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

  • Self Description

    How HORRIBLE is it to write your own biography? I feel like such a douche no matter what I write.  First of all, it feels awful because I'm writing it in the third person.   Kate started her career as an idiot the minute she was born. Nobody likes that guy that refers to himself…

  • Self Portrait

    WHY can't I find a decent picture of myself?  Every year, when I'm asked to judge this local dance competition, the organizers ask me for a photo and a bio. Blurg. Every year, I scan through my iPhoto library, then my Facebook account, then I Google myself and I find NOTHING!  Well, nothing with my…

  • Advice Before You Dance

    Ladies- Your hair is did, your makeup is on, so please remember to pencil in eyebrows.  I need to be able to see them from across the ballroom. This is not a good look. BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE IF YOU DON'T DO YOUR EYEBROWS. Peace out. And straighten your tie.

  • Dance What You Know

    A prayer for ballroom dance professionals: Good Lord, in this holy season, please give us the strength to dance what we know.   May we remember the basic principles of movement while working in any style of ballroom dancing.   May we apply the proper techniques to each style of ballroom and not make dancing…

  • Working With The Ladies

    I teach ballroom dance for a living.  Since I'm a lady (or am supposed to act like one on the dance floor), I teach men or couples.   It's generally a good time.  My couples are super fun and I like being technical, and logical (shut up, G), and making manly dance analogies for my…

  • If You Are Not A Beginner…

    After many discussions with many people, experts (well, me) agree that Bronze dancers should know these things… the basic timing for each dance when to start a dance in time with the music how to continue dancing in time to the music Please, please do that.  Or return to Go and do not collect $200.…

  • Unpaid Programming- Dance Version

    There are some products that I feel I could not live without while I'm on the dance floor.  If I don't use these products each time I have to sweat anxiously amongst unnaturally-tanned people, I sense impending disaster: possible wardrobe malfunctions, moving hair, or *gasp!* pale skin. This is the best self-tanning product ever.  I bought…

  • Learn How to Dance

    The best way to learn how to ballroom dance is to take private lessons.   I'd like to end my post there, but I will elaborate… Private lessons consist of you (with or without a partner) learning dance steps and techniques from a trained professional dance instructor.   There are community education classes available in…

  • There’s No Crying in Ballroom

    Except there is…  Because sometimes you think you should place higher. Because that one girl beat you and she is just not better than you. Because sometimes it's political. Because you feel uncoordinated.   Because you're not getting it and feel like you should be. Because you look goofy doing that move.   Because they're…

  • Practice Makes Perfect… Or At Least, Better

    Ballroom dance lessons are expensive.  Everyone forks out around $100 for 45 minutes or so.   But how much you pay each lesson isn't what makes them expensive.  It's that you pay that amount each time, you take your lesson, and you leave. …  And then you come back!  And you say, "Teach me something…