A dancers diary….

I’m not sure if I’ve walked a mile in my {multiple} dancing shoes yet with all of the Balboa swivels, rock steps, come~arounds, step~ball~changes and twirls I’ve been doing these past few weeks, but I know that I’ve definitely gained a great deal of appreciation for the frustrations and joys that a professional dancer must experience.

I’ve been practicing the Balboa Swing with a fabulous professional dancer lately. We will be performing at the Seattle Dances! competition on March 10th at the Fremont Studios, a benefit for The Plymouth Housing Group, which brings critical relief and hope to the chronically homeless in our community. Click on the video below to see us at one of our early rehearsals and to learn why I have taken on this challenge.

As you’ll see in the video, there are joyous moments when we are twirling about and my feet and hands are all in the right position. But then there are the disheartening moments when my right foot is landing the turn, and it’s supposed to be my left foot, so that I can get right into that next move, which can be extremely stressful, especially if it happens over and over again {and it has!}. Then you’ll see scenes where Travis is teaching me about the importance of tension and the balance of grip in our hands, something I’m still trying to perfect.

Balboa is all about quick, tight footwork. There are a lot of steps and twirls as a couple, there are also some side~by~side combinations. Tonight, I’m feeling very excited because we’ve laid out all of the choreography and can now focus on fine~tuning and polishing the routine.

I must admit, I love the feeling of crossing through these heavy, squeaky doors into the historic Odd Fellows Hall for rehearsal each week.

I love climbing up the massive, polished wooden stairway to get to the Century Ballroom, where there may be a salsa dance class going on in one room or a private waltzing practice.

When it’s our turn to take over the dance floor I can’t help but to think about all of the dancers who created the rich patina on the floors as I unpack my dance shoes from my shiny green tote bag.

While we are dancing, the ornate balconies help me to keep my head up,

but my mind wanders as I think about the thousands {100’s of thousands, millions?} of people, both performers and viewers who have enjoyed a dance or many more in these hallowed walls, some sitting just off the floor having a beverage, no doubt.

Does anyone know how to make a “fly me to the moon”? Maybe Elon Musk? I’ll take a double!

By the way, there is also a cozy little restaurant and bar called the Tin Table, it looks and feels like a speakeasy and they serve tasty home cooked cuisine {I recommend the Chicken Cacciatore}.

“What are you going to wear?”

You may be wondering, just because that’s what many people ask.

I meet with our fabulous costume designer, Jamie Von Stratton, tomorrow for my first fitting. We’ve come up with a conceptual plan on design and colors. One of the neat things is that she was happy to use some of the silk chiffon from a dress that my mother~in~law wore when she used to swing dance back in THE day.

The shoes have been a challenge, I’ve bought 4 pairs already and I’m still not sure I have the perfect performance pair. When I used to take Jazz dance classes in high school I always wore the basic black shoe and coveted the tan T~strapped shoes some of the other girls wore. So, I decided, when I signed up, this was the time to wear the shoes I’ve always dreamed of dancing in. Unfortunately, the sales clerk convinced me to buy the smaller size, which has yet to “stretch out and turn into butter” as she assured me, they actually really kill my feet!! So then I bought a beautiful pair of pale pink satin, strappy, open toed shoes {similar to those at the top}, only to later be advised that they had “Latin” heels, that would make it difficult for me to make my Balboa moves.

This saga will continue.

Tonight I will be wearing these comfy, flat dance shoes because we are going to be working on our flips and jumps {yes, I’m going to be flipping and jumping up on the big stage!!}

I would love it if you would come to swing with me, I still have seats at my table and I promise I will make sure you have a splendid time… think fun friends, favors, special beverages, SWAG, etc. to purchase tickets click HERE. If you can’t come but would like to support the important work that Plymouth does to help provide homes and community for the chronically homeless {many of whom are elderly, disabled, veterans} you can vote for me on~line HERE, of course, I would greatly appreciate donations of any amount, as would the people who’s lives you will forever improve.