Tag: ballroom dance

For Every High, There is a Low

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What an odd week.

Monday was just a Monday. Tuesday, I had a lesson with Teacher (make-up for missing Friday while he was at a comp). I also had my first session with a new practice partner (more on him later)! Wednesday, I had my usual standing lesson with Teacher (two lessons in two days, woohoo!). Thursday, I decided to start something new and exciting (for me at least) in an effort to expand the reach of the Dance Diaries series (more on that later too). Friday, I learned I would yet again have to give up my competition goals and would also likely be unable to pay for lessons for at least a month in the fall. And then I spent the rest of my work day lounging at the beach.

Like I said, odd.

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Repost – The Challenges of Grief and Moving On

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​I just read this post on Dance Comp Review (link below) and knew you guys could appreciate and understand what this girl is dealing with. It reminded me of my How To Cope with Loss series and some of the stories I’ve read on fellow ballroom bloggers’ sites. We go through some crazy trials! But we survive and hopefully come out stronger in the end.

I’ve already asked Emily if she would write a follow-up article for us on how things go with her new coach, so stay tuned!

http://dancecompreview.com/challenges-of-grief-and-moving-on/

Don’t Give Up!

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(Warning, cheesy motivational post!)
Originally posted on the Girl with the Tree Tattoo Facebook and Instagram pages, I felt like sharing it here too.

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I thought I was done competing in ballroom for at least a year after CalOpen in February. Now I’m working toward going to TWO comps before the end of 2016.

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I had major doubts about my dancing, feeling like my progress had plateaued with no goal to work toward. Then I had my first coaching and the coach was “super impressed.”

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After the last jump in the Amazon ranks, my eBook “Dance Diaries: Learning Ballroom Dance” did nothing but fall every time I looked at it. I felt like my marketing efforts were having no effect. Then I woke up this morning and it’s back in the top 20 in its category.

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The common denominator is I never gave up.

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Even after I resigned to not being able to compete, I have kept working on ways to boost my income so I could afford it. I still go to my dance lessons and work hard, staying 100% present as much as I can, even when I can’t feel any progress and all I have on the horizon is another lesson. And I still work to find new ways to reach the right people about Dance Diaries because I know this book is just the thing for someone somewhere.

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Whatever you’re working on, don’t give up. Even when it feels like you’re on the path to failure, keep working as if it’s the path to success. Because the path to success actually feels a lot like failure. Until it’s not.

Book Review: Becoming Ginger Rogers by Patrice Tanaka

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2016-07-17-10.44.52.jpg.jpegI finally finished reading Patrice Tanaka’s Becoming Ginger Rogers. If you recall, reading her description of her first competition inspired me to come up with this crazy idea of attempting to enter not one, but two(!) competitions before the end of 2016. I’ve since gone through a mental smackdown courtesy of the demons that live in my head, but that post will have to wait. First, I want to share how much I enjoyed reading this book!

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Now We’re Talking!

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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.

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I’ve Got an Itch

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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.

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