The sci-fi, action-packed film Star Trek Into Darkness has
just hit American movie screens. The
Star Trek franchise is a North American icon that dates back to the original
Star Trek TV series created by Gene Roddenberry back in the late 1960’s.
Check out some of the main, original actors (left side) and their latest
talented counter-parts (right side) from Star Trek.
Iconic Characters
Captain Kirk
William Shatner and Chris Pine
Mr. Spock
Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto
Dr. McCoy
DeForest Kelley and Karl
Urban
Language and Cultural Learning Section
Theme: Iconic Style
With iconic movies comes iconic language. Iconic language or phrases become a
recognizable part of a TV series or movie franchise. Quite often, the iconic language is associated with a
character. So let’s take a look at
Spock in the original Star Trek TV series and one of his iconic words including the same word from Zachary Quinto.
Such a simple and easy word “FASCINATING” that has become
iconic in North American language. Now
let’s take a look at some recent situations where the Spock character and his
language are used to create something new.
Comedy
The Big Bang Theory is a very popular American TV
comedy. In this scene, Sheldon Cooper
(the TV character's name) talks to the Spock Action Figure. There are lots of Spock ideas and
expressions in the conversation but you can hear "fascinating" early
on in the conversation. Leonard Nemoy
does the voice of Spock.
Advertising
One of the more recent and successful advertising campaigns
from Audi implemented Spock to sell their automobile brand. The advertisement
titled Zachary Quinto vs. Leonard Nimoy: "The Challenge" uses a lot
of Spock related ideas and expressions but, once again, I just want to focus on
one simple iconic word:
“Fascinating”.
Both Quinto and Nimoy say it at the end of the commercial.
I always find it “fascinating” to see iconic language at
work in culture. It is all around us
and always at work in the ever-changing language of English.
Live Long and Prosper,
Alex
Next week we have a fascinating, new author with a great story to tell! Check back soon!
Lynhthy Nguyen is on
Fire! From dancing in a Justin
Timberlake video to performing with Snoop Dogg, Lynhthy (pronounced Linty) is
making her dreams come true in the fiercely competitive, demanding world of
dance!
Let’s take a look at this
incredibly talented performer out of California in an interview I call
#dancelife!
Interview
Linty #dancelife
Alex Graham: How did you get started in dancing and how
long have you been dancing for?
Lynhthy Nguyen: Ok, my parents put me in dance
classes when I was four since I was like basically dancing out of the womb. And
I have been dancing since then. I
trained technically until I was 18 and then 19 and 20 I was on a hip hop dance
team UC Irvine. Then I started Go Go Dancing and then danced on a scholarship
to San Diego (Academy of Performing Arts) and then challenged to make it my
profession.
Alex: Excellent.
That is awesome stuff!
Alex: What styles
of dance are in your repertoire? Which one is your favorite?
Lynhthy: Ummh. I am trained in Ballet,
Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Hip Hop. And my favorite is Contemporary but I
love watching Hip Hop. I eventually aspire to be a Hip Hop dancer.
Alex: That’s
great. So diverse! Do have any dance people that are inspirational to you?
Lynhthy: Aaah…you know, particularly, I can’t name
any particularly but there is so many dancers that I admire that are in the
industry. I went to (watch) my second ever dance show in LA. Two days ago. And
the pieces were just amazing. It was
Dana Foglia. I have always heard about
her and I finally saw one of her pieces. She did not disappoint, and I had such high
expectations. She is amazing!
Alex: Sounds great!
Lynhthy: I love going to shows. It has only been my
second show but I loved it. It is so inspiring. You just want to get up there
and dance!
Alex: Dancing is a physically and
mentally demanding career, it a very tough career.
Lynhthy: Yes!
Alex: What keeps you from not, you
know just quitting? In other words, what I am saying is what inspires you to
keep on dancing?
Lynhthy: Well what actually keeps me going…First of
is Passion! It is just within you! I know it sounds super corny but it is the
thing I always go back to. I dance when
I am happy. I dance when I am sad. It
helps me cope with things. I have gotten over break ups with dance. Also even
in class it is so inspiring to see so many talented artists and they push you!
You know? And it is just such a positive atmosphere! Honestly I am obsessed and
in love with everything dance has to offer. It is something that keeps giving
but never asks anything of you, I feel.
Alex: Wow! That is
outstanding!
Alex: Recently you performed in
Justin Timberlake’s music video "Suit &
Tie", what was your role and what was that like (video at end of
the interview)?
Lynhthy: I was a burlesque slash showgirl. And
Lynhthy Nguyen at the Justin Timberlake video shoot!
IT WAS AMAZING!
Honestly, it was a dream come
true! I was published as a cover model in D-Sport in November 2012 of last
year. And in the interview, they actually asked me who I wanted to challenge to
a “dance battle”. I said Justin Timberlake but not as a battle but I wanted to
dance with Justin Timberlake. Then 3
months later, suddenly here I am dancing in a Justin Timberlake video. My dance agent like put that together. And it was everything that I had hoped for
and even more! My agency didn’t even
tell me, actually, who the artist was.
They just told me:
“Are you available for these dates?
“We just submitted you as a
Burlesques Dancer and they want to use you, A-list artist.”
That’s all they said.
Alex: No Way!
Lynhthy: Yeah! The choreographers were like we just
want to see you freestyle real quick, you know, to get a feel for how your
style is. And they put the song on. And
I was like this sounds a lot like Justin Timberlake. But I am not sure. So I
just danced to it anyways. Then they were like let’s go watch the guys dance
upstairs. And yeah!
Justin Friggin Timberlake!
Alex: Hahaha!
Lynhthy: Hahaha, yeah! You have to be kidding
me. I was freaking out! I walked in
there and I was dying inside! Like dying!
Alex: No kidding! That’s wild! They didn’t tell
you?
Lynhthy: Yeah.
It was wild. I was like you
could have warned me!
Alex: How was his dancing? Oh wait maybe don’t say
that.
Lynhthy: Hahaha Yeah I know. Hot!
Alex: Amazing!
Lynhthy: So crazy!
Alex: I also saw that you have performed with
Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg) more than once.
Lynhthy Nguyen dancing with Snoop Lion!
Lynhthy: Yeah I am a resident performer at a
nightclub in Hollywood called AV Night Club and on Mondays, I guess he is like
a resident DJ, and comes in once a month, and this is the second time I’ve
danced when he is in there.
Super cool! Very chill guy.
Alex: Wow again!
Great Experience!
Lynhthy: Yeah.
Alex: What is the hardest part about
getting started in the dancing industry? Can you give some advice to dancers
who are just starting out professionally?
Lynhthy: Ok. I think there are a lot of things that
is actually difficult about dancing as a career. But one of them I found at the beginning and I know that a lot of
other dancers find is finding representation. Getting an agent. Yeah for me I didn’t know how to get in and
usually it is by referral. And I didn’t
know any professional dancers yet. So I
just went to open auditions. So they just post it up there whoever can come and
basically you are in a room with like 400 people wanting it just as bad as you
do. And then they choose and maybe sign 10-20 of you.
Alex: Wow! That’s tough.
Lynhthy: And another thing that is really hard is not
having consistent work. And being the
"starving artist" for a while. Until you network and get yourself out there. It’s tough so a lot of people are going to
have side jobs. And you get strayed away from your goals because a lot of
people end up serving and that takes up a lot of your time. And then they get into partying hahaha…
Alex: Hahaha..
Lynhthy: No really! That’s is valley life right?
Alex: No no for sure! And in California you have
to be super tough! There are so many
people going there.
Lynhthy: Oh yeah. Definitely. A lot of people go home. A lot of people
don’t stay. Another thing, for dancers
starting out, is to train. I am just
starting to get out of that side job thing.
Honestly it is your profession. It is your art and you should be working
on it every single day. And if you
can’t get into class you should be practicing on the side, watching videos,
adding to your repertoire. Basically like progressing, you know, and becoming a
better artist. And doing your research,
finding choreographers that you admire and want to work with. And then just
getting yourself out there.
If they are going to teach a
class get there!
If they are going to an event get there.!
I find it is makes all the difference in the
world.
Alex: Absolutely! Great advice!
Lynhthy: Oh and another thing, sorry, I know I am
giving away too much but…build and maintain a really good relationship with
your agent. Cause they literally make
your dreams come true. If they know you
well and know you want it badly enough then they’re gonna put you were you need
to be.
Alex: Yes.
Alex: What can
we look forward to from Lynhthy Nguyen in the
future?
Lynhthy: A lot! I’m going to Germany this week! I am
so excited. This is my first time there. So definitely more international
jobs. My end goal is to be like an
Asian Oprah hybrid, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Alex: Oh, Excellent!
Lynhthy: And I am partnering in a business right now.
It’s a start up and dealing with dancing.
It is called Alors on Danse. We just
did our photo shoot with a photographer and hopefully that will all be up and
running in the next month or two.
And one last thing, my mom
wants me to get into acting. So we will
see. I definitely want to host, I mean television hosting, and I think they
will coincide with each other pretty well.
Alex: Yes definitely. You have extraordinary energy, passion,
intelligence, a fantastic voice, and, of course, a beautiful model with a huge
following!
Lynhthy: Thanks for pushing me to try it!
Alex: I think you would be
wonderful on TV!
Lynhthy: Aww thanks!
Alex: What type of acting
would you like to do?
Lynhthy: I love comedies. I just think comedy would
be really fun, you know.
Alex: Yep. How can the readers best
follow your career?
Lynhthy: Thank you for doing this feature. I am so
grateful.
Alex: No, No. The pleasure was all mine.
Lynhthy: And thank you to my fans and the Celebrity
English Readership. Without the fans, I
wouldn’t be out there. So thank you very
much! And my final words, I love my mom
and dad!
Alex: Thank you very much for taking the time to
do an interview for Celebrity English!
You are already awesome and I think you are going to continue to soar
even higher! Best of luck in Germany!
Lynhthy is the girl dancing
with Justin Timberlake, 1st Showgirl
off stage, & 3rd Burlesque Dancer farthest right side!
Language Learning Section – Natural Language
Vocabulary
Boost!
Vocabulary Theme: Dancing
Instructions: First, try to write down the meanings or ideas
for each expression. Next, try to guess
the meaning from the context. Then ask a friend or classmate. Finally, check out the expressions on the
Internet. If you aren't successful, the definitions are posted below.
(dance)scholarship =
Ballet =
Tap =
Jazz =
Contemporary =
Modern =
Hip Hop =
aspire =
(dance) pieces =
amazing =
inspiring =
talented artists =
positive atmosphere =
obsessed =
burlesque =
showgirl =
dream come true =
dance battle =
dance agent =
A-list =
choreographers =
freestyle (dance) =
performer =
by referral =
open auditions =
starving artist =
repertoire =
progressing =
admire =
Vocabulary Definitions
(dance) scholarship = a
grant-in-aid to a student (as by a college or foundation).
Ballet = a theatrical art
form using dancing, music, and scenery to convey a story, theme, or atmosphere.
Tap = Tap dance is a step
dance tapped out audibly by means of shoes with hard soles or soles and heels
to which taps have been added.
Jazz = Jazz dance is a
classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz
dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular
dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance — modern jazz dance — emerged,
with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Every individual style of jazz dance
has roots traceable to one of these two distinct origins.
Contemporary = Contemporary
dance is the exploration of the total movement potential of the body. It
differs from commercial or competitive dance in that it is not bound by set
standards, as well as defined styles such as ballet or Jazz dance. Instead, it
seeks to express a personalized vision, often through experimentation and
collaboration for the development of new, more individualized approaches to the
moving body and choreographic possibilities. It can use elements of non-western
dance cultures, for example, elements from African dance such as bent knees, or
elements from the Japanese contemporary dance Butoh.
Modern = Modern dance is a
term usually referring to 20th-century concert dance, although it
has also been applied to a
category of 20th-century ballroom dances. Modern dance refused classical
ballet's stress on feet as the primary catalyst for dance movements. It,
instead, put stress on torso employing such elements as contact-release, floor
work, fall and recovery, and improvisation. It was usually performed in bare
feet, often with non-traditional costuming.
Hip Hop = Hip-hop dance
refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have
evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles
primarily breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s and
made popular by dance crews in the United States.
aspire = o seek to attain or
accomplish a particular goal <aspired to a career in medicine>.
(dance) pieces =
performances.
amazing = causing great
surprise or wonder : causing amazement.
inspiring = causing people to want to do or create
something or to lead better lives.
talented artists = talented:
having a special ability to do something well. artist: a person who creates
art; a skilled performer.
positive atmosphere =
positive: good or useful; good; showing or expressing support.
atmosphere: the particular
way a place or situation makes you feel.
obsessed = to haunt or
excessively preoccupy the mind of <was obsessed with the idea>; to think
about something a lot.
burlesque = origin of the
word: the word derives from the Italian burlesco, which itself derives from the
Italian burla – a joke, ridicule or mockery an artistic composition, especially
literary or dramaticthat, for the sake of laughter, vulgarizes lofty material
or treats ordinary material with mock dignity. burlesque dancer entertains in
this genre. As derived from literature
and theatre, "burlesque" was used, and is still used, in music to
indicate a bright or high-spirited mood, sometimes in contrast to seriousness.
showgirl = A showgirl is a
dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show.
dream come true = something
that has been desired for a long time that has happened.
dance battle = or dance off:
an informal competition where two (or more) people oppose each other and dance
until one is declared the winner, usually by mutual consent. The dancing
usually takes place in sequence where one person/team will dance then the
opposite team will dance after there "slot" similar to a rap battle
but without the rap replaced by dance.
dance agent = a business
representative (as of an athlete or entertainer).
A-list = a list or group of
individuals of the highest level of society, excellence, or
eminence.
choreographers = Choreography
is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both
are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself. The word
choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία"
(circular dance, see choreia) and "γραφή" (writing). A choreographer
is one who creates choreographies by practicing the art of choreography.
freestyle (dance) = the
process of spontaneously creating movement. Development of improvised movement material is
facilitated through a variety of creative explorations including body mapping through body mind
centering, levels, shape and dynamics (see Laban Movement Analysis), sensory experiences through
touch or contact improvisation, and perceptual schema. Dance improvisation is
not only about creating new movement but is also defined as freeing the body
from habitual movement patterns (see Postmodern dance and Judson Dance
Theater).
performer = an entertainer
who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience.
by referral = an act of
referring someone or something for consultation, review, or further action.
open auditions = 'Open
Audition' means that anyone can apply or go to and try. A trial
performance, as by an actor,
dancer, or musician, to demonstrate suitability or skill.
starving artist = A starving
artist is an artist who sacrifices material well-being in order to focus on
their artwork. They typically live on minimum expenses, either for a lack of
business or because all their disposable income goes toward art projects.
Some starving artists desire
mainstream success but have difficulty due to the high barriers to entry in art
such as visual arts, the film industry, and theater. These artists frequently
take temporary positions (such as waitering or other service industry jobs)
while they focus their attention on breaking through in their preferred field.
repertoire = a list or supply
of dramas, operas, pieces, or parts that a company or person is prepared to perform.
progressing = a forward or
onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal); advance.
admire =
to feel respect or approval for (someone or something).
See you next week!
And to all my German friends out there, please go check out Lynhthy in Germany at
Link: Asian United 2013
Happy Mother's Day! Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in North America! Like in many countries, Mother's Day involves small celebrations and gift-giving to your mother,
grandmother, or other important female figures in your family. Let's take a look at some big name Celebrity guys who love their Moms!
Iron Man 3 just hit the US movie theaters last week! Iron Man 3 stars Robert Downey Jr, as Tony
Stark (aka Iron Man) and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. Under the direction of Shane Black, Iron Man 3 made the second largest North American debut with $175.3m.
Genre
Iron Man 3 is a 2013 American action
adventure superhero film featuring the Marvel Comic’s character Iron Man.
Filming Location
Filmed mostly in North Carolina, with
additional shooting in Florida, China and Los Angeles.
Visual Effects
The film's visual
effects were handled by a number of companies, including Scanline VFX, Digital
Domain, and Weta Digital.
Music
Brian Tyler
was the primary composer of the music for Iron Man 3. The score was recorded
with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Reviews
The reviews have been pretty good!
77% average on the Tomatometer with 83% approval rate!
~Rotten Tomatoes~
“Comic-strip superhero movies are not exactly noted for
intelligence, wit or humour. Iron Man 3 is the welcome exception!”
~Dailymail,
UK~
“‘Iron Man 3’ review: Robert Downey Jr. becomes the latest
lethal weapon!”
~The Verge~
"Iron Man 3 Current Score: 3.7.5
~Kids in Mind~
Insider Knowledge
Recently Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were on OMG
Insider! It is easy to see why audiences love these two!
Besties? How well do they know each other?
Language Learning Section
Listening Practice: How well do they know each other?
