August 16, 2004

O.K., so I just got back from Las Vegas where myself, nine of the other Magic Dancers , and our coach Jeanine, attended Pro Dance. Pro Dance is our industry’s annual convention, where we get to study with some of the best choreographers in the business to prepare for the upcoming season. It was amazing! One of the many highlights was taking classes from two dancers that appeared in the movie, You Got Served! We learned some unbelievable choreography that we can’t wait to get on the court this season! The convention was two and a half days long and we literally danced our hearts out the entire time we were there!

We all arrived in Vegas on a Sunday night, so we were all ready to attend classes bright and early on Monday morning (luckily we gained three extra hours of sleep because our flight was delayed and arrived at 2:00 AM Florida time!). Tuesday was the hardest day because we were all sooo sore from the first day of classes. You want to make such a good impression on the first day that you dance with so much energy and don’t realize how hard you worked until you TRY to get out of the bed the next morning and realize that it’s not that easy to move! We were prepared though. After attending this event the year before, you learn to pack the Icy Hot! Somehow though, you find a way to push through all of the aching muscles to give it your all for another day. On the last day, we get to perform all of the choreography we learned in front of all the attendees. This is my favorite part! Keep in mind that attending this convention are NBA, NFL, AFL and some competitive college dance teams (personally, I was excited that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders were there, because when I was in kindergarten, that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up!). The talent that’s there is unbelievable! It’s also an opportunity for us to show other teams what we can do. It’s such a supportive atmosphere. Everyone’s cheering each other on. I don’t think you’d believe the type of energy that is in the room. You’ll just have to take my word for it that it’s absolutely mind blowing! That energy that you experience when you’re there is one of the many reasons we look forward to going each year!

The next order of business we have to prepare for is our annual photo shoot! I would have to say that this is one of the most important days all season! That’s why I’ve been living at the gym and informing my trainer, Thayer, to have no mercy on me! I’ll keep you all posted as I prepare for the shoot. Until next time...

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