How we might start our day...

During our second session, members of the dance writing course created personal essays describing what they did to prepare for class that morning. Here is what they revealed:

I walked in to the studio and stared at the clock for longer than needed – 8.03. I placed my water bottle down next to the spot I intended to stand and then went down to the floor. I went through my usual morning stretching routine and found my body to be tighter than I expected. My eyes also felt heavy as I tried to focus on anything, but the clock in the mirror – which was an odd thing to be focused on at this time because it appeared backwards in the mirror and in this state was difficult to read – said 8.40. No, it can't be. I was forced to look back at the clock. 8.20. Time passed and I tried to wake up a little more before I was forced to engage the class...

Clapping, clapping and more clapping. "That was interesting," I tell myself. Class is over, 10.30. I go and shake the teacher's hand and thank him fo r the class. I tinker around the room, trying to understand what just happened to me. I come to the conclusion that I took class and it ended a few seconds ago. That means I have another class, somewhere and some time soon.

I find myself downstairs in front of the schedule board, which looks like a game of Tetris. (For those who don't know, it is that video game with all those different colored blocks falling from the sky.) And just like Tetris you can stare at all of these lovely little cubes of color for long periods of time without any understanding of what you are staring at. Then it hits m. Here it is, the yellow block sandwiched between a blue and green block. This tells me where to go – Modern 11.00-12.15 – and I go upstairs and tinker around before my next class. It starts. 11.02...

Ian Buchanan

Ben Harper woke me up this morning with one of my favorite songs – Steal My Kisses. I had to admit that I had decided on a great artists from my iPod to start my day.

I couldn't hear the next three songs while in the shower, but I still had the first song in my head to sustain me until I turned off the water. I put up my hair, dressed and put on my make-up to the rest of the Burn to Shine album, and began Diamonds on the Inside as I ate my breakfast, packed my lunch and gathered my things. After pluggin my iPod into my ear, I sipped my tea while driving to She's Only Happy in the Sun.

I had a moment of shock when I first arrived at the ballet, thinking that I had forgotten my pointe shoes. However, I realized shortly after turning my car back towards the house that they were safely in my locker. Despite the valuable stretching time that had been wasted, I wasn't too upset by my detour, because I got to listen to Temporary Remedy. Finally, after changing and heading in to the studio, I related to Amen Omen and Bring the Punk right before pliés. Now I was ready for class.

Julie Smith

I opened my eyes as the alarm clock blared in my ear. I remember telling myself that if I could only roll onto the floor then I would be able to get up... I placed my oatmeal into the microwave for an extra minute and continued on towards the shower. The water ran down my back and I began to become more awake. I felt my hamstrings tighten into knots as I steeped out over the edge of the shower... I staggered into the kitchen making small morning noises as I looked for my Ibuprofen. "Ah, my oatmeal." I took it out of the microwave and promptly sat at the table. I eagerly placed my spoon in to the bowl. Arrgh! My mouth was on fire. Oatmeal went everywhere... I reached into the dryer and heart sank. My clothes had been in there for two days. "What the hell. I am an idiot," I thought. Of course my clothes weren't dry if the settings are on "No Heat/Fluff". All was said and done. I walked to the car and drove to the studios. It was going to be a rough Thursday.

Mark Tucker

This morning in preparation for class I dressed in uniform and pulled my hair into a constricting and uncomfortable bun. After leaving the house much later than usual, it dawned on my that Stanton Welch, the artistic director, would be teaching our class. I then rushed to the studio and attempted to stretch my limbs, sore from the previous days. I then scrambled to find a decent pair of pointe shoes to wear when I realized I only had a few minutes to spare. Luckily I was able to gain composure and not appear as a complete unorganized slob in my first class with Stanton.

Abby Bushnell

Everything was going fine getting ready for ballet class this morning, until it was time to drive there. I got to the front of Ouinan Hall exactly at 8am for the first bus run but it wasn't until 8.20am that a bus even showed up! I thought I wasn't going to have time to stretch. I was so mad at the counselors. I thought that they were being lazy, only having one person making trips to and from the ballet. But it turns out that a student had to be taken to the emergency room. I arrived at the Houston Ballet with only 15 minutes to spare.

Claire Riebe

The van was supposed to pick us up at 8am, like they promised. 8.10 rolled by, then 8.15...8.20. The white van lethargically rolled up to the curb. I jumped on as soon as possible and rode in silence, thinking about where I would stand, what stretches I would do and what pointe shoes to wear. We finally arrived and I dashed into the studio, found the best left-over spot at the barre and finally sat down, officially beginning the long day ahead.

Stanton Welch walked in, instantly bringing the room to silence. I could feel the tension in the room gradually loosen throughout class, from the tendus to the rond de jambs, from the pirouettes to the bourees. My feet throbbed as the entire class surrounded Mr. Welch, thanking him graciously.

As I limped out of the nearly vacant studio, sulking over all of my mistakes, I went over the rest of my day. Variations, Pas De Deux (with Claudio), Jazz and rehearsal. I wiped my dripping face, pulled on my garbage shorts and rehydrated. I stepped outside the studio, where tons of dancers were scattered and talking.

Laura Whitby

I was uncommonly tired on Monday. It had been a long time since I felt that sleepy, not even in the past week after dancing for hours and hours. I could hear the Spice Girls singing next to me, along with the vibration of my alarm clock.

I say up in a flourish, trying to turn it off. I felt the blood rushing down my head as flashes of light clouded my vision. I walked towards the bathroom while holding on to the wall. The water was nice, not too hot but warm enough to relax my muscles. The shower passed by like a film being watched without paying much attention, while I left my thoughts fly away to the studios of Houston Ballet.

Braulio Alvarez

Who we are...

Braulio Alvarez is a 16-year-old Mexico City native. He grew up in Mexico, learning English at a bilingual school and dancing at his mother's studio. At the age of 15, he moved to California to continue his dance studies at Idyllwild Arts. He has attended Boston Ballet's summer dance program and last year participated in the Prix de Lausanne, where he was offered a spot in Houston Ballet's summer intensive. Braulio has been inspired not only by famous dancers Maya Plisetskaya, Alexandra Danilova and Sylvie Guillem, but also by mentors Jean-Marie Martz and his mom. Some of his favorite companies are Paris Opera Ballet and Hamburg Ballet, where he will be dancing next year in the school, hoping to eventually become part of the company. Aside from ballet, Braulio loves reading, especially His Dark Materials trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series.

Abby Bushnell was born and raised in Boston. She started dancing at age 7 and trained with the Boston Ballet before coming to Houston. She is 16 years old and is going to be a senior in high school next year. She moved to Houston to hopefully fulfill her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer, and next year Abby will be in HBII. Outside of ballet Abby loves to have fun with her friends and some of her most memorable times have been in Houston this past year. She says moving away from home was a big step for her, but is definitely something she is glad she did because of the opportunities that opened up. She has attended summer intensive programs including San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet. She tries to cover up any embarrassing moments by simply owning up to them, however, when she was Clara, her dress did come undone and her wig fell off!

Morgan Butler was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and moved to the Woodlands when she was in first grade. She began training at the Payne Academy when she was in fifth grade. Two dancers have significantly influenced her: Sara Webb, because of her virtually flawless technique, and Jaquel Andrews, for her impeccable jumping abilities. Before dedicating herself to ballet, Morgan played the violin.

Claire Ann Riebe, a student at the Milwaukee Ballet School, has been dancing since the age of 8. She is now 18 and looking to dance professionally, though she's not sure where yet. Previous summer intensives include Joffrey Midwest in 2002, Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2004 and '05, and Houston Ballet in 2007. The dancer who has inspired her the most is Irina Dvorovenko of American Ballet Theatre, because of her performance in Swan Lake. Claire is a graduate of public school and enjoys the visual arts. She enjoys all kinds of fruit and loves ice cream.

Ian Scott Buchanan has danced at Houston Ballet for six months and will continue to dance as a member of HBA in the fall. Originally from Fairfax, California, Ian began his training with Dance Theater Seven under teacher/mentor David Roxander at age 8. Ian began dancing because of his love of performing and for its benefits in helping him focus. He has fully supportive parents and a younger brother named Tyler. He also has a Wheaton Terrior named Dunkin in California. Ian now lives in Houston and is enjoying his first summer away from home. He loves the color orange and enjoys reading science fiction books like "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in his spare time.

Julie Elizabeth Smith is 18 years old and was born in Plano, Texas. When she was 8 years old, she injured her wrist doing gymnastics and searched for something easier, which she thought ballet would be. She found herself dancing in some small schools in Plano, Texas, and eventually ended up at Cincinnati Ballet, where she has been for the last 6 years. She has attended summer programs at Boston Ballet, Ballet International Indianapolis and Houston Ballet. Outside of dancing, Julie enjoys boating, skim skating, baking things like cookies, thrift shopping and music. She will audition this year and is interested in Nashville Ballet or Cincinnati Ballet. Her favorite color is a nice dark pink or coral, and her dog's name is Rufro.

Kristen Springer (AKA former Miss Teen Georgia) moved away from small-town Snellville, Georgia – population 10, slogan "everybody's somebody in Snellville" – to live on her own in Houston to pursue her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Leaving high school and her family behind meant some drastic changes for Springer. At age 18, she now lives on her own, something most "normal" 18-year-old only dream of! Coming from a small town, Springer's dance training included one ballet class a week, an enormous contrast to her current schedule of four classes a day, plus rehearsals. Keeping her options open for the future, Springer participates in modeling, pageants and considers pediatric dentistry as a possible career option along with ballet.

Mark Tucker is a 19-year-old male dancer who has spent the past three years away from his native Honolulu, Hawaii, and has now graduated from the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts. He enjoys eating Japanese mochi but hates the sound of dripping water and mosquitoes. When Mark is not dancing you can find him sipping a Coke on a sunny day or driving around listening to "Footloose" on his Ipod. Mark's relaxed style and hard work make him unique. He looks forward to his future plans, hopefully at HBA.

Travis Ward-Osborne is a 16-year-old dancer studying ballet at the Walnut Hill School in Massachusetts. His inspiration comes from American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Angel Corella. His favorite ballet to watch is Le Corsaire because of all the men's variations. Some of his favorite hobbies include video games and playing the guitar. His favorite cuisine is Italian. Travis loves jazz, hip-hop, tap and acting, so when asked if he would like to be a professional ballet dancer, he said "Yes, I’m keeping my options open, but look for me on Broadway!"

Laura Whitby was born in Princeton, New Jersey. She started dancing when she was 4 and was introduced to ballet at age 7. Laura saw dance as a hobby until she was 12, although now she wants to be a professional ballet dancer. She has been to summer programs such as the Princeton Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, Kaatsbaan and Houston Ballet. She doesn't like competitions because she feels that dance as an art can't be judged. She loves Petipa ballets and would love to dance at Houston Ballet or ABT. She likes many dancers, especially Susan Jaffe, Julie Kent and Angel Corella. After her performing career, she would like to study at college, open her own studio or choreograph for a company.