While ballroom dancing is my primary dance love, being in Maine without a dance partner has afforded me the opportunity to explore or revisit other styles of dance. In addition to a weekly Zumba class, I’ve been enjoying a weekly ballet class that is proving to be a challenge for my brain and body. When I saw the “adult and teen ballet” class on the calendar, I assumed it would be a class of beginner basics focusing on elements of ballet that would help anyone to improve posture and balance. The class went well beyond my expectations, to my surprise and then pleasure.
Continue readingSupport Rx Ballroom Dance on Giving Tuesday
Hi dancers!
Popping in real quick to share a post from a nonprofit I work with – Rx Ballroom Dance. I’ve shared information about the organization before. We provide FREE ballroom dance classes to people struggling with neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s. The effects of these classes on the participants have been incredible to witness. People are getting physically stronger, improving their balance, coordination and memory recall, AND they are happier!
Free to participants means we depend on grants and donations to keep the program running. So please consider making a donation today!
Learn more and donate:
https://rxballroomdance.com/its-giving-tuesday-double-your-donation-up-to-5000/
First Snowfall and an Impactful Gift Guide
We got our first snowfall yesterday!
Maine didn’t mess around. There was no warm-up round. She went full-out right out of the gate and dropped a couple inches! It was interesting to drive into town for Zumba though. While it was a winter wonderland at home, closer to town, there was merely a light coating of snow on the ground.
Continue readingI Won a Ballroom Dance World Champion Title in a Used Dress
Do you remember those “choose your own adventure” books? I loved those books as a kid! I always wanted to read through every single option to see what would happen. The ending might be the same, but adventures are never about the destination. They’re about the journey.
Come Alive
The Greatest Showman was one of those movies that shouldn’t have worked. A musical about P.T. Barnum, a man who gained notoriety by exploiting people for profit and marketing racism to the masses in the form of entertainment? That’s just not right.
And yet, the movie was a major success! I’m a huge fan myself, and I think a big part of that success had to do with the underlying message that had nothing to do with Mr. Barnum. It was an invitation that appealed to that desire within all of us: to show up as our true selves, to shed the dreary gray uniform of the daily grind, and as they sing, come alive.
When the Doubts Roll In
The weather is getting colder here. Frost appears on the grass every morning now, with low temperatures hitting the 20s. I had to scrape ice off my windshield this morning before I left for Zumba. High temperatures are still hitting the low 50s, so I wouldn’t call it winter yet but I know the 20s will soon be the high rather than the low. Layers are my best friend as I await the arrival of my first real winter in years. I also ordered some wool socks.
Weekend Update from Maine
Hi Dancers!
This week’s post will be short. Just an update from your friendly neighborhood ballroom dancer. 😉
I hung out with other ballroom dancers this past week! One of my long-time blog readers arranged a lunch for me, her, and her teacher. Turns out the teacher and I had some mutual connections from Southern California, so it was fun to see where our paths crossed in the past. He actually taught at a different branch of the studio where I took my very first lessons! We also chatted about my vision for the future. If I haven’t already mentioned it, I plan on turning the stables on our property into a dance space. Since my journaling exercise about the house worked out so well, expect a similar one about the dance space in the near future.
When Your Number Isn’t Called, Remember Why You Danced
I entered a writing competition in August on Medium. There were four categories – Space, Death, Reentry and Work. I wrote articles for the first two:
Space
According to Society’s Expectations, I’ve Failed At Life
Death
The winners were just announced. I did not win any prize or receive any honorable mention. I didn’t expect to, honestly. There were about 10,000 entries between the four categories! I didn’t maximize my chances by entering all four categories, and more importantly, I still have plenty to learn and explore when it comes to writing.
Continue readingWhat Do You Believe About Yourself As a Dancer?
A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop hosted by my mindset/personal development/creative/just generally awesome coach, during which we did an exercise that involved listing things you believed to be true about yourself. This wasn’t meant to be a self-roast or pity party; the goal was to identify positive things. The question then came up – is it really being honest to only list positive things and ignore the negative?
Guest Post: The Mental Health Benefits of Dancing by Rachel James
Please welcome to the blog, Rachel James! She is a fellow blogger out of the UK who kindly put together a few important reminders for all of us dance enthusiasts. The topic of this article may seem obvious to us, but obvious benefits can be easily taken for granted. Also, what is obvious to us is not obvious to all. So help spread the word! Let everyone know about the wonderful and amazing mental health benefits of dance.
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