The Emotional Connection

Music is very influential and most people today listen to some form of it.  Whether it's rap, rock, alternative, electronic, classical, jazz or pop, everyone has their own preference.  We all connect with the songs we listen to.  They make us a range of emotion like excited, depressed, calm, ect.  Some days you're in the mood for a sad song and other days you'd prefer to listen to something more upbeat.  I'm sure most of us have said "this song is too sad/slow for right now" before.  So how do we emotionally connect with music?

I stumbled upon an interesting article from the Scientific American that discusses this phenomenon.  The article talks about how we relate physical objects to common human expressions.  When we see colours we immediately associate them with emotions.  Commonly, red is anger, green is envy and blue is sad.  We have even adopted common sayings that correlate emotion with colour.  "They have the blues" or "they're green with envy" are common sayings.  the article goes on to suggest that perhaps music is about relating sounds with common human expressions.  Familiar sounds are what enable us to imagine different scenarios.

The fact that people can think and feel in terms of music is still quite a mystery though.  There have been several theories about the general topic, but none are absolute.  Obviously we understand how our brain chemically reacts to music, but the fact that we can think in terms of sound continues to fuel discussions.  Music has been around for a very long time and each individual interprets it differently.  Music has an impact on how we feel.  Everyone reacts to music in a different way though.

Music has even been used for therapy.  Professionals discovered a way to effectively use music to help people restore their emotional well being.

Everyone uses music to cope with certain issues.  We love to listen to it.  It fills our cars, homes and restaurants.  We can emotionally connect with just more than lyrics, so don't dismiss a certain genre.  Just because you can't relate to a certain genre, doesn't mean that no one else can. 

Take some time once in awhile to listen to your favourite songs.  It's important to be aware of your emotional well being and music can help you maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit. 

Song Wars

It's not an unknown fact that not everyone gets along.  This isn't any different for celebrities or artists.  Due to the fact that their lives are much more public than the average person, their feuds are the ones that make the headlines. 

Photo by 1kennyblanco from Flickr

Artists and song writers use their music to deal with current issues in their lives and they'll usually write about how they're feeling.  So if they're conflicting with another artist, then why not write a song about it?

When artist Nicki Minaj started developing her career she garnered negative attention from rapper Lil' Kim.  Minaj started the feud with lyrics referring to her "killing the Queen", which was aimed at Lil' Kim.  As the feud grew Lil' Kim decided to write a song called Black Friday, which was mocking Minaj's album Pink Friday.  Lil' Kim publicly insulted Minaj through the best method she knows - music. 

The duo Die Antwoord has also recently made headlines for insulting Lady Gaga in one of their songs Fatty Boom Boom.  Originally Lady Gaga had asked Die Antwoord to perform with her on her tour.  They declined the offer and since then have been feuding.      

When artists get mad, expect them to write a song about it. 

Photo by Aktiv Oslo from Flickr

I find these feuds humorous.  People become so involved with their favourite artists lives that they start to create feuds of their own.  It becomes a war of which artist is better.  Deciding which artist is better is completely subjective.  Everyone has their own taste in music, so creating a feud over another artist's feud is rather pointless.  It's unlikely that you will win that argument.

Some view these feuds as childish.  They believe that artists have a reputation to remain and they shouldn't get caught up in public fights.  I agree that is it a bit childish to be feuding with other people in a public manner, but some artists have created good songs or music videos out of a feud.  Some artists just want to be in the spot light and if their careers aren't going anywhere, then they may result to a feud so that people remember who they are.

What is you opinion on artists using songs to insult each other?  Should they make their arguments public or should they try to keep their opinions to themselves?  Do they even have a choice about whether or not their fights become public?  Let me know what you think!  

When it Counts

Hey guys!

So I'm not sure if you have all heard about YouTube stars Wes, Phil, and Ted of WongFuProductions but they are currently doing a mini web series partnering with AT&T in the United States. The web series is called "When it Counts" and basically it is about how there is a saying that nice guys finish last, but in this series, it is expressing it in the girls perspective that nice girls finish last too.

They release different episodes every week and so far they have released two. Here is the first and second episodes!

When it Counts - Ep 1

When it Counts - Ep 2

The reason I am talking to you guys about this is because within the web series, they incorporate dancing and are being taught by some of the YouTube stars that I mentioned earlier on my Flashback! post.

Here is the schedule for the announced releases of the episodes for When it Counts

• Episode 1: November 26th, 2012
• Episode 2: December 3rd, 2012
• Episode 3: December 10th, 2012
• Episode 4: December 17th, 2012

Check out the series and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do and support WongFu Productions!!

Flashback!

Hi everyone!

Since my last post about UniverseSoul! and dancing, I found myself watching YouTube videos about dance from the various YouTube stars that I follow and reminiscing my short-lived dance career. It got me thinking of how much fun it was to dance and how I wish, right now at this very moment, that I didn't stop and continued on with dance. I hope it is not too late for me to consider taking some dance lessons again.

I think I understand why my fellow classmate and blogger Caitlyn Tink loves dancing so much! I believe that dancing is a way of expressing an individual's emotions through the art of dance and body rather than verbally. It is also a way to help relieve stress by doing things that you are passionate about and love!

Here are a few the YouTube channels I follow about Dance

1. Anthony Lee
2. Mike Song
3. Charles V Nguyen
4. Victor Kim
5. Kaba Modern
6. Poreotics
7. Quest Crew

What are some of the channels you follow about dance and dance choreography? Let me know!

The Blue Sea Band!

Hey everyone!

I would like to introduce The Blue Sea Band. They're a local Vietnamese Band in Calgary that specializes in doing covers of Vietnamese Pop and live performances throughout city for the Vietnamese community. I had the opportunity to get an interview with one of their band member, Huy Tran.

Permission of use granted by The Blue Sea Band

The Blue Sea Band was one of the very early Vietnamese amateur band in Calgary in the 1990's and lasted a few short years. Some of the members went on and performed with other local Vietnamese bands for years. The band got back together and began the search for the right members to debut The Blue Sea Band again in 2005.

Since then, they have promoted some of the very talented musicians of the Vietnamese community in Calgary. Some have stay for awhile and gone, but the band have kept the best members who not only perform well but also get along and share the same goal. The Blue Sea Band are constantly learning, playing and striving to be the best Vietnamese band in Calgary.

Permission of use granted by The Blue Sea Band

Here is the following interview with Huy Tran:

1. What is your band name called?
• The Blue Sea Band
2. What is your band's musical style?
• Vietnamese pop - cover band
3. How long have you been with your band for?
• I have been with The Blue Sea Band for three and a half years now
4. What type of musical instrument do you play?
• I play the Violin
5. How long have you been playing instruments for?
• I have been playing with musical instruments for 20 years now
6. What do you love most about being part of a band?
• Every member in our band plays music for fun, not for money. Everybody is fair and we have a good time when we practice, perform, and party after each performance
7. What are some of the obstacles that you had to overcome to play music and be part of a band in the Vietnamese community in Calgary?
• I don't get much money from playing music, so I have a daytime job and this limits the amount of time to practice and listen to the music.

I have attended one of The Blue Sea Band's performances and even though I don not understand the language, The music, rhythm, and beat are very upbeat and energetic which is pretty awesome! I guess that is the beauty of music!

If you are Vietnamese and/or interested in checking out other cultural music, please visit their Facebook Fan Page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Sea-Band-Site/163328057105835 and support them!!

Thank you Huy Tran from giving me the opportunity to interview you and taking your time out of your busy schedule for this to happen. Good luck with your band and future endeavors!

UniverseSoul!

Hi guys!

So over the past month, I had the opportunity to interview Kevin Luong, who is part of a local Calgary dance crew called Universesoul (UVSOUL)!

Permission of use granted by Kevin Luong

Universesoul is a group of dancers getting together to share their love and passion for dance. Primarily a hip-hop choreography based team, the dancers all come with different background of  dance. With commitment and dedication, they have been fortunate to learn, perform and compete locally and across the country making connections and friends along the way. Universesoul continues to grow as a dance crew and learn from each other and within the dance community and they welcome new dancers with an open arm!

Permission of use granted by Kevin Luong

Here is the following interview with Kevin Luong of Universesoul!

1. How long have you been dancing for?
• I've been dancing for about 1 and a half years. 
2. What style of dance do you do?
•  We are primarily a hip hop "choreography" based team. However, in that regards, we also dive into different genres of hip hop dance such as locking, popping, breaking, house, waccking , vogue, dancehall,etc. A lot of these different styles inspire and influence our movements and how we come about creating certain pieces.
3. What made you realize you were interested in dancing?
•  I took my very first dance workshop when I was in my second year at the U of C. One of my coworker, who I happen to dance with now, was advertising local dance workshops at the U of C during that summer. I decided to attend and ever since then I've been hooked on it.
4. What do you love most about dancing?
• There's a ton of things that I can ramble on about but by far the best thing about dance, personally, is being able to express myself creatively, mentally, emotionally and physically. I find that its very therapeutic for me and it helps me deal with a lot of different things on certain levels. I also love meeting other dancers! I've gotten to meet and befriend a lot of dancers from all over the world who share the same drive and passion for dance as I do. It's really amazing.
5. Are you part of a dance crew? if so, what is your dance group name?
• I am! The dance team that I am so proudly part of is called Universesoul
6. What are some of the obstacles that you have overcome to become a dancer?
• I wouldn't say that I've overcome this obstacle in anyway, as I feel that it's still something that I continually work on, but I would have to say that it would have to be just being myself when I dance and not letting my insecurities get the best of me. There are a lot of experienced dancers on my dance team so sometimes I feel somewhat inferior to them because of their level of expertise and skill but what I've come to understand is that I'm still relatively new to the dance scene and that its only natural for me to feel this way. Like any beginner, you have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top.
7. Do you and your dance crew do performances often in Calgary? If so, how often and could you name a few upcoming performances?
• We do quite a few shows in Calgary. Some of performances this year that you may have seen as were: 1) the pre-parade show for the Calgary Stampede. 2) Globalfest 3) Driven

I've had the opportunity to attend one of Universesoul's dance performances in Calgary and they are phenomenal! I would strongly recommend everyone to find an upcoming event that you could attend to support our local talent and enjoy an amazing performace!

You can get information off their Facebook Fan Page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/UniverseSoul-Dance-Team-Page/119523214777545

I would like to thank Kevin Luong for taking his time out of his schedule to allow me to interview him! Good luck on your future endeavours!

X Factors - Carly Rose Sonenclar

FlickR by: Synergistic Productions

I know I had complained a few blogs ago about too many music related shows on TV however this season on X Factor, there is a a 13 year old girl and she is one of the most talented true singers I have ever heard. Her audition to get on the live show can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffyZNW7Ra7M

Carly Rose is only 13 and I bet she has a better carrer that some singers already. She began on broadway in 2006 and is now in the top 6 on X Factor.

Have anyone else seen her before the link i posted?

In her audition, she sings "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. This isn't an easy song to sing by any means. She had LA Reid jumping out of his chair and leaving Simon speechless. Those are 2 of the greatest people in the music industry and if you can impress them, you can impress everyone.
                                                                                           

FlickR by: ToxicChili

The list of songs she has sung so far are:
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Karmin - Broken Hearted
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
Etta James/ Flo Rida - Something Got a Hold on Me/ Good Feeling mashup
Bruno Mars - It Will Rain
Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Celine Dion - My Heart Will go On

These are some of the greatest/ hardest songs to mimic and sing and she does a fantastic job. She is for sure the only reason why i watch the show. Others are only mediocre compared to Carly Rose. If someway she loses, I will stop watching.

The show is good, Carly is amazing. See her Wednesday nights if you have a chance.

Just Dance

Video games, music, and dance all in one.

FlickR by - Neon Tommy 

Ubisoft is a video game company that has gone to create a new franchise in video games. Just Dance was launched back in 2009 and now has 5 games under that franchise name.
If you don't mind having fun, acting silly and having a good laugh, I would highly recommend this game. This came is all about rhythm and being able to listen to music while you play.

The concept of this game is imitate the character that character on the screen and match the movements to the beat of the music. The game has different difficulties that make the dance moves harder and harder. The genre is music is mainly pop music that allows the dancers/players to just get loose and have a good time.

FlickR by: Henk-Jan van der Klis

The music in the games come anywhere from Barry White to One Direction. It covers so much music and its fun to play. This game is a great party game and with Christmas only 3 weeks away, this would be an awesome game to play with all your family and friends around.

- Mike Ha

Tis the season

FlickR: SDSpotlightEnt

Christmas season is upon us and you can hear it everywhere. I love Christmas! Who doesn't?

No matter where you go, there is Christmas celebration going on. One of the biggest Christmas mood changers is Christmas music. 

I think the music genre is the one time of the year that everyone enjoys a little bit of classical music and even singing along. I don't think Christmas can be the same without the music that we know. Growing up through grade school, we were forced to attend celebrations but the Christmas one has always been the funnest. 

My top 3 favorite songs are:

Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

Santa Clause is Coming to Town

FlickR: catherine.murton

The tune and catchiness of these songs is what makes me enjoy them the most. Let me know some of your favorite songs? 

Another thing about Christmas songs is that even celebrities embrace the holidays and make there own renditions of the songs. You find Christmas music every like work, radio, malls and all TV commercials.

I hope that everyone enjoys their Christmas break and see you all next semester. Be safe, have fun, Merry Christmas!

- Mike 

Victoria Secret Fashion Show and Music

Flickr by: cattias.photos

The day has come and its going to be awesome. Not only is today the last day of classes but today is also its the 2012 Victoria Secret Fashion show. What does this have to do with music? Well the show wouldn't go on without the music as the models need to strut their stuff and show off the next line of women's underwear and sleepwear

Victoria Secret Fashion show had the years best performers doing a live concert basically at the event. The event is an annual fashion show to promote and market its goods. Although the women make this event appealing, its the music that can draw in another market of viewership.

FlickR by : Bob Xu

In 2011, the headliners were Adam Levine, Jay Z and Kanye West. I don't think there is anyway to top that but they continue to impress me with the musical artist they chose this year. Live in New York City tonight, Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Bruno Mars will be performing live. I think that when events, they need to find these high profile artist to raise the bars and viewership. I am almost certain that Justin Bieber and Rihanna had the biggest years from all artist in their genre so why not have them end the year on top. Music is important to an event as it inspires moods. Upbeat tuners will help bring up the mood and the VS show will have an high tempo for sure. It also keeps the audience and the models entertained through out. This event is basically a free concert and a chance to look for the Victoria's Secret Angels.

The show is on at 7pm MST on CBS. Don't miss out! I for sure won't. \

- Mike

Beats By Dr.Dre

  I think every young people want to have a headphone which is Beats by Dre, because it is really famous audio brand.

http://www.evertop.co.uk/p/5468263/beats-by-drdre-urbeats-in-ear-headphones-from-monster-htc-in-white-colour.html

The logo

  Monster Cable Products, Inc is one of the world's most advanced high-grade wire and senior consumer electronics accessories manufacturers. Its products linked the sound and like all kinds of equipment, it widely used in home entertainment, car audio and professional recording purposes. It has twenty years of development, now it has more than four thousand kinds of products and two hundred global patent several. 

http://www.geeksugar.com/Monster

justin bieber

  The acoustic products has won numerous electrical industry design innovation and quality products award. Many American famous singers use professional wire link with their instruments, including many famous musician who won the Grammy Awards. The famous recording artist, engineer and recording studio also use the sound cable with which to record their music works. Even sports stars like this headphone.

http://www.prlog.org/11021257-why-stars-show-special-favor-to-monster-beats-by-dr-dre-studio.html

Kobe

  Start from 2008, Monster has had a cooperation with Dr.Dre, Lady Gaga and other famous stars. And they created beasts by Dr.Dre headset series products. From the website of Monster Audio, many professional data and evidences support that it is better than other brands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWFvOmdvsBo&feature=player_embedded

Same with my car, enjoy the Beats

  I have a old white solo headphone, it is really good. My girl friend bought a new red studio headphone. My roommate bought a new white beatbox portable. And i have a car that has Monster Audio system. From those products that i have been used, i really recommend that every young people or the people who like music, you should own a Monster Audio product, because it is really good in my opinion.

  Enjoy your music life with your Monster.

My favorite Korean idol group --- BigBang

  First of all, i am not a Korean, so i don't understand what the Korean idols are singing,but i like Korean pop music. Also, there are many Korean idols are famous in all over the world, such as BigBang, PSY and so on.

  I know lots of Korean idol and group's names, because i like them. They have their own style. 

  So, i want to introduce my favorite Korean idol now. In my mind, the most famous group is BigBang that South Korea famous groups, K - POP world leader. I am not sure that BigBang is famous or not in North America, but in Asia, BigBang is so famous. They have lots of fans in all of the world. They won many important awards. Their albums were appearing Billboard many times.

http://www.comtrya.com/2012/bigbang-blue-music-video-exposed-and-single-released-via-itunes/

They are BigBang

  BigBang is not just a simple Korean pop idol group, they become a cultural symbol. BigBang's activities except in music field, they also have an important influence in the fashion field. They have changed the trend of Korean music scene. BigBang has a good music strength, personality strong style, amazing stage charm. 

  There are many songs that really good, such as blue, fantastic baby, how gee and so on. If you want to watch their MTV, click "BigBang", and their videos will appear. 

   The BigBang member's name are Kwon Jiyong, Dong Youngbae, Choi Seunghyun, Kang Daesung and Seunghyeon. They all can sing, dance.

   There is an English song from BigBang, i think it is really good, the name is "how gee".

From Youtube

BigBang --- How gee

   Their distinctive music style has an infection with everyone. In on August 19, 2006, they were official debut. For this never uncover group, YG company took only ten set real documentary video on the website which called "the Big Bang debut memoir", and this video has 1.6 million times to watch. In 2007, they had the first album, and the song "lies" was the famous song in Korea. At that time, in the streets of South Korea, whether young or older, all people were singing this song. Thus, the Big Bang in South Korea ballad industry influence has not to be belittled. In 2011, BigBang became the first "Worldwide Act" Asian group who won the MTV Europe music awards.

My licence plate --- BigBang

  I am BigBang's fan, and i bought the licence plate which is "BigBang".

Dance and Poping in my life

  I like dancing, i like poping, but i can not dance this style very good. I like Michael Jackson. When i was 17 years old, a grade 10 student, i studied how to dance moon walk from the videos. 

I was dancing! But it is not good!

  

  When i was a child, i wanted to be a dancer, or a superstar, but my father did not agree with me, so i gave up to study how to dance in school. I only can study dance on the web videos, and dance is my hobby, not a job or the thing that can share or teach other people, because i am not a professional dancer.

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/redbull/40110/

Salah

  There are many styles to dance, like B-boy, poping and so on. I think i only can dance easier styles, because i have big hips. Because of big hips, i can not control the balance when i am dancing, like B-boy. I only can try poping which is the easier parts, such as electric shock, animation, water wave and so on.

  Every body has a superstar that you like, and to be their fan. I like two people that they dance poping very good, even they are not the best poping dancers in the world, but in my heart, they are the best, because of them, i like dancing, poping. They are Hyun-Joon and Salah.(click their names, dance videos from them)

http://popseoul.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/kung-fu-pop-is-not-poppin/

Author: POPSEOUL

Hyun-Joon

  The first poping dance video is from Hyun-Joon, i really like this, even the dancer is not famous, the dance is not the most difficult.

  Dancing can make me happy. When i am not happy, i will dance, in every where. My friends sometimes think that i am crazy. Yes, if i hear some hip-hop music, maybe i will dance! Even the dance is not good, but i am happy, my friends are happy.

MAMA（Mnet Asian Music Awards）

  MAMA, it old name is MKMF（Mnet KM Music Festival). It founded in 1999, and it is regarded as one of South Korea's most authoritative music awards.

http://www.kapanlagi.com/showbiz/asian-star/ajang-musik-k-pop-mama-2012-rilis-daftar-nominasi-71f37d.html

MAMA 2012 foto: soompi.com 

  The early in 2008, it has the program which from South Korea joint broadcast to China and Japan, it is preparing a global event for the development of MAMA.  In 2009, the live broadcast covered about 10 major Asian countries and regions which including Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China,Philippines, Macau, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. In 2010, MAMA has more ambitions, it wanted to be the Grammy Awards in Asia.

http://ygunited.com/2012/12/psy-and-jackie-chan-looking-chummy-at-mama-2012/

PSY and Jack Chen

  Four days ago, November 30th, 2012, The Fourth MAMA was holding at HongKong. Many famous stars went to HongKong to join MAMA, such as PSY, Jackie Chen, BigBang and so on. The big winner in this year should be PSY, because he won the Annual Song and other 3 awards. Hot young idol group BigBang and Super Junior also obtained respectively got three awards, and one thing is worth mentioning that BigBang beat Super Junior and other Men idol groups to win the best Men idol Group Awards. In the last part of MAMA, PSY was dancing while singing "Gangnam Style", so the fans were crazy and enjoy this song.

http://bigbangupdates.com/2012/12/big-bang-on-2012-mamas-post-awards-presscon-121130-photos.html#axzz2E1tW2DXB

Posted by ygfan25 on December 1, 2012

I am really happy that PSY and BigBang won the awards, because i am their fan.
Fighting!!! BigBang!!!

Dance Moms

Photo taken by Caitlyn Tink (My Dance Moms)

I am sure most of you have either seen or heard of the hit reality TV show Dance Moms. Going from one season to now their third, Dance Moms has really taken off in the TV world and become a major hit.

For those of you who haven't ever watch the show or don't know what it is I am talking about, I will give you a brief over view. So the show is based around the dance company called Abby Lee Dance Company where there is a group of very talented dancers and their very head-strong moms. The basis of the show is to not only show  the extreme level of talent that Abby's dancers  have, but the dynamics between the dance moms and Abby. Things get pretty heated between the moms and Abby but in the end they are all just trying to make their daughters/sons the best they can be.

Photo Taken By Caitlyn Tink (My Dance Teachers)

Growing up in the dance world I can truthfully say that there are some true dance moms out there. Although none of my "dance mom" experiences reached the extent that some of the moments did on the show, there are some crazy moms out there. They all have the best intentions for their daughters/sons and want them to one day go somewhere with their dancing, however some of them will go to extreme lengths to get there as show on Dance Moms. Sometimes the show can be rather comical as the issues they fight and yell at one another over seem rather ridiculous at times, but it also shows some insight to the pressure and stress dancers endure not only by their parents and dance teachers but that they even place on themselves.

Meaning of Dance

Every dancer you talk to has a different reason they dance. It may be a form of workout for them, it may be a way to release their emotions, it may just be for the fun of it, or it may be to express or tell a story about their life or something they have gone through. For me dancing was all of the above but in my last few years it began to mean something more to me.

Dancing for me no longer was about winning the awards or getting the highest score or even hearing other people critique me, it was about being me and letting everything else go. People can experience this with any sport it doesn't have to be just dancing; you can always express yourself in whatever it is you are doing.

So, I decided to share a dance that I did with you all that touches very close to my heart. This is a solo I did my last year of dad for my dad. My dad was diagnosed with cancer now 11 years ago and I am happy to say he is a survivor. I chose to do this dance for him because it was an emotion I wanted to share with others and the only way I truly knew how was through my dancing. It didn't matter what other people thought of the dance or what mark I got at competitions, it was a special dance for me and all those who know my dad.

Video taken by Caitlyn Tink

I've Got The Moves

So instead of doing an informational blog post or a did you know kind of post, I decided to show what I love most, dancing. I have selected a few of my favorite dances I have ever done and decided to share them with you guys!

1. The first dance I decided to share was my all time favourite group dance which was a jazz routine. This dance was not only amazingly choreographed and well execute by everyone in it, but it was so much fun to perform. In one competition, there was a dance off at the end, meaning dances with the highest scores over the course of the competition came out and danced one more time to try and win the top title and this dance did just that! We later took it to Kelowna to compete in the Grand Championships which was an amazing experience!

Videos by Caitlyn Tink

2. The next dance I choose to share was a contemporary piece that touched very close to my heart. This dance was performed in my last year of competing and the story behind it was talking about moments. Those moments that you will hold onto forever no matter where life takes you. This dance was touching to us all our last year as we were all about to part our different ways after being together for, with some of us, 10 years or more! It was very meaningful as it reminded us that even though this was out last year together we had made friends for life and the moments we had will always be remembered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrhUljAtZt8&feature=plcp
Videos by Caitlyn Tink

3. The next dance I am sharing is a lyrical piece that although it didn't do to well when it came to competing in competitions, it was still a lot of fun to dance. The story behind the dance was that half of us, the ones in the plaid shirts, were humans each going through hardships in our lives, and the other half, in white, were our guardian angels. We couldn't see our angels but we knew they were there helping us and keeping us going. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LenOi-300LY&feature=plcp
Videos by Caitlyn Tink

4. The fourth dance I am showing you guys is a tap routine that I did in my last year of competing. I can't say I was a very strong tapper, however this tap dance was my favourite! Whenever doing any dance it is fun to get the chance to work with props and the chairs in this dance definitely helped to make it as well executed and intricate as it was. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20J84kNRfn0&feature=plcp
Videos by Caitlyn Tink

5. The last dance  am going to show you is my favourite hip hop dance I had the opportunity of being apart of. Each year our hip hop dances had a theme to them in the sense that we had characters to play. One year we were mannequins, another we were astronauts and aliens, and in this one we were pirates. This was all around just a fun dance to do and was always was entertaining for others to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUKaibOQ7-o&feature=plcp

Videos by Caitlyn Tink

The other dance I wanted to share with you guys is a ballet number which I think was choreographed beautifully. Although many of you may look at ballet as your style or your form of enjoyment, this ballet piece is so intricate and different that I think you will enjoy it!

Videos by Caitlyn Tink

I hope you enjoy watching these dances as much as I did performing them!

=)

So You Think You Can Dance Canada vs. US

Photo Taken by Caitlyn Tink

Have you ever wondered what's better, US or Canadian TV shows? I feel like lately US TV shows have taken over late night TV leaving Canada to try and make a show even better. A lot of the time the US will come up with some new reality TV show that takes off right away, and Canada is left trying to match it which never works out to well. Most of the shows I have seen where Canada tries to make their own version hasn't really worked out to well. In most cases the Canada shows end up getting cancelled or negatively compared to the US version.

One TV show that is a big example of this is So You Think You Can Dance. First coming about it was an American run TV show that just finished its 9th season. Unfortunately, you could only audition for the show if you were an American citizen, so where did that leave all the talented Canadian dancers? This is when Canada decided to come up with its own version calling it So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Of course, even as someone who watched both, I couldn't help but always compare it to the American one. From the host to the choreographers to even the dancers, it was just never the same and after one season I stopped watching it all together. It was great dancing don't get me wrong, it just wasn't the same.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada only lasted 5 seasons before being cancelled. I think it lost a lot of its fan base that the show just couldn't survive. Although I didn't really watch the Canadian version of the show, I think it was wrong of them to cancel the show all together. This show is a huge way for dancers to get their names and faces out their in the world to potentially get a job within the dance world either by a choreographer picking them up or even a director/producer picking them up for a show or movie. The dance world isn't the easiest place to make it so this was huge for a lot of Canadian dancers, many of my friends even tried out and one actually made it on the show!

So, I want to know what you guys think, should they of cancelled the show as it wasn't much compared to the American version, or kept it going with the hope to get Canadian dancers names out there?

Christmas Music, Yay or Nay?

There seems to be a lot controversy over Christmas music being played in stores.  Some people love it while others cringe when they enter a store playing Christmas music.  Earlier this month the store Shoppers Drugmart announced that they were going to stop playing Christmas music in their stores for awhile.  Granted, they started playing Christmas music on November 1st.  After an onslaught of customer complaints, Shoppers finally removed the Christmas music from their stores and stated that it will return in late November.  Shoppers Drugmart stated that their customers opinions are important to them, which is why they stopped playing Chistmas music in early November.

Image by Thomas Sorenes (ThomasOfNorway) from Flickr

Of course when they removed the Christmas music there were a few people that didn't agree with this.  Some customers argued that it was too early for Christmas music and they didn't want to have to listen to it for two entire months.  The other side argued that it's a tradition for stores to play Christmas music and they were not happy when Shoppers stopped playing it.  However, Shoppers wasn't going to suspend Christmas music from their stores forever, just until the end of November.

There seems to be a constant feud between those who adore Christmas music and those who don't.  I feel like I hear more people complain about Christmas music in stores more than I hear about people embracing it.  Very few people are indifferent about this argument.  You either love it or you hate it.

Personally, I enjoy hearing Christmas music everywhere I go during this time of the year, but I have to agree that November 1st is a bit too early to be playing Christmas music.  Retail stores have been pushing holidays earlier and earlier it seems.  It's not rare to see a Christmas display up before Halloween has even passed.

Another factor to consider is that Christmas doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, which is where I believe this issue stems from. Some people want to enjoy the holidays while others just want to pass through them.  Either way, everyone is entitled to their opinion about Christmas music, since it seems to be such a touchy subject for some.  There are also those people who work in retail stores that have to listen to it for hours on end.  I can understand how that may become tedious.   

What's your opinion on Christmas music in stores?  Do you think that some stores start playing it too early or do you embrace it?

Celebrity Lawsuits

Image by Kate Gardiner from Flickr

Copyright laws are incredibly important to abide by.  People and companies constantly infringe on other people's work and their actions usually end up in a lawsuit.  Back in June the famous duo, The Black Keys, filed two lawsuits against Pizza Hut and Home Depot claiming that these companies used songs in their commercials that were very similar to their popular tunes.  Home Depot used a tune in their commercial that was very similar to The Black Keys' song "Lonely Boy" and Pizza Hut used a tune that sounded similar to the song "Gold On The Ceiling".  Naturally both companies denied that the tunes used in their commercials sounded similar to those of The Black Keys.

I wasn't able to track down the Home Depot commercial but you can watch the Pizza Hut commercial here.  

Just now have the lawsuits been settled between the band and the companies.  The Black Keys won the lawsuit but the exact details of the settlement were not released.

Image by Jessica Sarah S from Flickr

This lawsuit created some controversy over whether or not the tunes really did sound similar to the original Black Keys songs.  Some believe the tunes are not similar enough to create a lawsuit while others believe they are almost identical.

Whether or not the tunes are similar, some people were outraged over the fact that The Black Keys decided to even file a lawsuit.  They see them as being ridiculous, cheap and greedy.  Artists and celebrities already make millions, so why are they creating petty lawsuits for more money?      

I don't think this is an issue about money.  Artists want to protect their work.  They created their songs and they want to make sure that no one else is making a profit off of their work.  This is a very valid reason to sue companies over copyright infringements.  If there was no penalty for stealing other people's work then no one would truly get credit for what they created.  These artists work very hard to be in the position that they are in and they should be recognized for their hard work.

Even when artists allow companies to use their songs in commercials they are often seen as selling out.  So really, they can't win.

Currently there is no news as to whether or not The Black Keys will be donating any of their proceeds.  I think artists have the right to protect their work, but when it comes to the money they receive I think that they should donate it.  They issue these lawsuits so that other people can't steal there work and by donating their settlement money they are proving that point.  It shouldn't be about the money but instead it should be about protecting their intellectual property.     

Country star LeAnn Rimes is currently admits a lawsuit.  She claims that any money she receives from the lawsuit will go directly to the Trevor Project, which aids homosexual teens that are struggling with their sexuality.  This is the best approach that a celebrity can take when launching a lawsuit. 

It is important that intellectual property is protected, but the biggest issue with celebrity lawsuits is that they can come off as being greedy.  Artists have a right to protect their intellectual property but to avoid being greedy they should donate their proceeds to a worthy charity. 

What do you think about celebrity lawsuits?  Do you think that donating their settlement money to a charity is good enough?  Or do you think they shouldn't be issuing lawsuits at all?

What music streaming sites do you use?

Photo obtained from Flickr by Sean MacEntee

With the internet constantly expanding each day, there are many different ways you can stream/listen to your favorite music online. Sites such as Last.fm, GrooveShark, SoundCloud, and of course YouTube, gives us the convenience of listening to music without the need of downloading it.

I personally use SoundCloud. SoundCloud is mainly a social network for DJs to share their work with others. It allows you to connect with people who share similar tastes and genres of music and keeps you up to date with all the latest releases from many famous DJs. It also allows DJs to collaborate with other DJs to create crazy mash-ups and remixes. The great thing about SoundCloud that I like the most is that it also contains many sets from events that were played by famous DJs around the world. This allows me to enjoy their sets without the need of traveling, or if I missed a local event, I can easily just stream the set online.

Another site I like to use to stream music is GrooveShark. GrooveShark contains a huge database of music of any genre and allows you to search for the song you wish to listen to and create custom made playlists. You can create a free account where you can save those custom playlists so you don't have to re-create them every time you visit their site. They also have a premium account where you can download their mobile app for iPhone and Android devices so you can access your custom made playlists anytime you want. If you are running out of space to store music on your phone, this is a great alternative to listening to music from your phone without using a lot of space.

There are a lot more other sites that allow you to listen to music. So what sites do you use to listen to music?

Have you been on Rainymood lately?

Photo obtained from Flickr by eflon

 Have any of you guys heard of RainyMood? If not, you're probably wondering what it is then. Well, it's exactly you'd expect from reading the title. Rainy mood is a great relaxing website where you can listen to rain drops pouring. It tries to imitate a rainy day feeling where you just feel like sitting at home or lying on bed not wanting to do anything. This is a great site to go to if you feel stressed out from anything. We are finally on the final stretch of the semester and a lot of us are probably swamped with assignments and group projects due. Just go to this site for 5 minutes and listen to the sounds that rain makes and it'll calm you down so you can continue working.

RainyMood is now available on iPhone and Android devices too, so you bring the sounds of rain and thunder with you and play it whenever you want. I've never tried the mobile apps yet, but I'm sure it'll give you the same effects as their site.

If this is the first time you've heard of RainyMood, I highly recommend you go and check it out!

The Biebz is at it again

Photo obtained from Flickr by cukuskumir

There has been a lot of news lately in regards to Justin Bieber lately. So as well all know, the Grey Cup was held last Sunday where the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts. Justin Bieber, an Ontario native, performed during the half time show. This young artist was booed by crowd once he appeared on stage. It is apparent that a lot of football fans aren't fond of Justin Bieber's music and booed even more when Justin Bieber told the crowd to make some noise.

But it wasn't only the fans that didn't like Justin Bieber. Justin has also been harshly criticized by many critics about his appearance when receiving his Diamond Jubilee Medal award from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Justin took pictures shaking his hand with the Canadian Prime Minister in overalls. I don't know about you, but I'm with the critics on this one. For someone who is meeting and receiving a medal from the Canadian Prime Minister, you should have some respect by wearing something more formal. You would never wear overalls to a job interview because what you wear defines you personality and tells the company who are you. Justin Bieber wearing overalls meeting Stephen Harper just tells me that he is a kid and will always be a kid.

There has also been many articles backing Justin Bieber up by explaining why he wore overalls. According to Justin Bieber, he had an agreement with Stephen that Stephen would also be wearing his overalls during the ceremony. Considering that Stephen tweeted about the agreement after the ceremony had occurred and Stephen Harper was clearly not wearing overalls in any of the pictures, I highly doubt that there was such conversation.

So what do you think about this issue? Who's side are you on, Justin's or the critics along with the majority of people.

100th Grey Cup half time

I apologize for not doing a post in a long time (mainly because I'm a terrible procrastinator and never get around to doing anything). 6 days from now the Calgary Stampeders will be taking on the Toronto Argonauts in Toronto for the 100th grey cup, the 100th grey cup on its own makes me excited, but having my favorite team (the Stamps) and my dads favorite team (the Argos) will make for a good rowdy night. The one thing that surprised me was the line-up that has been decided for the halftime show, which includes Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, and Gordon Lightfoot. When I think of what sort of music would be played at the Grey cup I tend to think of country or rock music, not the line up they have planned for the 100th halftime show (excluding Gordon lightfoot, he fits the genre I had depicted). I first heard of the line up a couple weeks ago on a radio station (90.3 Amp radio i think) and I thought they were kidding when they delivered the news, so when  I went home i double checked the Internet to be certain, and sure enough there were numerous websites depicting the news. At first I thought that it wasn't the greatest lineup for the average viewer of football, they are all Canadian so that makes sense. I then read an article in Macleans where Mark Cohen, the CFL commissioner, was quoted saying “We have an all-star lineup that features the biggest pop star in the world, the woman who gave us one of the biggest songs ever, one of our country's hottest young bands, and an iconic balladeer". This made sense of the situation for me but I still don't quite believe in the music choice the was decided upon.

Stretching 101

Are you un-flexible? Do you wish you could be as bendy as some of your friends? Well in this blog post I am going to show you the "do's" and "don't's" of a few simple stretches that you can do at home! Some people have the perception that dancers are born flexible, which most of the time isn't the case. I do have a few dance friends who have just always been bendy, but for the rest of us, including myself, we have had to work really hard to get to the point of flexibility we are at now.

Lets start by looking at a simple stretch to open up your hips. I like to call this stretch the "Butterfly", but feel free to call it whatever you want. To start this stretch you have to sit on the floor and place the balls of your feet together. The goal here is to be able to get both knees touching the floor. Some people do find that this stretch can bother their knees, so make sure not to bounce you knees up and down in this stretch as it can create stress on your knees. You can use your elbows while grabbing onto your feet to help push your knees down on either side. 

Photo Taken By Caitlyn Tink

The next stretch we will look at stretches your hamstrings. Most of us know how to do a lung, one foot in front of the other with our front leg bent at a 90 degree angle to the floor and back leg straight. Well, this stretch is very similar only we are going to get a deeper stretch into our hamstrings by placing our hands on the ground. Make sure to place one hand on either side of your front bent leg to ensure you have the proper balance to feel the full stretch. The lower you push your hips down towards the ground the greater the stretch you will feel. Make sure that your front leg stays bent at a 90 degree angle to the ground as if you push it any further forward you can cause great strain on your knees and later have knee problems. Ensure that your back leg also doesn't bend as it will have a tendency to the deeper you go into the stretch. 

Photo Taken By Caitlyn Tink

The last stretch we will look at doesn't really have a name so lets just call it the centre stretch. The point of this stretch is to really stretch and open up your hips. While doing this stretch you should feel the stretch running all down the inside of your quads and even in your hamstrings. To start this stretch you have to sit on the ground with both your legs open to the side (one on each side). Try to open you legs as wide as you can until you really feel the stretch. Make sure that both of your legs are straight, no bent knees, and sit up nice and tall so you have a flat back. 

Photo Taken By Caitlyn Tink

To get an even better stretch while in this position, you can try and get your stomach to the floor. The idea here is to maintain a flat back and straight legs while pushing your stomach towards the floor. Now do make sure that your hips don't try and rotate forward on you.You can create a lot of stress on your knees if you let your hips roll forward and try to hold it there, especially if you are less flexible. Even if you can't get your stomach to the floor yet, you can just walk your hands slowly forward until you hit a point where you can't go any further. 

Photo Taken By Caitlyn Tink

Photo Taken By Caitlyn Tink

The biggest thing to remember when stretching is that it isn't about how far you can go, it's about making sure that you are getting something out of it. Injuries happen very often in dance, much like many other sports, where people try to push themselves way beyond their limits just to try and look good. Why cause injury for yourself? Over time after doing a series of stretches, you will find that your flexibility will get better you just have to work on it!