This is not an ordinary dance bag!!
Can anyone please tell me where February went??? I cannot believe we are already in March! Just yesterday I was telling you all about how well prepared I am going to be for this upcoming Albuquerque
I have a check list of all the things I need or need to replace and am making all my on line orders by the end of this week. 1) The last competition I used Nude color garment bags for Leyla’s costumes. I have decided to invest in clear garment bags so I could see each costume rather than digging through every bag to find the right costume (and yes, it is always the last one I look in).
2) I need to replace my rolling clothes rack that I use to hang all Leyla’s costumes on. The one I used last year is a complete joke!! I did not get the cheapest, but rather the middle priced Single Garment Rack at Target. This garment rack is difficult to roll around and it falls apart easily, it also has lots of small parts making it difficult to assemble and take down. I’m sure I entertained a lot of the mom’s last year trying to operate the garment rack without it falling apart! (Soo embarrassing). I felt a little better when I noticed some mom’s had nothing to hang their costumes on. Then there were the super experienced dance moms who were smart and got the expressive garment rack and had no problem were rolling the rack around, or with pieces of it falling off. At the end of the day the Single Garment Rack is a not a good one to purchase for any kind of traveling. The rack was given an early retirement from the entertainment world and is now being used to hang cloths up that come right out of the dryer ,so I guess it was not a total loss.I was doing a goggle search on garments bags and I found a site called Stage Studio Dancewear website. I found this kick butt dance bag. This is not an ordinary dance bag but is a Dream Duffel Medium Package!! I know you may be thinking, so what??? But take a look at this bag! For anyone traveling that needs/wants to know what is in the bag before they open it it’s like a dream come true. It’s everything I need in one. The only problems is I’m not sure if I going a little over board or if the bag is going to be a big pain to get around. PLREASE let me know what you think. http://stageandstudiodancewear.com.au/index.phpmain_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=286
5) Buy gluten-free food to bring so Leyla and I don’t starve (and have a map of all the stores that sell GF food close to where we are staying).
6) Call the competition company who holding the event and get an idea of the set up. I heard from another mom that she thinks they have racks for us to put the costumes on.
Is there anything I’m missing? I sure hope not!!
Step Up 2 Dance Competition Feb 2012
Today all the kids who had a Solo, Duo, or a Trio competed in Phoenix at the STEP UP 2 DANCE competition. This is Leyla’s 2nd year on the dance team and she has not been in a solo yet. Personally, I am happy that she does not have a dance solo. It’s not that I don’t want her to ever get one; I just think it would have been a little overwhelming this year. Last year she competed in two dances and this year she is competing in 8 dances; which is a big adjustment so adding a solo would be over the top, at least for me. I only wish that we were able to go up to Phoenix to support the entire dance team. Unfortunately, I have been under the weather and did not feel comfortable with the long drive.
The good news is that our kids kicked butt and received Platinum and High Platinum awards. High Platinum is not given out often and, at times, seems imposable to get. The Shining Stars Trios took first place overall! Sasha, Waverly, Carly, and Amanda received a Diva award. Two of the Shining Star solos received 2nd overall but in different age categories. Unfortunately, that’s all the details I have right now but I promise to fill you in as I learn more. If you were at the competition please post information under comments.
The next competition is less than a half a month away and most of the team’s dance numbers will be competing in this competition. Thursday night, when I was watching Leyla and Leah dance, I got a kick listening to some of the other mom’s talk about Rhinestoning costumes. Many of the dance teams have not yet gone to competition with their group dances so Albuquerque will be first competition for some of the dance teams. This means that moms will need to dig out the tweezers and the Jewel-It glue and start putting Rhinestones on costumes, boots, etc. One of the hip hop dances are just now ordering their costumes and may have to Rhinestone on the plane. Sucks to be them!! Wait, that reminds me! I better go through Leyla’s costumes and make sure I fine tune them. Leyla’s jazz routine costume for Party Girl needs a little work. The top of that costume is all black; we used a variety of different size rhinestone to add some bling. I thought I glued enough Rhinestones on Leyla’s top but at the last competition, right before she went on stage, I noticed something really wrong!!! Somehow I made the Rhinestones into a complete circle around her top; which made it look like I was highlighting her … Well I can’t even say it. What kind of mom am I?? My poor child! I asked Leyla if anyone said anything to her about the Rhinestones on her top and she replied that one of the girls said that her top looked a little different than the rest… Tip number one; have your child try on the costume once the Rhinestones have had time to dry to make sure that Rhinestones are evenly placed and do not accent areas you do not want to draw attention to. AG made a comment that she was a little nervous about putting Rhinestone on the customs and hopes to get started as soon as possible. She said she read my blog and wanted to make sure that wouldn’t happen to her; I think I might have permanently scared her!
Shining Star took 2nd in Phoenix out of 22 routines!
Watch a short video
from some clips of the Shining Star dance team http://vimeo.com/36248076
This past week has been very busy at work with projects and with photo shoots. I have been complaining more than I usually to Charlie that all the driving I’m doing on a weekly basis is killing me. It a 35 minute commutes to the girl’s school, 40 minutes to work, 20 minute to the dance studio from work, and then another 40 minutes back home. A grand total of two hours and 35 minutes a day on the road (when there is light traffic), every day and that’s not counting the traveling I do during my regular work day. I spend most of the weekends cleaning the house and doing laundry. 10 loads laundry between Statuary and Sunday for all five members of the family. YUCK! I guess that is the joy of being a mother! During my down time I enjoy writing for the blog and editing photos from the photo-shoots, which I absolutely love!! Photography is my calling and I enjoy it more and more every day. It is my escape and from this crazy busy life and brings meaning to my life on a level that words cannot express.
Charlie’s schedule is also jam packed; he takes care of our youngest, Alexandra. He gets her ready every morning and rocks her to sleep every night. Charlie is a project manager during the day and is an awesome father who has a passion for cooking and makes dinner for the family every night. This is a good thing because I can barely microwave a TV dinner. We both feel a little overwhelmed and sometimes debate who is busier than the other. Sounds familiar? I hope we are not the only couple that feels this way. I challenged Charlie to trade places with me for a couple weeks to get a taste of all the driving I do each week; Charlie accepted my challenge. Thursday Charlie picked up Leyla and Leah from school and I picked up the baby Alexandra from day care. This was the first day of our trading schedules. It was so nice to come home after a long day and not have to sit at the dance studio for another 3 hours or more after work. My gas tank was happy too!! When I arrived home I put a load of laundry in the washer, picked up the living room, unloaded the dish washer and vacuumed. Alexandra was my little helper and enjoyed being with Mom. Everything was going well, I felt relaxed and happy that I was getting an early start on laundry. I only had one thing left on my check list, dinner!
I could not remember the last time I cooked and I started to feel a little nervous. I ran though the meals in my head that I know I could make. Hmm… tacos, spaghetti and tacos and spaghetti. That’s it? Really? No way! I was sure more would come to me later and that I was just a little rusty. I decided to make Spaghetti because you would have to be a complete moron to mess up spaghetti. I flavored the ground beef and added spaghetti sauce. I forgot that I put water in the pan when I was prepping so when I grabbed the pan off the stove to fill it with water it spilled all over the place, with most of it spilling on me. I laughed and told baby Alexandra don’t worry I got this. Alexandra smiled and said you got this mom? Yes I got this!! The water started to boiled, I grabbed the Gluten Free noodles and noticed that the package was rice noodles. Oh my goodness, I thought, how hard can it be to cook rice noodles? I glanced at the directions and the only difference I saw was the amount of time the noodles needed to cook. To make a long story short, I have no I idea what I did, but I over cooked the noodles and they were mushy, very very mushy. The dogs wouldn’t even eat it so how was I ever going to pass this off??
Friday, I was at the dance studio and the girls were practicing getting ready for the next group completion in Albuquerque , NM Phoenix out of 22 routines proves that this Tucson dance team can be a true competitor in Phoenix Phoenix dance team mothers feed their children to make them so good? Even when I was a little girl Phoenix teams were always stronger in football, track, cheer and dance. I am really getting tired of Tucson being second class citizens when it comes to the performance level of our children. The fact of the matter is that our girls put in the time so there is no reason that we can’t take them down!!
This week I videotaped one of the dances that will be in competition. After playing the video in slow motion it became very clear what the team needs to work on.
1) Facial Expressions: The girls are using facial expressions but they are all telling different stories. Some of girls are smiling, while others look like they are about to cry. That can be a little confusing to the audience. As Leyla would say “I’m just saying.”
2) Timing: For the most part the girl looks together, but after watching the dance in slow motion there were areas that need to improve. Arm placement, turns, and transitions are the most obvious ones.
3) Cleaning it up: Throughout the dance arms, turns, leaps, and transitions could be more precise; the girls need to dominate and own their performance.
I heard a comment from some of the girls that the dances were good and that there wasn’t much to work on. Ok, I’m sorry, but only one of the dances placed in the last competition and they didn’t’ take first place overall. That tells me that there is still plenty to work on. There is always room for improvement!!! See, this is the problem; we settle for just being good instead of striving to be the best. I pay way too much money to have a good dancer. I want Leyla to want to be the best she can be, or don’t dance competitively. I’m wondering how the teachers are feeling about the dance numbers? All the girls love to dance and they are very close. I also know they would love to take first in any competition. I am really not sure what to do at this point. Do I bring the tape and show the girls, or do I just say nothing? Any advice??
P.S. Due to the large amount of emails I received requesting a video of the girls dancing I created a short video from some clips of the Shining Star dance team. The video is a compilation from a performance and some of the practices. I changed the music and combined different dances to protect the choreography from getting out to the competition.
Linda, should my words find you I want you to know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers.
With the next dance competition being a little over a month away, April, the owner of the dance studio, communicated some unfortunate news. Her mother, Linda, is very ill. Linda has been working at the dance studio since it opened. Linda takes good care of all of the crazy parents, like me, and our little dancing angles. I fell in love with Linda the moment I met her. Linda and I are both huge fans of the Twilight movie series, except Linda thinks Edward the vampire is the cutest and I think Jacob is way better looking =). Linda is an amazing person and has been there for all of us, all the time. Linda has always kept me in the loop about things and events and takes care of me like she always takes care of many of our kids when we are not able to be at the dance studio.
It was a little over a year ago when Linda was diagnosed with stage four cancer and was told she had a short time to live. I remember the day Linda told me about her cancer; we were all at a dance team yard sale fundraiser. During a conversation Linda casually said she was dying of cancer. The way she said it I thought she was joking so I laughed until I noticed another mother who was standing close by had started to tear up and quickly turned her back to me and Linda to cover her face. I felt horrible and I didn’t know how to handle myself. I had already put one foot in my mouth and I wanted to avoid putting my other foot in too since I tend to ramble when I am nervous and to get myself into more and more trouble. My heart stopped and my body froze. I just wanted to hug her but instead I froze up, not knowing how to respond and afraid to say anything that might be the wrong thing. I didn’t want to ask her a million a one questions so instead I just listened. As time went on Linda went though a series of treatments and somehow still managed to come to work. We were blessed when the time the doctors had given her came and went over a year ago.
Over the last couple of months many of us noticed that Linda has been getting progressively worse. Her body seems to be getting weaker and she has looked more tired; tired of being sick. I could see in her eyes the pain, both physical and emotional, that she is experiencing. I would often think about how I could help her or what I could say to her to make her laugh or feel better; but instead I choke and say nothing at all. I find myself at loss of words when I’m around her and I never built enough courage to tell her how much I respect and adore her. Some of the people in the dance studio have been helping by walking her dog or doing other little things that help her get through her day.
I was getting ready to post the blog I had originally written for today when April posted an update on Facebook letting us know that Linda was in hospice care at her home. I went back and forth about writing about Linda on my Blog; I was not sure if it would be appropriate. I talked with Charlie about it and his advice was to listen to my heart and to do what felt right. So I did.
Linda, should my words find you I want you to know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers. I know I haven’t known you for a long time, but it didn’t take long for me to see what a wonderful and caring person you are. I have really enjoyed every moment of getting to know you and am so sorry that you are ill. I would do anything to take your pain away! You have touched so many lives, both young and old, and all have been blessed by knowing you.
Now that the first competition of the year has come to an end!
|
| TMC fundraiser Magic performance |
Now that the first competition of the year has come to an end and I have some time to relax and have a glass of wine, or two, or three, hmm… who’s counting? Words cannot describe how good it feels not to be overwhelmed, or worried, about competition hair and rhinestones. I cannot stop thinking about how unprepared I was for this first competition of the year. I am so embarrassed, and the worst part is that I really don’t have any good excuses considering that as a child, and for most of my teen years, I danced competitively. Feeling out of control is one thing, but being out of control is a recipe for disaster; which usually causes me to have a complete melt down. Ok, I’m being a little dramatic.
The truth is that this isn’t the first time I haven’t been prepared for one of Leyla’s competitions. I guess the last time was not bad enough because I must have subconsciously told myself to bring it on this time! I love overcoming challenges…yea!
Last year I waited for the last minute to buy lipstick and eye lashes. So, what is the big deal about buying lipstick or eye lashes at the last minute? You must be thinking “how hard can that be”? You have no idea!! We arrived in Phoenix at around 11 p.m., sound familiar? Déjà vu. We stopped at Walgreens to pick up the lipstick and eye lashes with all three kids before we went to the hotel. The only problem was that they didn’t carry the color lipstick or the eye lash brand that was required for competition. Since this was Leyla’s first competition I didn’t want to be that mom. You know, the mom that couldn’t follow directions; I’m not kidding. Have you ever heard coaches or dance teachers talk about parents when they are not around? I didn’t want to be that parent in their next conversation. So instead Charlie, once again, drove to Walgreens, CVS, Sally’s and Target, and none had the lip color or specific brand of eye lashes. After a very long night of driving around Charlie and I threw in the towel and compromised on something pretty close. I kept my fingers crossed that there were not going to line up the girls to make sure they had the right lip color and eye lashes on. One of the mom’s told me that they did that one year. Who knows if that’s really true but she scared the bejesus out of me.
Leyla’s next big competition is not until March and is in Albuquerque, NM. Leyla and I are really hoping to see the Abby Lee dance team from Dance Moms. Can you imagine?? That gives me plenty of time to regroup and redeem myself to the other dance moms in our group. I’m off to a good start because I bought two plane tickets and RL booked our room. It is just going to be me, Leyla, RL, and Jade. I know I’m going to be in good hands; hopefully she will be a good influence on me and I won’t rub off on her! =) I already created a check list, and plan on packing Leyla’s bags weeks before competition (might just start packing next weekend!).
The week following the competition the girls returned to class and watched a video for each of their performances. The video had an audio of the judge’s critique and some complements for each performance. I love the fact that the girls were able to hear about their strengths and weaknesses though the eyes of the judges. This particular competition had many different categories in which you could win an award. Everyone is a winner!! What kind of nonsense is that? REALLY??? To the best of my knowledge there is Silver, High Silver, Gold, High Gold, and Platinum. The Star Systems website states that the judges scoring system is: 88 – 90 – “Platinum” 87.99-86 – “High Gold” 85.99-84 – “Gold” 83.99-81 – “High Silver” 80.99-77 -”Silver” Are you confused yet? What ever happened to just First, Second, Third, and perhaps even Fourth? Do they really think that by changing numbers and having multiple categories the girls won’t be able to figure out that Silver pretty much means, thanks for participating. The shining Star team took high gold and second overall in their age category for their Party Girl dance out of 22 dance teams!! The other dances received at least High Gold and Gold but did not place in the top four overall in their category. The girls are back to practice and their teachers are cracking down to prepare for the next competition.
|
| Daning Leyla |
|
| Amanda |
|
| RL and Jade |
Copyright © 2015 KC Creative Design Photography. All rights reserved.
