Disconnected Dancing

Yesterday was the day of the schools annual music night and I was performing along with Ciara, Emily, Michaela and Emma. I spent half of the day helping to set up the hall for that night and practising with the rest of the Ty band. .

Our group or the Ty band were singing a mash up of Disconnected and Chocolate, Emily played the piano while Ciara and Michaela played guitar. We all sang which was terrifying to say the least, especially when I had to hold the mic because I was so worried I would drop it and deafen everyone. In the end though the performance went really well and it was really fun. 

Today we had the first of four hip hop classes instead of Pe, I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it because I'm so used to ballet but I actually ended up really enjoying it and it wasn't as hard to do as I thought it would be. Although I do still find myself looking too balletic but I'm getting there. I'm excited for the next few classes and possibly performing at the end of the year. Here's hoping I become a hip hop queen?

Lucid Drumming Dreams

On Friday we had the first round of the science competition scifest, we all set up our projects in the hall and waited for the judges. After staying up very late to finish my project I was finally finished and able to put my project up. My project was a study of lucid dreaming, which is any dream that one is aware one is dreaming. To do my project I surveyed students about lucid dreaming and compared my results to previous studies to try and find connections between lucid dreaming and factors such as hobbies and sleep disorders. 

Each project was judged at least twice, but the judges can go back and judge projects again so my project was judged four times in total. Turns out this was a good sign but I was worried.After lunch we were all dying to know who had gotten through, around 15 projects got through and then there were additional prizes like 1st place, 2nd place, highly commended and best communicator. I wasn't sure if I would get through but I did in the end and much to my surprise, I won the best communicator award. Emily's group won first place (slay bro) and Ciara also got through (also slay bro) so we are all going to the next round together woop.

On Thursday we had the drum workshop so we spent the day in the library playing african drums to different beats. We also spoke to the man who organised it about traveling and his experiences in different countries which was really interesting. Fun fact: He nearly died on a volcano. We watched a video about Africa and its music culture to show us that not all of africa is very poor and that there is more to it then we know. 

At the end of the day we got into groups and made up our own drumming performances, which was both hilarious and interesting. My group wasn't very good at coming up with an idea so we just followed what Anna was doing and hoped for the best. It didn't end very well but it was funny. 

Mini Company & Pancake Party

This Thursday we had the school round of the mini company finals. The night before was full of stress and last minute work but we managed to get everything together on time. The competition was being held in the hall so we all set up there in the morning and waited for the judges. I had to bring in a mannequin for my friend's mini company group, called Seem. We appropriately named the mannequin Deirdre Judy. For most of the day we were just waiting to be judged so Emily, Ciara and I used spare material to find ways to have fun like skipping and spinning, we are getting better at both of those things now.

After we had all spoken to the judges and tidied the hall, we were told who had gotten through to the nest round and who had won smaller categories. Our mini company Casevana unfortunately didn't win anything but we still had a good day.

Today we held a pancake party in aid of The National Children's Hospital Tallaght. I was on the pancake committee so I had to get more people to sell the pancakes and I helped to set the 'party' up. The Home Ec classes cooked over 200 pancakes that we sold at lunch. We sold the pancakes for 50c or €1 if you had a topping. It was a great success and we sold out in 10 minutes. 

Staging Schizophrenia

On Tuesday the 27th of January after a lot of practise, writing, directing and stress it was finally time for the briery gap drama competition. My group had a play called Schizophrenia, which is about a girl who is struggling with the mental disorder of schizophrenia and how it affects her life. We were all excited to see our play come to life but we were also very nervous it would go wrong.
                  
When we arrived in Mullingar (The land of Niall Horan woop), we found a dance studio which of course meant Sadbh and I had to spend time in there dancing when everyone was getting ready. We quickly practised the play before we went on stage and then it was time for us to perform. As a director I was off stage making sure everything was running smoothly. Our performance went really well and we got quite positive feedback so I am excited to see if we made it through to the next round.
                                

Young Scientist & Basketball Baes

On Thursday the 8th of January the TY's and 2nd years went to the RDS for the Young Scientist exhibition. There were 550 projects at the exhibition which meant we spent most of the day looking at the projects and making friends with people who had projects there. Shout out to Gabe and the guy with the project about cities, whose name I do not know. Some girls from our year had a project in the exhibition, which was about the ideal conditions for learning. In my opinion it was the best but I'm a little biased because Emily the bae was part of the group.

On Friday the 16th of January, the first year basketball players that I help coach had their first match in Athlone, which meant I got to go and help. When we arrived everyone was excited and we made sure that even if we didn't win we would still smell better then the other team. Although they tried hard and played amazingly, unfortunately the girls lost but they are determined to win next time. The long journey home was full of taking selfies, talking and eating which made the time go by quite fast. It was actually one of the highlights of my year so far and I have first year baes now. If anyone of you are reading this hellooo you guys are fab.

"People Will Stare. Make It Worth Their While"

After weeks of preparation the fashion show was this Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday morning the Cebridge Manor was definitely not ready which meant the TY's were needed to fix the place up. We spent the day painting the stage and stapling material to the side of the stage. It was very eventful, I had to go collect things which resulted in Ciara nearly getting hit in the head with a staple because Haven Hire didn't know how to use the staple gun and getting followed home by a creepy lady. By the end of the day though the Celbridge Manor looked fashion show ready.

The mini companies were selling at the fashion show which meant I was at the fashion show at 6pm (2 hours before the show started) We set up our stand and I got ready to dance and model. After that we were all just waiting for the show to begin which meant practising and stretching. Backstage was stressful to say the least. At one stage Sadbh and I had to put Anna's into a minute in less then a minute, we got it done but it was definitely stressful. 

Our dance went really well and all of the rehearsals were definitely worth it. 'Thinking Out Loud' will be stuck in my head forever now. Sadbh and I didn't forget the the dance or forget it so I'm very proud of us considering I had forgotten the dance earlier.

I was also a model for my some of my friends mini company 'Seem' I was modelling their jewellery and although backstage was stressful when we got on stage everything was fine, and everyone got a chance to see their jewellery. (You should buy some)

The fashion show was overall a success, my mini company (Casevana) sold quite a few cases and we have orders too. All the hard work everyone put in paid off and we had a fantastic show.

Vanishing Art

On Tuesday we went to an art exhibition in Carton House. The exhibition had pieces of art indoors and outdoors. We all got a map and Ciara and decided to be like tourists and walk around using the map. I ended up ripping the map thank to the wind. We saw lots of pieces of art like a pink T-Rex, dresses made of bronze, an owl made of paper and what Ciara and I like to call 'The Swag Man'.

We were there to look at the art but most people ended up looking at the Irish rugby team who were training there. I guess people classified them as moving art? I spent most of the day listening to Four with Ciara, stumbling into a fictional world(long story) and taking photos (yes we did take a selfie with the T-rex)

Thinking Out Loud & Casevana

Rehearsals for the fashion show have started and the countdown has begun. With only 3 weeks to go everybody is working hard to make sure we are all ready. I will be doing ballet in the fashion how along with other girls from different years. The ballet dance will be opening the wedding section of the fashion show so evryone is very excited for that. We have rehearals most lunch times and we also had a rehearsal after school on Thursday.

We are dancing to the Ed Sheeran song 'Thinking Out Loud.' We are still working on the dance as most of us are still learning it but we have gotten off to a very good start. I'm excited to see what the finished dance will look like and to see what the fashion show is like.

We are all currently working hard on our mini companies and my groups mini company is called 'Casevana' we will be selling custom made phone cases with a place to keep your headphones as well. We are ordering our first cases this week and after that it will be hard work to get all of the cases made and sold.