Riot and Frolic

a mostly ballroom dance, but also a bunch of other stuff, blog

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about

I own and rock people’s faces off teaching ballroom dancing at Dancers Studio in St. Paul, MN. My husband and I compete professionally in American style and wrangle eight children in our spare time. I’ve been teaching and competing in ballroom dancing for over 25 years and have lots of opinions on it. I am an expert by any means, but there are quite a few dancers who are better than me and I have a solid knowledge of basic technique, so suck it.

Category: Dancetastic

  • Crossing the Street

    I live near a popular, pedestrian-friendly main street destination filled with shops and restaurants.  Some weekends, while driving in my car and ferociously singing at the top of my lungs along with Boyz II Men or Paramore, I accidentally turn onto this mile long stretch of hell called Grand Avenue.  I'm forced to play an…

  • I’m Not Fat

    I am not fat. Which is not to say I'm skinny. Which means I'm fat by professional ballroom dancing standards. On one hand, ballroom dancing is a bomb profession: I meet lots of cool people, I share my love of dancing, I perform on a regular basis, I travel.  There's music, joy, and dancing. On…

  • List of Last Week’s Labors of Love

    – what? – I feel like I should call this category "News and Recommendations", but that sounds like a segment on CNN and doesn't have any alliteration, so… Lame.   – Firemen are great.  I'd say firefighters, but I haven't met any fireladies, so I'm sticking with firemen.   There was a house fire across…

  • How to Look Like a Pro

    It's autumn and in Minnesota, that means amateur dancesport season is upon us.  Whether you matriculate at the University of Minnesota or are prepping for Star of the North, the thing that is "Mixed Proficiency" is coming for YOU. Mixed Proficiency is a bit like social dancing with rules.  Or pro-am, but without the pro.  Simply,…

  • How To Be Creative in Dance

    It's come to my attention recently that many people consider the ballroom dance repertoire limiting in its ability to "freestyle" a dance.  As in, there are patterns and amalgamations and figures that need to be completed from A to Z before a dancer can move onto the next one.  Waltz was being compared to West Coast Swing and…

  • Measuring the Immeasurables

    You run a race: you have a time. You play a ball game: you have a score. You lift weights: you have a number. But then you have figure skating, gymnastics, and ballroom dancing. The gains aren't measured in inches or times or home runs.  The scores are based on people's opinions, not on a concrete…

  • Men’s Furnishings

    Boys.  Men.  Gentlemen. You have a very practical job while you're on the floor.  You lead, you steer, you counter-balance.  No matter how artistically you do these things, you are not wearing a brightly colored, highly rhinestoned, swirly dress. You are The Man in Black. You are THE MAN.  IN BLACK. Be the man and…

  • Dancesport Music That Doesn’t Suck – American Style

    Play this.  Not "Inchworm". http://grooveshark.com/widget.swf [Not seeing anything from your RSS/email feed?  Reading from your phone?  Find the playlist on Grooveshark.  It's awesome.] What are your current (ie, from this decade) favorite dance songs? One year ago: Other People's Paint, in which I make a bad hip-hop joke and reference. Two years ago: Pam Beasley…

  • Dancing Badly – Performance Edition

    How To Perform Badly While Ballroom Dancing schlump.  When you want people to think you're a terrible dancer, do your best to hunch.  Lower you head, stick out your belly, and be as short as possible.   don't smile.  Everyone wants to see someone having fun, so try more "angry" faces.  Channeling apathy, fear, or…

  • Dance Products I Hate

    If you hadn't noticed, I am a ballroom dancer.  I have been for quite a while.   If you hadn't noticed, I am opinionated.  Again, for a while. Combine this experience with this personality trait and you get this: Dance Products I Hate those stupid not-Capezio fishnets.  What do they even do?  FYI: fishnets are…