Vibe features Fusion

This past Friday I had the privilege to see my first choreographic work be performed in a professional dance company show (Verve Dance Company's show VIBE). It was also my dance practicum--my final senior project and the end to my college dancing experience! Everything dance related I have learned and worked for in college was rewarded by this performance of my piece titled Fusion. The title for this dance can be explained in this sentence: "From competitive drill team to the performing arts, this is my journey through dance." I was very pleased with my dancers' hard work and smiling performance of my choreography. Now I know the true experience of what it means to be a choreographer and teacher and will be a little bit more prepared for my future career as a dance instructor.

Do you see my name? In the middle of line 6! I'm a choreographer!

Here are just a few of the requirements to create my final project:

-choreograph a 5-7 min. work

-create a contract for all dancers

-create and submit a Project Proposal

-create or select Music Score to support the choreographic work

-create a Film Project for documentation of the choreographic work

-draft a Light Plot and supporting documentation

-create a Lighting Design and implement writing cues

-set and submit a Production Schedule for the following:

-Rehearsal Schedule

                       -Production Schedule: Costumes, Sets, Props

                       -Marketing Schedule: Press Release, Publicity, Social Media, Program Notes

                       -Technical Schedule (to adhere with GCC Dance Production Schedule)

                       -Dress Rehearsal Schedule (to adhere with GCC Dance Production Schedule)

                       -Performance Schedule (to adhere with GCC Dance Performance Schedule)

-Submit a detailed evaluation and essay of all production elements

-Create and submit a professional Portfolio

I am so glad that I have accomplished all of this and will be graduating with my Associates of Fine Arts-Dance in May!

I am also so incredibly thankful to my amazing and talented brother, Chandler Fakkel, for providing and creating part of the Music Score for Fusion! Thanks Chan! Your talent is amazing. To hear Chandler's songs and music, visit here.

Thank you to my dance teacher and director Ms. Andrea Hashim for teaching and inspiring me. Thanks to my dancers and friends Sara Alejandra, Kayley, and Celia for performing my choreographic work. Thank you to my best friends Ixchel, Nicole, and Jenna for coming to support me at the show. And thank you to my sweet, supportive hubby James for loving me and my dance!

Sara is my good friend and was a dancer in my piece Fusion.

 This is Ms. Andrea Hashim whom I admire and adore.

 My bffs! Ixchel, Nicole, & Jenna. Thanks for the roses ladies!

Sweet James!

You can watch the dress rehearsal video (the performance night's show was way better with no mistakes!) of my choreographic work Fusion here:

Read more...

My Dance Practicum

I am presenting my dance practicum, titled Fusion, tomorrow night! The show is going to be fabulous, and my choreographic work will be presented in Verve Dance Company's spring concert, Vibe. If you're in Glendale, AZ, come see a spectacular show for free tomorrow, Friday night, at 7:30 at the GCC Performing Arts Center! 

Read more...

2 Weekend Updates

Life lately for the Chapmans:

Last Friday for date night we tried a new Mexican restaurant, called Chevy's. The food was probably a 7 or 8 out of 10. It was good, but not FANTASTIC LET'S GO BACK, ya know what I'm saying? I ordered an enchilada with a citrus taco (comes with beans, spanish rice and sweet potato) and James ordered the fajita burrito with beans, rice, & potato. Our server was really nice, so that's a plus. 

We've been really into watching Prison Break, so that is what we did after dinner, of course with our favorite ice cream.

 Saturday I was able to watch both amazing sessions of General Conference. All wonderful talks, as always! I also saw my good friend Blake Wassom singing in the BYU choir that sang during the Saturday afternoon session!  

Saturday night I celebrated some friends' birthdays and we had an in depth discussion about gospel topics. I am so thankful to have wonderful LDS friends here. Sorry, I forgot pics! Sunday I watched another two marvelous sessions of conference and enjoyed the Spirit in my home. 

This past Friday, I had my regular Friday dance rehearsal with my dancers for my dance practicum. My dance is really coming along, I am looking forward to the show on April 26th! 

 My good friend & my dancer Sara! She is excited because I brought her leftover Easter candy!

Random throwback pencil sharpener in the dance room!

Ixchel and I went shopping at Last Chance, the clearance of Nordstrom! For those who are not familiar with Last Chance, the Nordstrom clothes are passed to Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and then Last Chance. I bought 5 super cute tops for just $30! 

(Mom & Pi wanted to see pics)

For Friday night date night, James and I went out to dinner with our awesome bffs Than & Ixchel (Rex was babysat) to Olive Garden! I forgot to take pics, sorry! 

Saturday, (today), I went to my boss's baby shower! Jodi is the assistant manager at the Chase bank branch I work at. She is due at the beginning of May, and her baby girl's name will be Reaghan (pronounced Ray-gan, it's the Irish spelling because her hubby is from Ireland)! The shower was so cute and a lot of fun. I went with the other ladies at the branch, my awesome coworkers! 

Today was also my first time making homemade salsa! It turned out really yummy! James will be so pleased, because he goes through chips and salsa just about as fast as he goes through ice cream! Salsa & ice cream are necessities in our household.  

Here is the recipe with pictures!

Serves 28 oz. Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) low-sodium canned diced tomatoes

1 (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes

1/2 small onion

1 smashed garlic clove

1 jalapeno (optional)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

handful fresh chopped cilantro

1 lime juiced and zest

Directions:

Put canned diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, onion, garlic clove, jalapeno (optional), Splenda, table salt, cumin, medium handful of washed cilantro, the juice and zest of 1 lime into a blender/food processor and pulse for 30 seconds until ingredients are to your desired consistency.

recipe picture

My picture! So you can see the salsa looks the same!

Our weekend will continue to be great with church tomorrow! 

P.S. the professional pictures from the Second Year Send Off are here! I updated the post about the party, so the pictures are now on there to view, and you should definitely check them out because they are SO cute! Scroll down towards the end of the post, and click here to view them!

Read more...

E is for Easter

Easter came and went so quickly this year. Sunday was a beautiful day, filled with great lessons and talks about the Savior and His resurrection. I was truly edified by the Spirit that I felt. I wanted to come home and eat a nice Easter meal, but James really needed to study for his test the next day. So we compromised and decided to have our Easter feast on Monday, after his test, and it was luckily my day off so I was able to truly cook a feast. Here are the pictures to prove that I really did cook a homemade Easter feast just for two!

 Eating our first holiday meal in our second home (apartment).

 Loaded the easter eggs with 50% off Easter candy since we celebrated on Monday...score!

 Homemade scalloped potatoes.

 Rhodes Dinner Rolls...not quite homemade but taste pretty darn close. (Piper I ate like 4 that day)

 Cranberry, Apple, Strawberry Salad

 Grilled Tilapia with a lemon sauce & almonds. Oven cooked asparagus garnished with fresh tomatoes & parmesan cheese.

Marshmallow Reeses Brownies...umm YUMMM! (not my pic but I got the recipe from Pinterest here

 Love this boy.

 Love this simple printable for a centerpiece.

 Our Easter baskets this year are the same as last year, but with different candy & gifts. I gave James a box of Rembrandt teeth whitening strips (he wants to use them for rotations for a whiter, brighter, smile) and I got sunless self tanner that I've heard amazing reviews about. I used it yesterday for the first time and LOVE it.

 James was all excited :)

so was I :)

Happy Easter everyone!

Read more...