They say if things were easy, everyone would be doing it.. like losing weight. Well, losing weight can be easy, but like anything you have to be committed to doing it! Sadly, when I wrote my last post in an attempt to do an 8 week challenge - life threw all kinds of work challenges at me. I went from working only a few hours a week, to over 30 hours a week. For example, last week I worked 37 hours in one job, plus another 7 hours in another job (so 45hrs total). Sure this is full time hours for most people, and it would be fine if it was 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday - but for me it has been more condensed into 4 days with 5.30am/6am starts and 8pm finishes. You think that's great- I get a 3 day weekend - but by the time the weekend comes around I'm so damn tired all I want to do is sleep! So not really that great, and I can see how Personal Trainers can quickly burn out, let alone if they have to work a second job to keep paying the bills! This has also meant I've had little time or energy to do my own workout, which is very frustrating.
The lack of energy, and tiredness, have led to my poor diet choices once again - where I'm finding myself back on the merry-go-round of sweetness and sugar addiction. Something I have overcome once before, and know I can do it again, but once again a challenge which I have yet to fully commit to, especially as my depression lurks and feed on sugar, and I find it a constant battle in my mind which I have to conquer once again.
On the upside, however, I did get back into doing the Sat morning Parkrun, and a couple of weeks ago I was able to run the whole 5km without having to switch to a power walk. I completed it in around 35mins, which is slow for me, but this is great progress as now I can concentrate on getting my speed up again. Last weekend I also challenged myself by participating in the ROC Race - a 5km un-timed race inspired by the shows "Wipeout" and "It's a Knockout". Along the 5km were 12 different, larger than life obstaces - many of which resulted in being drenched, soaked or covered in foam - but was so much fun, and I completed the course in around 45-50mins.
Also, this year I have been determined to work more acting gigs, which I set myself the one and only new year resolution of working at least one day per month on a film set (paid or unpaid). It is now May, and I'm please to say I have already completed 12 days on various films - majority of which have been speaking roles, and about a third of them have even been paid! So at least my career is looking good, even though my waistline isn't! But I know I will get there - sometimes we just need to push through the pain, otherwise we never discover our full potential.. so hopefully next time I check in I will be in a much better mindset!
Monday, May 15, 2017
Thursday, February 16, 2017
My 8 Week Challenge - Start
So just before Christmas I had surgery (a hysterectomy) which meant I couldn't exercise for a few weeks. This, along with the usual christmas season of parties, has resulted in putting on a few kilos which I'm not too happy about. I was doing so well with 5:2 but after I stopped working full time, my routine became erratic and I forgot what I was doing. I managed to maintain my weight for a few months, but have gone from 69kg to 77kg.. a whole 8kg more.
Now that things are sort of back on track - okay, not quite as I'm not working full time, but I'm at least in the right mindset again to focus - I've decided to set myself an 8 week challenge. As part of this I'll be checking in at least once a week around work etc to let you know how I'm going. Now I'm not a big fan of shakes, usually because they are full of sugar, but I've decided to implement them into my routine as a way of helping myself get back onto the 'fasting train'. I have chosen to go with the Nutriway 'Bodykey' Shakes for this challenge because after a comparison, they are the highest in fat content, and the lowest content of sugar (compared to Optifast, Celebrity Slim, Herbalife & Isagenix). And at 118cals per shake (made on water) they will go well on my fast days.
Also, as it is a challenge, I'm going to aim to 'fast' at least 3 times per week. This will vary week to week depending on my routine / work schedule. Generally the best days to fast are days you are busy, then you are more likely to not notice you are hungry. On the other days I will eat 'normally' ('my version of normal'). This means no counting of calories, nor of macro-nutrients, nor will I cut anything out at this stage. As a sugar addict that has fallen off the wagon many times, I know I need to start slow and that by the end of the 8 weeks, it is likely my tastebuds will not be craving it as much thanks to the fasting. So one thing at a time - first focus on getting back into the habit of fasting.
Finally, whilst I do know that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise, I am also going to aim to exercise at least 5 times per week. This will be a combination of cardio and weights, however mostly cardio at a mid to high intensity level doing activities such as running, dancing, rollerskaing and playing badminton. I will aim to do 2 x gym sessions of weights per week as well.
So here are my starting stats - Weight 77.4kg (Chest 42in, Waist 39in, Hips 44in)
Goal weight: 69kg (8kg in 8 weeks) by 14 April 2017
Now that things are sort of back on track - okay, not quite as I'm not working full time, but I'm at least in the right mindset again to focus - I've decided to set myself an 8 week challenge. As part of this I'll be checking in at least once a week around work etc to let you know how I'm going. Now I'm not a big fan of shakes, usually because they are full of sugar, but I've decided to implement them into my routine as a way of helping myself get back onto the 'fasting train'. I have chosen to go with the Nutriway 'Bodykey' Shakes for this challenge because after a comparison, they are the highest in fat content, and the lowest content of sugar (compared to Optifast, Celebrity Slim, Herbalife & Isagenix). And at 118cals per shake (made on water) they will go well on my fast days.
Also, as it is a challenge, I'm going to aim to 'fast' at least 3 times per week. This will vary week to week depending on my routine / work schedule. Generally the best days to fast are days you are busy, then you are more likely to not notice you are hungry. On the other days I will eat 'normally' ('my version of normal'). This means no counting of calories, nor of macro-nutrients, nor will I cut anything out at this stage. As a sugar addict that has fallen off the wagon many times, I know I need to start slow and that by the end of the 8 weeks, it is likely my tastebuds will not be craving it as much thanks to the fasting. So one thing at a time - first focus on getting back into the habit of fasting.
Finally, whilst I do know that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise, I am also going to aim to exercise at least 5 times per week. This will be a combination of cardio and weights, however mostly cardio at a mid to high intensity level doing activities such as running, dancing, rollerskaing and playing badminton. I will aim to do 2 x gym sessions of weights per week as well.
So here are my starting stats - Weight 77.4kg (Chest 42in, Waist 39in, Hips 44in)
Goal weight: 69kg (8kg in 8 weeks) by 14 April 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Life as a Suit Character
We have all seen them. Whether at a theme park, a shopping centre, at a sporting or outdoor event or festival, it is not uncommon to see someone dressed in as a Suit Character or Mascot. I'm sure, like me, you have a photo of yourself taken with one, whether you were aged 5 or 50, as it doesn't matter what age you are, we still love these characters!
As an actor by trade, I have spent many years performing and parading as various characters - whether it was popular cartoon characters in a theme park, or company / team mascots at sporting (or other) events. A lot of people think doing this work is great fun, and 99% of the time it is, but it is also hard work and not as easy as it looks. But if its something you've wanted to know more about then read ahead:
You can't be claustrophobic - You are in a confined space and whilst the head area usually allows breathing room, it is often strapped to you and you have limited vision. But you can't let this affect how the character acts or moves.
Be prepared to sweat - most suits are made of a thick padded material. So it's like wearing 5 winter coats all at once. But as they say - if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
Ideally you are only in the suit for a maximum of 20mins at a time, with a 15-20min break - but if you are working for a private or corporate enterprise (that don't really know the rules of suit character / mascot work) they may think it is perfectly acceptable for you to be in the suit for up to 60mins at a time. Whilst this is not really acceptable, unfortunately it is common practice. I personally believe it becomes a workplace health & safety issue - if you pass out whilst in costume because you haven't had a suitable break, then whomever hired you becomes responsible.
You must research your character - corporate mascots may be okay, but if you are playing a particular character that is already established then it is your responsibility to find out more about them. What mannerisms do they have? Do they have any signature moves or habits? Then, as an actor, you must physically overact your character. You have just put on a suit which is larger than life, so when waving to children your moves need to match!
You must NEVER talk when in costume - this is one of the reasons you have a minder / chaperone. Not only does talking in a suit sound terrible, but it also can ruin the image of a character to the audience - especially if you are around children. Your chaperone should be doing all the talking.
You need a great chaperone! We've already established you are hot, you can't see well, you have to be physically energetic - but you can't do all this without a chaperone! A great chaperone should be helping you get in and out of the costume, checking their watch to ensure you have your breaks on time, and also have researched the character. They will be talking to the children for you and sometimes answering questions. It comes across as very unprofessional if they don't know who the character is or can't answer questions. They also need to point out when children are waving or are next to you - as you can't always see them, and ensure that when you are walking / roaming around that the path ahead of you is clear as it would be very embarrassing if you ran into something.
The worst thing about being in a suit is when some member of the public thinks it is funny to hit you on the head (whether they have malicious intention or not), the feeling is like someone is actually hitting you directly on the head. A good chaperone will always be watching you to ensure this doesn't happen, but sometimes even a great chaperone will miss a sneaky hit from behind.
But despite all this, I have always found it a very rewarding role, and absolutely love what I do - to the point where I'm even considering putting together a training course for people wanting to do suit character / mascot and chaperone / minder work. It's not regular work (unless you're working in a theme park - and they have excellent training systems in place), but if you are wanting add this kind of work to your acting resume, it can be lots of fun!
Some of the characters & mascots I have played over the years include:
* Mascots: Care for Kids, St George Dragon 'Happy', Broncos 'Buck', Literacy Planet 'Word Monster'; Easter Bunny; Quest Newspapers 'Questy'
* Suit Characters: Rugrats (Angelica & Chucky), Dora Explorer, Eliza Thornberry, Wiggles (Wags the Dog, Henry Octopus & Dorothy Dinosaur), Ice Age (Sid), Sylvannian Families (Freya), Spongebob Squarepants, Curious George (Man in Yellow Suit), Minions (Kevin), Paw Patrol (Fire Dog Marshall), Three Little Pigs (Red Pig), Blue's Clues (Blue)
You can view some photos on my public facebook page under the acting photo album: www.facebook.com/missrachealleigh
As an actor by trade, I have spent many years performing and parading as various characters - whether it was popular cartoon characters in a theme park, or company / team mascots at sporting (or other) events. A lot of people think doing this work is great fun, and 99% of the time it is, but it is also hard work and not as easy as it looks. But if its something you've wanted to know more about then read ahead:
You can't be claustrophobic - You are in a confined space and whilst the head area usually allows breathing room, it is often strapped to you and you have limited vision. But you can't let this affect how the character acts or moves.
Be prepared to sweat - most suits are made of a thick padded material. So it's like wearing 5 winter coats all at once. But as they say - if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
Ideally you are only in the suit for a maximum of 20mins at a time, with a 15-20min break - but if you are working for a private or corporate enterprise (that don't really know the rules of suit character / mascot work) they may think it is perfectly acceptable for you to be in the suit for up to 60mins at a time. Whilst this is not really acceptable, unfortunately it is common practice. I personally believe it becomes a workplace health & safety issue - if you pass out whilst in costume because you haven't had a suitable break, then whomever hired you becomes responsible.
You must research your character - corporate mascots may be okay, but if you are playing a particular character that is already established then it is your responsibility to find out more about them. What mannerisms do they have? Do they have any signature moves or habits? Then, as an actor, you must physically overact your character. You have just put on a suit which is larger than life, so when waving to children your moves need to match!
You must NEVER talk when in costume - this is one of the reasons you have a minder / chaperone. Not only does talking in a suit sound terrible, but it also can ruin the image of a character to the audience - especially if you are around children. Your chaperone should be doing all the talking.
You need a great chaperone! We've already established you are hot, you can't see well, you have to be physically energetic - but you can't do all this without a chaperone! A great chaperone should be helping you get in and out of the costume, checking their watch to ensure you have your breaks on time, and also have researched the character. They will be talking to the children for you and sometimes answering questions. It comes across as very unprofessional if they don't know who the character is or can't answer questions. They also need to point out when children are waving or are next to you - as you can't always see them, and ensure that when you are walking / roaming around that the path ahead of you is clear as it would be very embarrassing if you ran into something.
The worst thing about being in a suit is when some member of the public thinks it is funny to hit you on the head (whether they have malicious intention or not), the feeling is like someone is actually hitting you directly on the head. A good chaperone will always be watching you to ensure this doesn't happen, but sometimes even a great chaperone will miss a sneaky hit from behind.
But despite all this, I have always found it a very rewarding role, and absolutely love what I do - to the point where I'm even considering putting together a training course for people wanting to do suit character / mascot and chaperone / minder work. It's not regular work (unless you're working in a theme park - and they have excellent training systems in place), but if you are wanting add this kind of work to your acting resume, it can be lots of fun!
Some of the characters & mascots I have played over the years include:
* Mascots: Care for Kids, St George Dragon 'Happy', Broncos 'Buck', Literacy Planet 'Word Monster'; Easter Bunny; Quest Newspapers 'Questy'
* Suit Characters: Rugrats (Angelica & Chucky), Dora Explorer, Eliza Thornberry, Wiggles (Wags the Dog, Henry Octopus & Dorothy Dinosaur), Ice Age (Sid), Sylvannian Families (Freya), Spongebob Squarepants, Curious George (Man in Yellow Suit), Minions (Kevin), Paw Patrol (Fire Dog Marshall), Three Little Pigs (Red Pig), Blue's Clues (Blue)
You can view some photos on my public facebook page under the acting photo album: www.facebook.com/missrachealleigh
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Red Billabong
It's not very often that I get to go to the movies - even less often to a non-Bollywood movie - and rarely to a movie premiere... but this week I had the utmost pleasure of attending the Gold Coast premiere of the Sparke Films production, Red Billabong. A new Australian film that falls perfectly into the cult film category. This film was not only made by some local Gold Coast talent, but also on a shoestring budget, with the whole film being shot in around 5 weeks. Despite the short time frame, the movie is no lesser of quality than any Hollywood blockbuster, and great detail has been put into both the characters, and the story development.
I went to see this film having no expectations, and no idea really what it was about other than a mythical 'creature' in a Billabong. Writer & Director, Luke Sparke, has taken a classic Australian/Aboriginal creature and turned it into a intriguing thriller/suspense story. The main characters are brothers Nick (Dan Ewing - Home and Away; Power Rangers) and Tristan (Tim Pocock - X-Men: Wolverine; Dance Academy); whom came across very much as an Australian version of the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean (Supernatural). Drawn together to determine the future of their grandfather's property, the brothers need to make the decision of whether to pass the land to the local Aboriginal Tribe as per their grandfather's wishes, or to sell to an interested property developer for an attractive sum of money.
Supported by an attractive cast of Australian actors including Sophie Don and Ben Chisholm, the story has a few twists and has an ending which could make this a stand alone movie, or open to a sequel. There is little evidence of the shoestring budget - the cinematography is of a quality I wouldn't have expected for a low-budget feature, and the CGI 'creature' is well integrated within the film - there is no cheesy B-grade evidence here. In my eyes, Red Billabong is A-grade production all the way! Kudos to the production team, crew and cast on a brilliant movie!!
The film is screening in a few cinemas around Brisbane, and also in NSW and VIC. If it's not screening at your local cinema, then call them and ask them to screen it - this is a movie that is best seen on the big screen. You can find out more on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RedBillabong
Now, I should point out that I am not an official movie reviewer, nor am I getting any benefit out of this film (other than the viewing pleasure). These comments are purely my own thoughts after having seen the film, and as an actor myself, I feel it is important to support our local film industry - after all, anything that creates work for local performers, especially in Queensland, is something I'm passionate about!
I went to see this film having no expectations, and no idea really what it was about other than a mythical 'creature' in a Billabong. Writer & Director, Luke Sparke, has taken a classic Australian/Aboriginal creature and turned it into a intriguing thriller/suspense story. The main characters are brothers Nick (Dan Ewing - Home and Away; Power Rangers) and Tristan (Tim Pocock - X-Men: Wolverine; Dance Academy); whom came across very much as an Australian version of the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean (Supernatural). Drawn together to determine the future of their grandfather's property, the brothers need to make the decision of whether to pass the land to the local Aboriginal Tribe as per their grandfather's wishes, or to sell to an interested property developer for an attractive sum of money.
Supported by an attractive cast of Australian actors including Sophie Don and Ben Chisholm, the story has a few twists and has an ending which could make this a stand alone movie, or open to a sequel. There is little evidence of the shoestring budget - the cinematography is of a quality I wouldn't have expected for a low-budget feature, and the CGI 'creature' is well integrated within the film - there is no cheesy B-grade evidence here. In my eyes, Red Billabong is A-grade production all the way! Kudos to the production team, crew and cast on a brilliant movie!!
The film is screening in a few cinemas around Brisbane, and also in NSW and VIC. If it's not screening at your local cinema, then call them and ask them to screen it - this is a movie that is best seen on the big screen. You can find out more on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RedBillabong
Now, I should point out that I am not an official movie reviewer, nor am I getting any benefit out of this film (other than the viewing pleasure). These comments are purely my own thoughts after having seen the film, and as an actor myself, I feel it is important to support our local film industry - after all, anything that creates work for local performers, especially in Queensland, is something I'm passionate about!
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Location! Location!
One of the great things about being an actor/dancer and casual events/promo worker is that I get to work in lots of fun locations! For years I used to avoid crowds and festivals, but now I can't seem to avoid them.. lol
Today I got to work on an independent web-series production that was filmed in the basement of an upmarket restaurant in Woolloongabba.. one of those hidden gems that you wouldn't know about if you hadn't been there. With an impressive wine collection, chandeliers, and rustic style furniture, you could easily have felt like you were about to have dinner in someone's lavish vintage home. But don't take my word for it - here's a photo I took whilst the film crew were setting up:
Last week I got to work on a corporate film in a bar, playing waitress which was also good fun, and got to make use more of my bar & waitress skills working at the Sofitel one evening helping out at a corporate function for 500 people! My left arm didn't quite make the evening, and was quite dead the next day whilst working at a promotion for Olive Grove - but I managed to survive! Now I just need to go back to the gym and work those arms to make them stronger!!
I have had a few auditions here and there as well - they are a bit like job interviews, so you can't get your hopes up otherwise you just keep getting disappointed with rejections. You just need to turn up, do your best, and then move on to the next one. Then one day, out of the blue, a phone call or email will be received and celebrations can be had! But I'm not celebrating anything yet.. all the work I've been doing is short term casual work. So far it has been picking up though, and each gig is different which keeps things interesting. My next gig will be working at the Ekka - something I always thought will be fun to do.. so I'll keep you posted on that!
Today I got to work on an independent web-series production that was filmed in the basement of an upmarket restaurant in Woolloongabba.. one of those hidden gems that you wouldn't know about if you hadn't been there. With an impressive wine collection, chandeliers, and rustic style furniture, you could easily have felt like you were about to have dinner in someone's lavish vintage home. But don't take my word for it - here's a photo I took whilst the film crew were setting up:
Last week I got to work on a corporate film in a bar, playing waitress which was also good fun, and got to make use more of my bar & waitress skills working at the Sofitel one evening helping out at a corporate function for 500 people! My left arm didn't quite make the evening, and was quite dead the next day whilst working at a promotion for Olive Grove - but I managed to survive! Now I just need to go back to the gym and work those arms to make them stronger!!
I have had a few auditions here and there as well - they are a bit like job interviews, so you can't get your hopes up otherwise you just keep getting disappointed with rejections. You just need to turn up, do your best, and then move on to the next one. Then one day, out of the blue, a phone call or email will be received and celebrations can be had! But I'm not celebrating anything yet.. all the work I've been doing is short term casual work. So far it has been picking up though, and each gig is different which keeps things interesting. My next gig will be working at the Ekka - something I always thought will be fun to do.. so I'll keep you posted on that!
Monday, July 18, 2016
SARI in Sydney
It's been a couple of weeks since my last post, but at least the two weeks I spent in Townsville for work helped me finally get better. June was pretty much a write off for work due to being sick the whole month! Townsville was great - average temp of mid 20s, was paid to do some fun Angry Birds promo work, plus got to catch up with my sis for her birthday!! The worst part of the trip however was the 2 hour flight delay back to Brisbane. Those that have travelled from Townsville will know there aren't many flights out, and when someone else is paying they are always going to choose the cheapest option. This meant a 9.30pm flight became an 11.30pm flight, making my arrival in Brisbane at 1.30am in the morning! Now that wouldn't have been too bad if I could've just gone home and slept the rest of the day, but I had to be back at the airport at 6am to fly to Sydney with my dance troupe, SARI. So after barely 3hrs sleep, I was back to the airport with a refreshed suitcase, and an air of excitement to participate in our first big competition!
Sydney was great, and actually wasn't as cold as I thought it would be and there was only scatterings of rain. We arrived about 9am and headed straight to a dance studio so we could workshop our two songs we had prepared - one was our own choice, and the other a judges choice song. As I hadn't seen the others for a few weeks, this was the first chance I had to actually rehearse it with them. We were quite excited about our final routines, and headed to the hotel about lunchtime so we could relax and freshen up before heading to the competition venue at 4pm.
This was the first big Indian dance competition we had entered, and whilst I still don't think we needed to be at the venue so early, I was impressed that it was the first Indian event we had attended in 6 years that actually ran spot on time!! The event didn't start until 6pm and we were asked to be there at 4pm supposedly for a sound check and were also informed we'd be able to change / rehearse at the venue. However the sound check was just someone asking me if 'this' was our music (which they played on ipod for 15sec) and then we we told to change and sit in a large 'green' room whilst we wait to go on. There was no room / space to rehearse, so we were glad we had spent the morning rehearsing! So in my opinion we could've arrived at 5pm and still been ready to go on by 6pm.. (and the extra hour would've meant I might've been able to have more of a nap!).. Anyway, it did run on time, and was otherwise well organised. It was also great to meet some other performers from around the country!
We went onstage and did our 'own choice' song - which we were happy with, but apparently it didn't impress all the judges. Comments were made about our costume not being traditional - but we weren't dancing to a traditional song, so it would've looked out of place. I found this surprising as there were other groups / solo dancers also wearing 'western' style dance costumes, but some of them got through to the next round. Mind you, some of those dance performances were quite good too. Our hopes were to at least get through to the next round so we could do our 'judges choice' song, but sadly this didn't happen. We left tired and disappointed, but happy to have been able to be part of a fun night.
Anyway, I'm now back home and have been having fun doing some different jobs - the past few days I've been a brand ambassador for a new mobile phone; today I worked on the registration desk / events team for a financial planners conference; and tomorrow I will be doing some demo/sampling of a popular brand of butter. I also had an audition yesterday for a short film; have 2 more auditions tomorrow for more short films, and possibly one more later in the week - so am hoping to be doing more film work very soon as I've lucked out with the past few films I was hoping to do due to date clashes with work or other events.. so fingers crossed for me, and I'll check in later and let you know how things are going!
Oh, and if you're on Facebook, I now have a public page - so you can follow me on there also. You'll find the link in the right menu bar on here! :)
Sydney was great, and actually wasn't as cold as I thought it would be and there was only scatterings of rain. We arrived about 9am and headed straight to a dance studio so we could workshop our two songs we had prepared - one was our own choice, and the other a judges choice song. As I hadn't seen the others for a few weeks, this was the first chance I had to actually rehearse it with them. We were quite excited about our final routines, and headed to the hotel about lunchtime so we could relax and freshen up before heading to the competition venue at 4pm.
This was the first big Indian dance competition we had entered, and whilst I still don't think we needed to be at the venue so early, I was impressed that it was the first Indian event we had attended in 6 years that actually ran spot on time!! The event didn't start until 6pm and we were asked to be there at 4pm supposedly for a sound check and were also informed we'd be able to change / rehearse at the venue. However the sound check was just someone asking me if 'this' was our music (which they played on ipod for 15sec) and then we we told to change and sit in a large 'green' room whilst we wait to go on. There was no room / space to rehearse, so we were glad we had spent the morning rehearsing! So in my opinion we could've arrived at 5pm and still been ready to go on by 6pm.. (and the extra hour would've meant I might've been able to have more of a nap!).. Anyway, it did run on time, and was otherwise well organised. It was also great to meet some other performers from around the country!
We went onstage and did our 'own choice' song - which we were happy with, but apparently it didn't impress all the judges. Comments were made about our costume not being traditional - but we weren't dancing to a traditional song, so it would've looked out of place. I found this surprising as there were other groups / solo dancers also wearing 'western' style dance costumes, but some of them got through to the next round. Mind you, some of those dance performances were quite good too. Our hopes were to at least get through to the next round so we could do our 'judges choice' song, but sadly this didn't happen. We left tired and disappointed, but happy to have been able to be part of a fun night.
Anyway, I'm now back home and have been having fun doing some different jobs - the past few days I've been a brand ambassador for a new mobile phone; today I worked on the registration desk / events team for a financial planners conference; and tomorrow I will be doing some demo/sampling of a popular brand of butter. I also had an audition yesterday for a short film; have 2 more auditions tomorrow for more short films, and possibly one more later in the week - so am hoping to be doing more film work very soon as I've lucked out with the past few films I was hoping to do due to date clashes with work or other events.. so fingers crossed for me, and I'll check in later and let you know how things are going!
Oh, and if you're on Facebook, I now have a public page - so you can follow me on there also. You'll find the link in the right menu bar on here! :)
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Everyone Should Dance
You may or may not know, but I love to dance. I'm not the greatest dancer - definitely not a technical dancer - but am a passionate dancer. I dance because it makes me happy, and it's universal. I don't think it matters where you are in the world, everyone should have music in their lives. It doesn't matter if you don't understand the lyrics, or if you have two left feet, but if you don't have music then life would be rather quiet don't you think? Can you imagine what life would be like without music. I believe even deaf people can 'hear' music - they hear the vibrations of sort - although I'm not deaf nor know anyone that is, so I can't be 100% sure on that one.
Every country has their own style of music, and I love the fact that Australia is so multicultural that we embrace all kinds of music through the many festivals and events we hold here. Of course, those that know me, know my two loves are K-Pop (Korean music) and even more so Bollywood and Indian music. The great thing I love about Indian music is that every now and then I'm introduced to another style/region - whether its classic Bollywood from Mumbai, or popular Punjabi songs (Pollywood / Lollywood), to songs from Utta Pratesh (Bhojpuri), Telugu (Tollywood), or Tamil regions (Kollywood). You can view other Hollywood-inspired names on this list here.
I'm therefore very excited to be dancing with my SARI Bollywood Dance troupe next weekend in our very first Indian dance competition! We have been performing as a group since 2010, but never competed in competitions before.. We entered our first one last year, and whilst we did make the finals, we were unable to compete. This year, however, we have made it happen! We are in the finals of the Indian Australian Singing & Dancing Competition, and we are heading to Sydney!!
Sometimes I wish that there was more work in the entertainment industry so I could work full time.. but sadly there isn't. Especially when many gigs we get asked to do for free or for exposure.. well can't really pay the bills with exposure now can we. But on the upside, as a casual worker, I'm now allowing myself more time to focus on my dancing so I can make fun videos like this one. I hope you enjoy, and if you leave a comment, please be nice.. I am human after all! lol
Every country has their own style of music, and I love the fact that Australia is so multicultural that we embrace all kinds of music through the many festivals and events we hold here. Of course, those that know me, know my two loves are K-Pop (Korean music) and even more so Bollywood and Indian music. The great thing I love about Indian music is that every now and then I'm introduced to another style/region - whether its classic Bollywood from Mumbai, or popular Punjabi songs (Pollywood / Lollywood), to songs from Utta Pratesh (Bhojpuri), Telugu (Tollywood), or Tamil regions (Kollywood). You can view other Hollywood-inspired names on this list here.
I'm therefore very excited to be dancing with my SARI Bollywood Dance troupe next weekend in our very first Indian dance competition! We have been performing as a group since 2010, but never competed in competitions before.. We entered our first one last year, and whilst we did make the finals, we were unable to compete. This year, however, we have made it happen! We are in the finals of the Indian Australian Singing & Dancing Competition, and we are heading to Sydney!!
Sometimes I wish that there was more work in the entertainment industry so I could work full time.. but sadly there isn't. Especially when many gigs we get asked to do for free or for exposure.. well can't really pay the bills with exposure now can we. But on the upside, as a casual worker, I'm now allowing myself more time to focus on my dancing so I can make fun videos like this one. I hope you enjoy, and if you leave a comment, please be nice.. I am human after all! lol
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