I posted a link to my dance in my previous post. It was a really fun day. Everyone got to the theater around 10 am and got dressed. We ran thru the show and got ready for the first performance. My mom somehow managed to sneak in and see the practice curtain call. Shocking.
Having a long ponytail and fake eye lashes for a day was so unusual, but made me really feel like a dancer/performer. Although I will say the stage makeup was somewhat metaphorical of superficiality in todays culture. Excuse me while I digress: I think society has women feeling the need to be so made up all the time, even if you are trying to look "natural" there is makeup for that! There are entire websites, cosmetic lines, tutorials, etc all dedicated to making a girl look "natural." I admit that I am a big offender of this. How much money have I spent on cosmetics? Too much. Anyway, by the time the 7pm show rolled around, my pony tail was tangled into a giant knot for the 50th time that day, my lips were so dried out from the heavily pigmented lipstick, that it was a wonder I has any skin still attached to them by the end of the day. My right eye lash was hanging by a defiant blob of glue on one side of my eye, and my Spanx had long since given up on containing last night's double scoop. I'm sure from a distance (the audience) it looked fine for the 2 minutes and 30 seconds I danced. But it really felt like the mask was falling off...and surprise! It's me underneath! I guess I can live with that. :)
Back to the show... WOW talk about nerves. I watched from the side of the stage as the other dancers went on. My friend Matt went on 2 before me. Next was Pam with her spicy samba that suddenly made my cha-cha feel very tired. Ah! It's our turn!
My heart was beating so fast as Michael Paul and I stood on the dark stage waiting for the lights to come up as our music started. Lights. And DANCE! Ahh what am I doing? We are doing it! No time to think....SMILE....SMILE....SMILE!
Just like that, it was over. I managed to get in a wink at the beginning, not sure when or how I decided to add that in, but it worked. I felt like I lost time toward the end of the middle, but watching the video it looked ok. I could have gotten lower and more into my movement in a couple parts...but I was just trying to survive at that point. Whew.
I got a quick pat on the back from MP before he went to find his next student to perform with. During intermission I snuck out to say hello to mom, Greg, Ryan and my Grandparents. You would have thought I just won the Nobel Prize!! Hugs and praise from everyone. They were gone as soon as the came to go back to Youngstown, but it wouldn't have been the same if they weren't there to support me.
After the first show was completely over (with a sweet latin medley bu the one-and-only Rachel)I hung out with Ryan for a few and then headed backstage for a bite and to hang out with my fellow dancers.
The second show went a little better I think. I felt more comfortable. I still had butterflies of course, but not as bad as the first show. This time I wasn't allowed out during intermission, so I met up with Ryan, his parents (who gave me beautiful earrings), and my best good friend Stef and her boyfriend. She brought me flowers, how sweet!!
I am taping my fingers together to avoid text-bombing Michael Paul about when the pro pics and video will be available. I am checking FB even more than usual for them!
Now its time to focus on our upcoming trip to Panama! Yay! 3 weeks!
