D to the A-N-C-E. my LOVE!

It's Iowa. It's Winter. Therefore, it's snowing!

As I'm looking out my window, I see we're currently getting the biggest snow of the season right now. I think snow is beautiful until I have to drive in it...but that's not gonna stop me from getting to the show that I've been SO ExCiTeD about since I heard they were coming to Des Moines last year! ...THE ROCKETTES! I'll tredge through the snow in my flip-flops if I have to! I get to go see their Christmas Spectacular at the Des Moines Civic Center tonight with my mom, Aunt Julie and sister-in-law. I think it's gonna be amazing & look like so much fun.

There is a big bummer about this "spectacular", though...

...the fact that I won't be on stage dancing with them! :( It would be a dream...

I started dancing when I was 3 years old & continued until I graduated from high school. This was a weekly, 9-month commitment and when I got to high school, it became a 2-4 hour our daily, 9-month commitment - but I absolutely LoVeD it despite the exhausted abs from hundreds of high kicks, disgustingly bruised knees, sore toes, early mornings, freezing cold, windy football game performances, being completely costumed & having to go to the bathroom, and nasty bright red recital lipstick! Dance made me happy and I would still be dancing if I could...

I took classes in jazz, ballet, pointe and tap, as well as was a member of my high school's football & basketball RhythAMetteS dance team for four years. Hundreds of hopeful dancers would tryout each year to make the varsity or JV team (yes, it was that big!), as it was one of the most successful teams in the state.So, it was very nervewracking until you got "the call"...I remember I cried, I was so happy to have made it! I always wanted to be a RhythAMette & took part in their Pom Pon Clinic when I was a little girl. The football squad was made up of 36 girls who performed before & after each football game. Then we would have to tryout again to make the smaller basketball squad of about 16-18 dancers. The basketball squad would be the ones who performed at the Iowa State Dance & Drill Team Contest in December. My senior year, we won 1st place in all 3 of our dances - Novelty (a Saturday Night Live satire), High Kick & Lyrical - it was an unbelievably exciting experience! Throughout the year we also put on a big, sell-out spring show, attend the Regional Contest in South Sioux City, NE and a couple week-long summer camps. It was my life.

Needless to say, I have a passion for the art of dance & am very thankful my parents were willing & able to pay for my lessons! I wanted to grow up to be a professional dancer, Rockette, or even a back-up dancer for a band...but, I'm not THAT good. :( Someday I can hopefully take more lessons just for the exercise...God knows I'd work out more if it was something I actually enjoyed!

So, RoCk On RoCkEtTeS, rOcK oN...

...and DaNcE oN S.E. Polk RhythAMetteS, dAnCe On!

On another note...I'm also excited that I'm back to work in the office tomorrow (I work from home a couple hours away), because I get to see all my wonderful co-workers & have lunch with two uber-cool student friends, Drew and Kathryn! It tends to be the case that I rarely get work done when I'm back on campus, because I'm talking to everyone - Ha. :P

By the way, guess what Kathryn is doing next semester?! Interning @ Walt Disney World in Florida! She is gonna be one of the characters walking around, as well as performing. She doesn't find out which characters she'll be until she gets down there, but I can't wait to hear all about it. She's a sophomore from Colorado who is so adorable & would make a perfect little Disney character...plus she is an actress!

Toodles for now...

peace.