Ballet for a Boy 2016/17 - Updates

Merry Christmas, and Summer School here I come!!!!!

25 December 2016

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!! I can't believe that I am off to Sydney tomorrow!!!!!! Thank you all for your help this year. Your support has been fantastic and has helped me with my dancing this year and makes it possible for me to go to Summer School. I am so excited to be flying over to Sydney to catch up with the other boys and to make new friends as there are over 65 boys attending this year. There will be new teachers too, lots to learn.

My performance at the Attitude Awards at the end of November went really well, I didn't want to leave the stage. I was really pleased with how I performed. I've added the link to this update so you can watch one of my rehearsals before the awards show.

I have had a great year of dancing and have lots of plans for next year. Have a very Happy New Year and I'll let you know how summer school went. - Salem :-)

Share this update

0 comments | Login to leave a comment

Too much excitement!!!!!

19 November 2016

It's been a very strange, scary, exciting, eventful week.

We have had a 7.8 earthquake, well it was really two at the same time, and it cut off our electricity for a few hours. There was a lot of damage down in the South Island and here in the Wellington region.

Then there was torrential rain and flooding flowed by a tornado basically just up the road.

We have had over 3000 aftershocks, some quite big, and everyone is waiting for the next "big one" to hit.

Out here in Paraparaumu, we were cut off from Wellington, no trains or buses and then the State Highway and other roads were closed due to slips and then flooding.

But on Wednesday, limited buses and trains were able to head off to Wellington and I could finally go to dancing, the dance gods were smiling again :-)

Me and my Mum were lucky we didn't have any damage, just a few fallen items with very little breakage, Things were definitely rocking and rolling for what seemed a very long time.

Unfortunately, there were many that weren't as lucky as us, lives were lost, homes and business gone too. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone (and also all the animals) who has been effected by the earthquake and floods.

Kia kaha!!!!!

Share this update

0 comments | Login to leave a comment

Summer School is getting closer

12 November 2016

Hi there everyone, I just spent an hour typing up an update and then lost it all, so I hope I can remember everything I had written. I hope everyone is keeping well and not panicing that it is getting so close to Christmas already.

I don't know where this year is gone, I have my end of year dance school's recital coming up very soon and the day after that I am flying up to Auckland as I will be performing at the Attitude Awards which will be in front of hundreds of people and webcast at the same time, so I will be performing in front of thousands!!!!!

I will be doing a medley of three dances, which are three different styles, it's very exhausting but I hope everyone will enjoy it.

Since my last update, I have done all my exams, I got 100% passes and was also nominated, in jazz and contemporary, for the NZAMD Nationals. I made it into the finals for contemporary which was a real honour and lots of fun. Only the top NZAMD dancers in New Zealand are nominated for Nationals. I was so tired at the end of it as I had to leave home at 5.45 am and didn't get home until 1 am that night. I had a biggggg sleep in.

I entered a local talent quest and came second in the seniors so I was pretty pleased with that. I enter every year as it is another opportunity to perform. I do a different dance style every year, so this year I did jazz.

I have started doing my NZAMD teaching certificate papers so I can eventually be a registered dance teacher. And I have also started designing dance themed t-shirts and other merchandise at https://www.redbubble.com/people/Ballet-Boy-NZ/shop. There is'nt a lot of dance themed things for boys available, so I thought I would give it a go and design stuff that I would like to have. There's things that girls would like too. I'm really pleased with the results.

Even though I have only done one dance competition this year, I seem to be even busier with dance than before, and I'm loving every minute of it. A big thank you to you all for helping me this year to follow my love of dance and to be able to attend summer school. Your support means so much to me and is very appreciated.

All the best - Salem :-)

Share this update

0 comments | Login to leave a comment

Comps are done and now it's nearly exam time

17 August 2016

I had so much fun at the recent Kapiti Comps, getting to perform again and debuting some new dances. I danced 16 dances and 8 were on the last day. The competition was over four days. It was really strange only doing the one competition this year but I still enjoyed doing all the preparation and choreographed new dances. I was pleased with my results and I got to compete in the Classical En Pointe section for the first time. That was so cool!!!!!

Now it's time to get ready for my up-coming exams so I have been doing lots of practicing, extra classes and have had to choreograph a new dance as part of my contemporary exam. I'm very pleased with the dance, it is completely different to my other contemporary dances.

The Boys Ballet Summer School is not that far away now, looking forward to seeing everyone again. They have put out an advertisement video, so have a look, I'm in it heaps.

Thank you for all fof your wonderful support and generosity - Salem :-)

Share this update

0 comments | Login to leave a comment

Practices are going well and an award from Canada.

16 June 2016

Winter keeps making an appearance and then we get warm weather again. Not long until the shortest day. I seem to be going to my classes in the middle of the night, but really it is late afternoon, it's just dark so early.

I've been having some good practices of my competition dances, not long now until the Kapiti Comps.

It was very cool to have my INAP Performing Arts Award - Youth, arrive from Canada this week. I won it last year at the ANCA World Autism Awards which were held in Canada. I was unable to go to the Awards ceremony in Canada to receive my award, but I have it now. Such a great honor.

I hope everyone stays well and safe in this weird weather, Australia, especially Sydney, was really hit hard.

Take care and thank you so much for your support.

Salem :-)

Share this update

0 comments | Login to leave a comment

It's been a busy year so far

15 May 2016

Thank you everyone for your support, I feel so privileged to have you all believe in me. This year has gone so fast and now it is time to think about exams already. Eeeek.

In the school holidays just gone, I attended Autumn School at En Pointe Dance Academy in Wellington, I had a great time and learnt so much. A whole week of dancing from 9 am til 4.30 pm. Wish I could do that all the time. We had great teachers and even did musical theatre which was lots of fun.

I'm not able to go to the NZ School of Dance's Winter School as it filled up very quickly but I am very satisfied with having done Autumn School instead.

Along with all my classes, I have been choreographing some new dances as I think it is time to retire some of my old dances for comps. I am only doing one competition this year, the Dance Kapiti Competition in July. I'm quite excited as I will be doing five new dances, one being a classical en pointe.

I've been loving my new practice hall, it's at a church a few doors down from where I live and I do some gardening in exchange for using the hall. I get to do two things I love - gardening and dancing, too cool!!!!!!!

That's about all the news at the moment, keep warm, autumn looks like it might be finally arriving.

Thanks again for your help - Salem :-)

Share this update

0 comments | Login to leave a comment