Tap Dancing Wizards

Blog No. 195: Taka's and Abril's Grand Tap Dance Final Adventure, and, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Yep. A mouthful.

Taka and Abril asked a while back for me to come see their tap final and to record it on video. I was with them during their process of figuring out their moves in the cafeteria, (well it was half preparation, half trying to look up the ending theme of Captain Planet, XD). Originally, they were editing a sound bite of Mortal Kombat, which was as techno and cliched as you'd think it would be. Then, sometime between that practice and their final, Taka elluded to me that they changed it from Mortal Kombat to that House Disney song she found. I was hoping it was the Captain Planet song... The Power is YOURS! XP

So on Final day, I had arrived early-ish to hang out with Taka for a little bit. She was giving me the gist of their routine. Granted it's not broadway, it still looks pretty good. XD

We met up with Abril a while later, only we didn't know whether or not it was her because her blackness was well hidden in the shadows. XP

They lead me to the little dance studio next to the gym. It was pretty big, prolly bigger than the ones at my high school but not as nice. It had mirrors and a pretty loud sound system. The teacher was pretty cool.

Apparently, some alumni from Charter attends that class also. When I saw Shoua and Saman walk in, I was surprised! I noticed that Shoua recognized me, what with seeing me the most recently with the facial hair and the ponytail. However, I saw Saman do like a short double take, like she was confused as to who I was. Have I really changed that much? :/

It was really funny watching everybody. The instructor was teaching them a routine thing that I guess taught them some basic skills and was able to be accompany an old time jazz song. From looking at everyone tapping, it didn't look that hard. It was a matter of keeping time in your head and translating that into phsical movement in the legs. The instructor then pulled out some canes for them to dance with! It was hilarious! XP

Then Taka and Abril, after a decent hallway practice, performed their routine. I set up my video camera on my 30 dollar tripod and filmed it, just like the good ol' days in filmmaking... *sigh* Nostalgia...

It was pretty funny. Together, they were doing fun stuff, like chasing each other and sweeping arm movements. They utilized each other very well. Well I thought it was just fine and so did the teacher, (after I took a sneak peak of their grading sheets! XP), but Taka and Abril wanted to do it again, only in a more open setting in front of friends! You HEAR THAT? Yet another excuse to get together over the summer people! XP

Taka had to immediately leave right after for her camping trip, so Abril and I kicked it at the cafeteria for a bit. I bought her lunch as well as an Icee from the slushie machine for myself, (which we apparently have now... XP). The strawberry slush drink didn't really taste like strawberry. It tasted more milky... DX

Afterward, mom picked me up and took me home. I basically went of Facebook/play with my Wii until that night.

~~~

Audrey, John, and I dropped off Lennox at grandma's and went straight to Regal, where we saw the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

When we got there, my friends Achona and Brandi, or Chocho and Brando McVeal as I usually call them, walked up and surprised me. I basically hung out with them while John and Audrey got our seats. Chocho had a few sheets of paper that was basically the entertainment for the night. There was a scavenger hunt where we had to find all the people in costume as HP characters with distinguishing pins. They left out Arthur Weasley on that list, yet we found like 3 of those. Then there were obscure, random characters I hardly remember. We totally blanked on who Madam Malkin was! XP

Then Chocho and Brando took me to get sorted by the sorting hat, the long and common tradition amongst Potter fans. Apparently, the both of them had gotten Hufflepuff when they really wanted Slytherin. I usually get Hufflepuff as well, but this time around, I got Slytherin. Chocho was so mad at that hat! XP

Then a giant Death Eater appeared!

We also ran into 2/3 of the Matutis Clan, Angel and Ella. Ella's the one in my graduating class, Christine is a year older and Angel a year younger. They pretty much looked and acted the same. I asked how Christine was and they said that she stayed behind with the baby. XP

Ok I kept you waiting long enough!

~~~

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Warning, if you have yet to read the book, GO see the movie while you still can! The movie strays so far from the series that it might as well just be a stand alone movie. It's impossible to compare the book to the movie, so don't even worry about it!

Lord Voldemort is alive, out in the open, and he is pissed! He comes up with a complicated plan that is seen earlier in the movie that involves Draco Malfoy. We also know that Snape gets involved by Draco's mother, Narcissus, with the unbreakable vow.

Meanwhile, Harry works closely with Dumbledore to try and get an understanding of Voldemort's motives. This involved Harry trying to manipulate Horace Slughorn, the new potions master, to relinquish a revealing memory in his and Voldemort's past. This time between Harry and Dumbledore is the transition to Harry's final mission in the seventh book. He learns of the Horcruxes, each holding a piece of Voldemort's soul. It shows what lengths Harry will have to go to in order to defeat Voldemort in the final book...

Oh! And Dumbledore dies. XP

Each of the important characters in the book has face time in the movie. It focused some of the attention on the hidden emotions of Draco or Snape. They may have had some extra time in the book as well, but the movie seemed to emphasize this a little more. It showed how Draco's emotions reeled back and forth between total hatred and immense fear.

It emphasized on the love and the danger in this movie. Some scenes were added for a visual and dramatic effect that evil is on the horizon, like the pedestrian bridge scene in the beginning. Most of the movie is in complete darkness. The only spackle of any color is that of the Weasley joke shop run by the Weasley twins. It also emphasized a lot of the love triangles that went on, like Harry's jealousy over Ginny, Hermione's jealousy over Ron, and a lot of back and forth with a few of the extras. That Lavender Brown is one creepy chick.

3 Out of 5 Thumbs Up--> Great to see if you're a Harry Potter virgin!

*Singled Out: Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood

The picture really says it all doesn't it?

Luna Lovegood provided a lot of the comedic humor for the story because of her weird and out of the ordinary personality. They pulled off the scene of where they introduced Luna in her Gryffindor lion head very well! In the scene where Harry has to find a date to Slughorn's party, Harry shows an immediate and almost sarcastic response, "I know the perfect person!" Cut to Harry walking down the hall with Luna, who prattles on about how she wears shoes to bed because she sometimes sleepwalks. XD

She certainly is not afraid to be herself! Luna, you've been singled out. XP

~

I'm tired of this blog now. TIME TO POST IT! XP