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dancing in the media

The Geico Tango

Geico commercials can get a little tiring.  They have so many different campaigns that it seems like one of their ads shows up in every single commercial break.  And that brown-haired guy with his hands in his pockets gets on my nerves.  But Daniel and I love this ad:

Our friend John Osborne could outdo this trio.  He is an expert at doing the swing with two girls at the same time.  (It takes three to swing? Wait, no, don’t go there.)

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dancing in the media Uncategorized

Video stars, YA RLY

Everybody remembers this, right?  No?  Okay, to recap: back in late September we were asked to take part in a video shoot that would become part of a big promotional effort for the city of Macon.  We spent a jolly few hours feeling like movie stars but then we had no proof that the whole thing had even happened or was real, because the producers were keeping it so tightly under wraps.  The photographer who shot the stills wouldn’t even sneak us a peek or two via Facebook.  We just had to wait along with the rest of the city, until…

a few photos came out on Gateway Macon’s Facebook page…

…Then they released the song (free download! get it!)…

…and then I got a message from a friend today “You all look great dancing by the riverfront!”

I fell over myself (in cyberspace? IDK.) going to the Web site to see the video.  We are only in it for a few seconds but we are incredibly pleased and proud all the same.  They have embedding disabled so you have to click up there where it says “the video” or go to gatewaymacon.org or ItsHotterHere.com.

Super exciting!

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dancing in the media

This makes me happy

First Lady Michelle Obama dancing at a Diwali celebration:

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

If one of the most photographed, observed, and scrutinized women in the world is willing to get up in front of cameras and try out some dance steps that she’s never done before, what’s holding back the rest of us?  I heard another famous woman, Nora Ephron, on the radio yesterday promoting her new book I Remember Nothing.  She described talking with friends about what they wanted to eat for their last meals before they died.  Unfortunately, one friend died of throat cancer and, while she was dying, remarked to the rest of the group that she couldn’t even have her last meal.  The moral, of course, is that if you want to do something, you should do it NOW.

It makes me a little sad when someone tells me “Oh, I’ve always wanted to learn to dance!”  Dance has brought so much enjoyment, friendship, love, and contentment into my life that when I hear that sentence, I think “What are you waiting for?”  Michelle Obama can do it and so can you.

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dance events dancing in the media

“A Halloween Highlight”

The Macon Telegraph reports on last weekend’s downtown “Thriller” show here.  I was particularly glad that Pilar Wilder (director of Hayiya Dance Theatre and organizer of the event) said this: “Most are not professional dancers; they’re doctors, teachers, lawyers, stay-at-home moms, everyday people,” she said. “This is not a new idea and we try to add something new each year, but the fun will always remain the same.”

As glad as I am that we can do as much dancing as we do, we are FAR from being able to dance for a living.  But one of the great things about dancing–especially ballroom, in my opinion–is that people can do it without being professionals or having even remotely professional ambitions.  Even beginners can compete or perform if they want to.  It’s also possible to have fun just being a social dancer, and you really don’t need to know much to get started.  What could be better?

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Video stars

Yesterday afternoon at a press conference, the Peyton Anderson Foundation announced a $1.5 million one-year grant to promote Macon to the rest of Georgia and around the U.S.  (Here’s the Macon Telegraph story.)  The project, which is called the Gateway Initiative, includes a video featuring performing artists in iconic and beautiful Macon settings.  Two of the performing artists in the video are Daniel and me! How cool is that?

Tuesday morning we got a call from Paula East with the news that Elliott Dunwody of Bright Blue Sky Productions had called her looking for dancers to appear in a video that would be shooting early Friday morning on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, and she had very generously recommended us.  Fortunately, Daniel works at night and I am off most Fridays, so we were both available and very excited to be involved with the project.  I called Elliott that morning to make the arrangements.  One trip to Target for false eyelashes later, we were ready for video stardom.

Promptly at 8:15 Friday morning (we are not the kind of divas who turn up late to a shoot) we were waiting in the parking lot at the trail entrance, not quite knowing what to expect.  Elliott D. drove up on his four-wheeler/golf cart and introduced himself by saying “Are you walking or dancing?”  He picked out our outfits–white tie with black shirt, pants, and vest for Daniel and aqua practice dress for me–and we got in the cart to ride over to the location.  Thus we learned that on a professional shoot, “the talent” (i.e., us) does not have to do anything except show up and perform their part.  At a picturesque bend in the trail, two producers (Stephanie & Tabitha) were waiting for us along with Maryann Bates, a local photographer that we’d met a few times.  She was taking still photos that will also be part of the Gateway Initiative projects.

When we got there, I was still in yoga pants and a tank top with no lipstick on.  Granted, dancers are not modest, but stripping down and changing while walkers, joggers, dogs on leashes, and babies in strollers went by might have been a bit much. Elliott had found a tarp in his van which Daniel managed to rig into a curtain for me to stand behind and put my dress on.  After some setup time during which we practiced and the producers made inscrutable adjustments to a pair of large square reflectors on stands (Daniel: “Can I help?” Stephanie: “No! The talent doesn’t have to help!”), it was time to dance for the cameras.

The strangest part of the process was dancing with no music.  The production team will add the music separately, and Elliott didn’t have a power supply for a CD player or similar, so we just counted to ourselves and went without it.  The second strangest part was dancing on concrete instead of a wood floor.  Our technique probably would not have won us any ribbons.  Nevertheless, it was exciting and we definitely felt like stars.  We did our waltz routine at least a half-dozen times at different spots on the trail while the camera rolled and Maryann shot stills.  Hearing her shutter clicking was like affirmation that we were looking good.  The setting was gorgeous and everyone who went past during the shoot was very interested and complimentary.  Elliott also showed us some of Maryann’s photos taken during other segments of the video and they were amazing.  If our part looks as good as that, I will be totally blown away!

Everyone will have to be patient for a while until the finished video comes out.  Because of copyright and so forth, we could not take any personal pictures or use our video camera.  Producer Stephanie said the video would hopefully be done “by the end of the year” but the Telegraph article said November. Let’s hope for sooner rather than later.  Stay tuned for our big debut.  As soon as I get a copy or it’s up online, I’ll post it for all to see.

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behind the curtain dancing in the media

Assorted entertainments, or “Pick My Dress”

Our friend and role model Jim Riley recently appeared on Fox 5’s “Good Day Atlanta” in the “Road Warrior” segment promoting National Ballroom Dance Week.  Watch the video below or check it out here!

Another friend and role model, the lovely JoyDawn, keeps reminding me that I’m supposed to be on the hunt for a new Smooth gown.  Anybody want to help me pick out a dress?  Comments welcome on these potential choices:

#1: Creamsicle! (but I would get a different color)

#2: Me Lucky Charms! (with godets in a different color and no floats)

#3: Red! (would get this one as written, but probably never wear the gauntlets)

#4: Ballerina Colors! (no gauntlets/no floats)

Getting a Chinese dress is a bit risky in terms of quality control, but Rainbowshiu is the best-known Chinese maker with the most extensive inventory & experience (as far as I know).  The feedback I’ve read says that she’s good and reliable as long as the customer is particular about what’s needed.  “Particular” is my specialty!  I would rather have a made-to-measure gown, already stoned, and this is about the only way to do it for under $1000.

So…thoughts?

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dance events dancing in the media lessons

Celebrate National Dance Day!

And support our troops & veterans!

Today is National Dance Day, the brainchild of Nigel Lythgoe (executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance) and the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting increased access to dance education.  Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will introduce a National Dance Day resolution in Congress today, but more importantly, Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo (NappyTabs!) have choreographed a routine for the occasion that you can learn:

I will be celebrating by taking a lesson from Eddie (he doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to ask him to teach me the mambo), and then attending the second annual Dancing for our Heroes charity ball in Warner Robins.  This event benefits Hearts to Heroes and the Wounded Warrior Project; last year they raised over $2000 for those two organizations.  This year promises to be even bigger & better with music from the Georgia Big Band and some great dance exhibitions.  Stay tuned for photos and video.

Happy National Dance Day, everybody!

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dancing in the media in other news

Buzz & Jessie’s Paso Doble

I was already excited about Toy Story 3 (I just love those movies), but after seeing this, I am officially All About It.

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dance events dancing in the media

Son of Return of Media Blitz!

Local TV station WMAZ ran their promotion of the “Dancing for our Heroes” event as part of their “Scene 13” weekend entertainment roundup on last night’s 11:00 news and again on today’s morning news. Here is the story; our event is the first one presented in the package:

Hope to see everyone at the Aviation Museum tomorrow night!

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dancing in the media

Return of Media Blitz!

Maconites, tune in to the 11:00 news on WMAZ, channel 13, on Thursday the 27th.  During the “Scene 13” feature you will see members of the Greater Macon and Houston County USA Dance chapters (including yours truly!) dancing and promoting this coming weekend’s “Dancing for our Heroes” event.  The feature will also be rebroadcast around 6:40 a.m. on Friday the 28th and will be online under the “Entertainment” section of 13WMAZ.com.

As soon as I can get a link or an embeddable video clip, I’ll post it.