Daniel & Laura

(insert dramatic orchestral flourish here)

At our lesson today with Eddie we told him about the recital performance.  He thought we should do a tango because it is more dynamic & dramatic than waltz or foxtrot.  We got to work on song suggestions and he came up with a good one: “Pa’ Bailar–Siempre Quiero Mas” by Bajofondo. (link goes to Amazon.com MP3 page with a sample you can play)

Kelly suggested “Bust Your Windows”–that was a close runner-up but did not fit the theme of “Times of our Lives.”  On reflection, though, I suppose wanting to bust the windows out of someone’s car is an important time in one’s life…

THANKS to everyone who weighed in yesterday.  We are excited about this performance!  Come see us and a whole lot of other talented dancers on June 4 at 2 p.m. at Zuver Center.

This afternoon, Daniel and I went over to the Madison Studio to practice for an hour or so before the studio’s recital rehearsal.  As we were getting ready to leave and I was paying for a new dance card, one of the moms asked if we would be performing in the recital.   I said (maybe with a little touch of mischief) “We haven’t been invited.”  Ms. Madison immediately got big excited eyes and said “Oh! Oh! Do you want to?  Because that would be great!  The programs haven’t even been typed up yet, so we could totally put you in!  I know right where you could go, too!”

We looked at each other for about .05 seconds before agreeing.  Now we have to choose one of our three Smooth routines (waltz, tango, or foxtrot) and pick out a song that fits the recital’s theme, “Times of our Lives.”  I want to do a tango because I think it’s our flashiest number, but the best song I can think of is a waltz: “Time in a Bottle.”  Please leave suggestions in the comments!  The recital is in just a couple of weeks, so we have to decide quickly.

We hope you’ll come to see us perform, and to watch some great dancing from our friends at Madison Studio: June 4 at 2:00 p.m. at Zuver Center on the Mount de Sales campus.

Daniel and I are heading to Savannah for a wedding this weekend, and we’ll be missing not one but TWO great dance events:

Friday night is the First Friday dance at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.  The dance starts at 7:30; admission is $5.00 per person.  Paula just sent me a note that there is a special event on Cherry Street that night; the street will be blocked off and the event organizers are charging to attend the party.  She recommends entering Cherry Street from the Music Hall of Fame and Terminal Station and letting the organizers know that you are going to the Sports Hall of Fame.

Saturday night is USA Dance Greater Macon Chapter 6059’s monthly dance.  Admission is $7 for USA Dance members or $10 for non-members.  The evening gets started at 7:30 with a dance lesson–this month, Kim & Vic Oteghem are teaching West Coast Swing!  The lesson will be followed by general dancing from 8:00 to 10:30.  Light snacks are furnished and soft drinks and water are available for a donation.

If you are Daniel & Laura fans (or, better yet, fans of dancing in general), please turn out for these dances and represent on our behalf!  Both are sure to be a lot of fun.

Not that each month’s SNDP isn’t awesome, but this past Sunday’s was particularly good.  We had a better-than-usual turnout including some new people (yay!), everyone danced nonstop throughout the evening (yay!), and Daniel fired up his karaoke program to serenade us with Charles Aznavour’s “For Me Formidable.” Maybe the new paint job at the Howard Community Club got everyone motivated–I know I feel more like dancing now that the former wall color (I’d call it Mismatched Makeup Base Pink) has been replaced with nice creamy neutrals.  It’s much more elegant.

Wielding the trusty Handycam, Daniel took a little video last night.  This is later in the evening, so the crowd had thinned a bit.

We really appreciate everyone’s ongoing support and the energy you bring to our dances every month.  And if you haven’t come to a Sunday Night Dance Party yet, try it out!  It’s a very casual, unintimidating atmosphere.  Practicing, going over steps with your friends, and stopping mid-dance to debate points of technique with your partner are all encouraged.  You might even get to hear Daniel sing a song!

What is a “Soirée,” exactly? This past Friday, the new president of Central Georgia Technical College posed that question at the CGTC Foundation’s Spring Soirée. He then explained that a soirée is just like a shindig, except you have to dress up. That’s a good enough answer for me!

This particular soirée was a fundraising event for Central Georgia Technical College’s Foundation, benefiting their scholarships and programs, and it was a lovely evening. Since our USA Dance chapter hasn’t been doing formal dances at the Idle Hour Country Club for the last couple of years, I’d kind of forgotten how nice the Idle Hour is. It’s just the kind of place one can walk into while wearing a ballgown and not feel massively overdressed. I did, however, cause a momentary crisis of confidence in a woman who arrived at the same time we did–she looked at my gown and at her linen pants and blouse and said “I hope we’re not going to the same event!”

Daniel and I sat down with Paula East and several other dancers from our group and enjoyed an elegant meal and a glass of wine, then got up to dance to the band Reflections–they were excellent and a lot of fun. During the band breaks we helped Paula teach some salsa steps to the rest of the guests, and we led some line dances. At the end of the night, Daniel sang with the band while their singer came out from behind the microphone for a rumba lesson from Jim Riley. She is nearly as good a dancer as she is a singer.

It was a great evening. Seeing everyone dressed up, having a nice meal, and enjoying good dancing to live music is always so much fun. These kinds of events make me glad to be a dancer because I know I’ll always be able to participate when a band and a dancefloor are available.

Here are a couple of videos from Friday night–all of us dancing a swing to “In the Mood,” and Jim leading his line dance to “New York, New York.”

On Friday, April 16, Daniel and I, along with Paula East, visited Carlyle Place to perform an exhibition at their Red Hat Society luncheon.  Paula had arranged to do a short demonstration with Will Norris, the activities director (and favorite beau of all the Red Hats, I’m fairly sure).  Then Daniel and I got to dance 3 dances: waltz, cha-cha, and foxtrot.  It was so much fun, and it all came together so quickly that I didn’t have time to get nervous.  Paula called me on Tuesday to see if we could do it, and I went to see her last night to pick up some music and get a rundown of the planned program.  As she pointed out, it’s a good thing we have worked together before and can do this sort of thing with no rehearsal!

We danced on the stage in the “Grande Ballroom,” where someone (probably Will) had even put down a wooden floor for us.  The Society ladies were a great audience and very welcoming, and Carlyle Place itself is absolutely gorgeous–perfect landscaping, elegant public areas, and delicious food: we got to eat lunch after we danced, and packed away an embarrassing quantity of chicken salad and croissants.  I even ate 2 strawberry tartlets (don’t tell)!

Our friend Agnes Bikus, who is also on the board of USA Dance Greater Macon #6059, was kind enough to capture our performance on video:

but I play one every Tuesday night at Madison Studio.  Thus the studio director asked me to play the Queen in their spring ballet, “Swan Lake Selections,” which took place last weekend.  My parents were in town, so they got to see me perform.  I’d like to say that was a happy coincidence, but they actually rearranged their plans (their usual visit happens on my birthday) so that they could could say they were still attending their daughter’s ballet recitals now that their daughter is 37 years old!

Conveniently, last weekend was also Daniel’s birthday, so they got to celebrate with him, too.  Yay!  Daniel brought his trusty Handycam to the show and recorded my star turn.  I am posting clips from Scene 1 and Scene 3 here.  In Scene 1, I appear briefly.  In Scene 3, I am onstage the whole time, but for much of the scene I’m watching the others dance.  Watch to see what happens at the end of the scene.

Daniel and I will be at this event along with Paula and some other people from our group.  We’ll be helping teach some informal lessons and get the dancing going.  It should be a great evening; the ticket price includes a seated dinner with steak and salmon as well as live music in a gorgeous venue–the Idle Hour Country Club.

Spring Soiree Flyer

Paula has tickets available; you can reach her at paulaeastdance@yahoo.com or just call the number on the flyer to buy a ticket.  I’m excited about this event; it’s our first time working with the CGTC Foundation.

Last night’s Cherry Blossom Festival Diamond Ball was even more lovely than expected. I always forget how pretty the Macon City Auditorium is and how nice it is to see everyone in black tie. Of course, the snacks from Satterfield’s, Janeane’s, and Nu-Way don’t hurt, either! Everyone looked gorgeous and the bands–Celebration and the Georgia Big Band–were excellent for dancing. Here are some highlights.  Click the thumbnails to see the full-sized pictures.

Looking backward, last night’s USA Dance monthly social was big fun.  Excited as always to see some new faces.  Our chapter is hoping to grow to 100 members this year–if last night was any indication, I bet we’ll get there.

Looking forward, next Friday is this year’s Cherry Blossom Ball!  It’s one of my favorite dance events of the year.  First, I love a black-tie do at any time, for any reason.  Second, it’s held at the Macon City Auditorium, which is such a pretty venue.  Third, I found out last night that the Georgia Big Band is playing.  They are always fun to dance to.  As a bonus, this year’s event is being called the “Diamond Ball” because a local jewelry store is donating a one-carat diamond which someone at the ball will win.  I’m not saying I expect to win–in fact, I hadn’t really thought about it–but if I did, I know exactly what I’d do with that diamond…

Flashy prizes aside, the real fun of an event like this is that it feels like a reward for the hard work and discipline of going to lessons and practicing every week.  Elegance, grace, beauty, and romance are the qualities that draw people to ballroom dancing.  Dancing to a live band in a gorgeous auditorium while wearing the perfect dress or tuxedo embodies all those qualities.

Plus there are always a lot of desserts and you might win a diamond! (^_^)  Buy tickets here or call (478) 301-5470.