Happy Fall, Y’all! October brings cooler nights, shorter days, and pumpkin spice everything. It’s also time to trade in shorts and swimsuits for long pants and cozy sweaters. Every year, when I switch out my closet for the new season, I stumble upon something from last year I forgot I had — always a nice little surprise!
The same thing happens with my dance showcases. But in my case, I’ve got over 15 years of performances tucked away, just waiting to be rediscovered. At the end of August, my dance teacher Georgi told me we were invited to participate in the White Party Dinner and Showcase Event at Ballroom Dance of NJ — a friendly studio owned by Sergei and Olga Bezrodnov in Summit, NJ. I was all in, because Sergei and Olga’s events are always a treat. Their studio is set in a gorgeous historic house with stunning architecture, their students are super welcoming, and the atmosphere is laid-back and fun.
The event was in mid-September, so we had to choose our showcase quickly to get in enough practice. Georgi’s first suggestion was one of our wildest, most fun routines — “Her Name Was Alice” from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. It was an amazing piece, choreographed by the great Michael Chapman, and we’d only performed it once, back in 2017, at Dance A Lot Ballroom Studio’s Dancing Stars show. When I ran the idea by my husband Joe (the voice of Dance A Lot), he laughed and said, “Are you nuts?” He had a point — the routine is pretty intricate, and with only three weeks to prep, there was no way we could remember it all in time.
Luckily, we had another showcase in our back pocket — a Swing routine to “Why Don’t We Just Dance.” We’d created, danced, and filmed it in the studio right after Covid, but we’d never performed it live. Georgi jumped on board with the idea right away. It was the perfect choice, and all we needed were a few props: a newspaper, a table, two chairs, and a TV remote. The only snag? I had to find a new dress. My original one, made of 97% cotton, had sadly shrunk after being tossed in the regular laundry. Whoops! Lol
We reviewed the original video, and believe it or not, Georgi didn’t change a thing — he kept the routine exactly as it was! During our practices, though, I started second-guessing our decision. Georgi kept giving me “almost good” feedback because I’d miss a rock step or make some other mistake. It’s funny how much you can remember from four years ago… and how much you can forget.
After three weeks of practice, we performed “Why Don’t We Just Dance” at the White Party. The day before, I managed to drop a large can of tomatoes on my little toe. It didn’t break, but it was swollen and very sore — definitely not happy about being crammed into dance shoes. But I powered through, put on my big girl shoes (figuratively speaking!), and we did the dance. I lost count of the mistakes I made, but somehow, Georgi made me look good!
Here’s the video if you want to check it out:
It was so much fun that I think I’ll take Georgi’s advice and use this showcase again for the Holiday Gala on December 15. Time to get practicing… and maybe stretch out that original dress! 🙂
