#alexis juliano

[jules-has-notes]

Total Vocal 2018 — a cappella concert

Beginning in 2015, a cappella legend Deke Sharon has hosted an annual concert each spring in collaboration with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). The hundreds of performers for Total Vocal include a combination of professional singers, student groups, and community groups of all ages from around the world.

For the fourth year in 2018, the featured artists were VoicePlay; Matt Sallee, who had just joined Pentatonix; Shelley Regner from the Pitch Perfect movies and the newly formed DCappella; and the Shemesh Quartet, a choral ensemble made up of opera students from the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City.

The show was livestreamed via Facebook for the first time in its history, and the recording was later uploaded to YouTube in two parts.

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Act 1 performances

[1:30] — "I Got the Music In Me" by the Kiki Dee Band — ensemble, feat. Lydia Browell, Gabriella Derke, Alexis DiLucia, Kat Hammock, Mary Laster, Chloe Mesogitis, Sara Parker, Alexandra Prodanuk, Carson Richmond, & Hannah Salley

[6:38] — "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" by Nat King Cole — ensemble

[11:58] — "Toxic" by Britney Spears (arr. from Pitch Perfect 3) — women's ensemble

[16:35] — "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones — Room 100 (Peters Township HS, Pittsburgh, PA)

[21:15] — "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner — men's ensemble

[25:15] — "Lollipops and Roses" by Jack Jones — ensemble

[29:30] — Latin medley — Shemesh Quartet

[37:40] — "When She Loved Me" by Randy Newman for Toy Story 2 (arr. for DCappella) — ensemble

[42:00] — "Mercy" by Duffy — Evolve (Chesapeake HS, Pasadena, MD)

[47:00] — Percussion solo — Layne Stein

[49:20] — "Sing Sing Sing" by Louis Prima — ensemble, feat. Layne Stein

[53:45] — "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie (arr. from The Sing-Off, s.3,ep.5) — ensemble, feat. Matt Sallee & Layne Stein

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Act 2 performances

[0:58] — "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon (arr. from The Sing-Off, s.2,ep.2) — ensemble, feat. Amanda Gomma Allan, Clare Cay, Jenna Dearness-Dark, Sarah Jackson, Gwendolen James, Madeleine James, Abigail Moore, Daniel Peet, Dennis Seifert, Penelope Simpkins, Anya Small, Emily Summerling, & Jaimie Volkaerts

[5:40] — "Deep Beneath the City" / "Not There Yet" from In Transit — ensemble, feat. Kari Francis

[11:30] — "Waving Through A Window" from Dear Evan Hansen — VoicePlay

[16:40] — "Dangerous Woman" by Ariana Grande (arr. for Vocalosity) — women's ensemble

[22:05] — "Royals" by Lorde — Psycho-Chor der FSU Jena (Jena, Germany)

[27:30] — "F You" by Lily Allen (arr. from Pitch Perfect) — ensemble, feat. Candice Helfand-Rogers

[30:00] — "When I'm Gone" by The Carter Family (aka "Cups" from Pitch Perfect) — No Treble (Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, India)

[33:15] — "Walkin' On Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves (arr. for Groove 66) — ensemble, feat. Shelley Regner

[37:40] — "If I Loved You" from Carousel (arr. for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus) — ensemble

[40:45] — "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess — ensemble, feat. Deke Sharon & Kari Francis

[46:00] — "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (arr. from The Sing-Off s.1,ep.4 & 2015 national tour) — ensemble, feat. VoicePlay, Candice Helfand-Rogers, Shelley Regner & Matt Sallee

[49:40] — "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens — ensemble, all featured guests, & audience

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Trivia:

The show received glowing praise from Jeffrey Williams on the New York Concert Review site.

A full list of the participating vocal groups can be found on the DCINY website.

Shelley Regner was also a featured performer at the first Total Vocal in 2015.

Layne recorded a bit of the group finale number during rehearsal on the day before the concert.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

Fellow beatboxer Kari Francis got the reverse angle.

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A post shared by Kari Francis (@huzzahcappella)

J.None filmed a quick video at the post-show dinner with the other featured performers and friends, including some of his and Shelley's fellow DCappella members, as well as Bryant Vance and Hannah Juliano from Vocalosity. (scroll to the second-to-last slide)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.None 🧈🎶 🎙📝🎬🎹🎸📽🤣 (@itsjnone)

The Shemesh Quartet documented their trip in a video, mostly the travel, sightseeing, and rehearsal parts.

The director of the Rock Vox Choir from Ely, England also recorded much of her group's journey. The VoicePlay guys can be seen during rehearsals starting at ~18:45.

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Additional photos

[acebolibro]

Booklist

My current booklist, with a little over 200 books total, some of which I am currently reading and two that I've finished. Everything will be in alphabetical order and below the cut because this is gonna be a long one.

Please also keep in mind that there may be issues with the listed writers or books that I don't know (I don't really inhabit spaces where I'd find this information out and googling every book or writer I find to see if they're controversial is depressing and I'm not doing that). I'd still like to know though so if you see someone on my list give me a heads up.

A

🤎 A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ni Ghriofa

🤍 A Magic Steeped In Poison by Judy I. Lin

🤎 A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

🤍 After the Sun by Jonas Eika

🤎 Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

🤍 All Flesh Is Grass by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell

🤍 All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

🤎 All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thompson Mathews

🤍 Annhilation by Jeff Vandermeer

🤎 Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum

🤍 August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White

B

🤎 Before the Coffe Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

🤍 Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

🤎 Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

🤍 Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens

🤎 Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

🤍 Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith

🤎 Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi

C

🤎 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

🤍 Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka

🤎 City by Clifford D. Simak

🤍 City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer

🤎 Cold Enough For Snow by Jessica Au

🤍 Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (COMPLETED)

🤎 Coraline by Neil Gaiman

🤍 Crying in H Mart by Michell Zauner

D

🤎 Dead Astronauts by Jeff Vandermeer

🤍 Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

🤎 Devil House by John Darnielle

🤍 Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

🤎 Dishonored: The Corroded Man by Adam Christopher

🤍 Dishonored: The Return of Daud by Adam Christopher

🤎 Dishonored: The Veiled Terror by Adam Christopher

🤍 Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

🤎 Don't Say We Didn't Warn You by Ariel Delgado Dixon

E

🤍 Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

🤎 Edenville by Sam Rebelein

🤍 Edge Case by Yz Chin

🤎 Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin

🤍 Enchanted Pilgrimage by Clifford D. Simak

F

🤎 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (COMPLETED)

🤍 Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

🤎 Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin

🤍 Fire Season by Leyna Know

🤎 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

🤍 Flux by Orion Carloto

🤎 Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

🤍 Funny You Should Ask by Elisa Sussman

G

🤎 Ghost Forest by Pik Shuen Fung

🤍 Ghosted by Jenn Ashworth

🤎 Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

🤍 Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

🤎 Gods of Want by K-Ming Chang

🤍 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation #1 by Mō Xiāng Tóng Xiū

🤎 Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

H

🤍 Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

🤎 Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami

🤍 Heaven's Official Blessing #1 by Mō Xiāng Tóng Xiū

🤎 Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh

🤍 House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

🤎 Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky

I

🤍 I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

🤎 I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-Hee

🤍 Idol, Burning by Rin Usami

🤎 If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

🤍 Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

🤎 Insatiable by Daisy Buchanan

🤍 Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flynn

J

🤎 Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang

K

🤍 Kamikaze Girls by Novala Takemoto

🤎 Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

🤍 Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

🤎 Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

L

🤍 Laserwriter II by Tamara Shopsin

🤎 Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

🤍 Letter to a Future Lover by Ander Monson

🤎 Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

🤍 Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

🤎 Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

🤍 Loteria by Cynthia Pelayo

🤎 Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

M

🤍 Made to Kill by Adam Christopher

🤎 Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

🤍 Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer

🤎 Memorial by Bryan Washington

🤍 Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

🤎 Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathaniel West

🤍 Mister N by Najwa Barakat

🤎 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

🤍 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H. by Robert C. O'Brien

🤎 Ms. Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami

🤍 My Year Abroad byChang Rae-Lee

N

🤎 Never Whistle At Night by Shane Hawk

🤍 Night Film by Marisha Pessl

🤎 Nobody Is Ever Missing by Catherine Lacey

🤍 Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

🤎 Normal People by Sally Rooney

O

🤍 O Beautiful by Jung Yun

🤎 Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

🤍 Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint by Sing Shong

🤎 Our Wives Under the Sun by Julia Armfield

P

🤍 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

🤎 Paradise Rot by Jenny Hual

🤍 People From My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami

🤎 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

🤍 Popisho by Leone Ross

🤎 Postmarked the Stars by Andre Norton

🤍 Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin

Q

R

🤎 Revival Season by Monica West

🤍 Ringworld #1 by Larry Niven

S

🤎 Saltwater by Jessica Andrews

🤍 Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada

🤎 Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

🤍 Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow

🤎 Send Nudes by Saba Sams

🤍 So Bright the Vision by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 Solo Leveling #1 by Chugong

🤍 Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

🤎 Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin

🤍 Speak, Okinawa by Elizabeth Miki Brina

🤎 Stories from Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Rofena

🤍 Strange Weather In Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

🤎 Supper Club by Lara Williams

🤍 Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

🤎 Swimming In the Dark by Tamasz Jedrowski

T

🤍 Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel

🤎 Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki

🤍 Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima

🤎 The Vietri Project by Nicola DeRobertis-Theye

🤍 The Beast You Are: Stories by Paul Tremblay

🤎 The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

🤍 The City Inside by Samit Basu

🤎 The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

🤍 The Deep by Rivers Solomon

🤎 The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

🤍 The End of the Moment We Had by Toshiki Okada

🤎 The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada

🤍 The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski

🤎 The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang

🤍 The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

🤎 The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oli

🤍 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

🤎 The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

🤍 The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada

🤎 The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

🤍 The Houseguest and Other Stories by Amparo Davila

🤎 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

🤍 The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

🤎 The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

🤍 The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

🤎 The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

🤍 The Local by Joey Hartstone

🤎 The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

🤍 The Midcoast by Adam White

🤎 The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

🤍 The Nakano Thrift Store by Hiromi Kawakami

🤎 The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected In the Water by Zen Cho

🤍 The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

🤎 The Pachinko Parlour by Elisa Shua Dusapin

🤍 The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

🤎 The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

🤍 The Rig by Roger Levy

🤎 The Rock Eaters by Brenda Peynado

🤍 The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mō Xiāng Tóng Xiū

🤎 The Secret History by Donna Tart

🤍 The Stange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer

🤎 The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

🤍 The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

🤎 The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien

🤍 The Visitors by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber

🤍 The Werewolf Principle by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 The White Book by Han Kang

🤍 The World After the Fall by Sing Shong

🤎 They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

🤍 They Walked Like Men by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

🤍 This One Sky Day by Leone Ross

🤎 This Weightless World by Adam Soto

🤍 This World Is Full of Monsters by Jeff Vandermeer

🤎 Those Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin

🤍 Time and Again by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri

🤍 Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist

U

V

W

🤎 Way Station by Clifford D. Simak

🤍 We Play Ourselves by Jen Silverman

🤎 Weather by Jenny Offrill

🤍 Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo

🤎 Welcome to Nightvale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

🤍 What Is Not Your Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

🤎 What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

🤍 When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo

🤎 When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

🤍 Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

🤎 Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes

🤍 Where the Evil Dwells by Clifford D. Simak

🤎 Why Call Them Back From Heaven? by Clifford D. Simak

🤍 Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin

🤎 Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle

X

Y

🤍 You Have A Friend In 10A by Maggie Shipstead

🤎 You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

🤍 Yvinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Z

[amphiptere-fr]

I have such a weakness for tiny adoptables. I am gonna try and get more. By YeOldeProspector (FR thread)

[alistonjdrake]

Part Three: The Other Rios Princess

Princess Sandra ana’Juliano Rios Born: Year 1730 after the fall of the Saints Parents: King Juliano an’Bernabé Rios & Queen Marisol ana’Alexis Barraza Spouse: Sebastian an’Johannes Harver

Historically, Princess Sandra is not a significant character. Even before the Siege of Graza and her marriage to Prince Sebastian, she was hardly a figure in court politics. She spent much of her childhood in Orrasas with her Barraza cousins or in country estates throughout Escan. We can likely count on one hand how often she saw her father before his death. Her relationship with her sister and mother even less known, certainly as it did not bother her to abandon Queen Isolde in Graza and she never visited Queen Marisol during her imprisonment. 

As a child, Sandra was spoiled. Likely no more than anyone else on this list, but she really took to spoiling. In their eagerness to earn favor with her father, Sandra was doted on by many of her hosts when she would stay in their homes. She was constantly showered in expensive gifts in the form of clothing, jewelry, horses.

At times when she was in Orrasas, she would spend a lot of time with her mother Queen Marisol. They were considerably close when Sandra was a child. If Isolde belonged to King Juliano, Sandra was Queen Marisol’s child. They delighted in throwing famous tea parties, briefly making Orrasas a competitor for the center of high society Escana to meet with with one another (not a hard thing to do since, before King Frederick, Graza was not nearly as busy and was often considered an inconvenience).

Sandra was not very mindful of her education. Her tutors would say she was easily distracted. An eager student but a hard one to get to focus. Sandra easily jumped from one hobby to another. She took up painting, then poetry, then horse-riding, then music. She never stuck to anything for very long and she was never especially talented either. But what Sandra lacked in skill she more than made up for with enthusiasm and confidence. 

She was fifteen when her father died and very little seemed to change in her life, even after Queen Isolde took up arms against King Frederick. Just as she had before, Sandra spent very little time in Graza. In fact, it’s said she even remarked that she was not aware there was not a conflict until a year later as she’d spent time in one of her cottages near the Kellish border. 

She was eighteen when she married Prince Sebastian. Sandra tried to avoid her wedding entirely. She was outspoken about her distaste for the “Tadrune Invaders” and when envoys arrived at the country estate she resided during the Siege of Graza, she tried to bribe them. She managed to slip away from the carriage three times before eventually being caught.

Sandra and Prince Sebastian were married in Graza Palace’s chapel, a considerably smaller service than the one afforded to their other siblings and much fewer guests. Their wedding was attended by the princess’ ladies-in-waiting, a few Oskyan guards, and some of King Juliano’s old advisers just so they could stand witness to the proceedings. 

They had no wedding party so not to distract from the events of King Frederick and Queen Isolde’s union (as well as to not be offensively extravagant as Graza still needed to rebuild and recover from the siege), all things that angered Sandra. Although not thrilled about the marriage, a boring wedding bothered her just as much. 

They did share a dinner together after the ceremony where Sandra allegedly remarked that she would rather be dead than live as Sebastian’s wife. 

Once King Frederick and Queen Isolde settled into Graza Palace and the pregnancy announcement was made, Sandra moved out of the palace and into Graza. She did not stay for long as the city’s construction and overall noise bothered her deeply. 

It’s implied that Lady Helena likely came to Sandra and told her she was welcome to stay with Queen Marisol under watch in Tadrus. Sebastian spoke up for her. Everyone was willing to forget about Queen Marisol. She had never been a present queen or a very popular one, but their reputation could not take placing the Rios princess in bondage especially after the story spread that Queen Isolde had tried to bite King Frederick’s hand during the surrender. 

So, Sandra was allowed to do as she pleased and to go where she wanted. She never left Escan but she rarely made an appearance in Graza unless she had to. Sandra spent her adult life just as she had her childhood. She traveled from one house to the other, being doted on and spoiled (only this time by people who were hoping to get on the good side of the Harvers). 

She and her ladies stayed away from cities. Sandra loved cottages and country estates. By the time was twenty, she had around a hundred horses split between five homes and she liked taking them for rides in the hills. She became interested in leisure sports and garden strolls. Unlike others from her father’s time, Sandra was a big fan of the fashion changes King Frederick made. She found the gowns and their details very appealing to the eye and she loved the contrast between her apparent glamour and the relatively small homes she stayed in. 

Sandra was welcomed everywhere she went. She became very good at hiring ladies who knew court gossip so she was never out of the loop, and the lesser nobles she visited were just as eager to hear snippets from Graza about the infamous royal family. 

It’s unknown if she ever had any relationships outside of her marriage. It’s likely. Sandra never stayed in one place for very long and was always very keen on keeping a close circle of people who were very loyal to her. She collected people as much as she did things. At times she’d even nickname her ladies after her horses if she felt particularly close to them. 

As a couple, she did not find Sebastian very interesting and he never knew how to talk to her. She kept a diary so it is known that there was attempts at some sort of reconciliation after the death of Queen Isolde, but Sandra certainly never stopped hating King Frederick and never forgave her husband for his “Tadrune roots”.

However, Sandra was happy at the news that they were going to have a child. Perhaps she wanted one or perhaps at the moment the discovery was made, she thought back to the tea parties she used to throw with her mother. 

Princess Damaris was born in 1759 and it’s (allegedly) said that when she was held up for Sandra to view, that she wailed and shouted that her daughter was ugly. 

Sandra and Princess Damaris never got along, and this was something she would also hold against Sebastian as she would be overheard saying that it was his fault that their child was such a disaster. Sandra was disgusted by Princess Damaris, almost convinced that she’d been some sort of curse and was not her natural offspring. Almost immediately, Sandra placed Princess Damaris in the care of a wet nurse and fled Graza again (not before apparently lecturing Sebastian and assuring him there would be no second attempt at creating a child). Furthermore, pregnancy did not suit her and Sandra truly did feel as if it had been a lapse of judgment. She hardly wanted to be around Damaris until she could speak and walk, and once she could she hated everything she said. 

Their mother-daughter relationship would continue to be strained. Sandra saw Princess Damaris as little as possible, even when she did visit Graza. Although, in her own words her dislike for her daughter was its own form of kindness as lying would be cruel. Sandra felt personally insulted both by Damaris’ appearance and knight training, her lack of interest in her mother’s hobbies and lifestyle, and her closeness to Sebastian as if it was her who forced the marriage between them. It seemed much of the grudge Sandra really had for King Frederick and Sebastian, she took out on her daughter. 

Sebastian would die in 1779 and Sandra made the vow to no longer visit Graza as she no longer saw any reason to. She continued to live comfortably in charming estates away from the capital, and to hear her say it she never had a family at all. 

[popradar]

Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees Announced

ICYMI: The Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced last week, with Eliza Hittman’s drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always leading with seven nominations. For the first time in Spirit Awards history, five new TV award categories were announced: Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series, Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

Winners, who are selected by Film Independent Members, will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Thursday, April 22. The awards ceremony is also changing this year from a live daytime event on a Saturday afternoon to prime time on  Thursday, broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT.

FILM CATEGORIES

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

First Cow Producers: Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf

Minari Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh

Never Rarely Sometimes Always Producers: Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski

Nomadland Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

I Carry You With Me Director/Producer: Heidi Ewing Producers: Edher Campos, Mynette Louie, Gabriela Maire

The Forty-Year-Old Version Director/Producer: Radha Blank Producers: Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jordan Fudge, Rishi Rajani, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe

Miss Juneteenth Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples Producers: Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Jeanie Igoe, James M. Johnston, Theresa Steele Page, Neil Creque Williams

Nine Days Director: Edson Oda Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Matthew Lindner, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner

Sound of Metal Director: Darius Marder Producers: Bill Benz, Kathy Benz, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

The Killing of Two Lovers Writer/Director/Producer: Robert Machoian Producers: Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford

La Leyenda Negra Writer/Director: Patricia Vidal Delgado Producers: Alicia Herder, Marcel Perez

Lingua Franca Writer/Director/Producer: Isabel Sandoval Producers: Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo

Residue Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima

Saint Frances Director/Producer: Alex Thompson Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan Producers: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp

BEST DIRECTOR

Lee Isaac Chung Minari

Emerald Fennell Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Kelly Reichardt First Cow

Chloé Zhao Nomadland

BEST SCREENPLAY

Lee Isaac Chung Minari

Emerald Fennell Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Mike Makowsky Bad Education

Alice Wu The Half of It

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Kitty Green The Assistant

Noah Hutton Lapsis

Channing Godfrey Peoples Miss Juneteenth

Andy Siara Palm Springs

James Sweeney Straight Up

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Jay Keitel She Dies Tomorrow

Shabier Kirchner Bull

Michael Latham The Assistant

Hélène Louvart Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Joshua James Richards Nomadland

BEST EDITING

Andy Canny The Invisible Man

Scott Cummings Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Merawi Gerima Residue

Enat Sidi I Carry You With Me

Chloé Zhao Nomadland

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Nicole Beharie Miss Juneteenth

Viola Davis Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Sidney Flanigan Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Julia Garner The Assistant

Frances McDormand Nomadland

Carey Mulligan Promising Young Woman

BEST MALE LEAD

Riz Ahmed Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Adarsh Gourav The White Tiger

Rob Morgan Bull

Steven Yeun Minari

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Alexis Chikaeze Miss Juneteenth

Yeri Han Minari

Valerie Mahaffey French Exit

Talia Ryder Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Yuh-jung Youn Minari

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Colman Domingo Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Orion Lee First Cow

Paul Raci Sound of Metal

Glynn Turman Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Benedict Wong Nine Days

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

One Night in Miami… Director: Regina King Casting Director: Kimberly R. Hardin Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Collective Director/Producer: Alexander Nanau Producers: Hanka Kastelicová, Bernard Michaux, Bianca Oana

Crip Camp Directors/Producers: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham Producer: Sara Bolder

Dick Johnson is Dead Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

The Mole Agent Director: Maite Alberdi Producer: Marcela Santibáñez

Time Director/Producer: Garrett Bradley Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Bacurau Brazil Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho

The Disciple India Director: Chaitanya Tamhane

Night of the Kings Ivory Coast Director: Philippe Lacôte

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time Hungary Director: Lili Horvát

Quo Vadis, Aida? Bosnia and Herzegovina Director: Jasmila Žbanić

PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Kara Durrett

Lucas Joaquin

Gerry Kim

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

David Midell Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Ekwa Msangi Director of Farewell Amor

Annie Silverstein Director of Bull

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Cecilia Aldarondo Director of Landfall

Elegance Bratton Director of Pier Kids

Elizabeth Lo Director of Stray

TELEVISON CATEGORIES

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Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children Executive Producers: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett, Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius

City So Real Produced by: Zak Piper, Steve James Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, Jolene Pinder

Immigration Nation Executive Producers: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson Co-Executive Producers: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber

Love Fraud Executive Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman

We’re Here Creators/Executive Producers: Stephen Warren, Johnnie Ingram Executive Producers: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Peter LoGreco Co-Executive Producers: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

I May Destroy You Creator/Executive Producer: Michaela Coel Executive Producers: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni

Little America Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector, Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon

Small Axe Executive Producers: Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner, Steve McQueen

A Teacher Creator/Executive Producer: Hannah Fidell Executive Producers: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski

Unorthodox Creator/Executive Producer: Anna Winger Creator: Alexa Karolinski Executive Producer: Henning Kamm

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Elle Fanning The Great

Shira Haas Unorthodox

Abby McEnany Work in Progress

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Never Have I Ever

Jordan Kristine Seamón We Are Who We Are

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Adam Ali Little America

Nicco Annan P-Valley

Conphidance Little America

Amit Rahav Unorthodox

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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

I May Destroy You Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Stephen Wight

[culturizando]

La historia de Anastasia Románova

La Gran Duquesa Anastasia de Rusia, Anastasia Nikoláyevna Románova (Великая княжна Анастасия Николаевна Романова) fue la hija más joven del emperador Nicolás II, el último zar de la Rusia Imperial, y de su esposa Alejandra Fiódorovna.

Fue asesinada junto al resto de su familia el 17 de julio de 1918 por fuerzas de la policía secreta bolchevique. La leyenda de que Anastasia había sobrevivido a la Revolución Rusa estuvo vigente durante todo el siglo XX y muchas impostoras afirmaron ser la princesa.

La más famosa de ellas fue Anna Anderson, pero a pesar del apoyo que le prestaron muchas personas que habían conocido a Anastasia, las pruebas de ADN de Anderson en su pañuelo y pelo revelaron que no tenía ningún parentesco con la Gran Duquesa.

A continuación te presentamos de manera cronológica la historia de Anastasia Romanova:

Anastasia Nikoláyevna nació el 5 de junio de 1901 en Peterhof, Rusia, según el calendario juliano, vigente en ese país hasta 1918. Según el calendario gregoriano era el 18 de junio.

Anastasia fue la hermana menor de la Gran Duquesa Olga, la Gran Duquesa Tatiana y la Gran Duquesa María, y la hermana mayor de Alexis Nikoláyevich Románov, zarévich de Rusia.

El título que ostentaba, siguiendo una traducción literal, sería el de Gran Princesa, aludiendo a que Anastasia, como Alteza Imperial, tenía mayor rango que las otras princesas europeas, que sólo eran Altezas Reales. Gran Duquesa es la forma más ampliamente usada en español y otros idiomas a la hora de traducir el rango de las hijas de Nicolás II de Rusia.

Las hijas del zar fueron criadas de la manera más austera posible. Dormían en duros catres plegables sin almohadas, excepto cuando estaban enfermas.

La mayoría de los habitantes de la casa, incluyendo a los criados, llamaban normalmente a la Gran Duquesa por su primer nombre y el patronímico, Anastasia Nikoláyevna, y no usaban el título de “Su Alteza Imperial”.

Fue descrita como de corta estatura y algo regordeta, con ojos azules, y de pelo rojizo casi rubio. Muy a menudo descrita como una muchacha brillante y de gran talento.

La madre de Anastasia, la zarina Alejandra, confiaba ciegamente en los consejos de Grigori Rasputín, un campesino ruso y stárets –guía espiritual- ambulante, con fama de hombre santo, cuyos rezos supuestamente habían aliviado los dolores del joven Alexis muchas veces –quien padecía de ataque de hemofilia-. Anastasia y sus hermanas fueron cultivadas para ver a Rasputin como “nuestro amigo” y “confidente”.

En la primavera de 1910 María Ivánovna Vishniákova, una doncella real, denunció que Rasputin la había violado. Vishiákova dijo que la zarina se negó a creerle y que insistió en que “todo lo que Rasputin hace es santo”.

Sin embargo los rumores persistieron, hasta el punto que se decía que Rasputin no sólo había seducido a la zarina, sino también a las cuatro Grandes Duquesas. Estos rumores aumentaron considerablemente cuando el propio Rasputin divulgó las cartas que la zarina y sus hijas le enviaban. “Mi querido, hermoso, mi único amigo”, escribía Anastasia. “Cuantas ganas tengo de verte otra vez. Hoy he soñado contigo. Siempre le pregunto a Mamá cuando vendrás… Pienso en ti siempre, cariño, porque eres tan bueno conmigo…” A estas revelaciones siguieron la circulación de unos dibujos pornográficos que representaban a Rasputin manteniendo relaciones sexuales con la zarina y sus cuatro hijas.

A raíz del escándalo el zar, a pesar de la fuerte oposición de su esposa, ordenó a Rasputin que abandonara San Petersburgo por un tiempo, con lo que éste se fue de peregrino a Israel. A pesar de los rumores, la unión entre la familia imperial y el monje continuó hasta el asesinato de éste el 17 de diciembre de 1916 (29 de diciembre según el calendario gregoriano).

Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial Anastasia, junto a su hermana María, solía visitar a los soldados heridos en un hospital privado situado en los terrenos de Tsárskoye Seló (la Villa de los Zares). Las dos adolescentes, demasiado jóvenes para pertenecer a la Cruz Roja como su madre y sus dos hermanas mayores, jugaban con los soldados para levantarles el ánimo.

En febrero de 1917 estalló la Revolución rusa, que obligó a Nicolás II a abdicar del trono. Anastasia y su familia fueron puestos bajo arresto domiciliario en el Palacio de Alejandro, en Tsárskoye Seló, pero dada la cercanía de las fuerzas bolcheviques Aleksandr Kérensky, del gobierno provisional, desplazó a la familia hasta Tobolsk, en Siberia. Una vez los bolcheviques se hicieron con el control de la mayor parte de Rusia, Anastasia y su familia fueron trasladados a la Casa Ipátiev, en Ekaterimburgo.

En sus últimos meses de vida, Anastasia intentó llevar su cautiverio de la mejor forma posible. Junto a otros miembros de la casa organizaba juegos para deleitar a sus padres durante la primavera de 1918.

Tras la abdicación del zar Nicolás II Rusia entró vertiginosamente en una guerra civil. Las negociaciones para la liberación de la familia imperial entre los bolcheviques (llamados el Ejército Rojo) y el resto de la familia, muchos de ellos importantes miembros de casas reales europeas, se suspendieron.

Para la mayoría de historiadores Anastasia fue asesinada junto al resto de su familia la mañana del 17 de julio de 1918 por un pelotón de fusilamiento. La ejecución extrajudicial fue llevada a cabo por miembros de la policía secreta bolchevique al mando de Yákov Yurovski.

Se descubrió que algunas de las balas de los ejecutores se habían quedado incrustadas en los corsés de algunas de las Grandes Duquesas. Esto se debía a las joyas y piedras preciosas que las muchachas habían cosido dentro de sus ropas, para evitar que sus captores se las quitaran, involuntariamente les habían servido de armadura contra las balas. Yurovski escribió que Anastasia y María se acurrucaron contra una pared con las manos en la cabeza, antes de ser alcanzadas por los disparos. Sin embargo otro guardia, Piotr Yermakov, le explicó a su mujer que Anastasia había sido rematada a bayonetazos. Cuando llevaron los cuerpos fuera, una o más de una de las chicas empezaron a llorar, y fueron rematadas con golpes en la cabeza, según escribió Yurovski.

La posible supervivencia de Anastasia es una de las grandes leyendas del siglo XX. En 1922 los rumores sobre que una de las Grandes Duquesas o, incluso, toda la familia habían sobrevivido propició la aparición en Alemania de una mujer que se hacía llamar Anna Anderson.

Fue encontrada a punto de suicidarse en el puente del río Spree en Berlín (Alemania), dos años después de la masacre. Fue internada sin identificar en una institución para enfermos mentales, donde dos años después aseguró ser la Gran Duquesa Anastasia, que había sido declarada muerta en Ekaterimburgo. Siempre hubo confusión en cuanto a la verdadera identidad de Anna Anderson debido a los supuestos conocimientos que tenía sobre Anastasia que, según se decía, solo la verdadera Gran Duquesa podía conocer. Algunos familiares de los Románov declararon que probablemente Anna era la Gran Duquesa, pero otros nunca estuvieron convencidos. Pero Anna Anderson fue la que creó el mito y convirtió la leyenda de Anastasia en famosa.

La batalla por conocer su verdadera identidad se convirtió en el juicio más largo de la historia de Alemania, ya que se inició en 1938 y fue oficialmente cerrado en 1970. El veredicto final estableció que Anna Anderson no pudo aportar suficientes pruebas para demostrar que era la Gran Duquesa. Pero también se estableció que la muerte de Anastasia no se podía confirmar como hecho probado.

Anderson fue una de las al menos diez mujeres que afirmaban ser Anastasia. Algunas menos conocidas fueron Nadezhda Ivanovna Vasilyeva y Eugenia Smith. Dos jóvenes que afirmaban ser Anastasia y su hermana María fueron encontradas por un sacerdote de los Montes Urales, donde vivieron como monjas hasta su muerte en 1964. Fueron enterradas bajo los nombres de Anastasia y María Nikolaevna.

La entrada La historia de Anastasia Románova aparece primero en culturizando.com | Alimenta tu Mente.

[fairycatlibrarian]

My daughter and I saw "Stomp" at the Orpheum Theatre in NYC last week (got a great groupon deal) and it was fantastic! I saw it in Philly about 15 years ago and it hasn't lost its power to amaze. Two of the performers, Alexis Juliano and Manny Osoria, hung out afterwards to take pics - Camellia was thrilled. This is the perfect first "grown-up" show to take kids to see. The performance also inspires a lot of ideas for making music for a children's library program - in one piece three performers tried to outdo each other by making music with items found in a trash bag, and it was so much fun, from pushing a straw in and out of a take-away cup lid to swishing plastic bags. There are DVDs available from either a local library or for purchase on Amazon.

[blogtintonghop24h]

Tin HOT bóng đá sáng 23/3: Arsenal mạo hiểm với Ozil, Sanchez

Vì top 4, Arsenal hoãn gia hạn với Ozil, Sanchez: Trong bài phỏng vấn mới đây, HLV Arsene Wenger thừa nhận, Arsenal đã hoãn kế hoạch gia hạn hợp đồng với Alexis Sanchez và Mesut Ozil để tập trung cho nhiệm vụ cạnh tranh top 4 ở Premier League.

Arsenal ưu tiên mục tiêu vào top 4 Premier League hơn kế hoạch gia hạn hợp đồng với Alexis, Ozil

“Arsenal đã hoãn mọi kế hoạch đàm phán hợp đồng với Alexis và Ozil để tập trung vào giai đoạn cuối của mùa giải. Vấn đề này sẽ được CLB xem xét  trong mùa hè”, trích lời nhà cầm quân người Pháp.

Hiện tại, hợp đồng giữa Alexis, Ozil và Arsenal chỉ còn thời hạn tới hè 2018, tuy nhiên 2 siêu sao này đều tỏ ra chần chừ trong việc g���n bó với”Pháo thủ”.

Monaco từ chối 96 triệu bảng cho "Henry mới": AS đưa tin, Monaco vừa từ chối bán Kylian Mbappe – tài năng trẻ đang rất "hot" ở châu Âu cho một CLB Premier League. Đáng nói hơn, mức giá mà CLB này đưa ra sẽ giúp tiền đạo 18 tuổi vượt Pogba để trở thành cầu thủ đắt nhất lịch sử bóng đá: 96 triệu bảng (110 triệu euro).

"Tiểu Pirlo" muốn rời PSG: Người đại diện của tiền vệ Marco Verratti, Donato Di Campli đã tuyên bố, thân chủ mình "muốn giành chiến thắng, nhưng không thể làm được điều này tại PSG". Thông tin này khiến cho các đội bóng muốn có sự phục vụ của "tiểu Pirlo" thời gian qua như Barca, Juventus hay Chelsea vô cùng phấn khích.

Chelsea đại chiến Real vì sao Juventus: Alex Sandro, hậu vệ trái tài năng của Juventus vừa trở thành mục tiêu tranh giành của hai đại diện đến từ Premie League và La Liga. Về phía nhà ĐKVĐ Italia, họ chỉ để ngôi sao 26 tuổi ra đi nếu nhận đủ 45 triệu euro phí chuyển nhượng.

"Neymar sẽ tiếp bước Ronaldo, Messi": Cựu hậu vệ Barca, Juliano Belletti tin rằng Neymar sẽ sớm vượt mặt hai siêu sao Lionel Messi và Cristiano Ronaldo để nhận trở thành Cầu thủ xuất sắc nhất thế giới trong tương lai gần.

"Sớm muộn gì, Neymar cũng trở thành là cầu thủ xuất sắc nhất thế giới. Cậu ấy biết cách đương đầu với áp lực, có kinh nghiệm thi đấu đỉnh cao và đang chơi ở đội bóng xuất sắc nhất thế giới. Những yếu tố đó sẽ giúp ích cho Neymar rất nhiều", trích lời Belletti.

Nguồn http://ift.tt/2nojYI9

[booyahtapdancing]

Don’t Let Me Down: The Chainsmokers

Choreographed by: Hannah Wilson

Dancers: Alexis Juliano and Hannah Wilson

[sytycdrankings]

You mentioned it a while ago but its really far down in your feed but who are your favourite tappers on the show? I think mine are Zack and Aaron.

Alexis, Aaron, and Melinda, with Zack not too far behind them. 

[soyouthinkyoucandancevids]

SYTYCD Season 10 Top 14

Alexis Juliano Solo - "Stand By Me" Ben E. King

[alistonjdrake]

Part Five: The First Empress

Lady Helena ana’Dídac Cabrel Born: Year 1702 after the fall of the Saints Parents: Lord Dídac an’Manuel Cabrel and Lady Elisabet ana’Camillo Garrido Spouse: Johannes an’Arturo Harver

Even under the eventual reign of her son, the marriage that produced Helena is exceedingly rare. Her father comes from one of the seven noble families off Tadrus while her mother comes from the lesser branch of the Barraza family. 

As such, Helena spent much of her youth in Orrasas and more or less raised with the consideration to be a lady-in-waiting to her cousin, Marisol ana’Alexis Barraza (future wife and Queen Consort of King Juliano. Usually considered the last Rios Queen. Although it should be noted Queen Isolde did reign, albeit during war times, for three years on her own). 

The girls were six years apart in age but the future Queen Marisol quickly grew fond of her younger cousin. During their education and lessons in manner and etiquette, they split their time between Orrasas and Graza. Helena could even claim to be childhood friends with King Juliano and she would later boast that he always liked her more. 

One thing Helena has in common with her son is that she did not interact much with her parents as a child. As the only surviving child out of four, she lived in the aftermath of her parents’ exhausted marriage. Lord Dídac lived in Tadrus and Lady Elisabet lived in a smaller estate outside of Orrasas with her own cousins. Helena received letters from them occasionally. 

However, Helena was not at a loss when it came to doting adults. At the time, the lord of Orrasas was Lord Rodro an’Rigoberto Barraza and as he had no daughters of his own, he was very warm to Marisol and Helena. Marisol was his niece and Helena also took to calling him uncle. Ironically, Lord Rodro would be the first to viciously protest King Frederick’s claim to the Escana throne and would be the key suspect in attempts against his life until his own death. (Lord Rodro’s own son would eventually become another adversary)

In Orrasas, Helena grew very close to many people who would one day be her staunch political enemies. At the time, she herself was more or less considered a member of the Barraza family. In fact, they paid for her education and all of her personal expenses. When she wanted new dresses, Lord Rodro paid for them. When she and Marisol wanted to sail to an island just off the coast for a day of relaxation, Lord Rodro took the bill. Helena wanted new tutors or became interested in niche (and expensive) subjects, Lord Rodro handled it. 

Helena was a highly praised child. She exceled in most things she touched. Out of curiosity, she taught herself how to sail. By twelve, she could speak three languages and knew how to read in two others. She was very interested in the world outside of Escan, and while Lady Elisabet forbid foreign travel, that did not stop Lord Rodro from hiring unique tutors for her. 

She became very interested in Oskyan culture after Lord Rodro paid for an opera to be performed in the palace. She had a deep appreciation for the art and the complex poetry that only exists in Oskyi as a contrast to the assumed rigidness and strict manner of the Oskyan people. 

Helena also developed a bit of an obsession with military uniforms if only because they were so new to her. For much of her adult life, and certainly after King Frederick was crowned, Helena was often seen wearing her own customized uniform. 

She was fifteen when Lord Rodro gifted her a new companion and tutor, an Oskyan man named Vassili Ikashev. Before King Frederick’s alliance with King Vadik, most Escana did not have much experience with Oskyan people. Vassili was a spectacle. He was treated like a celebrity in Orrasas simply because no one had seen anything like him before. 

Vassili Ikashev was hired to teach Helena how to speak Oskyi and instead they were soon found kissing during one of the lessons. The rumors of Helena’s salacious behavior spread quickly and Lady Elisabet immediately called for Helena to be sent back to Tadrus where she thought her daughter would not be tempted by loose morals and a gossipy social culture.  

Lady Elisabet was not entirely wrong. The social climate in Tadrus (at least at the time) was vastly different. When Arturo reigned, it was new and shiny. Not necessarily charming, but new. After Arturo, it was very clear no one new (and importantly: young) had stepped foot in Tadrus since.

It was a city-state full of the middle-aged to elderly, the only youths being the children of the lower classes. Any young person of high blood had fled to more popular courts in Nava. 

But Helena had a way with people. She charmed her elders. And while she was away from the social gathering and from Ikashev, the seven families of Tadrus greeted her warmly. She very much became the center of attention and unlike in Orrasas, she had no potentially jealous parties to share the spotlight with. In Tadrus, Helena was undoubtedly the smartest and most charming young lady around. 

She did not mind joining women her mother’s age and older to sit and talk on lazy afternoons, or to listen to her father speak with other gentlemen about matters much older than her, if anything it primed her for flattery. 

It’s unlikely she met Johannes at any of the seven estates. He was known to being very much uncomfortable in high society. Helena didn’t meet him until a year after her arrival in Tadrus and even then it’s unclear how and when. All that is known is that within three months the two were married. 

They planned a wedding. It was famously attended by Queen Marisol as a favor for her favorite childhood companion, but she allegedly spent the whole night insulting Helena’s taste in men. Sources claim the queen was drunk and she spoke far too loudly about how ugly and boring Johannes was, apparently bringing the groom to tears at his own celebration dinner. 

In her fury, Helena turned on Queen Marisol and poked fun at the queen’s current trouble with conceiving. The two reportedly never recovered their relationship after the wedding. 

Helena quickly took over Tadrus for Johannes. It was a relief to him and she flourished in her position. Although young (she was sixteen at the time of her marriage), she knew how to make herself the authority in a room. And Helena revealed herself to be calculating. She had a way of charming people, or being able to hold their faults against them, people would report that Helena could walk into a room and pick apart everyone until they willingly submitted. She often did. Even under King Frederick, Tadrus served it’s years in debt because Helena was very likely blackmailing the bankers.

Meticulously planning is what she would be famous for and people often quote King Frederick’s unique upbringing for what made him the man he was, but no one agreed with her. Helena’s decision to send Frederick away all but destroyed the affection between her and Johannes, and Arturo was furious as well. It was his plan to have Frederick raised in Graza near King Juliano’s children, but in Helena’s mind Queen Marisol had lost so many children in so many years she had never suspected them to have any surviving children for Frederick to be around. 

Helena would also be known for her closeness to Frederick in spite of how many years they spent apart. Much to Arturo’s displeasure, when Frederick returned to Tadrus he wanted his mother to continue on her position as she had for his father. And when their sights turned on Escan, she was also on his council (along with Arturo and Vadik).

After the Siege of Graza, she is quoted for saying, “I am the king’s mother and you will bow to me as you do him.” Those trying to garner favor with her took to politely regarding her as “Queen Dowager” although Helena never took on such a title officially. 

Critics often call her treatment of Queen Marisol in the early days cruel. She had Queen Marisol paraded around Graza without her crown and finery for the common people to see before she was transported to Tadrus to live out the rest of her days in a heavily guarded manor. She would go on to deny her existence if anyone made the mistake of bringing up Queen Marisol in public. 

She did not join King Frederick’s council in Graza, but she a member of the privy chamber (the inner circle of advisers) and whenever her son’s focus was elsewhere she was the one doing whatever duties Sebastian wasn’t already doing for him. 

If Sebastian handled King Frederick’s private affairs, Helena handled the public ones. She almost took ownership of the upkeep of his wives and the appearance of the royal family’s image. 

It was her who made peace with Queen Isolde and urged them all to put aside their differences. And yet, it was also Helena who commanded King Frederick to have Queen Isolde’s Barraza lover hanged in public (and Helena took a particularly strong stance against the Barrazas in the beginning and is also credited as being one of the main reasons they left Graza entirely for the duration of Frederick’s reign). In fact, when Queen Isolde died, it was not hard to find whispers that Helena had likely poisoned her. 

Helena was very fond of her grandchildren (the six she got to meet before she died) and also often made most of the decisions for the royal nursery. Even if that was officially the queen’s job, she usually had the authority to overrule them in family matters. 

She made no attempts to repeat what she’d done with Frederick, saying that it’s “easy to travel when you’re nobody, but king’s children should stay where I can see them.” as such, Helena is also blamed for Frederick’s slight paranoia.

Frederick dearly appreciated his mother. He would go to her for advice and they had dinners together at least three times a week. They were each other’s closest confidantes. Certainly in Helena’s case, after Johannes she seemed to have dedicated her entire life to reaching power. She had taken no lovers and had no friends. Most days she banished all servants from her chambers. Towards the end, Helena liked being alone but she always made time for her son.

Lady Helena, the king’s mother, would die in 1756. Her mourning period would last longer than Queen Milagrosa’s who died the same year. Five years would pass before Escan officially became the Escana Empire but Lady Helena would be posthumously named it’s first empress as a way for King Frederick to honor his mother. 

[sytycdthoughts-blog]

ijustlovedance said: 

alexis tap solos were ridiculous, i saw some you tube clips of the solo she did on tour too looks amaaazing! she was kind of like jourdan this year never really succeeded at any routines! but damn she can tap

Yeah, when it comes to tapping alone, I think Alexis is one of the most talented tap dancers they’ve had on the show. It’s a shame she wasn’t a better contestant, as I never connected to her and thought she was a bit of a Chemistry Vacuum® in her routines with Nico. Man, that pairing was really kind of a train wreck looking back. But yes, girl can tap somethin’ fierce!! Her tap skills have mad respect from me.

[pointe-in-time]

Ummmm guys, have we seen this?

Tapsonic by Capezio. (Click through for article)

From what I just read in this article:

-hollow aluminum heel with vents for amplified sound

-heel can come off so you can put things in it (lights, smoke, other things to make noise)

-can buy multiple heels to attach for different kinds of sound

-wrap around tap comes up on the toe for more sound

-two tone leather shoe

Freaking awesome. When are these available????

I live for new Tap stuff. 

[sytycd-geek]

This is the first time we met Anthony Morigerato the choreographer of these extremely unique tap numbers. Super cute tap number that was a great way to introduce all three of these dancers. Makes me miss showcases a little bit...

[booyahtapdancing]

Alexis Juliano, how are you so good!!!??