7 am. I woke up way before the alarm (excitement, I guess), but the sweet ring kicked me out of bed. Making some tea and off to the bathroom to style my hair for the big day.
Even though I love my sleep, giving myself extra time to get ready before I have to be at the studio is a must for me. If I don’t, I feel rushed, and that stresses me out. No one likes to dance stressed out. Hair turned out to be a breezy operation, makeup followed, and by 915, I was out the door to get breakfast.
I was surprised how Jonathan, our front desk manager, transformed the studio in just a few hours. Balloons and festive decorations were everywhere. Well, not only Christmasy stuff but also… GREASE, because we set themes for all showcases, and that was our theme for both Staff and Youth Dance Lab Showcase this year.
1130 now, Youth Showcase is very close to its start. We separate our Youth and Adult showcases because otherwise, it runs very long. One time our showcase was about 4-5 hours. That is a long to stay seated.
Doors are open, our little ones and their parents are making their way in, putting on their costumes, and running through their routines. Excitement and joy are everywhere.
Lights off, curtain up, music on. Opening number by the teachers- We Go Together from Grease. Oh wow, what a fun show that was! So much energy. A great way to start things off; people loved it. Great job with the choreography, Kora! Not to mention how cute our female teachers looked in their outfits.
Our kids love the showcase, it is like a birthday party for them and we are so happy to see them improve and enjoy ballroom dancing.
One (showcase) down, one more to go- The Adults. The Ballroom is cleaned up and looking like it did in the morning. Fast costume change (back to Grease costumes) for the opening, and we are off. We had so many students dancing this year; it was a real treat for everyone.
First, we started with the Ballroom section. Simeon and I have a student that we both teach- Etsuko.
She dances Ballroom with him and American Smooth with me. I expected it to be challenging for her to tune in for Ballroom, then for Smooth, then for Ballroom again, but she did great!
This was an excellent practice for her before the big competition she is attending next week- the Holiday Dance Classic in Las Vegas. Good luck, Etsuko!
My second American Smooth student- Deanna, also did impressively well. It was Deanna’s first Smooth performance. She has been dancing for a long time, but it was her first time doing the American style of Ballroom Dance.
When she started, she wasn’t sure if she would like it because Latin- American was always her main passion, but Ballroom - not so much. Deanna is so passionate about dance that she can make anything look good; I love that in her.
Moving on- Latin fever was in full swing. Rumi and Delilah ripped the floor. Both of them wore their new Latin dresses for the first time, and looked stunning.
They danced Cha- Cha, Rumba, Samba, and Jive. For Rumi, we have added the Paso Doble, since this was one of the four dances that will be part of her Scholarship competition at the Holiday Dance Classic in Vegas next week.
Rumi (Rumi-san) had a severe arm injury this year but staying strong-spirited and is recovering beautifully.
After a lot of dances by our outstanding students at Aria, we were coming to the Solo presentations. I had one with Deanna- a Rumba. She loves doing shows and always pours her heart out on the dance floor. Dance is her drug, and she makes a point in sharing it with others.
Later on, my American Smooth competitive couple Adam and Rachel also had a special Viennese Waltz solo. They did all the choreography and the music choice; she wore a fiery white gown; it was beautiful and tasteful.
To wrap up the evening beautifully, Kora, Simeon, Misha, Natasha, Antosha, and Masha danced show presentations of Ballroom and Latin- American dances.
Our 8th Annual Holiday Showcase was such a success. We had almost all of our students perform or at least join us in celebrating the love for Ballroom Dance. What a turnout! We are thankful for all of you, who made this night special.
Thank you, Jose De la Torre, for the wonderful shots! Check out his Facebook Page here.
