Hi there.

Coronado Beach sunset

Well, howdy. It's been a hot minute.

I've missed this. I miss the writing, the community, and getting on my soapbox from time to time (ha!). As spring slowly thaws out Pittsburgh, my writing muscles are thawing out, too.

I have things I want to share with you. Adventures I'm having, projects I'm starting, dreams I'm scheming, challenges I'm facing. The desire to share has been brewing for weeks now, but I had to work out some kinks in my head. Sometimes I get too wrapped up analyzing this and that, worrying that my ramblings are of little to no interest to anyone. I know my fellow writers can relate... I also know that we throw in the towel at some point and jump right in anyway!

So, here I am. Feeling a little rusty. Feeling a little shy.

Here's a sneak preview of what I'll probably chit-chat about in the coming weeks:

* I'm teaching weekly fitness classes to seniors at a local senior facility. They're a kick in the pants!

* I finally went swing dancing after living in Pittsburgh for a year and a half. A year and a half too long, yo.

* I visited San Diego last month. Love.

* I registered for Zumba training and certification at long last.

* Rheumatoid arthritis is no joke. Two years post-diagnosis, I have much to rant about.

I think that's a good start.

It's nice to be back.

xoxo

#31Days, Episode 1: Why the Lindy Hop

Hello friends and welcome to Episode 1 of #31Days to the Lindy Hop! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy a little story chock full of joy, jive, and jazz.

Why the Lindy Hop?

The Lindy Hop is, and will always be, my first dance love. Before there were the 'tard and tights, there were the spectators and spankies, the red lipstick and hair rolls. There was jazz, man! Hot, swinging jazz. And it was good.

I want to share more about this rich, high-energy art form, one that was born right here in the US of A. Oh, swing is most definitely all over the world at this point, but it started right here.

I want to tell you, dear reader, that swing is so much more than flashy, acrobatic moves. Tossing a partner through the air is not exactly dancing. I don't say that to come off exclusive, amigos, I just want to shed light on the fact that Lindy does in fact have footwork and technique. And there is etiquette on a social dance floor--big moves on a busy floor is a big no-no. The flashy moves are oh-so-fun (see my face in the pic above?) but they are just the cherry on top.

More than anything else, though, I want you to know how important the Lindy Hop is. It was born and cultivated at a time in history when the country's economy flat-lined, when America jumped into the middle of another world war, and while racial segregation was still rooted deep like an ugly weed. The Lindy Hop gave people joy and happiness and hope at a time when even a simple smile was a struggle.

The Lindy Hop is important to this gal, too. It shaped me to be who I am today by encouraging me to blossom from an insecure girl to a young woman with confidence. It helped me discover who I am: a dancer! I met my best friends. I traveled around the country. I even got to meet some of the people who shaped the very Lindy world way back in the day.

Yes, yes, y'all, I have a whole lotta love for the Lindy Hop. Thank you for stopping by and allowing me to share it with you!

Anyone else a Lindy lover? Please tell me about it in the comments, I'd love to connect!

 xoxo

J

Throwback Tuesday: Swing out!

"Throwback Thursday" has a much nicer ring to it, but seeing as I'll be feeding my Hungry Dancer beast with turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberries galore this coming Thursday, I had to move it up a couple of days. Please forgive the the alliteration fail.

Long before my days of the 'tard and tights, I was a retro gal! My dancing days started with Lindy Hop and Charleston, getting down to the tunes of Louis Prima, Lionel Hampton and Count Basie. That music still is and probably will forever be my all-time favorite.

A friend posted these pics on FB yesterday and a wave of nostalgia crashed over me. Such amazing memories! This group was my dance troupe, The Jumpin' JiveCats, based in Fort Collins, Colorado. We taught swing dance lessons and workshops and we were hired for all kinds of gigs. We danced our little hearts out, sharing the love of the Lindy Hop with anyone and everyone.

Occasionally we branched out... This was our Moulin Rouge New Year's Eve event. Still one of my faves!

And in action...


Nowadays, many of us are scattered all over the country, living all kinds of lives. Some of us are still dancing, some of us not as much anymore... but I know each one of us still holds a special place in our hearts for Lindy, our first love!

Dedicated to all the 'Cats, past and present - I love you guys!

xoxo

J

Blog Hop: My Story

Today I'm sharing my story, how I got to where I am today and why. I'm participating in a Blog Hop inspired and hosted by Brigitte over at Unfettered Ink. When she shared her vision and invited others to join in the storytelling journey, I immediately jumped on board. Everyone has a story to tell and every story is important. Here's mine.

* * * * *

I'm a dancer. I will teach dance, choreograph dances and perform dance throughout my career. I'm about to venture out and begin this career, which is both exciting and completely terrifying. Upon learning that I'm a dancer and an artist, most people assume that I've been pursuing dance since I was a young girl. But I haven't. My first technique class was not until I was 28 years old. Say what?! Yep.

Let's back up a few years. I have always loved to dance. I inherited dancing genes... I have memories of my dad teaching me how to dance to oldies rock 'n roll in our kitchen. My mom loves to get down with her bad self. Wedding receptions were just big dance parties. I really don't remember ever not dancing. But I never was enrolled in formal dance classes as a little girl. We just didn't have the money. I played soccer instead. I loved soccer and was good at it, but oh how I wished to be a ballerina, too.

Fast forward: I graduated high school and started college. I signed up for extracurricular swing dance classes offered by the university's recreation department. Those classes were my initial launch into the dance world. Of course I wasn't content with simply learning and going out social dancing, so I busted my butt to join a troupe and began teaching and performing. Getting paid to do what I loved was amazing and surreal and a dream come true. But it was still just a hobby - a time-consuming hobby, but a hobby nonetheless - and nothing I seriously considered to attempt as a career.

Fast forward: it's summer 2007 and I was back in school trying to figure what to do with my life. I was quasi-following So You Think You Can Dance. I think it was season three or four. I don't really remember. What I do remember is one of the dancers. Her story completely caught my attention. She was on this show, yet she had only been training for about four years prior. Something inside of me turned on. I thought to myself, wait a minute, if she can do this, why can't I? I was a good dancer, I knew that in my heart. I also knew my passion for it. It was (and still is!) my heart and soul. I am absolutely happiest when dancing. So I made a decision to take a leap of faith. The next day I met with the head of the dance department to request to be a dance major. That fall, I donned my first ever pair of pink tights and black leotard and took my first ballet class.

Several of my friends thought I was crazy. I don't blame them. Starting ballet at age 28 is crazy... dance years are like doggie years and 28 is old! But I was determined. I needed to at least try. I would rather try and fail than not try at all and never know.

You know what? I didn't fail. I'm still here. Sure, it's been a very tough road. There has been plenty of blood, sweat, tears, ice and ibuprofen. But every minute has been worth it. And while I'm ancient in dance years (I'm now 33), better late than never, right?

One of the most important life lessons I've learned during this journey is that we are so much stronger and more capable than we ever give ourselves credit for. Just when we think we've reached the boundary, if we have just a little courage, even a tiny flicker, we discover that our limits are flexible and can be stretched to a new place. Little by little, inch by inch, we learn how much we can truly do and BE. Go ahead, try... there's nothing to lose, I promise.

* * * * *

Thank you for letting me share my story. I have been inspired by each of the stories that have been shared so far by the other Blog Hoppers, and I have a feeling you will be, too. Go visit Brigitte's blog to read some inspiring stuff!
 

And while you're at it, what's your story?

xoxo

J

Monday notes

Today was kinda ho-hum, until evening time. I worked most the day, then left around 3 o'clock to get a massage. That was my post-dance-midterms-and-hip-hop-performance treat to myself. It was so wonderful I fell asleep! Total relaxation.

It's nice to get some extra hours in during breaks, but good grief I hate sitting around all day. I left work in a zombie-like fog (I think I've complained about this in previous posts... sorry to be redundant, but I'm just not cut-out for an all-day desk job). I was glad the evening entailed some dancin' because I needed to get the blood flowin'!

Tonight my swing troupe organized a taping of the shim sham, which is a traditional jazz line dance done way back in the big band days, which we'll submit to the Frankie95 crew, in hopes that we'll make it into the compilation video.

Okay, let me back up and explain a few things... first, Frankie95 is the name of a big swing, jazz and Lindy Hop dance event that's going to take place in New York City in May. It's to celebrate the 95th birthday of Frankie Manning, one of the Lindy Hop pioneers from the 1930's. Mr. Manning is still alive and swingin' at 95! He is one of my dance heroes - talk about inspiring. Anyway, the organizers of the event deemed tonight a global shim sham night, and they put out a call to any and all swing communities to tape themselves doing the shim sham and send it in. The organizers will then put together a compilation video and premier it at the event.

My swing crew decided to play along. We (well, I didn't participate in the planning, but I was one of the actors/dancers) did this "restaurant" scene where some of us were sitting at cafe tables, and suddenly we pushed the tables and chairs aside, all the other dancers flooded into the room, and we all started dancing. Then we broke out into the shim sham! It was quite fun. Everyone who normally comes out to our Monday swing nights was there. We emailed the scene ahead of time to let them know that tonight was a vintage theme, so come dressed in your old-school duds. We did about three takes. It was a good time!

It was fun getting all prettied up vintage 40's style. I haven't donned my faux pearls, high-waisted skirt and hair rolls for awhile. I stayed for a bit after the taping to just dance, too... I miss just dancing. [There are definitely things I don't miss about the scene, though, but that's a another blog for another day...]

Anywho... as soon as the "directors" of the music video finish editing and such, they'll post it on our website and YouTube. I'll be sure to post a link to the shim sham shenanigans here, too.

Now I must finish putting away the mound of vintage clothes piled upon my bed so I can go to bed (I could not decide what to wear!), and the bathroom is a mess of makeup, hot rollers, and bobby pins (vintage hair and makeup is quite labor-intensive), so I'm signing off. G'nite!