Next up is her level passing, and I will try to get video from that. It will be the last event (to my knowledge) before Nationals.
Showing posts with label Rumba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rumba. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2017
First Event of 2017!
Well, it has definitely been a while since I've posted. It isn't that we haven't been busy. To the contrary, we have been almost overloaded. Tiny spent the summer after the last competition doing choreography for two community theater productions, which lasted into December. Additionally, she has been preparing for her level passing and Mini Match (she was able to get trial runs on all of her Latin opens) as a springboard for Nationals this April. We didn't take any accidental pictures this time, but here are the videos from this past Saturday:
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Texarama 2016
This past weekend was Texarama! We split Tiny's entries between the Junior category and the Ladies category. We were honestly just really happy that she made the finals for her championship round in the Ladies category, since it is such a competitive division, and the people she danced against were formidable, and when she ended up winning, we were thrilled! I haven't had time to write a full post, but here are the links to her videoed rounds and our favorite pictures from yesterday. Stephen Marino (the photographer) got some amazing shots of everyone, and these are the ones we loved the best!
Friday, April 15, 2016
Starlight
Tonight was Starlight! It went really well. Tiny danced a rumba with Matt, a foxtrot with Richard, and her open swing routine with Daniel. That should be the routine she's taking to Nationals next April.
Everyone did a great job, and it was a really fun evening. We may schedule in an extra cocktail party in May, but we're pretty much hibernating for the rest of April.
Monday, March 28, 2016
New Latin Dress Came In!
Her Latin dress we ordered back in January came in today! We got an email about shipping less than a week ago, and we really expected it to take longer, since it was coming from Hong Kong! We think it looks great!
Monday, February 22, 2016
Catching Up - Mini Match
Anyhow!
She started the day out with a swing with Matt, and then a cha cha.
He passed her to Daniel for a cha cha, then she was back with Matt for a rumba.
Daniel took over for four dances: a swing, a waltz, a tango, and a foxtrot. The tango with Daniel was her favorite, because while they were facing the judge, Craig swung his partner out for an open, and placed his hand on top of Shara's head. She said her facial expression was quite startled, but she laughs about it every time she watches the video.
After the foxtrot with Daniel, she was back with Matt for another tango and a swing.
Daniel got one last rumba, then she finished the day with Matt doing waltz, foxtrot and cha cha.
It was a little difficult taking any of them seriously in their over-the-top disco costumes, but everyone definitely had a lot of fun, even though it was a long day.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Lone Star Results Came In!
We got Shara's results and plaque from the Lone Star competition back in May, where she danced all Latin with Daniel.
So if we do the math, the girl she was going up against beat Shara four times (or six if you count the championship round) and Shara beat that girl eleven times (or twelve if you add in the championship round).
I will say that Tiny Dancer was pleased to hear that, simply because the loss in the championship round shook her confidence a smidgen. Taking first in every round at the competition the following weekend really helped, and knowing that the choreography that they put together for her was a reflection of their confidence in her ability to learn it helped, too.
From here until the end of the year, it will be working on choreography for the October Spotlight, which will be an Open Swing to Uma Thurman and potentially a preview of her Dancescape choreography.
So if we do the math, the girl she was going up against beat Shara four times (or six if you count the championship round) and Shara beat that girl eleven times (or twelve if you add in the championship round).
I will say that Tiny Dancer was pleased to hear that, simply because the loss in the championship round shook her confidence a smidgen. Taking first in every round at the competition the following weekend really helped, and knowing that the choreography that they put together for her was a reflection of their confidence in her ability to learn it helped, too.
From here until the end of the year, it will be working on choreography for the October Spotlight, which will be an Open Swing to Uma Thurman and potentially a preview of her Dancescape choreography.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Level Passing 8/20/15
So, tonight was the Level Passing party. Shara did her six main dances, and scored 95's across the board. I think she was passing out of Preliminary Advanced Bronze and into Intermediate Advanced Bronze. Once she finishes Intermediate Advanced, she moves into Final Advanced and then she goes into Silver. Once she starts Silver, she should also be starting International. I believe she is entering Final Advanced Bronze sometime in the beginning of next year, but don't quote me on that. I am way too tired tonight to post much in the way of detail about tonight's event. Tomorrow we go back to work on the comments the judge suggested, and another bout of choreography. She finally worked most of the soreness out from last week. Some of those lifts are a little brutal for a first timer, but she's getting it!
Okay, in order:
Okay, in order:
She starts her second semester of college next week, so wish us luck maintaining sanity!
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Show Choreography and Mini Match
It has definitely been a busy week.
We got a call on Tuesday morning that we could come to the studio and watch the choreographer work on her solo. Of course we went! I have to be honest. As I watched, I felt a little like the Len Goodman in the room. I would have liked to see more Argentine Tango content, but what they put together will be really great when she learns it and they smooth it out. I think there are about five challenging lifts, though it may be more if we include the trust fall and the floor drag. I absolutely CANNOT post any early video since this is all proprietary stuff, but let me tell you how impressed I was at how challenging they made it for her. It will definitely be a growing experience for her.
I did get a fantastic picture of her face when she saw the first lift they were working on, and it was pretty humorous.
So fast forward a few days, and today was Mini Match.
Since we're putting most of our money towards Spotlight in October and her solo in January, she only danced each of her competitive dances once. I was so proud of how improved her Rumba was, and so disappointed that I pushed the wrong button and ended up with pictures instead of video of that dance! I have video of the other eight, and we should have her comment sheets later this week or next.
She actually thought it was really funny that I got an accidental picture with the camcorder that looks almost identical to one I accidentally took with Matt back in January.
Some of you might notice the bandage around poor Matt's head. Long story, and not really mine to tell, but suffice to say, he's mostly okay, and the studio named their themed super hero after him: Captain Calamity.
So, two exiting things - we pick up Shara's custom costume (shout out to The Singing Seamstress for all of her amazing work!) tomorrow, and the guys have agreed to let her try out three inch Latin heels. She really needs to start physical therapy to stretch the tendons in her feet, but we're having a disagreement with the insurance company, so it may be a little while before we start those. We pick up her smooth shoe inserts on Monday, so with those in the smooth and the slightly taller heel in the Latin, it may really help, though she definitely needs to make sure those tendons are expanding before she's old enough for them to settle. Anyhow! Exciting stuff - tall shoes and a new dress, so expect pictures tomorrow night!
We got a call on Tuesday morning that we could come to the studio and watch the choreographer work on her solo. Of course we went! I have to be honest. As I watched, I felt a little like the Len Goodman in the room. I would have liked to see more Argentine Tango content, but what they put together will be really great when she learns it and they smooth it out. I think there are about five challenging lifts, though it may be more if we include the trust fall and the floor drag. I absolutely CANNOT post any early video since this is all proprietary stuff, but let me tell you how impressed I was at how challenging they made it for her. It will definitely be a growing experience for her.
I did get a fantastic picture of her face when she saw the first lift they were working on, and it was pretty humorous.
So fast forward a few days, and today was Mini Match.
Since we're putting most of our money towards Spotlight in October and her solo in January, she only danced each of her competitive dances once. I was so proud of how improved her Rumba was, and so disappointed that I pushed the wrong button and ended up with pictures instead of video of that dance! I have video of the other eight, and we should have her comment sheets later this week or next.
She actually thought it was really funny that I got an accidental picture with the camcorder that looks almost identical to one I accidentally took with Matt back in January.
Tango!
Some of you might notice the bandage around poor Matt's head. Long story, and not really mine to tell, but suffice to say, he's mostly okay, and the studio named their themed super hero after him: Captain Calamity.
So, two exiting things - we pick up Shara's custom costume (shout out to The Singing Seamstress for all of her amazing work!) tomorrow, and the guys have agreed to let her try out three inch Latin heels. She really needs to start physical therapy to stretch the tendons in her feet, but we're having a disagreement with the insurance company, so it may be a little while before we start those. We pick up her smooth shoe inserts on Monday, so with those in the smooth and the slightly taller heel in the Latin, it may really help, though she definitely needs to make sure those tendons are expanding before she's old enough for them to settle. Anyhow! Exciting stuff - tall shoes and a new dress, so expect pictures tomorrow night!
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
The Journey of the First Year (Part 7 - May: Lonestar)
The first of her two competition weekends was in San Antonio at La Toretta Resort and Spa. We went to a local spa for her spray tan, this time. We tried getting her tan hand airbrushed. It was a little more expensive, but it looked a lot better, less streaky than the one she had in December from the spray tan shower. We drove up to San Antonio for one night at the Hilton, since it was a lot cheaper than staying at the resort both nights.
We painted nails and toenails back in the room and had a terrible night's sleep, despite the king size bed. The next morning we got up early enough to head to the resort for check-in and makeup.
The view was gorgeous, and so was our room, but I had to stash our stuff quickly and head down for coffee.
Once she had hair and makeup done, she got set to dance.
It was an all Latin competition for her, and she only danced with Daniel. She competed in mambo and bolero in addition to her regular cha cha, rumba and swing categories, and went head to head against a really great dancer a little older, but in her category.
As usual, I'm not the best photographer.
But the professional photographer got some really great shots. Shara and the other dancer went back and forth winning categories, and in the final round, with five judges voting, Shara wiped the floor with the other girl in cha cha, lost all five votes in swing, and lost by one vote in rumba, giving her a runner up youth title. She had a great time, though, and it helped to restore some of her confidence after the Foxtrot Debacle.
After she was done competing, we enjoyed being at the top of a hill during a huge flood, hit the resort's water park the next morning between showers, and headed back home before the rain started up again.
We painted nails and toenails back in the room and had a terrible night's sleep, despite the king size bed. The next morning we got up early enough to head to the resort for check-in and makeup.
The view was gorgeous, and so was our room, but I had to stash our stuff quickly and head down for coffee.
Once she had hair and makeup done, she got set to dance.
It was an all Latin competition for her, and she only danced with Daniel. She competed in mambo and bolero in addition to her regular cha cha, rumba and swing categories, and went head to head against a really great dancer a little older, but in her category.
As usual, I'm not the best photographer.
After she was done competing, we enjoyed being at the top of a hill during a huge flood, hit the resort's water park the next morning between showers, and headed back home before the rain started up again.
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