Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (1)

The "Results" Post
August 31, 2007

Well, it felt really good to get back out onto the competition dan

ce floor! 
But it was the getting up at 5 a.m. to be ready to dance at 7:30 a.m. that wasn’t so neat. Ah well, that's the price I must pay for what I enjoy. I have to admit though, it ain’t easy trying to get glammed up that early in the morning. I had quite forgotten how difficult it can be to pull oneself together at such an un-human hour of the day. Imagine trying to put on false eyelashes before your first cup of coffee!

Last weekend, everything came together quite nicely for me. Although when I step out onto the dance floor, I go out there to dance the very best that I can, I do not necessarily go out to “beat” the other dancers. What is most important is feeling that I perform well, and apply all that I have been working on in my lessons. And if I win some heats, that is the icing.

My first five dances, the ones that I considered a warm-up, and expected to be a little on the rough side, actually felt good. And low and behold, I took first place in all five. My second five dance heats were at the next higher experience level and the judging panel changed. Although I felt really good about the way I performed, the judging panel felt that others did better. Okay, fair enough. I took two third places and was a finalist in the other three. 

This was a warm-up for the Championship for my age and experience level; in this, the judges give the dancers a composite score on their skill and performance in all dances (waltz, tango, foxtrot, and quickstep). For the Championship, I danced with 12 other very good, and some even more experienced competitors. Same judging panel. I got called back for the second round, and low and behold, ended up placing third! I was so pleased. I would have been happy just to have made the call back, but third is a wow!

Later in the day, I also danced in a Charity competition championship where all the entry fees went to an organization for foster children. I went out on the floor to dance for the kids and have fun. I was relaxed and danced the best that I have danced in a long time. There’s something to be said for “not sweating the small stuff!” I took first place. What a thrill.

I don’t have pictures yet. None of my friends took any while I was dancing and I am waiting for the ones from the comp’s photog. So you’ll just have to be patient. But Jeremiah helped me take pictures of my trophies. The medal is for third place in the Bronze level Championship and the teddy bear and plaque are for first place in the Everybody's Children Foundation Charity championship.

Posted by Caroline Kennedy on August 31, 2007 | Comments (1)