Pictures from my portfolio

TUTS Guys & Dolls pics

My chickie costume...adorable!

HAVANA!

This is the full outfit.....

AND this is what I ended the number in!

Wedding/Finale

My GOOD friend Erin. she was, IS the best! Oh, and the girl can BLOW!

My "Havana" partner, Nathan. What an amazing dancer and such a wonderful partner!

I have many more pictures but I didn't want to overload y'all, so enjoy!

Back Again!

I'm back! I know, I know these long hiatuses are crazy, but rather than harp on them, I'm just going to jump right in. Since I've last written I've done a few things. I had my first SAG commercial audition, booked it, and then at the last minute (while on set and dressed!) had it fall through. I've booked and shot my first print ad for Minute Maid juice, and I've worked with the Houston Grand Opera in a lovely opera, La Traviata". I also did a couple of photo shoots while I was in "Guys & Dolls" (I'll post pictures up). I guess it would take a LOOONNGGG post to catch you up on everything I've done so far with details, so I won't even tackle that mountain! I will say that I feel that for me, 2012 is the year to step it up technically in all of my performance areas AND step it up as far as booking. I had some success and momentum at the end of 2011 and I opened it nicely with the HGO show. I pray that the rest of the year goes swimmingly. I'm now back in NYC and have already dove right into voice lessons, dance and acting classes. I'm starting to call this my "Put up or shut up!" year. I vow to take my training seriously and go even further than I did last year. I have some specific goals, but I'll do a separate post (promise, lol). I hope all of you who read my obscure, neglected blog will continue with me on my journey. Alright 2012....here we gooooooo!

First couple of days at TUTS

So I have officially started rehearsals for "Guys & Dolls" at Theatre Under The Stars. I can already tell that this will be a great experience for me. As an aspiring broadway dancer/actress, I need experience to up my skill set and performance experience. One thing I feel that a lot of dancers and actors fail to realize is how important experience in actual shows is. You can take class everyday but it in no way form or fashion able to replace BEING in a show. As I sat in my vocal rehearsal, I saw that even though I've improved in singing, I have much more work to do. In dance, I feel a lot more confident, but I know that I have a lot of work and progress to make there as well if I want to be a fierce competitor in NYC. As soon as I return home to NYC, I'm going straight back into Vic Dimonda's theatre dance class at Ailey. I will have at least one 30 minute session a week with my vocal teacher and make sure I practice on my own (which I haven't been doing). I really need to step it up several notches as far as training goes. I haven't really been pushing myself hard at all This show is definitely going to push and stretch me in many areas before it closes. Am I disappointed? Heck no! I'm very excited to have this opportunity and equally excited to get back to working hard and improving.

So I really want to stress how important it is to keep going. Even in times when it seems like nothing is happening, always strive to do 1-3 things that can help your career. I think that's what a lot of actors, dancers, etc. don't get. Even if I watch a movie, stretch for 15 minutes and do a facial while watching a movie (a good one, lol) I've hit all three areas of dancing, acting and modeling and they were so simple. For instance, tomorrow I'm seriously thinking of researching casting directors in the Texas - Central region to mail my headshot and resume. I have all these headshots and I don't want these to go to waste once I get new ones in about 6 months or so like the last ones. When I take the time to consciously do things to further my career everyday, no matter how small it may seem, I feel fulfilled and like I accomplished something...because I did.

Ron Warner Shoot

Here are some of the photos from my shoot with Ron Warner in NYC. I LOVE them!

Thanks for viewing!

Houston Vacay....well, not so much....

Finally made it back home! I'm enjoying my vacation. I've eaten at all of my favorite spots, driven quite a bit and of course I love seeing my family and friends. However, this trip is different from other times that I have come home. As I begin to gather momentum in my career and make strides I no longer want to be able to have strictly vacation time. I need to be working at all times and have opportunities to offset the cost of me returning home or going anywhere else. So my goals this trip were:

1) Set up photo shoots to build portfolio
2) Get a local agent to send me out on casting when I'm in town
3)Audition for Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS)

Before leaving NYC I looked up TUTS audition schedule to see when they were holding NYC auditions. I contacted the artistic director and told him my situation, which is that I am a native Houstonian that always just misses the local auditions and I would like the opportunity to audition. We emailed back and forth and he actually set me up with the choreographer for the upcoming show, "Guys and Dolls" Paula Sloan. The plan was for us to meet up in between her rehearsal for a project she was working on in NYC for her to audition me. That actually didn't happen. Instead of giving up, I prepared. I set up a voice lesson my last couple of days in NYC to work on which piece I would sing just in case I got an audition. I packed a couple of dance outfits and I always take headshots, resumes' and business cards anyway. I contacted both of them upon reaching Houston. There was actually an opening in the cast and I secured an audition. I felt very prepared and confident. I aced my audition easily. The director even told me unofficially before I left that I had gotten the part! This experience taught me to never give up and always be prepared for anything.
Also before leaving New York, I contacted agencies I wanted to meet with and told them my situation. There are only two SAG franchised agencies in Houston (A+ Actors and Bosby-Pastorini) and I knew I wanted to go with one of the two. I sent my headshot and resume to both and once I booked the show I sent out postcards letting them know. I hadn't heard anything and a few days later I did a follow up call to the agency I really wanted, A+ Actors, since I know agents can get really busy. Good thing I did because they really wanted to bring me in. I met with the agents this past Monday and I felt really comfortable with them and I sensed that they were were very aggressive in submitting their talent. They also had opportunities in Louisiana, Texas and even NYC. I feel very good about signing with them.
Rehearsals for the show start next week and it's a grueling schedule. I rehearse 6 days a week, for 7 hours a day. This is going to be a great experience for me and I know this will help me greatly on my road to being on Broadway.