Just popping in for a quick update because, to be honest, my brain is a little overworked and the creative juices just aren’t flowing that well tonight.
Tag: american smooth
Dancing for Dancing’s Sake
Happy Monday and Day 1 of the Dance Diaries book tour! I’m keeping the book tour blog post updated with specific links to guest posts, book spotlights, interviews, etc. AND the link to the giveaway, so check them out whenever you have time. I’m also sharing the tour stops on Facebook and Twitter, so follow me there too!
Meanwhile, in the studio…
My First Coaching
I had a great Friday! It actually started on Thursday.
I was at home after work. I had finished my pilates workout, courtesy of Blogilates, and was chilling on the couch watching some crime show (I think it was Castle). Then my phone rang. It was Teacher.
Now We’re Talking!
As promised, I’m hopping back onto the blog to share how my dance lesson went. But first, I would just like to announce that I completed Day 4 of the Blogilates beginner’s calendar! I did it after I came home from my lesson too. I was hungry and craving a glass of red wine. Dogs needed to be taken care of first, of course. But then instead of parking my butt on the couch with a nice merlot, I did the scheduled cardio warmup and an inner thighs workout! And yes, if you’re checking out the calendar and saying “ok, but what about the 10 burpees you were supposed to do when you woke up this morning?” I did those today too! Gold star for me!
Now for my dance lesson.
I’ve Got an Itch
I know it’s been too many days since I last wrote something when my fingers are itching to type on the keyboard even though I don’t have a clear idea of what I want to write. So I’m just going to freestyle for a bit before I have to leave for work. I also know it’s been too many days since I danced when I start having lessons in my dreams. Last night I worked on rhythm.
Support Teacher on the Star Dance Tour!
Sunday Update: Kris and Briana won the popular vote! Thank you to everyone who voted for them!
Inspiration -> Fear -> Why Not
I’ve been reading Patrice Tanaka’s Becoming Ginger Rogers. It’s a memoir and in it, Patrice shares her journey into ballroom dancing and how it changed her life. Sound familiar?
I never get tired of “life changed by ballroom” stories. Her story has so many familiar elements; it’s like reading a letter from a friend. While I was sitting in the shade by my apartment complex’s pool on Monday, she related the story of her first ballroom competition. I was, of course, instantly transported back to my own competition experiences and was struck very hard by a strong desire to be in that world again. Like right now.
Just Enjoy It – Two Great Lessons and a Book Launch
This past week, I had my two regular lessons, one working on rhythm and the other working on smooth. During the rhythm lesson, we danced the cha cha routine to music and I NAILED that stupid spin TWICE! Then we worked on rumba and I “upgraded” my hip movement, according to Teacher. During the smooth lesson, we revisited tango. Teacher wanted me to focus on keeping my right arm forward (I tended to let it pull back, especially when the movement required me to put my left side forward). We worked on these tiny adjustments I could make to be able to take my left side forward without affecting the right.
You know how your teacher will tell you to do something and keep telling you you’re not doing it and then all of a sudden, after making the tiniest adjustment that you may or may not be aware that you made, they exclaim “yes, that’s it!”? Usually, in that situation, I have no idea what adjustment I made. But during this week’s smooth lesson, I actually started to feel it. I consciously made a tiny correction while we were dancing and Teacher felt it and confirmed it was correct!
Sounds like an awesome week, right? Well, it was!
So what’s the catch? There must be something, it can’t all be good.
Mental Smackdown – Feeling Adrift
It’s been awhile since I’ve let my demons control the content! I have some fun news to share from this past weekend, but first I’m giving my demons a turn at the keyboard. Sometimes I feel better when I just let them run amuck. (Amuck, amuck, amuck!) Tired demons are happy demons, just like puppies.
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Remembering Bronze
During lunch yesterday, I was going through videos and pictures stored on my phone, deleting stuff I didn’t want or need to free up space. I came across a video of Teacher and me dancing a round of bronze smooth, and I realized that it was recorded just a couple weeks before we were supposed to leave for the United States Dance Championships, a.k.a. Nationals. A couple weeks before Teacher broke his wrist.
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The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 