I’m stepping out of my comfort zone this week, and I mean that literally.
Momming and working full-time often means that I’m last on the list when it comes to free time or getting out and doing something just for me.
So, back in September I decided it was time to do something about that and signed up for an adult jazz class at Dance Studio West.
Now I can hold my own on a dance (or kitchen) floor, and break down the Macarena with the best of them, but my style is definitely my own. Nothing structured and no fancy moves.
In fact, prior to September the terms pas de bourree and flick ball change were foreign to me.
But that didn’t matter as our teachers Candice Barry and Amy Andrews led us through learning the various steps and putting them together in little routines.
No pressure at all.
Right?
Wrong.
Sometime around February things got a little serious when talk of the studio’s year-end show started and Candice announced we’d soon be starting to learn our routine for the show.
Panic bells went off.
“What do you mean, we were going to be in the year-end show?” — which just happens to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the dance studio.
“Yes,” was the answer along with promises of “it’ll be fun” and “it won’t be hard.”
Ha, ha, ha!
For the last few weeks we’ve been fully immersed in learning our routine.
Just when I’d start to feel like I was getting it, they’d throw in some new moves and it was like starting from scratch.
Still, it’s been lots of fun, mastering (disclaimer here, I should say attempting to master) all the moves. I’ve learned that no matter what happens, just keep moving.
There’s been times when I felt lost and wondered if I could even continue, but I’m determined to see it through and I draw inspiration from my fellow classmates who have taken on the challenge with enthusiasm.
My dance crew (Nicole, Trina, Ian, Candice, Joanne, Daniel, Shelley (my sister is in the show, too), Miranda, Shanda, Rebecca, Amy and Steve) have supported, encouraged and even laughed with and at each another along the way.
Earlier this week we hit the stage at the arts and culture centre for our first rehearsal and wow that’s when things got real.
There were a few stumbles, but we looked fab in our patchwork pants and rocked our “Tribal Dance.”
And there is one more special thing about being in the show. I get to share it with my eight-year-old daughter Jessie Nash (she’s one of the cuties in “Mambo No. 5”).
Having her tell me that I did great at rehearsal made it all worthwhile.
Dance Studio West’s “History Repeating” year-end show celebrating 20 years of dance, with routines from year’s gone by, takes place tonight, Friday and Saturday at the arts and culture centre. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
