dance

Is Dance a Sport?

The world of dance is something I was introduced to ten years ago when my wife signed my daughter Jennifer up for dance.  We signed her up at a local dance troupe at the age of three.  The world of dance was like landing on the moon to me.  It was an alien world.  I am the football/baseball guy that dances with his wife once a month on a Friday night.  There’s not a lot of rhythm or hip movement much beyond the robot or the sprinkler.  I found it comical to watch the little three year olds fumble around in their tights and tutu’s.  The whole affair is really cute, but do we need to spend fifty bucks a month on it?  As the years go by, the practices, rehearsals and monthly payments stack up, a transformation takes place that is a joy to behold.  These gals can actually dance.  These gals are physically fit, disciplined, serious and work hard at what they do.  It is an eye opener to learn about all of the work that is involved in putting a single dance together.

First, you need to decide what kind of dance you’re going to perform.  It could be tap (my favorite), ballet, lyrical, hip hop, Irish, clogging or whatever other genres might be available to you.  Out of the millions and millions of songs to choose from, you need to pick some music and it can’t be anything you’ve done in the last couple of years.  Choreography is the next step.  How many dancers are we going to have?  How should we dance this thing?  What steps should we use?  How long should it be?   The practice is the impressive part.  For all of the creativity and self expression that you see at the recital, months of practice goes into that three minutes on stage.  These gals practice week after week doing the same steps to the same music over and over again.  Each week they add a couple of new steps until the dance is perfected.  The girls also get to do a lot of stretching, yoga, and core work to get themselves physically fit.

We’re not finished yet.  You can’t go on stage without a costume.  The theme, style, colors and all that other shiny stuff needs to be selected and purchased.  What about all of the glitter, lashes, mascara and whatever else you ladies put on your face.  Now, it’s time for rehearsal.  Two weeks before the big recital there is usually a rush to the finish line with extra practices and rehearsals.  A dance recital is no small affair.  Most of the ones I have attended, usually have forty to fifty dances, and this is put on by a dance studio that only has one room to teach all the girls from preschool to high school.

I’m looking forward to the big recital coming in July.  It’s great to be a proud dad and sit in the auditorium to watch your beautiful daughters have so much fun.  This year Jennifer will be in nine dances and Jacqueline is in two dances, so about every fourth I get to see one of my girls.   

Is dance a sport?  No, it’s so much more than that thanks to Ellen and her staff at Shadowridge Dance in Vista, CA.

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dance

Crazy Day

I blog about the adventures of man, husband, father in a post modern world because there is a never ending supply of topics for me to ponder, mull and eventually write about.  Some ideas I have had in my head for years and some ideas are hard to come by, but some days they fall right into your lap.  Yesterday was that day.

It all started with my trip out of the county to go look at a project.  I was supposed to do a job walk with someone for some air conditioning work my company was going to perform, but they didn’t show up.  I wasn’t sure what to look at or what to do, so I had to turn around and head back to San Diego.  Not a good start, when you have a lot to do.  Next, an emergency at the office.  I wasn’t planning on being in the office today.  By the time I got to the office and put the fire out, four hours had transpired.  Half a day and nothing done.  Oh well, I settled into my desk and started down my to do list.

I was going to leave the office at 3:00pm to head to my son’s high school swim meet.  However, he called me at 1:30pm to tell me it had been cancelled.  The other team was not going to show up.  This is good.  I can get something accomplished today.  Phone rings again.  The swim meet is back on, but an hour later.  Now things get confusing.  The kids are supposed to warm up a one pool and then the meet is at another pool.  What?  Phone rings.  “Dad, can you drive us from VMMS to the Wave at 4:00pm?”

“Why do I have to do this?  It’s only two blocks.”  He can deal with it.  I’ll just see him at the meet.

Phone rings.  It’s the wife.  She’s going to take the girls to dance and then go play tennis, but I need to give the boys a ride home from the swim meet.  No problem, I got it.  Phone rings.  The swim meet is cancelled.  Now, there’s swim practice instead of a meet.  I’ve been on the phone so many times I can’t remember what I was doing.  Okay, I got it.  Pick the boys up from swim practice at 5:30pm.  Got it.

I decide to pack it up at the office and hit the grocery store before I pick the boys up.  We’re running low on some things.  On my way to the store, I get a text message from another mom saying I don’t have to drive the boys home.  She’s got it.  Okay, there’s no rush now as I saunter up and down the aisles.  I’m having fun in Frazier Farms.  They have rabbit, hens, ducks, goose, capons, pheasant, buffalo and other odd ball stuff.  Phone rings.  It’s my daughter’s friend, “Hi Frank, dance was cancelled.  I can’t get a hold of Karen.”  That’s right she’s playing tennis.  I tell her to give me a half hour and I’ll pick them up.  Click.  What’s with all the cancellations?  I hurry in the check out lane.  I race over to the dance studio.

I walk into the dance studio and my daughter and her friend are nowhere to be found.  I wave to the dance instructor and she waves and keeps going.  I say, “Where are the girls?”  She can’t hear me.

She stops class and walks over to the music to turn if off.  “I’m sorry, the ballet instructor had a work emergencey and there is no ballet today.”

“I know that.  Where are the girls?  I’m supposed to pick them up.”  Today is weird.

“Frank, they’ve never been here today.”  It is now that I realize dance starts in one hour and I am all twisted around.  Her friend was calling to inform me that dance was cancelled and for my wife not to pick her up because my wife was driving to dance.  Heavens sake.  I immediatlely call Karen, but there is no answer.  She has Jennifer in the car sitting in front of her friends house wondering why she isn’t coming out.  It is at this point that she sees a voice mail from me telling her that dance is cancelled.  It’s all very confusing.  Karen then races Jennifer home and is late for tennis.  I went home and didn’t leave the house or answer the phone until the next day.

We all had a good laugh later on that night.  I’m glad days like that don’t come around often, otherwise I woud go nuts.

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