for strengthen our friend relation more. I like this photo because it remembers me that trip and all of the moments and adventures that we lived with my friends throughout the school period, since we were kids until today. Is very funny because that time wasn't the first time that we went there, that was the second round of "La Playita" (The little beach), and since then there has been a few more trips together, so now it's like a tradition.

I hope you like it,
xoxo.

Manu.

My Favorite Holiday

I really don't have a favorite holiday, but if I had to choose I think it would be September 18th and 19th and all the time that holiday can continue...

I like it because is really fun and I spend time with my family and also with my friends. We dance and sing a lot, and we preparate a huge party and decorate with flags and things with chilean theme but not because of nationalism but because it's fun.

A long time ago, when in september 18th was raining, with my family were at Larra's house (a friends of my parents that they are party animals), and we doesn't know how to celebrate if there was raining, so we decided to move all the machines that were at the shed, and then we invited more friends and it was a great party. With the years the fonda started to been more preparated and we put a name: "La Cantina de Mi Mami", it's not a open party, but everyone invited our family and friends so it's a big party. Some years my brothers have played music, and Toto is always de Dj, Tito dresses up of fancy Huaso and cut the rope to inaugurate, then dance cueca with Nury (the homeowner), my dad make cheese empanadas, meanwhile the barbecue is on, Marce used to made a lot of mote con huesillo and always there's a lot of pipeño and we make a fountain of terremoto, everyone bring something to share like salads or desserts or something to drink. The party lasts a few days so we need a lot of energy but everybody has energy to that sort of things so we spend all our energy and it's really really fun.

        

My favourite piece of technology

I'm not a person who loves technology objects, but the object that I use the most is my cellphone. I have it since last year when my old pink cellphone was stolen, I really loved my old cellphone because of its colour and when someone stole it from me on the subway I wanted to have the same one, but there was just light blue, and I was really grateful to have another iphone so... the colour doesn't really matter. I use  my cellphone to talk to my family and friends, to chat and organize meetings, to take pictures, to listen to music, to see the weather report, to view my e-mail, to google things. I use my iphone every day and I like it because it's quite useful, but I try not to abuse it, like people nowadays who can't stop to look at cellphones anywhere because it turns into an addiction. I think that I could live without my cellphone, but it would be so difficult to meet with someone or communicate instantly... but I think it also would have positive things... it's necessary to stop drowning in technology. We can't let technology eat us.

Expectations for a New Semester

This term is quite different from last year, because now we had some theorical courses and last year we had just practical courses. The subjects that I'm studying this semester are Ballet, Modern Dance, Contemporary Dance, Improvisation, Art History, Physical Conditioning and English.

I'm not in extracurricular courses at university but I take ballet lessons outside at university and also I sing and dance in Escuela Carnavalera Chinchintirapié that is an organization dedicated to do carnival from chilean roots using the chinchintirapié drum as the main instrument to its music.

I expect to advance faster in university Ballet because is a little boring for me. In all of my courses I hope to get good grades, but more important, improve myself in technique classes and understand and learn in theorical classes. In the ballet lessons outside at university we are going to dance 'The Nutcracker' for the end of the year and I'd like to dance the snowflakes's part. Regarding Chinchintirapié I expect to learn the choreographys and improve my singing to continue getting out the streets bringing the rejoicing of carnival, the latinamerican roots and the political speech to the populations and people in general.
XOXO, Manu.

My Auto Biography

Hi, my name is Manuela Parraguez. I was born in Santiago, Chile in october 20th of 1996.

I studied all my life in the same school, Liceo Experimental Manuel de Salas, in Ñuñoa. I've been living in Ñuñoa all of my life, with my parents and my two older brothers.

When I finished High School, I started to study contemporary dance in Universidad de Chile. Since I was a little girl I wanted to study dance in here, because my relation with contemporary dance started when I was 7 years old, in School. When I was 10 years old I started to take classes of ballet and tap in an academy, at 12 years old I entered to Escuela de Ballet del Teatro Municipal de Santiago, and I was there for 2 years, after that I decided to study dance in Universidad de Chile because I love contemporary dance, however I continued studying ballet, with the same teacher that I had in Teatro Municipal, until today.

I don't have much hobbies because most of my time I dance, and when I was in high school the 'Hobbytime' was to take dance classes. But I like to travel a lot, and I've been lucky because I've been in other countries like Germany, Ecuador, Argentina, Italy, France, Cuba, United States and Czech Republic.

I love giraffes, horses and cats. The name of my first cat was Agata, then I had another, Frida, and now I have a little cat that have 3 months and its name is Philippina, or Pina like the famous dancer Pina Bausch.