another day in nyc!! (part 5?)

"territorial pissings" nirvana. intro is boss.

Fun last few days!  We had family over for Father's Day, and my sister and I did that awesome photoshoot (still editing the pictures, as promised, don't worry just keep checking my posts!!).

corn on the cob, salsa, homemade coleslaw, edamame and cucumber salad. YUM.  I have to say; pictures of food give me such joy.... and HUNGER.

Turtle Pond, Central Park, near 79th

Belvedere Castle, near Turtle Pond, Central Park. how beautiful is that veil?????!!!!!

Monday I went into NYC for the day.  I caught up with a few old friends (going to miss them like crazy).  Then I headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit.... but it was closed!!!  I felt so proud to have walked all the way across Central Park and up all those steps (gossipgirl anyone?), and then the security guard said it was closed.  Felt like the end of the world.  So I sucked it up and bought an ice cream and started walking up more past the Guggenheim (which I knew was closed so I didn't bother).  Then I headed over to a suggested thrift store, but no luck there.  So I started making my way downtown to the closest train, and I ended up making love to the H&M on 86th.

Class In leotard!!! H&M high-waisted denim shorts. finally!! =D oh and please ignore the hunch-back here.

The shorts were perfect, AND they were like half off! How could I say no?  The leotard, I'll admit, was a splurge.  But the color is amazing for me, and it's just too pretty.  So after my mischievous rendez-vous with H&M, I rode down to Times Square and then rode to the upper west headed for Lincoln Center. There I met up with another friend and her mom.

Lincoln Center Fountain!!! decked out in AA and birkenstocks =]

We watched ABT's Coppelia with Natalia Osipova and Daniik Simkin.  GAAAHH!!  Osipova was beautiful as always.  There was one part where she was impersonating a Spanish Doll, and I swear on my life, she was born to do Spanish anything.  I must see her in Kitri next year. Must.  Simkin is soo cute!  He was the perfect Franz.  Everything was perfection except he almost fell at the end of his turns, and he didn't look strong enough to lift Osipova (who is only 5 foot, 4).  The production was great (staged by Freddie Franklin); costumes were pretty although I wish there had been more colors, especially for Swanilda.  I love the music as well.  I never realized how much Coppelia my pianists use in everyday classes.  I really enjoyed the show (and it was only two hours, which was a relief).  I am certainly pleased with the shows I watched this year at ABT.  Now I only hope they do Lady of the Camellia's and Don Q next year.  I'm scared Julie Kent will be leaving soon (25 years!!) so I'd like to see her with Roberto Bolle in Camellias.

from left: Hee Seo, Vitali Krauchenka, Simone Messmer, Daniil Simkin, Natalia Osipova, Roman Zhurbin, Luciana Paris, some dude i don't know.

As for today, early early this morning (when I got home), I ordered beautiful Oxfords from Aldo ON SALE and FREE SHIPPING. Yes, oh yes.

so excited to get in the mail!!!

 I also got these desert boots a week ago from Aldo:

IN LOVE. oh, and ON SALE!! yeahh baby!

Today I took my first ballet class in a month, and I put on pointe shoes for the first time in 2-3 months.  It felt soo strange!  Class was very hard, but tomorrow it will be even harder.  My back started "shocking" when I bent over to tie my ribbons... guess I will ice and everything tonight.  I'm scared for Pittsburgh SI.  I'm so so so so badly out-of-shape.

my cat, Chloe, but better known as The Pussy. she likes fish and cold tables in the summertime.

Trying to keep positive, so I will go edit more pictures from the photoshoot.  Oh and look for a future post about one of my friends from Pittsburgh who is a freakishly amazing photographer.  Au revoir, mes amis!

new york city --- part four. abt's the bright stream

 ABT; the Bright Stream: I finally got to see it!  Biggest surprise of my life was a sudden cast change from Jose Manuel Carreno to IVAN VASILIEV!!!  The rest of the cast was literally amazing as well: Natalia Osipova, Ziomara Reyes, Daniil Simkin, Maria Ricceto, and  Simone Messmer just to name a few.  I walked about 60 blocks total (and in the rain) to see this show, and it was completely worth it.  This ballet is HILARIOUS!, the choreography is fantastic, and the dancing was unparalleled (at least in America hehe).  I would recommend this ballet for anyone from any age or ballet background (or lack of).  The audience was very diverse; young to old (toddlers and old senior toddlers), Americans, Asians, Russians, Europeans, etc.  Even though I watched alone, I didn't feel alone at all because everyone was enjoying the show together.  

Osipova's dancing was... well Osipova's dancing.  Flawless and incredible, jumping higher than most of the men.  Reyes was also fantastic and very cute.  Daniil Simkin; he is one talented man.  He was just as good en pointe as off.  IVAN VASILIEV: this was my first time watching him, and oh god, how I hope I can see him again.  He was so so so strong and full of character.  On top of this, his jumps and turns are incredible (he was doing TRIPLE TOURS). Yeah, that's right, that's what I said TRIPLE TOURS.  Soloists that stood out were Simone Messmer and Maria Ricceto.  They were amazing.

called "Sputniks", gift from Russia

from left from first red dress: Simone Messmer and her partner, Maria Ricceto and her partner, Xiomara Reyes, Ivan Vasiliev, Natalia Osipova, Daniil Simkin, the 'old' couple who were so cute and I can't find my libretto at the moment so I can't write their names =[

 I will be returning to nyc at least once more next week to watch ABT's Coppelia!  Will write again soon, hope you enjoyed!