"The Zieg"
I spent a lot of time watching documentaries about astronauts during 2020. I loved watching interviews with Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. During one of her interviews, Koch discussed how much fear and excitement she felt during her launches. I wanted to capture that feeling in an aerial piece.
To the song Major Tom by Peter Schilling, here's my tribute to astronauts.
I fell in love with dance 15 years ago. I began training in dance 17 years ago.
For the first two years I danced: I hated it. Dance was compulsory for PE in middle school, and we had a choice of jazz or ballet. I hated that it made me sweat. I hated that I had to put my body in uncomfortable positions. I hated that I would trip all the time. I hated every time my instructor would tell me, “don’t worry, you’ll get it eventually”, or any kind of encouragement that reminded me how terrible of a dancer I was. (Who received "most improved dancer" award two years in a row?? Me.)
What was the catalyst that started my love for dance? Ballroom. Turns out, I just needed someone to hold my hand.
In my freshman year of High School, I was placed in Mr. V’s ballroom class. I took ballroom because everyone knew it was the easiest PE class. Nobody told me it was easy because it was so fun. From day one, Mr. V was conscious about breaking down each step into manageable parts. He made sure that everyone danced with everyone, and we all talked to each other. I never felt uncomfortable doing any movement that Mr. V gave us. Between the instructor, the dancing, and my new dance friends, I developed a passion that I still pursue today.
Now in my mid-twenties, I love all dancing; I even enjoy jazz and ballet. With some perspective, the reason I hated dance was because I was uncomfortable. I was intimidated by people who were better than me and I didn’t like the style I was forced to dance. Uninspired and unenthusiastic, that’s what made me a bad dancer--not my dance moves.
To all new dancers, this is my advice to you:
Try every style of dance until you find your favorite. The first style of dance you try may not be the one that is in your soul.
Try every teacher available until you find your favorite teacher. Even the best dancer in the world may not be able to teach in a way that is understandable for you. If you feel stuck, try a different instructor.
Don’t be afraid to be a bad dancer! If you feel intimidated by “better dancers”, remember they have trained longer than you. If you keep dancing, you will become that better dancer.
Dance at ATOMIC Ballroom in Irvine, CA because you’ll be able to find your favorite style and your favorite instructor who will teach you to fall in love with dance