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!?!”
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Tag: ballroom
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.
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.
Videos! Aahhh!
Ok, as promised, I didn’t dawdle in publishing my Video page! I kept previewing it, hoping I’d think of a reason I needed to delay, but I couldn’t think of anything. So there ya go, check it out! Or not, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. That page can grow dusty from lack of visitors, it’s ok!
I’m going to take an example from another blogger and go make myself a cup of tea! And not take the page down. I will not delete the page. I will not delete the page. I will not delete the page.
I need some chamomile.
Put Yourself Out There!
I just added a photo gallery to the website! Just a few shots from the competitions and showcases I’ve done to date. I plan on adding a page with links to some videos from my competitions as well. Honestly, I had the gallery pretty much ready to go about a week ago. But I didn’t want to hit “publish.” It’s scary to put yourself out there! It’s one thing to write about my competitions, but to add visual aids and announce “here I am!”… Yikes. It’s a risky thing to open yourself up to the opinions of others. Especially when you know you aren’t perfect, you’re still learning, and therefore, you’re more vulnerable to criticism.
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Goals
In any endeavor, setting goals is important! Sharing your goals with other people can help motivate you and keep you accountable for putting in the effort to achieve those goals. So I’ve decided to keep a list of my ballroom goals on the More About the Girl page. The 2015 goals are already posted. Check them out and let me know if there are any other ballroom dancers out there with the same goals! Let’s kick ass in 2015!
When Learning Ballroom Dance, Side Effects May Include…
Updated October 17, 2026
Ask any pro-am student and they’ll tell you the day they got “hooked” on ballroom dancing. They got a little taste through a sample like a free group class or a studio party. Personally, I started with dance lessons for my wedding. Like any addictive recreational drug, ballroom dance provides a wonderful high…at a cost. Before you realize it, you find yourself spending more and more to maintain that high. Unlike recreational drugs, ballroom offers some positive side effects.
Here are 13 side effects I experienced on my ballroom dance journey. How many can you relate to?
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Lightbulb Moments – Rising in Waltz and Dealing with Doubt
I’ve decided to start a series called “lightbulb moments.” These are the moments when something “clicks” in your head and you finally understand whatever your teacher was trying to convey to you. Maybe my moments will be things that were obvious to you, but who knows, maybe sharing them will help someone else with their own lightbulb!
So how does a ballroom dancer change a lightbulb?
Direction, and then rotation! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
Anyhoo…
My First Three Competitions – A Trifecta of Emotions
Moving forward, I plan to write a debriefing review of each competition I dance in. But to catch you up, here is a summary of the three I’ve done so far: San Francisco Open, Holiday Dance Classic, and California Open.
The Pro-Am Relationship
Updated October 9, 2026
The relationship between a ballroom dance teacher and a student, particularly when you are the student, has to be one of the most unique you’ll ever encounter. On the surface, the arrangement is a professional one. As the student, you pay the teacher to teach you ballroom dancing and, if you choose, dance with you at competitions. The teacher teaches you because they are paid to teach you. It’s a business. But there are aspects of this arrangement that mirror a very personal and intimate relationship. They are impossible to ignore and difficult to escape, which is why, I assume, so many professional dance partners are also life partners. And why you hear so many stories/rumors about students and teachers entering romantic relationships or going through bad “break-ups.” For a new student, it can be very confusing and may lead to that student getting hurt emotionally. But why? You know coming into it that you are receiving a service that you are paying for, nothing more. What is it about this sport/art that turns a business arrangement into an emotional rollercoaster?
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