Shiny Costumes!

I have spent quite a bit of time perusing the internet for inspiration for costumes. Two of Elena Slikhova's (partner of Charles-Guillame Schmidt) costumes definitely caught my eye. I find the first black number to be quite sexy, while the second yellow number is really playful.




In addition to these, I fell in love with Dariya Chesnokova's costume that she was sporting at the Embassy Ball earlier this year. The second costume of hers is one she was wearing in November 2009. I really like the use of strings of stones - though upon enquiring, it looks like making a similar costume may require hours upon upon hours of stringing!




*Images of Elena and the second one of Dariya are courtesy of dancesportinfo.net.

Be careful if you dance with the devil, you never know how long it'll last.

It is true that had it not been for my ex-boyfriend I would not have discovered my love for latin ballroom. However, we had made the wise decision not to partner together. We would often that get questioned - isn't it weird to watch your boyfriend dance with someone else? To be perfectly honest, it wasn't always easy to do so. But hey, I was pressed up against someone else too - so it was all fair.

Usually after a break-up one never has to see their ex again. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. But now that our relationship has ended, I can truly say that our decision to dance seperately was the best one we could have made for our dance career. I don't have to find a new partner! I am not saying that this is the case for everyone. There are many couples who have been able to have both a successful dance career and relationship together.

However, there are cases of successful partnerships coming to an end due to the relationship factor. If Karina and Slavik had not fallen prey to the breakup curse, they may have very well become world champions. Slavik is once again partnerless (at least for the time being) after his recent break up with Anna. Anna has since partnerered up with her new boyfriend Justinas Duknausko (who recently split up with Ekatrina).

Dancing is hard enough on its own. Furthermore, maintaining a positive relationship with one's dance partner is a challenge in itself without the stresses of being in a romantic relationship. But on the other hand would anyone else really understand my obsessive 5 days a week practice schedule and dancing provocatively with a dance partner? I guess it really depends on the individual. It's all a double-edged sword.

Check out Anna's rumba with her new partner Justinas:

New Favourite Rumba

I am absolutely in love with this rumba. I wish I could chop Oxana's arms and stick them on to mine.

Hope you enjoy it!

The New Look

As I have mentioned before, we were at Grand Ball in Vancouver this last weekend competing. It was a great competition and an excellent opportunity to watch some very talented couples from Europe and New York compete. But the most exciting part of the competition was the mini makeover I got.

This was a spontaneous decision and somehow I managed to find someone help me execute my master plan on a Sunday morning. I decided to cut my hair! Not just a trim. About 8 inches of it. Check out the before and after pictures below. I realize its an odd look for an Indian girl, but I really like the way it looked on the dance floor. And I sure felt ever so Anna Melnikova-ish.

Before



After



In Action

New Costume!

Sorry for being MIA for the last little bit. I have been keeping busy preparing for the Grandball competition in Vancouver. It is coming up really soon - just next weekend.

I have been getting a costume made for Grandball. I picked it up today and we just need to stone it at this point. However, a fellow dancer stopped by the studio with some of her costumes for sale. I, of course, ended up purchasing one. Check out the pictures below. I'm thinking of wearing this one at Grandball instead. I'll post pictures of the other as soon as I finish stoning it.

The Alberta Ballet - Sleeping Beauty

I went to the Alberta Ballet last night to watch Sleeping Beauty. It was a truly beautiful production - with gorgeous sets, costumes and talented dancers. The male lead was of course Kelley McKinlay, and Princess Aurora was placed by Hayna Gutierrez - a new addition to the Alberta Ballet company.

What I really enjoyed about the production was that it was a classic ballet. Every detail was steeped in tradition. The choreography was challenging and the score was glorious. In spite of his smaller role, Yukichi Hattori, was still my favourite. His dancing is so incredibly effortless - the height in his jumps and his grace is unrivaled. But Yukichi aside, the entire company came together and the production was delightful.

I could go on and on about the choreography and amazing dancers, but what really struck me was the number of parents that brought their little girls to the production. One little girl was wearing her Sleeping Beauty dress (I asked if I could take a picture but her mother kindly declined)! It is reassuring to see parents encourage their children to cultivate an interest in the arts. I applaud parents who do so and give their children the opportunity to explore the arts. Had I been give the same opportunity, dance may have found me 18 years ago.

Interesting Quote on Persistence

This quote really resonated with me. I'm sure all of us dancers realize the value of determination and persistence when practicing and preparing for competitions.

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence, Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

- Calvin Coolidge, 30th American President

2010 Wild Rose Ball

We had the 2010 Wild Rose Ball in Calgary last weekend at the Polish Cultural Centre. The dancers from our studio did really well. Leah and Richard won Adult Silver, Michael and Clarice won Adult Pre-Champ and also placed fourth in Adult Champ. Whitney and Winston did really well as well - placing second in Adult Pre-Champ. All of us were quite happy with how things turned out. Everyone has been working really hard and their efforts are paying off.

Unfortunately, David and I did not compete. We decided that after the Embassy Ball, we still have quite a bit that we need to work on. We'll be competing at the Grandball in Vancouver next month. So we are working hard to ensure that we'll be ready for that. You have to win a competition before you walk on to the dance floor!

I have attached some pictures of our couples! I was so jealous - wish I was competing as well...

Slavik and Anna Split!

After just one year together Slavik Kryklyvyy and Anna Melnikova have decided to end their dance partnership. This is so incredibly shocking to most of us, since we were convinced that the two of them together would eventually rise to become world champions. Slavik the ballroom legend and Anna the beautiful, talented new girl on the "professional" block.

Its truly unfortunate for Slavik - it is unlikely for him to find a dancer of Anna's calibre again. He's had a good run. Slavik won the Amateur world championship with Joanna Leunis. He was then with Karina Smirnoff (she's now on Dancing with the Stars) for about four and a half years. They were Ballroom royalty. After that split, Slavik was with Elene Khvorova and Hanna Karttunen before he ended up with Anna. Most would think that Slavik was best matched with Karina. The following are some of my favourite videos of Slavik:

IDSF Latin Final - Embassy Ball

I found videos of the IDSF final from the Embassy Ball. Its insane to think that we were competing with dancers of this calibre!

One of My Favourite Videos

Things are slowly but surely falling into place with our routines. The one thing we need to work on is the performance aspect - intensity and sensuality. We found this video of Charles Guillame Schmidt and Elena Salikhova. I love her intensity and Charles is always amazing. Interesting to see how they seem to be reacting to each other without really having to be dancing together. Truly passionate!

A Dance Machine in the Making

I had a moment in yoga class this weekend. The embarrassing kind. Nearing the end of the class, we were in our lotus sitting position – meditating. For some strange reason, I was crying. And I just couldn’t stop. So now I need to find another studio to go to.

But on a more serious note, I was just incredibly frustrated with my progress and I just wanted to cry. I have another competition coming up in November and based on my performance in LA, I realize that I have a ways to go still. So there’s a plan in place – a desperate attempt to improve vastly in 2 months. The problem at hand is that in-spite of my best laid plans, the mind doesn’t always cooperate. Nothing is more frustrating than being at the studio and not being able to get though that mental hurdle. I want to stop in the middle of the routine, I just can’t lift my legs (or arms for that matter) to do anything and everything is half-assed; so what’s the point. Its like I’ve given up and left the building already (that’s actually something my ballet instructor has said to me).

I need to be a machine. An energizer bunny, with an I-will-persevere attitude. Since my crying episode, I have spent a significant amount of time analyzing the situation at hand. I’m a perfectionist. If its not awesome, why do it... I am sabotaging my own efforts. Nothing will ever be perfect. So today’s a new day, my friends. I will check my perfectionist attitude at the door and instead of doing everything perfectly I will simply strive to do it. Let’s just do this one thing and get through it. Because when I think about all 5 routines and having to do each for 2 minutes multiple times over the evening, I want to slit my wrist. So let’s do this one move, and take everything else as it comes. Let’s see where that gets me.

The Russians will Indeed Take Over the World!

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how most of the top dancers in the world are European (mostly Easatern European)? Anyone awesome is from Russia, Italy or Poland. It really got us thinking - well do they maybe have power in numbers.

Research shows that Russia indeed leads with 35%. Russia is followed by Italy, Germany, and Poland, with 8%, 5%, and 4% of all couples respectively. In fact us non-European dancers (Asian, American, Canadian etc.) are a minority - we make up 10% of the entire dance population. I feel like we should all procreate and have ballroom dancing babies! Or hopefully all of the people watching Dancing With the Stars will be inspired to put their kids in ballroon classes.

*I just wanted to mention that all calculations were based on numbers from http://idsf.dancesport.cz/ranklist.php.

Fuel for the Body

Don’t they say – you are what you eat. I have always taken that for granted. I try not to eat crap, but my willpower is useless when it comes to chocolate and fries. However, I have realized that I do need to eat better if I would like to get through a hard-core evening of dance practice. My legs are of no use to me if they are trembling. Plus when I’m exhausted the mind doesn’t let the body do anything.

So I started to do some research, and I’m more confused now than when I started. Some people say protein it up, others carb it up and some article even recommended chocolate milk after exercise. Who wrote that article? The Dairy Board? Others say drink Gatorade to keep the electrolytes pumping. I’m extremely fearful of sugary beverages, and Redbull for that matter – so no thank you.

My resolution: Eat all of it in moderation. So I have planned a meal containing carbs, protein (including a protein shake) and some fruit thrown in for good measure. Healthy! It did get me through the night (almost 3 hours of dancing) and I wasn’t all that hungry after. I had a glass of milk and I was off to bed. My findings reveal a healthy well balanced meal prior is all I seem to need. Oh yes, lots of water! Especially during exercise – but no chugging!

In doing some more digging, I found the following article about nutrition for dancers. Hope you guys find it helpful.

http://www.iadms.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=2

Does anyone have any suggestions on what works for them? I’d be very much interested in hearing what works for you.

Another First - My Costume

One of the most exciting components of competing is the costume. I spent ages researching, thinking about colours and other various shiny options. However, the design we settled on was swayed by other more practical ideas. As a “new” dancer, we decided that we would have to hide my weaker/under-utilized body parts – mostly my back. We settled on something similar to Oxana Lebedew’s 2008 costume.



Working with a designer, we drew up a design. I wasn’t too excited to be honest, since I wasn’t completely sold on the idea. But I needed to have faith, I thought. At the first fitting, I burst into tears. I hated it! It felt like a ballroom burkha! It was also quite different from what Oxana’s costume looked like. I seriously considered getting another costume, but funds and timing did not allow for this. Upon further reflection, I decided that we needed to shorten it and cut some holes in the bodysuit to make it a little sexier. Anything!

Well, the final outcome wasn’t so bad. On one hand, it was certainly unique. Did I love it and feel fabulous in it? No, not really. It still wasn’t me nor was it sexy enough for my liking. I love the colour though…



But like with all of my ballroom experiences, there is a learning here. Trust your instinct. If you feel that you are being heavily influenced by others and are placing blind trust in others, don’t do it! Create something that suits your personality and style. After all, you’re the one walking on to the dance floor.

I'm already in the midst of creating my next costume, and it's going to be fabulous.

Starstruck at the Embassy Ball

If not to compete, one should go to the Embassy Ball to watch the professionals. Even the amatuers (this is a division when competiting) were amazing. The quality of dancers in every division was astounding. We were very lucky to have the opportunity to watch Zoran and Tatsiana in the IDSF Amatuer Championship competition (Blackpool 2010 Amatuery winners), and Yulia and Riccardo, and Melinda and Andrej in the Professional Latin Championship competition.

We even ran into Melinda and Andrej at the airport checking in. We were such groupies - screaming at them and shouting adorations! We may sound crazy, but, oh my god, these are people you see on your tiny computer and television screens. Plus, they are from Slovenia. So my chances of seeing them again in person are really slim.

But I must say, I was most uncool when I met Max (you might know him as the really hot pro from Dancing With the Stars). Apparently our coach's wife is an acquaintance of his, and she made a quick introduction. Next thing we knew we were taking a picture with him, and he had his hand on my waist! I don't really remember what I said. Something about how amazing he was. The worst part was that I was shaking throughout the entire experience. And just to prove that I am not making things up, please find the picture attached. He's a greek god - that dances!



Excuse the hair and make-up - remnants from my afternoon of competing.

On a more serious note - Riccardo and Yulia are most certainly one of my favourite couples. Amazing rhythm, intensity and a great partnership. Watching them compete live was a privelege. Check out some of their perfomances from the 2009 World Super Stars Dance Festival:

My First Comp and I Didn't Pee My Pants!

I made it! I survived my first ballroom competition - in one piece. It was such an intense experience, but so incredibly worthwhile.

We flew into LA on Friday evening and more importantly, our luggage made it as well. Just to be on the safe side I had packed a carry-on with competing necessities - costume, shoes, jewellery and dark foundation. I recommend everyone to do so. A fellow dancer travelling with us was not so lucky. United lost her luggage and she only received it after the competition. (I would like to take this opportunity to say that I have never had a pleasant experience with United for various reasons. I will save this discussion for a different blog)

Saturday flew by so quickly. I was awake at the crack of dawn for various reasons. Anxiety and, also, not knowing how long it would take for me to do my hair for the most part. Having started at 8am I was finally ready at noon. Getting ready involved tanning, doing my hair (with a fro like mine at one point I had two other people helping me), extensive makeup and adorning oneself with jewellery, rhinestones and shiny lotion.

Once I made it to the competition, it finally hit me! I'm actually competing! Yes, there were various intimidating dancers - giving each other the stink eye of course. I fel so uncool! Like an imposter of some sort. My costume wasn't nice enough, my make-up wasn't heavy enough - plus I didn't have a fancy robe like the other girls. This definitely felt like a first day of school nightmare.

Soon enough they were calling numbers of heats and next thing I knew I was being led onto the dance floor. The music started and off we went. I'm not going to lie, it was not good (note: I'm referring to myself, not my talented partner). I was off at certain points and the 1.40 minutes seem to last forever. I was pooped and dragging my ass on the dance floor. But before you knew it, its all over.

My coach came rushing to us, asking how we felt about the experience. He was trying to assess if we had been scarred for life. Hell no, I answered, I wish I could do this every single day! As crazy and scary as it was - it was amazing! I have never felt so alive. We got to do a second round later in the afternoon and the performance only got better. The rumba was amazing and I got through my paso without any falls! And I was calm enough to wink at a few audience members!

At the end of the day, we didn't do so well in terms of ranking. But its important to remember that everyone has to start somewhere. And when you start at the bottom, you can only go up! So, its back to the studio for practice and the countdown for Grand Ball in November begins.

PS: I'm waiting on some pictures. Pictures of us and details of some of the pros we got to see will follow soon. And you won't be able to guess who we ran into at the airport!

This Will Be the Death of Me

Today in the midst of a full body wax, my esthetician asked me how I was feeling about my competition this weekend. I don't know if it was the excruciating stinging sensations that led to me say the following, or genuine fear.

I said -
It feels like death. I'm going to eventually die, but we don't really dwell or think about it. You just live in the moment and take things* as they come.

*Things being practices, various costume fittings, waxing appointments, self tanning applications and tryng to figure when it is I'm going to pack.

In hindsight, wasn't that just an awful thing to say. One would think I would be so excited and gearing up to the song "eye of the tiger". No - I'm in fact pertified, and am in denial that this is even happening. I'm worried that some Russian will give me the stink eye and that will be the end of my wavering self-confidence. (I have been warned that stink eyes are the norm and unless you are skilled at giving one, you will be eaten alive.)

So after this revelation this evening, I have decided that I am really just digging my own grave. I'm going to try to stay positive. Have some fun and play ballroom dress-up. Fake it till you make it.

Plus, I'm very talented at giving stink eyes.

Splits and Back Bends

I have never been a flexible individual. This is a problem in the world of dancing, where splits, grand battements (ballet term), kicks etc are important components of routines. I can barely touch my toes,let alone do a split. Yet a display of flexibility can quickly impress everyone on the dance floor. Check out Franco Fromica’s splits:



As such, I have traded in my gym membership and weight training plan for yoga. The plan is to be doing splits and back bend in no time! What I really like yoga is the combination of strength conditioning, flexibility and use of core. All of these are fundamental in any form of dancing. In addition to this, the restorative yoga stretches have been especially helpful in relieving some of my muscle aches. I have now come to the conclusion that my ballet instructor just stole all of her warm up stretches from a yoga video. It's interesting to see how all of the various exercises and stretches lend to each art form.

I have been frequenting (not frequently enough perhaps) the Yoga Shala here in Calgary. I have done the warm flow and Ashtanga classes held on Saturdays. Both have been challenging (in a good way). The instructors are really good as well; they are more hands-on than those at other studios that I have been to. This has been a big positive for a yoga rookie such as myself. You can check out the class schedule on their website: www.yogashalacalgary.com.

Just remember to breathe! There’s nothing more embarrassing than passing out in the middle of the class…

A Good Laugh

Our coach showed us these videos over the weekend. These guys are the top Amateur latin ballroom dancers from Russia. The first video is of Andrey - we had a good chuckle over his lip syncing and unique jive moves. But it only gets better.

The second video is of Andrey and Alexei (current IDSF Amatuer Latin Champion) competing. This video was hilarious!!! Not only were the guys imitating each other, but the swapping of partners at a competition was just unheard of. All in good fun or was it just rude?

Tough Love

Every Sunday, I drag my ass out of bed at the ungodly hour of 8am for my weekly ballet class. At first classes were hard. You know that stereotypical ballet instructor with a thick russian accent, tight bun and a cigarrete in one hand. Well, my instructor is nothing like that - she's sweet, loving but oh so strict. When I had tears in my eyes in my second class, she just looked at me and said very simply "persevere".

So week after week I returned. I never really enjoyed it. It felt like going to the gym. You dread going but you suck it up and you always feel good (and sore) after. Along the way you learn many lessons. Listen, otherwise you get yelled at when you eff up. Posture, otherwise you get yelled at when you eff up. And my favourite - don't let your hips go, otherwise you get yelled at when you eff up. I think you get the idea. But we know better than to argue. She may be in her eighties but girlfriend can still kick higher than Britney Spears in her prime! She sure knows what she is doing.

Since then I have come a long ways (along with my fellow friends in the class). It's still far from being good. But when she said that we did the best bar exercises this weekend that she has ever seen us do - I wanted to cry tears of joy. Ten minutes later she was criticizing my posture but, hey, those were the most glorious 10 second of my dance life yet. Oh and I did a proper pirouette! That in itself made it all worthwhile.

All You Need is a Man's Dress Shirt

I always thought Carrie Bradshaw was the only person (granted she's a TV character) that could pull of wearing a man's dress shirt in public. That's until I saw the video below of Ekatrina Lapaeva. Ekatrina who.... Her and Justinas ranked 10th in Blackpool - the biggest and most prestigious dance competition.

I think anyone that can pull of wearing just that and dancing with such casual sexiness deserves praise. And a litle bit of drool.

Run-ins on the Dance Floor

Last night when I was practicing I got elbowed by a fellow dancer (let's call this violent being - X). However, no apology followed. Apparently I deserved it. Well, I didn't back down without a fight. X and I may go way back but do not elbow me! Rude!


All of this was due to the age old debate - do you get out of the way when other dancers are coming in your direction? When competing, there are often 8 to 10 other couples (so multiply that by 2) on the dance floor with you. So more often than not, you're running into each other. What better place to prepare for these potential run-ins than when practicing. I thought I was helping X and his partner but I guess X did not feel that way.


So with almost 20 people on the dance floor going at a gazillion miles an hour (at least that's what it seems like), I am truly petrified of a showdown of some sort. So much could go wrong! I could fall, lose track of where I am in my routine, etc.... I have seen tumbles and dancers not being able to perform portions of their routines.

My solution to this possibility is to prepare myself by littering the dance floor with obstacles. The hope is that if I can get through it at home, then I will be leaping, spinning and ch-cha walking around my competitors. So X, please feel free to stand in my way. Thank you in advance.

I thought I would a link of some of the world's best on the same dance floor. Check out the near run-ins and how they are handled.

A Crash Course in Ballroom

Never having any dance training, I decided to take up Latin Ballroom in February of 2009. I was 23 years old and after watching competitors at a local competition, I thought – How hard can it really be? My boyfriend thought I was crazy.

And maybe, he was right. Its now August 2010 and let me tell you – it’s hard. Like really hard. It started off with 4 months of rumba walks. Walking may seem easy, but its not when you’re teetering in heels, trying to push your unused latz (it’s a muscle in your back) and throwing hip rotation in there. Oh and let’s not forget posture and arm movement. I’m not going to lie. I looked like Bambi with flailing arms. It wasn’t pretty.

And things just got harder from that point. I got partnered with a
10-year dance veteran. That meant I had to get from walking to dancing in all of 10 seconds. So a year and some later, I am preparing for my first dance competition. The plus is that we get to go to LA to compete. “Oooh, how glamorous” everyone has been saying to me. It’s not. It’s scary. I don’t think I have actually accepted the reality that in two and a half weeks, I will be half naked, 10 shades darker than my usual brown self and rubbing shoulders with amazing dancers with exotic last names.

So at this point, I have decided that it’s been an interesting journey so far and it’s only going to get crazier. I will be blogging about my various experiences along the way. And if I see some interesting
videos, pictures or images along the way, I will be sharing those as well.

I should have my costume next week. And trust me, even getting my costume made was an “experience”. Details and pictures to follow.