Mini Match Update... A Roaring Success!

Well Mini Match has come and gone... and ever since my first dance on the floor I have been trying to capture and hang on to every feeling I had all night so that I could accurately get it up here for you all to read.

So lets start with an overview of my lessons earlier in the day first up Largo at 12:45. I arrive a bit early and get into my Mini Match attire as designed by Bonnie... complete with Bonnie's Belle Gown tags. I had to wear my outfit for that night, I would NEVER EVER do any kind of a performance without some semblance of a dress rehearsal! My first concern moments into my lesson is Mambo... so we work on that, and I'm trying to count along with Largo... but something is messing me up.

"Stop counting!" Largo states, rather frustrated.

"But I thought I'm supposed to count too." I reply kind of confused... I am supposed to count right???

"No, not you... you just follow." Largo tells me.. in that very you're better at following so stop thinking and do it kind of way.

So I did.. and you know what.. it worked!

By the time we got to Rumba I was feeling wobbly, it wasn't right, even Largo was questioning if I'd be ok for Mini Match... I wasn't in pain so much as I think it was pre-performance jitters. I had time to shake them off.

Lesson over.. I have a 40 minute rest period to ice what I needed to ice...

Next up RT... where we also review my dances... Especially Meringue and Tango.... I was such a following mess by the end of my last lesson I was worried... but I took frame up with RT and I once again got that feeling I sometimes get when dancing with him... it's like my dancing has come home. Must be a first instructor kind of thing I don't know, but I like it. We ran through everything, oh and I told RT that our Salsa has to be good, Captain was one of my sponsors and her request was that she sponsor my Salsa... AND she's leaving the very next day to move to Maryland so it REALLY REALLY had to be good! Which means there was one step in particular that I didn't want to do. Which we fought about a little, but it wasn't so bad..

There was one part of the lesson where RT was leading me into something I hadn't done in a long time (He's been my only Salsa dance partner for the last 5 months at least... which means I've been getting 10 minutes of Salsa every month... not NEARLY enough to stay on top of everything!) Anyway... I misread the lead and went in a completely opposite direction... but he was still pulling me in his direction... which caused a big pull and my almost falling and his hanging on to me so tight to try and keep me from falling that I have the fingerprint bruises to prove it... in the end I'm totally fine... and we drop Salsa for a minute to Fox Trot only to have me ask RT if he's ok about 100 times. I was concerned that because I outweigh him by so much that he could have really hurt himself trying to keep my butt off the hardwood. In the end I think (hope) he's ok.

Once we both felt we had reviewed my set for the match RT wanted to Rumba... I agreed because my Rumba with Largo was off...so I was hoping to make myself feel better. It did... it has been so long since RT and I have danced any of the dances we're used to doing... between my Cha Cha routine and then Mini Match we haven't worked on Rumba in a long time! It used to be that I couldn't have a lesson without doing at least one Rumba! So I was very glad to sneak that in.

Lessons over I jump back into my regular clothes to run some errands and get ready for Mini Match! After the lessons I really wasn't nervous for the match... I was feeling pretty good actually. Until I got back to my place in just barely enough time to shower and doll up for this event. I needed to be at the South Barrington Studio as close to 6pm has humanly possible so that I could get my heat sheet, test my shoes on the floor, try and grab some seats for my family, and check on a few of my dance friends who were very nervous to dance in front of everyone. I think helping them out really in the end helped me out.... until I started to wait for my family to arrive. THEN I wanted a drink.

As it got closer and closer to 7pm I was getting more and more anxious. I had my heat sheet highlighted, I finally had found my parents and got them to their seats, asked my dad if he could video for me (and for you all). THEN promptly realized this studio was going to get VERY crowded and VERY hot! By the time we started the room was already hot and sweaty. In my heat sheet or program, there were 81 heats listed... each with at least 4-5 couples on the floor that's a LOT of competitors! At the height of it there were 255 people in that ballroom... all cheering for their own studios....it was the craziest organized chaos I have ever seen.

So here's the deal... each student (or student couple) represents their studio and gets graded on a proficiency scale (like grades in school) then the whole studio's total is averaged together into one "grade" so that studio's like mine with a large number, are on even level with studios like Michigan Avenue who had a smaller number of students on the floor. It's a great way to become familiar with a competition format while also trying to generate a team atmosphere.

And now... for the dancing!

First heat up is Fox Trot... GREAT I had to start the evening off with a smooth dance... well at least it's my strongest smooth dance... I try and weave my way to the floor and as I look up from trying not to step on little fingers and little toes of children surrounding the floor, there is RT's hand ready for mine to take me to our spot on the floor which did make me feel a bit better. What can I tell you about my Fox Trot... well it was the first in a three heat stretch... I remember that it definitely took me the first few measures to feel like I had my feet under me... I think you can see that I smiled about half way through and that was the moment when I knew I could do this and have no problem.

As I came off the floor Bonnie was one of the first people I saw and I was greeted with, "I don't ever want to hear that you can't dance smooth ever again!"

Which I did kind of try to fight her on.. but I was having too much fun. :-)




Next up was Meringue which RT and I had just gone over steps in my lesson that day... sadly my dad didn't get my camera to work for that dance... I don't have any video.. but was Also danced with RT and I think we had some fun with it.

















Third in this short stretch was Mambo with Largo. I remember finding him on the floor telling him which dance it was and then saying "Please take care of me during this one!" I was really really worried about being able to stay on the correct beats! Then just as the music started I remembered Largo earlier in the day "No, not you... you just follow." and I did! I was a little tense about it.. but I did it... and at the very end I said to him "I did it and it was on time!!!!" I was quite pleased...



Next was East Coast Swing, I knew they were going to pick a slower song for this.. but when Largo and I heard it we both laughed a bit... Largo has a strong distaste for anything that is remotely related to country music, and I like to tease him about it. So the fact that we were dancing during this song was amusing. Aside from that... it was just a swing... the song was a bit too slow to have fun with our steps. Definitely not my best work.



T-A-N-G-O... uh oh... TANGO is here! Actually just like before I saw RT's hand as my eyes came up from the floor filled with little people... and he says to me "Salsa right?" and he's all excited...

"Uh no.. heat sheet says Tango."

"No, Salsa is now."

"No I'm telling you the heat sheet says Tango!"

(It's always good to start a Tango after having a hushed mini spat right?) :-)

So then we hear Jackie say into the microphone that it is in fact a Tango and RT rushes to get me all set in line of dance and off we go... if it wasn't Tango I would have been laughing the entire time... as it was I had a hard enough time keeping a straight face...

As far as my Tango's go... it wasn't bad... as far as the way I'd like to be able to Tango... needs SERIOUS work... but it didn't help that RT and I kind of fell into our old faithful of talking while dancing... I don't recall all of the mini conversation.. but I remember that I said I couldn't smile in Tango, and made my face serious, he agreed, then said something else, and I told him to stop talking or he'd make me smile. And seriously folks... what you see in that video is ALL I'VE GOT for Tango... :-) Basic, Promenade, Corner Step, Corte (it's there when we're dancing by the post), and that throw out move, that I have no idea what you call it. But yeah.. that's it... and I maybe will start working on it to make it better.



And after waiting around for a while.. it was the dance I most dread... the WALTZ... I had been near my mom before this heat and I told her... this is the Cinderella dance..(she loves Cinderella) watch me screw it up... Now in watching my Waltz... I really don't have much to say about it except that it doesn't look NEARLY as bad as I thought it would... AND by this point my sister had arrived and brought with her cards numbered 0-9 so she could hold up scores for me... she ended up holding up scores like 21, 11, 22, all higher than the assumed "Perfect 10" RT and I enjoyed that a lot! Somewhere towards the middle of this waltz though, my rise and fall got up and left the building... I remember feeling that happening and knowing I couldn't get it back... but aside from that.. for a dance I feel like the biggest elephant clod hopping on the floor while I'm doing it.. it doesn't seem to look that bad. Still... I'm putting it back in the vault where it belongs. :-)



Ok... Smooth is over... next up is CHA CHA with Largo... yeah baby let the fun begin! Largo and I dance a lot of cha cha... and our favorite little move to play with is the hip bump at around 0:30 seconds in... although I have to tell you from getting into that position to waiting to do the bump sure felt a lot longer in the moment... I love that the brain messes completely with the perception of time! This is where I was having some fun! I also saw RT cheering me on from the floor... literally sitting on the floor like right in front of me... funny I never thought of him or Largo ever cheering for me... it's ALWAYS the other way around... so that was kinda trippy. Again... I probably only looked at him for a split second.. but felt like we could have had a conversation in that moment. Then the last step he lead is one we have fun with too.. (right around 1:03 in the video) and I messed it up.. thank goodness they stopped when they did... I said to Largo as he is inexplicably patting my head "I can't believe I messed that up!" Cha Cha was my favorite dance of the evening thus far.



Next up is Rumba, again with Largo... I love this Rumba.. it was a quick one.. so no long drawn out slows... and this Rumba with Largo felt just as solid as far as balance and following that my Rumba with RT felt earlier in the day.. so YAY... I was just having a good time... then I feel Largo's hand go down my head... (check it out at about 0:40 sec right by CWS' head you can see Largo draw his hand down the back of my hair!) There are a few theory's as to why my dance instructor just pet me... one.. he thought I was looking down which I often do during those walks and instead of scruffing my neck like he normally does, he pet me to remind me to look up.. or two.. he was just messing with me as we were in a pretty good mood when we were dancing together. I think it was option one though... because why else would he pet me like that? My hair felt like a helmet it had so much product in it so it wasn't to run his fingers through my soft flowing locks... Anyway.. had a really good time with this one too and really pleased with some of my arms... but unfortunately only some of them.




OMG Ya'll it's the dance I'd been waiting for all night... Captain and her husband were waiting for it too...as it was getting kinda late and they wanted to head out... and BOY was it hot in that studio!!!! Captain requested to sponsor this dance so RT and I were all kinds of ready to rock it out... just for her, hours before she left town.... it's the SALSA!!!! I had periodically been asking my instructors if they could hear the music... and I did the same to RT before we started.. he said that the speaker right by us was broken... which kinda worried me.. but if either one of us could hear the music I knew we'd be ok.. I was feeling pretty good about this one... The song starts.. and it's a song we've danced to several times... I tell RT "Oh, we've got this one..." and off we go! This dance felt exactly the way it's supposed to feel... fun, energy, playful.. and I can't even tell you how impressed I am with the way our arm looping came out and the way we nailed our side by side spin... (wich is unfortunately almost blocked from view by another dancer) for those two elements alone I am glad I have this video... all it does is make me look at it and make a LIST of things I need to fix... well each of these video's does that.. but I know what I want my Salsa to end up looking like... so it's easier to make the list. But Dang that dance felt good. :-) Right after this heat I ran over to hug Captain and her husband farewell... and found out that not only did she like the dance..but it was to one of her favorite songs... :-) I could have ended my evening on that note and been happy for life... but I had one final dance!



Last dance of the evening... Hustle with Largo... I like the Hustle, I always have, it was the first dance where I really figured out how to follow. Largo and I do warm up with a customary Hustle at the start of our lessons... so it's only fitting that I dance it with him... Being that it was the end of my night... and Largo had a lot of students out there...and I was SO pleased with the way everything went... I gave him the option of a nice relaxed three count Push Pull Hustle, or a regular Syncopated Hustle... he wouldn't even entertain the idea of a Push Pull. :-) And so we danced... can't really see too much unfortunately as we were exactly opposite my dad, with a post between us. :-) But it was fun... and that's what counts. As a side note, as I anticipated.. not a single twinge of pain... or ankle rolled... I need to perform more often, it feels better!



The rest of the evening wound up with each student receiving a participation award... and then the pro couples from each studio came out and did a dance in their style... a lot of the students there were SO new they'd never seen these routines before, or in some cases never saw a professional couple dance live and in person... so it was very special for them to see that... no only that but we have a pretty dang high caliber of dancers in this region, in Rhythm, Smooth, AND Theatre Arts... so that was all VERY cool.

In the end TEAM RED CHICAGO NORTH won!!! But not by much let me tell you, those ORANGE Michigan Avenue folks were right on our tails! Congratulations also to The Mean Green Machine of South Barrington for winning the "Most Enthusiastic Studio Award"! Well deserved! Although I've got to tell you, Burr Ridge had my favorite cheer... although don't ask me what it was... cuz now I can't remember... :-) and I love that Tinley Park has their own flag.

The evening as a whole was SOOO much fun for me! I'd do it all again in a second... and there are some moments I'll try to re-live for as long as I can keep the memory fresh.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, to Bonnie's Belle Gowns for my outfit and for the support, to ALL my many many sponsors!!! I truly would have been once again on the sidelines without you... to my instructors RT and Largo, they take such good care of me out on that dance floor! And to all my fellow competitors... GOOD SHOW!

Mini Match Update... It's HERE!

Today's the day ya'll! Today is the day that I have got to put my best foot, arm, hand, face, and everything forward to get the best grade I can on EVERY one of these 10 dances!

My shoes are back from the shoemaker and they are PERFECT! YAY!

At 12:45 pm I practice with Largo, then I will be literally on ice for 40 minutes to then Practice at 2:15 with RT. I still have a few things to hammer out before this evening. My goal is to be at the South Barrington Studio before 6:30 (our call is 6:30pm) I have to test my shoes on their floor and get acclimated to all the people that are going to be there! Rumor has it between competitors and supporters just over 200 people are expected to be there! WOW!

I also have my MiniMatch attire! Bonnie's Belle Gowns has been gracious beyond words and created an outfit just for me. This also marks my first set of practice wear EVER! Mini Match is a very casual ballroom event, so it's a black skirt, and a very pretty red top (because I'm on the RED team!). I'll be doing my makeup, and my hair will be in a simple ponytail...

Each competitor will be graded on a proficiency level... (like grades in school 90-100%, 80-90% etc...) Each studio's cumulative points will be collected and averaged... the studio with the highest average score will WIN!! It is because of that average that it is going to be a real competition, and not just a "studio with the most students wins" kind of situation. I AM VERY EXCITED!

I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of my sponsors again... Thank you thank you thank you so very much to each and every one of you for allowing me to participate in this event. It means the WORLD to me!!!

To my fellow competitors on the GREEN, ORANGE, BLUE and YELLOW teams... I wish you the best of luck as well!

Wish me luck... I'll see you there @ 7pm!

Mini Match Update... SHOE CRISIS

MiniMatch is almost here! It's Friday!!! I've been dealing with the ever present pain in my joints fairly well... and I had just been joking with KIT last week about how whenever we students seem to be working towards something exciting some of the worst things happen. At the time we were talking about my pain... until last night...when one of the worst things aside from pain that could have happened did!

I sometimes have trouble getting my shoes off my feet after lessons... mostly due to impatience... which causes me to almost yank them off, which then causes the metal clasp to stretch out... I had fixed them once before quite successfully using a tool for leverage. I decided last night before RT's Salsa class to fix them once again for this week so I wouldn't have to think about them for the rest of this week... just take more time taking them off. So I'm standing at the desk talking with KIT about random Mini Match things and fixing one of my shoes when I must have exerted too much pressure on the clasp and *SNAP* it breaks in two!!!!

"OH NO!!!" KIT exclaims amidst laughter, "I told you the worst things happen before events!"

"Crap!" I shout in response as KIT takes my shoe to see if she can jimmy up something to temporarily fix it, "I can't get a new pair here by Friday..." I state as I'm also thinking I can't afford to buy a new pair right now either.

"I know, I know... let me try something." KIT is being very helpful... and at this point we're all giggling at the crazy timing of all this!

Once we realize we can't jimmy up something I wonder if my shoe guy has a clasp... hmmm... I remember taking my shoes into him before...and while he doesn't know it...this guy, well him and his dad, have been fixing my shoes my whole life... I'm just not a regular enough customer that he would know that... so I can't really ask him for any favors...and while he has repaired my ballroom shoes very successfully, he has mentioned that he doesn't see a lot of them...so chances of him having spare parts for these shoes lying around is slim.

Then KIT thinks of something...she runs into the back to see if they have the clasp I need...shortly after disappearing she returns with a clasp from another style of shoe... WHEW.. this clasp is gold, but I don't care I just need my shoes to stay on my feet!!! So I ran out to my car to grab my dance sneakers... it's gonna have to be that and Jazz shoes until I get my ballroom shoes fixed.

FIRST thing this morning I was at my shoe guy...

"I have a shoe emergency, like I have never had before!" I state upon entering his shop and placing my shoes on his counter.

My shoe guy has no sense of humor... "Ok...do you have a clasp?" Is all he says after he notices what is wrong.

"Yep, right here it's from a completely separate style of shoe, but it should work." I reply turning over the clasp that KIT had given me. (I knew he wasn't going to have one on hand!)

"Well obviously you don't mind that it's gold." he states... (NO sense of humor!)

"Nope... just need them before Friday morning, I have to perform on Friday night." I reply...

"Ok, I can have them done by Thursday, please leave the other shoe so that we make sure the clasps are facing the right way."

"Perfect!" I exclaim...then I remember what my mom always told me about the shoe guy... ALWAYS ask for a price up front. "How much is this repair going to be?"

"Ummm..." (see they always ball park it... never usually have a set price for these things) "....$7.50."

"Great, I'll pay you now," (money changes hands) "so I can just run in and grab them on Thursday... Thank you!" And with that I am on my way.... WHEW....

Now I just hope and pray that this repair holds up... repairs are NEVER as strong as the original... but I have faith... this guy has never let me down before!

Please let nothing else happen this week except good dancing and an excellent MiniMatch!

Mini Match Update....

Can you believe... it's just over ONE week away!!!

I've been practicing.... I've had my lessons... I know what I'm dancing with whom. BOY I hope this goes ok!

My last few lessons have been a blast, I'm not going to lie.. it is a lot of fun to have something to prepare for! Largo has been very diligent in helping me with my Mambo..which is my weakest dance with him. RT has also been very helpful in working on ALL the dances with me but especially being patient as we figure out my American Smooth. Oy! I really wish I could come in more than once a week to prepare... but I did make sure that I'm practicing with both my instructors on the day of Mini Match so that I hit the dance floor fresh... I was not about to walk in on this event with SOOO many people counting on my putting my best out there without having just danced with both pros... especially as each one has to work with me on some of my weakest dances.

A new development too... last week in workout class my left knee kind of popped out of socket on me... something it does fairly regularly...when I'm on the floor stretching... not something it normally does while I'm STILL STANDING... it didn't hurt but for several days after it felt as though my knee cap wasn't really attached to anything... and then my right knee started aching... perhaps because of the moisture in the air.. perhaps because I was working out a ton the last two weeks. Who knows... but to add more fun my right ankle (the one I've most recently recovered from) has started up again... but I think I'm at least bringing that under control. SO... I'm practicing and resting all at the same time... I think I'll just need high doses of pain killers and I'll be fine.. I KNOW that just like with my Cha Cha routine, when my ankle was still finishing up mending, that the performance side of me will take over...and there is blissfully no pain in the performance side of me.

So here is the run down of what I'm dancing with whom...

RT has the honor and the privilege of leading me through:

Waltz

Tango

Foxtrot

Salsa

Meringue

He's actually been pretty impressed with my Meringue action...which has me so pleased I can't even begin to tell you... and we've decided on which steps are my best in Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot... now I just have to suck it up..hope he remembers (with all the other students he's dancing with I can't fault him for forgetting...I just hope if he does I can follow!)... and have fun.

Largo has the joyful task of leading me through:

Rumba

Cha Cha

Mambo

East Coast Swing

Hustle

I've got to tell you.. I'm really pleased with the way my Mambo is shaping up... it's not super consistent.. but if they play a song that's got that strong 2nd beat.. I think I'll actually be ok... my other concern at the moment is East Coast Swing... it's pretty rough on the joints... at least it is the way I do it. :-)

Both of them... honestly... couldn't do it without them!

Ok so here's the deal... if you're coming out to cheer... you HAVE to be on the list! They need to know numbers to get snacks ready, and make sure the space doesn't run out of capacity! So call your local Chicagoland FADS and tell them you're coming!

WHEN: Friday August 14th

TIME: 7pm - They are anticipating that it's going to be about three hours

WHAT: A Regional Team Match where each studio will be competing against the others for bragging rights! Also included is an audience "most enthusiastic studio" award and show by our pros!

COST: $5

WHERE: Fred Astaire South Barrington

If you're supporting my team and I from Buffalo Grove don't forget to wear RED!

Hope to see you there!

Photos of Largo and I during a lesson courtesy of KIT and FADS Buffalo Grove

Two Practices Down... Major Worries Down from 4 to 3!

I still can't believe I'm doing this! ME! I'm preparing for a competition style event! ACK! In an effort to do everyone proud in EVERY dance I had 4 very MAJOR concerns... ok first let me tell you the line-up there are 10 dances chosen, have to do each once... five with each instructor and they are as follows.

Waltz
Tango
Foxtrot
Rumba
Cha Cha
Salsa
Mambo
East Coast Swing
Push Pull (Hustle)
Merengue

So care to guess where my concerns lie? :-) Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot of course, and believe it or not MAMBO. First... we all know I don't work on the first three at ALL... I can sorta maybe follow a basic Waltz, I know next to nothing about Tango, and I can follow a Foxtrot. However, I have no smooth technique I haven't done more than the odd smooth dance at a party in well over a year!

So first lesson up with RT he starts right off the bat...

"We're going to work on Smooth today ok??" He looks at me for assurance.

"Yeah we better." I respond.

So after our customary warm up with Salsa, we start in on my all time unfavorite dance...Waltz. We work and work and Waltz still feels just as off to me as it ever has. We're really working on my footwork when RT says very matter of factly...

"I don't care what anyone tells you, every judge looks at your feet, it doesn't matter what you do with the rest of your body your footwork has to be good."

My quick response is "Well then I am well and truly screwed!!!"

Which RT seems to find amusing. I don't know why, whether it's something in the way I said that or if I'm right in knowing my footwork is NOT the best part of my dancing by a long shot! So we continue to work on keeping my feet together and what I call "nesting" my foot that is behind into the curve of my leading foot... ugh! At one point RT is showing me how to do this correctly for a "back to back" kind of step...something very basic in Waltz... and I watch and I can't help it... I get really sad... Waltz makes me very sad, and it was written all over my face. We worked more on it, I was pleased that I was remembering heel leads. Still though Waltz is the embodiment of EVERY SINGLE THING THAT I'M NOT. I don't float, I'm not graceful, and the exact science behind rise and fall escapes me. I did show some improvement though and it started to feel a little less strange. So we moved on to my strongest smooth dance Foxtrot.

Well it WAS my strongest smooth dance... until we realized once again that I can't walk backwards in a straight line... so to help with this we circled the floor several times out of frame with RT's left and clamped on my right shoulder so I go straight and not veer out of my side... in Foxtrot the follow stays to the left side of center just slightly. I know this.. I can't tell you how many times I've had a chant in my head of "stay left, stay left, stay left!" While in the middle of a Foxtrot. It was a very frustrating lesson, and we didn't even TOUCH on Tango! I only have a few lessons between now and this Mini Match... so practice it is! I can practice technique, but the partnership part of it....oh thank goodness I can follow! I also discussed with RT about who I'd be doing what dance with... I told him, because I can follow him so much better, simply because I've worked with him for so long... I'd like to dance all the smooth with him...he agreed. WHEW!

This week I had a lesson with Largo... where I wanted to tackle my next big hurdle Mambo. I have never been able to hear the music so that I can skip the first beat and move on the second (called On1 vs On2). Every time I've tried it's ended in disaster! So I told Largo all of this... he chuckled.

"Listen, I need you to show me Mambo ok? I want to dance Mambo with you during Mini Match."

"Why?" Largo seems confused.

"Because I dance Salsa with RT all the time... and Mambo in my head is so similar that I want to keep it totally separate and I've never danced a successful Mambo." Which Largo finds very amusing.

So we started with how the Mambo movements are a little different. That was really helpful actually. Then Largo put some music on and counted for me.. and I was pretty able to stay on the proper beat. Oh thank goodness! I think a lot of it has to do with my following... a year or two ago when RT and I would try... it was nothing but disaster! I'd constantly flip back to On1 which is just not right!

Then I realized something, my brain does a funny thing when I'm dancing Mambo. First I trust my lead to get us started, and I completely ignore (or try) the first beat in every measure... then after a measure or two of us dancing I use the steps I'm being lead in to find where in the music we're dancing. This works until I'm sent into a spin or something on my own, and then I'm automatically back On1. So that is going to take some work, but it was COMPLETELY more successful than my adventure in smooth. Largo even told me if I can follow we should be ok. WHEW!!!

So I feel a TON better about Mambo! I don't think I can dance it with a non professional yet... because I really rely on that lead...but perhaps I'll become proficient at dancing both Salsa and Mambo... never thought I'd say that!

Now it's all about the smooth... gotta work on Waltz Foxtrot and Tango... well I have to learn more than one tango step outside basic and I'll feel better about it... I think Tango footwork for me is easier than Waltz and Foxtrot... but I'm still majorly concerned about all three. Still... what was 4 dances of major concern is now 3...and I hope that we can whittle those down as we get closer to Mini Match. Away we go!

Mini Match Update....

Ok...ya'll there just aren't words... there aren't... not in any language I have ever spoken are there words for the sheer level of overwhelming GRATITUDE that I have for what has transpired over these last two days!

I had written just two days ago about how honored I was (and am) to have enough entries to get me into this First Annual Mini Match. NOW I can tell you that I am speechless about how you all have come out of nowhere to help me... I have ALL TEN entries sponsored for Mini Match!!!!

NOT ONLY THAT... but I guess I'm officially a sponsored dancer too! (I don't even know.. can a student dancer be sponsored???) Bonnie's Belle Gowns has graciously, on top of all the other wonderful things they have done for me, and allowed me to do for them, offered to sponsor my Mini Match Attire!!! I tell you I cried...actual tears...not a sobbing mess...but I'm not a crier...I don't typically get that worked up over much of anything... I guess it just dawned on me how much this all means for me, my instructors, my writing, and my dancing.

I do have to say that while I am touched and can't possibly thank you all enough in ten lifetimes... there have been a few moments of clarity where two other things have been rolling around in this crazy head of mine. First, is that after not even allowing myself to entertain the thought that I may ever become a competitive dancer for three years... my head has finally given permission for my heart to want this... and my heart is pouring three years of secretly wanting to experience this type of event into this little team match. I will do you all proud I SWEAR IT!

Second is that I really need this push... I need it to bring my dancing up another notch, even though this is classified as a Newcomer event, and I already know (I think) the basics of what I need to do... I need this push to get better, and to work on all the weight loss and other life improvements that I have been working on all along, but my motivation has been a little stagnant.

So for all the reasons that I dance, and that I love it... from the deepest fathoms of my heart. I thank you! I do hope EVERYONE will come out to cheer Team Buffalo Grove on! I'll let you know more about how as we get closer!

A New Dancing Adventure Begins... Mini Match!

Hi gang! Wow.. I'm still overwhelmed with all the outpouring of support for me and my routine... THANK YOU again! Words cannot describe what that meant to me! Just as that adventure comes to a close a new one is on the horizon!

The Chicago Region of Fred Astaire is having their first annual Mini Match! Let me explain what I know about it and then I'll tell you how I got involved. This Mini Match is a Team Match amongst all the Fred Astaire Studio's in the Region, it is only open to Newcomers and people who have never really competed before (like me). In this Team Match each student dances with their instructors or an amateur couple that doesn't compete together can dance too. These dances are graded on a proficiency scale (just like testing). Each student or couple's scores are not for themselves but to be entered in for the studio as a TEAM. The team with the highest scores wins. So it's like a competition, in fact I know of some very large independent competitions that have Team Matches as part of their event schedule, but it's not every couple for themselves it's every studio working together for the best result.

Now, I am still unemployed (I don't want to talk about it) so of course I figured this would just be another one of those things I'd turn down under the ever present "I don't compete" or "I don't have the finances" reasons. Then one day about two weeks ago I received an e-mail from a reader that stated simply that it would be really good if I'd be able to compete in this Mini Match. This reader was SOOO emphatic about my being able to do it that they, while asking to remain anonymous, would be willing to pay for one of my entries. (at a cost of $39, this was nothing short of AMAZING!) I quickly but politely declined the offer, knowing that I couldn't put up the rest of the money needed to be a part of this event (4 entries are required, with a maximum of 10 allowed).

However, you know this set my brain into overdrive trying to crunch numbers and figure out how I could maybe do it. If I were employed...I'd be in.. done deal. I'm sick and tired of having to turn everything that's not a lesson down, but I also know that I can't possibly put the money out for this, and the deadline for payment of July 15th was too close even if I were to get hired someplace tomorrow. So even as I was talking myself into and out of wanting to do this Mini Match about every five minutes, it just wasn't a possibility so it didn't matter. I was however so INCREDIBLY touched by the idea that I have a fan that was so wanting me to further my dancing that, still honoring their anonymity I shared this tale with my friends last Friday, including but not limited to, Captain and Jem.

Here's where I get overwhelmed and touched again, I am telling you I have the most WONDERFUL support system in my life! Just as soon as I'm telling of this anonymous donor and how I had turned down their kind offer... Captain pipes up "I'll sponsor you for an entry!" and then next to her Jem chimes in "I'll do one too!" Oh my goodness I was virtually speechless! The mere thought that they would help me on this was unreal! I politely declined, because I am not the type to take offers of this nature. Yet, the thoughts of a possible chance at this seemed within my grasp, ran circles in my head.

I thought on all of this for nearly a week, (in fact one of my friends gets a big thank you for listening to me rant back and forth for and against this all day every day...so THANK YOU). Then last Thursday I was at lunch with my dance friend Ellen, where as we were catching up, I was telling her about how amazing people are being about this Mini Match thing, and how everyone is coming out of the woodwork in wanting me to do it, but that I couldn't and wouldn't take them up on it because it's not that important. Before I could even fully understand what was going on... I had a check in my hand, and a fourth sponsor! I was AGAIN touched and overwhelmed by the kindness...if I was the type of girl to cry I would have busted out in tears all over the table.

So now, by the grace and generosity of my wonderful friends and fans I am going to be participating in the First Annual Mini Match! I have to tell you, I was able to tell RT and he's a bit floored by it all, because last we spoke about it I was completely shooting him down and giving him no chance at getting me to sign up! I cannot wait to see Largo's reaction! In fact..there are a lot of people that are probably going to have some kind of reaction about it! I don't even know what to expect yet... not really. I do know that it's very casual, no ballroom dresses or anything of that nature, which means the dancing is going to be that much more important! Still, I'm not doing this for me... I have sponsors I have to do proud! I may end up working harder for this, than I did that routine!

Mark your calendars kids! Mini-Match is on August 14th and will be held at the South Barrington Studio!

I will of course let you know all about it and what's going on in my head throughout it all... for right now though I'm still in shock!