Tag: dance journey

A Holiday Sale without Marketing – Let’s See What Happens

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Long-time readers, you know the drill. It’s time for The Girl with the Tree Tattoo’s annual sale! Now through the end of 2025, get 15% off anything and everything in the Ko-Fi shop with code DANCE. We’re down to just the Solo Practice Guide available in print (and only a handful at that), but the Guide as well as the Dance Diaries short reads are available in digital format.

2025 has been a weird, disturbing year, and while I have many thoughts, I haven’t felt the need or desire to write them down for anyone other than myself. The world, particularly the online world, has become so noisy. The urge to quit modern society and live out my days in a hobbit hole in the woods is strong. So in alignment with that, we’re going minimalist with the holiday marketing.

If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’m ready to go full hermit mode and give up all that modern society has to offer. So while I’m still in a place with WiFi, and while I wait for my bread dough to rise, I thought I’d pop in here and at least say something about the holiday sale. 15% off with code DANCE. There, that ought to do it! 🙂

My dance journey has transformed into something quieter and gentler for my body, but that doesn’t mean I’m not cheering for those of you on more exciting or thrilling journeys! Your passion burns strong and you’re eager to prove yourself. You’re determined to walk out and own that dancefloor. The Solo Practice Guide is your trusty companion, supporting you as you learn to balance through those turns while holding your head up high. I can see you smiling as you realize you’re getting stronger. It’s amazing how much more you can enjoy the dance when you don’t need to think so much!

Whether you’re on a high octane jive of a journey, or more of a gentle waltz through the woods, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, full of your favorite dance music.

Since We Last Spoke – Life and Dance Updates

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Photo by Budgeron Bach on Pexels.com

Hello dancers! I know it’s been awhile. While I’ve been living a full life in the physical world, to be honest, I’ve been more than happy to not be bothered with the digital world and its insatiable appetite for new content. However, I first connected with many of my readers and dance friends on this blog, so for those of you who want to know what I’ve been up to, keep reading! If you’re just coming across this website, this post will be far less relevant to you, but I invite you to keep reading anyway, if you like.

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All the Things You Learn From Dance, Aside from How to Dance

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I was overwhelmed during my first rehearsal for the ballet Coppelia, but as they progressed through the month of February, I realized that despite my minimal ballet experience, I brought a lot to the table as a dancer. My skills and experience from dancing styles like ballroom, salsa, swing and even Zumba, proved to be extremely valuable as I learned and rehearsed a ballet routine.

In the corporate world, they would be called transferable skills. In this case, I guess they would be transferable dance skills. I guarantee you have some of these skills as well, even if you’ve only been dancing a short time. So read on to be reminded of how many skills you’ve amassed as a dancer!

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When did arm styling become fun?

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Dance is often referred to as an art/sport because of the athleticism required to produce beautiful and inspiring performances. Dance is a full-body workout; we all know and have experienced that. It’s also a mental and emotional workout as we try to remember all of the choreography and technique required to move our bodies in beautiful ways while also adding on style and expression that will connect us with our audience. I’m a little tired just thinking about it.

The sport half of dance always came easier to me. It was more black-and-white and scientific. Technique had rights and wrongs. I could muscle my way through the movement, which made me feel strong instead of vulnerable. When teachers started talking about arm styling and suggesting I do what feels right, I balked. What felt right to me was doing nothing with my arms, but that’s not what they were trying to get me to do. They wanted me to feel the right way to launch my arm over my head or out to the side in a way that looked graceful and effortless, or in the case of tango, strong and confident.

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Solo Practice is More Fun with Friends!

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My relationship with solo dance practice was born out of necessity. I needed a way to improve as a dancer that didn’t come with a financial cost. The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing was born out of my need to improve as a dancer without a financial cost and with a limited time requirement. The framework I developed for my solo practice sessions worked wonders. I grew in strength, balance and confidence. Lessons with Teacher were more productive. Other coaches noticed the improvements in my dancing when I competed. I became a World Champion!

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Country Living: Gorgeous Views and Nonstop Chores

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Happy Saturday, dancers! It’s the weekend and it’s summer, which means I’ll be mowing the lawns again tomorrow before it rains again next week (a never-ending cycle until winter comes back). I love living out in the country, away from the noise and crowds of the urban environment, but damn, country living is a lot of work. Especially when you have 60 acres and a 120-year old house to take care of. Thankfully, I do NOT have to mow 60 acres!

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Everyone’s Doing the Best They Can

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Photo by Roussety Gregory on Pexels.com

I belong to a fitness accountability group and earlier this week, I posed a question. I wanted to know how the others in the group managed their workouts when Life got really crazy, like it has been for me this month. They seemed to be so much better at doing their workouts consistently and reaching their weekly fitness goals. I was sure I was slacking somewhere and I wanted the secret sauce. What was the magic ingredient that I was missing that made me less consistent and less successful?

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