While all of us in the Legally Blonde Company adore the work we do, the people we get to do it with, and that it makes so many people laugh and feel good, three whole days off over Christmas was a wonderful chance to rest and catch up with our family and friends.

Having said that, there may have been one cast member who was a wee bit keener to get back on the boards than any other. She is one of the most beautiful ladies of the company and loved by us all. Her name is Luka Cole and she plays Rufus.

Luka is a three year old British Bulldog, bred by the wonderful Marcia Mcadam. She was a show dog for many years, but with a slightly crooked jaw, she was not the perfect specimen of the breed good breeders breed from. It gives her a little lop sided grin, sometimes makes her tongue loll out to the side and generally kinda makes you want to tilt your head to try and straighten her up when you look at her. But what makes her not so great for the dog show ring is one of the things that makes her a winner on the stage.

But like human actors, looks will only get you so far. As part of her audition, Luka needed to show us she could cope well with loud noises and lights, not worry about being in semi darkness (as it is backstage as a show goes on) and having lots of people and things bustling past you. She passed all these tests with flying colors.

After weeks and weeks of rehearsal, we were ready for an audience. How would she cope now with doing all she had learned to do in front of thousands? Unlike the human actors that know from day one of rehearsals what we are all working towards, the dogs simply know “well, today we are doing our tricks here and with this person”. While a big part of the training of stage animals is in exposing them to many different and strange things the average dog will never see and never have to see, there is no way we can find anything like an audience of the size they would have to work in front of. So, what did Luka do? She came out. The crowd oooed and ahhhed. She stopped and looked right at them looking quite surprised. The crowd laughed. Her tail started to wag, a big grin came over her face and she got on with the job. Perfect. While I will tell everyone that the dogs work for their treats and affection from their company family, the energy that comes from the audience is obviously felt and understood by them. Of course they react to it. And Luka loves nothing more than to be loved.

So do we have to give her treats? Why can't she just work for the applause? Those treats are vital for Luka and the Chihuahuas as they are information that what they have done is exactly the right thing. While trainers often talk about food treats, toys and pats as rewards or positive reinforcers (the scientific term as the treat strengthens or ‘reinforces' the behaviour just before it is delivered), the most important job of a well delivered food treat is as an informant to the animal. It tells them “Hey, next time you are in this situation, do what you just did then!” The treat is feedback. While Lucy, Rob, Dave and all the cast can wait for feedback from the director, for an animal the feedback has to be immediate. We can't say to Luka; “OK, I love the way you came out of the trailer the other night, but you know how you left the stage before Helen? Well, it doesn't work as well as if you waited and left with her.” Dogs live in the here and now, so guess what? We need to give them the information in the here and now. That's why the timing of the delivery of the food treat is paramount. As the trainer, I rely on the actors the dogs work directly with on stage to give them the treat at the right time to ensure the dogs continue to perform correctly.

At this stage of the game, Luka also knows when her entry to stage is required with no help from me. Sitting side of stage waiting with her, usually draws in several cast who may also be waiting or heading back to their dressing rooms for a quick change and to wait for their next scene. She loves interacting with people and having their hands all over her. But without a move from me she knows when she needs to go and ready herself in the wings for her grand entrance.

Rob Mills and Luca Cole

Many people are surprised at how well trained she is. At stage door audience members love meeting her (but not as much as she enjoys meeting them…) and comment on how stubborn or dumb they thought the breed was. Luka shines because she is loved and appreciated and because she gets clear information about what is required of her in a non-threatening manner. If she ever does the wrong thing, I look at myself as the reason before I ever blame and label her. Like us all Luka is predominantly a product of how she is treated, and Luka is treated like a Queen!

Thanks for reading guys!
Until next time,
Peta

And don't forget to sign-up for Elle Mail to get all the goss on Legally Blonde.

David, Lucy, Rob, Cam and I went to Brisbane to do the media launch for our upcoming season in March. It was a thrill to introduce a completely new audience to the show through a sample of songs and a discussion about our characters. While everyone else in the cast has been there, done that, this will be my very first tour with a musical production. We are all excited about relocating to Brisbane during one of the most beautiful times of the year and having an adventure in a new city together.

V8 SuperCar Skipping Challenge

Now that you've mastered the basic steps (jumps, jacks, trenches) time to learn a new skipping drill. Fellow cast members (and serious skipping authorities) Ash Bee, Shaye B Hopkins and I headed to the Sydney Opera House to see if a handful of V8 Supercar drivers were up to the Legally Blonde ‘Get Whipped' Challenge. It was loads of fun. Take a look at the somewhat shambolic results!

Here's a snap of us with the team too.

Yantra Mat

I often go home feeling pretty wired after a performance, and it can be difficult to wind down to get a good night's sleep. Yantra mat is an acupressure mat based on Chinese medicine which helps with stress management problems, helping you sleep more soundly, boosting your energy levels and reducing your aches and pains.

www.yantramat.com.au

Acupressure is a wonderful traditional eastern therapy that has been helping people for thousands of years. In acupressure, hands, (and sometimes feet), apply physical pressure on the surface of the skin to the body's 365 acupressure points. This pressure stimulates circulation to release muscular tension and helps the body to relax, releasing endorphins and oxytocins, which are the bodies own natural feel good and pain-relieving hormones.

Muscle tension, stiffness and neck or back pain can disrupt your sleep patterns, leaving you tired, irritable and unable to concentrate, as well as exacerbating your aches and pains. I lie on the mat covered in raised lotus flowers for 20 minutes before bed, or roll the mat up and stand on it for 10 minutes when my feet and legs are aching.

The Golden Rules

You can never be too rich, or too tan. So says designer Valentino. I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say that I too, am a proud tan-orexic. I love the feeling of having sun-kissed skin, but have long given up the real deal in favour of the famous fake bake! Nothing looks better than a fresh coat of colour, but it does take some practise and the right products.

www.vani-t.com

Vani-T is a brilliant product that I have been using for years. It is organic, making it one of the safest tans around and has a very natural long lasting colour which never looks orange. The Velocity Rapid Tan develops in 1 hour, so you don’t have to sit around marinating all day! The Brazilian Bronze Mouse is even easier than a spray to apply and is the ultimate deep brown.

To avoid the rookie traps of alligator feet and crusty streaky skin, make sure you apply with a tanning mitt while wearing gloves (Hershey’s hands is a very bad look) remove with tan erasing glove and load up with a good moisturizer too.

Brooke Bear

Who needs an “Erika” doll, when I now have my very own “Brooke Wyndham” Bear?! This could be one of the sweetest gifts I've ever received. Two gorgeous fans Lauren Snell and Danielle Keisha made me my very own bear complete with the outfit I wear in my skipping routine in the jail. Someone was very quick to point out that my bear really does share an uncanny likeness to me, especially the furry muffin top!

Party Proof your diet with Skinnygirl Cocktails

All that hard work skipping and at the gym can be quickly undone during the celebrations over the silly season. My drink of choice is a margarita, and of course it's probably the worst for the waistline! Packed full of sugar, rimmed with salt, and usually served in a jug rather than a glass.

Skinny girl Cocktail is an innovative, low-calorie cocktail line offering women a stress and guilt-free way to enjoy the drinks they have always loved.

Skinny Girl Margarita is made with Blue Agave Silver Tequila and lightly sweetened with Agave Nectar.Skinnygirl Margarita is light and refreshing with hints of citrus. It is slightly sweet with a mild tequila essence and with only 82 calories per 100ml serve, this ready to serve cocktail is one you'll love sharing with friends at your next party. It's around $20 bucks a bottle as opposed to around $20 a cocktail in a bar!

Never go out on an empty stomach. Eat a small healthy snack like a tub of yoghurt, a banana or a protein shake before you get stuck into the cocktails!

www.skinnygirlcocktails.com/lpa

Cheers and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Love and high kicks,
Erika

And don't forget to sign-up for Elle Mail to get all the goss on Legally Blonde.

It hardly seems believable that we are coming up to performing our 100th show of Legally Blonde in Sydney. It seems like only a short time ago I had two baby chihuahuas in tow who would one day (hopefully!) fill the big role of Bruiser Woods in the Australian production of Legally Blonde the Musical. Well, fill they have, especially our little canine lead, Sparrow.

Being the dog trainer, thinking about reaching the 100th show mark brings home to me just how many times the dogs have gone out on the stage, done their stuff and got their reward. It also makes me think of all the bits of bbq chicken, roast lamb and beef sausages they have devoured. Because for the dogs of Legally Blonde, that's what it's all about.

I would be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if I think the dogs like performing. In fact ensuring that the dogs enjoy what they do is one of the main aspects of my work as the show's dog trainer.
When you perform in eight shows a week loving what you do is a must, no matter how many legs you have.

When any one of us - humans and dogs alike - are asked to do the same thing over and over again how we feel about the job at hand plays a huge part in how we perform and indeed, if we bother to turn up at all. Learning the various behaviours is really a very small part of it - it's the continuous experience of doing those behaviours that is the important part in developing how we feel about our work. For Sparrow and brother Quinn who share the role of Bruiser Woods, and Luka, who owns the stage in the role of Rufus, enjoying their work is vital. They can't 'act' like their human cast members. What you see on stage is real doggy emotion. So enjoying their job is paramount. That means there is no "do it or else" in our world. Using force and coercion would show up on stage. Every training session, since we began in May, every rehearsal with the cast from August and every show since October has them performing to get something they want. This sets the scene for them to want to do the same thing again the next time round.

Sure, there are lots of really good food treats on stage, but there is also very strategic attention from myself and the cast and crew, play sessions, games and indeed training sessions that occur directly after the dogs come off stage. This way they link all this good stuff with playing their role on stage, and this in turn makes them want to do it again. It is the same reason why most dog trainers will tell you not to call your dog to you to give it a bath or cut their nails. When you need to do these things, go and get the dog. Only call them to you if you are going to deliver something that's greatness to them. Why? Because that way they will always come to you happily, because history tells them something good is going to happen!

So how can I tell if I've done my job well and the dogs are enjoying the work they do? I listen to them. Well, I actually listen with my eyes because like all dogs, Sparrow, Quinn and Luka speak with their body language. Every time there is a chihuahua or a bulldog on that stage I am in the wings watching every move they make. Because I know these dogs so well, even tiny movements tell me about their internal state. Like humans of course, they have their good and not so good days and of course I take that into account, but all things being equal, their attentiveness to the job at hand, how they hold their tail, their ears.... all give me information that tells me if they are comfortable and happy, or if I need to talk to the director and actors about changing something around for the dogs. I guess in a way you could also consider me a translator - I listen to what the dogs say, then I translate their needs. Like learning any new language, it takes a while to learn, but if you enjoy the company of dogs it is well worth the effort! And yes.... the chihauhuas do have an accent!

Thanks guys!
Until next time,
Peta

And don't forget to sign-up for Elle Mail to get all the goss on Legally Blonde.

There is an old diner in the desert outside of Las Vegas that serves killer chocolate peanut butter shakes. Literally, these are the very delicious beverages rumoured to put Elvis into his early grave. But hey, every entertainer needs a little sustenance right?! With 8 shows over a 6-day week, the cast of Legally Blonde have got to have a few healthy tricks to keep them on top of their game. I managed to extract a few of the secret "Super Smoothie" recipes that keep them in peak performance, night after night.

Personally, I try to aim for a simple, low-carb, low-calorie, guilt-free protein rich shake to keep me feeling lean but energized. I call mine;

The Skinny Elvis Choc-peanut Butter Shake

• 1 scoop BSC Body For Women Chocolate Protein Powder (Female specific proteins from whey and soy to help boost your metabolism, control your appetite and tone your body, and plant extracts to inhibit fat production and help reduce hunger cravings.)
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tsp L-glutamine powder (brilliant for muscle tissue recovery & also assists in fueling and detoxifying the brain)
• 5 cubes of ice, half cup of water - blend.

Visit www.bodyforwomen.com.au to find out more about Body For Women Protein Powder.

Our UPS guy Mike Snell wants an even bigger package! Here's his smoothie recipe for people who agree that size really does matter.

MASSIVE Mike

• 2 scoops low carb protein
• 1 tsp vital greens
• 2 large scoops of peanut butter
• 1 tsp flaxseed oil
• Banana
• Blueberries
• Coconut water.

Coconut water is a refreshing electrolyte replenishment that comes from the young green coconuts. It's a powerhouse of nutrition containing a complex blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, enzymes, health enhancing growth hormones and other phytonutrients.

You can buy it from Coles or IGA: au.h2coconut.com

If you're after a pure organic option C Coconut Water is Australia's first 100% pure organic coconut water. With no preservatives, no colouring, no additives and no tricks, it is just 100 percent pure organic coconut water. www.ccoconutwater.com

Pilars Power Green Smoothie

• 1.5 kale leaves
• I yakult
• 1 celery stick
• 1 carrot
• I kiwi fruit
• I banana
• 1 green apple
• Handful of frozen raspberries or blueberries
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 1/4 lemon
• Vitamins- zinc+c, silica, iron
• Phsyllium husks sprinkle
• LSA mix sprinkle
• Chia seeds sprinkle
• 1 cup cold water
• Ice
• Blend kale with water first then add other ingredients
• Makes around 1.5L.

Teagan's Antioxidant Blend

• Kale
• Pinapple
• Orange
• Frozen blueberries
• Ginger
• Gogi berries
• LSA
• Chia seeds.

"I put the kale in the blender first with a bit of water, and blend it up. I then add the rest of the ingredients gradually, and blend until it's a good consistency, adding water if need be."

Fashion

WORK OUT LIFE is the new range from Australian, Rebecca Quade. Formerly the senior designer at Stella McCartney, she also worked on the award winning  Adidas by Stella McCartney range. The collection is High Performance wear for the gym, running, and spinning.  The WORK section is geared for those who like high impact fashion print, and high volume sweat. The OUT section is for those who like a more contemporary take on their workout wear. Medium to high impact chic performance wear with a mixture of more directional fashion pieces to match. From the workout studio, to the boardroom, to the bar, the range will take you OUT anywhere! www.workoutlife.com

On the Rebound
Marco, our handsome in-house physio, is rich with all sorts of great hints on how to stay injury free during the show season. He gave us a mini trampoline, otherwise called a rebounder, to warm up and prepare our joints for the impact before we do our skipping drills. Just a few minutes of bouncing around helps to eliminate the aches and pains from my feet, shins, and knees.

Better still, I was reading in this months Women’s Fitness Magazine that rebounding is a fantastic exercise for boosting the lymphatic system. So it’s a new found weapon in the war on skin smoothing and dimple draining. Another reason to jump up and down!!

Tabata Training APP

I love Tabata training because I aim to spend the minimum amount of time training with maximum progress in the results department! This handy little (free) iphone APP is an exercise timer based on the Tabato protocol of intense training over 4 minutes (8 sequences of 20 seconds of workout, 10 seconds of rest) between the efforts, bringing maximum results in the field of aerobic and anaerobic opportunities and weight loss. It's an easy yet powerful little APP that allows you to play your own tunes behind the timer. Less time learning, more time shredding!

The ideal type of exercise for Tabata training is a burpee, squat jump, frog jump, kettle bell swing, and push-ups. If you have a rebounder, reverse burpees with hand weights are great.

Check out Tabata Training APP here itunes.apple.com/au/app/tabata-timer

Still needing an extra nudge in the inspiration department to get fit? Let Brooke Wyndham whip you into a Fitness Frenzy with her patented Cardio Whip 5000 program, featuring the Cast of Legally Blonde and her super hot video boys!

Love and high kicks,
Erika

And don't forget to sign-up for Elle Mail to get all the goss on Legally Blonde.

I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet to play such a fun, high-energy character like Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde. Every show is a workout with the skipping number "Whipped into Shape". When I saw the production for the first time in London, I gulped at the sheer physicality of it. And when I was handed my own rope when we began rehearsals, I was introduced to a tough new mistress!

Skipping is such a fun sport, as well as being fantastic cardio vascular exercise – but throw singing into the mix and it gets even more challenging. I thought I might share a few behind the scenes secrets that help me get show fit, and stay show fit!

The orange and white ropes we use on stage are Olympic Ropes from the U.S that many athletes use in their training. They have plastic pellets along the rope which help prevent buckling when you do tricks like "Mad Dog" (more on that later) The very slight weight in the rope is also fantastic for toning your arms and back while you skip.

Here's where to buy one from, you can even design your own! [ www.jumpropestore.com ]

A few tips on technique. Make sure you warm up first with some leg and calf stretches before you get jumping. Try to do interval training. Short bursts of skipping with rest breaks in between. Start with a minute of basic jumping, followed by a minute of rest, then build up your jump time. This is the best form of fat burning exercise and a super fast way to get fit!  Try to keep your elbows close to your waist rather than out wide, and land with a slight bend in your knee to soften the impact on your joints. Some good tunes also help! A skipping rope is the perfect portable gym that you can travel with and do anywhere, anytime.

I thought you might like to see the warm up that the cast does before every show.

• 8 jumps
• 8 jacks
• 8 trenches
• 8 high knee runs

We do 4 rounds of this routine, in two rotating teams so we get a rest! Watch the video to see the skipping drill in action.

Erika demonstrates the Legally Blonde skipping drill.

Music always makes fitness more fun. And everyone has very individual taste when it comes to tunes. I asked the cast of Legally Blonde to tell me which song they played to get them feeling fired up, motivated, excited, inspired, or just plain happy.

Here are a few tracks you might want to download as a play list to get you in the zone.

Lucy Durack (Elle Woods) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
David Harris (Emmett Forest) Eye of The Tiger
Euan Doidge (Nikos) Let me be your star
Rob mills (Warner Huntington 111) Keep the Faith MJ
Chloe Zuel (Pilar) Girls Who Run the world
Mike Snell (Kyle the UPS guy) Playing to Win

And mine? Well, it certainly fits in to the theme!
Erika Heynatz (Brooke Whyndham) Jump Madonna

I am obsessed with active wear. Most of my wardrobe is Lycra and the majority of my shoes are trainers. You may have seen a few pairs of feet glowing with these NIKE "fly nit" trainers during the Olympics. I was lucky enough to score a pair of my own. I believe when it comes to sportswear, if it looks fast, you'll go fast.  Invest in good shoes that protect your feet and joints and most importantly, motivate you to train and perform at your best.

I love the thrill of live theater; it's very different to the demands of film and television work. I've always battled with stage fright, but have learned a few tricks long the way that help with the nerves before I go on stage.

Rescue remedy is a great herbal concoction based on flower essences. Just a few drops under the tongue at times of pressure or stress to help you relax, stay focused and calm. Cameron Daddo sometimes steals a few drops when he pops past my dressing room.

Bach Rescue Remedy [ www.martinandpleasance.com ]

Another little trick is Aromatherapy. I put a few drops of lavender essential oil onto a cotton round and inhale for 12 slow breaths. Lavender is said to aid relaxation and work really well for anxiety.

It was an amazing feeling to move into my very own dressing room at the Lyric theatre. I think it's important to put an individual stamp on your space and surround yourself with inspiring quotes and images. I found these old retro images of Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I feel sure that exercise queen Brooke Wyndham would look to these two people and the incredible fitness empires they have built for themselves, as heroes. Personally, I'm mad for anyone who rocks a leotard and leg warmers!

One of the gorgeous Delta Nu girls, Pilar gave me this awesome nail polish from American Apparel on opening night. Fluorescent colours are big this season, which is just as well because I spend most of my time on stage in my Hi-Vis orange Boston Women's Correctional Facility prison uniform. I console myself by saying it looks great with a tan.

Lucy will tell testify that a few little treats make her very cute sidekick Bruiser perform much better. I think that applies to all of us, I'm a big believer in rewards for hard work! While Bruiser likes a small piece of chicken, I've got more of a sweet tooth. I'm hooked on these new guilt free choc chip cookies from Slim Secrets. A perfect protein rich pre-show treat with a cup of tea.

Available from coles or GNC or buy online
[ www.slimsecrets.com.au ]

The cast has become hooked on the burgers from "Ribs n Burgers" at The Star. A great reward after a show. The burgers are completely natural, free range, hormone and anti biotic free.

If you want to go the skinny option, order or make your own burger "protein style", which is a lighter, low-carb option with all the yummy burgers contents wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves!

They say you are what you eat, and when I found this jumper online, I was tempted to make a new wardrobe purchase. I love it! What do you think?

Love and high kicks,
Erika

And don't forget to sign-up for Elle Mail to get all the goss on Legally Blonde.