Victor/victorious

You might be shocked & saddened to hear that I experienced a rather large loss just 48 hours ago. At a dance night someone helped themselves to my leather jacket (with smartphone & car keys in), and my bag containing my best dance shoes, purse, perfume, event flyers, shades, torch... all the essentials for a girl on the road!

After the initial shock had worn off, I, as is customary for me, thought about how I could turn this into a positive? It didn't take me long. In my last post I think I mentioned something about me wanting to reduce the time and energy I spend on facebook - quickly accomplished! I am STILL without a phone and have another 72 hours to endure yet - the longest since I purchased my first one over 10 years ago!

I consider it a gift that I have been left with more of my own thoughts during inbetween times yesterday and today - eg upon waking, at the bus stop (my spare car keys were on their way to me), in a queue, any spare second used to be spent checking for messages, updates, new likes on my page! & whilst I doubt I'll abandon facebook any time soon, the amount of time I have regained is noticeable, so I thank you thief, for that. New hard soled brogues with a block heel (on my list of things to acquire - now accomplished!). Thank you thief. 

In addition, the outpour of support and help from all quarters has been so uplifting, again, I choose to thank the thief! 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating thievery as an admirable profession - even though I DO love Hustle! I am pointing out that we can't control what happens to us but we can control how we react to it, & every so often something happens to show us something exciting about ourselves that we just keep overlooking. I always knew I was generally pretty great in a crisis, but during this one I was assisted very closely by a very new friend during my 'critical' 24 hours afterwards. Numbers for lost/stolen cards & phones were found for me, supper was prepared for me (at 2am). Firefly was deployed to suitably distract me til I finally gave in to sleep around 4am... Emergency cash was also lent to me - by someone I had met only an hour or so before! AND surrounding roads and gardens were scouted for me, in the hope of finding a jettisoned pair of #sweatysize4s.

Next morning, a replacement designer leather jacket was offered to me & I woke to dozens of well wishes on facebook - #oohtheirony! 

This post was due to be about how much I enjoy dancing Switch (Lead &/or Follow), hence the Victor/Victoria pun. I still wish to celebrate that but may save some of it til next time. Before all this drama I had just been back up to Newcastle for a Love Balboa weekend with Zack Richard & Maryse LeBeau. Fab dancers, cool types - they invited me over there to stay with them. Looks like I'll have to fit in Canadia too when I pop across the pond. Shame... Here's a (very short!) video of me dancing with Zack from Montreal, courtesy of Jazzy Lemon, #photographeextraordinaire!

Soon after dancing here I swooped through Yorkshire for another couple of quick Balboa fixes with BalboaNorth (Leeds) & Bella Balboa (Sheffield). Then, Cotswold Balboa Festival for a full one! What is there to say about this except well-executed event? Great crowd, inspirational teachers, oh and as is customary, an awesome afterparty. This came complete with pub dancing - told you I'm at home on this trip - other people wanna get up to it as often as me! Throw in a requested (correction, demanded!) acapella performance from me & superb cardistry from Gontran Galinier - one very talented and hard working guy, & there you have it! The teachers were all from Studio Hop in Toulouse so the people and families there really did have something to moan about this week. I consider myself very lucky to have just had possessions taken. I'd say blessed if I believed. Let's say I'm grateful, thankful... full!


So what was the new fact I needed to learn about myself...? I figured out (properly this time!) that whilst I'll always be strong, resilient, self-reliant, obsessively efficient, a leader, an entrepreneur, businesswoman, performer, entertainer, resourceful - in short, worthy of praise for what I have done / can DO...
I am in fact, loved and cared for - by virtual strangers as well as family and friends - because of WHO I AM.
I daresay the same can be said of you - if you just look again. So, before we all rush to prove ourselves & chase 'new likes', let's BE at peace with who we know we are and the rest will surely follow.

Oh and Gontran and I did a Switch dance - he is 6'5" and it was videoed so you'll see it as soon as I get a copy...Til then, adieu! 

Relocation, relocation, relocation

As promised, the Granite City Livin' the Blues was an epic weekend in more ways than one. Having the privilege to work with Ruby Red and Justin Riley again so soon - this time appearing on the same teaching bill (result)... exactly 4 hour sleeps each night and waking wide awake a few minutes before the alarm, refreshed & recharged? Yes please - that never used to happen!`

Spending lots of time rediscovering solo movement & having the opportunity to dance to a wide range of music throughout the weekend truly helped me reconnect with my mind, body & spirit in a way I've not done for some considerable time. What made it even more special was that I could feel many of the dozens of other dancers around me making the same journey. Taking part in my first Solo Riffin' & Cuttin' competition was liberating & awesome, particularly for a show off like me ;) ... Given that I only discovered this artform 2 weeks ago, coming 2nd in the competition for it was a strong enough debut for my liking.

Not forgetting I sang with The River Devils - one of the strongest Bluesin' outfits in Scotland - for the opening night & I had epic fun doing so! Confessing now that I enjoyed watching the dancing whilst I sang Titanium that it's now officially part of the repertoire, #sothere



A quick video of a bit of social dancing on my last night in Edinburgh. The microphone pick up on the video camera is very sensitive - it seems to hone in on horns (& my vocals) and distorts them ... blurgh...

To round up, as it's time I did: when all around you are losing their heads and blaming it on you? It's time to make a change. I suggest movement - specifically, connect with your body, and then the ground. (In a dancer's case this is the floor, of course!) Always seek to ground yourself before you seek to connect with others. To all my anchors that are there for me whilst I enact 'relocation, relocation relocation': I thank you. Every time I say good bye it is in the knowledge that the parting is only temporary and we will be united again, whether it be through our love of music, dance or some other connection. Whilst the dancing can only be done together, the rest may be felt as we close our eyes an breathe in. So do that if you haven't already. Go on, close your eyes, breathe deeply and think of the best ever connection you ever made. If it was with yourself embrace that with pride. If it was with another, breathe them in too... Who knows, they may be doing just the same thing at this moment...