Happy Monday, dancers!
This week’s blog post is now live on Medium. Click the photo (view behind my house!) to read.
Tag: expectations
Why DWTS Makes Me Cry
The final for Dancing with the Stars is today! Has anyone else been watching? I’ve been routing for Nyle DiMarco, the last winner of America’s Next Top Model who happens to be deaf. He seems fearless in his pursuits, and it’s so inspiring. Every time I watch him just go for it, I always think “what the hell is my problem? I need to stop being so scared!”
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To Teach or Not to Teach (Write31Days Day 27)
I had no idea what to write for today. I had a list of topics, but none of them were speaking to me. Then I took a phone call, and inspiration finally came to me.
And then it left, right after I wrote “inspiration finally came to me.”
Clearly, something is blocking my creative flow (stress, maybe!). Well, since I already wrote the title, I’ll do my best to put something together. If it doesn’t work out well, you can always catch up on the rest of my posts for the 31 Day Writing Challenge!
My Process for Learning “Post-Basics”
Everyone learns in their own way. Some learn by doing, others by taking notes. Some are visual learners and others are auditory. I think I’m a combination of methods. But as I learn more about the silver level of ballroom and more advanced ballroom technique, I’m noticing my internal learning process is a little more complicated than when I was just learning bronze and the basics.
Warning, I drop a few F bombs in this post.
Mental Smackdown – When Your Dealer Cancels Your Next Fix
On today’s episode of Mental Smackdown, I share what happens when an external trigger sets the demons loose in my head and how I attempt to bring order back to the chaos that’s created.
I was having a really good night, feeling genuinely optimistic about life in general. And then my lesson was cancelled. Cue descent into darkness.
I know, I know, so dramatic! It’s just one lesson. Disappointment, sure, but descent into darkness? Really? Financially, it helps me because it stretches my last lesson payment that much further. So what’s my problem? Well, like any good addict, sometimes the only thing that gets me through the day is my next fix. I think it’s been well established that I am addicted to ballroom and my heart and soul gets poured into it. Good or bad, I desperately rely on my two standing lessons to get me through some weeks. I may be hating life, but at least I have a lesson to look forward to. So when that oasis I’m crawling toward turns out to be a mirage? Let’s just say the struggle is real. Still too dramatic? Just wait, it gets better.
Emerald Ball 2015 – 47 Bobby Pins Later
I did it! I completed the next dance goal on my list: Emerald Ball! If you’re following me on Instagram, you already know how it went. For those of you that aren’t, I placed first in nine of my single dances, second in the other three, and first in scholarship! Rock on! And even more awesome: I enjoyed myself! Imagine that!
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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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
The relationship between a ballroom dance teacher and a student (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 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 often leads 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?
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 