Author: hildyharland

Inspirational Thursdays

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Hi chaps and chapesses,

Hope you are all fine and dandy!

Busy times have hit! As you may have noticed if you follow me on other strands of social media you may have noticed I am trying a few new things out, such as modelling and choreography (not so new, it’s just been a while!). So apologies for the lack of posts.

I’m going to try something new. So when I’m not feeling at my best and maybe I didn’t get an audition or someone made a rude comment or something I always turn to a few famous ladies of the past for guidance and inspiration. This is always a sure fire way of putting my spirits back on top form! So I thought I would share a few of these wonderful ladies with you and share what I find so inspiring and helpful about how they looked at life and dealt with difficult situations. So today’s inspiring lady is Nina Simone.

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So I first of all need to say how much I love the music of Nina Simone her voice and piano style is simply stunning and very much my idea of perfection. So why is Nina on my list of inspirational women? Well basically to put it bluntly, she didn’e give a shit about what anyone thought of her! As a Black woman in 1950’s/60’s America, life was not a walk in the park for her, she was denied a place to study classical piano, it is suspected because of the colour of her skin. But she used her huge talent to create her very own jazz/blues style using old jazz standards, folk and even childrens songs to wow her audiences in the clubs and bars where she first found her fame. Once Nina began to rise in popularity she became known for her vocal part in the U.S civil rights movement.

So when I feel like I need the strength to follow my own path and ignore the negativity of others this is who I look to!

So who do you find inspiring and why?  Comment below

Until next time peeps, Hildy x

Happy easter!!!

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HAPPY EASTER!!!

Hi, I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday!

Unfortunately my holiday ends today and I am back to my usual hard working self!

Not to say I have not done some amazing work over the holidays which I can not fully share with you guys yet but by sometime in June hopefully I can show you all what I have been up to 🙂

Got some great stuff lined up for the next few weeks some photo shoots, acting, dancing and singing stuff will be coming your way so do keep an eye on what I’m up too!

 

Look out tomorrow for a swing-spirational dance video!

Remember to follow me on social media!

Instagram *  Facebook  * Twitter

Making a good start

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Well its been the first week back at work of 2016 and we’re all depressed as sin!

Apart from me of course! I’m very excited to be getting back to training this week started off with a contemporary class at dance city on Monday night, then Ballet on Thursday night too It was great fun seen some familiar faces and got some well needed stretching and toning done! I reviewed the class on my other blog Dance Culture North East.

Some pulmonary dates of public workshops happening in south shields. Coming up very soon for January February and March. I will hopefully announcing a venue for Newcastle and or Gateshead too for a monthly workshop! So get yourself signed up to the newsletter if you haven’t already and you will have first pick of limited places for these events.
There is also 20% off private workshop booked in January on this link too

In the meantime I have been getting flex-spiration for a new flexi cabaret act from some video’s on Youtube so here is one of my favourites! Enjoy

Miriam Lavelle – Flex-spiration

HH x

Chat conversation end

 

Happy new year!

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Hello lovely people! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
I am simply giddy  this new year new year I have lots of exciting ideas and plans whizzing about under my victory rolls! I’m finally in my new house and have space to make you guys some video’s which I am super happy about! Definitely some ‘how to’ dance videos going on the youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/hildyharland.

I’m also looking for venues for dance workshops. It’s going to be a marvellous January, I’m teaching a dance course for a local charity and hopefully getting up and running with my stretch and relax class too .

I have also started a dance networking blog for dancers and people interested in watching dance and participating in classes, which launches on 4th January so do go over and have a read on Monday https://www.danceculturenortheast.wordpress.com

So here’s to a new year with lots of fun and frolics!
H x

 

A little catch up

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Hi everyone well sad times last week! It was my last week of vintage-fit before Xmas. I’m so proud of the girls who have been coming to class some for a year now! They have come on leaps and bounds and put up with my scatty-ness and I love them for if!!!

I’m also getting ready to settle into my new flat just a bit more DIY to do. My new base camp will be Gateshead so I’m trying to make some new contacts in the area so please do get in touch if you have any interest in what I do and your from my new area.
As well as that I got onto the chorus of Sweeney Todd which I am over the moon about I have no specific character but am hoping to use it as a learning experience (and the chorus which is huge and sounds amazing).
I also taught at Newcastle Does Vintage last Saturday which was super fun, some familiar faces as well as some lovely new ones two and a bit of bonding over jazz with Dan Arnold and Janet Style the fab duo perform on the stage next to me!
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Well lots of stretching and preparation to do so I better get on!
Some stretching tips coming soon as well as some xmas party dance tips.
HH x

Getting technical in dance

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What a great day yesterday starting to see some fabulous progress with my vintage-fit ladies. I think it is so important to build up a foundation of skills before dance. I may be a bit weird in that my fascination with how the body moves means that the boring parts like getting the right posture and using the correct muscles in isolation exercises is really exciting for me. And safe to say it is even more thrilling to see my lovely classes really starting to get it!

As well as that, I have been practicing for an audition which I had at the weekend, I’m trying not to hope for a large part but secretly I want one. I think all performers get that though.
I have been practicing a song from Sweeney Todd. ‘The worst pies in London’, it is such a difficult song to learn the timing is a feat in itself. I may just try and record a little version for you people and get some opinions 🙂

Well I will leave you all with this which is a little taste of what is to come in December as my affiliation with ‘Mog on the Tyne’ cafe gets underway. So if you want to do some relaxation stretch and strengthen classes in the comforting presence of some super cute kitties.

 click the link to get a preveiw of me new relaxation strength and stretch class

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Watch this space. 🙂

HH x

 

winter is coming

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Well it is lovely to be back to my blog again, after working my bottom off for Edinburgh Fringe festival performing with One Moon Productions.

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What an experience, the performance was one thing but the atmosphere in Edinburgh throughout the festival was amazing, seen some fantastic performers and shows in big venues and small. I loved every moment and jumped at the chance to attend again next year when asked again just for a weeks run but I would be happy to do a secondary show too so any offers would be lovely ;-p

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But as quoted in the title ‘winter is coming’ and I have come home to the prospect of looking for more work for the run up to christmas. In the search for more work I had some fabulous headshots done a couple of weeks back which I will share with you over the next few posts,  by the fabulous and very talented Oliver Fowler.

I’m feeling very positive about the next couple of months and hopefully the struggles over the past year will be well worth it and I may be able to say I am fully self employed very soon.

A ‘shoulder pads’ week! And a smidge of politics!

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Hi peeps!

Well first you may be wondering what a ‘shoulder pads week’ actually is! In my quite unusual mind this means a business week attending meetings doing courses etc, because whenever I think of or am referred to as a business women or small business owner I always imagine 1980’s business women in shoulder pads with huge 80’s mobile phones for some reason.

80's business woman

So certainly a more positive blog this week even if a little later than usual however not that much has happened and I don’t have many pictures to show you from this week so one will just have to suffice!

First of all I have been really focusing on gaining funding both to do vintage dance workshops and for my other business Gladys Gladrags (www.gladysgladrags.wordpress.com) I am so passionate about providing a creative outlet not just for young people or older people but those people in the bracket between ages 25 and 50 who often are completely written off as needing nothing but to work and raise a family. What about the people who are like me and just want a little bit of recreation but who don’t earn a lot and can’t afford to go and have a hobby to learn new skills, gain confidence in themselves, relax, have some time to themselves and socialise (somewhere other than the pub).

I want to create this sort of hub of recreation of course it is all inclusive and anyone can join in the activities however my main aim is that age bracket who in actions rather than words are often told it is tough luck if they can’t afford to do these things and they just need to do more hours at work or get a second job (which a lot of people I know do have). That is not acceptable our society needs to accept that poverty in the ‘working classes’ (I hate to use a class system but unfortunately that is the awful truth at the moment) is a huge problem and needs addressing.

So I know that teaching people dance and crafts is not a necessity but it can help people to gain new skills, keep a physically healthy body as well as a healthy mind enabling them to relax, de-stress, have some rest-bite from family life and work which they might not be able to afford to do without a little help.

So following my own advice this week I have also done a little bit of recreation this week  so here is a little picture of me in my natural state 🙂

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So after this little rest I have been trying my utmost to make my business successful as well as being ethical and keeping to all of the ideals I promised I would not compromise on when I first started. A big help has been the South Tyneside Business Forum their events are very helpful and I would recommend them to any small business in the area.

I have also been planning paper craft workshops which will be held on May Day Monday 4th May, so come and drop b if you would like to learn to make paper flowers or if you would simply like to meet me and perhaps listen to me sing.

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Workshops will be held at Bedes World Museum (inside the museum) Church Bank, Jarrow, NE32 3DY.

between 12pm-1pm and 2pm-3pm

I will probably be performing in-between these times too.

So hope to see some of you guys and dolls then Hildy xx

A bit of a to do!

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Hi All,

 this week I have had a bit of an experience which I am sure a lot of other vintage or people with a strong and obvious style will probably have come across or been subject to at some point in there lives. And to be honest I get this quite a lot, but this week it just really got to me!

I got on the metro in my 1950’s polka dot dress with a rather large flower in my rather large up doo! I sat down and was struck by a man and woman (may I say at this point weren’t the best lookers in the world either and must have been in their 40’s old enough to know better)  who on me sitting down immediately looked me up and down and began to chat amongst themselves which often happens so I gave them a small grimace and that was that. Then however they proceeded to giggle and quite clearly talk about me as I began to innocently fiddle in my bag with make-up, as I was on my way to model for the wonderful Bernadette Koranteng and her artists. After this the woman got her camera phone out of her bag and actually took a picture of me (her phone made the shutter sound which she obviously was not counting on as she didn’t know what to do when I caught her), which I felt to be a complete invasion of my privacy and really infuriated me! I shot her a look that immediately gave the impression that I may dress like a lady but I may not behave like one if she continued to be so rude. She then loudly started to try and defend herself like it was an accident etc.

Anyway the fact is no matter how much you think you don’t care what other people think, some ignorant and hurtful person doing something like that at the wrong time can really get to a girl!

So the moral of the story is if you see a lady or gentleman dressed in away that you may deem different, weird, strange, unusual etc think before you act! You do not know them and should never judge someone for being different. Fair enough you might need to have a little look and that is fine and a normal human instinct however instead of laughing or looking them up and down simply smile and look away. Think how you would feel if that was you being openly mocked in public?

Not everyone is the same thank goodness! Variety is the spice of life, embrace creativity and unique style and admire those brave enough to be themselves no matter how outrageous!

Ok so finally now I have that off my chest here is a picture from the day in questionhh20

After the not so pleasant experience however Bernadette and her group made me feel and look like a million dollars! So a HUGE thanks to them 🙂

I will be back soon, hopefully on a much more positive note.

Hildy x

Times they are a-changin’

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Hi guys and dolls,

well not a huge amount has happened on the performance and teaching side this week just some quite boring behind the scenes stuff which I shan’t bother you with!

However in other parts of my life there has been HUGE changes!

My boyfriend and I are in the process of purchasing our first home together and I have had to change jobs to be nearer to where we will be living. So I have had to leave behind all of my lovely friends in the Jarrow shop where I worked for a year and seven months which was sad, I didn’t really want to go!

They bought me these lovely flowers as well as some stationary (which I am obsessed with), some bubbly which will not stay un-corked for much longer and a very generous amazon gift card!! Could a girl ask for anything more??

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Also in the coming week I will again be sitting for the lovely Bernadette Koranteng and her group of artists, here is a little picture she sent me of myself posing rather straigh faced :-p

11080470_659688434158743_6878723310398994577_o Can’t wait!

Well until next time! Hildy xx