– Chi Varnado
Chi’s latest book The Old House in the Country, is AVAILABLE NOW!!!
Marli’s lost a lot, but it hasn’t kept her from being involved with life. In fact, it’s infused her with a sense of spontaneity that surprises even her.There’s nothing left of the Mississippi homestead that Dad left to Marli and her sister, Ellie. But this gift is just the incentive for Marli to create an adventure which will draw in and take hold of her and her friends, and Ellie. Female camaraderie, with five pre-and-post-menopausal women, can have its ups and downs, especially with a long road trip and the unfamiliar territory that awaits them. The sisters and friends will come away from this time changed women.
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The Dance Centre Presents Coppélia – the third novel in Chi’s brand new series, The Dance Centre Presents, is AVAILABLE HERE!
Jack senses a growing lack of control as he grapples with an unreliable vehicle and conflicting emotions about girls while clinging to ballet-his anchor. Upon the arrival of a little sister, Julie withdraws into anime. As the studio rehearses Coppélia, the dancers find themselves mirroring the characters they play in their own lives. What will this mean-for each of them?
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The Dance Centre Presents The Nutcracker – the second novel in Chi’s brand new series, The Dance Centre Presents, is AVAILABLE HERE!
Rehearsals have barely begun for The Nutcracker when the ballet mistress’s home is threatened by fire. Will her nature-loving daughter, Brindle, find happiness again if she loses the rugged sanctuary of their beloved canyon? Meanwhile, Paige develops peculiar stomach symptoms which leave doctors perplexed. Amidst escalating and uncontrollable circumstances, can the tight-knit ballet family at the Dance Centre be able to rally and stage The Nutcracker?
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The Dance Centre Presents Giselle – the first novel in Chi’s brand new series, The Dance Centre Presents, is AVAILABLE HERE!
When the prima ballerina at The Dance Centre mysteriously vanishes, Randi unexpectedly lands the lead and learns that the world of ballet is not always as glamorous as it appears onstage. She harbors severe self-doubts about her abilities to rise to the honor of her new role. And when she begins her pas de deux training with a boy, new and conflicting feelings and emotions surface which send her spiraling into panic mode. All the while, Deanne seizes opportunities to undermine her at every pirouette. Randi struggles to maintain her crucial focus, but what will happen if she doesn’t?
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The Tail of Broken Tail
THE TALE OF BROKEN TAIL A true story of how Gramaset and her granddaughter, Kali, rescued three baby squirrels and raised them until they were ready to live on their own.
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A Canyon Trilogy: Life Before, During, and After the Cedar Fire
The October 2003 Southern California wildfires destroyed nearly eight hundred thousand acres, 3,657 homes, and killed twenty-two people. In San Diego County, the Cedar Fire ravaged vast areas becoming the largest fire on the record in state history. Out of this federal disaster Chi Varnado and her family escaped with their lives from their canyon nestled in San Diego’s back country. She worked as owner-builder on a log cabin and was among the minority who managed to rebuild in a little over a year. She writes first-hand what life is like in a year of loss: first her mother and then their home in the canyon.
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CLICK HERE to listen to Chi talk more about “The Dance Centre Presents: Giselle” on the San Diego Union Tribune Community Spotlight Podcast
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Chi is an author, blogger and contributing writer to SEVERAL PERIODICALS INCLUDING the THE SAN DIEGO READER, and for MORE THAN three decades was THE Artistic Director of The Dance Centre of Ramona.
The Dance Centre Presents Giselle launches on March 4, 2020
Chi’s latest endeavors include The Dance Centre Presents Giselle – the first novel of a series coming is AVAILABLE NOW!
DanceCentrePresents.com
When the prima ballerina at The Dance Centre mysteriously vanishes, Randi, a high school sophomore, unexpectedly lands the lead and learns that the world of ballet is not always as glamorous as it appears onstage. She harbors severe self-doubts about her abilities to rise to the honor of her new role. And when she begins her pas de deux training with a boy, new and conflicting feelings and emotions surface which send her spiraling into panic mode. All the while, Deanne, a younger middle schooler, seizes opportunities to undermine her at every pirouette. Randi struggles to maintain her crucial focus, but what will happen if she doesn’t?
Click to read Miss Val’s latest Dancespirations.
WHY DO WE DANCE?
By Chi Varnado
Why do we dance? And why, specifically, ballet? Are we insane? We actually choose to force our bodies into supple submission even though it hurts, we get injured, other dancers get the parts WE want, and we’re never off the hook regarding what and when we eat. Talk about self-deprivation. But we still choose to dance. Is it because we can create lovely art with our own bodies? Or be able to stay in shape while learning grace at the same time? Or is it the satisfaction we feel when we move in sync with some of the most beautiful music the planet has ever known? Perhaps it’s all of these reasons combined, plus simply being hard-wired into this rigorous, self-disciplined world of beauty. We are a different breed. Dancers know how difficult and all-consuming it can be, while others are left in the audience. But we need them and they appreciate us. Both the ballerinas and the balletomanes are necessary for the success of our art form.
For me, it seemed a perfect fit. Having been a child with boundless energy, constantly ready to jump out of my own skin, and possessing a knack for music, I was fortunate that my mom and grandmother enrolled me in ballet. I feel bad for all those kids who don’t get a creative outlet for their exuberant energy. I was lucky. I also learned piano and guitar, and studied music theory in college. It didn’t hurt that I was decent at math either – because, like it or not, math is crucial to both music and ballet. It adds another dimension to the art form when applied to the tricky phrases of music. Classical music is riddled with changing meter and tempo and I find it helpful to be able to recognize these when they occur. I think it allows for a deeper understanding of what movements are possible within the context of a score. As we’ve heard, the fusion of art and science helps to provide a more balanced occupation. May it spill over into all segments of our lives, right?
While teaching ballet, modern dance and gymnastics for thirty-seven years, I formed a couple small dance companies for which I choreographed most of the pieces and danced in professionally myself. After growing up in the ballet world, as well as competing in gymnastics, I got my bachelor’s degree in contemporary dance and then two teaching credentials. Like in the novel, The Dance Centre Presents Giselle, my studio also staged many story ballets. The focus was to keep the love of dance alive, without the distraction of competitions, while strengthening technique and creating literature in action. It was magical.
And now, after letting the studio go, I’ve started this Dance Centre series. Everyone I talked to about books for ballet-obsessed readers, agreed that there was very little out there. They could only name a few. What a shame! There are plenty of books for horse-crazy kids, or babysitters, or soccer players. But why not dancers? I believe there is a huge need for this because, as we all know, dancers are very intelligent and usually can read quite well. Seriously! There’s no such thing as a dumb dancer. So, I’m taking on the job myself – to help fill the vast literary void for all those well-read ballerinas. I hope you will find enjoyment in my stories.
Chi and her husband lead what many would consider to be an eclectic life-style.
Their home sits in a rural canyon, nestled in Ramona’s backcountry, which has been the home of five generations of her family. The property is replete with a menagerie of farm animals, including: goats for milk and cheese, chickens for eggs, horses for Chi’s volunteer ranger duties, and some dogs and cats for good measure. Large vegetable gardens and fruit trees supplement their mostly homemade meals.
Chi has several Airbnb rentals on her property, including a Rock Tiny House and The Hershey Bar, An Authentic Hand Hewn Log Cabin, Kali’s Room and Chance’s Room. Nestled in a canyon in the backcountry of San Diego County lies Gnome Wood. These 120 acres of oak woodland and mountain terrain provide habitat for multiple species; including deer, bobcats and foxes; allowing them a segment of the wildlife corridor stretching between the ocean and the Cuyamaca Mountains. The valley teems with bird activity, from small songbirds to hawks, ravens and vultures. Whether you are a birder, writer, reader, hiker or just want some peace and quiet away from it all this natural sanctuary can provide this and more. The farm is also shared with horses that roam the canyon freely, dairy goats, chickens, an Australian Shepherd, organic gardens, and fountains sporting festive bird activity.
Ramona Valley is recognized as an American Viticulture Area and boasts dozens of wineries featuring locally grown and produced wines. A number of them are nearby. Numerous preserves and County Parks are in the near vicinity and Chi or Kent would be happy to share more about them. The Mt. Woodson hike with the famous Potato Chip Rock is a mere ten minutes away!
A local couple steal a kiss a top nearby Potato Chip Rock.
Enjoy watching birds from a rocking chair on the front porch of the authentic, hand-hewn log home. Read in one of the hammocks under the huge live oaks. Blissfully soak in the hot tub. Take a walk up the mountain for stunning views of San Vicente Lake, Iron Mountain and Mt. Cuyamaca. Other than the Wi-Fi internet, you might feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
