I won’t tell you that it has been an easy road, and I won’t tell you that it has been fun; but I will tell you that I am thrilled to be here and able to dance. I am not nearly as prepared or as strong as I would like to be, but the fact that I am here at all; is a small miracle. All of the well wishes and prayers from my friends, family and extended dance family have given me the courage and strength to persevere and push through the fatigue and bone pain in order to do something that I love.

I know that the “smart, wise” thing to do would probably have been to not push myself so hard and to just “sit this one out”, but there is something to be said for needing a healthy mind, spirit and soul in order to have a healthy body. Not attending this event would have dampened my spirits greatly. When I was first diagnosed with leukemia, I secretly made a pact with myself. I said, “Self, you are going to get out of here and be well enough to attend LAPD (Los Angeles Dance Premier), you are going to compete and you are going to be OK. You CAN and WILL do it!”

I must admit that there were times that I really didn’t think that it was going to be possible. The very first time that I stepped onto a dance floor after chemo, I was VERY weak and wobbly.  It was very difficult to hold my arms in dance frame. The muscles were practically non-existent and where the jugular catheter was, still hurt like crazy. I had very little stamina and was still a bit short of breath.  Dancing one routine was physically exhausting!

Joe insisted that we only dance 5 routines. A good call, as I probably would have attempted to dance all eight. We left out the most strenuous ones; Polka, East Coast Swing and Cha Cha, although Waltz is probably even more strenuous, we needed to dance it to have this competition qualify me towards World’s.

We arrived Friday evening and checked into the hotel. I was scheduled to compete at 8:00am. After checking in, we went down to check into the event. Running into so many familiar faces was almost overwhelming. So many had been following my story and wishing me well and praying for me; it was what gave me the strength to be here. Being here made me realize just how precious and fragile life can be; your whole world can turn upside down in one single second.

Life is precious and can be short. It is filled with ups and downs, happiness and sorrow, challenges and victories. It is our choice to live our life as we see fit; but my advice to you is to live it to the fullest. Take chances and push yourself; do when you can and accept when you can’t. OK, I may not be the best example of this, but I DID cut down the dances from eight to five! I am here and I am going to compete in the morning!

Joe and I did a quick run through our routines and peeked into a ballroom. I, of course heard music and wanted to dance. Joe, the responsible one, on the other hand said, “No, we are going to bed!”  I turned down my lip in hopes of encouraging him onto the dance floor at least once, but it didn’t work. Up to bed we went and I was asleep within minutes. Imagine that!

I have just completed my first year of dancing on the UCWDC circuit and it has been a tough year! The first part of the year I was dancing on an old tendon injury in my foot and the second half of the year I was battling Cipro poisoning that effected my entire body. Nonetheless, I placed ninth out of twenty three dancers from around the world. Most importantly I danced my own personal best at the competition.

For those of you that have never competed, but think that they might like to give it a shot I would suggest attending a UCWDC event and watching the competitions. I competed in eight dances: Triple Tow Step, Polka, Night Club 2 Step, Cha Cha, Waltz, Country Two Step, East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing. Competing  is a great way to improve your dancing. It inspires you to work hard from one competition to the next. It gives you a bench mark of where you have begun and tracks your progress, or decline if you do not practice!  I have found that meeting other competitors can be both pleasant and unpleasant. I have found that I agree and disagree with the judging. I have found that every dance instructor has their own opinion and I have found that I still love dancing!

I never would have imagined that I would have danced in front of anyone, let alone be judged as I am very shy; but I can say that with each competition the nerves have declined and the confidence has increased. It has been an up and down roller coaster but well worth the E ticket!

When I first started dancing I never even realized that someone like myself would ever have the opportunity or the interest in dance competitions. Of course I had seen very high level ballroom dance competitions on TV, so I knew that they existed, but I never knew how easily you could become involved in that world.
I have NEVER been a competitive person and certainly NEVER would have dreamed that I would allow anyone to watch me dance, but I have found that competing in the dance world is challenging and fulfilling on a personal level.

I am sure that there are many reasons that people compete at any sport and that everyone has there own personal reason but for me, dance is my passion and I started dancing so late in life that I feel as though I have tons of catching up to do! Competing is my way to challenge myself and to record my progress. My goal is to improve my own personal dancing every time I compete. And of course competing really forces me to practice! I like to work hard and strive to do my own personal best.

I compete on the UCWDC circuit which is the “Country” circuit. The eight dances that are judged are the Triple Two Step, East Coast Swing, Night Club 2 Step, Cha Cha, Polka , Waltz, West Coast Swing and Country 2 Step. Anyone can attend a dance event and compete. They are held all around the world and can be found on the USWDC.org website.

Dance conventions not only offer a place to compete, they also offer dance workshops for all levels and social dancing at its best. If you have never competed or been to a dance event, I suggest you find one in your area and check it out. Try to be inspired as opposed to discouraged and realize that every single dancer out on the floor started in the exact same place. The beginning. The best dancers you see are the ones that have worked the hardest.

If you’ve never been to a dance event before, the Los Angeles Dance Premier is a great one to attend. It is a country event with competitions and workshops in Country 2 Step, Night Club 2 Step, Cha Cha, East and West Coast Swing, Polka, Triple 2 Step, Hustle and even Waltz. There will be a Swing room and a Country room.

There will be a great teaching staff:

Ronnie DeBenedetta & Brandi Tobias
Gary McIntyre & Susan Kirklin
Aaron & Tiffany Lorenzen
Mike Eads & Annick Paquet

just to name a few. Joe Tschirhart and I will be teaching a Country 2 Step Lesson as well. If you’re there, look me up for a dance or two!

I decided to put dancing and mental health (mine) to the test last night. Long story short, I’ve been an emotional wreck over the past 2 weeks (nearly recovered now, thank-you), to the point I even chose not to dance one night when I was feeling particularly crabby.  So, even though I didn’t really feel like it, I forced myself to go dancing with the swing dance club at one of the local honky tonks last night. I discovered, or likely re-discovered, that dancing can indeed improve, sometimes dramatically, your state of mind. Although all but one other gal and I were there with a partner, I am fortunate to belong to a dance club where the women graciously share their dance partners with those of us who have none. While the music, with a mix of oldies, some country and band material, was not always the best for swing dancing, I did get in several 2-step dances along with a few east and west coast swing dances. The icing on the cake, however, was when one of the swing dance instructor’s husband told me that my dancing had definitely improved.
 
Life is good and dancing helps it to be that way!

I am so confused! For the past two years I’ve been concentrating on learning a variety of swing & country dances. About a week ago, the ballroom dance club held a 2-day dance workshop. I signed up for the Saturday classes in which they taught ballroom waltz and the rumba. After the workshop, they held a ballroom dance with a free Bolero lesson.

I loved them……………….I mean I really loved them! I am so confused now! Which direction do I go, what do I learn next……….help me please. I’m afraid to try anything else new, or I’ll just be more confused. I want to learn them all! I love every kind of dance I’ve ever tried, well maybe with the exception of one, but I’m not going to tell which one that is, because I know many who do love it. So even if I eliminate that one, there are dozen’s more I love. I know there are many dancers who stick with just one dance and become very, very good at it and I do envy the fact that they are so good…………but………..I love too many to just pick one or even two. I guess I’ll just have to resign myself to being a jack of many dances……master of none! Not sure that is all that bad.

Last night, at the monthly ballroom dance, I had the chance to talk with a friend who has been dancing about as long as I have. I was explaining (more likely complaining) to her how hard it has been for me to learn balance (still working on it). She responded “You too? I thought it was just me.” I explained to her that both Ras#1 and I have had to work extra hard to overcome our natural tendency towards klutziness.

Her comment reminded me of all the times I have been frustrated, nearly to the point of quitting, thinking that I was the only one having trouble learning some facet or another of dancing. Well, it isn’t so! Sure, there are those beginners who just have that natural grace and talent that allows them to learn with ease. And then there are the rest of us, some of us with more talent, some with more grace, and some of us with just desire and determination. So, while these occasions can be frustrating and even depressing, take comfort in that you ARE NOT ALONE! Others now and before you have shared the same fears, frustrations and even despair while attempting to learn how to dance. Ras#1 and I have both been and sometimes continue to be there and while we continue in our quest to become better dances, always remember…..even those of us with no god-given graceful attributes can learn to dance!