My love of Dance

Watching the #1 dance show EVER, SYTYCD, I was thinking, "WoW...this stuff is good...but this year hasn't had that MOMENT". So I thought I would reminisce.

Everytime I sit down and watch this show I instantly want to be young again. Being the one learning the routine that someone has thought up in their crazy head instead of the one being crazy making up routines!

I'll never forget my first REAL experience at a dance camp. I was just taking ballet at the time and there wasn't much for a studio in my town for jazz since my Mom had retired from her studio.

My sister, Dance Masta, was teaching at a studio down in Las Vegas, NV while attending college to obtain her Master Degree in Dance. They were going to Dance Attack in Park City, UT and Dance Masta invited me to attend with them. I couldn't get the words out of my head that my Mom had pounded in before I had left,
"Get on the front row Shelle...and when they tell you to rotate lines...stay in the front row. You learn faster and you'll pick up better if you don't have to crick your neck to see. I mean it...stay on the front row!"



I remember walking into my first jazz class and being incredibly nervous. Me being the ever obedient daughter went immediately to the backrow and tried not to talk with anybody...luckily I saw one of the girls I knew in class so I adjusted my position to be next to her, but it wasn't the front row. Dance Masta had helped me pack for the week and so my attire was fine, but I was incredibly intimidated. The girls I had traveled with made me feel MORE THAN welcome, but I just didn't feel as though I was up to par with them. My sister was ever reassuring...telling me that I had the technique to back up what I lacked in style at the time.

The first routine I learned was a lyrical or at least that is the first one I remember. I don't remember the song or anything but I do remember how I felt.
The teacher began to instruct us and I was overcome and swept up in the beauty of the movement. I remember thinking that I had died and gone to heaven. The teacher was beautiful to watch and the music was overwhelming my body to where I don't remember anything but being pulled by the emotion and beauty of the genre known as LYRICAL dance! I couldn't get enough of it...I remember practicing and practicing and practicing just because I LOVED doing it.

During my break Dance Masta came up to me and said, "Shelle you need to get on the front row. You are doing Great, you are a natural, and you will enjoy it so much more if you put yourself on the front row...that is what I do, but I won't force you!"

I walked back into that class with confidence, Dance Masta was my idol, if she did it so was I going to do it, I remember the teacher pointing me out saying to the class that she could see the passion as I danced, and I never felt such a rush of pride. I began to realize that dance was going to be more to me than just a passing phase...I lived and breathed it after that Dance Camp. I tried my hardest to find whatever I could to learn ALL different genre's of dance...

and since that day I have always put myself up there on that front row so to speak. I never lacked in confidence on what I could do...I began to want to create...anytime I was listening to music I could see the movement in my head...to this day I can't listen to music and not see something beginning to form in my brain...my creative juices begin to flow. It helps when I run because I can take myself out of my body and watch the video going on in my head...at least until my heart starts pounding so hard that my brain begins to notice the pain from lack of oxygen...but that's another post for another day.

So as I watched last night I was pleased...but not moved...not like Blake and Melody performing to the music "Heaven":


Or like Allison and Ivan performing to the music "Why":


Who can forget last year with Lacey and Kameron performing to the music "Dancing":


And those are just the Lyrical's...If I mention those three than I have to mention the Fast Jazz with Sabra and Neil last year performing to the music "Sweet Dreams"...holy cow that was so CREATIVE and it blew my mind that I hadn't seen something to that effect with a table...but then again I have been in and out of it since I had kids, if it wasn't for Dance Masta, I would be lost...


So you can imagine my excitement when Chelsie and Mark came out 2nd to the last couple of the show and did this piece last night performing a lyrical hip hop to one of my favorite songs this year "Bleeding Love", I had to watch it 3 times before I felt content enough to turn it off...talk about seeing the passion in the movement as well as the people performing...I wish I could've been there live to feel the electricity in the room! If you don't watch any of the other video's WATCH THIS ONE!

JUST A SIDENOTE:Do you think parents would object if I did a dance to this song? lol :) Seriously what happened to propriety? There is NOW no subject that can't be addressed...nothing is TABOO any longer...this song proves it! "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry...you know what's wrong with this whole scenario...the beat is fantastic...so if you don't LISTEN to the lyrics then it's a GREAT song! lol! Is that rationalizing? Think much?


I'm just being real here but I kissed a girl when I was like 5 maybe 6, actually I don't remember the age...but I was young. You know, just keeping it honest! :)