On The Road Again...

I told you all I would be really bad at updating this! These past few months have been so crazy... but I finally have a night off so I figured I would give this another shot! After wrapping "Step Up 3D" I went out on the road with my boyfriend and the Jonas camp for a week before returning to LA and going back to work.

And by work I mean intense rehearsals for Miley's new "Wonder World" Tour! We started rehearsals a little over a month ago... 8-12 hours a day, 6 days a week! I feel so blessed to be a part of this tour! We are working with some amazing people! Everything from choreography to wardrobe to lighting etc have been working countless hours to create an amazing show!

In between rehearsals we have been traveling and shooting other things to promote the tour and Mileys new songs! Her are some pics from the Today Show in New York

(On stage in the rain!!!)

(Mike and War in the green room before the show)

(The crew before the show!)

(random photo shoot in the dressing room)

As of now... my body is finally able to get a little rest. We flew into Portland this morning and I spent the day with my friend Christina checking out what downtown had to offer! Pretty impressed I must say! Now off to bed! We have an early call for more rehearsals before the first show on Monday!!! Are you ready Portland?!?!?!?

Train thought...

I find that I do most of my writing out here when I'm on the train. I don't know why..I guess because its usually quiet and a great place to think and people watch~ Here are a few inserts from my phone journal that I copied and pasted here. I'm not sure if they are interesting..or even make sense, they are simply thoughts...

"O a train... coasting through Jersey...crazy where my life has taken me so far. I love listening to my ipod, its like your every sight has a new soundtrack...a new meaning...a new breath. I feel like I can make it anywhere. I left my old life back in Texas...my childhood that will always be with me, but never hold me back. I can officially say I've lived bi-coastally...From LA to NY...if you can make it here you can make it anywhere, right? And like my girl Haley says...I'm looking for the next big thing! I'm so close I can taste it! I think its only myself that;s holding me back..."

Thoughts...just thoughts...sitting on the train eves dropping on the conversation next to me.... Well, apparently everyone else is too. They are really loud. I cant help but stare at this woman and her family. It hurts my heart to watch them. She weighs maybe 85 lbs. Her small sweatshirt looks so big against her tiny arms. She looks to be about 55 years old but I guarantee she only about 40. The result of drugs it looks like. Frail...Well I shouldn't make assumptions. I don't really know for sure. Her son just called her "old and decrepit" out loud. Then said he hopes she gets ran over by a bus. Wow! She then continues her rant on...well I have no idea what. But she seems angry. The entire train ride she has been passing out, struggling to keep her eyes open. But when her eyes do open she picks back up right where she left off on her argument. I could never imagine talking to my mother like that...this is when I take the time to thank God for giving me such wonderful parents. So wired. I don't know these people in the seats next to me, Ive never met them and I will probably never see them again. But their presence sure has made an impact! Well..my stop is next...goodbye for now

Now that you know who I am...

Now that Ive introduced myself I guess I should let you know what I am up to at the moment. I am currently living in New York filming the movie "Step Up 3"!! I auditioned for this project awhile back and was beyond thrilled to find out I had booked it! Hundreds of people auditioned in Los Angeles and New York for this project and I am so honored to be able to work with Jon Chu and the rest of the cast!

We started rehearsals around the end of April. I have gotten the chance to work with some great choreographers. Rehearsals were super fun but extremely exhausting! Here are some pics of rehearsals and some of the awesome peeps working on this project with me!

Kendra and Alyson takin a break

Luigi and I after rehearsal

This is what happens when you attempt new moves without success!

Me and my girl Jules (Beat Freaks!)

some of the guys working on some choreo

Now we are in the process of actually shooting the movie! Its crazy to me how long movies take to film. One 60 second scene can take a full 12 hour day!!! But its really cool to be behind the scenes! We have been able to shoot in some really cool locations so far! Here are some on set pics...

View from my trailer on coney island

Monster (Jon Chu's dog) and I on set

A shot of the monitors in Williamsburg :)

We still have a little more than a month to go on this project! I cant wait to see the final product of all of our work! Ill post up more pictures when I get some! Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Stay tuned...and stay up

Ashlee

Bet I will never update this thing!

So big thanks to all of the tweeters that helped me name this blog. I'm not exactly sure why I decided to start a blog. I cant even keep a journal going. But hey, ill try anything twice! Where to start???

Well, I guess I should introduce myself for those of you who don't know me or don't know me well. My name is Ashlee Nino and I was born in Fort Worth, TX on January 11, 1985. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very close family. With parents who are still married today.

(my mom and dad 2008)

I started dancing when I was about 3 years old. Taking your typical ballet, tap and tumbling class, but I quit shortly after when a fellow class mate kicked me in the stomach lol. My mom tells me I was for sure that I was never gonna dance again because "dancers are mean"! However, that only lasted a little while. I started back up again when I was 5 and have been going strong ever since. Something that not a lot of people know about me is that I spent most of my early dance years studying clogging, tap and Irish step. It wasn't until later that I got into Hip hop and dipped into jazz and ballet.

I got into the hip hop culture when I was about 14. I started break dancing with a crew from Dallas called Diverse Soulz. They were like my new family for awhile. From then on, things were history! I had found a place where I felt I belonged! I began dancing professionally when I was 15 and knew at that point I needed to get out to LA as soon as possible.

I moved there alone when I was 19. I had never been to California and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I found a room mate through craigslist. haha I moved to Beverly Hills because it was the only place in LA that I had heard of. I only had $3,000 saved up and my first months rent took 1/3 of it away just like that! I spent a good minute living off of top ramon and McDonalds. My first week there I crashed an audition for a talent agency. A week later I got the call that they wanted to sign me! I didn't book anything for six months, and I feared every day that my agency would drop me! However, I never once looked back or even thought that I couldn't do what I had dreamed of! I searched every day for auditions when I wasn't getting sent on them by my agent until finally I booked a music video for the Hip hop group "The Roots".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V05cauo6lMU (copy and paste)

After that things went slow for awhile... but still I never gave up!

Flash forward to now.. I have worked with artists such as Miley Cyrus, Gwen Stefani, Sean Kingston, The Roots, Will Smith, Omarion, Kat Deluna and many more! I try to remind myself every day to never take a thing for granted! I love life and I appreciate every day that God gives me here on this earth! Ill will wrap this post up for now! Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.... ahhhh (sigh) wow this was kind of therapeutic...I think I may come back to write another soon!

Until Next Time...

Stay up, Ashlee