Woah Cha Cha.

I am getting out of my comfort zone and doing a Cha Cha for this upcoming Medal Ball event through work. I have been with Arthur Murray for a year now and have been in shock of what I have been able to accomplish this past year. The Cha Cha that I am going to perform is a fun Hollywood Legends theme. Every professional routine that I have done has been some sort of a smooth dance: Waltz, Tango and Fox Trot. I am finally able to push myself and try something new with one of my favorite latin dance, the Cha Cha (though Mambo is definitely second). Maybe I'll post a video of myself dancing. We shall see!

Voice.

I have started to sing again.

And not just in the shower or in the car, but to really focus on something I love doing.

I tend to reach this euphoric state through song. I don't realize I reach the end of the song till life wakes me up. Then I sing again.

Another song to reach that state of wellbeing.

I started taking vocal coaching lessons again at the end of February and have been doing it once a week since. I have been concentrating my effort in all types of musical theatre, mostly modern and contemporary pieces of art. It has been a very athletic way of an approach used with the voice. Engaging all my muscles to create energy anywhere and everywhere other than my vocal chords to produce the best and healthiest resonating sound possible. The results are amazing.

I have had the opportunity to work with a professional broadway singer that received his doctorate from Juilliard and was the lead in West Side Story with the national touring cast.

For him to say that this acting and singing is the right thing for me is quite possibly the best drive anyone could give me.

No time for testing the water, it is better to jump all in and hold your breath. What is there the lose?

Film.

This weekend I was involved in the filming of a short film produced by a friend. The goal for this project will be hopefully submitted and accepted to Cannes Film Festival in France. It is a twenty minute short with some dancing in it. I did some swing, waltz and fox trot for the camera. It was interesting acting in front of a camera compared to a live audience. The premier might be in three months here in Denver. More information to come.

It is nice to be acting again. IMDB, here I come!?

New Car.

Bought a Smart Car.

It's roomy.

And Comfy.

I feel responsible.

Even if it can fit in my pocket.

Pictures soon.

Exercise

If you want a really good leg workout, I would have to prescribe Bolero and Waltz. Slow and beautiful, but stretches those quads slowly and beautifully quite a bit with each side step that is taken. It's odd having muscle. And people say Waltz is a sissy dance. Give it a try! Ready and, 1 - 2 -3 - 1 -2 -3 x 500. Thank you.

Update on Dancing.

This past Tuesday, I had a checkout with a coach from Iceland in the first two levels of ten dances. Adding up all these patterns and variations is around 182. Then you would have to multiply that by two in order to get the amount for both leading and following. That is 364 patterns that I had to memorize altogether. Not just the steps, but theory behind each and every step. From how the pattern should be aligned on the floor, how much pressure to put into each step and even how to teach each step. After this 3.5 hour test, I finished and passed. It was one of the most stressful and nerve racking experiences I have had in a long time. What helped was knowing that it was a learning experience and I had to treat that way.

There might be chance of competing in Las Vegas at the end of the month in the Waltz and the Tango. Then Washington D.C. in December with Waltz, Tango, Rumba and ChaCha. The Waltz routine is finished, it's just time to make the Tango very dramatic and powerful. The entrance to the Tango is astounishing. We will see how this competing goes.

Teaching has been great. Now having this recent certification makes me more confident with each concept that I present to my students. Our mission statement is to change peoples lives through dancing. It is amazing to witness just that. I've seen people relax from a stressful day at work here at the studio. I've seen people become more confident with their self image. I feel like I have changed a few lives through this. Yes, dancing is the focus, but there is so many underlying benefits that everyone discovers further down this path of dancing. To be apart of this system is remarkable.

Now it is time to get ready for my next certification which will the toughest of all. It will take about six months to prepare for and more countless steps to learn, along with two more dances in this certification, Bolero and Vienesse Waltz. There has been challeneges all across this journey. Frustration, confusion, joy and accomplishment all comes with this journey. So many emotions. I just have to look at the bigger picture of the lives that are changing and the lives that will be touched further throughout this journey.

It is amazing that I dance for a living. It is even more amazing to share this with others.

More writings to come. If you ever wanted to take lessons, let me know. I'll hook you up.

Amazing Routine.

We have a student doing something like this at Showcase today.



Now it's time to get ready to do more freestyles and perform a professional Waltz routine. Oh yeah!