I have always loved the Barn Dance number from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers but I admit, I especially love it now because my father-in-law is one of those brothers. That’s him above,  Jacques d’Amboise, flashing his 20-year-old toothy grin. This number, choreographed by Michael Kidd, is again great storytelling through dance. Sounds simple but it’s hard to do well and really hard to do legendarily well. This is one of those legendarily well instances. Here they are in all their glory- bless their beautiful hides. Related posts:Lora’s Easy Stretch: A Great Way To Start Your WeekA Restful Resolution Happy Weekend

  

Ok, next up- “Cool” from West Side Story. I pretty much love everything that Jerome Robbins does in this show and in the movie, but this number in particular is just masterful. I had two numbers on my Must Perform list- “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago and “Cool”. I was lucky enough to do “Cell Block” on Broadway and my one regret in my career is that I never did West Side. C’est la vie, I live it vicariously through this scene. The way that Robbins tells story and expresses emotion through dance is unmatched by any other choreographer in[…]

  

My own little mini course in movie musical love. Inspired by my friend Terra who recently asked her fellow dancer friends what number or musical moment inspired them to become dancers, I thought I might roundup my top 5 moments in movie musical history. It was so hard, there are so many great, life-changing numbers- yes, I am a bit of a musical geek- and so many just wacky and hilarious ones that I love too, but I managed to muster up my top 5- I’ll post one a day throughout the week. First off, Shirley MacLaine, Chita Rivera and[…]

  

Just try not to smile while watching Rita Hayworth. If there is one thing about this Hollywood starlet (and there are many) it’s that she is absolutely infectious. While she wasn’t the most polished of the movie musical dancing stars, she was one of the most fun to watch. She just has a blast (or at least looks like it) when she moves. She knows how to work it- using a subtle wink, a swish of her hair, and a flip of her dress for full effect. This is not a learned skill- you cannot teach this, you’ve either got[…]

  

I’m switching up my bubble routine with the Steininger Riesling Sekt- Y.U.M. From the Kamptal region in Austria, this is a dry, bubbly riesling with 5g of residual sugar- just enough to keep it interesting. This sparkler was like drinking a refined glass of hard candy and pears with lively acidity and a delicate mousse. Light bodied, this wine would be killer with scrambled eggs but we just drank on its own- so refreshing. I picked it up at Le Tastevin, a local wine shop here in Alexandria for $27- a great value for such deliciousness.   Related posts:These Are[…]

  

Inspired by the bold color and chic lines of this home office featured on One Kings Lane, I put together a few pieces to recreate the look more affordably. I am usually a monochromatic kind of gal but pink and blue are really jazzing me these days, so I recreated the look with a bit more pop and brightness- this would work great for a small space. The Chiavari chairs at One Kings Lane sold for $150. Find them here for $49, although the shipping will set you back $25. The chairs come with a cushion that could be recovered[…]

  

A few things I’d like to pack in my bag for an Austin getaway: 1. Cobra Rock South Highland Boots 2. Free People Peacemaker Dress 3. Lulu Frost Nomad Necklace 4. D.S. & Durga Cowboy Grass Cologne 5. Warby Parky Edgeworth English Oak  Shades 6. An Oversized Leather Clutch Related posts:Happy Weekend and Welcome June!Happy Weekend!9 Things for Spring

  

Does this look like fun or what? I love Austin. Any town that knows how to string a strand of lights to optimal effect is ok in my book. I count myself lucky to have family that lives in Austin, which gives me a great excuse to visit and often. I’ve put together a spanktacular list of great things to do with the help of my co-contributor and Austin local, Lauren Crandall aka my sister-in-law and girl about town. She knows the dealio and is always the first to know about the next great place. Austin’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird”-[…]

  

For all of you Picasso fans- and let’s face it, have you ever met anyone who was like, “Picasso… Meh.”- Barnaby Wright curates Becoming Picasso: Paris 1901 at the Courtauld Gallery in London, and is out to demonstrate why this particular year was the turning point in Picasso’s life as an artist, his breakthrough year. In case the UK’s not on the books before May 26th, The Economist has published a short video of the show’s highlights with Dr. Wright narrating (I love Picasso’s glowing self portrait, Yo Picasso- he had such fire in his eyes). A worthwhile 6 minutes and[…]

  

Oh give me floor, lots of floor… We let the bebes loose in the dance studio yesterday- pretty great. This picture pretty much says it all. I’m looking forward to a low key weekend. We’ll get our weekly dose of Shark Tank tonight (I know, so dorky- but we are obsessed with that show) take some walks, drink some vino of the bubbly persuasion (carbonation really does help the winter doldrums) and just chill. Wishing I was off to Austin to attend SXSW but instead I’m working up a kickass guide for all those Austin bound, be sure to look[…]