For those of you that remember my last dance competition, things did not go very well. The event was in Portland, Oregon and we had flown there the night before the competition. I am not entirely sure what happened, but for whatever reason, I was totally wiped out and in a brain fog. I did compete and I survived, the only thing was that I really don’t remember much of it at all. I DO however remember my black dance panties! I have THAT on film.

The competition this past weekend was in San Jose, Ca. and it did not require a plane ride. It was a six hour drive, but I seemed to tolerate it much better than being in the air. That, coupled with the fact that I did not dance until noon, bode much better for my overall well-being.

In some regards I felt that I danced better than I did in Portland and in others not so much. The not so much was directly related to my making some pretty major changes in the way I actually dance, due to my muscles, tendons and joints finally healing, after being poisoned by Cipro for the past 15 months. Ironically, my muscle, joint and tendon pain seemed to dramatically improve after my chemotherapy. Maybe the Sprycel is helping to keep it at bay; who knows?

Since I do get a one day per week reprieve from Sprycel, I chose to forgo my daily dose the night before I competed. I definitely had a bit more energy and was much more clear-headed at this competition than I was at the last one. I once again came in 2^nd Overall, but my individual scores were much improved; and that for me is a win! I still have a ton of things to work on and we got a brand new Cha Cha routine while we were there, so I hope that my brain and body will decide to start co-operating on a more regular basis.

I AM going to dance my way through this damned leukemia!

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.

While I am certain that there are many different types of foot injuries that occur while dancing, I will be referring to my own particular foot injury. I am in no way trying to diagnose anyones foot problems, I am just going to share my own. You may suffer from some of the same symptoms that I have and I will tell you how I cured mine.

First of all, let me tell you that I have been dancing for almost 3 years, my foot injury occurred 9 months ago and has plagued me right up until now. As a beginning dancer I was out dancing 5 or 6 nights a week with dancers of all levels, from a beginner like me, to much more advanced and experienced dancers. I had no formal training and was at the mercy of whom ever I danced with.

I distinctly remember the exact moment my injury occurred. I was dancing a Country 2 Step with a leader that took large steps. While continually stepping backwards, the ligament under my big toe was pulled. I felt a sharp pain, finished the dance, limped off the floor and thought to myself, “That was strange.” It wasn’t until I got back on the dance floor that I realized how bad the injury was. I went home and popped 3 Vitamin I’s (Ibuprofen) and iced my foot. Much to my dismay, my foot was even worse the next morning. I didn’t dance for several weeks, but was so addicted to dancing that I just couldn’t stay away,  I just kept dancing right through the pain.  Literally, months went by and I kept taking Vitamin I, dancing and whining.

Eventually, I went to a Chinese Foot Massage place near my home. I figured it couldn’t hurt and I was willing to try anything at that point. ( you would think Dr. might have entered into my mind, right?) The weekly foot massages actually began to improve that particular injury. What I hadn’t prepared for was the continuing foot pain. The pain had traveled from the big toe area of my foot  to the next two toes and ball of my foot. It also radiated to the top of my foot.  You see, while I was babying my “Big Toe”  injury,  I put added strain on a different area of my foot. So while the “Big Toe” was happy, the rest of my foot was not. After 6 months of whining, taping my foot and pain meds, I was drug to a chiropractor. My only regret  was that I hadn’t gone sooner.

Dr. Leland Carroll, of the Studio Wellness Center has saved my foot, my life and everyone’s ears around me. After a thorough examination and assessment, he explained and diagnosed my injury. I have pretty severe pronation. Pronation is a turning outward of the foot at the ankle, I have a tendency to walk on the inner border of my foot. It is typically hereditary, but further aggravated by my dancing. I also suffered from Metatarsalgia, a condition which causes the arch of your foot to collapse. His first recommendation was to try custom orthotics. Of course my reaction was doubtful, but faced with the alternative “fix” of surgery, I thought I would give them a try. Shockingly, I can now say that 9 months after I was first injured, and 2 months of wearing my Custom Made Orthotics (which fit into my dance shoes and boots) my foot has finally healed. Oddly enough, so is that nagging knee pain that I had,which I thought was just old age!

I am not saying that every dancer needs Custom Made Orthotics, but if I am able to help anyone out there with foot , knee or back pain, I am glad to share my story. I found Custom Made Orthotics, at a discount,  online. I believe some insurances cover such a product, as they are expensive, but I got the folks at OurHealthNetwork.com to extend my 10% coupon to anyone that uses the code: LovetoDance

Sure hope that this helps anyone with a current foot issue or better yet, helps someone prevent one!

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 am sure that all West Coast Swing dancers do whips. The question is, do they really “whip”, or are they just going through the motion.  Last night at our weekly class, we spent the entire class doing nothing but two whips and honestly almost everyone was struggling.it wasn’t that they weren’t going through the motion and footwork correctly, it was that they were missing a key ingredient that actually creates the whip itself.

To create an actual whipping motion, both leader and follower need to have compression in the connection of the followers right arm and the leaders left. I am not sure exactly how to explain a “feeling”, but done correctly there is actually a whipping motion. Once you have experienced a whip done properly you will never go back to just walking through a whip again!

One of the most difficult things for me about social dancing, and I am talking about “organized club” dancing in my area, is that no matter what type music is played, most (ok, almost ALL) dancers still just dance West Coast Swing. It is so hard for me to just do West Coast Swing when the DJ is playing a Cha Cha or Hustle. Even if you can find a fellow Hustle dancer you will have a difficult time “doing the Hustle” as the West Coast Swing dancers get annoyed if you use too much floor space! UHG! Same applies to Cha Cha……oh, well, I guess some dancers prefer to only dance one dance………..what a shame, because the other dances are equally just as much fun!

As much as I don’t like to admit it……..there are dancer’s that I just do not want to dance with. I am also certain that I am that person for some dancer’s as well, so I guess that is just a dancing fact!

While attending The Palm Springs New Year’s Bash, I got brave enough to sign up for 3 Jack n Jill competitions. For those of you that are unfamiliar with a Jack n Jill, it is a competition where dancers are randomly paired up. You do not know who your partner is, or what music you will be dancing to.

While checking in for the competition, my friend commented that she hoped she wasn’t paired up with the guy that she was standing in front of. I said that there was really only one guy, in the whole group that I didn’t want to get paired up with. Turns out, it was the same person. Guess who got the guy.

Yup, it was me……..karma……..seems that if I put it out into the universe, it happens!

Now, for the confession……the dance really wasn’t that bad at all. I was actually pleasantly surprised. The leader was no longer difficult to follow and he even stayed on time. Moral to the story…….keep your mouth shut, feet moving and a positive attitude. Shame on me for having negative thoughts!

I didn’t even make semi finals in that West Coast Swing category, but I did place third in Hustle. Just goes to show you, you never know what is going to happen~

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!

After talking to Ras#2 this afternoon, I was reminded that I was missing our High Desert Swing Dance, Christmas dance. A bit bummed and overwhelmed with travel, I got busy making Star Wars Creepy Crawlers and a Snoopy Gingerbread House with my grandson. I’m not sure whether we got more candy ON the house or IN his tummy! The Creepy Crawlers are stuck to the wall and the Gingerbread House is now a centerpiece. After cleaning up that mess, I realized it was only 5:30 and the Wizard of OZ had just come on the telly. That meant he was occupied for the next few hours and then it was bedtime.

Yes, I hit the Internet, I figured if our Christmas dance was tonight, that somewhere in Orange County,  some other club must be holding their dance tonight, too. Bingo! Orange County West Coast Swing Dance Club, dance 8:00-12:00. I coerced my Lindy Hopping daughter to join me and we headed out the door.

Now, I have traveled quite a bit and I have been to quite a few dance venues. What you never know is just what you are getting yourself into. Will there be many dancers? Will the music be good? What is the experience level? Will anyone dance with me? Will they dance with me more than once? What is the dress code? All of these things always run through my mind. And more often than not, there is no need to be concerned. I almost always have a great time!

Tonight was no exception. The OCSDC was very friendly and inviting. We met some really great dancers and very nice people. I can hardly wait to go back another time.

It is really important when you go to a “new” place,  to allow yourself to be accessible and available to dance. You need to show enthusiasm and willingness. When you are in a new venue, if you put on your shoes and sit in the corner, chances are that you will be sitting there all night. If you are not asked to dance after one or two dances, then just get brave and do the asking yourself.  Chances are you will be escorted to the dance floor. I was fortunate, tonight to be asked to dance as soon as I put on my shoes.

Now,  West Coast Swing is not my best dance, and these guys in the OC are pros, so I was a bit nervous.  Luckily, once my feet started moving I began to relax…. a bit, anyway. Mike was a terrific leader and led me through moves I never even knew I could do. Needless to say, any trepidation that I might have had was gone. Once I got out on the dance floor, I rarely left.  It was great fun and judging from my aching feet, I know that I had terrific time. My daughter and I danced all night long. I can hardly wait to go back. The OC Swing Dance Club is top notch.

Going to new places, meeting new people and even running in to some that you have met at other various dance venues is just another one of those bonuses you receive by inviting dance into your life, heart and soul. Thank you Orange County West Coast Swing Dance Club for a truly wonderful evening of dance!

Tonight was my Keller Williams Christmas Party. In my “spare” time, much to my dismay, I am a real estate agent, so instead of heading out to the dance floor, I headed to the party. And, as usual, I had no date, so Ras #2 agreed to come with me.

First things first………what to wear? OK, not dancing so that open backed, spaghetti strapped, really flowing, long black dress that is collecting dust in my closest finally gets its night out on the town.

Second, two white elephant gifts…………hbmmmm, isn’t there some sexy, brand new, tags still on, lingerie still hiding out in a drawer somewhere, waiting to be worn?  Yup, one down. Ohhhhh, look a silky black rode, too! And one more thing, all of that Cover Girl Makeup that I got for free with those coupons, that makes three, we are more than covered! That takes care of that. Perfect!

Third thing, directions……….leave that up to Ras #2. She beats me there, it’s snowing and cold. As I am driving I realize that I am starving! Those 4 Triscuit crackers just didn’t do the trick. I finally get there and we slip and slide, in our heels into the party.

First and most important stop, the buffet line. Now remember I am starving, so looking at those tiny little plates, I pick up two. The food looked and smelled great and by the time I reached the end of the line I had acquired another on of those tiny plates. Ras #2 is behind me and we head to the only open spot at the bar, I looked at her and she looked at me and we both started laughing….we had 6 plates of food! Needless to say, there were a few judgemental looks. Yes, we ate it all, and those that were giving us funny looks made MANY trips through the buffet line, I’m thinkin’ they were just wishin’ that they had been smart enough to grab a couple of plates the first time through. Then, just as we finished eating they actually started playing music and taped down a piece of vinyl, yes vinyl flooring to dance on. Whoo Hoo! Dancing after all. Good thing the dance shoes are always in the car.  A gentleman that I have seen at out dance club a few times asked me to dance a Night Club 2 Step and then a West Coast Swing. What do you know, there is even dancing at the Christmas party.

Next it was time for the gifts. I was lucky enough to pick out a picnic basket, you know the kind with two bottles of wine and wine glasses. My thought, being a single girl was……another relationship gone bad, another picnic basket rescued from the closet. Oh, well, I fared better than Ras #2, she picked a great big Santa candy dish……….no candy!(Don’t tell anyone, but we sneaked over and peeked in all the leftover bags and picked out one other “good” gift, each) So all is good.

Now, back to the dance floor I go. This time with a cowboy. Now I don’t do Country Swing often, because of all of the twisting and pulling and shoving, but it was Christmas and he wanted to dance. What I faile to remember was that I was in a backless, spaghetti strapped dress. And yes, you guessed it, Wardrobe Malfunction! One of those pretty little straps just popped and my dress nearly hit the floor! Thank goodness I have quick reflexes when it comes to public nudity. I managed to yank that dress up without scaring too many people!

I’m afraid that pretty little black dress is just going to have to get happy hanging in the closet.

Posted for Robert:

While not a Luddite, I am thick when it comes to computers and sites. So, I decided to write the paragraph in this form and hope that you folks will post it on your blog site.

It was Friday night and I was in town for the upcoming Mario Robau workshop. Shorty’s had been recommended to me as a local dance option. Not knowing what to expect, I sat down at the bar and took in the lay of the land. The band had yet to start and the local WCS dancers had the run of the floor. I was pleasantly surprised at the skill level. Mario’s presence as one of the dancers might have influenced this. Not knowing anyone I wondered who was available for dancing? Unable to resist the urge, I steeled myself with the belief that dancers love to dance and asked Ras #1. The dance went every bit as well as I had hoped. The rest of the evening went even better in that both Ras #1 and #2 turned out to be wonderful people in every sense of the word. They also attended the weekend workshop and made the whole experience so much richer for me in the warmth of the connection. I attended the workshop hoping simply to improve my dancing. I think this objective was met. Meeting two wonderful people was icing on the cake and every bit as rewarding as the dancing.

Ballroom Dance

If you have yet to stick your toe into a dance shoe, and hit the dance floor, then you will likely be as confused as I was, when I decided that I had waited too long to learn to dance. I had no idea just how many styles of dance there were, and I do not profess to even know now, however I do know that Ballroom, Swing and Salsa are very often, all danced at the same venue.

Tonight I was at our local USA Ballroom Dance. I danced Tango, Foxtrot, Waltz, Hustle, Night Club Two Step, Cha Cha, East Coast Swing, Mambo, Salsa and Rhumba. Quite a variety, wouldn’t you agree?

Last night it was a Swing Club Dance. We danced West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Country Two Step, Country Waltz, Night Club Two Step, Hustle, Cha Cha and a Triple Step Progressive.

Swing Dance

I suppose that the easiest way to describe the biggest difference, in my opinion, is that Ballroom Dance is “formal” and Swing Dance and Salsa are more lighthearted and “informal”.

Now here is the part that I find interesting. It is my perception that Swing people often think that Ballroom is a bit too stuffy. Ballroom people often thing that Swing is a bit too lackadaisical and I think that Ballroom and Swing dancers perceive Salsa dancers to be a bit too saucy.

In my opinion, I love them all! As long as there is music playing and someone to dance with, I am up for the challenge. I think that I would become bored if I only danced one style of dance. Maybe I am A.D.D.? But there are many people out there that are a strictly one dance, and one dance only type. My suggestion to those of you who are new to the world of dance is to give them all a fair shake. You may be surprised to find yourself, like me a total crossover to all of the dances. I find that I go in spurts and often have new favorites. I also find that there are many similarities in all of the dances. Besides, the more versatile you are the more opportunities that you have to dance!

I would love to hear what your favorite dances are, mine are currently Cha Cha and Country Two step. Of course, next week that might change!

Happy Dancing,

Ras #1

Friday night, after my private dance lesson with Mario Robau, Ras #2 and I headed down to “Shorty’s”, another Boise Honky Tonk. Not long after we got there, practically all of the other dancers’ dispersed. As usual, Ras #2 and I were left standing there, looking at each other. Just as we were deciding what to do a gentleman walked up and asked if he could West Coast Swing dance with me. Now, having had this happen before, I did not know what to expect, so I headed to the dance floor a bit apprehensive.

Much to my delight, not only was the gentleman, aka Robert, a wonderful dancer, it turns out that he is also a great guy! Ras #2 and I spent the entire evening (and weekend) dancing with him. We took turns, so we got a break. He, on the other hand, or should I say foot, must have been exhausted! He never complained and just kept dancing. The band was good, the DJ was better, and we had the whole dance floor to ourselves. What more can a dancing girl ask for! Seems that he was in town for the Mario Robau workshop, and heard that Shorty’s was where the dancers’ would be hanging out. Once again, dancers’ all speak the same language.

Thank you, Robert for the best Friday dance night I have had in a really long time!

Bat Girl and Robin

It seems that the only souvenir I brought home from my Halloween Cruise, was laryngitis and bronchitis. I guess that sneaky little sucker “Murphy” managed to find his way on board without me seeing him. The real question is, “Was worth it”? Heck, yeah! A little Robitussen, and the fact that we went to Mexico and were able to buy “drugs”, (antibiotics and inhalers) kept me dancing until the wee hours.

The ship would not have been the same without Bat Girl and Robin to ward off the villians and ghouls of the night…………..we even managed to add Wonder Woman, the Scarecrow and Minnie Mouse to our pack!

The weather was lousy, the sea was rough, but a great time was had by all. We visited the ports of Belize, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Roatan, Honduras. I would say that Roatan was my favorite! It is an absolutely gorgeous island. I visited there twice this summer and am look forward to going again. The rain forest and snorkeling are phenomenal. Belize had to be my second fave. The zip line tour is a MUST!

As usual, however, there was very little “couples” dancing. Fortunately, my friend Jordan, was also on the cruise, so I was able to get in a few West Coast Swing dances. There were also a few Cha Cha and Two Step’s here and there. I have decided that I may just have to start learning the leaders’ part, as well as the followers’, so that I will be able to lead Ras #2 around the dance floor when a great song comes on!

Another remedy to this problem will be our own Dance Cruise. Stay tuned for details…………we hope everyone will join us!

Off, to let the night time “powers of healing” work on my “cruise crud”!!