Looking Back - Part 2

Dear Madonna,

More highlights of 2010....

At the Michigan Classic I danced in the Advanced Strictly Swing competition with Nelson Clarke, who was amazing - as usual. We made one enormous error - pictured above - which we wouldn't be able to repeat if we tried, but the judges liked our performance, or perhaps our recovery, and gave us my first (and so far only)  "picket fence" win.  Thanks, Nelson!

I brought home two beautiful trophies from the Liberty Swing Dance Championships, and made multiple trips to the podium at Kansas City, Swing Niagara, and Sea to Sky. So, yeah, it was a great year competitively - and I don't dare start thanking all my Leaders in case I forget someone.  I also got to dance "spotlight" at a number of events this year - always a huge (albiet terrifying) thrill.

Apart from all the travel back and forth across the continent to rehearse with The Meat and attend dance events, I actually had some memorable business trips:  to Regina (where I flirted with Mounties and went to my first Riders game), to beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia, and to Atlanta - where I fulfilled a life-long dream to dance in a cage, like Go-Go Girl.

West Coast Swing in Toronto continued to flourish in 2010, with the Toronto Open Swing Dance Championships (TOSH) taking place in July, "Hustle/Salsa/Swing" nights that were launched at 6 Degrees, and WCS Wednesdays which ran for about six months at Alleycatz.  Still going strong are Elaine's dances in Ancaster, and the Toronto Swing Dance Society provides ongoing support and encouragemnt to the greater Swing community.  And of course Tuesday nights at the Dovercourt House remain my most passionate focus: providing valuable instruction and a fun and friendly dance environment for WCS dancers of all levels.

Diva Productions hosted a workshop (with TSDS) to welcome John Kirkconnell to Ontario; Vancouver's loss has been our gain.  Our annual CAMH Benefit Dance was well-supported with generous donations from West Coast dancers, and a grand prize courtesy of the Toronto International Swing Dance Championships.

Oh, and all the home projects I had planned for 2010 that didn't get accomplished?  I'll get around to them this year for sure.

Julie

Looking Back

Dear Madonna,

I came across this picture recently from one of our Salsa Burlesque performances, in February or March, I think. It made me stop and realise what an incredible year it's been for performing, travelling, competing....

On the heels of my turn as "Ginger Von Plume" with GoDanceMambo and the girls, I started rehearsals at the National Ballet School to take part in the Flash Mob at the Eaton Centre in April.

Then in May, at SwingDiego, I met "The Meat", and embarked on the journey that would culminate in competing at the US Open.



Who knows what 2011 will bring, but I'll be ringing in the New Year at an event near Boston, New Year's Dancin' Eve...and I'm packing my purple boa ;)

Julie

The Time of My Life

Dear Madonna,

The Meat was holding out on me.  The week before the Open he went for x-rays of his elbow and knee and was told by his doc that he had hairline fractures in both joints. Of course he didn't tell *me* that until after we'd danced in both the Semis and the Finals - that's right, we made Finals, and actually opened the Saturday night show! 

For my part, I got some very, very sad news that Saturday morning. That, coupled with lack of sleep and perfomance anxiety, had me feeling extremely fragile all day. I would have burst into tears if anyone had looked at me the wrong way - although you wouldn't know it from any of the pictures. In each and every shot I'm grinning ear-to-ear, and appear to be relaxed, confident, and (thanks to Dana's make-up artistry) quite glamorous. That in itself deserves a medal, don't you think?

In retrospect it was a bit disappointing to finish just outside the top five, but I think we were very lucky to take 6th in a field of 15 couples - some of whom were seasoned competitors, and *all* were great to watch - once we had put our piece on the floor and I was no longer too nervous to take a look at the other routines.

Sadly. my love affair with Chase was cut short when a younger woman caught his eye:

The entire event seems like a bit of a dream, now. We saw such incredible peformances - from Showcase, to Classic, to the wildly talented Junior divsion - and laughed at the (very cool) floor sweepers and the antics of the Pros during the Swing Challenge. My peeps back in Toronto and those who were attending CASH Bash in Cleveland sent their love and support and have assured me that I made Toronto proud.

So what's up next?  The Meat and I can take part in the Masters Tour starting with the America's Classic in January....

I've already booked my flights!

Julie

3,2,1!

Dear Madonna,

One more sleep until we head to the Open.  The Meat, Summer, and I will be driving down to  Phoenix tonight and stay at Helen's condo before our morning flight to Burbank, and then everything will start happening pretty quickly.

We have a mandatory competitors' meeting at 2:00 p.m. - which I suppose will be huge, as there's only one such meeting scheduled the entire weekend.  Opening ceremonies are at 7:00 p.m., with participants staging at 6:30 p.m.  The Meat thinks I'll be able to do my Canadian flag bearing duties, plant the flag, and double back to walk in with all the Masters Competitors.  He's also marching in twice, both as a competitor and a sponsor to of the Young American division.

Speaking of which, have I told you about the new man in my life? His name is Chase. He and his partner, Anika are also dancing at the US Open for the first time. We social danced a bit at the studio after one of their practices this week and we both fell madly in love.

My gal Tina did my hair yesterday - she uses these huge rollers and sticks me under the dryer to straighten it, and I scored five pairs of false eyelashes for a dollar a pair at Target, so with Dana's help I should be able to make myself stage-worthy on Saturday. We'll actually be performing twice: Semis at 11:00 a.m. and Finals at 7:00 p.m. 

I'm just worried about getting the Meat up for our floor trials at 6:30 a.m.  He is *not* a morning person.

5,4...

Dear Madonna,

Meet my "Alteration Angel", the Meat's seamstress, Margie.

Has it ever happened to you, during a performance, that you hear a rrrrrrrip sound?  Well, it happened to me during our demo Sunday night at the swing dance in Phoenix. I heard it, kept going, and was having so much fun I didn't really notice until the next morning: a big split in the seams under the right arm of my costume!

Margie to the rescue - and as Joanna said, if you're going to have a wardrobe malfunction, better now than at the Open!!!

7,6....

Dear Madonna,

When I first started dancing West Coast Swing I remember coming to Phoenix for a business trip. My friend, Kathy, who introduced me to WCS originally in New York, happened to be in California on business, too. Her mother was living in Scottsdale at the time so we both extended our trips to spend the weekend in Arizona.

Her niece drove up from Tuscon, and the three of us went out Salsa dancing on the Saturday night. Then on the Sunday night we went to the Greater Phoenix Swing Dance Society's dance at the Elks Lodge.

We were warmly welcomed as out-of-towners, who had "found" their dance on the internet - still a rather novel occurance. I remember it was a bit of a challenge dancing with Leaders who wanted to chat at the same time; I was still counting 1,2, 3&4, 5&6 in my head!

It must have been in November, just prior to the Open, because we got to see a demo of a performance by club members who were going to the US Open soon to compete. (I remember it was Gary Jobst dancing to "Knock, knock, knock on wood").

Well, here we are, years later: it's November, I'm in Arizona, and I'm going to be demo-ing *my* US Open routine with The Meat *tonight* at a swing dance in Phoenix.

Amazing!

10, 9, 8....

Dear Madonna,

The countdown is really on. It's now just eight (8) days until The Meat and I compete at the US Open. Can you believe it?

I arrived in Prescott today for a week of rehearsing before we head to California.  Of course we won't be spending every minute of every day in the dance studio.  For one thing, Summer's Dancework's is busy during the day with classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Hip-Hop - ages three to 87(!).  For another, there's just so much abuse The Meat's body can take hauling my heavy a** over his head.

Or so he likes to say.

I'll be here for U.S. Thanksgiving, which we'll share with Summer and her family. Apparently we're going to see a High School play tomorrow night. I've got a few things to keep me busy but I suspect I'll be crawling the walls and *more* than ready to get on that plane to Burbank next Friday.

And for some reason I can't get the Queen song "Don't Stop Me Now" out of my head....

True Patriot Love

Dear Madonna,

I'm going to be the official Canadian flag carrier at the opening ceremonies at the US Open!  Wow....it's kinda like the Olympics!!

The call for volunteers came out last week and I thought I should check with Myles and Tessa - but they've carried the Maple Leaf several times so are okay with letting me do the honours.

Apparently there's a parade of competitors, with all the American States lined up, and then the countries.  Carriers are to keep the flag rolled up until the competitors' march is completed. Robert Royston will announce the American states in alphabetical order, and then the countries repesented. Each carrier will is to go to the front edge of the floor in turn, present their flag, and "Feel free to move and wave your flag."

Oh, I will, baby...I will.

Lessons from BOTB

I caught Battle of the Blades last night. That's the the über-Canadian reality show that pairs retired NHL hockey players with figure skating superstars to compete as couples - complete with choreography, costumes, and crazy-ass lifts.  They perform a new piece each week, and each week one couple gets voted "off". The ultimate winners take nothing home for themselves except bragging rights; money is donated to their chosen charity.

Their commitment and sacrifices were highlighted in short vignettes between performances showing how the contestants balance a brutal training schedule with their regular busy lives and family obligations. The hockey players, in particular, are pushing themselves way outside their comfort zone, and even as atheletes everyone has to be diligent about staying injury-free.

There was high drama, too, when the custom-made skates of two-time Olympic champion, Ekaterina Gordeeva got delayed due to a flight misconneciton and almost didn’t make it to the rink in time.

I am so not checking my US Open costume!

The Colour Purple

Dear Madonna,

I can't believe I had to make another trip this week to the hospital - this time due to an injury to one of my toes!  It was a dancing accident, which happened during one of our weekly Tuesday night practices at the Dovercourt House, and before some hapless Leader gets blamed I might as well come clean and admit that it was totally self-inflicted.

"The Meat" was understandably concerned; the US Open is less than a month away, and we can't really change the choreography - as Nick suggested - so that we do the entire routine on The Meat's shoulders!

The toe is actually feeling a lot better today. I have a bandage on to stablize it a bit, so haven't checked if the bruising has gone down... 

Seriously, the only purple I want to see on November 27th is my costume.

Julie




The only purpl

One Year Anniversary

Dear Madonna,

I went for for my every-three-month "mole patrol" exam yesterday. It was at Women's College Hospital, where my GP first identified the offending spot which turned out to be Melanoma. WCH is a teaching hospital, so the first part of the examination is usually conducted by a resident - invariably some cute young guy.  I'd flirt, but I don't want to distract him.

The one year anniversary is significant in that from now on I can reduce the trips to the dermatology department at WCH to every six months.

In the meantime: sunscreen!

Julie

Hard Candy

Dear Madonna,

I was (appropriately) working out when I saw on the news channel that you're opening your own chain of gymnasia: Hard Candy Fitness. Love it!  And the first one will be in Mexico City?  Any plans to come to Canada? Although I'm very loyal to my gym, Christine's....

That album cover reminds me of something that happened this past summer. I was boarding my plane back from a dance event in Kansas City - where I cleaned up, by the way - when I saw someone carrying one of those prize-fighting belts you're wearing. Turns out this guy, a very attractive man in his 50's, had just wone some big Masters amateur boxing title. I piped up that I had won a "Masters" title in dancing!  We talked a bit about our day jobs, and he asked me for my card. I was thinking - hoping, actually - that we may end up doing a few rounds on the mat, but his assistant called the next week to ask about booking meetings.

Bummer.


Julie

In Praise of GWPs

Dear Madonna,

I lost my purse last night. Or it was stolen. The latter still makes me sick to my stomach so I'm trying not to think about it. In addition to my phone, credit and bank cards, etc. I realized this morning that most of my make-up is gone. This just added insult to injury since, as a red-head, I don't normally leave my condo without mascara.

I happened to remember seeing an ad in the weekend Globe about a Lancome's Gift With Purchase offer at The Bay. Arriving at the cosmetic counter wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses I told the sales clerk what had happened. A lovely Asian woman of indeterminate age, she was genuinely sympathetic and helpful in helping me make my selections, and insisted I get the *red* make-up bag to bring positive energy into my life. At the end of our transaction she gave me a big hug and said that everything was going to be alright.

I believe her.

On The Fly

Dear Madonna,

Standing in line at Starbucks at the Minneapolis airport for a much-needed Short Bold, I struck up a conversation with a pilot wearing a pink tie. Turns out he was to be my pilot, to Phoenix, and the pink tie is in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. He also told me that Delta Airlines flies a pink plane for the entire month of October.

I’m off to meet The Meat again. A couple of days of rehearsals at Summers Danceworks in Prescott, then we head off to San Francisco for Boogie By The Bay, may-be to put our routine on the floor again, may-be to work with one of the pros to “juice” it up a bit.

I so want to ride in the pink plane, though, don’t you?

Focus, Julie.

Another One Bites the Dust

Dear Madonna,

One of my favourite bowls was broken this week. I won't go into what happened exactly - suffice to say that Zouk was involved - but the bowl itself is was hand-made by my cousin NJ, and therefore irreplaceable. It's also irreparable, although I can't bring myself to throw out the pieces.

When I visited Cava-Karen in England a few years ago she had a box fillled with broken crockery, and plans to somehow, someday make mosaics out of all the broken cups and bowls and plates in her life. Funny thing is, I have a box like that too!

In our dotage, perhaps, somewhere on the French coastline, Karen and I will craft beautiful mosaics filled with memories.

Ciao,
Julie

You know it's for real when....

Dear Madonna,

Well we did it. With all the travel and rehearsals (and juggling of our "real" jobs), the deadline kind of snuck up on us, but yesterday I got the confirmation email:
=====================================
You have regsitered for the US Open.
=====================================
Yikes!
The Meat and I actually performed our routine for the first time this past weekend at Swing Niagara - knowing we'd be disqualified based on one of the elements, but it was important to get it out there, in costume, and on a competition floor.
Speaking of floors....I seem to remember reading a profile of Benji and Heidi in 5678Swing magazine - years ago! - in which Heidi was quoted saying something to the effect "We've done everything we can to get ready for this moment; the only thing can't control is the floor".  So true!  All of the competitors were affected, but (thankfully!) nobody got hurt.
Oh, and gremlins got into the computers on which they were managing all the competitions and scoring - that was a drag - but otherwise the event was a blast!  Toronto did amazingly well in all the competitions, and we defended the Pro-Am Challenge Cup.
Grapes and Ju-Jubes for all!!!
Ciao,
Julie

Pin-up Girl

Dear Madonna,

Thanks for the 16-month calendar, although I was expecting something with squares for each day of the month where I could write down my appointments, dance events, etc.  Instead each month features a two-page spread of...well, you.

TTYL,
Julie

Beam Me Up, Scottie!

Dear Madonna,

I picked up my US Open costume this week from Shkank. The Spandex feels *awesome* on, and the sequins really catch the light - but it has a bit of a Star Trek thing happening, don't you think?  Anyway, Shelley has given it her style stamp of approval, and I test-danced it last night with Nick. No major problems - whew! The Meat's matching shirt will be ready next Thursday, just in time for Swing Niagara.

Meanwhile, the Meat is following doctor's orders for his shoulder, which blew out on him last week in Phoenix. Yikes!  We're really getting close now and after all this time and effort (and expense) neither one of us can afford to get injured.

Now I have to figure out how to put on false eyelashes... Any hints?

Ciao,
Julie

Mi Casa Es Una Casita

Dear Madonna,

Greetings from the Hilton Pointe at Squaw Peak in Phoenix, Arizona. The Meat and I are nicely ensconced in a bi-level Casita and had a productive rehearsal this afternoon in one of the breakout rooms reserved for Private lessons. The ending still needs work, but it's getting there.

I started my day with a Zumba class and a bit of lifting at the gorgeous fitness facility/spa here at the resort, and went back this evening to get a $15 manicure and margarita. (OPI's "Meet Me at the Star Ferry, in case you wanted to know.)

The Meat's girlfriend, Summer, just arrived - quite unexpectedly; a wonderful surprise for both of us. He's been whining about wanting a massage....  So I guess I'm sleeping on the pull-out couch downstairs tonight - which fine by me; I'll probably stay up much later dancing tonight anyway.

Yesterday I put my hotel hat on for a couple of hours and did site inspections of this hotel, its sister property, The Pointe at Tapatio, and The Different Pointe of View, a stunning Four Diamond restaurant - newly renovated - overlooking the entire valley. Hence the generous upgrade to this lovely Casita (plus cheese plate and bottle of Canyon Road Merlot.)

I love my job.

Julie

Meet "The Meat"

Dear Madonna,

I can't believe I haven't told you about this already: yours truly will be competing at this year's US Open Swing Dance Championships.

My partner, affectionately known as "The Meat", picked me up - quite literally - at SwingDiego last May. We met late one night before the awards ceremony for his "kids" (he coaches a couple of young competitive dancers - so cute!) and started practicing the next day.

I should mention that the US Open is the most prestigious competition on the West Coast Swing dance circuit.  We're competing as Masters - over 50 years old - so the field is somewhat limited, but there are some very experienced competitors in that division, well-known to the judges, and probably accustomed to the pressure of dancing on the US Open floor.

I should also mention that The Meat lives in Prescott, Arizona. It's been a *crazy* schedule of travelling and meeting up at dance events all over the country in order to finish the choreography, rehearse, and get private coaching sessions.  He's here in Toronto this week, and we've ordered our costumes - so the whole thing is getting more and more real.

The Meat heads back to Arizona on Monday, then I fly out there on Wednesday and attending Desert City Swing (http://www.desertcityswing.com/) next weekend . He'll be back here again just before Swing Niagara (http://www.swingniagara.com/) where we hope to put the routine on the floor for the first time.

I keep imagining Robert Royston, the emcee for the US Open, announcing:  "From Prescott, Arizona, and Toronto, Canada...."

Ciao,
Julie

Why Ain't It Always Summer?

When I was about 10 years old we went on a family holiday to Prince Edward Island. It was a dream vacation to for me, as I was a HUGE L.M. Montgomery fan. I'd read Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne's House of Dreams, Emily of New Moon, Rilla of Ingleside, Mistress Pat, Pat of Silver Bush, A Tangled Web....but of course it was Anne of Green Gables that almost single-handedly launched the Island's tourism industry, with the *real* Green Gables a much-visited tourist attraction attached to a golf course in Cavenish.

My father bought us tickets to see Anne of Green Gables the Musical at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown. I adored the show and was allowed to get the original cast recording - on vinyl no less - which I played over and over on my parent's stereo in our basement in Ottawa. 

By far my favourite song was the one where Gilbert and the boys are complaining about going back to school.  I remember they danced barefoot, the point being that putting shoes on again after a summer of going barefoot, well, sucks.

"Why ain't it always summer?
It would be geat -
Singing around the campfire,
Staying up late.
Might even take a chance on a romance or two,
Why ain't it always summer?
It's over too soon."

This week I attended the annual IncentiveWorks conference and tradeshow, which pretty much demanded that I get out of my Lululemons and put on some more business-like attire , so I wore a bone-coloured Anne Klien suit. I couldn't, however, bring myself to wear closed shoes. My brown Oakley flip flops may have been a bit of a fashion faux pas, but they sure were comfy!

Julie

The Best of Dances, The Worst of Dances

Dear Madonna,

I competed at the Michigan Classic last weekend and achieved my first "picket fence" win. That's when all the judges have you in first place so that the number 1's line up like a picket fence....and that was despite a pretty spectacular error.

Same event - same day, even - I danced in another division and was placed DFL, or Dead F***ing Last. That was another first for me and I'm owning it - which is, of course, easier to do (as Michelle said) when I have a Picket Fence to hide behind - but being at both ends of the spectrum does speak to the immediacy of dance, and how it is appreciated (and judged ) so much in the moment.

Was I better - or worse - dancer from one contest to the next?  Of course not. And as much as I appreciate the feedback from judges and coaches, the biggest trophy I received all weekend was from my partner in the Novice Hustle Jack & Jill who told me - very sincerely - how much he enjoyed dancing with me.

That trumps a Picket Fence any day.

Ciao,
Julie

Ma Vie En Rose

Dear Madonna,

It started innocently enough.

A few years ago I had a dance team called 24 Feet of Funk - made up of six couples - get it? They were getting ready to make their debut at the Toronto Swing Dance Society's Open House and I wanted to wear something that would connect me to the team, without actually dressing in costume. The Followers were in all black with a hot pink hip-band, so I settled on a Nike baseball cap in hot pink.

Little did I know that that would be the thin edge of the rose-coloured wedge.

Today I own a plethera of pinkish T-shirts (which I wear to work out in, along with afore-mentioned pink baseball cap.) My iPod is pink, and there are touches of pink peppered throughout my wardrobe: pink piping on my 'Damzels' dress that Cava-Karen bought for me, pink trim on the Pink Tartan jacket I bought on sale in Syracuse with Dana, and a pink broad-rimmed hat which I bought to wear to Ben and Crystal's wedding.

I'm wearing that hat quite often these days to protect my sun-sensitive skin. You wouldn't believe the compliments I get from complete strangers - men! - on the street. The attention causes me to blush - a subtle shade of...

Julie

P.S. You can see me in my pink baseball cap and pink top in the National Ballet School's official video of our 2010 International Dance Day "flash mob" performance at the Toronto Eaton Centre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAIzXPqwcag&feature=fvw

International Dance Day Eve

Dear Madonna,

Well tomorrow's the big day: our International Dance Day performance at the Eaton Centre. We have one more rehearsal tonight in the actual space, around the fountain. I'm coming on fairly early in the dance but I still have to pretend to be an ordinary shopper, feigning interest in a store window or something when the music starts - then running (and dancing) into position on cue.

I'm going to miss rehearsals at the National Ballet School. In fact I very nearly *missed* the last rehearsal there on Monday. In a panic to be on time I grabbed a cab and when I told him "400 Jarvis" he said right away: "Ah - the National Ballet School", asking if I was a ballerina. Not wanting to make things complicated I laughed and said something like "wannabee ballerina", though I don't know if he understood.

Then he starting talking about how I must like Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, and fiddling with the radio until he found a classical station. He may have even been Russian himself. We both fell silent when something sweet and soothing was found, putting my rattled nerves at ease so that I arrived relaxed and ready to dance.

He dropped me off at the same place all the other ballerinas were being dropped off.

Julie

SATC Meets WCS

Dear Madonna,

So I finally saw the tribute to you that aired on Glee this week; PA sent me a link.

It's actually the first time I've seen the show. I don't watch much TV. Thanks to a little Christmas Elf, though, I have the complete DVD collection of Sex and the City. I like to put on a single episode late at night when I come home from dancing - kind of like my own SATC-TV.

Lately I've started to fantasize about what it would be like if the characters from Sex and the City danced West Coast Swing...

Charlotte would have a classic approach to the dance, preferring 6- and 8-count patterns to crazy amalgamations. Her syncopations would always be feminine, lady-like, and perfectly chosen to accompany accents in the music. I see her as a very focused and strategic competitor - always searching for the perfect partner to do Strictlys, and ultimately grooming someone to compete with her in Rising Star.

Miranda is also a no-fluff kind of dancer, and is pretty strict about keeping things inside the dance ("It's walk, walk, triple, triple - how hard can that be?"). In Jack & Jills she's a bit of a magnet for, uh, "challenging" draws. She has a slightly addictive personality so stays up very late social dancing at events, still getting up early for the morning workshops. She loves dancing to Blues more than contemporary and watches YouTube clips constantly.

Samantha of course is the consumate Jack & Jill competitor - anything more than a minute with a single partner and she gets bored. She's more than happy to dance outside the box, is a little more "out there" in her styling - which is always executed with complete confidence. Sam's up for anything that will give her more floor-time: Bookends, Three-ways, and anything with lifts and tricks. She lives for dancing spotlight.

Carrie has a kind of style of dancing West Coast that somehow only she can get away with. Even her Jack & Jill outfits are risky: she gets noticed on the dance floor but has had more than one wardrobe malfunction. Carrie's always questioning her own abilities, and takes a ton of Private lessons, making copious notes - on her lap-top, of course. She owns an inordinate number of dance shoes.

New York, the "fifth girl" in the series, happens to be where I saw West Coast Swing the first time and where some of my best memories of the dance were formed. Like West Coast Swing it's exciting, challenging, and resilient - always evolving but true to its own, unique essence.

Hmm - kind of like someone else I know.

Until next time....vogue, vogue, vogue, vogue
Julie

No Spring Kitten

Dear Madonna,

According to the chart in the vet's office, my cats are about my age - in cat years. But unlike me, they haven't made any age-appropriate lifestyle changes. Nor do they floss regularly.

Poor, toothless Zouk.

Julie

Pulling Up My Big Girl Panties

Dear Madonna,

I was at the Chicago Classic last weekend and actually made Finals in both the Advanced and Masters divisions of the Jack & Jill contests. Unfortunately I missed that one line in the Sunday schedule that said "All J&J Finalists must check in with the Head Judge (a.k.a. "God") between 9:00 am and 11:00 am." I showed up at 11:05 to the news that I had been "scratched" from both competitions.

In quick succession I went through several of the stages of grief: shock, pain, anger, depression -not to mention getting on my knees (literally) to "God", tearing up in front of one of the event directors, and pointing the finger of blame towards others - and the system - rather than accepting responsibility for my own oversight.

Thank you, Crystal, for your empathy and encouragement to "move on". It was indeed a learning opportunity - for me and hopefully others.

Until next time,

Julie

Narcimasochism

Dear Madonna,

My mother used to say that men had no idea how much money women spent to look as good as they do. She was pretty "low maintance" herself and would be shocked at my indulgence in professional blow-drys and regular mani-pedis.

Then there are the services and fashions that not only cost money, but involve some serious discomfort - or worse. History is full of examples: from Chinese foot-binding to Scarlett-O'Hara-esque corsettes synched to the point of "swooning". Even those SATC staples, Manolo Blahniks, must have some pretty painful repurcussions.

You know that feeling of getting your hair yanked through a rubber cap with a crochet hook? And don't we all look forward to those bikini-waxing appointments?

I'm happy to report the swelling is going down.

Julie

Linked Out

Dear Madonna,

Are you on the (popular social networking site) Linkedin?

I opened an account a couple of years ago with my ConferenceDirect email address. Since then CD has changed the format of our email addresses, replacing the "underscore" with a "dot" between first and last name: julie.epplett@conferencedirect.com

My bad: I neglected to make the change on Linkedin so am effectively locked out of my account, although I keep getting "updates". I've finally broken down and opened a *new* Linkedin account but am not convinced that my problems are over.

Julie

No Tutu, No Problem

Dear Madonna,

I started rehearsals at the National Ballet School today for a performance to take place at the Eaton Centre on International Dance Day: April 29th.

The National Ballet School! I'd never even been in the building before. Years ago I joined my friend Dianne and her daughter Holly at the old location, when Holly auditioned (unsuccessfully) to join the school. There were tears, and burgers at Toby's on Church Street afterwards as I recall. My own experience as a ballerina was even less glamourous. Due to my less-than-svelte physique I was regularly cast in the role of "The Prince". No tutu for you.

I couldn't help thinking how appropriate it was that we were in the Veronica Tennant Studio. The first professional ballet performance I ever saw was Swan Lake at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, with Veronica Tennant in the starring role. What I remember most about her dancing were her calves: they were as big and round as apples every time she was on pointe.

The instructor, Rachel, identified herself as a TTP - which I assume means "Teachers Training Program", or something like that. She's encouraged me to learn the entire piece, not just the chorus, even though I struggled a bit with the "rhythm part" at first. (My brain *was* a little foggy following Vinita's SATC birthday party last night). Rachel also teaches adult ballet at Joy of Dance - small (dance) world!

Gotta run...I have a bunch of stuff to do putting on my "True North Strong and Free" T-shirt and heading to the nearest bar to watch the final men's Olmpic hockey match: Canada versus the U.S. Our women's team already have taken Gold, and this is the last event of the games. A final win in "our game" will be such a great way to wrap up something that started out as the *Vancouver* Olympics but which really seemed to bring the entire country together.

I even got a Gold mani-pedi yesterday for luck!

Ciao for now,
Julie

Red Mitten Club

Dear Madonna,

Well, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games just opened in Vancouver and I think it's safe to say that most Canadians are feeling a bit patriotic these days. It might be my imagination, but there seems to be an ubiquitous display of the word "CANADA" (or our cherished maple leaf) everywhere you look.

And then there are the mittens.

I've always fancied myself as a bit of a non-conformist (I'm sure you can relate) so am surprised by the inordinate pleasure I get from sharing in this unlikely fashion statement. My red "torchbearer" mittens were a thoughtful gift from the Hotel Place d'Armes in Montreal*

Anyway, I LOVE seeing other people wearing their red mittens - with ski jackets or fur coats, in the grocery store, at the movies, in Starbucks, on the TTC, walking around Yorkville, at the Canadian Tire, going for Sushi, waiting for a bank machine, skating at Ramsden Park, buying a Globe and Mail...

I keep thinking we should be acknowledging each other in some way - with a special Red Mitten handshake or salute. At the very least a wave (the way boaters wave to each other or to people sitting on the dock watching as they pass).

But nada.

I don't know how many pairs of red mittens were sold. They were modelled after, but are not exactly like, the ones worn the the 12,000 torchbearers who covered 45,000 kilometres - from coast-to-coast-to-coast in Canada - the longest torch relay in Olympic history. I'd heard the mittens were so popular that they'd run out of stock, and indeed when I was in The Bay buying my "True North Strong and Free" T-shirt there were only kids sizes available.

This is only the third time Canada has hosted the Olympic games, and despite a marred opening (the tragic death of luger Nodor Kamaritashvili and a malfunction in the final lighting ceremony) we have great hopes of glory (i.e. medals) in the next few weeks.

GO CANADA!

Julie

*http://www.hotelplacedarmes.com/ - I know you stayed at the St. James last time you were there - an excellent choice! - but this is a lovely boutique property with surprisingly good meeting space.

Collective Joy

Dear Madonna,

I was listening Tapestry a few weeks ago (that's the the quasi-religious program on CBC radio) and they were discussing the the phenomenon of "Collective Joy" - a kind of shared, spiritual peak experience that happens in groups. It was surpising how many of the examples involved dance - either spontaneous or otherwise.

It got me thinking.

Often after we've been to a dance event - and we've gorged ourselves on great dances with multiple partners over the course of two or three days - there's kind of a post mortem discussion around who was your best dance of the weekend. I've always found that a difficult question to answer. My own experience is best described as getting "in the zone" - where I simply can't have a bad dance. I guess I'm kind of flattering myself, comparing my dancing to the skills of elite athletes, but what if something else is going on?

As I connect with my partner, and the music, and the floor - am I not also connecting with the overall energy in the room? And if that energy is a postitive one - joyful and passionate - why wouldn't it manifest itself in my dancing?

It was an especially joyful night last night, dancing in the New Year and it seems apt that we'll be dancing to Gospel music today.

Hope your New Year is filled with Joy!

Julie