The Merging of Practice Ballroom Dance and TGWTTT

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They were basically the same place anyway.

Somewhere along my entrepreneurship journey, wrapped up in hustle culture, I got it in my head that I needed a separate place for each piece of The Girl with the Tree Tattoo brand – the blog, the shop, the email list – they all needed their own home. Once I moved to Maine, as I continued to bask in the natural beauty of my own home and felt no need or desire to go anywhere else, I started to wonder why did The Girl need to be so spread out?

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Everybody Must Watch ‘Everybody Dance’

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Your core, your essence, your spirit just shines through everything when you dance, from your fingertips to your eyes to your smile. That’s the spirit of dance.

Bonnie Schlachte, Founding Director of Ballet for All Kids, a cooperative ballet studio

This week, I invite you to take a break from whatever series you’re bingeing and check out this film: Everybody Dance. I promise you it will be worth it.

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Journal Your Whole Dance Journey (Limited Restock!)

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Popping in quickly to let you know that a VERY limited quantity of A Journal for the Whole Dance Journey is now available on my Ko-Fi shop and Amazon!

I first published this journal in 2019, which I’m shocked to realize was 5 years ago!? After creating The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing to help dancers like myself keep up with their dance training in between lessons with teachers/partners, I created this journal to be a singular place to record and easily reference notes and reflections on any and all areas of the dance journey – lessons, coachings, practice, competitions, showcases, and even downtime when we’re on a break from dance.

I designed this 150-page journal to be flexible enough to fit nearly anyone’s note-taking style, but structured enough to keep notes organized and easily referenced at a later date. It includes features specifically requested by dancers, such as a way to index your notes so you can find them easily three months later, structured space to set goals and intentions, and open space to take notes however you best take notes.

If you’re looking for a new journal to keep in your dance bag, I invite you to check out the Journal for the Whole Dance Journey.

This limited restock also means that the Champion Dancer book bundle is available once more (Ko-Fi shop only). Order this bundle to get the Solo Practice Guide, Journal for the Whole Dance Journey and The Choreography Journal with free shipping.

Happy dancing!

Where There are People, There is Dance: An Interview with Michelle Montanez Fox

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Photo provided by Michelle Fox

Dance enthusiasts, please welcome Michelle Montanez Fox to the blog! She is the Area Director of the Northern New England region for Fred Astaire Dance Studios (FADS) and the owner of the first FADS dance studio in Maine. Michelle started her ballroom career as a professional dancer and teacher at a FADS studio in Massachusetts and gradually worked her way up to studio manager, studio owner, and finally director of an entire region. Her passion for dance is matched by her passion for teaching adults and providing a truly positive and fulfilling experience for both her students and the teachers who work for her. 

I first reached out to Michelle when a post about the new FADS studio in Portland appeared in my Instagram feed back in September 2023. Maine has never had a franchised ballroom dance studio, so I was surprised to learn that one had recently opened! Even more interesting, the studio opened in September. Much of Maine’s population exits south for the winter, and so opening a new business in the fall could present extra challenges than if you opened around May when part-time residents and summer tourists are returning in droves. With curiosity, surprise and excitement over seeing that familiar logo here in Maine, I had to learn more.

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All the Things You Learn From Dance, Aside from How to Dance

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I was overwhelmed during my first rehearsal for the ballet Coppelia, but as they progressed through the month of February, I realized that despite my minimal ballet experience, I brought a lot to the table as a dancer. My skills and experience from dancing styles like ballroom, salsa, swing and even Zumba, proved to be extremely valuable as I learned and rehearsed a ballet routine.

In the corporate world, they would be called transferable skills. In this case, I guess they would be transferable dance skills. I guarantee you have some of these skills as well, even if you’ve only been dancing a short time. So read on to be reminded of how many skills you’ve amassed as a dancer!

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Back in the Ballroom, Just in Time for the Holidays

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Well hello there, dancers! I know it’s been awhile since I’ve visited our home here. I hope our paths have crossed elsewhere and it hasn’t actually been that long. If you’ve missed me, I am on Instagram most frequently as of late. It’s easy to upload a quick reel of the sunset or the beautiful views around my home without feeling like I lose too much time actually experiencing said sunsets and views.

While I continue to write, the words don’t always turn into pieces that I wish to share with the world. They are more for my own musings, or story ideas still in their infancy. It’s been a long time since I attempted to grow an idea into something that would take up more than a blog post or two. I’m excited to say something bigger has planted its seed in my brain.

I also still dance – Zumba and ballet mainly these days, plus mini dance breaks in my office whenever a good song plays. Speaking of dance, did you see what I did last week??

Here is a hint.
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CanvasRebel Interview – Taking Risks

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Greetings dancers!

I recently did an interview with the online magazine CanvasRebel in which they asked me about taking risks and what resilience meant to me. I had previously interviewed with their sister magazine VoyageLA. The current chapter of my story looks significantly different, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my story as it’s evolved, as well as how my perspective has shifted on what it means to be a creative in today’s world.

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August: A Month of Adventures and Flipping Fear the Bird

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As humans, we like our routines and our comfort zones. It’s where we feel safe. It’s where everything is familiar. As dancers, we’re constantly pushing ourselves out of those comfort zones in order to achieve our goals, stretch ourselves artistically, and grow in our craft.

Stepping out of that comfort zone is by definition uncomfortable, but it also gets easier the more often we do it. The comfort zone expands, and we’re able to explore new areas of our movement without inducing an anxiety attack.

Something about August had me pushing myself in all sorts of directions! I finished the month feeling tired and proud.

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