Guest Post – How I Went From Burnt Out… to Owning the Dance Floor Again

July 28, 2025Leave a comment

Please welcome Cesar Barragan to the blog! We connected on Instagram after I saw a post of his talking about his work with dancers aged 30 to 50 years old (yes, 30 to 50!). After chatting, I knew you would be interesting in learning more. So without further ado…

There’s a moment I’ll never forget.

I was standing at the edge of a social dance floor, watching everyone move so effortlessly. The music hit…a song I used to love…and my body didn’t respond the way it used to. My steps felt stiff, hips resisted, and the confidence dipped.

It wasn’t my technique or the music. It was me feeling disconnected from the movement, the joy, and from myself.

If you’ve ever walked off a dance floor thinking:

“Why doesn’t my body move like it used to?”

“Why am I so tired after just a few songs?”

“Why am I working so hard and still not seeing results?”

I’ve been there.

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I Hurt My Back Doing Body Rolls in Zumba (Happy EDS Month)

April 20, 2025May 18, 20255 Comments

I turned “the meaning of life” years old this year, but that’s not why I hurt my back (gold star if you got the reference). Some exuberant body rolls in Zumba class aren’t really the reason either, just the trigger.

May is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month. Ehlers-Danlos is the reason I’ve been spending a lot of quality time with my heating pad. Since being diagnosed a year ago with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), I’ve learned a lot about this connective tissue disorder and how to manage the symptoms that come with it. I first became aware of EDS through social media when someone else shared their own diagnosis. So I thought I would pay it forward in honor of the month, just in case I can help another dancer find some answers.

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Journal Your Whole Dance Journey (Limited Restock!)

April 14, 2024Leave a comment

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

March 24, 2024March 23, 20241 Comment

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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Back in the Ballroom, Just in Time for the Holidays

November 23, 2023November 24, 2023Leave a comment

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??

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Dancing Queens: An Interview with Colette Marotto

August 6, 2023August 4, 20232 Comments

Leads and follows, please welcome to the blog: Colette Marotto! She is a mother, a businesswoman and an Open-level pro-am competitive ballroom dancer. Though you may better recognize her from her recent role on the show Dancing Queens.

As I wrapped up my series on Dancing Queens, I sat down with Colette to talk about the impacts that dance has had on our lives and vice versa, as well as her experiences on the show. Let’s jump in!

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Dancing Queens: An Interview with Sabrina Strasser

July 9, 2023July 8, 2023Leave a comment

I am so excited to welcome Sabrina Strasser to the blog! She is an Open Latin pro-am competitive ballroom dancer, mother of two, and owner of SabiChic, a dancewear accessories brand. Of course, you may know her better from the show Dancing Queens, which recently wrapped its first season on Bravo. I sat down with Sabrina to talk about competing in ballroom, managing mindset and that tricky life-dance balance, and her experiences on Dancing Queens.

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Dancing Queens Episode 8 – The Finale

July 2, 2023July 2, 20231 Comment

That’s a wrap! The first season of Bravo’s Dancing Queens came to an exciting end this past week. When the trailer was first released back in April, I felt curious more than anything else. After witnessing some nasty initial reactions to the trailer on social media, I felt called to act as a voice of reason and a reality check to the “reality” show. Our pro-am ballroom world would likely be overdramatized for the sake of Bravo’s audience, so I would follow along to inject a shot of common sense when necessary.

Now that the season has ended and I’ve watched the final episode, I can honestly say I enjoyed the journey! There was plenty of dancing to watch and as my reviews shared, there were also plenty of relatable challenges faced by the Dancing Queens ladies. Aside from a few highly edited scenes and scenarios that seemed set up solely for the sake of the storyline, the show’s portrayal of the ladies’ journey felt authentic.

In Episode 8, the ladies arrive at Millennium Dancesport Championships. Will the blood, sweat and tears they’ve all put into their dancing get them to that top podium?

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Dancing Queens Episode 7 – Dance is Joy

June 25, 2023Leave a comment

We’re in the final countdown to the competition that the Dancing Queens ladies have all been preparing for: Millennium Dancesport Championships. This competition is a very large regional event that is known for its elaborate themes. For example, 2023’s theme was Egyptian Nights. When I attended the event in 2018, the theme was comic book superheroes. The theme of the 2022 Millennium on Dancing Queens was a nostalgic flashback to the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

We haven’t arrived at the competition yet in Episode 7, but the ladies are in serious prep mode with lessons with their pros, cross training, and getting outside coaching. Through the pressure and stress of doing everything they can to ensure the best chance of dancing away as the champion, an important truth emerges in this episode – dance at its core is about joy.

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Dancing Queens Episode 6 – Ballroom Is Not All Sunshine and Rhinestones

June 18, 2023June 18, 2023Leave a comment

Another competition is in the books for the Dancing Queens ladies! They all took the floor at the Atlanta Open in Episode 6, except for Gaëlle who was there only to spectate. There were some tense moments on and off the dance floor, highlighting the fact that our dance journeys are not all sunshine and rhinestones. While dancers may be considered athletes of the gods, we’re still human and we have bad days.

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