The train to Chattanooga

I was so excited when I hopped in the car to go to Georgia. My mom started the car and that meant are adventure was starting. We went to Tennessee, Chattanooga to ride and see amazing things. Once we got there we looked at all the amazing train. 

This is when we were looking at trains.

We hung off the edge in the picture. After that we went in to get our tickets. When we got on the train the train conductor punched a hole on the ticket.

Our ticket he punched a hole in.

Our ticket we got.

    I was nervous to go on the train. I have never gone on one before. Then the train blew its whistle. It was loud. We started going... I was scared. He was talking about all the places we past. He showed us how to change tracks on a train. It was awesome!




We hopped back on the train to head back to the station. It was a fun experience!

My New Obsession

                           

Do you know what the word contort means? It means to bend and twist in weird ways. I've been bending and twisting in weird ways.

I started contortion moves when I saw a girl on America's Got Talent. Her name is Sofie Dossi. She was self-taught doing contortion. I have fun doing it because I enjoy people's responses to it. They are usually amazed by what I can do. I practice a lot to do these moves. 

If you want to try the moves you can, but you have to be careful. You could injure your spine. For these moves, I stretched and practiced a lot. 

This photo was taken in downtown Chattanooga, TN.

When I saw this wood fence near a park in downtown Chattanooga, TN I thought it would be a cool background for a picture. I picked a pose and my mom snapped a quick picture of me.

This photo was taken in an alley in a city in downtown Chattanooga, TN 

My mom picked this background. We were walking between two stores trying to find our car and my mom said, "Wow! Look at this graffiti. Let's take some pictures here." My sister and I both did lots of posing. 

This photo is me in a backbend.

This is my favorite move... a backbend. My mom picked the pretty green in the background. I was at home doing this photo.

This is a move I just started practicing.

This move I just started practicing. This move hurts my arms and legs. I will keep practicing until it gets easier. 

Contortion keeps me busy, and I get more flexible. I love contortion. 


   

Writing for a Dance Scholarship

These are the four scholarship winners.
Ms. Cathy is talking about the scholarship.

On Sunday, May 20th, the curtain closed on the 2017-2018 dance year at Main Street Conservatory of Dance. I was very happy to win a scholarship this year for my summer ballet intensive at Joffrey Ballet School in Georgia. Every year Dr. Dennis Anderson and Ms. Cathy Anderson provide a scholarship to local dancers. They do it in memory of their daughters Sarah Grace and Emma Louise Anderson because they died in a car crash.  Both of their daughters were dancers. Applicants have to write an essay about how they love dance. If they think it is good enough, they pick dancers to receive a scholarship. Scholarship winners get some money to pay for some of the summer intensive.

The night of the recital, we were presented with the scholarships. I was sitting in a classroom waiting for the grand finale dance. One of the volunteers yelled, "Haylynn and Lauryn, come downstairs!" I went, but Lauryn was still on stage dancing. When Lauryn came up the stairs, I said, "Lauryn, come with me." We stood in the corner waiting nervously to be called on stage for the scholarship. 

The seniors were onstage talking about their future college plans. We were waiting for the seniors to get done. Next, Dr. Dennis was talking about the scholarship. Then, Lauryn and I and the two other scholarship winners went on stage. He said, "Haylynn Harris got a scholarship for Joffrey Ballet this summer and gets to go to Georgia." Everyone clapped loudly for me. I was embarrassed. Ms. Cathy handed me flowers and a certificate that said Haylynn Harris on it. I was super happy that I got it. I will work hard to become a professional ballet dancer.

We did our grand finale after the scholarship presentation. 

Dr. Dennis Anderson and Ms. Cathy Anderson and the
scholarship winners.

Below is my essay.

Haylynn Drea Harris

This summer I will be a part of a dance school that is known around the world. In February, I auditioned for  Joffrey Ballet School summer intensive program. The audition was in St Paul, Minnesota at Tu Dance Center. This was my first audition outside of  Main Street Conservatory of Dance. I was nervous about messing up in front of the teacher, but I was brave enough to do it. I thought about the things Ms. Tricia, Ms. Joelle, and Ms. Amanda had told me. I had to do hard moves that day that I had never done before. I thought I could not even do some of the moves, but I tried my hardest. My teacher at the  Joffrey audition had danced on Broadway and worked with Misty Copeland, the first African- American principal ballerina at American Ballet Theater. That day, I felt like I was steps closer to becoming a professional dancer. There I was getting a lesson from someone who had danced with my idol! At the end of my audition, my teacher came up to me and said, “Haylynn, you have a lot of potential.” I would have loved to stay more hours and work with the teacher.

The next night my mom got an email from Joffrey Ballet School saying that I was accepted into  the summer program. I will be traveling to Athens, Georgia for two weeks in June. I get to dance all day long with professional dancers who are teachers. I feel like my future as a professional dancer is coming! Each time I go into ballet class, I am learning more and doing more.

In Marshfield, I am continuing to work hard, too. In April I got a note in the mail from Ms. Amanda saying that I moved up to level two in CBP. I am so proud that I made it. I am one step closer to making it to level 3...en pointe.

My sister and I are homeschooled which allows me to really focus on ballet. During the day, I stretch while doing homework. My sister and I go outside and pretend that we are in ballet competitions, too. During breaks, I experiment with ballet moves. My extra practice makes me feel  like a stronger dancer. When I get back from Georgia, I plan to work hard in my CBP summer classes in Marshfield. I think I will be stronger and more knowledgeable about ballet. I am looking forward to the challenge!

Dance brings me confidence and joy. I can't imagine what my life would be without dance.

Thank you for considering me for your scholarship.

Haylynn and Lauryn's Adventures with Winston

Haylynn and Lauryn's 

Adventures with Winston

Day 1 
Wednesday, May 23rd
Today was our first day dogsitting. Kathy called us over to her house and we went over the directions. After Kathy left on her adventure, we were in charge of Winston. The first thing we did was give Winston one of his dental treats. (It helps his teeth stay clean.) We are supposed to give him this treat every other day. The next thing we did was take him on a walk. He led us. We tried to lead him one way, but he went the other way. When we walked over to our house, he was happy to see our mom. He went under her chair and laid there. We went inside Kathy's house later. I fed Winston a little dog food and one of his dog treats. He ate that so fast. I was going to go close up the treat bag and when I looked back...the treat was gone!  We watered Kathy's flowers in the backyard. Then, Haylynn and I sat in the living room with Winston. His eyes are so CUTE. I can't wait to see him tomorrow. 

Day 2
Thursday, May 24st 
My sister and I woke up early to go next door. We got there at 7am. The first thing that my sister and I did was play with Winston. Then we fed him some breakfast. He ate it fast and liked it! After that we went on our walk. We went a block. Winston made a few stops to go to the bathroom. We got back in and gave him a treat. Then we went outside with him to sit in the yard. Winston got another treat later in the afternoon. We washed out his food bowl two times today. We watered the plants and played on that swing in the backyard. (We didn't know if it was decorative or not). We went home for an hour, came back, and John was home, so he was taking care of Winston. I am tired out after today. I am looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

Day 3
Friday, May 25th
Today we woke up really early. It was raining, so we waited until the rain stopped. Winston was so happy to see us. He was jumping on us and panting. The first thing we did was take him on a walk. We let him lead us. He did not go far because... he had to poop. That was so gross! I had to pick it up. It was malodorous! The next thing we did was feed him. He ate fast. It was gone by the time I put the mushy food away in the refrigerator! Then, we gave him his regular treat and his dental treat. He was in wrestle mode with that dental treat! He was so crazy with it! He was throwing it and growling. Haylynn and I walked away because we didn't want to get into that! We didn't water the plants today because Mother Nature did.  We can't wait to see Winston tomorrow.

Day 4
Saturday, May 26th
Today we celebrated my birthday, and we invited Winston. First, we fed him, and he ate fast. Next, we played with him. Then, we had to go at 10 am because we had to pick up our cousins. After that we played. We explained to Evan and Leah about Winston. My sister and I went to go get Winston from Kathy's house. We brought him over to our house and played. Winston loved Evan and Leah. My cousins fed him his treat. We had to break the treat in half because Lauryn and I fed him his treat in the morning. Then, my dad said it was lunch time. We all ate then brought Winston back home. We had to go play laser tag. When we were gone to Marshfield, my mom was babysitting him. Winston helped her with her yard work. After we got home, Lauryn and Evan took Winston on a walk around the block. Then Leah and I took Winston on a walk down the alley. We did two walks because Winston was hyper. He was worn out after that, so we took him back home. Evan and Leah spent the night at our house. Tomorrow, we will not be home to watch Winston until 6 pm.

Day 5

Sunday, May 27th

Today, we were getting ready to go to see Winston, but John was already walking him past our house. I told John we would be gone until 6pm. He said that was ok; he would be home with Winston until noon. We spent the day at our grandma and grandpa's house. It was Haylynn's birthday. We had cake and opened gifts. It was super duper fun. We got home at exactly 6:11pm. We were scared that Winston had pooped or peed in the house. When we got home, we went right to Winston. The first thing we did was let him go outside. He pooped right away. Haylynn handed me the newspaper right away, and I cleaned it up right away. Then, we played outside with Winston. We went over to our house after a little while; we were having a cookout. Winston was so happy to see our mom. He ran to her. When our dad had a hotdog in his hand, Winston jumped. I think he wanted his own hotdog. Ricky, the crossing guard from school, stopped over and said hi.  

Day 6

Monday, May 28th 

Today was Memorial Day. We had to crack open a new can of dog food because the food in the fridge was all gone. We had to call our mom over, and she found another food can and opened it. Then, Winston ate. After that, we played for a little. Winston was in wrestle mode again, so we had to step back. We cleaned the floor because Winston spilled water. Next, we took Winston on a walk. He had not gone poop yet; we thought that was weird. My sister thought that maybe John had taken Winston to poop. We got home from our walk and then we went to our house to play. Once we got there, Winston sprinted up to my mom... like always. We visited, played, then my mom talked about my ballet camp rules. We took Winston back home so my mom could get ant killer. (We have little sugar ants.) When my mom got home, we checked on him to see if he had to go potty yet. We took him out and he did not go yet. We played for a little then went to our house. We are so sad for tomorrow. It is our last day with Winston.

                                     

Day 7

Tuesday, May 29th

It's our last day with Winston. The first thing we did was feed him. He looked so hungry. We fed him one Tbsp of dog food. There was already dry food in his dish. He ate that fast as lightning! Then, we went on a long walk.  He had to stop to poop. Haylynn was going to pick it up, but she chickened out. I ended up cleaning it up. THE POOP! (I won't miss that part of the job.) We brought our homework over to Kathy's. On one of my workbook  pages it said the word 'foot' so I wanted Winston's footprint, but he did not like that! We gave him his treat. He ate that fast, too. An hour later, we fed him his other treat. We put it in his toy and zipped it up halfway.  We looked inside later and IT WAS GONE! We were surprised. When we were leaving to go for good, we petted him, and he licked us! That was sweet of him. We hugged him back. I hope we get to babysit Winston again.  

Meet the Baby-Sitters Club

The first book of the series.

The Baby-Sitters Club is a graphic novel series. There are four books in this series. I love the books because I enjoy the characters, and the characters face real-life problems.

The characters are Kristey, the president of The Baby-Sitters Club; Claudia, the vice president; Mary Anne, the secretary; and of course, Stacey, the treasurer. They all love baby sitting. So far, I have read three books from the series. I am going to read the other book as well.

So, do you want to meet the characters? 

Stacey McGill is a nice girl. She lived in New York, but then moved to Stoneybrook. She is the fashion icon. When they need supplies, they go to Stacey. One thing that stresses her out is the fact that she has diabetes.  

Claudia Kishi loves art. She even takes classes. She has a sister named Jannie. They always fight, but they usually get over it. They live with their grandma and their mom and dad. Claudia's grandma had a stroke one day, and they were all sad. Claudia kept baby sitting though. She helped her grandma, too. Mary Anne had to sit for Mimi, the grandma. When you need art supplies, count on Claudia.

Mary Anne is the one who loves studying and loves her hair in braids. Mary Anne is very shy though. She loves baby sitting. She's punctual all the time. Her mom died, and it is tough for her and her dad,  but they're pulling through it. She is very smart. Always count on Mary Anne.

Kristy Thomas had the plan to set up the babysitting club. She is in softball because she likes sports. She likes wearing baseball caps. She has two older brothers and one younger brother. If you need any questions answered about the baby-sitters club, go to Kristey.

I recommend this series to kids ages 8-13. There is a lot of drama with the characters. Friends argue, characters have to deal with divorced parents, another character has diabetes, one character's grandma has a stroke, and there are naughty kids to babysit. All of these things make this story interesting. I never know what problem is going to happen next.  

The White Witch Roams Rose Hall

Rose Hall
photo taken from Wikipedia.org

There is a place in Montego Bay, Jamaica that may be haunted. That house is Rose Hall Great House. There is quite a story about what happened at this plantation, which is now a museum. Some people say that this story may not be true and some people think that it is true. After our family went on the tour there in January 2017, I think it is true! This scary story begins with a lady named Annie Palmer... 

This is Annie Palmer
photo taken from Exemplor

The tale of Annie Palmer starts on the island of Haiti. Annie was raised by her parents. Then her parents got yellow fever and died, so she got adopted by a nanny who taught her this weird witchcraft voodoo. 

Later in 1820, she married John Palmer, the owner of Rose Hall Plantation in Jamaica. This was a plantation of sugarcane. This time in history slaves worked the plantation. Annie was one of the bosses. She was evil. That is why she is called the white witch. Annie poisoned John Palmer after she became bored with him. Annie had two other husbands and killed them as well. She had an affair with one of the slaves; his name was Takoo. He murdered her in her sleep in 1830. 

We toured Rose Hall when we were on vacation in Jamaica; it was creepy! There was a night tour and a day tour. We went on the night tour because we thought it would be scary. My sister could not make it to the end. She started crying when the actors jumped out and scared us. My dad had to take her out and my mom and I finished the tour.

When we first got there, we paid for our tickets in the gift shop. Next, we sat and listened to musicians who were drumming.  After that, the tour guide took pictures of us in front of Rose Hall. The tour guy said that we could not take pictures, so a man took pictures of us. The tour guide told us many stories about the history of the plantation and the house.

There were many actors who played the roles of slaves, Annie, and her husbands.  We saw this woman in white standing in the window. It was creepy. Then we went into the ballroom. The ballroom had fancy decorations such as a huge chandelier. We saw a painting of Annie, and it looked like her eyes were moving. My dad noticed that first. That was creepy, too. 

The tour guide showed us a secret tunnel that the slaves used. It led from the house to the ocean. He took us to the basement, too. That was where the slaves went down and got the water. At one point, POOF! someone popped out of the basement and we all jumped and screamed. It was an actor playing a slave! The basement was pitch black; we could not see anything!

This is an actor who scares guests
photo taken from MyLittleAdventure

Then we went upstairs and there was a room where Annie killed her husband. There was a bed with blood. Next, we saw a maid drop a baby from a window. 

We went in a dungeon next. It was where Annie put the slaves who did not listen. There was a bear trap to prevent them from leaving. At the end of the tour, we saw Annie's grave. The tour guide said that her body is just bones because it was so long ago.

This is the bear trap
photo taken from TripAdvisor

I recommend that you go there. I like scary things. I would not recommend that little kids go there. It is fun though.

 Johnny Cash wrote a song about Annie Palmer. He tells a good story about the White Witch of Rose Hall.

This is Annie's grave
photo taken from TripAdvisor

Don't "Sleep" Through This Performance!

When spring comes, we start to make the last changes to our recital dance. This year for CBP level 1, Miss Amanda choreographed our dance to a song from Sleeping Beauty titled "Coppelia." Below is a link of the Bolshoi Ballet performing a dance to that song.

Bolshoi Ballet performing Coppelia: Waltz of the Hour 

Our dance is not the same as the one in the video; we don't have pointe shoes yet!

My dress is similar to the dresses in the video. My dress has sparkles and glitter. It is pink. The bottom is a tutu. It came with a mini tiara, too.

This is the front of my dress.

This is the back of my dress.

This is my mini tiara.

We are having our recital at Marshfield High School on both Saturday and Sunday, May 19th and 20th. We still have some time to practice.

                  The History of Sleeping Beauty Ballet


Charles Perrault wrote the story titled "Sleeping Beauty in the Woods" in 1697. It was a long time before they made the story into a ballet. Pyotr ILyich Tchaikovsky finished the score of Sleeping Beauty in 1889. Sleeping Beauty was first performed in 1890 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The ballet has a prologue and three acts.