Ban? Or not to Ban? Jumping is the question.

In Newcastle Upon Tyne, I find myself within part of a community called the NEPK, North East Parkour, England. Now I have grown to understand the concept of Parkour and Free running and I have to say, in a non biast way (due to the love of my life being within this community too), that these people are practicing a sport...that is what it is after all.Now, surely they wouldn't say to the Footballing association that they were going to ban Football in certain stadiums due to it not being fair would they? Wish to know why that is? because football is the norm to a lot of, if not all of the world's population, where as Parkour is something different and something that is still hidden among ( what some people thing) the shadows of the sporting world... and the human race being the human race, people who haven't practiced freerunning or all those who dont understand it agree that it shouldn't be allowed. Yet this is not the case as there are so many practitioners across the world, but again, its still seen as a minority sport. This, outlook, seems to be the norm. But to those people who are thinking of starting to ban it in areas... think about this? Imagine you do something you love... like a hobbie. Now imagine you practice this in a safe environment. Now imagine that that hobbie is taken away from you...not because you cannot practice it anymore due to injury...but because the council or the local community decide to ban it...for no other reason than saying that it is a hazard to the public and there is not a thing you can do about it?
Now these practitioners do nothing apart from some of the, yes rather crazy jumps, leaps and drops they all try to attempt, but why take the passion and want away from those just wanting to make the free running community bigger and give it a bigger following of people who love what they do?



*Send this into anyone who wishes to say the sport of free running is dangerous...I don’t mind because frankly, they don’t know what they’re talking about it. Yet I will say, done incorrectly it can be unsafe…but just next time you see a set of boys and girls doing parkour, just take time to watch and see what they are doing, and then, only then, will you all realise that it is something beautiful,graceful,athletic and sport like.

Candoco Dance Company: Review

A dance company that works with disabled and non disabled dancers. Now, if you are not aware of a lot of the contemporary dance companies out there today then your gut instinct will be subconsciously telling you that this would be either, impossible or awkward or just simply cringe worthy? But if your out of the rut and in with the new more post odern ideas of dv8 then you will understand that having disabled dancers is neither of this: awkward nor impossible.

The piece I witnessed tonight at the Riley Theatre ( home theatre to The Northern School Of Contemporary Dance ) called Rendition, was a production of three separate work by three differen choreographers;
+The Hangman - choreographed by Sarah Michelson
+In Translation - choreographed by Emanuel Gat
+Imperfect Storm - choreographed by Wendy Houstoun

Now, I didnt purchase a programme, as I wish to try and delve into what I think the pieces are about, making sure I will not be entirely influenced by what the piece actually is. Plus, I didn't really have the money but Im glad.
Starting with the piece `The Hangman`, now initial observations of this piece was `wow,that woman has some insane leg muscles` because she did. Her feet must of been screaming to let them come off of a rise. The lighting...was spectacular, sitting in the balcony seating area was indeed the best move I did because you saw everything from being on level with the lights and speakers to being able to see the mass of people below. I did not fully understand this piece, but I developed this sense of maybe us all understanding the differences with in the dance company. For example, one of the disabled dancers was in a lot of movement phrases with a girl who was clearly not physically disabled and the vast difference just did not matter, because the male dancer picked up on so much detail that the female dancer did. Also within this piece, all dancers kept this impeccable sense of timing, it was just beautiful to watch. There was this one thing, that interested me highly was the change of costume that one of the dancers undertook. It interested me because I didn't fully understand why she was doing it and it was weird and bizarre what my mind was trying to do. It was trying to link the story together and trying to find a connection as to why she was changing her hairstyle and attire everytime she exited the stage and entered back on again, when in actual fact there may of not been any reason at all as to why this was happening.


After the first interval, In Translation begun and...wow, its weird that I cannot go into as much detail as I could the first piece...maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was so tedious. So repetitive. The movement quality and the choreography itself was just spectacular, but they could of done so much more with it. They could of give just that little bit more focus and passion, but hey...maybe that is the idea the choreographer intended. I mean, i certainly found in the first piece that the choreographer wanted the audience that the dancers were struggling with the movement, you could tell with some of the hench elongated balances a few of the dancers had to endure. This piece, did't interest me towards the end and I started to drift off into wondering how good the toffee cheesecake waiting for Ross and I back at home was going to taste, but that may of just been the heat of the balcony and the silence of no music. Oh yeah, that was the beautiful thing about this piece...silence. It adds so much to movement, i love that part about it

And finally, the Imperfect Storm piece was my favourite by far. They started grouped together as a huddle downstage right with a microphone. I enjoy it when contemporary performances are mixed with dialogue or sound, I find the pieces... more inspiring as such. As I was saying, they started saying that they wanted to discuss Shakespeare...William Shakespeare, but they realised time wouldn't allow them. So they worked with the stage directions of it instead. Intriguing? It was indeed. The ending was just spectacular ending on a list of all the different typical end of show lighting cues` dimming the lights or flashing them really bright then into blackness would maybe be the end of the show` and I was, suprisingly, expecting it to go on for hours... yet it didnt, and the ending was so abrupt and rather comical.

For an overal performance, I appreciated it all and loved some parts but hey, thats my opinion. If you think you can handle seeing disabled dancers without feeling the need to follow aesthetic views then I advise you to go see it when you have time.

-C.MUCKLE

England team through to face Mexico or Argentina. Uruguay Linesman found attached to the goal post in a bloody mess.

All things that should be happening but for various reasons, reasons that I am going to discuss (in a somewhat bias way) within this blog.

Let’s start with the shocking travesty that is (possibly was if England fans see him) the linesman for Lampard’s first shot on target. A blind man could have seen that that ball was well and truly over the line by at least, AT LEAST a yard. Seb Platter, you need to be hung drawn and quartered for being the only man in football, to not want goal side technology. You absolute idiot! How can you not see that there are no NEGATIVES of having that sort of technology only POSITIVES!
Okay, now that that abhorrence has been talked of, let’s begin to somewhat slate the England Team. Do they honestly deserve a title with the country’s name in it? And have they honestly showed us that they have earned the right to have `team` in there too? No. They don’t. They lack fight, fire, determination, teamwork, passion and in this specific game…skill. Yet some how, they can still be called ` talented`. Where to start:
The defence: Possibly the most horrific set up, the foulest attempt of team work and just a sheer abomination of the sport. Johnson, Terry, Upson and Cole. The four men who don’t deserve the title as this country’s football team defenders. Upson okay, he scored the goal but he didn’t stop any of the opposing side goals from going in. Striker was not his role in this game, it was to be a defender now surely, he should of thought about doing his initial job to a high standard then AND ONLY THEN, should he be thinking about pushing towards the strikers and opposing goal. John Terry is a dumb, idiotic and clumsy player. Johnson, oh dear fucking god, Johnson, Johnson Johnson, I just want to take time to say this, he has got to be one of the shittest… if not THE SHITTEST right backs I have ever seen on television or on the pitch. Now, I’ve had my fair share of football matches, what with playing from an early age but after Frank Lampard’s free kick right outside the box and when the Germans steamed it forward, Johnson, only defender back, and he seemed so lackadaisical, careless and sloppy and quite frankly, it made me sick to say that I was supporting a team who played a game like that. They were played for fools, dragged around, left space wide open and at times, all going for the same ball. Tell me I’m wrong but if I am honest… I’m not.

Now, onto the slaughtering of the Midfielders and Strikers Lampard, Gerrard, Barry, Milner Rooney and Defoe.

I can honestly say, not one of them played at all. It was as if there wasn’t a team out there. Gerrard, what are you doing capello?!?! Does he belong on the left!?!?! Come on. And Gareth Barry... where the hell do you start with Gareth Barry. He didn’t deserve the number 14 on his back. Sheer disappointment with the lack of push, ball play and width the midfielders provided. Now see, I thought James Milner played an alright game. Not excellent and certainly not acceptable but alright. Then Capello takes him off second half, and replaces him with a guy who hasn’t played all season for Chelsea.WHAT ON EARTH?!?!?! HOW IS THAT LOGIC!?!?PLEASE? EXPLAIN?
Now, Rooney and Defoe. Rooney? Our saviour? The answers to all of our prayers?! Really because from what I have seen of the England matches, he has not performed in the slightest. He hasn’t been providing space for the ball, it’s as if he just stands and waits for it. He seemed to be getting pushed all over, especially by the Germans, and his body language in the game on Wednesday afternoon was disgusting

The thing that angers me above all, is not the shocking abysmal sight that was the England squad it’s the amount of money they will still get from playing as if they are down the park or part of a pub league and Fabio Capello…. Saying they played `well`?!?!??!?!. WELL?!?!. I know he isn’t strong with his English, but Jesus Christ all friggin mighty, can someone seriously be that ridiculously stupid?!?!. They played well….for Under 10’s playing at a tournament at their local first school where you win some little daft medal, THAT WAS NOT BY ANY MEANS ACCEPTABLE FOR WORLD CUP STANDARD. GET IT SORTED FABIO!

Every single person on that field today needs to remember that they were placed in the ENGLAND TEAMfor a reason. They do, all have talent and skill within the sport, I don’t know whether its lack of stamina, endurance, the heat, disliking of the structure of the team or hate towards Fabio Capello but I can say this, get on with it. There are so many other footballers who have the drive to perform better (than the disastrous 11 did) are willing to sacrifice everything they have to play for the England team. Hell, some young players dream about it and the likes of Rooney and Terry and all those big names need to find that motivation to deal with the negatives and turn them into an aggressive want to succeed as part of a team.

Deborah Colker's Companhia De Danca of "Cruel"

So while I sit here, after seeing the beautiful performance of Deborah Colkers work listening to E.S Posthumus' rather inspiring music, I decided to write up my views of the performance

Firstly, the intention behind the piece: This piece of dance was to explore many, if not all forms of cruelty that can happen within a relationship. It says to of been split into `four movements, the first of which sees an enormous globe shaped chandelier dangle from the ceiling`. Can I just say here, what a beautiful way to start a piece of movement. The lighting, the dancers direction and positions ( who to start of with, were all the male dancers acting with excessive amounts of masculinity in their tight tailored clothing)showing the intention of work was behind this specific phrase of movement. I must say, very suprised with how technical these male dancers were. Two, especially seemed to catch my eye. I mean the girls, were beautiful dancers, machines infact, but the boys were so much more precise with the placement of their feet, arms and their body, whether they be in 4th open or second with a slight tilt.

Secondly, another section of movement which just astounded me was the choreography that took place on a spinning and moveable long table. It was so fast paced and dynamic I believed that for a second these people were infact, robots. The way that timing mattered so much in this piece was incredible. I feel that this is the way a lot of dance pieces, if not all of them should be, in the sense that the audience should feel that the dancers are suspending so much that if they do it too fast they fall and too slow, the phrase falls apart. One woman is this section ( she was a little 5ft blonde lady, probably in her 30's, built like a tank with a body that we would all love and die for now, let alone that age) just had me in absolute awe. The way she moved, all of Colkers intricate details was shown in every piece of movement in this section that she performed. For example, she does a trio piece with two of the male dancers and yeah, it could of been classed as contact i guess but a lot of the work she done by herself was so beautiful to watch. Another female dancer, the only one to be on pointe on both feet while carrying knives for a part of the section, had me gobsmacked. Her precision while on pointe was on top form. She danced with such ease, ease I have never seen before. Ease, with emotion in her eyes.

Of course, the interval draws the curtains after 40 minutes and as I get up to pop to the toilet, I see one of my dance teachers sitting on the same row and we both realised that the college piece I am involved in which 2nd Year Dancers are performing seems to be very inspired by this Colker piece. I don't know, maybe its because of the detailed sections, along with the dynamic and such drastic change in emotion but it was the waltz section too! The dancers perform a very up beat yet earthy contemporary waltz ( it cant be done you say? Oh yes... yes it can) and wow beautiful is all i can say

Okay, so the final act. I must admit, apart from the revolving mirrors, the pieces intention started to lose itself on me. I dont know whether this was because i was so astounded by the dancers climbing about these high mirrors while crawling through holes in it and running everywhere ( manic times!!!) but the piece of cruelty in relationships, I felt, wasnt strongly presented then again, maybe it was, but in a more subtle and personal approach so that Colker and her dancers only understood. I don't think I will ever understand the use of the mirrors, yet there were a lot of points where the dancers would dance frantic then just stop. Motionless just looking at themselved in these mirrors. Intention was there I knew that much and it certainly made me question as to why they were doing it.

All in all, the dancers have an incredible amount of skill and concentration that was obviously on high demand for this piece, as well as stamina of course. The men, sounded like feathers and dust touching the floor on the landings of their jumps. The women, full of emotion and passion from beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyable piece choreographed by such an excellent choreographer.

C.Muckle

Your leaving? So soon

A line that seems to be said by myself and my family quite a lot over the past few days.
Dad saying to Noel when in the hospital ` leaving us so soon, noel? no your not, ya daft begger`.
Ross saying to me ` leaving now? no dont? stay here with me`

I wish I could.

Chloe Candarakis arrives in Newcastle on Friday Morning and boy am I stoked for her and her mums arrival. Its going to be a crazy 5 days and no, I am not even thinking about her leaving :) I have too much to say to her and too many hours to laugh with her and her mum for to think negatively about it. We then are heading down to london (via scary plane) for a few days :D to dance and shop and see the capital. I am BETTING I hear the words `Conservative` and `Labour` more than Katie Price has called Alex Reid Peter Andre by mistake while in the bedroom.

Life at the moment can be summed up in a short phrase: Fucking unfair

I realised today that I take a lot of things for granted. Sitting up here, chilling to Paolo Nutini - Autumn over and over again makes me realise how much I love my life. Everything and everyone in it. From the ability to create to the love I received from my family, my boyfriend and from the best kind of friends.

Its days like this as well that I miss being able to do what the fuck I wanted.You know the days when you were young and you stayed out every hour of the day and didnt give a shit about anything?
That is why this summer is going to be all about;
Sunshine
Chilling to the best music with the best kind of people
Party
Camping
Dancing

Best things.

Life

I read a paragraph once about life.
It said `The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death! What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities`

Its bizarre to think everyone lives such a vicious life. No matter how happy you are or claim to be. Life in itself is a vicious happening. Why should it be acceptable to create life then take it away? In either such a sudden or elongated way? If your going to take it away, whoever you are Mr and Mrs grim reeper, why give it in the first place?

Its times like this, at moments in my life like this, that make me question everything I was taught to believe in at school. Everything involving God, Christianity and religion. Everything about the 10 commandments including ` Thou Shal Not Kill`. Contradictory Mister maker? I think fucking so.

I dont believe in God. I dont believe in science. But at least science doesnt take lives the way it seems `God` does. Now, I dont want to make this a religious blog because sadness dawns on me too much to go into that. All I know is, when it comes down to it, everyone has felt this before, what Im feeling. So my family and I dont feel alone.

Some are scared. All I know is that this maybe life and it may occur on a regular basis. Im just angry and disappointed with whoevers idea it is to take away a life, of a friend of the family. Its wrong. All of it is wrong. Life is all wrong.

`You've got some growing up to do missy mo` she said.

I have always been the type of person to feel that its uneccessary to officially `GROW UP` until your in your 30's, and I always invisioned myself being the student at university or wherever Higher Education took me who was not quite ready to grow up yet. Now, at the beginning of my teens, I seen this as a positive. Young and Naive me, thought that living life like Peter Pan was the best thing since sliced bread and Tomato Soup. Running around outside, rolling down hills even with a large doze of hayfever, knocky door ginger and water fights. You name it. I loved it. Yet now, Im at that age where all of that seems like a lifetime away, when infact it was only 5 years back that I was wishing my life would just come to a halt. My mother told me once that I had some growing up to do and that `life isnt this simple and nice all of the time` and at that age, I wasnt sure what she meant. Now, nearly 18, I understand her. Or do I just tell myself I understand her?

I understand that when getting closer to becoming an adult, life becomes progressively harder and not just because as soon as that age dawns upon us we instantly think ` wow, 18.I need to become more independant than I was yesterday when I was 17` because we dont think like that. Yet decisions become a lot harder and more frequent. Decisions of higher education,careers,moving, falling in love and getting out of difficult situations. All a sad yet such a difficult fact of life. Facts which I have faced to a small degree as a teenager, but I am yet to face as an adult.

Yet do we really need to grow up? Is there even such thing as growing up? Or is it just a hint of seriousness creeping in making us think that we have become a mature and responsible human being. A guy I know (who goes by the name of Adam Lister) once said that `life only gets shitter, because you're doing the things that, you somewhat 'need' to do rather than you 'want' to do. ` And you know what? Hes totally right. He is right because we decide for ourselves the paths we choose and so what if everyone seems to think that maturity is the form of growing up. I always think that people grow up to fast nowadays when you look around.

All I know is that I wish to be back at that innocent and decision free age of 12, where I had not a care in the world and where I was constantly covered in bruises with my favourite jeans laced in grass stains. Not just for the games or fun times but because decisions of your life didnt have to be mapped out and was just slowly flowing. Surely life can be like that, no matter what age?

I suppose this is what everyone seems to call growing up time. Yet does growing up have a specific time,era or chapter? I say growing up is open for you own interpretation in the sense that you make of it what you make of it.

Jeremy Davis. Gerard Butler.Dallas Green

Three of the most beautiful men of the film and music industry. Im not sure what it is.I think its the beard and their mental talents. Davis, a god on the bass. Butler, boss of the film world and Green,the main man of an unreal voice. Alexisonfire AND City&Colour. Wow

I also worked out something today.I realised that change is the only thing every single person fears. I read somewhere that `Change is the only element of life which is constant. Though it sounds contradictory, it is true. Change is the most important element of life. It is this change that defines life. Had there been no change, life would have become still. We can see that change occurs in all natural phenomenons such as weather and time. Change is also a vital element in any relationship. If there are no alternating periods of highs and lows then any relationship will become stagnant. Change keeps the relationship and life going and gives reasons for living.`

Your a dancer? Wow. So I take it your good in bed?

Oh the wonders of sterotypical views of a female dancer.Some of which I tend to receive from the shallow parts of the male gender pool.Dont worry, this blog isnt going to revolve around ME stereotyping all of the male gender because funnily enough,male dancers feel the brunt of stereotyping too from parts of both genders. Yes, homophobic comments lie alongside stereotyping rather well and both play big parts within the male part of the dancing world. For example, Ian Murray of Southampton finds himself on the receiving end of `omg your a dancer i bet your REALLLLY flexible,`finishing with a flick of the hair and a batter of the eyelids. I mean come on girls, you cannot expect male dancers to somehow impregnate you whilst sitting in box splits reaching to the floor for a count of eight, do you? And boys, dear oh dear oh dear, you have a lot to learn about dancing if you think that all us female dancers do in class is work on the best ways to improve sex lives. I promise you, its not. People need to see that dancer is an occupation. Just like working in a shop or working with the elderly. Its a career. Its a passion that a lot of people wish to pursue. Its an industry people want to say they `succeeded` in. Yet stereotyping stops this passionate image from coming across.

Stereotyping, I fear ruins everything in life. Although,people stand up for themselves by saying` who me? stereotype? no. I hate it` however I beg to differ. Everyone has stereotyped at least once in their life. About anything. Yet in dance, every stereotyping human seems to have the same image of dancer. False tan, false nails, ditsy personality, somewhat illiterate and uneducated and a bit of a slapper with no brains. I assure you the majority of this is false. Okay, I agree, for a large amount of dancers, false nails, false tan, ditsy personality and no knowledge of anything are not just the correct statements, but an understatement. I fear these so called "dancers" are people who have fears of becoming pushed aside, scared of being an outcast and unaccepted, so they feel they need to conform. Conform to something that not everyone likes.Yet its an accepted (but what i feel is the wrong) image none the less

What people don't seem to realise is that to become a dancer, a good one at least, you need to have a strong will power, originality and intellect. Oh and did i forget to mention, a dancer needs to be oozing with creativity?and unique choreographic ideas are essential to becoming your own dancer. Dynamics? structure? motifs and phrases? stimulus and themes? emotions?

Yes.You need a lot of things to be able to say your a `dancer`.Not just the face for it. I admit, for some styles, it is necessarily all about what you look like but isnt this wrong? Shouldnt it be on potential and want to succeed.Other than skills of applying St Tropez and potential or inserting clip on extensions?

As a dancer myself, I have and never will conform to the category of a "stereotypical dancer". I get told ` I dont look like a dancer` but what does a dancer look like? Is there a specific look for that. No. Just an image that everyone has concerning ALL dancers appearances. Maybe its the style of dance that I do. With me being a contemporary dancer, do I have that contemporary and abstract look about me? You could say that if you see the way I put my items of clothing together. But what if I was to tell you I am not only a contemporary dancer, but I am a hip hop and jazz dancer? What would your image change to?

Everyones different in the dance world. There cannot be just ONE stereotypical image because no two dancers are the same. What we all need to realise is that within this specific industry, happiness sometimes never follows with being different. You get slated for it. No matter how hard you try to back up and hide from sometimes the malicious comments that you receive due to being "different", happiness will sometimes not be there to pick you back up. It is what part of being a strong dancer is.Being able to stand and say ` no this is who I am, I am a dancer and I am different to what you imagine me to be` because the sooner all dancers realise this, the better and stronger dancers will be.