So you wanna be a champion?

. . : watching myself : :

2004-08-23T14:32:00.002-07:00

Watching myself dance on the video they made for me has got to be one of the scariest moments of the competition. The only reason for this is that I know what I should be doing but am unable to perform it with my body. Seeing myself not doing everything I know I should be is a terrible feeling. Of course, the only solution is practice, which I haven't been doing as much as I should. In order to prepare for Vegas again in December, I've made the following resolution:

I must practice during the school week every single day after 2:15 just like any other athlete would do. This means going in to see Ms. Cory and allotting time for practice in the dance hall. About 1 hour every day I do not have dance should do.

Even though the video is, for me, scary and embarrassing, it provides a lot of insight into what I forget most. Some blunders were unavoidable, but I must remember these next time:

The Waltz:
* Never, ever lift the feet off the ground! I should be sliding and gliding along - not stepping.
* A strong connection must always be present, meaning that the left hand should be pressing away his shoulder, and the back should be firmly against his right hand. The head should also look away to the left as if it's opposing his.
* A pleasant expression must always be worn! That means smiling nicely, of course. This is so important, I'm ashamed I sometimes forget this... As Yolanda says, I am dancing with the hottest man out there! I should be happy about that!
* The left hand needs to look energetic and should be "pinching" his right bicep. I'm not supposed to really pinch it, but the thumb and middle finger should appear like they are.

The Rumba:
* This may have been because I was a little nervous having been contested for the first time at the Nevada Star Ball, but nevertheless my posture was horrible. I need to be confident in what I dance and I need to lift my sternum and press down my shoulders.
* I think I need to also be more fluid with my shoulders and upper body and include their movement in my dancing.
* I also can't neglect arm styling. With the arms, it's all or nothing. Literally. The arm needs to be plainly to the side, with the hand styled, or performing the complete movements.
* Overall, my rumba lacks attitude. Gott attitude? I sure don't. Heeheehee~ But this will come in time along with confidence. I'm just so bad at looking sultry...
* Also, the 1 and 3 beats should be lengthened so that the dance looks truly like a rumba. However, this is not necessary at the Newcomer's level.

The Cha Cha:
* The cha cha is a fast, sharp, energetic dance, and therefore the arm styling needs to be the same way. I just need to work on the arm extensions on the triple lock steps and the New Yorkers.
* The lock and chasse steps just need to be performed correctly; however, only practice will help this.
* As in the rumba, and probably due to the steep competition, my posture was horrible. Don't forget to think and look confident!

The Tango:
* In the tango, it is so important to bend those knees and feel like the hips are low and centered.
* I forgot the staccato-ness of the tango, especially in the feet. My whippings of the head were alright I suppose. ^_^
* I also feel like my head lacked the opposing appearance that should have been there. My head looked sort of dead and it looked like I was staring.
* The hips should be locked into his, and the body is located more to his right than in the waltz. Connection was lacking but never should be!

. . : vegas, baby : :

2004-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Alas, I probably didn't perform as well as I should have at the Nevada Star Ball... After nearly colliding with a couple in the tango, I lost my footwork (although not my composure!) and it took a while to remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. Unfortunately, the only way to prepare for that it to have competitive experience, so I suppose there was nothing I could do about that. In the Latin dances, Tash and I were up against a confident little lady who had her styling and flare nearly perfected. Unfortunately, again, we didn't stand a chance, having practiced only technique and very little styling. Despite poor dancing, there were many fond memories...

Talking and happily joking about our beloved PG and then seeing him walk into the restaurant, realizing he could have just listened to the whole conversation while waiting in line for his seat... Being kicked out of a Venetian restaurant because we didn't spend enough money... PG incognito... PG, I can hardly recognize you! That's the point... Cherry pie for breakfast -- twice... Everybody's been calling me 'Powderpuff' when they see my hair... Girl's day out at Caesar's Forum shops...

. . : cucarachas : :

2004-07-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

Now put your arms in the air. Now wave them around and say, 'Teletubbies!!!'

A cucaracha is three steps that end in first position or with the feet together. They essentially don't move your position greatly and are not a movement step. They can be danced in any Latin dance, but PG has taught them to Tash and me in the rumba.

Here's the break down of a cucaracha:

2
Feet: Begin count 2 in a natural first position, with the right foot beveled. Roll the foot's pressure on the floor around in a circle, from the inside of the foot to the outside and back to neutral.
Knees: While rolling the pressure of the ball of the foot, bend the right knee slightly; the left leg is still straight.
Hips: This foot action will cause the right hip to also move in a half a figure-eight, with the hip rolling clockwise to the right.
Body: The abdomen contracts, but only slightly so as to not distort the shoulders.
Shoulders: There is slight movement in the shoulders. Engage the right lat. muscle while moving the right foot.
Arms: Because the right lat. muscle is engaged, the right elbow will bend and be brought down. Think of it as shortening the distance between the elbow and the hip on the right side.
Head: There is no head movement on this count.
3
Feet: Same as count 2 but this time with the left foot.
Knees: The left knee bends as the right leg remains straight.
Hips: Because the left foot is working this count, the left hip completes the figure-eight that the right hip started by circling to the left in a counterclockwise position.
Body: The body contracts here again, but not so much that the shoulders are distorted. This is a contraction with the lower abs (below the bellybutton).
Shoulders: Engage the left lat. muscle.
Arms: Because the left shoulder is engaged, the left elbow bends, countering the movement on count 2.
Head: No head movement.
4~1
Feet: The right foot extends to the side, with the foot still beveled, and with the heel of the shoe on the ground. Roll pressure from the inside of the right foot, to the center. At the end of the count, the left foot will now be left extended, and it should be turned out more than usual.
Knees: The left knee is kept fairly straight, but the right knee is bent. As weight is transferred over to the right foot, the right leg straightens.
Hips: The right hip repeats the hip action of count 2, starting another figure-eight.
Body: The abdomen contracts again, but only slightly.
Shoulders: When the right foot extends, the right shoulder extends that direction as well. This right shoulder leads the body.
Arms: Same as count 2, because the hip action is the same.
Head: Because there is a movement to the side, the head can look in that direction during this count.

Phew, I think that's everything I can remember from the time when Mary filled in for PG's Latin Technique class. All she did was go over cucarachas in detail. Cucarachas are also a part of the cha cha, but I think they are a cha cha's side chasse.

. . : ballroom exercises : :

2004-07-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

. . : lock step technique : :

2004-06-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Woowoo! One month anniversary!!

I just wanna outline and write down all the technique of the last two lessons. PG threw so much at us... but it's been awesome learning the cha cha! To be honest, I think I like it more than the rumba. The rumba's cool and all, but I like being energetic, not sultry. ^_-

Lock Step Back
2 I'm standing on my right foot with forward posture. Posture for the entire cha cha is always more forward than a normal stance because I'm constantly on the ball of my foot. Even though most of my weight is on the supporting right leg, the left foot is placed forward and absorbs the pressure slightly.
3 Weight is still on the right foot. The movement is that the pressure is taken completely off the left foot, moving the left hip up into its socket to do so. The left leg will no longer be completely straight as contact with the floor rolls from the outside of the foot to the ball of the foot.
4 Bring the ball of the left foot back into a backwards walk. The ball of my left foot should come in towards and brush my right ankle. Instead of taking a normal back step, however, the upper body will not move its position. So the count is ended with the left ball on the floor and the pelvis tilted back.
and On this count, the left leg remains where it is as the right leg quickly bends and slides in slightly. The right hip will be forced downwards in order to maintain correct footwork.
uh Compress both knees together so that they are touching without moving the feet. Roll the hips on this move. To correctly roll the hips, shift pressure about the ball of the foot; this will force the hips to move in a circular motion.
1 The weight is shifted mainly onto the left leg with the right leg left extended, the result of a backwards walking action. However, the right hip is pulled up more than normal, which will cross the legs and complete the hip action for the lock back.

Lock Step Forward
2 Initially, I'm standing on my left foot having just completed the lock back. The right toe is in contact with the floor. Shift contact to the ball of the foot and slightly bend the knee. Brush the right foot by the left ankle into a backwards walk. I need to make sure that the right foot stays relatively parallel. This right foot, now back, splits the weight with the front foot.
3 This step merely shifts the weight back onto the left leg. Only the toe of the right leg should be left in contact with the floor.
4 In a forward walking action, bring the right leg straight forward and have it absorb most of the weight.
and Compress and slightly bend the right supporting knee. At the same time slide the left leg in towards the right, so that now both knees are touching. It is important that both my ankles are still far apart though. Roll the hips throughout this motion.
uh With the feet remaining where they are, straighten the left leg, which in turn forces the right knee to bend. This count is so short that it is not visible while dancing. However, it is an important intermediate motion.
1 Shift the weight back onto the right leg, absorbing almost all the weight.

. . : san diego memories : :

2004-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's the Monday after my first competition and, wow, am I tired! Those three days at San Diego Dancesport were definitely the highlight of the entire year -- maybe my entire life?? I loved it so much! There is no where else where I would rather be. And the memories and the good times were endless (except when PG was being Mr. Grumpy)...

Taking little Matthew around running... PG insisting I wink at the judges to get a good score... You changed my score, right? ::huge grin::... Tashi trying to remember the can-can scene in Mulan instead of Moulin Rouge... One judge hugging Tashi lest she act shy... Realizing that the beatuiful watercolor drawing Stephanie thought I drew was really an anonymous painting of myself... The most embarrassing moment of turning around in the dressing room and meeting PG face to face with only his underwear on... Making up hand signals while running scorecards... PG, do you know what time it is? NO.... Trying to alert Tash to PG's whereabouts using the "o'clock system" and utterly confusing her... Totally improvising on dancing the mambo with Mr. Goss... PG scaring the living daylights out of me with his quick movement in my direction... You're so fragile!! I'm going to toughen you up...

. . : awards : :

2004-06-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

I've compiled the various dance awards I've won so that college applications will be just that much easier:

14th Annual Showcase 2004 Student Dance Award
Newcomer Bronze Rumba - 1st
Intermediate Bronze Rumba - 1st
Newcomer Bronze Waltz - 1st
Intermediate Bronze Waltz - 1st
San Diego Dancesport Student Award
Newcomer Bronze Rumba - 1st
Newcomer Bronze Waltz - 1st
Nevada Star Ball Student Award
Newcomer Bronze Rumba - 2nd
Bronze I Waltz - 1st
Bronze I Cha Cha - 2nd
Newcomer Tango - 1st

. . : waltz - detailed technique : :

2004-06-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson was awesome! PG said I'm improving in both dances and that he can tell I've been practicing! XD Yayyy~

There you go! Just follow your intuition ...except on that hockey stick.

I like it when you are confused. ::commence evil laugh::

In the waltz, we did more shoulder leads and how to shape the body. It's hard to explain in words but I'll try... But first, more posture: when starting and when in the "compressed" knee position, I'm not supposed to really bend my knees per se. Compress the knees by bringing them together and bending them slightly forward without sticking the butt out at all. The effect will be that I don't really change my height drastically. I don't need to be any shorter hehe...

For 1 2 3 of the natural turn, take a step backwards. Rotate the body and point the foot to the side. Then bring the feet together on 3. Remember the heel lead on 4 of the natural turn. As technique improves, the difference between steps 1 2 3 and steps 4 5 6 will become more clear and apparent. They are not a repetition of a half a turn. As for shaping the body, the torso should never remain straight-on to PG as that would get boring. One shoulder is always "leading" the body, creating a sort of swinging action with the torso. For the change step, the right shoulder is leading backwards. Then switch so that the left shoulder leads on the unnatural turn.

Now for the whisk. When entering into promenade position, lengthen the left side of the body, so that I don't travel backwards. Settle down - not back - into count 3 of the whisk. Remember, head rotates on count 2. Heel lead on count 1 out of the whisk.

On the spin turns, again lengthen the left side of the body, to maintain balance.

For competitions, because the waltz is a moving dance, it's possible that couples will run into each other on the dance floor. I have to be prepared for PG to alter the routine and accomodate for the other couples on the floor. However, this is just simple leading and following and responding to his body movements and hesitations.

. . : the things guys won't tell you : :

2004-05-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Wow. So I went shopping with Tashtash today to get her sister some shoes. That trip turned into the most enlightening ballroom experience of my life. There is so much PG wasn't telling us about competing!! Here are the subjects he neglected to touch upon...

Shoes --

Whether International Standard or Latin, shoes are tan, tan, TAN! I sorta noticed that at comps everyone wore tan shoes... but maybe it was just a fad? Apparently it's an unwritten law. The idea is that my feet will blend in with the floor and my legs. As for Standard shoes, they must be courtshoes. This means they are like your typical pumps, with a 2-3" heel and satin covering. Some Standard shoes either expose a nail or will over time, so it's mandatory to wear plastic heel protectors with them. They will protect both the beautiful floor and save my heels. However, some companies, like the Italian Dance Natural, won't ever need them. ^_^ Standard shoes must also be very, very snug so that they don't slip off when I dance! Plastic bands are commonly worn around the arch of the foot so that they stay on for sure. As for Latin shoes, they must be strappy sandle-like shoes. Heels should be around 3" tall, but never much more than that. There are many things to worry about when getting this type of shoe... Avoid a lot of straps without mesh in between because baby toes tend to get pinched or to stick out. The shoe must not have an open heel (an open heel is for more advanced dancers). The strap must attach to the heel cup for support. Lastly, Celebrity is a good shoe company for International Latin since they can make any style of shoe I want.

Hosiery --

One word: fishnets. And they should be a little darker than my skin color, so I don't look extremely pale. Apparently, tan is in. =( But I'll never ever tan or even get a fake one so the judges will just have to live with my pale skin.

Hair --

For competitions, a simple bun just doesn't cut it! I should go all out~ A more fancy and beautiful hair style is a plus; the lady at the shoe store even suggested a french twist. It would appear some people might get their hair done, but I'll have to just curl it or what not myself.

Makeup --

Same as hair: go all out. Think stage makeup to the max! Heavy eyeliner (remember to line the rims), bright lipstick and rouge (so I don't look pale), colorful eyeshadow. Even add gaudy accessories to brighten up the outfit!!

Clothes --

Eventually, probably by the end of the summer, I should have two separate dresses for the two different styles. Basically, I just need to imitate what I see on the dance floor. However, it's not appropriate for a newcomer to be wearing those showy Latin dresses. But the Standard dress should be flowy and go down to the ankles. For Latin, think Charlotte Russe. For Standard, I could easily sew up a few things!!

Oh PG... there's so much you didn't tell us...

. . : san diego dancesport : :

2004-05-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yayy! Mary signed Tash and me up for being runners at San Diego Dancesport~ I'm gonna wear my black dress and black suitcoat during all the evening shifts. Anyways, here is the schedule it seems for the competition:

Friday:

7:30 - 10:00 AM Awards Ceremony
10:00 AM Take Tashi home possibly?
7:00 - 9:00 PM Runner
9:00 PM Finish watching competition and having Tash sleepover

Saturday:

9:00 - 11:00 AM Runner
1:00 - 3:00 PM Runner
3:00 - 7:30 PM Free time to spend eating, resting and watching the dances!
7:30 - 9:30 PM Runner

Sunday:

10:00 AM Arrive at the hotel in Coronado early
11:00 AM Be ready to compete!!
12:00 - 7:00 PM Free time
7:30 - 9:30 PM Runner
9:30 PM Watching the final rounds!

. . : rumba - detailed technique : :

2004-05-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

As for the rumba, the major correction yesterday was that I need to pay more attention to alignment, especially in the hockey stick. Going into the hockey stick from the fan position, the amount of turn is as follows: 1/8 (to face the wall perpendicularly) 3/8 and then 1/8 (to face the opposite wall). The way to correct this is to not be so anxious and "excited" and to not rush the dance at all by paying close attention to the music. As for head positions and alignment, remember to be looking at PG at the beginning, through the arm's "window." Then spot the walls/corners to ensure correct alignment and end up looking back at PG at the end.

The other huge correction/improvement (^_^) had to do with leading with the shoulder. In the open hip twist, remember to lead with the right shoulder. As PG always says, "Go all out!" XD In the waltz, the shoulder leads are either really obvious or look-up-able in the Technique of Ballroom Dancing.

So overview: two new corrections and things to be aware of:
* Alignment
* Shoulder Leads

. . : newcomer routines : :

2004-05-22T21:13:00.001-07:00

Newcomer/Intermediate Bronze Waltz:
Danced at the 14th Anniversary Showcase
Danced at San Diego Dancesport Championships

I don't think this is exactly what PG was thinking though... I remember him throwing out terms like a weave and some complicated position name... I believe the weave goes after the first spin turn.

* Natural Turn (2)
* Natural to Reverse (1)
* Reverse Turn (2)
* Whisk (1)
* Chasse from Promenade Position (1)
* Natural Spin Turn (2)
* Reverse Corte (1)
* Reverse to Natural (1)
* Natural to Reverse (1)
* Outside Change (1)
* Natural Spin Turn (2)
* Reverse Corte (1)
* Reverse to Natural (1)
(repeat from here!)

17 bars of music total, 2 full repetitions usually takes a little over 1 minute

Newcomer/Intermediate Bronze Rumba:
Danced at the 14th Anniversary Showcase
Danced at San Diego Dancesport Championships

* Open Hip Twist (2)
* Hockey Stick (2)
* Change Weight w/ Right Step Back*** (1)
* Two Rumba Walks Forward (2)
* Underarm Turn to Left (1)
* 3 Checks (3)
* Underarm Turn to Left (1)
(repeat from here; there will most definitely be more added soon)

12 bars of music total, nearly 3 repetitions are needed to fill a little over 1 minute
*** Count 2: R foot back w/ a backward walk; Count 3: Shift weight back to L foot; Count 4~1: L foot fwd w/ a fwd walk (I have no idea if this is a named step or something PG has me do to fill space...)

Newcomer/Intermediate Bronze Cha Cha:

Get the proper names for these steps!!

* Lock Step Back (1)
* Lock Step Forward (1)
* Half-turn to Lock Step Back (1)
* Hockey Stick (2)
* 2 and 3 Lock Back 4 and 1 Lock Back (1)
* Lock Step Forward (1)
* 2 and 3 Lock Fwd 4 and 1 Lock Fwd (1)
* Underarm Turn (1)
* 3 New Yorkers (3)
* Underarm Turn (1)

13 bars of music total

Newcomer/Intermediate Bronze Tango:

Get the proper names for these steps!!

*
*

. . : excerpts from 'technique' : :

2004-05-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Technique of Latin Dancing is the most wonderful book to find technique, steps and arm styling all laid out on paper. These are a few of the most important excerpts that are most helpful for my newcomer/intermediate Bronze rumba.

Poise --

"The correct poise for Rumba and Cha Cha Cha is achieved as follows:-
1. Stand with feet together in a normal relaxed manner.
2. Raise diaphragm as far as possible, taking care not to raise shoulders.
3. Take a step to side on either foot and fully straighten (i.e. lock back knee of supporting leg). Transfer full weight to this foot allowing the pelvis to move back so that the weight is felt to be near the heel of the standing foot. The degree that the pelvis is moved back must only be such that the position achieved by the upper part of the body when the diaphragm was raised is not affected.
It is important that the poise is achieved using the movements in the order given above. If the pelvis is allowed to move back before the diaphragm is raised, a bad poise will result." p. 6

Use of Free Arm and Contact Arm --

"The positions achieved by the free arm(s) and contact arm(s) when dancing the syllabus fig. are given in the charts. Due to space considerations the words used to describe these positions have been kept to a minimum. While the wording in the charts is adequate for examination purposes, a more detailed description is give below to help the student to achieve accurate arm positions.
1. To side slightly retracted: the arm is held outwards from the side of the body in a position which is just below shoulder level and slightly forward. The arm is bent slightly at the elbow to form a soft curve from the shoulder to the hand.
2. To side retracted: the arm is held outwards from the side of the body with the elbow lowered and bent so that the hand will be slightly forward of the body in a position approximately halfway between touching the side of the body and the fully extended to side position.
3. Extended to side: same as 1. but with the elbow straightened.
4. Forward slightly retracted, forward retracted, extended forward, as 1, 2 and 3 respectively but with the arm in the fwd pos. and not to side.
5. Held loosely across front of body: the arm is held across and approximately 6" away from the front of the body. In the case of the lady the arm will be just below chest level ..." p. 9

Rhythmic Interpretation --

"The Rumba is fundamentally a 'body' dance. Hip actions which will result from the correct use of ankles and knees will normally occur through a controlled transfer of body weight from one foot to the other. Each foot movement should take a 1/2 beat of music. A body action then occurs on the second 1/2 beat of music for steps taken on the 2nd and 3rd beats of the bar. On steps coinciding with the 4th beat of the bar the body action uses 1 1/2 beats of music." p. 12

. . : competitions and showcases : :

2004-05-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

I've compiled a list of all the competitions, showcases and what-nots for 2004 and 2005. So ta-da! Here it is.

2004 Competitions --

San Diego Dancesport Championships
June 11th - 13th in San Diego, CA (Coronado)
Website

International Grand Ball Championships
July 30th - August 1st in Burlingame, CA (San Francisco)
Website

Nevada Star Ball Dancesport Championships
August 19th - 22nd in Las Vegas, CA
Website

Embassy Ball Dancesport Championships
September 3rd - 5th in Irvine, CA
Website

Pacific Dancesport
November 5th - 7th in Los Angeles, CA
Website

California Star Ball Dancesport Championships
November 26th - 28th in Costa Mesa, CA
Website

Holiday Dance Classic Championships
December 11th - 14th in Las Vegas, CA
Website

2005 Competitions --

World Pro/Am Championships
January 6th - 8th in Irvine, CA
Website

San Francisco Open Dancesport Championships
April 1st - 3rd in San Francisco, CA
Website

Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships
April 28th - May 1st in Los Angeles, CA
Website

And lastly I just have a few scattered thoughts about what would be awesome to dance as a solo in a competition or a showcase... A Jive to "I Don't Want A Lot For Christmas," a jive to "Hey Ya," a rumba to "Take My Breath Away"... Any of those would be a ton of fun.

. . : counting the rumba : :

2004-05-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

It took me forever to figure out how to count rumba music... And I think I have an idea now. The strong accent of music is supposed to be on count one, because the rumba is all about the hip movement on count one. So do count the music 1 2 3 4 but do the dancing on 2 3 4~1.

I'm brilliant.

Even more on counting the rumba from Laird's Technique:
"...the predominant musical accents will be associated with the 4th beat of each bar." p. 12
Hopefully his expertise coincides with my discoveries about rumba music... Hmm...

. . : basic technique of rumba : :

2004-05-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

From the Saturday lesson on May 15th, 2004, at 1:00pm:

First, general suggestions on how to practice all this technique --
To begin, dance the routine focusing on the actual steps, the correct posture and proper stance.
Second, dance while focusing on correct footwork and while maintaining good posture and dancing the correct steps.
Third, dance the first two but add on the arm technique and styling.
Fourth, dance it with all the above and make sure the head is placed properly.

Theoretically, by the time I complete the fourth step I should be dancing nicely. ^_-

Posture --
* Flatten the curve of your spine. Doing so will cause you to lean forward and lead properly. "Move with your guts."
* Always maintain a very erect stance. This is accomplished by rolling the shoulders back and pushing them down while lifting up the sternum.

Footwork --
* For the most part while dancing the rumba, on count four the weight is split or shared between both legs. On count one, the weight should be shifted to only one leg.
* When dancing the rumba walks, the moving ankle should brush the standing one. On the open hip twist, remember to keep the ankles together.
* Keep the leg muscles tight in general while dancing. The legs are never loose or uncontrolled.
* Take small steps. Large steps can throw you off balancing and aren't necessary for a large 'stage presence.'
* Be cautious not to over-rotate the turn into the open hip twist. Remain in control of the turn, and end up facing perpendicular to the wall, shoulders, bellybutton, and all. If necessary, undershoot the turn.
* When dancing the rumba walks, keep a forward posture, as if you are always falling forward and catching yourself. This is achieved by remaining forward on the feet and with correct stance. This is much like the stance for sprinting.

Arm Styling --
* Always keep the lat. and shoulder muscles tight. This is the one dance where I get to be tense!! This ensures a firm connection with PG so that he can properly lead and follow.
* During the rumba walks, mirror whatever arm styling PG is doing!
* On the last rumba walk, into the turn, just gently bring the arm closed instead of the normal technique.
* On the open hip twist, whip the arm closed on count one.
* The fingers are supposed to be 'energetic and lively.' Point the middle finger down.
* "When in doubt, leave the arm out!" (PG's so cute~)

Styling of the Head --
* On extending the arm during the fan, look out past the left extended arm.
* When preparing to turn after the fan, look over your shoulder at PG, in the 'window' the arm creates. Look into his eyes like your in love!! But remember, it's just pretend...

. . : a passion aroused : :

2004-05-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

About nine months ago I was introduced to ballroom dancing, at the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year, with Mr. G's dance class. About five months ago I began the Bronze Samba class with Ester. And about two months ago I fell in love with ballroom and head over heels for PG.

It's the week after APs; I just turned in the biggest paper of the year; I should be working on my English presentation; and all I can think about is ballroom, ballroom, ballroom. :}

Cheers to a life-long passion and the start of my ballroom notes!