Sugarplum siblings

Hannah Beach, a former student at Tampa Preparatory and the Next Generation Ballet at the Patel Conservatory, was accepted in 2011 (her junior year) to attend the Royal Ballet School in London. Since then, she has performed in 21 Royal Ballet performances of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House in London, and has been offered a contract to dance with Hamburg Ballet starting in the fall of 2013. Hannah’s sister, Gabrielle Beach, who is a freshman at the Canterbury School in St. Petersburg and takes Florida Virtual School courses, is immersed in ballet as well, having received a scholarship to attend the Royal Ballet School for two weeks of training in January. With permission, tb-two* shares excerpts of an email from Hannah: "Swan Lake has finally finished, but it’s not over because I am now doing snowflakes, flowers and a cover for angels in the Nutcracker. I am so happy to be doing so much with the company!!!! (Recently) some company members performed for an arts gala at Buckingham Palace!! It was absolutely amazing! They set up a stage in the throne room and we danced and met Prince Charles :D (Darcey) Bussell and Natalie Portman were also there! After the show the Prince came to talk to us and ask us about how we got to the school and where we are from. I got to talk to him directly and say that I am from the states and I came to the school through a competition. He asked why I chose Royal over other schools in America and I said that everyone in America wants to come to London. . . He was happy to hear that, lol"

You can catch Gabrielle Beach in the Nutcracker at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Carol Morsani Hall at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. tb-two* staff

BY ALEXA BEAULIEU, St. Petersburg High

Candy canes, eggnog, cookies . . . Thanksgiving has nothing on eating during the winter holiday break. So that Santa doesn’t leave you new pounds along with new clothes and toys, here are some tips to help you stay in shape this season:

1. Skipping: Hot chocolate and eggnog can be so tempting, but think twice. One cup of eggnog can be 343 calories and 29 percent of your daily recommended fat intake. Instead, try a glass of milk and maybe even slip in a small Oreo. Skipping one thing can help a lot.

2. Electronics: In between posting and liking, check out the Nike Training Club app. It’s a great app with tons of exercises that let you choose difficulty, length, goal. Start at an easy level, as the harder ones can keep you sore for days.

3. Simplicity: It can only take a little to lose a lot. Some of the easiest things to do are pushups and situps. They work your arms, pectorals and abs. Spice up your situps by twisting at the waist when you lift up, just don’t lift up by your neck. And if your arms get wobbly while doing pushups, don’t be afraid to try pushups from your knees. They work your muscles just as well.

4. Recruit: Exercise can be a pain, but if you recruit a buddy, it becomes bearable. A friend can help you stay motivated and excited about staying in shape. Also, if you’re so wrapped up in talking, you won’t realize how far you just ran.

5. Routine: Your body likes a set schedule, just like you do, so you need to mix it up. If you’re doing the same exercises every day, your body won’t be feeling the burn. If you lift weights, switch to a run. If you run, start lifting! The change will force your body to get used to a new routine and therefore increase calorie burn.

Athletic achievement

Lakewood High senior Rodney Adams has a lot on his plate. • "I honestly don’t know how I do it all. I amaze myself," said Adams, a star football player who also plays basketball and has a 3.0 grade point average. Usually a wide receiver, Adams stepped up and took over quarterback Tracy Johnson’s spot when Johnson’s injuries kept him out the last four games of the season, leading the team into the playoffs. Since then, he has five college offers to play quarterback, in addition to schools asking him to be wide receiver, 30 offers in total. • Adams’ Pinellas County All-Star appearance last week is not his only post-season honor. He has also been selected to play on the USA under-19 International Bowl Championship on Feb. 5 in Austin, Texas. • "It’s an honor to be able to represent not only St. Pete, but Florida, and ultimately the USA," Adams said. He’ll be playing alongside two of his fellow Spartans, Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin. The three are the only players chosen from Pinellas County. They will be spending their signing day in Texas. Adams is still undecided. • As one of Lakewood’s starting basketball players, Adams juggles the two sports. "It keeps me on my toes and I know it’ll all pay off in the end."