The Perfect Winter

I don't know about your hometown, but this LA weather has been super bizarre. One day it's freezing and all the clouds are black, then the next day it's beautiful outside, 80 degrees, and sunny. Can you say global warming? Anyway....

Chris and I are so excited about winter that we've already broken out the wool socks, beanies, fleece blankets, and candles. We've also already started to plan our trip to Park City with my sister and her boyfriend to visit my Aunt and Uncle for the Sundance Film Festival in January!

Due to my excitement, I'm going to ignore the perfectly sunny day outside, take advantage of my day off, pour another cup of tea, and show you a few things we love about winter!

Tea! A few of my favorites are PG Tips, English Breakfast, Green, and Peppermint! 

Dates by the fireplace! Chris is a picnic pro, inside or out of the house. I can always count on him to prepare a delicious snack for fireplace hang times.

Candles! You can never have too many candles. The best thing about winter candles are the amazing seasonal scents. My favorites: pumpkin, cinnamon, and spiced apple!

Cozy Socks! Well, all winter clothing will do.

As you may have read in other posts, this year has been filled with many firsts for us. This winter we'll be able to add so many more to the list!

- Chris's first Thanksgiving in the US

- Chris's first winter Christmas

- Our first Christmas together

- His first time seeing me perform in a ballet

xx D

Fortress Social Club

Last Friday I was working all day on a music video shoot for Fortress Social Club. I was asked to choreograph on 10 dancers including myself to create visuals resembling those of old black and white Busby Berkeley films. If you don't know Busby Berkeley, run to your closest library and rent "42nd Street" or "Gold Diggers" (1933). He was an extremely influential movie director and choreographer who used arial cameras to show geometric shapes with dancers, resembling what I see as a sort of kaleidoscope effect. Needless to say, he was very creative, and it was a pleasure to do my research. For an example, check out this video!

I was hired by an amazing company called Arts & Recreation Group. They work in many different aspects of the entertainment industry. I suppose it's because of their small team and/or desire to do a bit of everything, but it was refreshing to work close with a company willing to hear other artistic opinions. It's not often that choreographers are encouraged or even allowed to have any artistic input other than the choreography, but working with these guys was a blast, and everybody's job was important. 

Don't forget to check out Fortress Social Club on Soundcloud, follow them on Twitter, and like them on Facebook.

Most importantly, keep your eyes peeled for a post after the video is released! In the meantime, here are some more stills from the shoot day. 

xx D