drop that new beat

A couple weekends ago, my friends Shane and Shannon came and stayed with us while competing at a ballroom competition here in Philly. I got to pretend I was still a ballroom dancer for two days, and it was glorious. Shannon had me try on all of her very glamorous costumes, and I got to go to the competition and watch them dance Saturday night. I loved every minute of it. It was a pretty small competition, but randomly Riccardo and Yulia (current world champions) happened to be competing at it. BEST SURPRISE EVER. Shane and Shannon also looked fantastic. I couldn't stop smiling while watching them dance, I was just so proud. I kept pointing them out to the grandma sitting next to me, those are my friends! I don't think I would have wanted to do something professionally with ballroom, but it was certainly fun to live that life vicariously for a couple days.

dream come true basically

Tonight, I got to "cool down" with the ballroom dance team after watching their performance, and it pretty much made my life (cool down is in quotes because I couldn't do much in my wedges and skinny jeans, so I just sort of squatted around. cute image, huh?). Not even kidding! It's been a year and 9 months since I've been on a stage, and I was eating it up, like a total has-been. I think I was pretty obnoxious during the performance because I kept making comments to my mom and tapping my feet along with the numbers I used to dance (I remember the 3 couple cha-cha almost perfectly. Put me in, Lee!). But it was wonderful!

I sort of quit ballroom cold turkey, and while I've never regretted picking Aaron and graduating over dance, I do miss it a bit. And my friends! Oh, I've missed crazy ballroom people. 

So thanks for humoring me and letting me pretend like I was one of you for a little bit. (who am I kidding? I am one of you! I still wear the warm-ups! I'm totally still with it when it comes to ballroom!!!....okay, not really, but I pretended tonight). 

BYU Ballroom you are the best. xxxooo

fierce

I sort of wish I needed Aura hairspray and eyelash glue and had orange skin and 1.5" long nails this weekend. That's all.

pam shortt's broken both her legs and i wanna dance with you!

Last weekend was the first time since 8th grade that I've gone to Dancesport and not competed.

I almost cried, walking into the ballroom and hearing the blaring samba music and seeing everyone in fake eyelashes, fake tan, fake nails, and rhinestones. Under the pressure all of the school and wedding stuff that's been going on I haven't really had time to sit back and miss ballroom. And I didn't realize how much I really do until then. I mean, seriously, is there any better feeling than hearing your name announced as a finalist in amateur latin or standard and walking out on that floor like, Yeah I'm hot, and you know it? 

But here was the other thing, as I sat there watching my friends and sisters dance, I felt disconnected. That isn't my world anymore. I chose to leave on my own terms, and I picked a pretty dang good reason (*cough*Aaron*cough). 

Even if I sort of wish I could participate in all of this glamor and competition again:

So thanks ballroom, for all the good times and even the not-so-good times.

But I think I'll be a [engaged] chemist now.

*Congratulations to everyone who competed! The caliber of dancing was really excellent this year!

i own this decision

I feel good about quitting. It's been sad (and maybe I almost cry every time I tell someone I'm done), but I feel calm and okay about this. It's like for the first time in my life I decided on one thing I want to do. And I picked chemistry.

This is not to say that my semester will be any easier than usual. In fact, this will probably be the most difficult yet (can't believe I'm saying that after chem 391). I'm TAing (chem 391, of all classes), I'm working in the lab (trying to get enough data for a paper so that I can put that on my application for...), I'm applying to chemistry PhD programs, and I have other things going on that have yet to come to full fruition and so I'll hold off on announcing via blog just yet. 

Oh, and I'm sticking around for World of Dance this week (which means I'll be in the deJong every day from 5-10 this week), I'm taking four chemistry classes (2 lab classes = 13 hours/week, plus chem 521 and chem 514 = not easy), I have a 15 page paper in French on Occitan culture in southern France due in three weeks (that I have yet to actually start writing anything for), I'm (sort of?) the president of Y Chem and have an opening social to plan. 

Life centered around ballroom is over. Being a member of the team has been, without a doubt, the greatest part of my college experience. I am so grateful for the involvement that I have had with the company. Lee and Linda have been incredible to work with, and my teammates have been so wonderful.

I'm really glad that I have one more chance to dance this week during World of Dance.

And it would be really awesome if you guys could come, because this is it for me. This is the end of a ten-year long crazy involvement with ballroom. This is the last time I will be performing, possibly (and probably) forever.

So maybe if you're not doing anything, you could come and see my exit from the art that has held my attention and passion for so long. It would really, really, really mean a lot. 

Here's the website where you can buy tickets if you're interested. 

note to self:

day old donuts taste like day old donuts.

but it's okay because becky will get to wear it

The other day I saw a black, three tiered fringe dress at H&M, and I knew I had to buy it.

It was screaming really hot latin dress to me.

Except I don't have any plans to compete latin next year...or possibly ever again.
But I bought it anyway.

And then tried it on in my warm, warm room and cha-chaed around.
I guess you can the girl out of the ballroom, but you can't take the ballroom out of the girl...?

Blackpool Champions!!

A huge congratulations to the standard team who managed to beat out the Chinese and take home the Blackpool trophy!! 

Tonight I'm up with the latin team as we try to do the same. Wish us luck!

god save the queen

I ate fish and chips today! And had many more adventures my first day in Europe/England!

Read more here.

:)

purple, black, and blue for you

This started out as a post about the p90x I've been doing every morning at 6 AM with a bunch of chemistry friends and Shannon from dance, but it somehow morphed into a long plug for:

Blackpool Pre Tour Show! Next Saturday, May 14th!

Tickets are $12.00 and yesterday the box office released all of the really good reserved seats that the dancers' families didn't buy, SO you should all run over to the HFAC and purchase some tickets because this show is going to be incredible. The latin medley rocks because we have giant shiny discs for skirts and feathers up the front and back of our dresses, the music is incredible (thank you Mr. Kurt Bestor) and Cirque de Soleil-esque, and we have absolutely amazing choreography (thank you Eugene and Maria!). Also, I am a bookend, and by bookend I mean I get lifted way up in the air at the very beginning and very end of the routine, waving my arms around and looking intense and exotic. So, if for nothing else, please come and watch me in my two moments of glory.

Seriously guys, the medley will never look this good again. And this is probably the peak of the peak of my dancing ability (am planning on being done with individuals after Blackpool) so...if you are my friend...and are still around for the summer...it would really mean a lot if you could come watch.

Anyway.
I hurt from the lethal combo of p90x and 3-6 hours of dance every day.
But it is all worth it, right?
I just wish you all could see the bruises on my legs (I am in serious pain from the preparation for the Pre Tour Show! Look at the sacrifice I'm making for you to see some rad dancing! Do not make me suffer in vain!). They are everywhere, and it is really funny.

And...that's all I have to say about that.

I slept through the afternoon session of conference and got 6 tattoos today.*

This is me encouraging all of you who are in the area to attend the ballroom dance concert this weekend as we celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the program!



Dates: April 9th and 10th
Time: 7:30 both nights, 2:00 Saturday matinee
Cost: $12 (which is more than worth it to see the 27 consecutive times national formation team champions)
Place: Marriott Center


If you're interested and want tickets, post a comment, give me a text, call, email, or facebook message. You can buy them online or on the phone, but you'll get charged an extra few bucks as a service fee. The way to avoid that is to go to the Marriott Center in person, but if you contact me, I'll go do that for you. :)

There you have it! Come and support the arts, feel cultured, and be highly entertained!

*I really wanted to use this as a facebook status because I found it highly amusing, but needed to use that space to advertise for concert as well, so there you go. The 6 tats are temporary Easter ones from my girl's night out relief society activity this evening. Oh, and I've been sleep deprived for a month, (3 almost all nighters this week alone) so that's my excuse for the first half.

paper cranes

*sorry for the weird spacing/formatting. I wrote this up last night in word when I didn't have internet and the transfer to here was a little...messy.

New Goal:

Make enough washi eggs to fill a cute vessel from IKEA.

I think it’s time for Asian craft night, no?

Also, I’m rather proud of myself looking back on this week.

Why, might you ask?

1. Inner tube water polo. The valiant Deprotonators lost, but it sort of felt like a personal victory anyway, because I did something totally new and scary to me-a sport. Ahhh. But it was fun, and I was an okay midfielder, so there you go!

2. Chemistry magic show. Sara and I went to an elementary school to do two chemistry demos as part of Y Chem’s outreach program. We got to drive a Prius courtesy of the university. It was glorious. The shows went really well too. So well in fact that I am dying to do another one. Preferably at Abby’s (and my old) elementary school.

3. Late night chemistry. I spent almost every night at the chemistry building past eleven, which meant I made good use of my after hours pass (another reason why it rocks to do undergraduate research). I am still at a loss of what exactly to do for my review paper topic, but I’m narrowing it down…sort of…now it’s something along the lines of how SnO2’s surface chemistry contributes to its function as a gas sensor and catalyst.

Anyway, now I’m in Idaho doing a couple of performances with the team. It is freezing and the wind has yet to stop blowing, but the audience was great, and I got up in my shining moment of a lift at the beginning of the latin medley, so it’s all good. The above washi egg goal was inspired by the family I’m staying with tonight. They have a basket of them in their entry way, and when the wife told me her daughter-in-law and grandkids made them, I thought to myself, why not me too?

Thus my obsession with Asia continues.

I lost the invincible summer somewhere in the last few hours.

I do not know what to think, I don't know what to do, I don't know how to act.
I don't believe that I've ever driven away sobbing from a competition. I am so tempted to cut my losses right now, walk away and be done forever. I have wasted so much time, so much of my parents' money, so much effort, and for what? To not make it past the quarterfinal in a single event while I watch all of my teammates dance the final?

No thanks.

Maybe it is time to be a chemist.

Because then I can get out of it exactly what I put in. The right answer is the right answer. I either know it or I don't. I don't have to worry about someone else's opinion. I don't have to worry if my hair, makeup, fake tan, costuming, etc etc etc are good enough. I don't have to watch myself crash and burn. I don't have to come up with some euphemism as an answer when people ask me how it went. (real answer: Basically it was the worst competition I've ever had and oh, I don't think I want to continue competing. fake answer: It just wasn't my best.) How embarrassing is it to walk around with the evidence of being a ballroom dancer, the nails, the fake tan, and have nothing to show for it? I can explain away one bad event, I can explain away two, but all three? How many flukes do I get?

I left the competition with the dance still in me. I wasn't even tired, except emotionally from crying. I think that was the saddest part.

Is this a message? Am I supposed to be done, stop taking lessons, sell my dresses and never look back?

Sounds like a pretty good option right now.
Peace out ballroom. I dislike you too.

it has commenced...

ballroom season.

the ridiculously long fake nails are on. the two cans of $7 aura hairspray have been bought. the spray tanning sessions are planned. the rush to alter costumes is just now making me anxious.

Friday and Saturday, it is on.

Bring it.

love, save the empty

I'm sitting in my room listening to the rain fall. Today I was in the homecoming parade, handing out balloons marked with "50th Anniversary- Ballroom Dance Company Annual Concert April [whatever the date is that I can't think of right now, but you should all buy tickets from me and come when it rolls around]" to little kids. It was actually really fun. All of the other teams had to dance lindy, but we did not (and did not have to spend the time to learn the routine), as we have already sacrificed enough time to the ballroom gods lately.
This week was sort of weird for me. I got back from tour and jumped right back into school...except kept doing performances with Homecoming Spectacular all week too...so it was like tour...only at home... (odd thing number one) somehow I managed to get all the way caught up with my schoolwork by Tuesday night (odd thing number two). Granted, this took failing (ok, so I use that term loosely) a physics test (perfectly normal), but at least it's over. This white cat with one blue eye and one green eye has been wandering around my apartment complex (odd thing number three). I named it Francis in my head as it followed me back and forth between my apartment and the laundry room a couple days ago. Both of my classes were canceled on Thursday (odd thing number four). It was national chemistry week, and I ate liquid nitrogen ice cream every other day. I finished my physics homework that's due Monday on Friday (odd thing number five).

I feel a little...off kilter? maybe? I'm not sure what I'm "supposed" to be doing with myself now...I could leave on a mission next fall. I could do study abroad next fall. I could stay on the team and go to Thailand next summer. I could do more research and get a paper published. I could, I could, I could.

But what is it that I should?

Hmmm.

I should go study for American Christianity.

Happy weekend everyone. :)

time is all around

As of 5:10 this morning, I am back to reality.

Tour was so much fun this year. I knew what to expect and what not to expect (vacation-like experience, I don't think so), so it was a lot more enjoyable. We got to see some cool things like the beach (we didn't get to swim, but we did get to get our feet wet), the Reagan Presidential Library (which has his Air Force 1 plane in it, the entire, huge, actual plane. It was awesome.), the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica (shopped at H&M and got a delicious ham and cheese crepe), Downtown Disney, multiple temples, Hollywood, In-N-Out, and more. The thing that always strikes me when we tour is how generous people are. We stay with host families every night, and they are always so welcoming, so willing to do whatever to make us comfortable. You have the chance to see people from all walks of life and from all socioeconomic statuses, but everyone has the same high level of hospitality. It's awesome. It's also great to go to church in different cities and see that it's still the same, no matter where you go. The members believe the same things, give talks on the same subjects, testify of the same doctrine everywhere in the world. What a testimony of the truthfulness, stability, and unity of the church.

The forecast for this week is:
three tests
three extra homework assignments that should've already been done
two 5-11 pm rehearsals for Homecoming Spectacular
two performances for Homecoming Spectacular
one morning full of balloon handing out for the Homecoming Spectacular parade

May I be blessed with three extra hours in the day and twice as much brainpower for the next seven days...

crack the shutters

This website is really funny. I saw it on Amanda's facebook, and it made me laugh out loud in the dressing room earlier.

We're in Lancaster, CA right now. It's finally sunny! It rained all yesterday and the day before (perhaps misted is a better word). We got to explore Downtown Disney yesterday, without actually entering the theme park. This was rather depressing and led to us deciding to do a weekend roadtrip to Disneyland next semester. Instead of riding rides, we ran around the little shops, settling on the Lego store to spend most of our time. Becky, Ryan, Jared, Daniel, and I built an Egyptian pyramid, and then an obelisk, and then a reflecting pool, and then a sphinx. It was awesome. That night we performed on an extremely small stage in a theater without air conditioning. We were swwweeeeeaaaatttttyyyy.
This morning we went to Santa Monica. Some people went to the pier. I did not because it's a one time only experience, and I believe I am at least twice past that quota. Instead, Toffer, Ian, and I headed to the 3rd Street Promenade for some rad shopping. I think I just might start a blog series about jean shopping, I have done it so much lately (and I'm pretty much desperate for some good fitting jeans. If you have any brand suggestions for girls whose jeans are always too tight in the hips and too loose in the waist, let me know).

Tonight we're performing in an awesome venue. Another performance in Oxnard tomorrow, a matinee in Long Beach on Saturday (my cousin Nick and grandma are coming! I'm really excited to see them!), and we are on our way back.

So I have two more days to prepare to take three tests when I get home.

Maybe I will drop out of college and become a stage crew member instead.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Our host family is awesome, and this is why:

"They're really fun, sweet kids...who just happen to be in gangs."
-our host mom, who has the biggest heart in the world

In Australian accent:

"Changing lanes is like an extreme sport here."

"I teach the Sunbeams and they get these crazy ideas. Awhile back they decided that Jesus's surname was Price. 'Jesus Price!' they'd say to me. I had to set them all straight before their parents found out and got me thrown out."

-lady from Tazmania who had dinner with us

It's that time of year again...

Greetings from Bakersfield, CA!

Tour has been a lot of fun so far. Everyone on team is really nice and pleasant to be around, so that is always a plus. I had forgotten how fulfilling it is to perform for people who don't have the opportunity to see our kind of show very often. I think I had forgotten how much I love being on the tour team.

I've been taking mental snapshots in my mind during rehearsals, getting ready, performing, etc, all of the little things that go into being a part of this. Setting up the light trees, taping down mats on the stage, unpacking thousands of dollars worth of costumes, slicking our hair, putting on shockingly red lipstick, waiting and watching from the wings in the dark, rushing to make quick changes, getting annoyed with the lights for not coming on fast enough in the latin medley, spraying costumes with alcohol to kill bacteria, finally finishing it all off with "Show Business", mingling with the audience and taking pictures with little kids, cooling down onstage, striking and back coiling cables (I am so proud of myself for being able to do that), repacking costumes, removing lipstick, this is all part of being on the team.
This is what we do, night after night after night. Sometimes we get bored with it all and resort to telling pirate jokes while laying on the floor in the middle of "Pirates" or yipping really obnoxiously during the mambo, or seeing just how far away from the standard pink and brown eye shadow we can stray (blue? how rebellious!), and sometimes we get tired and ornery, and it is not so fun.
And then we get to talk to the audience, and shake their hands, and see their gratitude for performing for them, and it is all worth it.

I would not trade this experience for anything in the world.

mmmm....the land of curry...

This morning was the tour meeting for the ballroom team where we talked about our upcoming tours to Southern California (2nd week of October), and the British Isles next May.
The guy from performing arts management also mentioned what the plan is for next year's summer tour...

Asia.
meaning:
Thailand
Vietnam
& possibly Cambodia and Singapore.

It is enough to make me want to stick around another year.

I'll have to take that into consideration when planning my life...