Style Defined.

“Real style is never right or wrong. It’s a matter of being yourself on purpose.” – G. Bruce Bayer

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” – Rachel Zoe

“Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style.” – Billy Baldwin

All February long, we at Sacramento365.com have been putting our best foot forward. Whether it was for date night with our Valentine, grabbing dinner and visiting Art Hotel with friends, or taking in the incredible wearable art during Sacramento Fashion Week, this month was all about owning our personal style and celebrating all that makes us uniquely us.

So to wrap up this stylish month, we sought out a little help from a few of our past Featured Artists asking them to define the word “style” and to describe their own personal style in five words or less.

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Karisa Gold, Fashion Designer 
February 2016 Featured Artist

Photo by Faith Marie Lopez.

Style/fashion is…wearable self-expression. It says something about you and goes with you everywhere.

Five words (or less) to describe my personal style:

• Feminine
• Sophisticated
• Alluring

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Gioia Fonda, Interdisciplinary Artist
January 2016 Featured Artist

Photo by Faith Marie Lopez.

Style is…the special way in which we go about doing things, whether moving through space, arranging food on a plate or furniture in a room, clothes on our bodies or hair on our head. Style also extends to the ways we communicate. Style is recognizing that we have choices to make and things to consider beyond utility.

Five words (or less) to describe my personal style:

• Polychromatic
• Eclectic
• Comfortable
• Festive
• Thematic (I often wear clothes that relate to whatever topic I’m teaching)

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Melissa Uroff, Multi-Media Artist
August 2015 Featured Artist

Photo courtesy of Melissa Uroff.

Style is…being true to yourself, taking risks, feeling confident in your skin, and wearing things that make you happy regardless of what is on trend at the moment. Now, don’t get me wrong, I follow the fashion world like crazy; a good runway show or a spread in W or Italian Vogue gives me chills. Stylish people are inspired by others, not clones. They take an idea make it their own, they wear it because they love it not because they are supposed to. Style truly comes from within. The most stylish people I know are unique, creative and confident individuals who are not afraid to take a risk.

“Personally, I adore the art of putting a look together. I love dressing according to my mood or being inspired by an era. Every day I wake up and think, hmm… who do I want to be today and then I dress for that.”

Five words (or less) to describe my personal style:

•  A whole lot of vintage

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Alexandra Cunningham, Dancer
August 2012 Featured Artist

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Cunningham.

.Style is…an expression of personality. As a performing artist, costuming (or styling) is a huge part of how to portray a character and how I ultimately represent a feeling or story. Part of my job is to learn how to take on characteristics of a personality and embody them in every way possible, from the way a character would act to the way they dress. Style is an art in itself. Style can express our ideas on beauty, ingenuity, and any human state of being from apathy to vitality. Style is how we connect and relate to each other.

Five words (or less) to describe my personal style:

• Heels
• Comfortable
• Elegant
• Vintage (flare)
• Scarves

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Four unique personalities and four different crafts. The common thread? Creativity never goes out of style. 

**This blog post was written by Sacramento365.com’s Content and Marketing Manager Karlee Cemo.

A Day in the Life with The Sugar Plum Fairy

Sacramento Ballet’s principal dancer Alexandra Cunningham shares how she and The Sacramento Ballet Company dancers prepare for the region’s holiday tradition.

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As the orchestra tunes their instruments there is a certain magic in the air. It’s almost opening night of Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker and I can hardly contain my excitement! All the memories of performing in this classic holiday production for the past 22nd years come flooding back to me.

From my humble beginnings as a Baby Bunny in the “Battle Scene”, I always knew that one day I wanted to be a professional dancer for The Sacramento Ballet. I would watch the ballerinas in awe as they accomplished their choreography with the confidence and grace that comes with years of experience. Still a youngster, and just starting my ballet training, I couldn’t imagine exactly how they did it — but I knew that I wanted to be just like the dancers on stage.

Now, 22 years later, there I am backstage in my Sugar Plum tutu preparing my pointe shoes and trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. Yes, even after all these years, and after all the hours of rehearsal, I still get nervous before every show. I know all the choreography inside and out, but the thing about a live performance is that you never know what might happen on stage — and that thrill is one of the many reasons why I love to perform.

This year alone, the Company dancers and I have spent over 200 hours in rehearsal for The Nutcracker. This year’s Nutcracker is certainly not our first rodeo –if you add up all the years each Sacramento Ballet dancer has performed a version of the Nutcracker, we dancers bring audiences a total of 361 years of experience! For many, like myself, The Nutcracker was our first experience on stage and the reason why we eventually pursued a professional ballet career.

The life of a dancer is one that requires immense dedication, discipline, and vision. We start our workday with a one and a half hour ballet class to improve our ballet technique and build stamina, followed by up to five hours of rehearsal, six days a week. We rehearse our choreography for our Artistic Director or ballet master (equivalent to a coach) who constantly corrects us in an effort to helps us achieve our best possible performance. Over time, we develop tough skin like the calluses around our toes. Dancers are taught to strive for perfection, although we all know that it is unattainable. Our work never ends as there is always a next level to reach.

All the hard work and hours of training however become instantly worth it once we step onto the stage. The Nutcracker is particularly treasured by the dancers as, in our Sacramento version, we work with over 500 children throughout the performances. To see their smiles and genuine joy as they take the stage alongside us reminds us of the reason we pursued our chosen profession in the first place.

The Nutcracker is so much more than just a ballet performance — it’s a holiday tradition that celebrates our community in the most meaningful way. It’s truly a miracle to watch people from all walks of life spend their time and invest their hearts into making The Nutcracker a success. For me, it wouldn’t be the holiday season if I wasn’t backstage preparing to dance The Nutcracker. Now, as I prepare for opening night, I am filled with a special kind of happiness that comes from knowing I am part of a legacy that inspires the spirit of the holiday season for generations.

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See The Sacramento Ballet’s hard work throughout the month of December. Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker will be performed December 12-22 at the Sacramento Community Center Theater. To learn more, visit its Sacramento365.com event listing here.

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This blog post was written by The Sacramento Ballet’s principal dancer, Alexandra Cunningham.

Up close with the Sacramento Ballet

Ron Cunningham introduces the dancers of Sacramento Ballet’s “Romeo and Juliet” at a final run-through of the performance in the Sacramento Ballet Studios. Photo by Sacramento365.com Managing Editor, Rachael Lankford.

When our August Featured Artist Alexandra Cunningham asked if I wanted to attend a final run-through rehearsal for Sacramento Ballet’s upcoming Romeo and Juliet production, I knew I couldn’t say no. After work last Friday, I ventured over to the Sacramento Ballet Studios, where a row of chairs was set up in the dancers’ rehearsal floor.

Though I’ve been to the ballet before, I’d never been to one in such an intimate setting. Here, mere feet in front of my face, I watched as dancers tapped and twirled, leaped and lunged across the studio. Their passion and dedication for their art was evident on their faces as the timeless, tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet unfolded before me.

Storytelling through the art of dance is of the wordless sort, but filled with dazzling beauty, expressive emotion, and wonderful music. Don’t miss this performance — all finalized and fully costumed — when it arrives at the Community Center Theater, Oct 18-Oct 21. Show times are Thurs-Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2pm. Tickets start at $17 and are available here.

Featured Local Artist of the Month: Alexandra Cunningham

Alexandra Cunningham waiting offstage during a performance of “The Nutcracker.”

Are you curious about the life of a ballet dancer? Our Featured Local Artist of the Month for August, Alexandra Cunningham, has been dancing since the age of seven, and professionally dancing with the Sacramento Ballet for the past eight seasons. Learn more about the training, passion, and dedication of this performing artist in her Featured Artist Profile.