I am kicking back
watching Dancing With the Stars bursting with excitement for my test tomorrow.
I’ve been feeling emotional all week as next week, April 13, will be two years
at Daza Dance. When I think about everything it took to get me to this point,
the spiritual, emotional, and physical journey that has transformed my life my
heart can’t help but feel joy.
My first class of
the week was with Mario and we focused mostly on turns in waltz. Mario
encouraged me not to break my frame by looking down, and to turn my head on the
2nd count. We focus on
making adjustments to my frame that make me look regal and elegant from a
simple turn of the head to elongating my arms and steps.
My next class was
with Antonio and during a turn I forgot everything Mario taught me. I hear the
Mario’s sweet voice from across the room say “I saw that Kamaria”. It seems
Mario, like all of the instructors at Daza Dance has eyes in the back of his
head and I will never be able to get away with anything! As Antonio and I move throughout the
ballroom I’ve been studying the names of the steps in each dance and Antonio
gives me a quiz on the dance floor while we are dancing! Not only am I juggling
the notes in my head to execute all of the steps as flawlessly as possible, I am naming off steps! This is a great exercise in thinking on
my feet and learning how to be fluid in the moment.
For my last class
of the week Mario meets me at the top of the stairs before I can even put my
bags down to do an underarm turn in waltz, and I am able to do it with the
corrections. Mario smiles and encourages me and releases me to the ballroom. Since
this is the Last practice before the test, Antonio lets me choose whether onto
work choreography or test. I choose to work on the test as I am a bundle of
nerves that are all going haywire as I think about the test. We go through the
smooth dances and I am stiff and nervous. We take a Break from the smooth
dances and after a lively East Coast Swing and confident Rumba, I cut loose on
the Cha-Cha. My anxiety breaks and I am filled with laughter. I am giggling so
much Antonio stops me in the middle of the dance floor to ask me what I am
laughing about. I have found my reason for dancing again and I am overflowing
joy. We go through the smooth dances again, and I finally feel more on point
and ready to take my test.
My life lesson of
the week was to stop being a people pleaser. Antonio has been instilling
in me that I am enough, that I
should just be myself and people will love me as I am. I don’t have to try to
please people to my detriment, I can set clear boundaries and be truthful with
my thoughts and feelings. On the ballroom floor and in life I can be my true
self without having to work to be accepted.
Tomorrow begins a
new chapter in my dance journey. Whatever happens I have practiced hard and
given my entire heart and soul to do the very best job I can possibly do.
By: Kamaria
George (04/03/2017)
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