Snapshot Sunday!

 I can't believe it has been a year. Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of when I took this picture. On June 25, 2011 I flew for 8 hours from London to Nairobi, Kenya. This picture was taken of the Greek Islands. It reminds me of how small we really are in comparison to the World.

Jumping into Summer

Since recital is over and teaching dance is over for the school year, I can officially say that I am on Summer Break! I still go to work during the day for my "day job" but my nights are free! I dove into summer this week with a lot of fun activities that I was able to enjoy.

Tuesday night after work I went with my friend Amy to the Raleigh Ampitheatre in Downtown Raleigh. We were able to go to the Andy Grammer/Colbie Calliat/Gavin Degraw concert. It was a great concert on a perfect summer night! I have always been a Gavin Degraw fan and was ecstatic to see him in concert. Colbie Calliat was great live and I will now say that I am a fan of newcomer to the music scene, Andy Grammer. What a great show!

On Wednesday night I went with 15 of my co-workers to Wine & Design. We were all from different departments in the company but that didn't stop us from having a good time! We had a great time with a lot of laughs and fun memories. We all walked away after the two hour class with the same painting!

Check out my masterpiece!

Thursday night was an especially memorable night of the week. As our 1 year anniversary of our trip to Kenya approaches we had a team dinner. TheKenyan missionaries we stayed with on our trip and Jessie's parents are living in Cary for a few weeks on a homestay. It was a great opportunity to get us all together and re-live our memories and the ten days we shared together on the other side of the world. Our Kenya team is very special and the only ones who truly know what life was like June 25 - July 5, 2011.

Happy Feet

Last weekend I attended the North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival in Chapel Hill, NC. I can't believe it but this year was the 12th year I have attended this world acclaimed festival. The festival is a whole weekend of non-stop tap classes by some of the world's originators and most famous tap dancers. It is an honor to be able to take classes from these tappers or as they are known "hoofers." The faculty change every year which allows for you to take classes and learn from a lot of the great masters of tap dance. This year I had the opportunity to take class with Michelle Dorrance, Josh Hilberman, Derick Grant, Nicholas Young and Dianne Walker. It's so much fun to be able to go to large festivals like this one and seeing people you know. It makes for a fun class when you walk in and you are standing next to dancers that you formerly danced with in college or from other studios and competitions. It just proves how small the dance world really is. Everyone is truly connected somehow! It was a lot of dancing but so worth it! Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

ECU Alumni with Derick Grant

ECU Alumni with Nicholas Young (lead in Stomp!)

ECU Alumni with "Lady Di" Dianne Walker

Recital 2012

 What a crazy last few weeks! I know that I haven't posted in awhile. It's because it has been the busiest few weeks of the year - Dance Recital time! Recital time of the year includes making sure costumes have come in the mail, that the costumes fit all of the dancers, hair accessories have been made or purchased, props have been painted and prepared, songs have been cut to be the right length and speed, Picture and Dress Rehearsal Schedules have been arranged as well as the show order. Not to mention all 69 dances need to be choreographed and taught, volunteers have been organized and that all 275 dancers are in the appropriate location. A dance recital takes a lot of work and wonderful teamwork to come together, but this year was once again a success. Through all the late nights and never-ending rehearsals a lot of fun memories are created and laughter is always shared. These dancers that you spend numerous hours with become your family that you can't live without.

My Senior Company Tap Dancers.

My tap dancing boys did a great job with their tap dance "Are You Ready for Some Football?" (Complete with their own jerseys and footballs)

How could you not love being a dance teacher when you get to be around these cute kids??

We had 18 girls graduate this year. Most of them I have taught since they were little. I will miss these girls so much!

A wonderful group of dance teachers that I can call my family.



Snapshot Sunday!

On this Memorial Day Weekend...

   "Say a prayer for peace, for every fallen son.." - Trace Adkins

What a Weekend!

What a weekend! Friday night I got to celebrate a friend’s birthday with some good ol’ frozen yogurt at Skinny Dip. I have been friends with Amy since preschool and I love when she comes in town because we
get to catch up on everything we miss from our weekly phone dates or text messages.

Saturday I went to my very first law school graduation. My friend Kyla graduated from North Carolina Central University School of Law. The graduation ceremony was beyond enjoyable. All of the commencement speeches were excellent - intriguing and inspirational. You know that it is an excellent graduation ceremony when those of us who attended could not stop talking about it all throughout the lunch which followed.

Sunday was Mother’s Day and I got to spend it at a Ladies’ Breakfast
at our church, followed by a lunch at this adorable table set for two!

The weekend concluded Sunday night when I went to the Michael Stagliano concert at the Pour House Music Hall in Raleigh. For those of you who know me pretty well, you know that my guilty pleasure for
the last ten years has been television show The Bacherlor/The Bachelorette. Michael was one of the bachelors on Deanna’s season of the Bachelorette and was Season 2’s winner of the Bachelor Pad. Michael is now traveling the country promoting his music. Not only did Michael put on a fantastic show, we were also excited because fellow Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad contestant Graham Bunn (Raleigh native) made a surprise appearance un-be knowing to Michael as well. The atmosphere at the Pour House is very relaxing so it was a great opportunity to meet both of them and have genuine conversations! After the concert
Graham invited a group of us to join them next door at the Irish pub “Tir na Nog.” We had a great time hanging out with them as we were the only people in the restaurant. Both Graham and Michael were very
down-to-earth, full of life and beyond welcoming of their friendship.We all joked at the end of the night that we were now all best friends! (Sounds good to me!) Michael has a new album coming out on itunes next week (according to him, 10 days!) Be sure to check it out and if he is coming to a town near you, be sure to go see him in concert!



Snapshot Sunday!

North Carolina's beaches are home to wild horses. Whenever you attend a North Carolina beach, keep your eyes open as you never know when a wild horse will walk right past you.