Orem Competition

Conversation with Erik

C: Hey what homework should I do right now?

E: You should probably do the hardest.

C: Well, I have some law reading to do before Thursday.

E: Do that.

C: Or some seminary reading to do before Tuesday.

E: Then do that.

C: But I usually do that right before class.

E: Then don't do that.

C: Or I could do some writing I should have done by tomorrow.

E: Hahahahahhaha. Maybe you should do that then.

C: I just don't want to....and I can't watch Glee because you have to wait 8 DAYS!!!

E: hahahahahaha

C: ahahhahahah Nope...I'm gonna blog!

It's been really tough finding Charlie time lately. So here is the time I devote to myself, updating all you on the last competition I did.

Katie Thornhill and I decided to do the Orem Tiger Classic this last Saturday kind of on a whim. We put in the papers and all and revamped our choreography up to two days before the competition.

Here's a waltz. So these aren't necessarily the best representations of our dancing but the others wouldn't load for some reason. Remember, try and look for the gold dress.

And here was the Tango

And the Foxtrot (seriously..for some reason only the worst representations of our dancing will load...ah well...such is life)

We did alright. In the Novice division we got first. Really it was just unfair that we were competing. We swept the judges marks...ya it was awesome. And then (as you may have seen in the above video) we COMPLETELY botched the final round of Pre-Champ. Running into people. People running into us. Not dancing as a partnership...just one of those off days I suppose :) So during awards...we were so scared they were going to call our number prematurely..and it would be one of those comps we so desperately want to forget. BUT we won! YAY! Nearly swept the judges marks again. There was one judge that DIDN'T call us back on the waltz...ARE YOU JOKING!!! and then gave us only seconds and thirds on the final round...someone is not liking us. I went up to two other judges that I knew and asked him to Joe Shmoe was. They said, "Why did he score you badly" :) So funny...every ballroom dancer knows. The only reason why we care who anyone is...is if they give us bad scores. Anyways...someone said SOME judges score you according to UVU or BYU couples...RUDE! Guess I just have to be better than that so there is no denying it.

We aren't very good at the whole bowing thing. I say right spin, it doesn't register. Or I say no spin and she just decides to spin herself :) We will work on it now that we are good enough :) We couldn't stop laughing :)

So I have officially 'ballroom adopted' this kid and his partners. I oh-so-desperately want my kids to do ballroom and freaking kill it like these do. He does identical SPLITS with his partner and it is nearly the highlight of the entire comp! The crowd goes crazy. Well I didn't want to seam like a stalker so this is all you got...they're blurry and all but ....MAN I love this kid!

Peace Y'all

Sir Charles III

Sometimes My Hobbies Start to Take Over My Life

So I've decided to give a brief history of my ballroom beginnings. A lot of people ask me how long I have been dancing for and I tell them like a year and a half...but here is how it all started.

I came to BYU and decided to take a ballroom class. I did well. I went on my mission. When I came back I took two more ballroom classes and the following semester I made the ballroom team (Winter 2010). That same semester I started dancing "Open Events" ...with the beautiful dresses, coaches and new choreography. I started in the Ballroom Style (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz and Quickstep). That summer I tried Smooth (Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot and VW) where you can detach from your partner and frame. Smooth is like Fred and Ginger style dancing. The following semester I was moved up to the Intermediate Team (Fall 2010). I changed my two partners and got a new Ballroom partner, new Smooth partner and began to dance Latin (Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso and Jive). Last year with these three partners, we accomplished much at various local and out of state competitions (Winter 2011). I am now on the Back-Up Tour Team at BYU. I have changed my Ballroom and Latin partners yet again.

This year, I will be dancing 10 dance (or the International Latin and Ballroom Styles) with the beautiful Gioia Reni. What a blessing this will be hopefully for the two of us. I KNOW she is a fantastic dancer not only technically but in expression as well. I know that I have much to learn especially in the Ballroom style. I hope that together we can fulfill each others dreams.

It is interesting how fast I came in contact with the ballroom world, how fast I became serious, or how fast my pocket book felt this new hobby.....

Now I know the names of the top competitors when even a year ago I hadn't heard of most of these people.

I guess this post is just a way of me saying. I am so grateful for every ballroom partner I have ever had. Each has taught me something new and with each I grew so much! I have THEM to thank. Their dedication proved evident through their time and financial sacrifices. I could not be where I am today without them (and the coaches that made us what we were). I was given a wonderful opportunity this year. I have already noticed a significant difference in my dancing and would naturally like to say...LOOK OUT WORLD. There have been several couples that I thought were forever out of reach. This year is gonna be different :)

So to continue this discussion. I have dedicated so much time, money and energy on this new hobby of mine, that now I want to do something with it. Sometimes I think of teaching at a studio or starting up a team or something. I figure by the end of my ballroom academia at BYU I should be fairly proficient enough to teach anywhere.

EFY has also had some affect on my life journey. I'm in a Seminary Teaching class right now. Not saying that's where my life is going. But it is an interesting lifestyle. Seminary teacher/Ballroom coach.

{Sir Charles III}

Summary of Summer (EFY VIDS)

Sorry if this page takes for ever to load but some of these are just to awesome/funny/special/memorable to leave them in the corners of my computer.

Either the kids loved this game and you couldn't stop playing it..or they were just like....mmmmm no. In which case I taught them another game that I sadly never recorded...

 

This kid is something like 10th in the nation, 3rd for his age ....sick awesome...pretty humble about it as well.

This one is super sweet...it was the spiritual day and we were on our way to a fireside...but it was taking a while. Well its pretty awkward for teenagers to be escorting, don't let them talk to each other to break the tension and that is a lot of sweaty teens. So these people were singing and it just brought the spirit real nice.

Crazy counselors gettin their groove on before the chillin come.

Great act ... too good to pass up.

Okay....number one...this could totally be my dad. Number two...this is what makes EFY kids love their session directors...you just gotta do whatcha gotta do :)

And I KNOW my Dad has done completely embarrassing things like this before :)

So...in a sliver of a nutshell, that was one of the most fulfilling summers of my life....sorry I'm not going to write more, just know that I freaking loved it. It was so so so so so so soooooooooo EFY!!!!

An Attempt at Summarizing the Summer (pics of EFY)

Okay, I am going to try and finish this summer business so I can get on to the school year because...wow...it is going to be doozy... I tell ya what. So here is just a sample of the rest of my summer.

Nowadays when people ask me if I liked EFY I think to myself (Does an RM miss the mission?) So I just show them this picture and tell them...does that give you an indication of my feelings on the matter :)

 Here's me with some of my boys, oh ya, and that one with the hat just happens to be Pres. Monson's grandkid. I told him that I like to meet all my boys' grandparents at the end of the week....:) didn't happen, but I did get to meet his dad :) If you want a sweet story about this kid getting a testimony of the prophet ask me about it. Such good memories..seriously.

The lovely Pizza night munchies...LOVED this. An opportunity to let the kids know I wasn't some weirdo...well..okay I am but we got to really know each other here..and I was always able to sneak in a bit about where they wanted to go on their missions :) sneaky me :P

This was my awesome CoCo ARIEL...loved this group...and yes when we introduced the two of us to the group I popped on the "Ariel listen to me...the world..its a mess..life at EFY is betta den anyting dey got out deah (proceed with corny new lyrics :)

 This summer was seriously the summer of white sunglasses...these were not mine..but I figured I'd get a pick of $100 somethin sunglasses while they were on my face :)

The little cuties...escorting dem sweet girls. Seriously the cutest sight to behold.

 Okay so if any of my kids are reading this...THIS is how much I must love you guys...I HAD NEVER missed a midnight releasing of HP book or movie ever. No I couldn't beat you at a trivia game..but I do think they are just about the best teenage series ever to be written...SO we as counselors decided to take matters into our own hands and by mid week, we had divided the sessions into houses...we got Ravenclaw (Blue and all) And yes ...that is me with a cape and ...

Yes I printed out badges for as many people as possible...EVERYONE was wearing them..or mad at me for not printing more off...it was SO awesome :)

Last...last.....dance...so so so so sad

Seriously...great great great people...this was my last CoCo and she was just as amazing as any of them..only she could do a back flip too :) In all seriousness...I don't think these kids know how much they affect us. WE may or may not get more out of these weeks then they do ....here's to missing EFY like a fat boy misses his twinkie...

{Sir Charles III}