– Chi Varnado
The Dance Centre Presents Coppélia – the third novel in Chi’s brand new series, The Dance Centre Presents, is AVAILABLE HERE!
Jack senses a growing lack of control as he grapples with an unreliable vehicle and conflicting emotions about girls while clinging to ballet-his anchor. Upon the arrival of a little sister, Julie withdraws into anime. As the studio rehearses Coppélia, the dancers find themselves mirroring the characters they play in their own lives. What will this mean-for each of them?
SIGN UP BELOW FOR UPDATES ON OUR BOOK SERIES!!!
The Dance Centre Presents The Nutcracker – the second novel in Chi’s brand new series, The Dance Centre Presents, is AVAILABLE HERE!
Rehearsals have barely begun for The Nutcracker when the ballet mistress’s home is threatened by fire. Will her nature-loving daughter, Brindle, find happiness again if she loses the rugged sanctuary of their beloved canyon? Meanwhile, Paige develops peculiar stomach symptoms which leave doctors perplexed. Amidst escalating and uncontrollable circumstances, can the tight-knit ballet family at the Dance Centre be able to rally and stage The Nutcracker?
SIGN UP BELOW FOR UPDATES ON OUR BOOK SERIES!!!
The Dance Centre Presents Giselle – the first novel in Chi’s brand new series, The Dance Centre Presents, is AVAILABLE HERE!
When the prima ballerina at The Dance Centre mysteriously vanishes, Randi unexpectedly lands the lead and learns that the world of ballet is not always as glamorous as it appears onstage. She harbors severe self-doubts about her abilities to rise to the honor of her new role. And when she begins her pas de deux training with a boy, new and conflicting feelings and emotions surface which send her spiraling into panic mode. All the while, Deanne seizes opportunities to undermine her at every pirouette. Randi struggles to maintain her crucial focus, but what will happen if she doesn’t?
SIGN UP BELOW FOR UPDATES ON OUR BOOK SERIES!!!
CLICK HERE to listen to Chi talk more about “The Dance Centre Presents: Giselle” on the San Diego Union Tribune Community Spotlight Podcast
Chi’s latest book The Old House in the Country, is AVAILABLE NOW!!!
Marli’s lost a lot, but it hasn’t kept her from being involved with life. In fact, it’s infused her with a sense of spontaneity that surprises even her.There’s nothing left of the Mississippi homestead that Dad left to Marli and her sister, Ellie. But this gift is just the incentive for Marli to create an adventure which will draw in and take hold of her and her friends, and Ellie. Female camaraderie, with five pre-and-post-menopausal women, can have its ups and downs, especially with a long road trip and the unfamiliar territory that awaits them. The sisters and friends will come away from this time changed women.
SIGN UP BELOW FOR UPDATES ON OUR BOOK SERIES!!!
Visit Our Sister Sites
ChiVarnado.com GnomewoodPress.com
Chi is an author, blogger and contributing writer to SEVERAL PERIODICALS INCLUDING the THE SAN DIEGO READER, and for MORE THAN three decades was THE Artistic Director of The Dance Centre of Ramona.
Click to read the latest Dancespirations
WHY DO WE DANCE?
By Chi Varnado
Why do we dance? And why, specifically, ballet? Are we insane? We actually choose to force our bodies into supple submission even though it hurts, we get injured, other dancers get the parts WE want, and we’re never off the hook regarding what and when we eat. Talk about self-deprivation. But we still choose to dance. Is it because we can create lovely art with our own bodies? Or be able to stay in shape while learning grace at the same time? Or is it the satisfaction we feel when we move in sync with some of the most beautiful music the planet has ever known? Perhaps it’s all of these reasons combined, plus simply being hard-wired into this rigorous, self-disciplined world of beauty. We are a different breed. Dancers know how difficult and all-consuming it can be, while others are left in the audience. But we need them and they appreciate us. Both the ballerinas and the balletomanes are necessary for the success of our art form.
For me, it seemed a perfect fit. Having been a child with boundless energy, constantly ready to jump out of my own skin, and possessing a knack for music, I was fortunate that my mom and grandmother enrolled me in ballet. I feel bad for all those kids who don’t get a creative outlet for their exuberant energy. I was lucky. I also learned piano and guitar, and studied music theory in college. It didn’t hurt that I was decent at math either – because, like it or not, math is crucial to both music and ballet. It adds another dimension to the art form when applied to the tricky phrases of music. Classical music is riddled with changing meter and tempo and I find it helpful to be able to recognize these when they occur. I think it allows for a deeper understanding of what movements are possible within the context of a score. As we’ve heard, the fusion of art and science helps to provide a more balanced occupation. May it spill over into all segments of our lives, right?
While teaching ballet, modern dance and gymnastics for thirty-seven years, I formed a couple small dance companies for which I choreographed most of the pieces and danced in professionally myself. After growing up in the ballet world, as well as competing in gymnastics, I got my bachelor’s degree in contemporary dance and then two teaching credentials. Like in the novel, The Dance Centre Presents Giselle, my studio also staged many story ballets. The focus was to keep the love of dance alive, without the distraction of competitions, while strengthening technique and creating literature in action. It was magical.
And now, after letting the studio go, I’ve started this Dance Centre series. Everyone I talked to about books for ballet-obsessed readers, agreed that there was very little out there. They could only name a few. What a shame! There are plenty of books for horse-crazy kids, or babysitters, or soccer players. But why not dancers? I believe there is a huge need for this because, as we all know, dancers are very intelligent and usually can read quite well. Seriously! There’s no such thing as a dumb dancer. So, I’m taking on the job myself – to help fill the vast literary void for all those well-read ballerinas. I hope you will find enjoyment in my stories.
