No 30. Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, July 24, 2015
Impossibilities Vanish!
Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities
vanish.– Jean de la Fontaine
Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.– Henry Ford (1863-1947) American Industrialist
At Unique Dance-O-Rama, I was honored to be one of the judges for the event. What an exciting adventure. Standing on the dance floor and being able to watch dancers up close and personal. I could clearly see their choreography, footwork, styling, and character of each dance. So thrilling!
I watched calm dancers, dancers whose hands were shaking in dance position, dancers who were smiling and dancers whose faces were locked in fear. Some dancers counted their steps, some sang the words to the songs being played, some smiled and laughed as they dance, and then the dancers who were truly having the time of their lives. It was so fun to watch all the dancers. They looked so alive and in the moment.
The last night of the competition I was privileged to judge the American Smooth Pro Competition. I just love Smooth. The dancers were so close to me that I could smell the ladies perfume and even say hello to the male dancers. I could feel the air move as the dresses brushed so close to me. I could actually feel their dancing. The elegance of the Waltz, the power of the Tango, the control and smoothness of the Foxtrot, and the unbelievable energy of the exciting Viennese Waltz, my #1 favorite dance of all time.
Judging this professional competition was very difficult. The dancers were all so committed to excellence and showing the character of each of their dances. Each couple in the final went through a Quarter and Semi Final, to get to the last 6 in the Final Heat. The Final Heat is almost a professional show of the best 6 professional couples at the event, all dancing their best at the same time.
The awards are heart wrenching. The looks as the 6th, 5th and 4th couples are called, then the last 3 remaining couples. Then the last 2 couples wait, hugging and kissing each other with congratulations. The pause of the announcement seems to never pass, then the runners up are called and the winners are revealed. The winning couple is left on the floor, tears and laughter and hugs, then they graciously bow and then walk up to congratulate every other couple and then take their spots as first place for the photos.
The 6 winners are now a family and they have created a memory of a lifetime. They have sealed their friendships that will last the rest of their lives. They are leave the floor to many, many hugs, congratulations, and pats on the back and more and more Facebook photos. The night is full of magic.
I am honored to have danced with Arthur Murray for 39 years, October 15 started my 40th year with our company. I have, God willing, many, many more years of dancing with Arthur Murray ahead for me. As Bob Long says, “I’m all in” for the rest of my life with Arthur Murray. Can you imagine the joy I feel daily as I know that I will be dancing as long as I live? I’ll never get enough of the fun, partnership, connection, dancing, shows, exhibitions and opportunities to dance in front of others.
There’s always a bright future ahead for us all with dancing and music. My mom, J. Clair, always said to me “Keep a little song in your heart”. I do that while keeping a little dance in my feet as well.
This was fun to write and share with you all. Keep on dancing. Arthur Murray is the best place to dance world wide. We are the leaders in making dancing dreams come alive for YOU!
Keep on Dancing!
David Woodbury