A Decade of Dance

When I was quite little I used to watch ballroom dancing on television and wish I could learn how to do that. I remember seeing a competition on television after we had moved here and thinking to myself, "great, I'll never get to learn to do that now that we are living in this little town"...

10 years ago I saw an article in the paper about a woman who taught ballroom and swing dancing here in the valley. She was running a teen beginner ballroom/latin dance class and was also looking for dancers interested in swing dancing. I called her up as I was very very interested in learning swing; however, she suggested that I join the ballroom/latin class as her swing class was for people with prior dance training - which I'd had very little of. I asked my bf at the time if he would possibly be interested in taking a ballroom dance class with me and was pleasantly surprised (or maybe I should say shocked) when he said "sure".

5 pairs of shoes,
11 sessions of classes [?-not sure I counted that right, it has been a long time after all],
9 end-of-the-year show routines,
and too many[?-maybe not ;)] red and black sparkly costumes later I wonder where 10 years have gone and why, to use a perfect phrase I picked up from a fellow dancer last night, I'm still "hungry for dancing". Not that I wonder why I still want to dance, but that I don't feel all that satisfied by the past ten years. It's like eating Chinese food for dinner; you eat what appears to be a full plate of tasty food and yet an hour and a half later you're hungry again. I'm still hungry. I want to be better than I am.

I can say I know a bit of waltz, foxtrot, tango, rumba, chacha, salsa, samba, mambo, east and west coast swing, singletime swing, and even hustle...yes, hustle [but please don't envision that flashing floor from Saturday Night Fever and platforms...], I have had the opportunity to dance with some of the best dancers in our little valley ballroom world, and I have had great partners over the years [and currently have - *smiles at Evil Monkey*]. I was told twice last night that I am similar in feeling to dancing with our instructor. Twice in one night! By good leaders! I'm honoured - I don't know if they meant it to have that effect, but it did. How could it not?

I really ought to be more satisfied I think.

It's just that I want to be better! Is that wrong? I don't think so...


I'm looking forward to new classes this fall...with my new shoes that I looooooove (2.5 hours of dancing last night and not a blister in sight)...and with my original partner who just couldn't have known what he was getting himself into when he said "ballroom? sure."

Hehe :)


Nostalgia:

The photo speaks for itself ;)

:)

I know, not my usual style; they sort of have the essence of 7 year old's party shoes...but oh so at home on my feet. I love my gold shoes, however it seems that they were destined to be a bit of a pain, literally-from waiting nearly 5 months for them to the fact that I never have been able to dance in them for more than 40 mins without blisters starting :( Of course that doesn't stop me from wearing them all evening; however, something of a more comfortable design was in order. That and they are basically a non-entity on my feet, which is good; one doesn't always need one's shoes to be wearing the pants in the relationship. 2 whole hours of dancing last night (Yay! dance classes again) and not even the thought of a blister, even with all those little straps. Woot!

Mt Becher...finally...

I finally got to do the Mt Becher trail this past Saturday-yay!

It was the perfect temperature outside - lovely and sunny. We met a woman named Kari in the parking lot who was headed to Albert Edward and Paradise Meadows. She, like us, didn't really know where she was going to find the trailhead so we set off together to follow the instructions I'd printed off of TrailPeak.com which were very specific and very accurate.


Goodbye Kari, have a good trip!

Random dog that we mistook for someone elses dog...

Random Dog's owners and the view of the valley from nearly the top...

View from the top(ish)

We had to pose for a picture




Required photo of the glacier




Bird in tree (yes, I'm very good at pointing out the obvious...)

September 1 - Siiigh.

Since I started Sarah's challenge on August 2nd I consider today to be the end of the month of photos. This coincides nicely with the traditional last day of summer, but I'm thankful I live in a climate where I don't have to say "these are photos from the last hike of the year". The outdoor fun season (the one that doesn't include piles of clothing, mitts, a toque, scarf, and boots) graces us with its presence right into September and October, and I'm determined to Hike Mt. Becher at some point soon, more so now than earlier in the summer because my desire to go for a nice local hike somewhere I havn't been for a long time seems to be providing foder for fate's amusement. Really, is a little day hike too much to ask for? I think not!

So, here is the last official post of 'August' and summer, but definitely not of the outdoor variety :)

Photos from the Ripple Rock trail:



The "drunken" bridge - I've never met such a wobbly bridge before!





Gumby leg!




I enjoy trying to capture motion - have you noticed?





The view of, um, a bay...I'll get back to you on which bay...




Trying to photograph my own feet in motion.




Seymour narrows.




I caught him in mid-scold.




Pretty light.




I'd like to have my chipmunk in the middle of the path in this photo - I think he'd look good there.

August 31 - Late Summer Blue Sky

With a plane for some added interest ;)

August 30th

August 29th - Nearly There...

I dragged my friends to the beach today in search of a picture...I ended up taking pictures of them taking pictures...

August 27th - Simply Scrabble

I think I'm addicted...

August 26th - End of Summer, End of Summer Tuesday Dancing :(

'Twas the last Tuesday evening dance practice of the summer tonight and for the third Tuesday I tried to capture some dancing (or posing, lol).

Still here - Is anyone else at this point?

Well, I have not been doing so well lately with the picture-a-day...if any of you are still with me; thank you :) I aim to be better this week at posting photos in a timely manner...

Below you will find a few that have been missing and likely will also notice that there are some missing... *makes embarrassed face*...I have no excuses other than that nothing inspired me to take a picture that day.

(they are in order, so scroll down...)