Coming back to reality after being immersed in a fantasy world kinda sucks. I spent hours in a ballroom filled with bright colors and bling and beautiful dancing. I barely recognized myself, all made up and covered in sparkly things. But when it was all over, I had to drive home and spend almost an hour deconstructing the fantasy, one bobby pin and glitter-glued strand of hair at a time. Coming back to reality sucks.
Emerald Ball 2015 – 47 Bobby Pins Later
I did it! I completed the next dance goal on my list: Emerald Ball! If you’re following me on Instagram, you already know how it went. For those of you that aren’t, I placed first in nine of my single dances, second in the other three, and first in scholarship! Rock on! And even more awesome: I enjoyed myself! Imagine that!
Countdown to Emerald – 2 Days: Fighting for the Dreams of a Servant Girl
Emerald Ball’s countdown clock has less than 1 day, but since I’m not dancing until the second day of the comp, I’m giving my countdown an extra day. I took a prescribed break from ballroom over the weekend. Teacher says I’m ready, and I feel ready more or less. But with the few comps I’ve done, there has always been a time right before the big day when the sheer cost of everything hits me hard and I once again question what I’m doing. For this comp, that time came this past Saturday night.
Countdown to Emerald – 5 Days: Mental Smackdown
Today’s episode of Mental Smackdown is brought to you by the demons in my head. Rated R for generous use of crude language. Do not look for inspiration here. It’s all about the self-pity. Continue reading
Wanted: Ballroom Dancers, Only the Rich Need Apply (A Cynical Look at the Sport I Love)
I’m feeling quite jaded this morning and making comparisons that I shouldn’t. So I was reminded of this post I wrote last year. One thing I can say is I am less convinced today that I’ll never be as good as other students with more money. I think I just have to fight for it more.
Countdown to Emerald – 10 Days: Team Match and a Pardon
Today was a good day. My studio hosted a team match, and due to some good fortune and strict budgeting, I could afford 12 entries. And my anxiety had apparently taken the day off! A few butterflies showed up after the dancing first started, but that was it. I attribute it to the events of the previous day. I had a lesson scheduled and then I was to go to the spray tanning salon to do a test run in preparation for Emerald. I was in an awful mood all day.
Countdown to Emerald – 12 Days: The Anxiety Games
Emerald Ball’s website has this lovely countdown clock on the homepage, which tells me that the competition starts in less than 12 days. When I say “lovely countdown clock,” I mean “psychological torture device” and when I say “less the 12 days,” I mean LESS THAN 12 DAYS!?!”
Continue reading
The Cathartic Beauty of Dance
On April 4, 2015, I lost a dear friend and the world lost a beautiful person and dancer. She passed away from the ALS that had ravaged her body for the past two years. She was one of my first ballroom friends and had an amazing smile. She always encouraged me and supported me in my dancing efforts. I always think of her when I’m battling my demons because she always told me, very firmly, don’t let your fears hold you back.
Her memorial service was this past Saturday and I had a dance lesson right after. Teacher wanted to work on my performance more because he says my technique is solid, we just need to put the finishing touches on my dance for Emerald Ball. Which means I need to emote more! And why not, I had already spent the whole morning very emotional, may as well put it into my dance. It’s what my friend would have told me to do.
Guest Post: The Girl With The Tree Tattoo
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to connect with other ballroom dancers! This is an article I wrote for the Biggest Girl in the Ballroom.
I cannot tell you how incredibly pleased I am to get to share this next Balllroom Village Blogger with you!
Please welcome Girl With The Tree Tattoo!
I appreciate her authenticity, enthusiasm, and willingness to share. Please do check out her Blog at:
http://www.thegirlwiththetreetattoo.com/
And for a special treat, you can see her in action, dancing!
https://thegirlwiththetreetattoo.com/more-about-the-girl/videos/
Without further ado, Enjoy!
“I can’t…I have dance.”
Balancing a Full-Time Life and Ballroom
First of all, I am honored to be writing a guest post for the Biggest Girl in the Ballroom! I found Stefanie’s blog because it showed up on my suggested list from WordPress. Thank you, WordPress algorithms! It’s so exciting to be able to connect with a fellow ballroom dancer. As for me, I have been a student/addict of ballroom dancing for over 2 years. I have been competing for just under a year and currently compete at the bronze…
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Lightbulb Moment – New Approach to Expressing Emotion
I set a goal for myself to practice performance in at least three of my lessons in the month of April. I had the same goal set in March but I didn’t tell my teacher and never really pushed myself to do it without him prompting. So this month I let Teacher in on the plan, and like the good teacher he is, he set aside time in my last lesson for me to “perform.” I managed to not run away in panic.
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 