Dance Concert 2022

I figured that since the 2023 concert is happening in just over ONE MONTH, it was high time to finally get some pictures from the 2022 concert posted. Ooops. Pictures and blog posts have obviously been very low on my priorities list. But I've added pictures to the past few posts, so be sure to look back at those if you've been waiting to see them!

The 2022 concert was exciting because we had TWO little girlies involved with it! They both had fun, and the week leading up to the concert was crazy between the pictures and dress rehearsals (and Austin's t-ball games and other events/errands we had).

Nicole had three routines for the 2022 concert: one for her acrobatics class ("business people" costume), and then one ballet number and one tap number ("mazurka doll" costume). This was her last year doing tap, actually, which she is a little sad about, but our studio doesn't teach tap past this level. She turned up the sass to a full level 10 for her acro and jazz numbers. Quite the performer, ya know.

Meanwhile, Autumn and her two classmates were the envy of all the little girls because they had unicorn costumes. Autumn did so well on her dances and didn't have any stage fright! However, she was not expecting the traditional, loud "cast scream" that all the dancers do after the bows when the curtains close, and she was NOT a fan of that group scream. She refused to go out for the bows for her second performance because she didn't want to hear everyone scream again! Poor Tum Tum.

Our little dancers. Austin will join them this year because he's taking an acrobatics class at the studio, and Lydia will probably join them in the 2024 concert! THAT will be crazy. It already took me well over an hour to do hair and makeup for both of these girlies, and I had to do their hair 4 different times (5 for Nicole)! At least Austin won't need hair or makeup. Praise be to short-haired boys.

Nicole // Dance Year 4

Belatedly popping in to share some photos I snapped of Nicole in her costume for this year's dance concert! She and her classmates were "Rubies" (yes, like the gemstone) and the concert storyline was loosely based on the movie "The Labyrinth" (yes, the cult classic featuring David Bowie and his tight pants). We've missed the craziness and fun that comes with concert time. Last year, thanks to the pandemic, the concert was cancelled. The girls filmed their dance numbers instead so they could be compiled into a movie. A unique experience, but not quite the same thrill as being on a stage, of course.

Nicole thrives onstage. At the beginning of this year, she was talking about not wanting to do dance anymore... and then she started learning her routines for concert, and all thoughts of quitting disappeared. I even asked her a day or two before her first performance if she still wanted to discontinue dance next year, and she looked at me like I was crazy. She had the largest smile through each of her numbers. She got to do a jazz routine and a tap routine. The tap number was by far her favorite, as she got to be very sassy in it (the song was R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and we all get a little sassy with some good Aretha Franklin, right?) The jazz number (done to the jazz music classic "Sing, Sing, Sing") was fun to watch too.

I'm excited for next year's concert because Autumn is starting dance this week, and the youngest group is always a hoot to watch. That'll give us 4 routines to cheer on during the concert! Er, 5 actually, because Nicole is taking an acrobatics class at the studio this year, and the acrobatics classes get a number in the concert as well. Should be a fun year!

Nicole // Dance Year 2

We had another successful concert last weekend, and Nicole had a blast! That wraps it up for her second year of dance. She once again had three exhausting days filled with a dress rehearsal, followed by two evening performances that were so long that she didn't get home, cleaned up, and in bed until around 11. So tired, but so excited to be onstage.

This year's concert had a "Wild West" themed story, and ventured through New York, the western American wilderness, and down into Mexico. Nicole got to be a Chaparrita (which is a Spanish pet name for a "short girl") and did a fun tap routine with maracas to the Gloria Estefan song "Conga" as well as a pre-ballet routine to "La Llorona" from the movie Coco. We knew a good handful of girls in the concert who are/were in our ward (church congregation) which made the concert all the more enjoyable to watch.

I feel like I've learned more about "dance hair" from this concert, and figured out some tricks that I wish I'd known during my ballroom days. I still have a LOT to learn about getting that perfectly slicked hair (especially when it's short, fine, wispy little girl hair) but I'm getting better!

I heard a few different reports of various attendees (who we've never met) who found Nicole to be entertaining. Last year she was an absolute hoot to watch because of her enthusiasm, and this year she was apparently a hoot because of how focused she was. Love that girl. May she always keep 'em entertained!

Also, it's fun to see how she's grown since her first dance concert.

Nicole's First Dance Concert

This girl has LOVED being in dance the past year, and is already looking forward to starting the next level of class at the end of summer. We just had the end-of-year concert on June 22-23, and it was quite the experience. Concerts at this studio are a big deal! They aren't your cut-and-dry dance recital. We have a story line, complete with set pieces and costumes that fit each dancer's character in the show. We even performed at the Covey Center, but I think that was a one-time thing because the studio's usual venue - the Regan at UVU - has been under renovation lately.

Nicole and her 4 classmates were Super Hero Dolls, complete with little capes and wristbands. They had a tap number during a scene that took place in a doll shop. All the dolls come to life to teach the main character some lessons. They also performed a barefoot number earlier in the show, but it was used as an in-front-of-the-curtain filler while the set was being changed between scenes.

Side note - it was a good show! I was impressed with the dancers, and the story line was fun. I admit it, I even cried at one point. A couple of those numbers were breathtaking.

Nicole's group was the youngest class (2.5-3 years old), they had the shortest and simplest routines, and two of the girls ended up not even doing the performances (one got sick and the other refused to dance) but those 3 little girls who DID dance got one of the loudest cheers of the show. Because let's face it... there are few things cuter than tiny girls dancing. And Nicole definitely stole the show, being front-and-center and having the dance memorized. She did most of the steps a beat or two before the demonstrators did. Oh man, she kills me. She was SO excited to be on that stage, you could see her bouncing with energy as she stood in her spot waiting for the music to start. Big, cheesy grin on her face for the entirety of both numbers. She's a performer, that's for sure.

Flowers from Grandma Kelly!

I forgot to put her wristbands on for these pictures I snagged, since we were in a rush to get out the door for the closing night performance (3 performances total), but oh well. She's a cutie. She LOVED wearing makeup and didn't want to take it off, especially the bright red lipstick.

Here's her tap routine from the dress rehearsal. (We weren't allowed to take pictures or record during the performances.) No set pieces or older girls on stage like in the actual performance, but you get the idea. Yes, one of the girls sobs the whole time, and another girl never does a single dance step, but Nicole rocks it. This was how she acted every time she got on that stage. Every. Single. Time. She has unfailing energy and excitement when she gets up in front of people.

She's the second on the left. The only one in a light blue costume.

We love our tiny dancer!

This is THE month!

D-day is at the end of this month. Am I a little freaked out? Yes. But SUPER excited. And nervous that baby girl could actually come earlier than that. Maybe. Possibly. Eeeeek!!! We're more or less ready for her, whenever she comes.

Anyways... for Halloween, I simply taped a little jack-o-lantern face onto an orange shirt to dress my belly up, but some people at my alma mater got really creative with their costumes. You can see more pictures on the BYU facebook page, but I just want to share two of my favorites with you here:

This guy was walking around campus in slow motion all day. I think it's hilarious.

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And this one is pretty dang cute too:

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We just had our performances for a certain... musical... about a doctor who is rather horrible... for copyright purposes I must not give any other hints, but if you've seen this musical, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Yes, we did that musical. And it was a big success, if I do say so myself. And if you HAVE seen this musical, then this cast picture will make perfect sense to you:

That horse. He's so... bad... okay, I need to stop or I'll get in trouble!

I also went to the first BYU Social Dance Lab of the semester, mainly so I could watch my old ballroom team do a floor show. They performed the same jive that I performed in back when I was 7 weeks pregnant. That was a crazy experience, and I was always so nervous that all the bouncing and jumping would result in a miscarriage. My lungs were always on fire by the end. (1st trimester problems!) Here's a video of one of our dress rehearsals from back in April:

I miss ballroom so much! I danced to a couple songs at the dance lab, and let me tell you... doing Triple Swing when you're 36 weeks pregnant results in angry feet. But it was still so fun!

And one final note... taking my little nephew trick-or-treating was so cute. It made me really excited to take my own kids trick-or-treating in the not-too-distant future. REALLY excited.

She's a dancer already!

Let it be known that we already have a little dancer on our hands.

I have to share the story, it's just too cute.

Doug and I went to a free tech rehearsal for BYU Divine Comedy (it's a sketch comedy group) on Tuesday evening. Before the run-through began, they tested some of the music that they were using in the show (current hits such as "Shake It Off") and it was only a matter of moments before the little lady started kicking, spinning, rolling, and wiggling all over the place in my tummy. Which is saying something because I have less than 8 weeks to go, so she's kind of running out of wiggle room in there.

I guess this means she likes T-Swift? Haha, oh goodness!

It was really entertaining to see my belly change shape so much! I'm pretty sure she's never been this hyper and active before! Of course, the sour gummy worms I'd eaten an hour earlier might have had something to do with her huge spurt of energy... but her movements died down again once the music stopped, so I'm pretty sure she was dancing. Just saying.

I can't wait to see what magic she'll make with her little feet a few years from now :)

And even if she doesn't turn out to be a dancer, at least it's fairly evident that she enjoys music.

I've also discovered that she will sometimes give random leaps of joy when the words "Disney" and "Harry Potter" are mentioned by me or someone around me. Okay, okay, that's probably just a coincidence, but a mom can dream about having a Potterhead daughter, right?!

Because Gene Kelly is that awesome

You guys. I'm done with the month of March. You don't even know how happy I am about that.

I've had a nice, long, hard month full of ballroom competitions and performances, plenty of homework, and a one-month rehearsal process for the production Jimmy Stewart Goes to Hollywood. We just had our performances this weekend, so the amount of things I have to do in April is half of what I was doing in March. Are there still projects and papers? Yes. Is there still a big, fancy ballroom concert to prepare for that I'm having three 6:30 AM rehearsals for this week? Yes. But there are only two weeks of classes left in my college career - then finals - then graduation!

Meanwhile, let me show off these bright, happy yellow dresses that we used for one of our most recent performances. We did a quickstep to the song "Good Morning" and so I had Gene Kelly constantly echoing in my head, while simultaneously doing a play where the all the characters are from the golden age of Hollywood. Lots of classics in my life. Because people like Jimmy Stewart, Gene Kelly, and Ginger Rogers are all so great.

Happy yellow dresses. I think they're my favorite costume we've had (although I have not seen what costumes we'll be wearing for the concert yet).

Needless to say, every time I'm around my team members in the morning this song is bound to come up. Who can't spend a month working on a quickstep to "Good Morning" and not start singing it every morning?!

Happy end of March, everyone. The green buds that are appearing on the trees are telling me it's going to be a good month.

March fever or something

It's that time of year when the air feels fresh and the temperature is more bearable.
The sunsets are beautiful.
I feel like any day now there will be buds on the trees. The grass is already greener.
Fingers crossed that the snow is done with for the season. Spring officially starts in less than 2 weeks, after all.

Doug and I are considering the possibility of moving sooner than we expected. We'll still be in Provo, but just not in Wymount any more. It is strange to think that we've spent almost 2 whole years here already.

Speaking of Doug, today is his birthday. Halfway to 50... not bad, not bad. As his mother said, "one quarter of a century down, three more to go!" When you say it that way, it seems like a lot - but not a lot at the same time. In any case, we're preppin' our bellies for some Tucanos goodness on Tuesday for a belated birthday lunch.

Meanwhile... Scott and I are getting ready to kick butt in our competition on Thursday! As far as I know, it's my very last DanceSport competition, so I hope to make it count for something. We're feeling confident about getting to finals. Hopefully. Top 3 would be nice. Gah, I'm nervous already!

In other news, I'm missing tap.
And how cool are my West Coast Swingin' team members?!

I've started to teach Doug some basic Samba concepts, along with the routine that they learn in the bronze-level class at BYU. We've reached a dance move called bota-fogos. They're pretty tough when you're just starting dance. He's doing pretty good for a beginner! I love him for indulging me and learning how to dance. He even knows bronze-level social cha-cha and foxtrot :) What a guy.

Speaking of dance, if any of you in Utah want to come see the BYU Ballroom Dance Company in concert this April, buy tickets from me! I'm required to sell them. You don't want to miss all the awesome dance routines, especially the national award-winning ones from our tour team!

What DOES the fox say...?

One time, I had a blog. And I forgot about it. Okay, not really. But life gets busy!

Okay, let me move on before this becomes an all-too-typical post about how I'm "too busy to blog" and "I'm going to do better" and all that jazz.

Ballroom has been keeping me busy busy busy! In fact, my entire evening on Halloween was devoted to ballroom dance. There was a social ballroom dance lab that evening (they play a bunch of songs for 3 hours and you can waltz/foxtrot/cha cha/swing/etc. to your hearts content!) and I was performing two different numbers at it. One of the routines was a little more casual and super fun: a cha-cha routine to that crazy Youtube hit "What Does the Fox Say" or whatever it's called. We put the routine together in my 380 Social Dance class, so it's nothing too fancy, but boy was it fun!

And yes, we were dressed up in fox ears and ties just like the backup dancers in the music video. And yes, we had a guy dressed up in a fox suit. We were the hit class routine of the night.

^^^Some poor guy lost his ears mid-routine! Oh well!

I really enjoyed wearing fox ears. I may or may not have worn them across campus during the day just for kicks and giggles.

And this hott ginger got it all on video! I love you, Doug! (The videos are on facebook, but I don't know if they would work for you to see if I post them on here and you're not on my friends list...)

After "foxing it up" I joined my Ballroom Team and got ready to perform our samba routine. We did really well, if I do say so myself! Here's a nice, blurry shot of us in action. I'm in the front, second from the right :)

I love my samba ladies! I can't wait to perform the Viennese Waltz we're working on right now, it's a gorgeous song with fun choreography. And the dresses we get to wear are blue! BLUE!!!!

Right now, I'm trying to focus on the Dancesport competitions this coming weekend. I'll be doing a bit of waltz for my Social Dance class, but my main concern is Paso Doble and Cha Cha for my gold Latin class. Mainly Paso, since it's the dance that my class is specifically assigned to compete in. My partner and I have had basically no time to practice together so far, so I'm a little worried, but that's what happens when I'm involved with theatre and am taking 9 classes. Yeah.

I think I'm ready as an individual, though. Here's a couple little shots of my work in Paso during class. Meh, what do you think? Do I look aggressive and intimidating? Because that's how I'm supposed to look in Paso Doble... meh. I need to use my core more.

Oh, how I wish I could have started ballroom dancing at a younger age. I look at the high school students who are competing in events and are even better than me... and I think... if only. But I enjoy it, and that's all that matters!

Really, though, can I just say that I have the most awesome husband ever?! Supporting me in all of my dancing and being happy for me because I enjoy it so much... AND he even joined in dancing with me at the dance lab on Halloween after my performances were over. He's getting pretty good at 180-level cha cha and he picked up on polka & night club two-step really quickly! That made my night, it really did. Thank you so much, Douglas. You are too good to me! A girl couldn't ask for more!