Michael Jackson

Age: 6

One of my 10 cousins asks me who I'm going to marry when I grow up. I respond, "Michael Jackson." My cousins burst out laughing and I wonder what I said that was so funny.

Age: 10

I see Captain Eo when we go to Disneyland and I fall in love with Michael Jackson. I think that he's so handsome and I want to spend all day in that 3D theatre.

Age: 17

It's been a long day of High School, dance practices and daily teenage drama. I'm alone in the dance studio after everyone has gone home. I lay on the hardwood floor and listen to Michael Jackson over and over and over.

I'm in my 1992 Chevy Van, making out with my boyfriend. We make out for 3 hours parked in front of his house, and Michael Jackson plays in the background the whole time.

Age: 19

I make Nick go with me on the city bus, since we're too young to rent a car, so that I can get the Invincible album the day that it comes out.

I've been married for 5 days and it's Halloween. Nick has fallen asleep and it's a stormy Florida evening. They're having a Michael Jackson music video marathon and I watch the entire thing including the longest music video ever, Ghosts.

Age: 27

I'm sitting at my cubicle when I glance up at the TV and do a double take . . . MICHAEL JACKSON DIES AT AGE 50. I immediately get up from my desk and head over to the TV. I'm a little in shock and the headline doesn't quite register.

I spent all day constantly hitting the refresh button on the CNN website, since I can't get video. I have to know what's happening. As cheesy as it is, I feel like I'm losing an old friend.

As small a part as he has played all throughout my life, it seems weird for him to not be there. I watched the memorial tonight and cried the whole way through. It makes me sad to think that so many people won't get to enjoy his talent, his creativity and his dancing like our generation did. Thank heavens for youtube.

My two favorite music videos of his were Scream, and The Way You Make Me Feel. I remember sitting in front of my parent's house listening to Earth Song for hours. I will definitely miss Michael, he had become part of my HIStory.

Dance you fool . . . DANCE!

As I sat down to write my Blog, I was completely drawing a blank about what I should write. I perused some of my friends' Blogs and lo and behold, a true nugget of topical wonder, dance!

The Dance Centre

I started dancing when I was about 8 in the basement of a store in a strip mall, The Dance Centre, that's right these people are creative. No this wasn't some dude's basement with a teacher named Bill who was very gentle, it was a legitimate Dance Studio, as far as I know.

Nevada Dance Academy

http://www.nevadadanceacademy.com/index.html

I then graduated to a more "reputable" dance studio at the age of 9 at the Nevada Dance Academy. I took Ballet and Jazz for about 8 years there. There are several different forms of Ballet, and they taught Cecchetti at NDA. All that this meant was that I had to endure a yearly test from Cecchetti professors who were flown in from Southern Africa. We had to know ballet positions, be able to perform by the instructors telling us dance steps in French, and it was about a 3 hour test. It was nerve racking, but I managed to get to Level 3 before I moved to Utah.

While I was there, one of my friends in my ballet class actually ended up dying. She ate something she was allergic to, slipped into a coma and died. That was the first brush that I had with death, and I showed I was grieving by wearing black for about a week (teenagers).

Clytie Adams School of Ballet

http://clytieadams.com/Home.html

At age 14, and at the height of my teenage angst, we moved to Utah. I continued to dance Ballet at the Clytie Adams School of Ballet. I remember that I really didn't get along with my teacher, Jennifer, at all and one day I remember her yelling at me after class for making "cat calls" while my friends did dance movements across the floor. I thought I was just providing encouragement for my fellow classmates, but apparantly I was taking out a personal vendetta against her. Ballet is a rather stuffy institution. I performed in the Nutcracker a couple times, first as a Mouse and then as an Arabian Girl where I was at least 6 inches taller than the tallest girl. I felt ackward and out of place, so I remedied it by slouching when we were in lines.

Davis High Dance Company

When I hit High School I auditioned for David High's Dance Company. I'm actually still shocked that I auditioned because I didn't have any friends that were trying out. Needless to say that I made it, and spent my Sophomore, Junior and Senior years in the Dance Company. My Sophomore year was actually the year that I first laid eyes on Nick Daley, but that's another story. I found that my favorite form of dance was Hip Hop and heard from several people that I "moved like a black woman." That's right, I'm half black!

In 1999 I was the Secretary for Dance Company and in 2000 I was Choreographer. I made some "Judy Blume" type friendships, and still keep in touch with most everyone from that time of my life.

U of U Modern Dance

http://www.dance.utah.edu/

When I graduated High School I auditioned for the Modern Dance Department at the University of Utah. I was accepted and began the hardest year of life, physically. Since we were majoring in Modern Dance, we had 5 dance classes a semester, started at 6:00 am and going until about 3:00, five days a week. These also included Music Education, Strength Training and Folk Dancing. I met some great people, has some new experiences (a piece where a man danced around in a sheet and ended being completely nude), and ultimately realized that there aren't that many opportunites for Professional Dancers if you want to make a living out of it.

Xtreme Dance

That was when I got married, and the December after I got married I attempted to open my own Dance Studio in Ogden, inside an aerobics studio. After about a month, I realized that I just didn't have the responsibility to run a studio by myself, I was only 19.

Salt Lake Capoeira
http://www.saltlakecapoeira.com/
I did take a small turn at Capoeira (Brazilian Martial Art/Dance) for about 6 months. Capoeira is extremely demanding, and after my first class I was unable to go up and down stairs without extreme pain for about a week. I actually ended up getting my first cord. Cords are to Capoeira what belts are to Karate. At that point I was about 4 months pregnant, and couldn't physically endure it anymore.

I haven't really danced since then, except for the occassional dance class that I've taken at random studios. I still really miss the smell of the resin, the excitement of backstage and the absolute feeling of achievement that comes when someone tells you that the dance piece you choreographed, made them cry.

I'm currently looking for a dance studio where I can again begin a dance phase of my life, and am hoping to try my hand at tap. I'll keep you posted . . .