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Well, how was
your Mother's Day weekend? Did you remember to call
your mom? Whether you are a mom or dad with kids,
or a parent to pets, it's a nice thing to be remembered
and thanked for taking care of and being a positive
influence in somebody's life. How about in your dancing?
When was the last time you thanked someone for their
encouragement and guidance in making you a better
dancer, teacher, competitor, person etc....? There
are several instances in the 23 years that I have
been involved in dancing where someone made a big
impact on my career.
This is one of my favorite memories:
I remember the first time I attended the United States
Ballroom Championships, which at that time, was held
at the Waldorf in New York City. I could now see the
professionals I had only seen on TV, live! Wow! I
felt like I was at the Academy Awards! Under the influence
of John Kimmins and Sam Sodano, (who both had a lot
to do with showing me the positive side of the business
when I was a youngster), I took my most advanced student
to compete at that event. We were in complete shock
when we ended up winning our division and were invited
to dance in the Pro/Am Grand Championships, which
at that time, was part of the television broadcast.
It was a great honor but, at the same time, extremely
nerve racking!
Well, Saturday night came and my
stomach had major butterflies. I remember standing
in line to go on and wishing I was anywhere else but
there. I was twenty years old, my first time at an
event of this magnitude, and I was amongst all of
these great dancers....IT WAS SCARY! Remember the
one piece stretch lycra latin outfits? Mine was black
with big sequins on the top. I remember my palms were
sweating so bad, I kept trying to wipe them on my
"cat suit", but the lycra wouldn't absorb
the sweat. It kept the sweat inside really well, though.
I was wringing wet! Every time I walked, it made that
"squish squish" sound, like a pair of wet
sneakers! (I am sure it stunk to high heaven too.)
The only thing dry on me was the bad perm that I gotten
the week before. Yes, I said perm! Hey, they were
"in" back then. It was the 80's man! Anyway,
back to that grueling moment in the history of my
dance career.
My partner and I were told to move
toward the edge of the floor. We were next. Everything
started moving in slow motion. My heart was now stuck
in my throat. My student was trying to calm me down!
(Isn't that pathetic?) Mr. Kimmins was standing at
the podium. He looked over at me and said "Hold
your head up, Dan, and be proud". Wham, it hit
me. I knew on a large scale, I was a small fish in
a big pond and, maybe my dancing wasn't the best,
and my costume wasn't the best and my hair, well,
let's just forget about the hair. I was going to do
what he said. I was going to hold my head up and be
proud of the fact that I had the opportunity to do
this! I walked on that floor thinking, how cooooool
is this? Here I am at the Waldorf, dancing in one
of the most beautiful ballrooms in the world, in front
of millions of people (it felt like millions). I had
a ball! It is a memory I will always cherish and it
was the encouraging words of someone who I still look
up to that helped me get through it.
Every now and then, I will be at
a studio and someone will say "Hey, I saw you
on an old USBC tape from 1982." At first I cringe
because I know what I looked like (and danced like)
back then. But, I just grin and say "So, what
did you think"? The response is always the same.
"Don't get me wrong, Mr. Messenger, but it gives
me hope that I can become a good dancer". OUCH!.....but
they are so right.
Now, 23 years later, I am
fortunate enough to still be involved in one of the
best careers a person could ask for. I consider myself
very fortunate to have met so many great people from
all walks of life in this business, and I only see
even greater things to come. So, gone is the lycra
one piece water resistant outfit. Gone is the bad
perm, and now my palms sweat only when I fly on an
airplane. Eventually, we all become more seasoned
and branch out into other aspects of Dancesport. During
these years of growth, we may develop some different
opinions or points of view than our peers and mentors,
but at the same time, it is so important to never
forget who helped you along the way.
Dan
Messenger
05-14-2001
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