OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT AN AMAZING WEEKEND!! :)
To break it down the weekend consisted of a Jack and Jill Competition (dance with a stranger), two dance parties (Fri and Sat) and 9 dancing workshops taken by Melina Ramirez and Ben Morris.
Started off with a little drama - got to the apartment in plenty of time, but Michael's car wouldn't start as we went to leave! (There is something going on with me and that car, it only ever has problems when I am in it!) - so I caught a taxi and Michael stayed for RACQ (it was off but still running - kind of - so we couldn't just leave it). I made it just in time for the first workshop - but felt like a huge loser because I went in alone and didn't know anybody. The class was good and Michael rocked up towards the end, though he couldn't join in as he had to keep the car running outside. The competition was on almost straight away and I had barely gotten in any warm up dances.....I was freaking out just a little! There were three heats and I was the last called in the very last heat...ugh! The heat consisted of three 2 minute dances with 3 different people to three different songs (could be either slow or fast or funky or whatever...) The first guy I got was really good....and the dance was awesome, and I wasn't really nervous at all. For some reason though, I got more nervous with each partner....by the end of it I was an adrenalin mess!! I didn't get into the finals, but I was happy with my dancing....Michael's thoughts on my dancing "I need to look up and smile more".....ugh....sounds a lot like my reports for year 10 dancing - I would always get a nine out of ten, I would nail the dance but would forget to smile - on the inside I was ecstatic...really :)
The rest of the dance party was brilliant! I danced almost constantly (they had the teachers comp and the finals randomly in between social dancing - and a performance by Ben and Melina) until about 1.30am....I finally had to stop due to blisters and running out of band aids (my shoes we still not quite broken in)....plus I was exhausted! ;) That night I really enjoyed dancing with everyone, it was so awesome not knowing how good any of the guys were - a bit of a lucky dip, and I didn't feel insecure not wanting to ask someone to dance because they were far better than me.....
Saturday we got there super early, I was really excited, the workshops were excellent - all up we had 4, 1 hr lessons that day. Then went straight out to dinner at a little cafe that they had booked out for the night. Good food, and met some really nice people who we gave a ride back to their hotel. I was really excited for the dance that night, but for some reason kind of down and insecure as well....hmmmm....I thought it may have had something to do with wanting to be better than I was after all the dancing I had done that day.....and now I KNEW how awesome some guys were, I got super self concious and didn't know who to ask to dance!
Nevertheless...I had some really good dances, and I think I improved quite a bit on my music interpretation and personal styling. We left at midnight - I was wrecked, and wanted a good night sleep to be fresh for the final day. Don't know how some people stayed out almost all night!
The last day was really good - LOVED the classes!! But honestly, by the end, my brain was completely fried!!! I couldn't think, I didn't want to dance anymore and I was getting cranky....hahaha!!
It was such an awesome opportunity to learn from some of the best west coast swing dancers in the world - and I relish the chance to improve and to progress in my dancing....
Now I am really hanging for some dance time to put into practice everything I have learnt!!!
Lucky there is a SA ball on this Friday and if I am lucky - Michael will take me dancing after my last exam on Wednesday night!
Here is Ben and Melina's most recent Classic routine that they performed for us on Saturday night.....amaaaaazing!! I love Melina's style, she is so freakin' funky!!! :) :) They were really fun teachers too....
West Coast 4 Life!
Dude! That is so funky! I love it!
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