#no really i should watch more contemporary ballet

[per1w1nkl3]

in honor of dracula daily I watched the dracula ballet (with the milwaukee company, by micheal pink) and let me tell you it's so good!!! imo it's pretty book accurate, with a few limitations ofc (but they do include jonathan's queer dreams that may or may not be caused by the paprika)

anyway here are a few pictures

and here's the link:

i have a few thoughts but I'm hiding them under the tag in case anyone might want to watch it and go in completely blind. either way do yourselves a favor and go watch it!

i love the cool blue light for the vampires. I think I usually associate them with red so the blue was a nice change

love the brides. love how they usually are en pointe vs most other characters usually aren't. love their clothes

i like all the costumes actually

obsessed with dracula's entrance and him moving his arms like bat wings and just in general him acting very bat-like

LOVE dracula and jonathan's pas de deux. if I could I'd draw them i would.

actually the first act as a whole is so so good

the fact that jonathan walks with a cane is very cool. it would've been so easy to undermine his trauma a little, especially with the fact that it's a ballet. but no, dracula really does look scary and threatening. i just wished they kept it for a little longer.

jonathan being the first to see dracula is also great

the fact that lucy goes en point the moment she sees dracula hdhdhhdh

and tries to play it off like nothing happened :((

van helsing, seward (or is it quincey? he looks a little texan lmao) and arthur dancing over minas deathbed :(((

hello renfield!!

hello renfield dancing with his hands tied!!!!

it was quincey morris omg hii

mina and dracula pas de deux!! everytime the count is on stage is just so cool to watch

are those the people dracula killed?? idk but I love them

the fight. are you kidding me.

[joonggphilia]

🩵🤍My Angel🤍🩵

———————————————————————

Pairing: Idol! Lee Know x Idol! Male Reader Genre: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff CW: mentions of unrequited love? A/n: I’m really excited about this ask. I adore descriptive writing so this was write up my ally. I think I should write a part 2 for this one <3 ———————————————————————

Music blasted, shoes squealed against the ground, mirrors fogged. Thunder was a new group in the industry and they were determined to rise to the top. Practices were intense, none stop, and one can be sure that the members were incredibly sore after. The music slowly faded making it so all that could be heard was the rigid breathing among the boys who were currently using the studio. “Get some water! That was the best run yet, I’m so proud of us. We deserve a win with this performance.” Said a (h/c) boy, as he sank to the floor. “M/n, are you sure.” Asked one of the members, taking a long sip from his water bottle. “I’m confident. You guys are amazing, and we worked for this.” M/n replied, a glowing smile painting his face. M/n was the proud leader of Thunder. He was well known in the industry for his unreal personality, and visuals. Sure there were people like Choi Yeonjun, the 4th gen it boy, or Wonyoung the it girl. M/n was the 4th gen angel. He was notorious for being pleasant and sweet to anyone who crossed his path. Another thing that was for sure was that he loved his members with all his heart. He was confident and commanded respect…..in a way they made your heart melt, of course.

———————————————————————

The day had finally come, Thunder had made their way up into the big leagues. They were just getting ready to head on stage for the showcase. The outfits for their concept were drop dead gorgeous. They wore white, lacy, formal wear with beautiful diamond jewelry. M/n makeup artist gave him a look that suited him extremely well. His face was glowing, almost as if he had cried. Around his pink dusted eyes was glitter and diamond gems. He looked so beautiful. M/n was popular with fans all around the world, but he was also popular with other idols. One person in particular, had fallen for his charm. That person was none other than Lee Know of Stray Kids. He got into the habit of frequently playing Thunder’s music in the background of his lives and bringing up how his bias was M/n. He couldn’t hide his smitten attitude anymore. “Minho, Thunder is about to perform. I’ll go watch with you if you’d like!” Recommended Bang Chan, leaving his corner of the dressing room to check in an all the members. “That’d be awesome. Let’s go.” Replied Lee Know, grabbing his hand and running backstage. The mad dash was worth it. Lee Know watched in awe as M/n glided across the stage. M/n was the main dancer in his group, but he was trained in ballet and contemporary. Thunder’s unique dance style got them a lot of attention. They had a more technical and contemporary feel to their choreography, unless the song called for something more high energy. “This is the best part!” Squealed Lee Know as he patted Bang Cahn’s shoulder. M/n walked to center stage and broke out into a set of fouettés. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. Lee Know’s eyes never left his idol. He began to think to himself. Was M/n stay, a fan, did M/n know that he existed? His palms were sweaty, he really did like M/n a lot, but he had a feeling the feelings weren’t requited

——————————————————————— M/n was walking back to his dressing room when he suddenly felt a tap on the shoulder, causing him to turn around, only to make eye contact with the one and only Lee Minho! He froze up. “Uhm, hey. You looked really good out there, super impressive for a rookie group!” The brunette spoke, awkwardly fiddling with the hem of his shirt. M/n broke from his trance and began to bow, covering up his flustered face. “Thank you, it means a lot coming from a member of Stray kids!” M/n stated, bowing once more. Lee Know got butterflies hearing him say this. “Your a fan?” Lee Know asked, manifesting a yes. “Am I a fan? Of course I am! You guys are awesome, a huge inspiration of mine.” M/n chirped, a wide smile growing on his face. “Thanks, I’m glad we inspire you. You’re catching up to us pretty fast, I’m actually a big fan of Thunder.” Lee Know, stated, his chest puffy out with pride. This made M/n giggle “So it’s true! My fans always say you’re my biggest fan and that you guys are competing for that spot on my list.” This gave Lee Know a chance. “M/n, give me your number and that’ll prove I’m your biggest fan.” He bluntly asked. M/n didn’t say a word, just grabbed his phone and handed it to the grinning man before him, their finger tips brushing slightly. Lee Know set his contact on M/n’s phone as “Biggest Fan” to prove his point. “Can I see yours?” M/n asked holding his hand out for Lee Know’s phone. He took it and changed his contact, shutting it off and handing it back. “Let’s hang out sometime, Lee Minho.” M/n said, shaking the other male’s hand. “It’s a date, M/n L/n.” He sneered, causing both of them to blush and giggle.

———————————————————————

Once Lee Know got back to the dorms he checked his phone, only to drop it on his face when he read a small “hi” from a certain someone. The contact read -My Angel-

[study-with-aura]

Monday, March 18, 2024

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! I had a very good spring break week. I will miss volunteering at the mission, but hopefully I will spend time there over the summer in between camp, the summer trip, and my ballet intensive. This summer will be another busy one, but I still have 44 days left of studies and should focus on them to not get too far ahead of myself.

I am really enjoying the book I am reading. It is a little creepy, but that almost makes me want to read more so I can learn about the mystery of what is going on! The sequel was on my reading list for this year, so I had to read this one first so I understood any new information in the next book. If anyone is curious about my reading list, I utilize the local librarian guide for my age group. It helps me explore books and genres I may not normally read otherwise. To see my full list, you can follow me on Goodreads. The link is on my main blog page under "Navigate".

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Read about constructions + learned how to construct congruent segments and angles + practice + honors work

Lit and Comp II - Copied Unit 21 vocabulary + read chapter 38 of Emma by Jane Austen

Spanish 2 - Reviewed vocabulary (test tomorrow)

Bible I - Read Judges 10-11

World History - Reviewed key terms for new unit + read introduction to new unit + watched short documentary video on Mahatma Gandhi

Biology with Lab - Read and watched videos on creationist perspective of how life systems came to be

Foundations - Read more on security + completed next quiz on Read Theory + read an article about the propaganda campaign against public schools

Piano - Practiced for one hour

Khan Academy - Completed High School Geometry Unit 3: Lesson 8

CLEP - Completed Module 11.0 introduction video + completed Module 11 reading "Europe: 1918 to 1945" 13.1-13.5

Duolingo - Studied for 15 minutes (Spanish, French, Chinese) + completed daily quests

Reading - Read pages 124-176 of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Chores - Cleaned my bathroom + cleaned windows in my bedroom and in the study + took the trash and recycling out

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (1 Corinthians 15)

Volunteered 2 hours at the library

Ballet

Contemporary

Journal/Mindfulness

-

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful that I had a marvelous spring break.

Quote of the Day:

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

-Gandhi

🎧Four Sketches, op. 15 no 1: In Autumn - Amy Beach

[mariaspir]

Has pointe become unnecessary?

Hear me out. In vintage videos, pointe shoes used to be incredibly slim and tapered, like the dancers were balancing on needles! Today’s pointe shoes, though, are more like platforms—wide and bulky. This change makes sense, of course, to meet the demands of modern ballet, which is technically more advanced.

But the other day, I stumbled on a bootleg video of a Vaganova exam, possibly one with Savalieva in her fourth or fifth year, and she was performing so well. Anyway, that’s beside the point. Watching it, I initially thought all those young dancers were on pointe, partly because of the low video quality but also because their relevés were so high and controlled. Then they left to put on their pointe shoes, and I realized they’d actually been on flat before! Surprisingly, putting on the pointe shoes didn’t make them much taller; they were already achieving such height in their relevés. The main difference was that with the pointe shoes, their movements looked less soft, probably because pointe work is more challenging to make look graceful.

So, my question is this: could we one day leave pointe behind? Pointe shoes don’t have the same elegance they once did, and with dancers capable of such high relevés, are they still essential? Plus, they’re so expensive. Do we really need them?

I feel like I was just stabbed in the heart.

Well, you could argue we don't need any of this, no tutus, no music, no stage... but that's when you diverge from ballet into modern and contemporary dance. Pointe shoes have become part of ballet's identity, and while not "necessary" they ARE the symbol of the ballerina, of grace and lightness, ethereal and otherworldly beauty. Yes they're difficult, but that's what you sign up for.

However, people might not agree with this, but I don't think pointe shoes are for everyone. Meaning they are "a professional shoe" in the words of my teacher, there's no reason to rush recreational students of any age to wear them, because they are difficult and dangerous. I don't necessarily think they should ONLY be used by professionals, but they shouldn't be that common in hobbyists, you see way too many people online and offline doing pointe while clearly not ready.

[miss-mollys-ballet-blog]

Hey there! Could you tell me a little bit more about why you chose to start ballet as an adult, your experience, etc? I'm in my twenties and used to do ballet when I was little up until about ten. I'm a huge fan of ballet and have been following it seriously for years, but recently I've been thinking about starting adult classes myself and am pretty nervous. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks!!

P.S. I'm also curious to know if you've started pointe or if you want to?

HELLO! WE LOVE ADULT BALLET DANCERS!!!!!!!!!!

I started paying light attention to ballet in 2010 when I took my first Russian history class, however it wasn't until 2013 when I took a more in depth 20th century Russian history class where I fell in love with it. My professor told us that the Bolshoi was coming to where I live and recommended it to us, so I bought tickets for the only night I was free and I was disappointed with the cast because Albrecht was being danced by an American (David freaking Hallberg lmao). I had no idea who the dancers were and I barely knew the story of Giselle, but I went and omg fell in love. I was so lucky that my first live ballet performance was Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallberg! After that, I began watching as much ballet as possible and it's been the thing I watch the most ever since.

I never really thought about taking ballet classes until 2017 when I started seeing more adults taking ballet and finally decided to work up the courage to go to a local studio in 2018 to ask about adult classes and have never looked back. I now do two ballet classes and one contemporary class a week and those three days are the highlights of my week!

The awesome thing about adult ballet is no one is judgy and competitive. We are there to have fun, improve, and enjoy while still taking it seriously. I would look around at different studios (I found mine by googling adult ballet classes) and ask about their programs and levels. Before you go, I recommend watching a few classes on YouTube that go over basic steps like tendu, degage, rond de jambe, just so you're not completely lost when you go in, but that's not a requirement! Also, don't feel pressured to wear tights and a leotard if you don't want to. I wear them sometimes, but also wear leggings/shorts and workout shirts too, it doesn't really matter!

When it comes to pointe, I would LOOOOOVE to be able to do pointe. I tore my peroneal tendon my first year dancing and I've been rehabbing it for the past 4 years. I'm hoping that by next summer I'll have the strength, flexibility, and balance needed to start pointe.

You should DEFINITELY start classes, it's honestly one of the best things I've ever done!!!!

[tikitania]

@/catherine_pollak posted a review on Shakirova's debut as O/O, and I honestly couldn't agree more. Ballet is a technical art form, and it's beauty relies on perfection. To have a VBA graduate with so many problems with basic technique at one of Russia's biggest theater is crazy. And the artistic part of her performance was so over the place, too. But the fact is that they lowered the bar. It's the new reality of Mariinsky (and Bolshoi). They favor bad dancers because they're popular among the audience/management, and forget the good ones. By the way, this isn't hate towards Renata. She's good at more contemporary works, but with classical ballets and even the adagio, she struggles a lot. She has a very limited repertoire. Otherwise, her artistic delivery gets all over the place as well. It's just frustrating how they have Novikova, Skorik, Tereshkina, Shapran... in the house and keep giving the roles to ballerinas not suitable for. Like the recent Raymonda, SL etc.

I follow her and respect her, but she's one opinion of a very opinionated ballet audience in St. Petersburg! I appreciate her pointing out some technical flaws and simplification of steps that I would not have picked up on. I'm very eager for that type of insight. And when you watch videos side-by-side, there are clear technical issues. Will Shakirova get better? Yes, I believe she can and has to improve those issues, which stemmed mostly from lack of turnout, or losing turn-out. Despite this critique, Shakirova has a lot of defenders online, too. So I'm taking a big of a reserved stance on this one. However, I also picked up on Ms. Pollack's baked-in opinion that a soubrette should not dance Swan Lake on the Mariinsky stage. She complains about Renata's physique in contrast with that of the long-limbed corps and that's where she kind of lost me. I don't think her reviews come from a place of malice, but when I read them I feel she has a common bias that only a certain body-type can dance O/O. I think Renata's first outing (actually, second if you count the Primorsky debut) in Swan Lake was pretty good. She's not a natural fit for the role, but I see it as a starting point. The one thing that I picked up on — and have mentioned in other conversations — is that I was underwhelmed by Shakriova's portrayal of Odile. She vamped up Odile in a way that didn't connect with me. (I did see several clips of Iliushkina and found hers way more subtle and nuanced, and I felt, "Yes, the prince would be fooled by her!) There is a long history of dancer's getting "a shot" at big roles both at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi. Their repertoire and performance schedules are so packed that I think they can afford to give rising dancers a chance. Not all outings are a success, but I think it's exciting. I've read that Skorik was also panned in her early performances, which is hard to imagine! (Cold and unfeeling…) Meanwhile, SPB audiences respond warmly to Shakirova on stage. There's so much we can see online but being in the audience during a live performance is where the magic occurs. (Sigh…hope to get there one day...) I'm not really worried about the Mariinsky's future as the gold-standard for classical ballet. Is there a trend of a lowering of standards? If so, where/why is that happening? Is it coaching? Favoritism? Or is it more fundamental? Are academy graduates not up to par? I don't know these answers but as this generation of primas retire, it's not clear who are the successors and that is a bit worrying. Here's a 30 minute clip that compiles most of Shakirova's debut. I look forward to seeing her dance this in the future... Or maybe O/O will slip away from her repertoire.

This is an aside. One thing that I have noticed is that due to the current political situation, Mariinsky artists in general are being starved of (good, emphasis good) contemporary repertoire and touring opportunities. They are losing exposure on the global stage. No more tours of Covent Garden, Kennedy Center. When was the last time they performed a full Balanchine ballet? Ramatsky's work is fading away from their playbills. I haven't seen anything new (other than the vintage, throw-back Fille du Pharaoh) in a while. They are the best at classical ballet, but I believe the dancers thrive when they have exposure to all kinds of choreography, so this is more worrying to me.

[stressedanime]

15 questions for 15 friends!! thanks for the tag :3 @cordelia---rose

are you named after anyone? first name no, but my middle name is a family name. my parents found my birth name in a baby name book which LIED TO THEM. IT SAID MY NAME MEANS PRINCESS IN SPANISH. IT IN FACT DOES NOT MEAN PRINCESS IN SPANISH lmao it means aunt in spanish. and thats partly why i dont go by it anymore lol

when was the last time you cried? i watched a silent voice a couple nights ago and that movie always DESTROYS me.

do you have kids? i'd rather be put down

what sports do you play/have you played? i danced for 15 years!! did a variety of styles: tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and music theatre. i also was on the basketball team in grade 6 lmao.

do you use sarcasm? yes. it gets me into trouble unfortunately

what is the first thing you notice about people? i honestly don't know. probably like, their language? like how they talk, how they hold themselves, how they move. i be analyzing

what's your eye colour? they're supposed to be blue, but ive also been told they have no blue pigment whatsoever and theyre just grey

scary moves or happy endings? BOTH THANKS!!!

any talents? hmm. im really good at ruining the mood. like, "um actually" is my best friend. oh also finding words people are looking for, im really good at helping people finish their sentences when they're stuck. im sure theres more but i cannot think of anything lol

where were you born: canada :D i hate it here but i also love it here

what are your hobbies? i love to cook, i used to play a bunch of video games, but lately ive been doing a lot more writing and reading. i also love to look at my guitar and say "hmm i should play guitar" and then never play guitar

do you have any pets? sadly no

how tall are you? 5'4. which is perfectly average.

favourite subject in school? i honestly do not remember what i liked in elementary school. OH novel studies. reading and analyzing books for sure lol. in high school i loved english and psychology and comp civ, in uni my favourite class was biopolitics or anything forensic.

dream job: realistic dream job is forensic psychologist (experimental not clinical) which i got accepted into masters for!! so i will be studying that in september :3 and like, non-realistic dream job is voice actor, i've always wanted to be one of those people who you recognize their voice and then open their IMDB and they've been in like a million different projects

i dont interact with too many people on here so i won't tag 15 ppl lol but im going to tag @kitkat-tat @sionnaach @hyperfigations. but obvs no pressure :)

have fun, yeehaw

[1is0]

the way I was taught is that classical technique is up here, it’s sacred and should be preserved as much as possible but I also see a lot of new and different ways that classical dance can really flourish and be appreciated by everyone, regardless of whether they watch ballet or not

dance today is considered as more of an aspect of pop culture rather than an art because young people see dance on tv and not in the theatre so they have a completely different idea of what dance is supposed to look like

that’s why I love modern and contemporary because a wider variety of audiences are familiar with the genre of music and then they see classical technique on stage and think “wow I’ve never seen that kind of dance before that’s cool”

[just-kit-ink]

✨Kitty Entertainment Headcanons🎇

Dancing

•Kitty's a huge lover of dance either for fun or to express mood and narrative.

•She used to take dance lessons when she was six years old at one of Santa Monica's junior dance troops. She stuck out like a sore thumb due to her hair and build and even though she desperately wanted to wear a tutu, she looked the most uncomfortable. The other girls would make fun of her because her movements weren't as dainty or refined and her teacher could sometimes be harsher with her.

•Despite her hatred for the lessons she continued to dance at home in front of the TV when the late show bands came on and to old records her father kept (and the new releases.)

•She would dance to Disney's releases too. One of her best memories is dancing to songs from The Jungle Book around the living room with her Dad.

•By the time the 80s rolled around she went out to dance clubs in the city that played Disco music (and didn't require any ID)

•She dances around her room to The Clash and other forms of Brit-Pop when she's feeling energised or needs to blow off steam.

• Her favourite dances are dramatic, modern and contemporary, musical theatre and street but she has a real fondness for ballet.

Movies

•Well she's a big animation fan but that's pretty obvious! Disney, the Looney Tunes and 80s cartoons.

•Kitty likes her horror, especially old monster movies like the Hammer House films. But she also loves the frightening psychological fare with or without the gore.

•She likes fantasy and is a big sci-fi fan. She loves Star Wars, Dune and Alien. I think Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder would be two of her favourite actresses. Anything with deep space exploration, strange characters, funky aliens she really likes.

•She likes the kind of fantasies by Ralph Bakshi and Rankin Bass as well as beautiful tragedies like Ladyhawke.

•She loves to laugh and will not only watch old toon shorts but also whatever snappy comedy that's in the cinema. She's not really a big fan of comedies that has emphasis on gross out and anything set in a high school puts her off instantly...unless it's Heathers.

•Roger and her watch old movies together. She's seen some that her Mum watched with her like The Wizard of Oz, It's a Wonderful Life and the old live action Disney films but doesn't know much about them. He introduces her to Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Cagney and Lauren Bacall. While she's a bit more of a modern gal she thinks Humphrey Bogart is cool.

Music

•As a little girl she loved nursury rhymes, lullabies and old comedy songs her Dad heard in the army.

•She loved old Disney package-film ditties her mother used to teach her, as well as the old tunes of the shorts from Maroon Studios where her parents used to work.

•As she matured so did her tastes. To express the onset of teenage-to-young adult anger she turned to punk rock and if she was really mad the occasional heavy metal. The sound offered a release from all the post-grief pain of her mother's death.

•Her Dad collects records so she's heard Buddy Holly, Chet Baker and Bing Crosby.

•She enjoys pop music, theatrical stage numbers and has a soft spot for blues and jazz.

Art

•She draws a lot of cartoon and comic art.

•She agrees with livening up a place with art, the brighter and bolder the better. Doesn't matter if it's a new apartment, a city centre or a back alley, art should cheer people up and make them think. As controversial as people find it she's into the political/social graffiti scene.

•She likes going to art galleries if there's an exhibition on that she likes. But she's more likely to attend studio tours to see animator's art.

•She thinks art therapy is a grand tool and likes the idea of throwing paint, like physically throwing it at the canvas. And then peppering it was flecks to make stars or surf or light etc

•Has sent her art into TV shows for kids before but didn't hear much back.

Rollerblading

•Kitty goes down to the roller rink down by the pier to either hang out by herself or with a buddy and is really good at it. She's been doing it since she was five and can now practically dance-skate to the rhythm.

•She also uses the other facilities like bowling, pool and those machines that eat your money.

•She often buys herself a nice shake and fast food to go with it (though not while skating.)

•She knows some of the staff and they know her but it's not always mutual respect. They're often underpaid male employees close to her age who like to whisper. Or just roll their eyes when you ask if a game is working. She despises their snarky comments and can make some back but at the end of the day she knows their managers are worse.

•She's good at those dance games, quick on her feet and does the stomp parts very well.

•Once played so much she lost track of time and used up all her coins so she couldn't get the bus home and ended up asking a random stranger for money for the pay phone so her Dad could pick her up.

•After that embarrassing moment, she started saving up for a bike. Her Dad bought her one anyway. She was elated and now rides places everywhere.

[arklay]

sorry i can’t shut up. posts one thing and can’t stop

[kimbap-r0ll]

Hello!! Since I saw that your request is still open how about vice dorm leaders with a ballerina s/o? Btw I love your work and thank you in advance!!

Hello, thank you for the request! I’ve always wanted to dance but never had the talent haha.

Vice dorm leaders with a ballerina!s/o

Trey

Woah, you dance! He’s not a good dancer so he’s impressed right away

If you have any shows, he’s definitely going to be there (with one of those large bouquets and everything haha)

You should try to teach him one day, he might not be good but he would love to dance with you!

If you ever warm up or stretch in front of him, he might ask if you’re okay with how your legs are just bent in all sorts of shapes. You tell him it’s fine and he’s just amazed at how flexible you are.

Ruggie

Technically there’s no vice dorm leader in Savanaclaw, but he’s basically one so he’s on this list! Speaking of which, you dance? He finds it so cool honestly

He probably never learned to dance before, but he’s pretty flexible so you might be able to teach him a few of the movements.

If you ever invite him to a concert, he’s going to be super happy. He’ll bring a cute gift for you at the end, but while watching the concert he can’t help but notice how ornate everything is. The theater if it’s one of those old ones or the costume, no matter what it is he’s just in awe. He’s grown up in a less fancy place, so he’s stunned!

Probably your biggest fan, and he’s not afraid to show you off to others about your abilities as a dancer.

Jade

Merfolk don’t dance often, and he tells you he’s not the best with legs. Seeing you dance so gracefully is inspiring.

He’ll go watch you perform when he can! He’ll also bring something like a small gift along with some flowers for you at the end. Maybe he’ll tease you about how beautiful you looked that you distracted him from the rest of the performance haha

I feel like he would watch some other ballets after that and end up loving the more contemporary ones

You should try to teach him! He’s more than welcome to be your student, though he might not be the best he’s pretty flexible!

Jamil

He’s someone who knows how to dance, so you being able to do ballet is something he can relate to. You guys both probably had many ankle/foot-related injuries so you guys bond over that haha

He’ll want to watch you dance one day, and he’ll grow to love watching ballets. If only Kalim gave him some free time!

He’ll admire your costumes a lot too, since he’s someone who pays attention to small details. He’ll look at the patterns and the fabric of it, he may ask you how it’s like as a performer to wear one too.

He might learn a few movements and you guys might end up dancing together soon! It’s really fun for both of you, and it might feel a bit magical with how graceful he is.

Rook

I can just see the mountain French poems coming your way when you dance and he watches you haha

He thinks you’re so graceful, so beautiful! Honestly he just admires you for being able to do about anything

He would grow to like Swan Lake a lot, as general as it is. I think for him it’s because of the plotline, but also because of how the dancers try to imitate animals, it’s just interesting to see for a hunter like him!

You should try to teach him ballet too, he’s definitely a fast-learner and super graceful. It’ll be a lot of fun!

Ortho (this one’s just as friends)

He probably screamed ”ARE YOU OKAY?!!” when he saw you lying on the ground with your legs looking like they broke off.

He learns you do ballet and is super amazed (and relieved about you not breaking your legs) by it! He wants to watch you one day, so please invite him!

He’ll want to take Idia along, but he might be unsuccessful haha. Once Ortho goes to watch you however he’s blown away. He’ll like the more contemporary dances too!

He would want to learn, so you should offer to teach him. He’ll need to learn how to be flexible first however, but he tries to go for the harder movements and probably ends up doing a really hard one on the first go.

Lilia

He’s seen ballet before, and probably learned it back back then when he was younger. He’s happy you dance!

I can imagine you guys dancing for fun in the middle of the woods, it’s just a dreamy thought that sounds nice :)

He will go watch your shows, and you would have no idea about it until he surprises you back stage (he managed to sneak in somehow). He brings a bunch of flowers when congratulating you!

He definitely likes the Sleeping Beauty ballet, but will also like contemporary ones that experiment with costumes and movements. It all looks really cool to him and you being part of that just makes it better!

[ballet-symphonie]

When you have time, could you please rank the Royal Ballet’s dancers as well?

Sure! In the interest of time, I'll do just the principals. And that's hard enough because the ROH has such a good lineup of talent right now. As always, this is not a technical analysis or who I believe is the *best*. It's just my personal preferences, so don't put too much stock in it.

ROYAL BALLET PRINCIPALS MTL

Women

Nunez (Without questions. Arguably the best dancer dancing right now, a goddess whose control seems to have bested physics at its own game)

Osipova (Gravity-defying, with endless energy, while I'm partial to her dancing in her Bolshoi era, she's such a sentimental favorite of mine that I cant put her lower)

Lamb (Transfixing in Balanchine and more neoclassical work, she and McRae in Mayerling was an absolute masterpiece)

Hayward (Love the way she is always playing with dynamics, excellent musical phrasing, moves like she's weightless)

Cuthbertson (A quintessential "English Rose," pure technique, never looks out of place, so easy for me to love her dancing)

Kaneko (Perfectly coordinated ballerina, crisp pointe work arms and hands like water)

Naghdi (Marvelous in lighthearted roles, exudes such genuine happiness onstage, beautiful arabesque lines)

Takada (Stable, clean, rock-solid core, but her ability to convey a character isn't quite as strong, her getting the DQ broadcast was a miscast to me)

O' Sullivan (Lovely and charming, she's only this low because I think a soubrette like her really should have stronger temps levé)

Morera (Light, speedy and buoyant dancing, feel like I never saw her absolutely nail a classical lead though)

Magri (Nails all the big steps but sometimes has port de bras and coordination snags, gorgeous (but sometimes unstable) arches)

Men

Muntagirov (Well, they don't call him VaDREAM for nothing)

McRae (Electrifying, magnetic performer in so many genres, it's a shame that he's spent so much of his career injured)

Corrales (He's been a star since he walked on to that YAGP finals stage, going to be carrying the company pretty soon)

Campbell (Such a detailed dancer, best partner in the company, however, I have to say that I'd rather watch him in pdd than solo)

Sambé (exciting and explosive, incredibly versatile but has had some really scary partnering snafus)

Bonelli (great partnering, such strong press lifts, makes crazy difficult neoclassical partnering look seamless, best when he doesn't have to do double tours, bonus points because I have to support fellow Italians)

Ball (Stable, reliable but not someone who I find exceptionally captivating)

Hirano (Almost exclusively enjoy him in contemporary work rather than classical)

[balletroyale]

Asked and Answered: Royal Ballet

I’m trying to watch all the different versions of Romeo and Juliet I can find, but MacMillan is proving to be a problem: there are too many recordings! Do you have a specific cast I should go for? I’m really lost about this one

I would pick Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae! 

love your blog! curious to hear your thoughts on akane takada's swan lake?

I never managed to track the recording down! Or I did and then didn’t have time to watch it... Going to see it in May though!

i wish wheeldon would bring his cinderella to royal so i can see sarah lamb do the lead, i think it would suit her perfectly!

I really don’t... I would much rather the Royal (finally) perform Ashton’s Cinderella again, which I think is the stronger production. 

love your blog!! wondering how you feel about the following three dancers: yasmine nagdhi, benjamin ella, matthew ball? I'm so here for all your ROH takes!!

Thoughts / critiques on Matthew Ball?

Yasmine Nagdhi: Honestly she’s a bit of a conundrum for me. I don’t really like her overall, and don’t particularly enjoy her in classical roles. While her Giselle variation I thought was superb, the rest of the ballet, especially the acting, left me feeling a bit meh. I really didn’t think she had the characterization of Juliet at all. However, when I saw her in Apollo and Concerto, I really enjoyed the performances. So I guess I just prefer her in contemporary roles. However, I don’t like that this season the Royal is starting to push her really hard as the next big deal. I think there are better principals to potentially replace Nunez. 

Matthew Ball: I’ve really liked what I’ve seen; he’s very stately and regal. But I don’t think I would ever pick a performance just to see him. To me, the Royal is spoilt with male talent and so it is hard for dancers who would be unquestionably the best at other, even comparable, companies. He’s just pretty low down my list of male Royal dancers. 

Benjamin Ella: I’ve seen him several times now. The first few times he wowed me and I was 100% convinced he was the next big thing. However, more recently I’ve found his performances to be a bit unreliable. He seems either really great or he completely lacks the ability to stick and landing or be on time with the music. I’ll be interested to see if he gets consistency back. 

I just saw the teaser of Steven McRae's new film... at the end he says 'I need the profession to change'. Hmmm what does it mean? 😅 it means that the ROH is going to change its ways, or maybe him, or the ballet method profession in the UK?

I’m not really sure... I guess we’ll have to wait for the full film to see what he means. I’d take it with a grain of salt now, because A) trailers manipulate/exaggerate things to get people to watch and B) he’s always been pretty dramatic. 

A little bit of a silly matter, but still a legitimate curiosity from dancers about dancers. I get the impression over and over again that several prominent members of the company wear arch enhancers, which doesn't feel necessary or particularly graceful. It's subtle, still the eyes tend to fall right there. Do you have first hand info about that?

The only “firsthand” info I have is that after seeing Sarah Lamb up close, I am 99.9% sure she wears arch enhancers. I’m not sure why they do it. But I’m starting to wonder if it could actually be a comfort this as much as a visual thing? 

Who is everyone’s favourite dancer? It has to be Nunez right? I think Isabella Gasparini is mesmerising to watch also and hope she goes far. Mathew Ball was incredible in Giselle. Like out of this world performance.

Are we talking at the Royal? For me it’s definitely Nunez, Lamb, Osipova, Hayward, Takada, and I usually really like Hinkis, but not in that Giselle recording. For men it’s Campbell, McRae, Muntagirov, Sissens, Sambé, and Bracewell. 

Frankie Hayward - is she all what’s hyped up to be?? Has anyone seen her dance Giselle? I think she is an extremely special dancer from what I’ve seen so far (gathering, sugarplum, swan lake PDD) but I have doubts around her technical ability at principal level. I am massive fan of hers. She is so artistic and musical that she could excel in any role I’m sure, I’m just unaware of her technical ability - as in, I literally don’t know what she can do as I haven’t seen enough of her. No criticism x

Thoughts on Francesca Hayward? I really enjoyed her as Juliet the other night but wasn’t as big of a fan of Cesar Corrales

One good thing that came out of the Cats movie is that it tremendously improved Hayward’s performances. I saw her Giselle this season. I don’t think she really has many technical faults, especially compared the other young new principals, but she does struggle a bit with balance in moments like the end of Giselle’s variation and in the coda of Coppelia. Other than that I don’t really see many flaws in her technique (and I’m not even entirely convinced it’s not a shoe issue), and her port de bras is especially lovely. I am increasingly wanting to go to her performances more than many other dancers. 

As for Corrales, his style really, really doesn’t fit the Royal and I don’t think he should be a principal there. 

I can't understand why Hamilton returned after the second year abroad. Too long out from under KOH's eye with all the younger dancers coming up

I have no idea. She could have been a principal pretty much anywhere else as well. She never looks happy onstage. 

I've only recently got into the ROH ballet, so I'm just curious as to who you prefer Akane Takada or Fumi Kaneko? Both stunning dancers, but can I ask for your opinion?

I personally prefer Takada. I think she has better technique and better characterization. Though admittedly I haven’t seen much of Kaneko. I’ve just been rather bored by what I’ve seen already, particularly The Sleeping Beauty performance. But I heard great things about her R&J, so maybe it’s time to give her another chance. 

[stylesnews]

“Feeling good in my skin/ I just keep on dancing,” Harry Styles sings in his latest single, “Treat People With Kindness.” And in the song’s exuberant music video -- which has garnered 17 million YouTube views and counting since its debut on New Year’s Day -- he does just that: Wearing a sequined jacket and bow tie, he chassés, spins and flutters jazz hands like an MGM musical star (with a little help from his equally debonair partner, Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge).

Styles shot the video in early 2019 after several weeks of training with choreographer Paul Roberts, a collaborator since his One Direction days. “I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this could be something special,” says Roberts, a veteran stage director and choreographer who’s worked on videos and tours for the likes of Sam Smith, Katy Perry, Diana Ross, and the Spice Girls (their Spiceworld stadium tour).

Watching the explosive fan reaction to Styles’s little known dance talents -- including from the Spice Girls, who've “sent lovely messages" about the video -- Roberts says it seems like "Treat People With Kindness" arrived at the precise right moment. “Most people’s comments are, ‘I’ve not felt that happy for three and a half minutes in a long time,’ or ‘I smiled from ear to ear the whole way through.’ It’s a positive light.”

He spoke to Billboard about Styles’ intensive training process -- and why he wouldn’t be surprised to see him dancing onstage again.

There’s been one pretty overwhelming reaction to this video: “This is the guy who was in the group that insisted they couldn’t dance?!” Did you expect this kind of reaction to Harry dancing? I’ve been with Harry for 10 years: I was with the One Direction boys from the beginning the whole way through their career before they took the hiatus, and they always made a very conscious decision that they didn’t want choreography as part of their brand -- but they did want a kind of disheveled organization in order to allow the cameras and the lighting to stand a chance in terms of presenting them in the best manner possible.

What was very evident to me was that all five of them, and then it obviously became four, they’ve all got their own magic. The only time I’ve experienced that was when I worked with the Spice Girls. I always knew that they had special skills aside from what they were in One Direction, whether it was movement, songwriting, being able to handle the business side of things. For such young lads they were very astute and very decisive.  So, getting together with Harry -- he’s a bit of an alchemist, is Harry. Everything he turns his hand to turns to gold. Where did the initial dance-centric concept come from? Harry and the directors, Ben and Gabe [Turner], sent me a video link to the Nicholas Brothers scene from Stormy Weather and Harry asked me, "How long do you think it would take to dance like this?" I was like, "OK, are you being serious?" "Yeah, I’m being serious."

That is probably one of the most standout dance sequences ever captured on film -- so I knew we were aiming high. I said, "Why don’t we go into a studio and let’s workshop some choreography, some moves, some short sequences, and see what your ability is, see how we can tailor this to make you look the best you can possibly look." Obviously it would take some investment in terms of rehearsal and commitment, I told him it would be mentally and physically exhausting, but I thought, "My God yeah, let’s do it; this will be an adventure."

How long did the whole process take? We started in mid-January 2019, and we rehearsed and workshopped for about four to five weeks before the shoot, every day. Both Harry and Phoebe had other things going on, so, for instance, Phoebe was working on the new Bond movie in Canada, so I sent my assistant to Canada to work with her. I stayed in the U.K. with Harry, and then we went to L.A. where Harry shot two more videos, for “Watermelon Sugar” and “Falling.”

At the end of the “Watermelon Sugar” shoot, he wrapped, got in his car, came to the dance studio and we rehearsed into the night. Knowing how short a time you sometimes get with artists even for really big performances, I thought the rehearsals would dilute and we’d lose momentum, but both Phoebe and Harry were so committed.

What was the process in the studio like with Harry? We didn’t even use his [vocal] track to begin with -- we used different big band songs, some contemporary alternative music. It was just about finding his [movement] language first and foremost.  Then we developed the choreography and sent it to the directors, who gave us feedback. We enhanced the work a bit more, and then once we had some really solid sequences, Ben and Gabe storyboarded the scenes against the timeline of the music.

At this point Harry and Phoebe were still working separately, and then we joined forces in London, where we really started to refine these sequences of choreography we’d developed, trying to find the finesse and the style, almost making sense of the movement for them so they felt they had a dancer’s way of working the movement through the body. You’ve worked with a wide variety of artists, many of whom aren’t dancers first. How do you find, as you put it, the “language” of movement that makes sense for each of them as individuals?

I think the general answer is really communicating -- listening and understanding what the artist’s desire is. And also collaborating, so you don’t get too lost in yourself as a choreographer. What looks good on you might not transcend to the artist, or even necessarily the dancers.

With Harry, what was important within the language of the choreography was that it felt joyful and had personality. Him and Phoebe, with the work she’s done with Fleabag, you associate them and what they do with a sense of style, a real confidence, but at the heart of it it’s entertainment. And with the amount of time and budget we had, which was such a luxury in this day and age, we wanted to do something that pushed both of them out of their comfort zones. We tried to make it as athletic as possible but without compromising them as artists and becoming too comedic. We wanted it to be a bit quaint and cute in places, but we definitely didn’t want it to be thought of as nonsensical or silly.

Harry’s movement in the video is so crisp and precise, even his hands and arm extension look very dancerly. Did that come through a lot of specific work with you? As a songwriter and artist, for Harry it’s about detail, about pushing yourself to be the best. He’s always got questions: "Why are we doing that? Should we be doing this?" We got to a point during the rehearsal period where I brought in a ballet teacher, really to just get Harry and Phoebe to open themselves up from behind their shoulder blades, have an idea of extension, the lines that extend from your center all the way to the tip of your finger. I’d be saying, “Your arms Harry, your arm line!” Asking him to push his shoulders down, lift his carriage up, extend through his breast. And when he hit those lines, he’d be like, “Oh yeah, that feels different.” It’s funny: We spent a couple days apart -- he had to go off and do a gig somewhere -- and I was like, “I hope you’re rehearsing when you’ve got some downtime, dude!” And he sent me a picture in the gym with his arms in the most beautiful balletic arm line! I was like, "Yes, by George, you’ve got it!" Besides the Nicholas Brothers, did you have any particular dance references in mind for the feel of the choreography? I just delved into the MGM archives. Obviously [Fred] Astaire and [Gene] Kelly, the two greats -- especially with Astaire, we loved how sometimes it seems so effortless yet a bit throwaway, not totally totally perfect always.  We enjoyed the moments from him of “I’ll just do a bit of this,” “I’ll just walk off camera left,” the dropping in and out of movement.  We loved the duet “Moses Supposes” from Singin’ in the Rain, for Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor -- we loved the camaraderie between them, which felt a bit goofball at times, and just that wry smile, the look to the left, knowing your partner is there and has got your back. It feels fizzy, it feels joyful.

And yes, there was a massive core of MGM-ism, but at the same time an absolute huge dollop of Harry-and-Phoebe-ism. It was important to us to feel a bit more contemporary, so again we stay true to Harry and Phoebe as artists. Has Harry indicated any interest in dancing more going forward?

We had a conversation back at the end of the summer about how much we enjoyed the process, and I know he was doing another project where choreography was involved, so we were just talking about it and how he felt. Coming from where he came from to what he was about to do, he felt he could be pushed even further. I don’t know if he got the bug, or if it’s just the way he is as a person, very inquisitive and wanting to keep elevating himself. There’s now been some talk on social media that it can’t be long before Harry does Broadway. What do you think?

I mean, I think with Harry Styles, anything is possible, is it not? I mean, I’m sure because he’s tasted the dance, he’ll inject that along the line in his career. It won’t necessarily be out-and-out dancing, but I guess it’s a bit like Bowie used to do, isn’t it? It’s the showmanship and presentation of the performance. Who knows? He’s just so open-minded and open-hearted — and because he’s so open it allows the universe to come back at him and he’s able to do anything he sets his mind to.  

[tothemeadow]

BET REQUESTS ARE OPEN

may i please have a scenario of Mina introducing her dancer!girlfriend to the Bakusquad? they met at their dance studio; since Mina does more contemporary dance and her girlfriend does ballet, they met when using their breaks to watch the other's respective class.

Sorry this took so long 😅

‘meet the parents’ / Ashido M. x Reader

warnings: none

words: 717

-

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god I’m so nervous!” Mina squeals, her hands cupping her face while she frantically shakes her head.

“Hey, come on now, Mina,” Eijirou says, reaching out and resting a hand on her shoulder, “it won’t be that bad! You just gotta have some confidence!”

“Says you!” Mina replies. “I’m not worried about me, I’m worried about you guys.”

The rest of the infamous Bakusquad stands around her, all of them with easygoing smiles plastered on their faces – besides Katsuki, of course. He merely huffs at Mina’s so-called dilemma and mutters something under his breath as he turns back to his phone. The park is bustling with friends and families alike, the joyful chatter and children’s giggling filling the evening air. It’s a nice summer night, the air warm and filled with the twinkling of fireflies.

Denki trills his lips and waves a dismissive hand. “Nah, you worry too much! How could anybody resist us?” And, as if to make his point across, he gestures to his own body and waggles his eyebrows. “Besides, isn’t the family’s opinion more important? You should get your priorities in check.”

“Gotta say, he’s got a point,” Hanta joins in, jerking his thumb in Denki’s direction. “Bros before hoes, or so that’s how that goes.”

“Oh, gross, don’t make it rhyme like that,” Mina jokes, scrunching her face in mock disgust. “Of course I worry what you guys are gonna think about her! It’s just… Well, she’s really cool, you know? And the way she dances – it’s incredible! I don’t want to mess this up, so please, please don’t drive her away?” she pleads, clasping her hands before her.

Eijirou claps her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it! We’re all cooler than cucumbers here, eh? I dunno about boom boom boy over there-“

“What the fuck you just call me?” Katsuki snarls. “I can be cool, no sweat! In fact, I’d be honored to go home!”

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Mina says with a pout, “it means a lot to me that you’re here!” Her pout deepens as she flashes Katsuki her best puppy eyes. “Don’t go!”

“Mina! Hi!” a distant female voice calls out.

Turning her head, a grin cracks Mina’s pretty face in two; immediately, she takes off running towards you, a clear spring in her step. Even from the rest of the group stands, they can hear the excited greetings being exchanged, along with Mina’s laugh and your squeal as she picks you up and spins you around.

“Well damn,” Denki says offhandedly, “she’s pretty cute.”

Hanta nudges him with an elbow. “Dude. Don’t hit on Mina’s girlfriend.”

“Gotta say, that wouldn’t be very manly,” Eijirou chimes in.

The smiles return to their faces as Mina walks back towards them with you in tow. Even Katsuki makes an effort of stuffing his phone into his pocket and crossing his thick arms over his chest.

“Guys,” Mina chirps, “this is (y/n)! (y/n), these are my friends!” She proceeds to go down the line and introduces each of the boys by name; you smile and give them each a little wave in return.

“It’s nice to finally meet you!” you say. “Mina talks a lot about you guys, so I was excited to get know what you’re like!”

“Ah, Jesus,” Katsuki mutters. Eijirou elbows him in the stomach and sends him a warning glare.

“Right back at ya!” Eijirou exclaims. “Mina told us that you two met at a dance studio – so, uh, what do you do?”

“Ballet.”

“And she’s wonderful at it,” Mina adds, slinging an arm around your shoulders. “It’s like watching a swan, you know?”

“Mina,” you say, voice dropping lower, “don’t embarrass me like that.”

“Oh no she’s cute,” Denki breathes.

“Dude!” Hanta whisper-yells in return.

“Anyway!” Mina continues. Her arm drops from your shoulders and she takes your hand instead. “Let’s go get some ice cream, shall we?”

With a nod, you grace the group with another smile and allow Mina to drag you away. However, you don’t catch the way Mina looks back over her shoulder or how the rest of the guys send her a thumbs up. Hehe, Mina thinks, her face growing warm as she looks to you, I think I found a winner.

[maddiewritesstucky]

Rating: Explicit (18+)

Pairing: Stripper Bucky / Architect Steve

Words: 3790

Tags: Sexy shower antics, post-exercise endorphin highs, Steve is a badass for like 10 minutes, Bucky is not a morning person (until he suddenly is), enthusiastic morning sex

A follow-up one-shot to the slow death of Steve Rogers. Many thanks to my radiant cassowary @kalee60​ for giving it your clever eyes. Infinite birdseed for you 😘

(Also on Ao3)

When Bucky wakes up, he is aware of two things, and two things only.

One - it’s way too fucking early for his eyelids to have peeled themselves back the way they have, if the rosy tint of the sky outside is anything to go by, and two - his foot should have connected with some part of Steve’s anatomy by now on it’s customary post-waking stretch across the mattress.

His body is coming online one limb at a time, and he grunts his displeasure into the rumpled sheets; gaze firmly averted from the clock on the bedside table. Putting a number to it will only make him angry, and the stupid beautiful soft dawn light filling the bedroom tells him everything he needs to know anyway. 

Why they had decided to move into Steve’s apartment when Bucky’s actually had things like properly functioning curtains, he has no idea. 

"Steve,”  he groans, voice thick with the remnants of sleep and the injustice of waking before he intended to. 

He kicks his foot out a little further; throws an arm out to join the search party too, but finds Steve’s side of the bed decidedly more vacant than it had been when he fell asleep last night. 

Running, some vaguely helpful part of Bucky’s subconscious supplies, you fell for a man who goes running at bastard o’clock in the morning. 

He flops over onto his back and scrubs his hands up over his face; up through the tangled mess of hair that seems to find new ways of defying its scrunchie-prison every night. His vision sharpens into focus and sticks a moment on the giant canvas print photo of himself and Steve smiling back at him from the far wall; a grinning relic of a Bucky who was not woken before his time.

It still makes his stomach flip a little, that picture - the two of them stuffed into the heavy-knit sweaters Bucky’s ma had made them last Christmas; both in the  throes of losing their shit over the comically absurd miscalculation she’d made on size. Steve’s got tears in his eyes, and Bucky’s aren’t even open, and they’re clinging to each other with that special kind of desperation that intense, prolonged laughter seems to spawn.

It’s everything good about their life together, that photo; the sheer warmth and joy they’ve found in one another over the past year, the sense of  home and family and right. 

It’s even more heartwarming, Bucky finds, when the sun is a reasonable distance above the horizon.

He drags his protesting body out of its sleep-warmed cocoon, his intentions set on the brand new bag of espresso grind that Last-Night Bucky had so wisely left sitting on the kitchen counter. 

He’s going to use Steve’s favorite mug, the one he’d happened across in a yard sale that reads ‘architects do it on drafting tables’  with a lewd stick figure drawing. Partially because it holds the most coffee, and partially because if Steve had remained in bed this morning, with all his familiar warmth and dependable big-spoon behavior, Bucky would have remained blissfully unconscious until his alarm went off. 

...Steve’s not here to actually  see  this particular middle-finger of a gesture, but that’s beside the point. Bucky will  know.

It’s not until he’s shuffling his way down the hall, already two steps past the closed bathroom door, that Bucky registers the faint sounds of water hitting tile, and the sporadic, off-key hum of a post-run Steve. 

His feet halt in their tracks before he’s even made the conscious decision that coffee can wait.

He wants to keep walking, to get his precious cup of bean nectar and crawl back into bed for another hour or three, it’s just...

Post-run Steve is kind of Bucky’s jam. 

He��s sweaty, and loose-limbed, and hopped up on exercise endorphins which, more often than not, make him inexplicably horny and give him the closest approximation of a bad boy complex that someone with Steve’s demeanor could possibly get. 

Post-run Steve is the only good thing about being awake at this god forsaken hour. 

The sunrise, and the stillness, and the smell of fresh dew can get fucked, but Bucky will carpe the hell out of a diem for some Post-run Steve.

He slips quietly into the bathroom, and is immediately grateful for the time he spent descaling the shower door yesterday when he’s met with an unimpeded view of Steve’s glorious back. What goddamn right an architect has looking like that, Bucky has no idea, but you wanna talk about some aesthetically pleasing angles?

Steve’s got one hand braced against the wall, head dipped to draw out the line of his back. His skin’s a little flushed; water channeling in fast-flowing rivulets between the soft ridges and swells of his drawn-taut muscles, and he’s breathing those quiet grunts of the recently-exerted. 

He’s a living, breathing thirst-trap, and the knowledge that he’d only blush and change the subject if Bucky told him so just makes it a thousand times better. 

Bucky pushes his soft flannel sleep pants off his hips and lets them fall to the floor, sending up another silent salute to Last-Night Bucky for going commando, and steps forward to pull open the shower door.

...Later on, when Bucky is reflecting on it all, he’ll blame the early hour and his pre-caffeinated state for the fact that he didn’t realise. The soft noises falling from Steve’s lips, the very particular bunch and flex of very particular muscles…

Any other time of day, Bucky would have known straight away. 

Any other time of day, and Bucky wouldn’t have even needed to be in the same room - he could be at the bodega down the street, and his nipples would inexplicably harden at the pluck of Steve’s distant arousal on the cosmic spiderweb. 

But as it happens in the moment, it’s not until Steve’s head is falling back on a low moan that Bucky realizes exactly what it is he’s walked in on. 

“Oh, shit...”

It’s off his tongue before he can reel it back in, and Steve almost jumps out of his skin. 

His head whips around, and for the briefest flicker of a moment, he looks shocked and uncertain and embarrassed as all hell. 

But this right here is no weekday-afternoon Steve. This is not the blushing, bumbling hunk of love meee that occupies the corporeal form of Steve Rogers 95% of the time. 

No, this is Post-run Steve, and it’s all of about two seconds before he’s schooling his features into something more akin to vaguely-smirking indifference; turning until he’s facing Bucky front on, and settling his weight back against the shower wall.

“Babe, I’m sorry, I didn’t--” Bucky begins, as close to apologetic as one can really be about seeing their significant other in a compromising yet Very Sexy position. But the words dry up on his lips as Steve lifts a finger to his own in the universal gesture of ‘shush.’   

He watches, rapt, as Steve first reaches over to the tap and shuts off the water, and then takes up the bottle of Bucky’s conditioner, squirting some into his hand before wrapping it back around his cock. 

And then that jacked-up idiot, that neuro-chemical flooded pseudo bad bitch, looks Bucky dead in the eye...and goes right back to jerking off. 

He’s putting on a goddamn show with it too - pulling at his cock, long and slow and tight; dropping his head back against the wall and letting his moans ricochet shamelessly off the tile. The sound of his fist working over his dick is lewd as hell, so much more audible for the fact that there’s no rush of running water to mask it anymore, and Bucky wonders briefly if he ever actually woke up at all, if this isn’t just all a very believable wet dream. 

It certainly contains all the usual elements - intense eye contact; a big fat dick getting rubbed off by a beefy, naked, wet dude (bonus that it’s Bucky’s actual, real-life boyfriend); the kinds of sounds you usually only hear in porn…

For all Bucky knows, he could still be tucked up in bed asleep, and not standing here naked and painfully erect in this steamed up bathroom, watching his boyfriend jack it like he’s starring in some locker-room porno.

“You need somethin’, or you just come in here to watch?” Steve drawls, arching a brow at him, and yeah  - there’s a  lot of things Bucky needs all of a sudden.

He rakes an assessing gaze over Steve’s body, stepping into the shower and pressing his palms to the swell of Steve’s pecs.

“I just wanted to make sure your run went okay,” he shrugs, “no pulled tendons, shin splints...aching muscles…that kinda thing.” 

He squeezes at Steve’s shoulders and his biceps and his tiny waist; threads his hands up through Steve’s hair and slots a thigh between Steve’s to push their hips together. 

Steve’s skin is so warm, and slippery, and he smells like soap, and Bucky starts mentally calculating just how much time they have and how much energy he can feasibly expend before their respective work days start.

He’s not on stage tonight, but he is on shift for his day job at the community center, teaching a preschool ballet class at 10am, and then a seniors ballroom dancing session at midday before his contemporary classes in the afternoon. Steve’s working from home today, so hypothetically it wouldn’t matter if Bucky wore him out a little…

“Buck...” 

“Mm?” 

He rubs his whole self shamelessly against Steve, pressing in so the barbells spiked through his nipples drag across the wet expanse of Steve’s chest. He kisses Steve’s neck and his tits and his mouth, hungry and handsy and a little frantic, and Steve laughs softly against his lips as he turns them to push Bucky up against the slick tile of the shower wall.

“Your concern is deeply moving,” he deadpans, caging Bucky in with hands planted either side of his head, “but I think we need to talk about your bathroom etiquette...didn’t anybody ever teach you to knock?” 

He’s staring Bucky down with eyes lit up something wicked; his body so very nearly touching Bucky’s but not quite, and it hits Bucky all over again that his boyfriend is, physically speaking...really fucking imposing.

It’s easy to forget, when he’s being...well, Steve. Perpetually polite, kind-hearted, goofy...Bucky feels like when he looks at Steve, he sees the softness of his nature, the quiet goodness that radiates out of him. 

He sees the sensible shoes and the khaki pants, the careful artist hands and the way Steve still sometimes carries himself like the much-smaller man he claims to have once been. 

He’s Stevie, and Bucky wouldn’t have him any other way. 

But all of that also happens to be contained within a 6’2”, 200lb frame, and right now...Bucky kind of wants to suffocate under it. 

“I am so sorry, Steven,” he says, though it’s entirely negated by the raging hard on he’s sporting and the giddy, gratuitous manner in which he’s still feeling Steve up. 

He skates his fingertips down the rippled plain of Steve’s stomach, down to the trail of dusky blond hair leading south from his belly button, but Steve catches his hands and pins them up above his head. 

“I’m sure you are,” Steve hums, “but I don’t think you appreciate the gravity of the situation here. See, you caught me in a very private moment, one that I was very much enjoying, and now I’m all thrown off. You got me feelin’ shy.” 

...There’s some very compelling evidence to the contrary rubbing up against Bucky’s hip right now, but that’s beside the point. Steve’s teeth are scraping a line all the way down Bucky’s neck to nip at the ice fractals tattooed across his shoulder, and Bucky’s more than willing to play along.

“However can I make it up to you?” 

He arches into the press of Steve’s body, the hard line of Steve’s cock nestled into the crease of his hip.

If Steve shifted just slightly, he’d be rubbing up against Bucky’s dick. 

It’s not an accident that Steve isn’t making that shift. 

“You really want to?” Steve kisses the question against his skin, making his way slowly back up to Bucky’s mouth, and Bucky nods vehemently.

He’s already wetting his lips in preparation for all the ‘making up’ they’re about to do; signalling his knees to get ready to bend and pulling at Steve’s grip on his wrists, but Steve doesn’t release him.

Instead, he pulls back just far enough to look Bucky square in the eye, and smiles entirely too sweet for the authoritative edge that rumbles into his voice. “Go back to bed, Bucky.” 

Bucky has to blink a few times as the words circulate in his ears. His expression turns from I’m about to get some D!  to  oh god I’m being denied the D in about 0.2 seconds flat.

Bed is very far away from the dick that is currently in need of reparations, he can’t achieve anything from bed.

“But—you said—I was gonna—”

“Go. back. to bed.”  Steve tightens his grip on Bucky’s wrists and leans his whole weight against him, right up in his space so his lips catch against Bucky’s as he speaks, “...and wait for me.” 

Oh. 

Oh. 

A big, stupid, ‘bout-to-get-railed grin stretches across Bucky’s face. He wriggles free of Steve’s grasp and stumbles out of the shower, stopping himself just shy of a wildly enthusiastic ‘yes sir!’

He thinks he can hear Steve’s laughter as he takes off back down the hall toward the bedroom, but it might just be his own echoing back to him. He throws himself down onto the unmade bed, still warm from when he got up not ten minutes ago, and honestly who needs to sleep in anyway? Sleeping in is for people who don’t have absolute poundcake boyfriends to screw them into the sunrise.

He should have toweled off, he realizes as his damp skin rubs against the bedding, but he cannot be blamed for life choices made before six am, and there are far more important things afoot anyway. 

Things like the sound of the shower turning back on for approximately forty-five seconds, then the muted pass of a towel being scrubbed over hair, and footsteps on the hardwood growing ever closer to the bedroom.

God, this is gonna be a good day. What  a beautiful day to be greeting the dawn, making the most of his youth, seizing everything life throws at him!

He has the good sense to snatch the lube out of the bedside drawer just as Steve walks into the room, eyeing him with amusement and hunger in equal measures. 

“You know what the problem is, with what just happened back there, Buck?” 

Steve saunters toward the bed with all the nonchalance of a man whose work day doesn’t start for another three hours. 

He wraps his sizable hands around Bucky’s ankles and yanks him down the bed a little - for no other purpose than to hear Bucky’s breath hitch at the unnecessary show of strength - and climbs up onto the mattress to straddle Bucky’s shins. 

“The problem is, I don’t like to make a spectacle of myself.” He plucks the lube from Bucky’s hand and pours some into his own, spreading it over his cock in lazy pulls. “Being the center of attention, having eyes on me...that’s more your speed.”

“Mhmm, yes, I am an attention whore,” Bucky nods, reaching grabby hands out at Steve who refuses to shift any further up his body, “and you are humble and handsome and have a big dick. Make out with me.” 

Steve tuts and shakes his head, reaching his unoccupied hand to flick at one of Bucky’s nipple piercings. 

“Oh, I don’t think you get to make requests right now. See, the worst part of you throwin’ me off back there? I was so fucking close.  So now what you get to do, James, is flip the fuck over, and let me finish what I started.” 

...Jesus, Bucky loves Post-run Steve.

He’s gonna marry Post-run Steve and have his hopped up little post-run babies, and make sure Steve never misses a single day of early morning exercise so he can bask in the glory of this magnificent bastard every goddamn day of his life.

Bucky flops over onto his front and gets his knees under himself, sticking his ass up in the air with a wiggle that’s probably a lot more comical than it is enticing. But the heat of Steve’s palms hook around the front of his thighs and pull them out from under him, sprawling him flat against the mattress.

There’s a sudden clamping of teeth on his ass cheek and the sharp swat of an open palm, and then Bucky’s being pressed firmly into the sheets by Steve’s weight settling high up on the backs of his thighs. 

“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” Steve sighs, planting his hands on the dip in Bucky’s spine, “I’m gonna use your ass to get off, and then I’m going to get back into bed, while you go make us some coffee.”

Bucky nods into the mess of blankets under his cheek, futilely trying to rock his hips up against Steve’s considerable weight. “Yes, agreed, punishment fits the cri-hi wow okay.” 

A wholly undignified sound is wrenched from Bucky’s chest as Steve skips all pretense of tease, and thrusts his slicked up cock into the crease of Bucky’s ass, rubbing off between his cheeks with a very singular purpose. 

Bucky scrabbles to grab hold of his pillow and drags it down, wedging it under his hips with as much success as can be expected when you’re being pinned by a 200lb adrenaline-testosterone cocktail. It’s enough though, to very favorably cushion the rub of his dick, and all things considered…this whole thing is working out pretty well for him.

He’s expending precisely zero effort, but the wet glide of Steve’s cock over his hole and the push of Steve’s hips rubbing him into the pillow is very much Doing It for him, and he lets his body go loose and pliant as Steve does all the work for the both of them.

And Steve is putting in work - rocking Bucky into the mattress with a fervor that knocks the breath out of him and sends the headboard careening rhythmically into the wall. 

“Y’hear that, Buck?” Steve pants, not for a second breaking his frankly devastating pace. “That’s what a fuckin’ knock sounds like.” 

“Oh my god.”   

This is exactly how every single day of Bucky’s life should begin. Naked, giddy, cocks enthusiastically rubbing up against holes, and Steve running his mouth like he won’t be turning ten shades of red about it later. 

If this is the payoff, Bucky will bust in on every single shower Steve has for the rest of his life.

“I love you,” he laughs a little breathlessly into the bedding, biting off a moan at the heat coiling low in his belly. 

It’s entirely sincere, and he says it because he means it...but if he also happens to know by now that those words are a direct hit to Steve’s prostate during sex?

That’s just a happy coincidence.

Steve makes a sound like he’s been punched, his thighs twitching and tensing where they’re clamped around Bucky’s hips. 

His breaths are coming sharp and shallow, his movements taking on a frantic edge that betrays exactly how close he is, and Bucky would ask him to slow down, except he really, really doesn’t want him to. 

“I love you, Stevie,” he says again, letting his own building climax bleed into his voice, “love you so much...come on, baby...” 

“Fuck,  Bucky, I...oh...” 

His weight falls forward over Bucky as he comes, and it’s all the shove Bucky needs to tip over the edge with him. 

He spills all over his pillow, burying a moan into the sheets and huffing under the weight of Steve’s body going lax on top of him.   

“Oh my god, Buck,” Steve groans, vaguely awed like it wasn’t his own efforts that just brought them both to sticky ruin, and Bucky reaches a hand back to swat weakly at him. 

“You said it, pal.” 

Steve nuzzles into the crook of his neck, planting breathless kisses against his skin and running his hands over every part of Bucky he can reach. 

It’s so tangible, that shift back to normalcy, back to  Steve.  It always hits Bucky square in the chest, the way he can feel Steve’s edges softening, feel that boisterous energy turn sweet and mellow in the aftermath. 

It’s kind of precious, actually, though Bucky would never phrase it like that to Steve’s face.  

He squirms beneath Steve’s weight, getting himself turned over until he’s on his back beneath him. “Good morning,” he smiles up at Steve softly, running his fingers through the still-damp tufts of his hair. 

Steve sighs happily, letting his eyes drift shut and tilting his head into Bucky’s hand. “Good morning, pervert.” 

“Hey, come on, you know I didn't do that on purpose!  ” Bucky laughs, cupping Steve’s face and kissing him all over his cheeks. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve rolls his eyes, though the smile on his face says Bucky’s doesn’t really have anything to be sorry about. “Guess I can forgive you this one  time.”

“You’re a gracious man.”

Bucky drags him down and kisses him right on his smile, sweet and lazy. When they pull apart, Steve’s got that dopey look on his face like he’s feeling a whole lot of something, and Bucky knows exactly what’s coming before Steve says it.

“Glad you love me, Bucky Barnes.” 

...He knew it was coming, but it still gets him every time. 

“Glad to love you, Steve Rogers.” He feels like he’s glowing a little as he leans up to peck Steve on the tip of his nose. “Now if I’m not mistaken, I owe you a cup of coffee...you’re gonna have to let me up if you want me to follow through on that.” 

“Mm, counter offer - we both go wash off, together, and then I’ll make us breakfast while you handle the coffee?” 

Bucky pretends to consider for a second before he nods, stretching his body out as Steve rolls his weight off him. 

“Agreed.” He waves a hand in the general direction of the door, shooting Steve a wink and a lopsided grin. “Lead the way, pal. I believe you are intimately familiar with where the shower is.”