Spring is finally here: bright colors, fresh air, and the melting snow. It’s my favorite season and the best time to discover new picture ideas! The weather starts warming up and everyone feels comfier being outside for longer periods of time. Grabbing a group of friends to go outside and take pictures with is so much fun; not only do you have fun, but you feel more confident in yourself! Because I am into photography and I’ve been taking portraits for a couple of years, I thought I’d share a few tips for pictures in the spring. People don’t need to have a fancy camera or even know much about photography. People just need models, any type of camera, and to have fun!
1. Green!
It goes without saying that there will be a lot of green coming in the spring. Everything is blooming, and it creates cool backgrounds or even good props.
Recently, Her Campus writer Gretchen Leif and I went down some streets near Winona State’s campus and took some pictures. It is still cold in Minnesota, but the day we went was warmer than it had been. The picture above is Gretchen holding a flower as a prop.
2. Bright Colors.
Try to find bright colors to put in pictures! Everything in the winter is cloudy and gloomy. If you go somewhere on spring break, this is usually the perfect time to find bright colors. When you’re somewhere new, your eyes are much more aware of their surroundings. I like yellow because it’s an incredibly vibrant color that stands out.
3. Explore!
The best way to find cool places for pictures is to wander! Sometimes it’s not even “finding” cool places, but roaming in an area with no destination in mind and then stumbling upon somewhere unique. Whether it’s just a wall, a building, or even a colorful house, exploring is beyond more fun than having a specific destination. Exploring invites more creativity into what kind of pictures you can take.
When Gretchen and I went exploring, we found a dainty house with the cutest garden. The fence was painted bright colors, and whoever lived there put plant vines on their window. Don’t get me wrong – the pink toilet in her front yard was a little random, but it was such a unique picture idea!
4. Cars.
When I began photography, my uncle used to take me to car shows to take pictures. Some cars were brand new, shining, and thousands of dollars; others were antique. They were all beautiful; whether new or old, the most colorful cars were my favorite. Cars can be a great prop for pictures or even a nice setting. I like turquoise cars because it’s a color that cars don’t usually have and the color naturally pops to the viewer’s eye.
A high school friend of mine had an old Volkswagen Van that was incredibly old. It took him weeks, but he fixed it and re-did some of the interior design. He put in new seats, a new wheel, and made it a place to hang out with some of his friends.
5. Water.
The weather is getting warmer, so get into your swimsuit and cool off! Or don’t. I’ve done shoots in water where people don’t wear a swimsuit, but will wear other types of clothing. People can wear dresses or even band t-shirts. Of course, there is the option to wear a swimsuit as well. This opens the opportunity for even more pictures. Stand with your friends in bikinis and just smile! Girls take images with their swimsuits all the time and not only is it fun, but it is also a great confidence booster.
These are tips that will help everyone take cool spring pictures! It doesn’t matter if you have a fancy Canon camera or even a toy camera. Keep your mind open to new ideas because there’s so much to take pictures of! The most important thing is to have fun. While posing or thinking about what to wear, don’t think too much about the outcome of the picture. Many people often get scared that they won’t look “good.” Amp one another up, and say cheese!
Note: All images are from Natalie Tyler Photography
Perhaps you have seen this picture once or twice. It went viral on Twitter a while ago, and I remember seeing it and getting mad because there were no picture credits. I already knew the photographer’s name, but people who aren’t into photography as a hobby may not know who took it.
A couple of years ago when my interest in photography began, I looked up a lot of interesting photographers on Instagram. I found many feature pages that shared cool photographers online, which is where I ran into a page by a user named Brandon Woelfel.
Woelfel is an extraordinary photographer, to say the least. Immediately, anyone can tell that his theme is lights. In addition to such a theme, he incorporates reflections, patterns, and smoke. He has about 2 million followers online, and his artistic skills improve through every post. I aspire to have his level of artistic skill someday.
It’s not even just the fantasy concepts of his photography that make the images so appealing; it’s also the edits. All of Woelfel’s edited images have the same vibe: cool temperature, one subject, and lights. All of his images fascinate me. There are a couple of nature images that are just as amazing as his other images, but when I receive a notification that Woelfel has posted something new, a nature post is not what I expect. He has so much creativity in every post that it’s almost unreal just looking through all his images.
Woelfel is based out of Long Island, New York and attended the School of Visual Arts where he studied computer art and began photography after being inspired through Instagram itself. He likes to play with depth and effects of blurring parts of the image.
Woelfel has also partnered with multiple companies, creating images to represent their brands. These companies include Apple, Buzzfeed, H Influencer Collective, Aeropostale, Macy’s, and many more!
The image above is a picture taken representing Aeropostale.
Woelfel published Luminescence recently, which showcases some of his best and favorite works in full color. The book features 218 photographs and is also available in E-Book format. I was so tempted to buy it!
I think the reason why Brandon Woelfel’s photography interests me most is his never-ending line of creativity. I did a speech on photography earlier this year, and Woelfel was one of my significant topics. I truly believe he can make a fantastic living out of his work. The craziest part about it all is that he’s only been doing photography for four years.
Brandon Woelfel is a brilliant photographer who creates his own vision of art and will continue to improve immensely.
All images above were taken by Photographer Brandon Woelfel.
Article was also featured on Winona state’s Her-Campus!
One of the biggest things everyone must know about Prom is it’s one of the most over-exaggerated events. My college campus ministry, Chi Alpha, is holding a “Last Chance Prom” night for anyone who missed out on Prom in high school. Don’t get me wrong- I wouldn’t suggest skipping Prom, and I am not suggesting someone should go to Prom because it would be “the best night” of your life, but I do genuinely think students should go to Prom for the experience. It is not every school dance you get to go in the fanciest and most expensive dress with a cute boy or your friend group. Prom night is the night where parents insist on taking a ton of pictures so a kid won’t ever forget their experience.
I think Prom was fantastic for me because I had no expectations going into the event. I didn’t have any idea what Prom would be like besides fancy dresses, friends, and dancing all night. I spent Prom night going back and forth between my friend groups, dancing and hanging out. I hung out with a new group after too, and it was overall a good night for me.
Most college students today have already gone to Prom, and maybe others are still going to another event soon that is like Prom. Share these tips with your friends that are still in high school, or even your younger siblings!
(Picture by Natalie Tyler Photography)
1. Don’t spend too much money!
Prom dresses are outrageously expensive. You can find a cheaper option for a dress that is just as beautiful. Find deals or buy from an alumni who has already gone to Prom and is selling their dress. Remember this is a dress you will most likely only wear once! Check out a consignment shop! This saved money can go toward extra expenses such as photographers, corsages, or any special cosmetic appointment before the event. Weigh out all your options!
2. Don’t wear heels.
It’s completely understandable to feel the need to wear the cutest shoes for Prom, or even Prom pictures. I would highly recommend only wearing heels for Prom pictures. Wearing heels at Prom while dancing is a pain in the butt. There might be a funky dance move you want to do, but because of the heels, you won’t be able to. Don’t be scared to take off your heels and put on a different pair of shoes. Some people at my high school even danced at Prom barefoot.
(Picture by Natalie Tyler Photography)
3. Don’t get your nails done the day of prom!
I had a friend group who got manicures and pedicures the morning of Prom. While it would be nice to have fresh paint on your fingers or toes, it’s more important to think about how much time you will have on Prom day. Get your nails done the day before or any time earlier. Time on the day of Prom should be spent on hair and make-up. My best friend did a fantastic job on my hair, but it took about two hours for it to be perfect, and we missed group pictures.
(Picture by Natalie Tyler Photography)
4. Photographers.
Photographers are so important on Prom day! Yes, your parents can take pictures on their phones, and you could probably even do your own photoshoot with the self-timer on your phone, but hiring a photographer for Prom is something you won’t forget. I love taking pictures so I used my own camera, but my mom took most pictures of my friends and me. Unfortunately, hiring photographers today is beyond expensive. The bigger the group is, the cheaper it is supposed to be. My group of friends all paid about $5 each for their group shots, and I think that’s way cheaper than what it could’ve been.
5. Dinner.
Every Prom is different. My high school Prom served the students dinner, and the food was good. Some groups, however, would rather eat out before arriving to Prom. I ate a lot of food. Don’t do what I did. You don’t want to feel like a bloated fish in your Prom dress dancing with your peers. In addition to that, this goes without saying, don’t spill on your clothes! It would be so sad after spending money on buying a dress, or spending money to hem it, to get it dirty the day of Prom.
6. Make-up.
I felt so stressed thinking I had to achieve the perfect look for Prom. Usually I am fine with the way I put on makeup, but for Prom it had to be perfect. I trust my mom and older sister when it comes to make-up. Some people aren’t good with make-up and like others putting it on for them. MAC schedules make-up appointments, also, if you want a professional. My eyelashes are thick, so I never considered putting on fake eyelashes, but for a stronger look, I’d say fake eyelashes could really make everything pop.
7. Vehicles.
Limos are so extra. Like I said before, try not to spend so much money. There is extra luxury, yes, but you could also have just as much fun as any other person in a regular car for transportation. Plus you get the aux as your date drives.
(Picture by Natalie Tyler Photography)
8. Have fun!
Prom caused so much stress between my friends and me. Don’t think about all the little details because after all, it is one dance on one night. Prom night will not be the peak in your life, so just relax and have fun!
It’s been a long, long time since I’ve updated this website! I’ve been struggling, trying to find time to sit down & write. Many uploads I have made the previous months have been posts from HerCampus, an online, national collegiate magazine. I’ve been writing entries on there from poetry, to feature articles, to chapter books! I’ve been wanting to write something simple, like this for a while: A reflection of what I’ve done and achieved, but also set goals for myself.
I love writing, and having a creative writing and journalism minor forces me to constantly come up with new creative ideas and juices to flow in my brain. As of recently, I tried reactivating my Wattpad account, which admittedly, I haven’t used since basically my freshman year in high school, so it’s crazy seeing how much the website has changed. My last story was a fanfiction for Maroon 5, so yes, I do need to put more of my actual stories and ideas.
My current project is “The List.” I am not sure if it is my final title, however, it is a concept I got when I was in high school. I have been pushing it off for months, and I don’t know why or how, but I have found more time to write in college than the four years in high school. I am also still pushing my photography business further into the works, and while I have all these dreams, meeting Colleen Stoxen in January was just what I needed to let me know the sky is truly my limit.
Goal One: I want to drink more coffee and read good books (Feel free to recommend something for me).
Goal Two: I want to set aside time so I can write (Hopefully finish a book or two).
Goal Three: I want to book my first wedding this summer (Fingers crossed)!
Goal Four: I am so excited to learn new dances from new choreographers and meet inspiring people!
Final Goal: I’d love to make money doing something I love!
It’s only a matter of time I will see if I can keep up with my goals. It might be an easier task in the summer, but as of now I am stacked with classes, taking about 17 credits a semester. I am still majoring in Creative Digital Media, while minoring in dance, journalism, and creative writing. I think it would be cool to design book covers because I find their concepts so inspiring.
In the meantime, I’ll be sitting with a cup of coffee, writing some articles for HerCampus or my story– starting goal number one.
I did not think I was going to go to the American College Dance Association in Madison, Wisconsin. There was only one last open spot on Thursday the week before, and I feel fortunate that I could experience this opportunity for less of an expense. To describe my time in Madison, ACDA was truly a dream come true. At this convention, any school can go and showcase dances from current or past years, and students not only watch those dances, but take classes from qualified professionals in the dance field. Going to a dance convention made me feel like I could escape reality for a few days. I was learning two to three dances a day and watched about 50 dance performances by the end of the convention. I became closer with and got to know my peers and professors. After going to the convention, I learned so much more about modern dance, and I discovered new ideas that I would like to apply to future dances. Winona is one of the few schools that doesn’t offer dance as a major, but it does offer a minor. I think this trip also made me think for a minute about how cool it would be if dance were my major.
This trip was perfect in timing because I knew most of my classes were doing things that I didn’t need to be in class for. The first day, Wednesday, we left early in the morning, and I rode in the same car as Professor Cohenour, which was super cool because I felt like I got to know her much more personally through this trip. The car ride was long, and the group of Winona vehicles was always close to each other for group reasons. The cars made a stop at some gas station where there was a bathroom and Subway. Throughout this trip, I spent so much money on food. We stayed at University Wisconsin-Madison, and we were right next to Main Street that went down to the Capitol. I spent at least $20 a day, if not more, because of the temptation for Cold Stone every night.
The first class, which I took with another dancer named Chay, was African and Diasporic Contemporary with Kevin Ormsby. The instructor had a great personality. What I loved about this dance was that we didn’t learn a specific beat. Everyone had their own timing, and I’ve never experienced that in a dance class before. It was a strange kind of beautiful that everyone was moving to their own pace and vision. I loved the arm and leg movement incorporated into the dancing. It usually requires a load of energy, and I like that.
I kind of regret not going to any morning class. As a student, I was required to go to at least three events every day, which I did, but sleep seemed more important to my well-being. I didn’t even bother bringing homework because I knew I’d have zero time. I was required to go to all the “adjudication concerts,” where all adjudicators were at a panel, judging each performance to decide if they would perform at the gala, which would be the very last performance. The dances that go to the gala have the chance to go to Nationals. I was very happy for my school, because “Xx” was one of the chosen dances to perform in the gala. Even though they weren’t picked for Nationals, I am happy to be a part of Winona State’s Dance Department. I could not have felt prouder for my school.
I thought a dance called “Justify” was cool because it was one of the only dances that I watched with tap. They had a glow of light on the projection screen behind them that I thought was a simple, nice addition to its performance. I liked that it seemed to be a “fun” dance and maybe it didn’t have a big meaning to it. Another dance that looked superb was “Elemental.” I didn’t realize it right away, but once I thought about Avatar, I realized every person in the dance represented an element: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. I tortured myself at every dance I watched to try to figure out its meaning. One of my favorite pieces was “Mommie Queerest.” Maybe I am a little biased because I’ve seen that song in a dance video before by one of my favorite choreographers, but the performer on that solo did an amazing job on the comedic standpoint. The “don’t you fuck with me” line was hilarious, and it required a lot of acting, but I thought it was amazing and his use of facials was spot on.
I don’t know if I can share every dance take-away from the convention, but some I took away were what looked good and what didn’t. I heard from Winona State students that Daniel Stark was amazing, so I was prepared for something fantastic when “Peak” performed. I knew that in the dance two people were using flashlights as the spotlights, but I didn’t realize that those two lights were the only lights in the entire dance until I overheard Erinn Liebhard discussing it with other students. The use of flashlights is such a unique idea, and it looked so good. I loved the shadows on the back-screen, and the use of lines with a big cast was cool. The flashlights were a nice touch also because the audience would know exactly what to focus on. Another dance I thoroughly enjoyed was called “Substance.” I remember some people didn’t like the dance because it was “common.” The dance was a simple slow and lyrical dance, but there was something so radiant and beautiful about it that makes you continue watching the dance. The technique was well done also, and sometimes pretty technique and emotion is all that can represent an art. I felt goosebumps toward the end and it made me nostalgic.
Some of my favorite classes I took included hip-hop, contemporary/lyrical, and musical theatre. I haven’t taken a hip-hop class in about a year, so this class was much needed for myself. I loved the instructor! He kept repeating the phrase “no stress” to depict the message that this class is for the purpose to dance and have fun. No one cares if you mess up. I messed up so many times, but I felt so comfortable I did the dance combo in a small group in front of everyone. The song choice was perfect, and I am so glad I decided to take this class. It was either hip-hop or jazz in heels. On that same day, I took a musical theatre dance class where we danced to Hairspray. I had a harder time in the class trying to memorize the dance steps. We spent a lot of time in the class learning a smaller combo and used the remaining twenty minutes on the Hairspray combo. I had recorded groups dancing the combo, and I still watch it today to remember the steps. On Friday, I joined a lyrical/contemporary class. I was the only dancer in the class from Winona State because most students were rehearsing to perform “Xx” and “Ask the Moon” that day. Because I wasn’t in either of those dances, I got to go to a class of my choice at their rehearsal time. I fell in love with this class because it was my first contemporary/lyrical class. It was intense, fast, and mesmerizing. It was exactly what I wanted to take.
One of the classes that I feel is important to mention here is ballet. I took a ballet technique class on Saturday, and that was the first ballet class I’ve taken in eight years. I used to be a part of Tacoma City Ballet, so I recognized many of the words, but I couldn’t match the movements to the names. Taking this class made me regret that I stopped ballet. Ballet is so beautiful, yet has rigorous technique. It is so specific, and I should’ve made the time to continue classes after I moved to Minnesota. I’ve lost the technique for it, and it made remembering the combos and movements harder for myself. I enjoyed the ballet with a contemporary twist class at the end because it allowed me to loosen up the structure of ballet, which I’ve done over the past years in dance.
One of my favorite times on this trip was sitting at dinner with everyone Saturday night before the faculty concert. I loved sitting at the same table with all my professors. I got to learn some things about them, and it was so easy to discuss the dances and the feedback “Xx” received. I’ll never forget Gretchen quotes such as “puppy porn” and “Avoid drugs. Be natural.” I really hope someone makes a t-shirt for that. Another one of my favorite events was the dance party. At the end of the day on Friday, ACDA had pizza and ice cream for all the dancers. It was in one of their bigger open dance rooms. There was a DJ and it looked like an average high-school dance, but it was so much fun. Our small Winona group created one of the dance circles of the night.
During the trip, some of Winona’s students participated in the March For Our Lives to the Capitol. I thought that was really cool that some of the students from my campus took a break from the convention and classes to stand up for what they believed in. I was walking from the hotel to one of the morning classes when I ran into the protest on my way. Crowds kept shouting, “NRA Has Got to Go!” Even though I did not walk through or with the march, just walking past such a movement left an impact on me. People can deny it all they want, but marches do make a difference.
I am so thankful to have had this amazing opportunity and to join the bandwagon last minute. I cannot be grateful enough for ACDA and its influence on me. It made me realize how much bodies together are art, and it is so beautiful. I loved escaping reality and living through dance, and it’s something that I wish I could do every day.
Sometimes I like to think about my dream home. I will sit through an hour of House Hunters on television and try to decide what house I would buy if I were to be in that position. I love looking at big houses. I think they’re really cool to look at because of the way they’re structured and designed. I’m so broke though; I don’t think I could ever afford such a beautiful home. But why would I need such luxury? I don’t need an electronic cabinet of wine bottles or even a billiard table.
That’s why, in this article, I wanted to share some cool houses I found online – some for sale, and others that just hold tours. Some of the items the homes come with are so extra. Can you afford any of these homes, and even if you can, would you use everything?
1: The Candy House
The first house I put on my list they call “Candy” for the bright colors and modern shapes it presents. The first thing that really pulled me in was the bright pink Cadillac parked outside the house.
Placed on Pinocchio Drive in Dallas, Texas, this house is unique for its variances of colors. I love how every room is completely different. For example, the dining room has an orange theme, but the main living lounge is blue. This room has a full window that overlooks the pool behind the house. My favorite room is the bathroom because of the turquoise theme. It looks so elegant! The back is fenced in so no strangers can steal your stuff!
2: Tuscan Bachelor Home
I don’t know what exactly in this house mesmerized me, but the design gave me Bachelor vibes. This home takes over about three acres in Southern California and is priced at $44 million. It contains brick walls and limestone floors. It has its own private terrace, a sports court, and a nine-car garage. This house was built in 2007.
3: Baywatch Beach House
On the bay of Laguna Beach (I would be surprised if I ever went past that area again), people will find this lovely, yet expensive, estate. Priced at about $19 million, this house is five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It sits on the end of a hill with a cool pool at the edge and a beautiful view of the ocean.
4: Needle Grass
The Needle Grass home is a $20 million house with five bedrooms and eight bathrooms including a sun room and library. There is a green courtyard in the center lit with small trees. The interior design is white with mainly wood floors.
5: Fallingwater House
This national historic landmark was designed in 1935 by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was partly built over a waterfall that runs in Pennsylvania.
The house was owned by the Kaufman family for the longest time, and today it is owned by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Fallingwater is worth “millions” (Fawcett) of dollars today. If you go on YouTube and watch its video, you can see how it was slowly constructed.
This house has so much space inside that it looks like a mall. It was previously a men’s gym with an indoor track, but now it’s a $14.5 million duplex loft. Set in New York, this house has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.
My favorite bedroom is definitely the kids room! What kid wouldn’t love Lightning McQueen?
7: Lazy River Home
This modern house contains a 90-foot lap pool within it! There are three floors, with multiple lofts that can be used as offices or libraries. The house includes a lagoon, waterfall, and sauna (which is unnecessary, but incredibly nice). All the rooms are spacious, with a vacation-like vibe featuring wood panels and palm trees. This house was sold in South Florida for the price of about $2.05 million.
8: Mega-House
This was one of my favorites! It’s the kind of house someone would see Tony Stark living in. The house is on Chalon Road in California. It has a huge open rooftop where they keep their pool and yard. The bathroom is the size of a spa, and they have a separate pantry for all their wine bottles. It has its own arcade and movie theater, so you wouldn’t ever have to leave the house. The other side of the rooftop is a tennis court. This house looks bigger than my college campus! The house has an underground garage and is secured by electronic gates at the entrance.
These million dollar houses look fabulous. I love a bunch of them, and if I had so much money, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I am not sure that buying a house bigger than my college campus is reasonable, but heck, if someone doesn’t ever want to leave their house, this would be perfect! I have to admit, on the other hand, it would be so cool to have a lazy river running through my house.
I turn the first tune peg on one guitar string. A calming peace washes over me, like the rain washing out the air outside.
I turn the second tune peg. Tacoma is a quiet area.
I turn the third tune peg. Actually, maybe Tacoma isn’t necessarily quiet. However, it’s the only town I’ve really known.
I turn the fourth tune peg. Dad had drove me Downtown Tacoma once, and I wish I could’ve seen it more often. Downtown was full of life. I could imagine it right now. It was past sunset time when the sky is an ocean blue. There would be couples or individuals walking without umbrellas; only their hoods to protect themselves. Kids would hold their smaller umbrellas over their heads while taking steps in new rain-boots bought just the other day.
I turn the fifth tune peg. Starbucks across the glass museum would be packed. Tourists would go in to shelter themselves from the rain after a long day of exploration.
In the past couple of weeks, I have been into online shopping. My best friend talks about online shopping all the time. She will shop randomly while doing homework, calling it her “break.” I like shopping, but I never actually shopped online because I would much rather go shopping for new things and try them on, etc. I think that’s where the fun of it is.
However, when I went back home in December for winter break, I was over at a friend’s house and she told me two new tops that she ordered online had just come in.
Fashion-wise, I am obsessed with stripes. I don’t know why that is, but half of my closet are clothes with stripes. I want to say that I love the color black, but half the time I am also drawn to the brightest colors that could catch someone’s eye. I want to say I like bold, hence my taste of fashion is all over the place.
After some time shopping, here are some of my go-to shopping sites. (Some I can afford, others not really, so I just browse through and keep dreaming…)
This was the first website I used to shop online. The prices are a good range, especially for a college student. I am always broke, so if I say I can afford it, I think it’s a sign this website is affordable for anyone. I bought an orange cropped sweater with flowers embroidered on the sleeves. I fell in love. It was an all-sizes shirt which made me feel unsure, but when it arrived, it was perfect! I highly recommend!
I get an urban feel whenever I enter this website. It might be just the first few clothing options I see at the front. Nonetheless, I love it! This website was first introduced to me by my older sister who had shopped here recently and fell in love with it herself.
I am 99.99% positive that I love this website because of the options of prom dresses. I had such a hard time trying to find prom dresses. When I found this website recently, I looked over their options and I am so mad I didn’t hear of this website until now. The prom dresses from here don’t look poofy or fluffy, but are elegant and long. There are a lot of embellished dresses, which I loved.
The website keeps the style of clothing organized through collections that takes the viewer to another link. There are fewer options, and the prices are a bit higher. I have never ordered online from here before, but I like browsing through.
I heard a lot of good things about this website. The prices look affordable, so that’s good. I loved mainly how this site even had plus sizes. I think all sites need to include everybody, no matter what size.
The first time I thought about writing this article, I was angry. I came back to my dorm late one night and was ranting to my roommate about how one of the stage managers called me out for missing a cue. No one dropped the topic, and what she had said that day never left my mind, even today: “Hopefully this time I won’t have to yell at you again.” It really brought me down.
Before I even decided to come to Winona I had an interest in joining Dancescape. While touring, a random student told me that it was a show put on by the university’s dance department, showcasing a bunch of different dances. I have always loved dancing, and when I learned about Dancescape, I knew immediately that I needed to be involved. I knew it was going to be a heavy commitment and investment of time, but I believed I was ready.
This was the first year that I have ever done modern dance, and it was incredibly different than what I initially thought. It helped me improve as a dancer. It took up a lot of my time and sometimes it really sucked. I joined Society of Collegiate Journalists, the Winonan, and Her Campus during the process. I missed multiple events that went on during weekends because of intensive rehearsals for Dancescape.
Auditions were at the end of August, and the shows were last weekend. Originally, I had made it into four dances, but one of the choreographers could no longer choreograph for the show, and from that point on I was in three pieces. All my dances practiced on Thursday. This was nice to some extent because it only took up one afternoon, but because it was three dances, I would be in the studio from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. It became not only physically draining, but also mentally and emotionally demanding. While I liked the dances, I didn’t know anyone in Dancescape and every time I said something, I felt ignored. Everything I added seemed to be irrelevant. I dragged myself to every practice. I felt trapped. I couldn’t leave and had to stay. Even if I could’ve, I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially the choreographers.
Then that changed.
The saying always comes up that it “gets better.” In this case, it really did.
Tech week is the biggest bonding experience in theater. Throughout the week before the first show, the entire performance is run every night to perfect any last details. Every afternoon the entire cast would warm up together at 6 p.m. and after running the show, there would be a sit-down for feedback.
Maybe it was how everyone was together on the same boat, or maybe more people besides me were excited for it all to end; either way I suddenly felt an opening environment of support. Before every rehearsal, the entire cast would join in a circle, hold hands, and fall together, running toward the center. Reading it like this may not represent how memorable that moment was, but I don’t think it’s something that anyone from the university’s department could ever forget. I am a freshman, but I already know that these next three years will fly by faster than high school ever did.
I met and became closer to people who, before tech week- I didn’t even know the names of. What meant a lot to me were the choreographers telling the true meaning behind their pieces. Knowing the true meaning of the piece benefited the quality because it gave energy that we didn’t know we had in us. I feel like I didn’t appreciate the pieces that I had gotten into, but now I don’t believe that I could have more gratitude than I already do right now for the entire process. It’s an experience like no other, and I highly recommend it.
Dancescape was a great experience and I think I found a place for myself in Winona under an activity that makes me feel whole within itself: dance.
Before the very last show, I sat down with one of my choreographers, and she reminded us that the meaning of her piece we were in was finding hope. I think that night I felt the best about my performance in her dance because I realized after all this time that was what I was trying to do in Dancescape. I realized that things don’t improve unless you have that tiny bit of hope inside, and one thing can make anything else turn around.
“Imagine: a vase breaking into a thousand pieces and trying to glue it all back together.”
Not to be dramatic or anything, but I was scared I was going to die. If not die, that doctors could mess everything up and I’d lose feeling in my body. The spine controls everything. I was afraid I wouldn’t ever be able to dance again, and that was my biggest fear.
The beginning of summer 2013 was filled with doctor and orthopedist appointments for the procedure. We had to go to the hospital a couple of times that my surgery would be for preparation meetings. The long drives were filled with Ellie Goulding playing, and now every time I listen to “My Blood,” all I can think about is how far I had come from this time of my life.
When I opened my eyes, after the procedure, pain flooded through my entire body. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced.
About “3 out of every 100 people” have Scoliosis (Shah). A healthy back is a straight spine. Not every spine is perfectly straight, but it isn’t normal for a spine to look like the letter Z. Before it was done, the curve of my spine was at about 58 degrees, shaped like the letter s. Professionals recommend surgery when the curve is at 45-50 degrees (Shah). I had a couple of curves- the biggest being near the bottom of my back, and a smaller one- higher, near my neck- which I feel restrains me the most from movements that many can do. My family was worried if I didn’t have the procedure done that it would affect me the way I move when I’d get older. In fact, Scoliosis is known to be hereditary (Shah). Not only did I have the procedure myself, but so did my older sister, my mom, and grandma. I watched my older sister go through the same pain that I had to go through only two years later.
It’s been about five years since then, and sometimes I forget that I even had the surgery done. Today, I am a Freshman in college, and I can do practically everything that another person can. However, it took the longest time for me to finally accept the way my body is after surgery, and I’m still learning to accept it.
Many people don’t realize how big Scoliosis is to my life. At the time my sister had her procedure done, I wore a back brace for two years in middle school. I tried to make it the least noticeable as possible. Middle school was horrible, and I think it was one of the biggest times in my childhood where other kids would judge one another, especially based on appearances. I remember sitting in my English class, and that day- wearing a shirt that had just about covered up the bottom part of my brace. The brace was from my shoulder, and down to my waist. It had Velcro straps on the back to tighten it up against myself. The brace doesn’t do anything to fix the curve, but it prevents it from increasing into a bigger curve.
The kid behind me saw the flap my shirt had barely covered near the bottom, and had only asked me what it was. But when he touched it, I had felt so uncomfortable. I asked him what he was even talking about, trying to avoid the topic as much as possible. It wasn’t something I had liked to talk about. He pointed to it again, and tapped on it.
“This,” He had said, and he had tried to shake it a little.
All I remembered doing was turning around and completely ignoring him. I blocked out the rest of the questions he had asked me that day about it. He never brought it back up to me.
My family had hoped I wouldn’t need surgery like most of them did because my spine’s curve remained the same for a long period. They told me that when my body stopped growing, my spine should stay for the most part where it was. It’s common that when people have scoliosis, they experience back pain (Shah). For the most part, I felt no pain in my back before I had the surgery and when my spine was crooked. However, with ageing, I really had no idea if that would change or not. I was a dancer and when I did feel pain, it was whenever I would stretch out my back or bend in an unusual way. My doctor had admired that I danced. To this day, I am still not sure why, but having surgery had no effect in that aspect of my life. I still dance all the time.
After discovering that I would need the surgery, I tried avoiding the topic. It wasn’t supposed to be until later in July, and I was being told the news by April. I went in thinking it would be another check-up: The orthopedist takes a scan, they measure it out by the curves on the x-rays, and she would tell me it grew a couple of inches. Then, I would go home in my brace, and would come back in six months for another. It was a pattern I got used to. I was so scared that I would never bring it up. I told my closest friends, and my family, but nobody else.
The recovery the first two weeks was the most excruciating. I had to relearn many basic movements because of my low pain tolerance and because I was weak through medication. Most days in July I had spent on the living room couch sleeping and watching movies. The worst part was walking. The first day I walked outside I could only walk one small block of the townhomes I had lived at before I felt too tired. Every day I had gotten better, but that was a process, and I wasn’t able to do most daily things until the week before the first day of school. I still had some back pain when I sat on the school bus.
Although I’ll never be able to bend my back very far, I am learning to be thankful for what I can do. I can’t slouch, and I can’t do somersaults, but I can walk and run without feeling a thing. Despite my back and pain, it could bring, I joined track, one dance company my Junior year, and my high school’s dance team senior year. I got in, never telling them on my audition form that I had the procedure done. Many of those girls never knew I had back surgery, and unless you see the slight scar along my back, you probably wouldn’t notice. Scoliosis is a big part of who I am, and because of the obstacle, I became a stronger person mentally and physically.
Placed on Pinocchio Drive in Dallas, Texas, this house is unique for its variances of colors. I love how every room is completely different. For example, the dining room has an orange theme, but the main living lounge is blue. This room has a full window that overlooks the pool behind the house. My favorite room is the bathroom because of the turquoise theme. It looks so elegant! The back is fenced in so no strangers can steal your stuff!
I don’t know what exactly in this house mesmerized me, but the design gave me Bachelor vibes. This home takes over about three acres in Southern California and is priced at $44 million. It contains brick walls and limestone floors. It has its own private terrace, a sports court, and a nine-car garage. This house was built in 2007.
On the bay of Laguna Beach (I would be surprised if I ever went past that area again), people will find this lovely, yet expensive, estate. Priced at about $19 million, this house is five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It sits on the end of a hill with a cool pool at the edge and a beautiful view of the ocean.
The Needle Grass home is a $20 million house with five bedrooms and eight bathrooms including a sun room and library. There is a green courtyard in the center lit with small trees. The interior design is white with mainly wood floors.
The house was owned by the Kaufman family for the longest time, and today it is owned by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Fallingwater is worth “millions” (Fawcett) of dollars today. If you go on YouTube and watch its video, you can see how it was slowly constructed.
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