Outside the Studio

Hello everyone!

I’ve been absent for a while… My sincere apologies. Summer has captured me fully in all its lazy glory and I haven’t been keeping up with my picture taking. (Not to give myself excuses, but there isn’t a whole lot of activity going on at PBT these days either). I do have some exciting – or should we say mouth-watering – pictures to share with you this week! This past Monday, PBT had a fundraising event for our upcoming Autism friendly Nutcracker performance. Haven’t heard that news yet? Read about it here!

Anyway, we took over the No Menu Monday scene at Bar Marco and dished out some delicious food and drinks to our lovely supporters. Dancers Julia Erickson, Stephen Hadala, and Caitlin Peabody helped out in the process, giving menu suggestions and making the diners feel welcome and involved. Great job guys!

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Playlist of the Week

May21 by Eva Trapp

“Let’s Go” -Matt & Kim
“Lola” -MIKA
“Only The Horses” -Scissor Sisters
“An Honest Mistake” -The Bravery
“Where Is The Love?” -The Black Eye Peas
“Miami” -Will Smith
“Rhythm Of Love” -Plain White T’s
“Closer” -Tegan And Sara
“Don’t Bring Me Down” -Electric Light Orchestra
“Don’t Stop Me Now” -Queen

playlist of the week #73 via Spotify

As you know, we are in the middle of our summer break. It is a great oppertunity to relax and recover from the season. Athletes in general put a lot of wear and tear on their bodies. That is why it’s so important to find a balance of rest and hard work. With that in mind, summer happens to be a great time to try new ways of working out to stay in shape. This week I made a playlist for my work out time on the eliptical. Something fun, but most importantly it keeps the heart rate going. I find that over the summer, stamina is very important to maintain. For me it tends to be a smoother transition back to work when I dedicate a chunk of every day to working out. Each dancer is different in what they prefer as exercise for their bodies. I’ve really gotten into Yoga, light Pilates, running on the elpitical, swimming, hiking, the occasional bike riding and of course Ballet classes. However, I am eager to try out some Gyrotonic classes this summer.

Getting To Know… Diana Yohe

May18 by Eva Trapp

Meet one of PBT’s newest company members, the beautiful and talented Diana Yohe. She joins us this season straight from the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Graduate Program. Diana is no stranger to the company, for she has preformed with us several times now. We’d like to welcome her and let you all get to know her a little bit better.

1. What is your favorite classical ballet?

“My favorite classical ballet would probably be Giselle. I’ve seen a few different companies do it and even performing it last year, I get chills every time!”

2. Do you have a favorite role to date?

“So far, I’d have to say my favorite role has been Odette. It’s definitely a challenging role and has been a major learning experience for me. It takes a lot of technique but requires so many emotions at the same time.”

3. A favorite on stage moment?

“I don’t have a favorite on stage moment. But my favorite part about being on stage is sharing the moment with other dancers. Even in a corps there is something in a performance that amazes me when everyone moves as one.”

4. What’s your all-time favorite breakfast?

“I love french toast. Every breakfast place I go, it’s the first thing I try.”

5. In your down time, what do you like to do?

“I love reading, it’s a good way to relax when I get home. But my favorite times are always spent with family and friends.” Continue reading →

A Healthy Combination

May15 by Caitlin Peabody

Hello all! It seems I’ve been missing from the blog these past few weeks… sorry about that. Since the season came to an end just two or so weeks ago, I’ve been running around like a crazy lady! Yesterday I came back to Pittsburgh after a week long vacation in Florida with my best friend. We spent a few days in Key West then finished up our “epic” trip (as we called it) in Miami. Needless to say, it was wonderful. We drank beautiful lush wines, ate bright and healthy foods, and soaked up as much sun as we could manage. Many people seem to think of vacation as a way to give in to foods you usually stay away from. For me, I look at vacation as trying new foods and getting my body back to a calm healthy state. Aimee (my best girl) and myself did just that. Easily our favorite creation was my afternoon snack I would make for us while laying around the pool. I can guarantee that not many of you would hear what goes into this dish and find it immediately appealing. You’d probably question it and slowly go in for a bite. But I know after that first bite you’ll be hooked! It’s light, healthy, fresh, and a bit sweet. Who doesn’t want that during bikini season?!

Salted Sweet Potato Avocado Snack

serves 2

1 sweet potato
1 banana
half an avocado
course salt
thick honey

1. Wrap the sweet potato in aluminum foil and bake in a 375 oven for 1 hour. Or until easily pierced with a knife all the way through. Refrigerate after cooking.

2. In two separate bowls, start building the snack.

3. Half and large dice the sweet potato. Half and slice the banana on top of sweet potato. Half and dice the avocado over both snacks. Sprinkle with a good healthy pinch of course salt. Top with 1 Tbsp (or more) of honey. Enjoy!