-Tagore
"There are two things to aim at in life:
first to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it.
Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second."
-Logan Pearsall Smith
"You've got to get to that stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing."
-Arthur Ash
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| A little blend of DANCE-LIFE related photos from the past few weeks... I received a b-lated Christmas tree ornament just last week from a dance friend. I am wearing my "Keep Calm and Shuffle On"shirt with Beau! The grandkids dancing for us on Easter Sunday. |
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| The love shines through in these photos of my grandson, BEAU, here with his GREAT GRAND father and mother. Tomorrow GREG celebrates another year of life... as he has another BIRTHDAY. |
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| Yesterday I went for an impromptu Birthday celebration for my buddy, Brenda, who has a birthday today. I gave her a necklace with a great quote suited to DANCING through TIME! |
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| On the weekend I added one more chapter to my dance life...as I adjudicated a competition in Rose Valley. I shared the experience with Jodykym, shown here with her fancy phone on day 1, with me after the long day 2, at the start and finish of day 3... "WITCH" we enjoyed together a lot!!!! |
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| I took a photo of Jodykym's youngest daughter, Adalie, here on route to Rose Valley last Friday...along with a photo of the place we stayed and shared it with Videographers, from P.A.... Matthew and Barry. Little doggie outside, wanted to share time with us this weekend, too! |
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| Some random photos of the SMOKEM OUTFITTERS hunting lodge in ARCHERWILL, SK. where we stayed for our weekend of adjudicating the Rose Valley DANCE MANIA 13 Dance competition. |
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| My sticker collection continues to serve me through every STAGE of LIFE... Especially at Dance Competitions!!!! Once again I was reminded how my life compares to dance in so many ways. I added another chapter to my adjudicating this past weekend in Rose Valley, Saskatchewan. I got to know the other adjudicator, JODYKYM really well as we travelled together there and back. Her husband, Chad was kind enough to drive us there with their youngest of 3 daughters, Adalie, age 3. (She was a little sweetheart on the ride, too!) Brian picked us up at the end of the weekend. Thank goodness for our hubbies... who do not mind travelling in any kind of weather. With this ongoing extended winter we have had this year, we wanted good vehicles and drivers... just incase we ran into bad weather on our travels!!! Every time I adjudicate I appreciate the efforts of the dancers, dance teachers, and parents involved. Small town dance competitions are always so efficiently run, with the whole town getting on board to help out and volunteer. This weekend there was a bit of a glitch for the competition with the town's power going off on the starting day, causing it to get off to a slower start. They took it all in stride, though, making appropriate adjustments necessary. Thanks to Brad from Rose Valley for inviting me to their annual event. His wife, Glenys... worked very hard along with many others to run a very awesome little canteen all weekend, too. The food was delish! We stayed in the hunting lodge just 10 minutes out of Rose Valley called Smokem Outfitters, located in Archerwill. We shared the lodge with father and son team from P.A. who video taped every dance of the competition with our voice over adjudications on them. All in all a very enjoyable weekend. This week I hope to get to see more dancing as there is a dance competition taking place here in Saskatoon at TCU called "THE PERFORMER". There is a high calibre of dancers attending from all over the province for the upcoming 5 days. I enjoy watching that one! I got to thinking once again how I have been on so many sides of the stage... from being a child who danced all my life to a teen who assisted in a prestigious studio, to teaching for parks and recreation, to opening and running a successful studio of my own for 28 dance seasons. During that time I was not only the teacher to many dancers who went from beginner to pro... but also the proud mom of a dancer who did exactly that! When I closed my studio and joined forces at BSOBAD dance studio with my good friend BRENDA BENNETT, I was the Tap director there, before retiring from teaching in May of 2008. Now I free lance and dabble here and there in teaching whether it be as a sub teacher or a guest one at a summer school, and or workshop, or doing a piece of choreography.I have continued to take on adjudicating jobs over the past several years of my dance career, to help keep me connected. I have enjoyed every STAGE along the way... and now I am the proud grandma of a dancer, who I am so excited to see dance on STAGE. She is always performing for me, whether on stage or not!!! Life has really been like one big DANCE for me... Each STAGE has been different, with different steps to it, but all so enjoyable and all adding to the BOOK of my LIFE! The steps in my life are all fun... some are crossed over and others are new... but all in all it has been like a piece of choreography every step of the way! I am wanting to mention how sad it was to watch the Boston Marathon unfold this week with it's tragic turn of events. A fellow from the gym where I go, Nicholas Berrns, ran that marathon. Luckily both he and his parents who came to cheer him on, all were fortunate enough to escape the bombs with no injuries. His sister, Ashley, is a dancer, who grew up doing some training in my dance studio... and has gone on to open her own studio here in the city. Small world... congrats to Nick on his run! Today is my good friend, Brenda's birthday. She will be spending it at The Performer dance competition where her BSOBAD dance studio will dance for the next five days... So I wish her a very HAPPY TAPPY BIRTHDAY and GREAT REWARDING SUCCESS as the dance competing portion of the season begins... I know each and every dancer will be TAPPING into their very best efforts and will be enjoying their turn in the spotlights... win or lose. In the end it is all about the journey and the memories made as we all DANCE through LIFE! Tomorrow my father-in-law, GREG, celebrates another BIRTHDAY in his DANCE through the stages of LiFE. I consider my self lucky to have such a special man like him in my life... and wish him all the HAPPiEST MEMORiES on his special day, too! Yesterday would have been CHARLIE CHAPLIN's BIRTHDAY... He was born in 1889... but his legend lives on through the memories. I stumbled across a poem I wrote near the ending of my dance teaching career, written in April of 2008... and I thought it suited this theme very well, so I will share it now... For many of us dancers, we've reached milestones this year. And we will all be holding those memories so dear. We've practiced every single step, to complete the many dances... We've learned so many things along the way, and took some chances. The pictures that we took today... will help us to remember, The many months from here to come, from January- December. The pictures we have taken now adorn the many walls, On all the very many boards along the studio halls. The trophies and the medals that we won, have brought us pride, The dance exams we studied for, we've passed with every stride. We've learned so many styles... every rhythm... every rhyme... We've tried real hard to stay on top, it's been a steady climb. It seems like only yesterday, when everyone was small. But now they've all grown older, in fact some are real tall! The simple steps we learned to start, helped to build foundation. Then all the steps we added on , developed our education. But in the end... the accomplishments are only one small part, The PEOPLE that we've met along the way will hold our heart. The memories we'll hold the closest, will be the ones of fun... We had a lot to laugh at, with all we've said and done. We'll always cherish the memories and the very many looks, As we enter the next chapters in all of our life books! The many milestones that we've reached along the path till now.... Have given us great memories, and left us saying WOW! |
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