LOOK UP!!!

My plane was landing in Miami so I could connect to my flight to Buenos Aires, and it seems surreal! Am I really on my way back to live out my dreams again? I am reflecting on the past week as I have a couple of hours before my next flight. I thought about how I found my Latin dress for 75 dollars at 4 AM one sleepless night while surfing the internet. I was a bit nervous as this was pretty spontaneous, and I was hoping the dress that was in the picture would be at my doorstep. When the dress arrived I was relieved that it was indeed the same dress, although the pink was even brighter than it appeared. When I tried it on the color worked beautifully, and I loved the details such as the crystals on the top part of the dress and the fringe throughout the design. I immediately took the dress to try it out in the studio, which was a good thing because there was a wardrobe malfunction as the back of the dress kept riding up! (Ha-Ha) With Mario and Maxi’s suggestions, I had a tailor add more fringe and some boning on the sides to keep the dress in place.  Once the dress was fixed we tried it on again in the studio and it worked perfectly.

Maxi and I focused a lot on walking in Rumba and making sure I was in the line of dance when doing a side step.  We practiced Cha-cha and how to collect my feet in the open break and keeping my legs close together with the tuck in turn in East Coast Swing. That Friday at the party Maxi taught the Rumba in the class and focused on the open break, so I was able to practice what I have just learned in class. This party had a different flavor as students brought members of their family, there was new energy as we laughed danced and then got to know each other in the break before the party began. During the party, I danced the Cha- Cha with Maxi and he was making sure I was doing my arm stylings and all of my notes. I danced a clean Foxtrot which felt very natural. I danced a sleek Rumba with Mario which almost felt effortless and helped to build my confidence. With Gerri I danced the merengue and she taught me moves I had never done before, it was challenging to keep up with her pace but I felt like I truly learned something. All throughout the evening, I used each step to prepare for my competition.

During my final class with Maxi, he gave me the note to keep my head positioned correctly in FoxTrot and not move except for in promenade. In Tango, I was getting a bit confused between the open fan and the open fan underarm turn so I had to remember the note about hand placement. If the hand is raised do a turn, if the hand is lowered just do the open fan.  

My Life lesson this week came as Maxi was telling me to look up. I thought about how I stare at my feet trying to make sure I am going the right way, in the process, I fall out of place because I can’t see where I am going and my vision is distorted. When I lift my head I am able to see clearly and properly put myself in position. In life you have to look for the positive and be focused on the direction you are traveling in. Without proper focus and direction, you become sidetracked by things that don’t really matter and won’t propel you to your destination.

As my thoughts continue to flow by this time I have boarded my flight for Argentina and am ready for takeoff. Last year there were no expectations with my dancing, and I wanted this year to be better than before. How good it would be to connect again with my friends from last year. I thought about how much I wanted to eat some Facturas, and a montage of the different places I had visited in Buenos Aires came to mind La Boca, The Evita Museum, and Puerto Madero. I was thinking that I was ready to dance my heart out on the dance floor. I drifted off to sleep with excitement in my heart for what was to come.

By: Kamaria George (08/24/2017)