DANCiNG Through LiFE!

"DANCE (through life)
When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."
-Dr. Wayne Dyer

"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order. "
- Samuel Beckett

"and if the music is good, dance"
-Author Unknown

Last Monday was a special day for me…
I went to the Janet Jackson Concert  with my daughter and grand daughter.
3 generations of love for DANCE and MUSIC… such a fun memory!

We sat very close to the stage… but I still didn't get stellar photos.
However, I did get a few videos  in the night.
I loved the concert and the dancing was awesome!

Later in the week I met with two friends I know
from my dancing connections in life…
Friend, Brenda-(BSOBAD dance studio owner)…
and friend Cathy who was a neighbour,
she is  also a dance mom, and great friend, too.
We did a fun latte outing to D'Lish !

On that same day… we picked up Jana's dog, JAZZ and brought
him to spend the day with us… he was so cute leaning on Brian
in the car!

A couple days last week we took Mariah to her dancing lessons.
These photos were on Thursday… Jazz came for the ride, too…
and Mariah was showing me her new leg warmers from the back seat!
Mariah loved her first week back to dance!

I have been doing many little walking outings with my good friend, Ella.
She keeps track of our steps along the way on her fitbit!!!
Friday we ended up back at her place for a happy hour after our big walk.
Shuffle came on the walk, too…and had never been to Ella's place!

Saturday we had Beau for half of the day…
He loves to make cupcakes…everything about that experience …
from beating them, licking the beaters, icing the cupcakes
 and eating them, too!
He is such a fun little guy to have around .

Also on Saturday we took Beau to see his sister at the Broadway
Street Fair…where she was volunteering in the Dog Adoption
booth. Was a hot day and lots of action all down Broadway…
including some dancers along the way as well.

Mariah's dog for the day was a little lab-terrior cross pup, named
Paisley. Mariah still loves helping with the adoptions…
and she is good at it, too. She loves animals.

Also on the weekend… I went for a great walk with my two friends,
Ella and Heather.
We drove out to Erindale and Arbour Creek, and walked a new
territory for us… it is so beautiful and scenic there.
Ella kept track of our steps along the way, too!
These two are such great and supportive friends for me.

Late Saturday night, September 12th…
This little sweetie made her debut into the world.
My niece, Emily had her little baby girl, named
ABIGAIL BRUCE… weighing 7 lbs.12 oz.
but they will call her ABBY!
We are so excited for her… and I am the proud
Great Auntie to my 3rd GREAT NIECE in less
than a year!

On September 13th, 2008 we got our puppy…
a little pug-boston cross( a Bug)… and called her Shuffle.
The pic on the left was taken on the day we got Shuffle…
the photos on the right are to show just how much
Mariah and Shuffle have grown since then.

Mariah is wearing a little Tutu and we named Shuffle
after the famous TAP DANCE step!

Sunday was Grandparent Day…
we were invited to supper with the GRANDKIDS, and GRANDOG!
I didn't capture many photos there… but the meal was delicious!

Last night I was asked to SUB TEACH at BSOBAD
and taught 3 Adult Tap classes.
The photo above is the most advanced of the classes…
what an awesome bunch of ladies…
Lots of former tappers from younger years.
I still love to TAP… TAPPiNESS always brings me HAPPiNESS!

Last night on SYTYCD they were to crown the winner
of America's Favourite Dancer…
I actually loved all of the top four in the running, too…
such a diverse group of  talented dancers and
nice personalities.

I am glad I came home from teaching last night
 and watched the recorded SYTYCD
 before opening up my FB and Instagram accounts…
as there were many photos everywhere of this year's winner.
Here is just one of the many photos I saw on FB…
This is the TAPPER, Gaby Diaz, who won the show this season
… here with our very good friend,
 and amazing show choreographer, Stacey Tookey.
The Tookey family and our family go way back…
so when I see Stacey on the show, I always feel so proud.
This is the very first season where a Tapper has won the
the title on that show!
YAY TAP!!!!!



Welcome to another week summery of my life here on my blog! I didn't get to my post yesterday as I was busy DANCING!!! I was asked to sub teach yesterday at BSOBAD for their 3 Adult Tap classes. So during the day I was sort of dancing around the kitchen off and on all day.


Life itself is really like one big dance… the steps we take in it and everything we do… involves so many steps… twists, turns, ups and downs as well as round and rounds!
My life has revolved around dance since my mom enrolled me in it at the early age of 4… and the rest is history!
From that early age I have been more or less
DANCING THROUGH LIFE… ever since…
from training as a dancer all through my school years in various dance forms and at various different dance studios and camps, conventions, workshops etc…
 to my teaching days.


I opened my dance studio, Diane Will Dance Studio, in September of 1974 and closed it in June of 2002.
I joined the teaching staff at BSOBAD as their
TAP DIRECTOR in September of 2002
and taught till May of 2008. The experiences I had along that teaching journey were all amazing and so many of them very rewarding as well. I do still keep my foot in the door of the dance world on many levels…
and only free lance teach and or adjudicate
here and there now.


My love of dance is and always will be strong. I love lots of things pertaining to dance… and am especially fond of  TAP… it has always been my favourite and specialty.
I like to get out the tap shoes from time to time and
just get lots in the SHUFFLE!


My life has transformed through many things over time, though, and although I no longer teach dance on a regular basis… I am still involved . My daughter, Jana, danced through her life growing up and even went on to a professional dance career in Tokyo Disney where she did 5 dance contracts there. She has now hung up her dance shoes… but is still into SHOES and owns her own shoe store now, called … SWANK SHOE LOUNGE.


Jana's daughter, Mariah loves to dance now…and is following in her mom and grandma's footsteps…
she is currently taking lessons in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop and Musical Theatre.  Her favourite is Ballet.
Mariah is growing up so fast and I am so proud of not only the little dancer she is becoming… but also of the little human she is… I am such a proud grandma!


This week we have done many things as the photos above show… I was so excited to become a Great Auntie for the 3rd time in less than a year… I now have 3 little great nieces… Jorja, Brielle and the newest one is little Abby born just this past weekend, to my niece, Emily.

The Janet Jackson Concert I attended with my two girls… was great. Not only could I relate to many of the tunes… some of which Jana danced to growing up… but the dancing in the show was awesome and the experience of sharing a common love with my family  of music and dance.
Fun to share those interests with 3 generations … it was a special night out for me, and hopefully them, too.


Lots of our life revolves around the grandkids now a days. We absolutely love the chances we have to spend with both them and their dog, Jazz, too! Sunday was a special day designated to Grandparents on the calendar. We were so lucky to have supper with our grandkids on that day, too.
Jana and Nels cooked up a yummy supper with ceasar salad, chicken kabobs and perogies. We enjoyed just being with the grandkids that evening in their own little setting.


Mariah and I were painting some little postcards together from a little kit she had, while Beau enjoyed a movie on Netflix called "Meet The Robinsons".
I was kind of attracted to some of the music from the movie, and researched it to find out a couple songs were sung by an artist I saw in Montreal last summer at their Jazz Festival, named Jamie Cullum.


I now have an app on my phone for downloading music called SPOTIFY… so I was able to get those tunes I heard in Beau's movie… and put them to use when I taught at BSOBAD just last night. To me if the music is good…
it just makes you want to dance!


When I retired from teaching dance, teachers were still using CDs as their music format. But last night I taught by using music from my cel phone, for the very first time… it was a whole new experience in itself! But I am happy to say, I did eventually catch on!!!! hehehe The teaching was very fun, too… and some awesome adult tappers at that studio, as well. I was honoured to be ask to fill in.
A fun opportunity to TAP into all round!


I also watched the new season opener of DWTS last night after my late teaching night. I enjoyed that as well… I do like to watch the dance related TV competitions shows. I also like the America's Got Talent… which soon will be wrapping up for another season. I will watch AGT tonight!


We recalled the day we got our dog, Shuffle, when that date rolled by again. I retired from Teaching dance in May of 2008 and that final week of my teaching career experience, we lost our Pug, Mocha. In September, 2008… we decided to get a new doggie… and in honour of all my years of teaching dance and Tap… we named her "SHUFFLE"
after one of the most popular tap steps!


My life is filled with many things and lots like I say revolves around dance … and often I just feel LOST in the SHUFFLE of life… but in life when there is music
 it's fun to just dance it out!


This weekend, my son in law, NELS will be celebrating his birthday… so I will take this chance to wish him a
Happy Birthday on the 18th of September.
His new business is very successful since he opened it in the spring… and he keeps himself very busy.


On that note… here is my rhyme of the day!

I love to dance when I get the chance,
And LIFE itself... is like a big DANCE!
There are many steps we take on our way,
As we dance through each and every day.
There are twists and turns… ups and downs,
Smiles and laughs… pouts and frowns.
There are simple steps and hard ones too…
Takes all kinds of steps to get us through.
So many steps… go round and round,
We begin over and over… I have found,
But in the end, when I get the chance…
If the music is good, I love to dance!