Many years ago, my wife and I walked into a dance studio to take a ballroom dance lesson. She quit and I’ve kept going. It’s been a journey full of ups and downs and somewhere along the way, I decided to start writing about it. Then, I found out I kind of enjoy the writing thing as well. But putting your private thoughts on public display isn’t all fun and games either.
So if you are new here and curious about the large gaps between posts, know there was a lot of stuff that used to be there that has now been pulled down.
There will still be dance posts here. As long as continue to do ballroom, there will be things to say. It just may not dominate the blog as it once did. But everything changes and we just adapt and move forward the best we can.
Facing Diagonal Wall 
I found your blog when a cyber-friend and fellow dancer, Stefanie, reblogged one of your posts. I like your story. You just kind of walked in and haven’t really left since.
Yes, dancing does fill a need that dancers thought they never had. I can definitely relate to you when it comes to my lack of self-confidence and trying to control the negative thoughts that pop up more often than you’d like. And, like you, I’m in better shape mentally and physically since I began dancing.
From one dancer to another, I wish you the best.
Blessings,
Alaina
Hiya “Facing The Diagonal Wall”! I wanted to reach out and see if maybe you wanted to write a guest blog post on my blog and/or vice versa. Ever since I reblogged your blog on purpose on accident (lol) I’ve been thinking how wonderful it would be to intentionally create some more connections among the ballroom blogging community and get the word out about each other. I really enjoy your blog, as I’ve said, and I’d be happy to expose you to a (slightly) larger audience (I’m still pretty small potatoes) if I can 🙂 This time on purpose! Are you game?
It sounds interesting but let me think about it for a bit (I’m notorious for needing lots of time to consider new things). I admire you for being totally out there while I still am hiding behind a curtain and not using my real name here so I don’t feel that I’d be a full participant in the community. Thanks for the offer.
Haha. I figured you’d want time and more information…you are an Analyst! No need to drop the curtain of anonymity. You can write as your tag name, and, I think, still be a full participant. Of course it’s up to you. Let me know of there is any information you want that I can provide to help in making your decision. By the way, I, myself started an anonymous poetry blog. I may be ready to put myself out there in some regards but not in others! I understand the need to keep some things private. My one question for you is when can I expect an answer? No rush.
Hi, Its been a little crazy here with the weather and all so I’ve been focused there. But I think your community is a great idea and I’d be up for it. Let me know what your plans are. Thanks
Hi! So is this a yes to writing a blog post? I hope so! I’d love to have you write about how you started dancing and what it’s done for you, and maybe what you are working toward right now, what your biggest goal is, and also share from the perspective of being a male and leader.
As far as the community, I think the place to start is to take a note from Alaina from “And Then Came Dance” (www.ballroomlady.wordpress.com) and create a “Ballroom Village” page on our blogs. On this page everyone who is a member of the “Ballroom Village” creates a page with links to other ballroom-themed blogs. Hopefully we can cross-promote and attract some more bloggers. Maybe we can do a once a month blog share or all post on the same topic or something. We can be creative and make it fun. It’s just an idea to build more community and grow. I’m going to reach out to other bloggers I know (not very many) that do ballroom. Ballet seems to be a much more popular dance style. So let’s start there – make a page titled “Ballroom Village” put links to me and Alaina. I will put links to you and her. I will also reach out and invite others. Then once we have a core I’ll send out an invitation to participate in an activity, probably to write a blog post about a particular topic. We can coordinate when we post them and link to each other.
I’d love your input if you have any ideas about how to build it, too! I’m glad you’re interested. 🙂
Oh, and I’m officially adding you to my blogroll. Can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner! Duh!
i love the tagline of your blog you have a great sense of humour 🙂
Thank you. Glad you liked it. Just read a couple of your posts. I hope your recovery continues to go well. Can’t even imagine how frustrating it must be.
thank you for reading and for your good wishes 🙂 I’m getting there!
Since you mentioned my book, Mambo in Chinatown, in your new blog post, it activated my Google Alerts and I happened upon your blog. I loved reading a few of your posts here. It sounds to me like you’re doing a wonderful job dancing. Competitions are terrifying for everyone and my former roommate, who is a professional ballerina and Broadway dancer, laughs about how we all feel uncoordinated and awkward on the dance floor so much of the time. And if you’re daring to do competitions, even one a year, I’d certainly call you a competition dancer. Best of luck to you and I hope you enjoy the rest of my book too. 😉
Wow, the power of the internet is strong! Thank you for taking the time to comment and offering support. I am enjoying the book – the things Charlie feels and experiences as she gets deeper into the dance world all sound very familiar. I’m looking forward to how it turns out.
Hey there D Wall! I’m doing a project where I’m following ten exciting, fresh, and interesting bloggers each day for the month of March 2015, and you’re today’s #3! Feel free to come visit me when you can at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com, and follow if you like what you read. Have a good one!
Thank you. Wow 10 blogs a day for a month – that’s a project.
Greetings!
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Antoinette Datoc, also known as, The Dancing Housewife. I wanted to let you know I added a Ballroom Village page to my blog a little more than two weeks ago. I have included your URL and am requesting you to reciprocate by adding my URL (www.thedancinghousewife.com) to your Ballroom Village page. Stephanie told me she would be notifying you and all the members of the village to add me to their pages, but I thought I’d reach out to you myself as well.
Thank and keep dancing!
Antoinette
Nice to meet you. The link is added. Welcome to the village!
Hi D_Wall! I forgot to ask if you can add me to your Village blog roll. PS – I love that Rocco got a spot on the cast of characters 🙂
Absolutely. Sometimes I’m a little slow at these things but you are now on the list!
Great writing! I may be a part of your sudden increased blog click count in March and April. I have been reading through the archives from A to Z and that takes a lot of time and a lot of clicks, reading a few at a time, over the past weeks.
I’m gaining a very interesting perspective reading what you have posted, as a leader who, like you, also wonders if I’m doing well enough or not, and wonders how much to take at face value my instructor’s compliments. I do fully trust her critiques though and, although that means I need to do better, I do want to/need to hear them. Will we ever truly know from our franchise instructors how well we lead and how well we dance? Probably not.
Please keep writing – I have learned quite a bit from reading it.
Thank you for the feedback. Can’t believe you went back through everything but I’m glad you found things of use.