Country Friday Night

I'm sure you have learned from my previous posts that I love music. I really love country music. I definitely love LIVE music! Friday night I fed my live music fever with a Brian Davis and Josh Phillips  concert in Raleigh. It was a great concert with friends. I have seen Brian Davis many times, but it was a great experience seeing Josh Phillips perform as his opening act. Both guys are from North Carolina and currently live in Nashville and have great music on iTunes.. so go check them out! What was even more fun, was there were a few celebrities there doing the same thing we were. Just enjoying a Friday night on the town at a great concert!

 Jason Michael Carroll knew where the Raleigh hot spot was on a Friday night!

Leanne and I got a chance to grab a picture with Josh Phillips. 

Ronnie Shirley of Lizard Lick Towing was also there enjoying the music. If you have not seen this show, go check it out! Who knew car repossessions could provide comic relief after a stressful day! 

Competition Season 2013

Dance Competition season is here!! It is an extremely stressful, busy, non-stop and chaotic time of year, but so rewarding. To watch something you create come alive on stage is an amazing feeling that just can't be described in words. Even more rewarding is seeing the students you teach have a blast doing it. Hearing one of your fifth grader students say "this was the best weekend ever!" can make your heart explode with happiness. This past weekend our studio traveled to Lenoir, North Carolina and competed in Showstopper National Talent Competition. The dancers did a wonderful job, placing twelve of the studio's dances in the Overall Awards. Below are a few pictures from a great weekend. Stay tuned for more as we still have two more competitions this season. 

 The Junior and Teen Company in their Production number costume - dressed as chimney sweepers from Mary Poppins. 

The Senior Company dressed in their Production number costume - dressed as Elle Wood's sorority sisters in Legally Blonde. 

What a fun picture I was able to capture of this graduating senior. 

I love being able to combine my love of dance and photography at the dance competitions. I love being able to capture fun moments like this one. 

Snapshot Sunday!

Love the colors on this parrot that lives at the North Carolina Zoo! 

A Busy Few Weeks

It's been a few weeks since I've updated the blog. As I'm sure you have guessed, I have been busy. We are gearing up for competition season at the dance studio so there have been dances to choreograph, music to cut, costumes to order, props to be made and dancers to teach. In the meantime I've managed to have some fun. Here are a few pictures of what I have been able to do in the last few weeks. 

With co-workers at the Corey Smith concert at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill.

Going to see Jekyll & Hyde with my cousin while he was in town for work. 

Cheering on Alisha, our Wake County Distinguished Young Woman at the state program in Greensboro. Alisha not only won preliminary awards in fitness and interview, but was 2nd runner-up! 

Made a weekend trip to Topsail Island with my Sunday School class. What a fun, relaxing, get-away weekend! 

A January Parade

Last weekend my students got the opportunity to dance in the NC Inauguration Parade. It was a beautiful day - 65 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze. We were the only dance studio representing the state of North Carolina that was chosen to perform in front of our new governor and newly inaugurated heads of state. What an honor! After the parade many of my students got the opportunity to meet all of the dignitaries at the Governor's Mansion, one of my little boys even threw the football with our Governor in the front lawn of his new home. 

Not only was there a lot of patriotic songs and red, white and blue on Saturday - but I also got to see my favorite pirate!

Snapshot Sunday!

The cobblestone streets of Savannah, Georgia. 

Saturday Night at Lincoln Theatre

Last night was a perfect night of live music. If you know me, you know that I love all kinds of music, and I especially love it if it's LIVE! Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh hosted the Chris Hendricks Band CD Release Party last night. Chris Hendricks Band is one of a kind. Chris is originally from Durham, NC and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at an early age. With the talent for music he has been able to bring his talent to stages across the country. Not only does he perform for the general public, but he started a program called Breaking Down Barriers where he visits schools and reaches out to students and gives his testimony regarding anti-bullying. It was not only a testimony to watch Chris perform an almost two-hour long set with his cane propping him up, but witnessing the number of teenagers and students with disabilities that he drew in the audience. The fact that there was a sold-out performance of 511 people last night is a testimony in itself. What an inspiration!

One of the opening acts for Chris Hendricks was a Nashville band called 
The Kicks. Wow! What a performance! These guys know how to put on a show. I could not get  an un-blurry picture of them because they brought so much energy jumping around the stage. Check these guys out, and you may see me because I may just become one of their groupies following them on the road!

Another great opening act was a local Raleigh band called Saints Apollo. They were a great folk indie rock group. This quintet shares the same producer as Chris Hendrick's CD, Mark McKee. I was fortunate to go to high school with Mark and it has been exciting to watch Mark's career become successful as he owns his own recording studio in Raleigh. It was awesome to see Mark's creativity come to life on the stage last night, not once - but twice!