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Hips don’t lie…
Don’t worry, I’m not about to launch into a rant about the effect pregnancy has on your figure or discuss ‘birthing hips’! Instead this week I had the great opportunity to catch new Cuban dance production Ballet Revolución.
When an invitation dropped into my mailbox, it didn’t take long for me to decide my response – hot, bare-chested dancers flexing their toned limbs to the sounds of Ricky Martin and Shakira? – count me in!
The Sadler’s Wells production running at London’s Peacock Theatre is fairly far removed from any typical night at the ballet, but not completely, as these dancers clearly have the skills to compete with any top ballet company. And instead of pirouettes, tutus and scrapped back buns, it was more a case of pirouettes, hip thrusts, hotpants and dreadlocks to a soundtrack of Ricky Martin’s She Bangs and Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie, not to mention some more recent hits such as Chris Brown’s Yeah 3x and Beyonce’s If I Were a Boy, performed by a talented live band.
The tempo of the production continued to pick up pace throughout the performance brilliantly showcasing the mix of ballet, contemporary and hip hop. By the end of the night, it was hard not to want to join in and shake a hip or two.
At the Peacock Theatre, London until May 19 – definitely worth booking a ticket!
Looking For a Panto Treat? – Head to Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire pantos are renowned for being one of the best on offer each year. ‘Oh, no they’re not’ – Oh yes they most definitely are!
And while taking my two (nearly three!) year old daughter to her first pantomime, I couldn’t have wished for a better introduction to the theatre.
This year the east London theatre welcomed Joanna Riding to star in Dick Whittington and his Cat. The show was full of laughs, especially with Steve Elias in the role of the panto dame and Tony Whittle as Alderman Fitzgerald – they were the perfect comedy duo – and while my daughter definitely did not warm to the King Rat played by Kat B, he was also hilarious; playing up to the audience’s boos and hisses.
I must admit, even I was scared when a giant gorilla/king kong type character clambered on stage using some sort of puppetry/stilt walkers inside (although I still haven’t quite got my head round how they did that!), but my little one took it fairly well and didn’t bat an eyelid.
Vocally it was Dick Whittington’s love interest Alexia Khadime who stole the show alongside Elias who could more than hold a note or two.
All in all a great show and what better excuse to support your local theatre? Go check it out.
www.hackneyempire.co.uk
#Goldilocks – How to talk to your kids about oversharing online
HAVE you ever tried to talk to your children about the dangers of oversharing online?
Well, Vodafone UK and Andersen Press have joined forces to publish a lively retelling of the classic story of Goldilocks, this time giving it the title #Goldilocks A Hashtag Cautionary Tale.
And they haven’t cut any corners, getting among the best in the business to write and illustrate the tale – children’s author Jeanne Willis and celebrated illustrator Tony Willis (Gangsta Granny, Horrid Henry).
The book makes it soo much easier to explain the downfalls of sharing too much on social media and in a totally light-hearted manner.
We were treated to a reading of the story by Jeanne herself at the launch in London at Foyles bookstore. Plus, the children had a chance to take part in a drawing masterclass by Tony which my daughter loved.
My kids are still young and are nowhere close to having their own social media accounts but my eight year old daughter is very aware of things like Facebook and Instagram so it doesn’t hurt to educate her on the dangers.
Research shows nearly half (48%) of children are aware of social media by age seven, according to their parents. Plus a third (33%) say they have used or looked at social media by this age.
Best of all the book is available to download FOR FREE at www.vodafone.co.uk/digitalparenting. The book also marks the launch of Vodafone’s new Digital Parenting website, which is simply billed as a go-to-guide for parents on the latest digital safety and wellbeing issues – something useful to have close to hand in this day and age.
LolliBop – Every Parent’s Dream/Nightmare (delete as appropriate)…
While it may be my job to be up to date on who was performing at this year’s V Festival and the names of celebrities set to grace the VIP areas, with my life currently being run by a three year old girl, my mind was focused on every parent’s event of the summer – LolliBop festival.
Where children and toddlers are the priority, this was my second year of coming along to ‘The Big Bash for Little People’ and I couldn’t have been more excited.
This year moving from Regent’s Park to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it was also a perfect opportunity for those who never managed to visit the site during London 2012 to catch a glimpse of where it all went down.
The chance for your child to see their cartoon favourites – Poppy Cat, Postman Pat, Hello Kitty, etc – come to life definitely makes for a fun afternoon. And it’s hilarious to see the likes of Dick & Dom and Justin Fletcher (aka Mr Tumble) treated like rockstars – with Fletcher obviously taking top billing!
This year there did seem to be even more activities for the children to get involved with – we tried our hand at windmill making, decorating bandanas and some glitter fun in Lalaloopsy Land – all without too much queuing or waiting.
In fact, the only nightmare queue experienced throughout the day was the one for food, which may have been a combination of the peak lunchtime hours and the fact that the burger van we’d chosen only had two women serving (something I only realised once I’d been in the queue for over half an hour)…
I think the Saturday we visited the event was at capacity and that was easy to believe as you fought through prams and toddlers on the run to get to each area.
I was certainly exhausted long before my little one was ready to go home and although it wasn’t exactly my idea of ‘fun’ (even as a parent, I’m up for anything that involves a glass of wine and some adult conversation…!) – I know my daughter had an amazing time and that’s of course what counts.
So, see you next year LolliBop.
www.lollibopfestival.co.uk