Happy New Year...

I'm sure most ballet companies around the world have Nutcracker fever at the moment!  On Thursday evening we had our last performance of 2011 - though certainly not our last performance in the run of Nutcracker!  

After just finishing our morning ballet class, we are now officially on holiday and I can't wait to get on the aeroplane and see my family and friends at home.... it's been way too long and England is calling me!!

I hope everyone has an amazing New Year's Eve and here's a big cheers to 2012.

Love Charlie

xxx

Sunday's Inspiration...

A bit of inspiration for a Sunday.....

Polina Semionova and Dinu Tamazlacaru

xxx

Snowflakes.....

The Nutcracker run has began.  With seventeen performances from now until the end of January, we are all singing the famous Tchaikovsky music in our sleep.   Though I'm not complaining!!! I enjoy this ballet, as it brings such a Christmas feeling!

My snowflake costume hangs ready for me and below a Toi Toi gift - a very appropriate snowflake!!!

At least I get to run around in the snow on stage because as of yet the skies here are only bringing rain and no snow :(   I want to go sledging!!!

xxx

Rosalind - ing ....

This post has been sat in my draft box for the last week.  The theatre is so busy at the moment, that I often don't even have time to open my laptop.

Last week, we had our last performance of our new ballet 'Rosalinde', we have now moved onto the Christmas run of 'Nutcracker' and 'Rosalinde' will return next year.  The past week has been a hectic time of rehearsing (and for me being a newbie) learning the choreography of this particular version of Nutcracker......  Today is our dress run, tomorrow is my premiere and then we pretty much dance it until the end of January.

Rosalinde was fun to dance.  I love the costumes and the set was amazing.  Waltzing around to music by Strauss set a wonderful aura on the stage and I'll look forward to it returning soon :)

As for now my concentration lies with Nutcracker and of course Christmas  :)

Love Charlie

xxx

Premiere Night...

As you all know after weeks of intense preparation, learning steps, costume fittings and stage rehearsals, last night we premiered our new ballet ''Rosalinde' choreographed by Ronald Hynd.

The show went down a storm, with a fabulous audience who clearly seemed to appreciate the whole piece.

Always after a premiere, the whole theatre gathers for a champagne buffet.  It's an opportunity for the dancers, orchestra, ballet staff, choreographers, costume designers and stage technicians to come together after the weeks of all the hard work that goes into staging a ballet.

I, unusually, left my choosing of an outfit until the very last minute......  I always feel at such an occasion that I would like something a bit special to wear.  

 Having not had the time to shop of late, in my break before the performance I dashed to Zara to buy something.  I had an idea in my head of what I wanted, but of course like always when I have an idea of what I want I can never find it!  So returning home empty handed, I raided my wardrobe and found this dress that I last remember wearing three years ago (this is when I'm happy that I hold on to things!)  With my black dinner jacket and my beloved Chanel bag, I was happy with the outcome and so was my bank balance!!!!!

Love Charlie

xxx

Rosalinde

Tonight finally the premiere of Rosalinde has arrived.

Toi Toi to everyone!!!!

Love Charlie

xxx

The Old Town...

It's not so often that we have the time to leisurely stroll around.  So the other day with a few hours break between rehearsals and a glorious afternoon it would have been a waste to stay indoors.  I'm so glad that we took the opportunity as it's doing nothing but rain ever since!

The Old Town is one of my favourite parts of the city, full of charm and character, it exudes the atmosphere of simply being a nice place to be with it's inviting nature.

I was happy to see the tree being put up in preparation for Christmas.  I'm a big kid when it comes to this time of year and love those first Christmas-y feelings!  Though, as I sat and read the paper this morning, the tree has now fallen down!!! 

(YOU CAN FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR PHOTOS IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER)

My outfit here is totally made up of 'reloved' items.  

The boots from River Island have been resoled and heeled, but I can't part with them.  

The tshirt I found in a boutique in Spain years and years ago

The Burberry Scarf is a true Brit classic.

and the bag which I forgot i even owned is from a boutique in Oslo, that I bought when I lived in Norway, what now feels a million years ago!

I should dig into the back of my wardrobe more often!!!

Love Charlie

xxx

Lights, Music, Fake Food.... Action!

We are now into full on (long) stage rehearsals of our new ballet 'Rosalinde', which will premiere here next week.  Learning the steps in the studio is one thing, but then bringing it down to rehearse on stage is another.... With the lights, props, sets, wings and everything else the rehearsals can take a while as we set the ballet ready for the public.  It can involve a lot of sitting around, which as you can see from my attire can be chilly.  Company Magazine was a great saviour last week for something to read in between when I wasn't needed!  I am a total magazine addict, but not being in England means I often can't find the magazines that I like to read or when I do they are stupidly expensive :(   So I was very happy when I found Company randomly sat on a magazine shelf in a local shop!!!  

I honestly had to do a double take when I saw this 'fake' chicken drum stick sat on a plate at the side of stage.  Disgusting to touch though!!!!

Props for Rosalinde

Enjoying http://www.company.co.uk/ in between my rehearsals!

From the stage to the auditorium



Love Charlie
xxx

Coppelia Sunday ...

On Sunday we had a Coppelia performance, our second one in our run of this ballet.  As i said before in a previous post HERE, I really enjoy this ballet and find it a refreshing change, as it's fun and light hearted.  I can even forgive the hundreds of pirouettes entwined into the choreography! 

 Tomorrow we will dance our last one of the year, until the Spring when we will perform it again.

Sunday's show was even more special as my daughter watched form the wings..... 

To see her through the throng of action on the stage, sat beyond the lights in the wings on a little table with her mouth open and swinging her little legs, filled me with so much love and pride I could have burst!

Happiness :)

xxx

Love Charlie

Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho....

It's off to work I go.....!!

There was a rumour going around that it would snow this weekend, but although the temperature feels to have dramatically dropped as yet I've seen no sign of the glittering little flakes that I am so excited to arrive!  Each morning the chill in the air greatens and feel sure that pretty soon I'm going to need another layer...... but how????  After my five sunny years in Portugal, I'm stumped as to appropriate attire for snowy days...... Any tips????!!!

Now it's Coppelia time

xxx

PS..... Thanks to my Mummy for the gorgeous, warm parka that I pinched from her :)

Inspiration Saturday xxx

On the Street…..Quai des Tuileries, Paris

by The Sartorialist

This is hardly weather friendly for the climate here, but I couldn't help but feel 'wardrobe' inspired by this casual ensemble I stumbled across on The Sartorialist.

A Year Agone.....

A year ago today, I was still living in Lisbon and wondering when I turned the next page of my book, where the following chapter of my life would be!

The LINK is a year ago today and when I look back, although I can't believe how the time has flown, I'm proud of how far I have come :)

Though I do kind of miss the dark hair!!!!

Love Charlie 

xxx

Life Out Of The Tutu...

I'd toyed with the idea of having a blog years before I eventually started CharlieHearts.  Though dance is obviously a very big passion of mine, so is fashion and I often dreamt of having a blog almost like a diary of the both entwined together, that would be something that I could look back on in years to come and watch over how both my life and style evolved.  

As CharlieHearts approaches it's first birthday, I'm overwhelmed by the response and wonderful people I have met though my photos and writing...... my only regret now is that I didn't start it all those years ago.

As CharlieHearts isn't solely a typical fashion blog cataloging my outfits, I at first felt that I had to find a balance between the two subjects.  Neither overpowering one more than the other..... but as time passes and we learn as we go on, I can see that the haphazardness of what my next blog post will bring only adds character and brings a personality to the blog.  People new to the blog scene often ask me the best way for them to sell their blog and I always believe that the best way is to seal yours with your own individual stamp.  

I appreciate and value every single person that drops by to read CharlieHearts.

So, as my recent photos have concentrated on being backstage of the theatre, I thought a couple front of house would be nice thrown into the mix!!!

After a busy few weeks, tonight we are having belated Bonfire Night celebrations, with sparklers and a BBQ!!! 

Happy Sunday :)

xxx