(not so) tiny dancer

Hello, friends, and welcome to our SIXTH EPISODE of me shamelessly embarrassing myself for your humor   Way Back When-sday. Can you believe I've stuck with it this long? I know, me too. Figured I'd fizzle out after 3 weeks or something, right? Look at me and my stick-to-it-iveness. Don't you think that NOW you can join in? Share a little of your own past? No?? 

Fine, I'll just do it myself.

So you may have noticed a slight theme in some of the pictures over the last few weeks. Costumes. Particularly of the glitter-and-glamor DANCE persuasion. That's because for the first 15 or so years of my life, I was a pretty committed (notice I didn't say talented?) dancer. And then for the next 10 years I was an on-again-off-again dancer. And the first 15 years involved lots of makeup, glitter, and flesh-colored pantyhose. And, in retrospect...money. Thanks, Mom! I know those tap shoes didn't just buy themselves every year while my feet grew to their ever-so-dainty maximum capacity (bet she was prayin' for a daughter who maxed out at a size 7, wasn't she? HAHAHA, say my sister GIANTFOOT, and I). 

So this week, let us cast off our inhibitions and put on our glitter eyeshadow and big hair as we waltz leap, twirl, and jazz-hand our way down Memory Lane.

Let me start by apologizing that I do not have any of my REALLY YOUNG dance pictures in my own possession. Mom is pretty tight-fisted with that caliber of cuteness (can you blame her?), so next time I make a trip home I'll see if I can pilfer some, but until then...we're gonna have to start with about age 6 or 7.

Here we can see one instance of what was truly a rarity at this age: a PROFESSIONAL photo. Please compare it to what NORMALLY happened: the home photo:

As you can see, my posing improves exponentially with the cost of said photo being taken. Payin' a dude at a studio?? I turn on the glam. Have me in the front yard? Well, you get what you pay for. Other observation: apparently my mom spent the month's pay on the professional photo. She must have decided to save money by CUTTING MY BANGS TO THE QUICK so that they wouldn't have to be trimmed for 3 more years. Nice.

Also, it is worth noting that I have worn glasses since kindergarten. Big ol' thick ones. I didn't get contacts until the summer before 8th grade, bless my heart. So, you do the math. In all of these dance pictures (and during all dance performances and competitions and photo shoots) that took place prior to 8th grade, I was blind. I wore glasses during class, but never for performances. Maybe I was a better dancer when things were blurry. Or maybe I was vain. Either way...MOVING ON!

Tap picture!! Please notice the fabulousness of those silver shoes. I LOVE tap. Throughout my "career" I did ballet (including pointe), jazz, tap, modern, and lyrical. I'd be lying if I didn't say tap was and is my favorite. Yes, I still have tap shoes that fit me, and yes, I tap in my garage. It's friggin awesome. Unfortunately, no, I do not still fit into the above costume. FAIL!

 In middle school, I changed studios and started dancing with the company (now known as the "competition team," according to their web page) at Martinez-Evans Dance Studio.I loved dancing there, most likely because we got sweet costumes and got to take awesome pictures like the one above. This dance (which was actually pointe, so I'm not sure why we're wearing regular ballet slippers) was called 'The Dollmaker' and as you can see, we are all dolls (except for the one girl in the back who is obvs the Dollmaker). Dances always had to tell stories, you know? So that must explain the deer-in-headlights look on our faces. Me? I'm a smiler. I really don't know what to do when you tell me to make a different face for the camera.

It is probably worth your time to click on that group picture and check out our awesomeness up close. Just sayin'.

Also, I should sidetrack here and say that the studio I FIRST danced at (from ages about 4 to 11)...well, the lady that founded and taught at that studio...her daughter was on So You Think You Can Dance a few seasons ago! So, basically I am almost famous.

Here's one of my tap dances from that same year. I'm the one in the middle (back row). These costumes are significantly lamer than the Dolls ones.

Here's my tap dance from the following years. It was to "Devil in a Blue Dress," obviously. I'm second from the right in the back row.

Although I did some more dancing in high school, college, and even a few years post-college (mostly hip-hop and modern. and salsa.), I don't have many pictures of that...probably because the costumes weren't nearly as awesome. Nor the makeup as glittery. Nor the group poses as cheesy. Basically, life after middle school dance company has been a severe bummer.

That's all I've got for WBW this week. Gotta go get my tap on in the garage...peace!