Oh I'm a lucky girl surrounded by awesome people!
I've posted lately about breaking down the "Thriller" dance in preparation for Thrill The World Day (TTW).
My friend Melanie has kept me on track with using the right video tutorials.
*Side note; one of these days I'm going to do a post on Melanie's Zumba journey. I remember back in around '08ish telling her about Zumba and how fun it was. "I could never do that. I'm not coordinated enough for that!", are pretty close to her exact words. Now, half the time I'm watching her while I teach for inspiration! She is a beautiful and fierce beast on the Z floor!
Well, last Friday I was breaking down a bit more of the dance right before Zumba class. And I was starting to get those feelings of, "What have I got myself into?". I'm terrible at talking and dancing. So talking through the steps while doing them, while at tempo can definitely get a little dodgy for me!
Lucky for me, an angel named Brittany was in class. She let me know that there was a version of the song that had voice over cuing for the moves that corresponded with the tutorial I was using.
Brittany had emailed it to me by the time I got home. It's loaded and ready to be used this morning.
My 15 year old daughter and I had fun practicing with it last night. Okay, I was practicing the dance, Caitlyn, however, was trying to see if she could Dougie to Thriller. I was going to insert a link to a tutorial on how toDougie, but it became quickly apparent that it was going to be a long search for an explicit language free video. Search at your own risk!
A big thank you to Brittany!
I'm ready to get my Zombie on!
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thriller Tutorial Update!
A few days ago I posted some tutorials that I thought were helpful for breaking down and learning the Thriller dance in preparation for TTW Day.
Well my friend Melanie went with her kids to one of our local TTW practices and noticed that the dance they use is more specific to one of the tutorials.
Its the one that is linked on the official site. Actually its a series of clips. 40 to be exact.
I tracked down clip 39 of 40. If you need to see the tutorial in its entirety you can find it by
First going to the TTW site
http://thrilltheworld.com/
Second, go to "Learn the dance" and click on "video links". There you will have the options of all sorts of sections to chose from in learning the dance.
There is also a "dance script".
Today our script is;
(forward) right left right left
(take-it-back) right left right left
(to-the-front) right left right left
(take-it-back) right left right left
March Booty Swim
(forward) *shoulder step nothing step *shoulder step *shoulder step
(back) *shoulder step nothing step *shoulder step *shoulder step
(step) booty bounce (together) booty bounce
(step) booty bounce (together) booty bounce
swim together swim jump (hold)
swim together swim jump
*use your RIGHT SHOULDER
Shuffle Ha Slide
shuffle back hop hop forward
turn look stare stare
down ha down ha down ha down ha
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders and prep
Hip N’ Roar
right hip right hip right hip in out
left hip left hip in and roar
walk walk roar-turn roar-turn roar-turn
walk walk roar-turn roar-turn
jump and land circle
shake-it-and-a-uppa and a shake-it-and-a-uppa
stomp stomp stomp look left
walk left right left and turn
Wuz Up
(forward on right leg) wuz up 1-2-3
left right 1-2-3
(take-it-back) right left 1-2-3
left right 1-2-3
Shuffle Ha Slide
shuffle back hop hop forward
turn look stare stare
down ha down ha down ha down ha
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left
A big Thank You to Melanie for keep'in me on track!
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Well my friend Melanie went with her kids to one of our local TTW practices and noticed that the dance they use is more specific to one of the tutorials.
Its the one that is linked on the official site. Actually its a series of clips. 40 to be exact.
I tracked down clip 39 of 40. If you need to see the tutorial in its entirety you can find it by
First going to the TTW site
http://thrilltheworld.com/
Second, go to "Learn the dance" and click on "video links". There you will have the options of all sorts of sections to chose from in learning the dance.
There is also a "dance script".
Today our script is;
Zombie March
(forward) right left right left
(take-it-back) right left right left
(to-the-front) right left right left
(take-it-back) right left right left
March Booty Swim
(forward) *shoulder step nothing step *shoulder step *shoulder step
(back) *shoulder step nothing step *shoulder step *shoulder step
(step) booty bounce (together) booty bounce
(step) booty bounce (together) booty bounce
swim together swim jump (hold)
swim together swim jump
*use your RIGHT SHOULDER
Shuffle Ha Slide
shuffle back hop hop forward
turn look stare stare
down ha down ha down ha down ha
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders and prep
Hip N’ Roar
right hip right hip right hip in out
left hip left hip in and roar
walk walk roar-turn roar-turn roar-turn
walk walk roar-turn roar-turn
jump and land circle
shake-it-and-a-uppa and a shake-it-and-a-uppa
stomp stomp stomp look left
walk left right left and turn
Wuz Up
(forward on right leg) wuz up 1-2-3
left right 1-2-3
(take-it-back) right left 1-2-3
left right 1-2-3
Shuffle Ha Slide
shuffle back hop hop forward
turn look stare stare
down ha down ha down ha down ha
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left
down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left
A big Thank You to Melanie for keep'in me on track!
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Monday, September 17, 2012
"Thriller" Tutorials For TTW Day.
Thrill The World Day is on Oct. 27th. I'm still breaking down the dance, little by little, and working on it with my Zumba class. Monday and Friday mornings, 8:15am-8:30am I teach a section at a time.
Click here to check the TTW Chico's practice schedule.
Learning the dance from Thriller is new to me too. I've found some tutorials that I like, as well as some that others like. Everyone learns and/or responds to instruction a little differently.
Check out these tutorials and learn the dance!
This link is a 40 part series of clips.
I like this You Tube tutorial.
This one I fine helpful too.
Have fun!
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Click here to check the TTW Chico's practice schedule.
Learning the dance from Thriller is new to me too. I've found some tutorials that I like, as well as some that others like. Everyone learns and/or responds to instruction a little differently.
Check out these tutorials and learn the dance!
This link is a 40 part series of clips.
I like this You Tube tutorial.
This one I fine helpful too.
Have fun!
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Thrill The World!
Thrill The World Day (TTW) 2012 is Saturday October 27th 2012.
This from the TTW website;
What is Thrill The World?
Thrill The World is an annual worldwide simultaneous dance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Every October, since 2006, Funky Zombies across the globe gather to synchronize their watches and dance to the greatest selling record of all time – Michael Jackson’s Thriller!
Volunteer event organizers in cities around the world organize events using the Thrill The World leaders manual and Thrill The World tool box.
Anyone can organize an event! No age requirement or experience necessary! And there is no limit to the number of events in each city!
Each event raises money for a local or not-for-profit charity of their choice.
Michael Jackson's Thriller was released in December of 1983. The dance in the video of a mob of funky zombies has been iconic ever since!
I was around 13 years old when it came out and I watched that video at least a million times. I never really learned the dance though. I don't know why that is, but whatever. It's a fun dance for all ages, so what better time than now.
Michael Jackson's life, and untimely death, was and still is steeped in controversy. But nobody can deny the effect his life's work has had on pop culture (here and abroad) and music across the globe.
For the first time ever I am setting about to learn the Thriller dance and I'm gonna take as many as will go on the journey with me!
My plan is to break it down little by little in my Zumba class. I will be providing information for folks local to me as to where they can get even more practice.
In Chico, Ca. locals can join up with Thrill The World Chico. On their site you can find a calendar of practice time and locations, as well as tutorial videos and other resources.
Check in your local area, or surrounding area for TTW events going on.
I was tinkering around on You tube for tutorials. Here's some of what I found;
Let's get busy!
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Dance Fushions!
Tap dancing is one of those things that's been on my bucket list for a long time. You would think that with my 30+ years of dance training I would've already had quite a bit under my belt. Not so.
I was just really focused on ballet training. I was exposed to and trained in and performed other forms of dance; modern, jazz, but I never seriously took tap. It was never for lack of appreciation of the dance form. I just never squeezed it in. Even when I went to intensive summer dance camps in the 80's as a teen dancer. The offerings were usually centered around ballet, jazz, character (I certainly don't ever remember that many adorable male dancers in one spot!) and pointe work which usually included pas de deux training. The one class in tap that I remember I struggled with timing (not my strong suit as a youth) and keeping my ankles relaxed.
If there is one thing I know for sure, as I try to keep my 40-something body from falling apart, there is always room to learn new things in dance and movement. One must calibrate their expectations appropriately, but that can still leave a vast amount of potential new skills still available for learning. Throughout the week I am reminded of this whenever I watch my older Zumba participants move and groove. I'm talking women in their 70's and 80's rockin those hips!
Well, here's a video that makes me want to move "learning tap" a little higher up on my bucket list.
It's an awesome fushion of hip hop and tap. Although kickin it old school with tap is pretty boss too!
Click here, and scroll down a bit till you see where there is a video. Enjoy!
What's on your bucket list?
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Perspective of Thought...
In the following rambling rant I use dance and ballet as an example. But I really think that those two words could be interchanged with any number of others. Other forms of dance, a sport, just about any art form. Anything where you push yourself and put yourself out there.
Also, it is very much from a female perspective. No big shocker there since I'm a female. I work with a lot of females, all ages. I work in a very concentrated manner with teen girls, as I am a ballet teacher. I also have two teenage daughters, 19 and 15. I have two boys as well, 11 and 8, and there are things in what I have written below that I would want any one of my kids, students, friends and family to internalize.
As I was going through my week of teaching a thought occurred to me. I can't say that a specific event happened to cause this thought. My mind was probably just wandering around, kick'in back with some old mental files.
Here's the thought;
"Do not let your failures be what binds you to dance (and the group of dancers that you spend time with). Focus on your successes and the adventure of progress and growth."
Ummm...what the hell does that mean?
The world of ballet training, in my experience, can sometimes leading to being a negative experience. I'm not trying to say that it should not be entered, I'm just stating an opinion that I think can be backed up.
There is a very strong focus on aesthetics; a dancer must look a certain way, whether in motion or not.
Every step demands perfection every time.
Once you get something right you must then move onto perfecting something else.
There is no grunting in ballet, or crying for that matter! Everything must appear seamless, serene and under complete control.
Those are just a few examples. These demands in and of themselves are not necessarily bad. In fact, they can be of great value.
Developing discipline through conquering challenges.
Pushing oneself to achieve a goal.
Demanding a set of standards for oneself.
Honing a skill set as those just mentioned can be transferred into all aspects of life. They can contribute to a good work ethic, a desire to achieve goals, a can-do and will-do attitude that gets things done.
But what if one loses their way by don't having the right frame of mind to take on such tirelessly demanding attributes and not start to feel deflated in heart and soul?
What "bad habits" can one oh so easily fall into to maintain a sense of safety.
"Oh man...I suck today."
"My turns/extensions/jumps/feet will never be good/high/look like so and so's."
"Oh my God! I'm so fat!"
"Oh my God! Me too!"
"Whatever."
"That's as good as I'll ever be." Add to that the visual of someone drenched in an "I don't care" attitude. Opting to stay where they belong (false sense of safety) as opposed to venturing out into the unknown of "untapped awesomeness". I'm a gal, so this kind of group social order thinking may not describe what dudes feel. But I imagine many ladies can relate. Its as if we are trained from birth or something. At least in my generation and the ones prior to mine. Nobody likes a conceited ass, but is there anything wrong with being happy about things that are both positive and one of a kind attributes to one's individual self. If you can't appreciate your own special brand of awesomeness, how in the hell can you really appreciate it and foster it in others?
Before a dancer, usually a young dancer, knows it, they have a habitual mind set that keeps them wrapped in a blanket of perceived failures. Does anyone else smell a cliche` in the room? Self-fulfilling prophecy maybe? And habits can take a lifetime to break.
We, as humans, naturally gravitate towards trying to fill a role within whatever group, or groups, we are a part of. The diva, the victim, the screw up, the clown. The list can go on and on. Often the outward appearances of a role are vastly different from what's on the inside. I'm definitely not saying something new here.
What if we create new roles? Not just mirrors of what's on the inside, but what we want to see on the outside so that we can have the same feeling on the inside. The adventurer, the optimist, the advocate, the inspirer, the loving friend, the coach. Not just for others but for ourselves too.
Let's make some new mental tape recordings.
"Oh man...I suck today."
"Whoa! My sense of balance is a little whacky today. This should be interesting. Okay, let's start peeling back some layers and see what's up!"
"My turns/extensions/jumps/feet will never be good/high/look like so and so's."
"Okay, I'm struggling with my turns. I'm going to just focus on where my center of gravity is when I turn. Let's not worry about how many I can do. One. Turn. At. A. Time."
"I really want my jumps/extensions/feet to be stronger/higher/to have a better arch. Time to ask my teacher (trainer, coach...) for advice to reach my goal. Maybe do some research on my own through books about dance technique or fire up the Google."
"Oh my God! I'm so fat!"
" I really feel like crap today. My mental attitude is kinda down. Maybe I need to get more rest. Take better care of myself. Make better choices about how I fuel my body."
*If anyone ever seriously recommends a diet that's comprised of starving yourself know that they are completely ignorant about how the body works and immediately disregard anything they say about diet and exercise. Just to be safe, disregard anything they have to say about anything. If it happens to be a friend of yours, consider getting them help. Click here for more info. Don't confuse starvation dieting (anorexia, bulimia, just eating lettuce and sugar-free gum) with intermittent fasting. IT can be thought of as more of a metobolic strategy. But do your research! (Be sure to follow the links in the second article.)
"Oh my God! Me too!"
"Really? Do you really believe that? How about you name five things that you think are pretty cool about how you look, or things that you are grateful for. They could be anything. What about something that makes you truly you. You can love and appreciate yourself and still be humble."
"Whatever."
"Don't settle!"
"That's as good as I'll ever be."
"Invest in yourself! You are your greatest natural resource. You occupy a vast, amazing and wondrous world. Why would you not be wondrous and amazing, with vast amounts of potential? Okay, so you might not ever be the dancer that you visualize is the perfect dancer. That actual dancer probably struggles with the same fantasy/reality dilemma. Get over it and focus on making the most of you!" Turn over a new leaf, add a new trick to your bag. Expand your horizons and add something that you feel you can enjoy. It doesn't mean you have to give something up, like ballet, but rather you can add something you can feel free in. And it can be anything! Yoga, martial arts, skeet shooting!
We all have days where we just want to wallow in our own sense of failure. Sometimes we feel we can fit in with our group if we tow the line of negative-thought and attitude. Hmmm...ladies? Do we not sometimes pull this crap? Stop it!
Don't open that door! It can be like a roach motel if you're not careful; once you go in, you never come out.
Take a deep breath, change the angle of how you are looking at things. Be you. Be you conquering a challenge. Be you being patient, kind and loving with yourself.
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Also, it is very much from a female perspective. No big shocker there since I'm a female. I work with a lot of females, all ages. I work in a very concentrated manner with teen girls, as I am a ballet teacher. I also have two teenage daughters, 19 and 15. I have two boys as well, 11 and 8, and there are things in what I have written below that I would want any one of my kids, students, friends and family to internalize.
As I was going through my week of teaching a thought occurred to me. I can't say that a specific event happened to cause this thought. My mind was probably just wandering around, kick'in back with some old mental files.
Here's the thought;
"Do not let your failures be what binds you to dance (and the group of dancers that you spend time with). Focus on your successes and the adventure of progress and growth."
Ummm...what the hell does that mean?
The world of ballet training, in my experience, can sometimes leading to being a negative experience. I'm not trying to say that it should not be entered, I'm just stating an opinion that I think can be backed up.
There is a very strong focus on aesthetics; a dancer must look a certain way, whether in motion or not.
Every step demands perfection every time.
Once you get something right you must then move onto perfecting something else.
There is no grunting in ballet, or crying for that matter! Everything must appear seamless, serene and under complete control.
Those are just a few examples. These demands in and of themselves are not necessarily bad. In fact, they can be of great value.
Developing discipline through conquering challenges.
Pushing oneself to achieve a goal.
Demanding a set of standards for oneself.
Honing a skill set as those just mentioned can be transferred into all aspects of life. They can contribute to a good work ethic, a desire to achieve goals, a can-do and will-do attitude that gets things done.
But what if one loses their way by don't having the right frame of mind to take on such tirelessly demanding attributes and not start to feel deflated in heart and soul?
What "bad habits" can one oh so easily fall into to maintain a sense of safety.
"Oh man...I suck today."
"My turns/extensions/jumps/feet will never be good/high/look like so and so's."
"Oh my God! I'm so fat!"
"Oh my God! Me too!"
"Whatever."
"That's as good as I'll ever be." Add to that the visual of someone drenched in an "I don't care" attitude. Opting to stay where they belong (false sense of safety) as opposed to venturing out into the unknown of "untapped awesomeness". I'm a gal, so this kind of group social order thinking may not describe what dudes feel. But I imagine many ladies can relate. Its as if we are trained from birth or something. At least in my generation and the ones prior to mine. Nobody likes a conceited ass, but is there anything wrong with being happy about things that are both positive and one of a kind attributes to one's individual self. If you can't appreciate your own special brand of awesomeness, how in the hell can you really appreciate it and foster it in others?
Before a dancer, usually a young dancer, knows it, they have a habitual mind set that keeps them wrapped in a blanket of perceived failures. Does anyone else smell a cliche` in the room? Self-fulfilling prophecy maybe? And habits can take a lifetime to break.
We, as humans, naturally gravitate towards trying to fill a role within whatever group, or groups, we are a part of. The diva, the victim, the screw up, the clown. The list can go on and on. Often the outward appearances of a role are vastly different from what's on the inside. I'm definitely not saying something new here.
What if we create new roles? Not just mirrors of what's on the inside, but what we want to see on the outside so that we can have the same feeling on the inside. The adventurer, the optimist, the advocate, the inspirer, the loving friend, the coach. Not just for others but for ourselves too.
Let's make some new mental tape recordings.
"Whoa! My sense of balance is a little whacky today. This should be interesting. Okay, let's start peeling back some layers and see what's up!"
"Okay, I'm struggling with my turns. I'm going to just focus on where my center of gravity is when I turn. Let's not worry about how many I can do. One. Turn. At. A. Time."
"I really want my jumps/extensions/feet to be stronger/higher/to have a better arch. Time to ask my teacher (trainer, coach...) for advice to reach my goal. Maybe do some research on my own through books about dance technique or fire up the Google."
" I really feel like crap today. My mental attitude is kinda down. Maybe I need to get more rest. Take better care of myself. Make better choices about how I fuel my body."
*If anyone ever seriously recommends a diet that's comprised of starving yourself know that they are completely ignorant about how the body works and immediately disregard anything they say about diet and exercise. Just to be safe, disregard anything they have to say about anything. If it happens to be a friend of yours, consider getting them help. Click here for more info. Don't confuse starvation dieting (anorexia, bulimia, just eating lettuce and sugar-free gum) with intermittent fasting. IT can be thought of as more of a metobolic strategy. But do your research! (Be sure to follow the links in the second article.)
"Really? Do you really believe that? How about you name five things that you think are pretty cool about how you look, or things that you are grateful for. They could be anything. What about something that makes you truly you. You can love and appreciate yourself and still be humble."
"Don't settle!"
"Invest in yourself! You are your greatest natural resource. You occupy a vast, amazing and wondrous world. Why would you not be wondrous and amazing, with vast amounts of potential? Okay, so you might not ever be the dancer that you visualize is the perfect dancer. That actual dancer probably struggles with the same fantasy/reality dilemma. Get over it and focus on making the most of you!" Turn over a new leaf, add a new trick to your bag. Expand your horizons and add something that you feel you can enjoy. It doesn't mean you have to give something up, like ballet, but rather you can add something you can feel free in. And it can be anything! Yoga, martial arts, skeet shooting!
We all have days where we just want to wallow in our own sense of failure. Sometimes we feel we can fit in with our group if we tow the line of negative-thought and attitude. Hmmm...ladies? Do we not sometimes pull this crap? Stop it!
Don't open that door! It can be like a roach motel if you're not careful; once you go in, you never come out.
Take a deep breath, change the angle of how you are looking at things. Be you. Be you conquering a challenge. Be you being patient, kind and loving with yourself.
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy the dance that is life!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Inspiring Words; No Use In Worrying.
“If you have a problem that can be fixed, then there is no use in worrying. If you have a problem that cannot be fixed, then there is no use in worrying.” – Buddhist proverb
I came across this quote in an article I was reading in the Sept. 2012 issue of Health magazine. The article was about how resilient one was when having to bounce back from some of life's setbacks. "How To Bounce Back Better" is the article's title. Pretty good article. I can't seem to locate it right now on the Internet, but I'm sure it will be up at some point.
No doubt we are in troubling times. Sometimes overwhelming and with no end in sight. I know for myself that when I start in with the "worries" I can find myself pretty spun out. The repercussions of the spin out can obscure potentially viable solutions. Instead of ideas and solutions come old mental recordings of past failures and my perceived short-comings (some may be legit, others not).
Sometimes getting worked up over a worry can inspire action. Again, speaking for myself, I usually have to have a pretty strong dose of frustration and anger for my brain pan to heat up with something usable. Perhaps it's the anger and frustration that conquers the, at times, paralyzing effects of being worried. I couldn't tell ya for sure. But many a time I have found myself stuck in a state of worry.
*Side note- checkout the Psychology Today website for some interesting reading.
So I hope this proverb can give some perspective. I know I will be running it through my head as I ramp up for a week of trials and tribulations. Perhaps keeping the worry-monster at bay will help me to better focus on enjoying all my blessing!
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy the dance that is life!
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