give me a capoerista over a prima ballerina any day....

so i tagged along with a photog friend to help set up for a shoot in what i thought was going to be a pilates studio...so first we get a little bit lost and our directions left a little something to be desired but we managed to get to the right place..it was actually a ballet & pilates studio in Los Gatos. So we walk in to find a surprisingly large amount of pre teen girls in back leotards applying mascara and straitening thier hair. As we unload equipment and set up this crowd gets bigger and bigger until there are like a gazillion ballerinas ranging in age from 5 to 20, plus one rather crabby large woman who is literally calling the shots. All the girls are in identical black leotards pink tights with gobs of lip gloss and mascara...then they start filing in in costumes, in litte groups of three with identical fluffy tutus with fluffy undies attached. I am utterly fascinated, never seen anything like it in my life. I also feel a little strange and out of place. All of the older girls are extemely thin and tall, and im starting to feel like a gnome. a small dumpy garden gnome. So when we finally have all the lights and backdrop the big mean lady starts directing trios of girls in costumes dripping with sequins and fake flowers, all with these tiny matching hats bobby pinned to thier hair into these (redundant, but true) really posed poses, heavy on the arms outspread and big cheesy smiles. After this another ballerina takes the spotlight and starts executing these crazy leaps and stuff in this flowy blue and purple gauzy juliet number...they put a fan on her to increase the whole flowy gauzy whatever the hell is happening while the big lady yells encouragement like shoulders down and attitude and point your toes...this whole time there is also this tiny adorable white dog running around and being generally too cute to be believed. im thinking its a good thing were taking pictured because nobody would believe this without em. at this point the teeny tiny ballerinas have somehow multiplied to like a dozen and as they start adding the tiny itty bitty ballerinas to this mix the combination of sleep deprivation and lots of coffee leaves me feeling like maybe im seeing double..the cute factor is way out of control as a tiny ballerina gazes adoringly up at the prima ballerina in her sequined stiff sparkly pink outfit..she looks like a wedding cake or something and the bitchy teacher keeps telling everyone to smile smile smile...the little one reaches out to touch the fascinating sparkle of the tutu and the little dog, zora, bounds into the picture....its almost too much for me...im a little out of it and caffiene buzz fading when the crew of ballerinas begins to diminish. after several synchronized at the bar lined up smallest to tallest shots of footwork i cant pronounce the place is nearly empty of ballerinas...and there has been a run for burritos. just as im starting to feel almost normal in come the second half of the shoot...the pilates teachers. four woman, all of them crazy tall,beautiful, and in amazing shape arrive and introduce themselves and for the rest of the afternoon i just watch in awe as they perform insane feats of physical prowess and flexibility...im too tired to do more than wonder if there is something in the water out here in los gatos, which woman i am most in love with between the professional dancer who can do a handstand on an oversized pilates ball or the tall tall long and lovely brunette. still feel like a garden gnome, but a sleepy happy one....as i think to myself maybe i oughta try some new flavors, like vanilla.....