Where There's a Will...

...There's a Way.

I am now back from London and had such an adventure on the last few days. Last Monday I went up to Gloucestershire, England (an hour and a half North of London) to sign the Giffords Circus contract. I did just that as well as getting a full tour of the farm where the circus rehearses, and I saw the vintage caravans we will be living in. What a beautiful, imaginative, and magical job this is about to become! I looked at their website and archives of past shows, and the costumes are to die for! The newspapers and magazines in England come from far away to see the circus and photograph it. Another thing I loved was the British humor (or "humour") from everyone I met. They are all just like my British father and the silly phrases they used were all too familiar to me. As my boyfriend says: I will be in touch with my British side...and I couldn't be happier.

I am also thrilled to be dancing (and assistant rehearsal director) for a type of project I have yet to embark on: a circus. My past projects have consisted of movies, music videos, modeling, musicals (including "Evita" at the Ivoryton playhouse in Connecticut where I played the tango dancer...one of my favorite roles to date), and concert dance performances.

On the plane ride from Heathrow to JFK last night I watched two movies which both used the saying "where there's a will there's a way." Coincidence, eh? I certainly thought so. The movies were Jennifer Anniston's "Love Happens" and the new Vanessa Hudgens film "Bandslam." In the former of the two films Jennifer's character takes Aaron Eckhart's character to a concert in an unconventional way: via cable-repair truck (where they both are lifted in the little bucket raised into the air by a crane parked just outside the concert) due to a lack of ticket availability. In the latter film Charlotte uses the phrase to refer to her best friend Will managing her band. It got me thinking how grateful I am for the opportunity to take on freelance jobs the way I do, and it is because of my persistence despite the constant rejection one learns to take when in the entertainment industry. As Jay-Z says in his new song Empire State of Mind: "If you can make it [in New York] you can make it anywhere." Thank you, (Sinatra) for your wisdom it certainly rings true!

I'm looking forward to recovering from jetlag this weekend and catching up with my wonderful New York friends. Home sweet home, New York City! Au revoir, London...see you in April!

***

I love London

This is Lina Ballerina. Once just a ballerina, now a modern/hip hop/flamenco/tap/jazz/ballet dancer. I'm a recent graduate of the Fordham University and the Alvin Ailey School's BFA program in dance and also the first dance major at Fordham to double major: I wanted to also graduate with a degree in Political Science. So here I am a year after graduating (well technically two since today is the first day of 2010) and I've booked my first two TOURING jobs dancing.

The first: The Human Affect. I will travel Africa (Burkina Fasso, Senegal, and Ethiopia) and Amsterdam advocating human rights through arts and athletics. Our theatrical initiative is a musical performance backed by policy affiliated with the United Nations where we will advocate human rights through panel discussions and performances. I could not be happier as I am now living my dream: TO DANCE FOR THE UN!!! hehehehe. This tour runs February onwards after a New York City show run...NYC is currently my home.

The second: Giffords Circus. I will travel to Gloucestershire, England where Giffords Circus will rehearse before going on tour through England and Wales in the summer of 2010. I am so excited to be dancing for such an amazing circus company! This tour runs May-September.

I can't wait to explore these places, but first I'm currently on a trip to London which is part holiday with my family and part business trip to finalize my contract with the circus. I rang in the New Year here in London though my heart is at home in New York City. If I might indulge you with a brief history of my past, I'm London-born but raised in Madrid, Spain and Connecticut though the daughter of Brazilian parents. Weeee! I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel as a young girl up until now. I cherish all the family vacations and the backpacking/cruises with friends. But something I've never done? Travel for work, let alone for almost a whole year.

They say the way you live your 1st day of the New Year represents the way you'll spend that year. Welp: dancing in the new year followed by sleeping in, going to lunch with my parents and London friends and then tea with my Godfather and his family, followed by dinner with parents, grandparents, aunt and cousins and then doing work online whilst secretly hoping my boyfriend will skype me means what exactly?! If it means I'm a dancer that hates mornings and loves family, friends, my boyfriend and eats too much that's pretty damn accurate. Let's not forget that I started a blog today....good thing because I've promised a lot of people I'd blog while away this year;). 2010: BRING IT!

lots of love,

Lina xx