ZPomeroy's antics

[Medira]

It's a tough spot, Zac, where you're going to have to make a difficult decision.  Is it possible to refocus your schooling a bit in light of potentially becoming a studio owner?  A studio is a business, and in order to run one successfully, you'll need knowledge on how to work a business to make it profitable.

No matter which path you choose, try not to give up and just cruise, because you never know what knowledge you might need.

Good luck!

[elisedance]

It may be difficult - but its also very exciting.  Dance is an option for you - look at that as a blessing not a burden.  Others have the same choices as you - but without the dancing.  Besides, you don't have to make it a career it can always be something you do on the side, your own private life...  and its one heck of a way to socialize...

[ZPomeroy]

Sunday, 30th August

Ok, picture having to dance: Tango, Lucille Waltz (New Vogue), Rumba, Cha Cha, Tango Terrific (New Vogue), Samba, Cha Cha, Jive all in a row, this as well as other horrible clusters of an unorganised program was what i had to dance with yesterday. This was one of the most unorganised competitions i had ever been to, but overall was a great day for 2 reasons, firstly my parents came to watch for a couple of hours, even though i could tell they were reluctant to come they did to support me and secondly our great results (posted in the results of PDO'ers thread). It was good today to just be able to relax on the couch and try and regain some of the energy i lost from yesterday.

Next week i have the medal exam day where i'll be doing my gold foxtrot and Vieneese Waltz, so hopefully i'll be able to post some video footage of it

Zac

[ZPomeroy]

Saturday, 5th September

Wow, what a day! Today was my studio's exam/achievement day and cabaret night for the bronze, silver and gold and higer students. It started at 10am anf finished at 12am (14 hours!! ) for the first 5 hours or so i was on reception, chasing people who hadn't paid for the exam and also asking practically everyone who walked through the door if they had bought a ticket for the cabaret night, which started at 7 the same evening. I stayed to help set up the studio, and got a free dinner out of it and before i knew it, it was time for the events to start. I completed 2 dances from my Gold Standard, the Viennesse Waltz, and the foxtrot, these were both shown in a floorshow type way in the evening program. I recieved an Honours pass (96% - 100% correct) and thought i might just write here the judges comments:

Slow Foxtrot: Good forward movement Zac.Nice strong foot placement and danced with control and with good poise. Timing was sound - Well Done!

Viennese Waltz: Again, another well rehearsed display:watch not to take left arm too high as this will alter your shape - Great effort once again!

Summary: A really good effort Zac.Boy, how you have 'come on' so quickly. Congratulations on your performance. - good luck with future awards.

Was very pleased with the results, its nice to hear a top judge commenting like that , a couple of videos that i know of have been taken of me so. fingers crossed, will be able to post something very soon!

Zac

[elisedance]

yes - and post the link in he photo/video area... gotta see you dance!!

[QPO]

well done zac...good for you.. onward and upwards I say.

[ZPomeroy]

Saturday, 1st May

WOW, it has been such a long time since i have written anything in here! Ah well, better late than never i guess. It's interesting, when i first came to this site, and most of last year also, the ballroom advanced threads, and actually most of the posts in the beginners section flew right over my head (for a while there i thought i was going to turn bald with the amount flying past my noggin ) but over the last couple of months i have really come to understand what is being said in them, and have really been trying to employ these techniques into my dancing. It is actually such a great feeling to know i have come so far in the year or so I've known PDO (and all of you of course ) I know I've still got a LONG way to go, would really like to be up in the world ranks one day, but time is sort of running out for me. I started dancing late compared to most people (at this point in time have been dancing for 2 - 3 years) so am really pushing myself to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible, which seems to be slowing down now. I am not learning as much as i did when i started, it is now taking me longer and longer for me to feel that the technique/steps are right, and i think i'm actually being held back a bit by the fact that my partner is taller than me. I have said this elsewhere, but i really do need to start looking for a new partner...

Zac

[QPO]

We all work and remember things differently and I am sure you can still be a world champion one day, are you committed enough to get there. would be interesting to hear the story of different WC and learn how much they trained what was important to them etc... might give you some insight.

I know a few partnership where the girl was taller and one was Bill and Bobbie Irvine.. I am sure there are ways of dealing with it... but the thing that determines the partnership the most is the goals and aspirations, do they match...? Good luck with whatever you do. but make sure as EE said elsewhere that she is aware of your decision...as I know I would be deeply hurt if I found out through the grapevine that I am being replaced.

[elisedance]

Nice to have a bit of a summary for the last year or so and to hear of your feelings of progression.  Learning new steps becomes harder because you simply have to do so much more for each one - its not just where you put your feet (much of social dancing) and not only your body but how you do it all to express and get the maximum out of the movement.  It takes us many hours of work to just add a couple of steps to our routine/dance basket. 

Be careful you don't obsess on the height difference - the key thing is whether you dance well together and have similar goals.  For example the perfect sized girl who dances well - but then will not take the time to practise and always makes excuses why she can not do a competition.  There's way more to a dance partnership than height - though obviously a perfect match does make life a lot easier...