Dance life

This was a very important week for SYTYCD, and since SYTYCD is my life, it was a very important week for me.

The night started off with a boys’ routine by Sonia. The dance looked great, I loved the stiff walk they kept doing, and I gasped when the boys kicked because Ade’s was higher than mine. As any reader or friend of mine would know, I hate Evan, but he didn’t seem noticeably worse than the others in this dance…but it still didn’t make me like him. The first couple dance was with Jeanine and Ade. They did a samba, and I thought it was good, well I was smiling and staring at how hot Ade was the whole time, but I was entertained. The judges didn’t like it so much. There next dance was a NappyTabs routine about getting evicted, it was good but I liked the dancing better than the routine; they were both really into it. Jeanine’s solo was very attitudey to me, and it didn’t have enough dancing. Ade’s solo was his hottest yet I could barely breathe the whole time.

Next was Melissa and Evan. Oh good when I her this pair I felt bad, because it seemed that they were doomed to both go home no matter what happened. Then they started dancing and neither of their routines seemed good enough to get them to the finale. Their first was broadway and once again people were saying Evan needed to bring more, but that it was a decent performance. Their next dance was a quickstep, and in all honesty I barely watched it I was so disinterested. Evan’s solo was the same as always, and Melissa’s was cute, she tried something new again this week.

The last couple was Kayla and Brandon, and this was a good match! It’s a shame they weren’t together more often because they’re both such strong dancers. Their first dance was a contemporary piece where Kayla was the mistress. It was probably the best partner dance of the show considering there were no real stand out dances this episode. (I actually found that the best dances were the two group dances by Sonia.) Their next dance was a disco, so this one was just fun and upbeat. I liked how Brandon got flipped and spun around too in the ‘double death drop.’ This was by far the best couple, and to think they could have both left last week…I don’t understand people who don’t like these two…Kayla’s solo was the same fast kicky flipy turny thing, and Brandon’s solo was by far the best. Everyone remembers him for his amazing audition solo, and now right before the finale he brings back his old solo, music moves and all. I thought it was such a smart move. He couldn’t have done a solo better than that, and it reminded all those who like Brandon how good he is and why we all fell in love with him in the first place.

The last routine of the night was the girls’ Sonia routine. They were all super heroes and I they all had the cutest costumes. I didn’t like how the dance had too much Jeanine (in my opinion). Jeanine had a two second solo, then she was always on top for any trick (leaving Kayla as the base and Melissa as the spotter - this happened three times in the dance and I thought it was just excessive!)

I need to mentally prepare myself before I can write about the elimination show without ranting about how much I hate Evan, so I’ll be posting that soon…

The 100^th episode of SYTYCD was a big deal for the show, obviously!  They has confetti and a cake and they even had Katie Homles on ‘singing’ and ‘dancing’, but no matter how exciting they tried to make the show the sad fake remained…it was an elimination show, so it was bound to end up sad.

The show opened with a great piece using mirrors. It was one of the many group dances that don’t get enough recognition because they’re on the elimination show (so the judges don’t comment). 

Half of the dancers were sent to the bottom this episode.  The two girls in the bottom were Janette and Kayla and the two boys were Jason and Brandon.  I wasn’t happy to see Kayla and Brandon in the bottom, because I see those two going all the way to the finale, but I know lots of people who disagree with me, including the friends I was watching the show with.  

Kayla has been my favorite for a while and I was only just starting to warm up to Janette, so in my opinion Janette had to leave.  When she did I didn’t feel the relief I thought I’d feel.  Nigel said that he wanted Janette to win the show this season, which is a huge thing to say to a contestant, and Mia probably agreed considering she told Janette the night before that she was her favorite dancer.  I never knew the judges felt that way and I was sad she left after hearing that.  Who do the judges like now? 

Then there was there was the boy’s elimination were Jason left.  I never really liked Jason, I never got attached to his character and I never really got into his dancing, that’s why I didn’t care for him to stay. 
Brandon on the other hand is someone I really like on the show, not for his personality, but for his dancing.  I enjoy watching him and I think that’s what the show is all about.  Between the two I definitely think Jason needed to go home, but once again there were many people upset about it.  My friend even cried when Jason was crying while saying his goodbyes.  I guess people think that
Brandon’s character isn’t likable…I disagree.

The big problem I had with the eliminations was Evan.  I think it’s time for Evan to leave, and clearly by the votes (and the reaction in the room when I told everyone how much I hated him) not many agree with me.  His dancing isn’t up to standard at this point in the competition, and he just seems out of place when compared to the others left on the show.  We’re so close to the final four, and I don’t think Evan deserves to be there.  My friends think he’s cute and quirky, but I’m getting tired of hearing negative things about him from the judges.  Hopefully he’ll leave next week, but who knows, maybe he’ll survive another week just to piss me off.

Back to the show…there was a big deal about Katie Holmes coming to the show to perform.  What she did was okay, but it wasn’t anything spectacular.  Her voice sounded good, but she wasn’t singing on stage at the show, and she wasn’t dancing to much either.  She did a lot of slow walks and a fan kick and then the number was over.  Oh well, it was all for a good cause right?!

The show was amazing though, because for once we got to see the emmy award winning dances all in one show.  The dancers all looked older and more sophisticated, but each dance was just as good as I remember them, maybe even better.  The Hummingbird and the Flower was better than I remembered for instance, I had seen it so long ago I could hardly remember it.  The Bench routine with Travis and Heidi was beautiful as always, and I never realized how little Heidi actually had to do in that dance.  Ramalama was stunning as always, only this time Wade Robson (the choreographer) was in it replacing on of the missing dancers, so the camera focused mainly on him. 

This blog is getting a little long, so I’d just like to say hello to all my friends from
London Ontario and I miss you!

On SYTYCD’s 99^th episode they had a very special guest judge, my favorite comedian, Ellen Degeneres.  It’s obvious Ellen likes dancing, she dances every episode of her talk show, but it’s also clear that she doesn’t really have anything critical to say.  Ellen was nice to all the dancers and kept us laughing by saying cheesy and random jokes throughout the show.  Although it was fun to have her on the show, she seemed a bit out of place. 

The first dance of the night was a group dance, which don’t usually happen on the Wednesday night shows.  It was a great dance, a fantastic dance actually, by Travis.  The costumes were great and I loved the futuristic  party idea, but I just couldn’t keep my eyes of Kayla who was front and center the whole time.

The first partner dance was by Evan and Janette, who did a contemporary piece by Sonia.  Sonia’s stuff is always weird, but this piece seemed a little too tame, and in my opinion it was because Evan doesn’t have that creepiness you need to do Sonia’s stuff.

There next dance wasn’t much better.  It was way too slow and the judges spent more time talking about Evan’s cute but weird face than they did the dance. Evan’s solo was cute and good, but Janette’s solo was pretty bad. 

The next partnership to go was Brandon and Jeanine.  They started with a waltz that put me to sleep.  Even the judges said it was boring.  But then they did a really great pop jazz by Laurean Gibson (who is such a nice teacher, the video was very misleading).  Their dance was so strong, it was hard to tear my eyes off Brandon, but they were both really into it.  Brandon’s solo was fast and upbeat.  Jeanine’s solo was controlled and beautiful.  If I could do a solo as well as the dancers on this show, I would want my solo to look just like Jeanine’s…that’s how I wish I could dance.

Melissa and Ade were the next pair to perform. Their first dance was a horrible Cha Cha.  It was very stiff, weird, and awkward.  It was probably the worst dance of the show.  Their next dance stole the season.  Everyone was talking about it. It was on he View it was on Entertainment shows, probably on the news too…this dance brought everyone to tears.  I could probably write a whole blog just on this one dance.  Tyce choreographed a dance about a woman with breast cancer who needs someone there to support.  The dance is beautiful, and it’s hard not to be emotional when you see how much of themselves the dancers are putting into the dance and how much the judges and audience members are affected.  Melissa jumps across the stage into Ade’s arms and the trust and partner work is phenomenal.  When the camera zooms in on her face and you see the pain and sadness that’s when I lost it.  After the dance ends is when the tears really start coming down.  Nigel’s reaction, Tyce’s reaction, but most of all Mia’s reaction brought me to tears.  To say it was the best dance of the season isn’t even enough.  Ade’s solo was perfect as usual, and Melissa’s solo was different from her usual ballet, it looked like jazz on pointe shoes and I loved it. 

The last partnership to go was Jason and Kayla.  Their first dance was a broadway, which was nothing special.  Their next dance was really cool though. It was a Sahne Sparks hip hop routine about zombies.  It must have been hard to dance after Melissa and Ade’s emotional piece, but they managed to cheer everyone up and creep everyone out.  It was disturbing hot and it was a great way to end the show.  Kayla’s solo was slower and had a lot less kicks then usual, which I liked.  Jason’s solo was the same as usual with high jumps and great lines, but I couldn’t help but feel his movement was a bit feminine. 

So check out my next blog to see what happened on the 100^th episode, and f you haven’t seen it, here’s the video of Melissa and Ade.      

<!–[if !mso]&gt;

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } &lt;![endif]–>

This weekend I went to see ‘OVO’ (this year’s Cirque du Soleil show) under the big yellow and blue tent in the Old Port.  Cirque du Soleil is Montreal’s pride and joy, our own creation which blossomed and spread across the world, like Celine Dion only more flexible. 

I’ve seen Cirque du Soleil once before, at the Bell Center, but seeing a brand new show in its proper place was incomparable. 

This year’s theme was bugs, every acrobat in the show was dressed as some sort of bug (my favorites were the grasshoppers with big legs attached to their pants.  Even though most of them were indistinguishable bugs, the theme fit perfectly.  When they were flying through the air or jumping off trampolines or contorting their bodies they really looked like creepy little bugs. 

There were clowns (dressed as a beetle, a ladybug, and some sort of fly/mosquito) and various sets of acrobats. 

The best parts of the show were:

When the acrobats came out with giant kiwis and spun them on their feet.  I was blown away by how synchronized they were.  This part of the show was more dancey than any other, so I felt like I could understand and appreciate it more.

Then the trapeze artists and tight rope walkers came out.  It’s always fun to see people fling themselves across the room and grab hold to someone swinging on a swing.  Everytime someone jumps I tense up for a minute, hoping they catch hold of their partner or that they land strong on the platform.  I can just see it in their faces when they land that this is what it’s all about.  Another girl, while climbing the ladder, kept straightening out her leg into a split while climbing.  Sadly she was not the focus of the stage, and she was practically in darkness while she was doing it, but I knew that everytime she lifted her leg she felt proud that she was their doing everything she needed to do successfully and it was for her, not the audience but she was doing it for herself.  On the other hand, when they fall its fun for the audience, but must be devastating for the acrobats.  One person rumbled their landing and felt into the net below.  The second she felt my mom and I lunged at each others hands and by the time she hit the net our hands were clasped and our hearts were racing.  I love to feel that excitement and thrill as if I were part of the show, and only falls can get you that involved.  I’m sure the acrobat, who received a huge round of applause, was disappointed that she made a mistake during the last show in Montreal. 

Then after intermission they somehow removed the floor and revealed a huge trampoline with what looked like a trampoline runway.  The acrobats would jump on the trampoline and grab hold of a rock climbing wall.  They climbed and contorted and jumped and flipped and it was all so cool. 

The strength they all have in incredible, and the trust and dependency they have with their partner is unbelievable.  It’s a beautiful show, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.

Last episode of SYTYCD was the best one yet.  When it gets down to the top ten finalists the show becomes packed with solos, partnerships, and group dances. 

The first dance of the night was a Bollywood performed by the top five girls.  The dance looked great, so did the girls of course, and the judges said it was the best top five girls they’ve ever had.  I definitely agree!  In the past I’ve always been a fan of the male dancers on the show, but this season I’ve grown really attached to the female dancers instead.

Kayla, my favorite, and Evan were the first pair to dance.  They had a slight height problem since he is the shortest guy and she is the tallest girl, but in the end it didn’t matter because they looked really beautiful.  Kayla made the dance for me, and once again the judges weren’t too impressed by Evan.  They both managed to be safe, but in Evan’s case I don’t know how much longer he’ll stay on the show if he keeps getting negative comments.  He stayed this week because his broadway solo was really entertaining and well done.  Kayla’s solo was jam packed with flips and turns and kicks, it definitely shows that she’s got good technique.

Janette and Ade were the next couple to perform, and they had the opposite problem.  Janette is the smallest girl and Ade is the tallest boy.  It worked out well because they were doing a hip hop routine, so I barely noticed the height difference.  Ade, who is my favorite guy, was hypnotizing Janette with his hair pick.  I thought it was a really cute routine, and that couple worked so well together.  Ade’s solo was fantastic, the flip at the end seemed to send him five feet off the ground!  I don’t know why on earth he was in the bottom, it just confused me and scared me for nothing.  Janette was safe though, because her solo was perfect for her, from the song to her fast moving hips I loved it!

Jeanine and Jason stole the show though with their Travis Wall contemporary.  Everyone who watched the show said they were the best by far, and I think Travis is the new Mia Michaels!  Jason tried to give Jeanine, his best friend, his heart (a heart necklace) but she was afraid to accept it and ruin what they had.  The song was perfect, the lifts were perfect, the concept was perfect, and the ending was perfect.  Jeanine and Jason rip each others clothes off, she puts on the necklace, and they kiss.  Jeanine is really exploding on to the scene this week!  Her solo was great, and we really go to see what Philip (her old partner) was hiding.  Jason on the other hand had a weird solo that I didn’t really enjoy.  I can’t see him making the finale, and depending on what happens next week, he may go home. 

Randi and Kupono were horrible, and everyone who watched the show agrees.  The problem is Randi isn’t sexy and Kupono isn’t manly, so the Paso Dople just looked like a mess.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of either of them, and I’m glad they bother left this week.  I did think Kupono’s African inspired solo was interesting, and Randi’s solo looked good too, but neither of them really mattered to me, and I would have been very unhappy if anyone other than them had been kicked off the show. 

The last dance was Brandon and Melissa who did a Tyce broadway.  As far as Tyce broadways go this one wasn’t bad at all, I actually enjoyed it. They were in character, but they also showcased themselves as dancers, Brandon with his flips and Melissa’s ballet.  There was also a lot of technique in the dance which made it even more impressive.  The solos are what made the difference for the voters.  Brandon’s was the best male solo in my opinion.  It showed off his strength, masculinity, and technique.  Melissa’s was the same old ballet we always see her do, and I think people are finding it a bit dull, that’s why she was in the bottom this week and she will probably be leaving next week.

The last dance of the night was the group of guys doing African.  It was so good, I felt like I was on vacation watching professionals dancing.  They were all into character, even the cute little white boy Evan.  In the dance Kupono and Jason stood out to me as the weak links though. 

I think (even though it’s a bit early) that the top four will be Kayla, Jeanine, Brandon, and Ade.

Today, my close friend Tanya Perks is having an operation.  While she’s lying in bed still groggy from the medication I want to remind her, and let everyone else know, what an amazing person she is.

Tanya is a great dancer (who’d been on the Junior Funk team longer than anyone else) and an even better friend.  I’ve never met someone so open and sharing. Tanya is dedicated and devoted to her friends and dance, and her compassionate personality is a source of happiness and comfort to the entire dance team. 

Tanya is getting an operation today to remove her bunions.  I guess all of Tanya’s dance and tight point shoe work didn’t help her feet.  Today, at the age of nineteen,  Tanya has painful bunions on both feet.  When she began experiencing severe discomfort she stopped wearing her pointe shoes in ballet.  Even though she had been off pointe the entire year at dance, for some reason Tanya wanted to wear her pointe shoes at the big end of the year shoe.  A mix of determination and denial took over Tanya, and let’s just say that she was in a lot of pain at the end of the dance.  Even though she knew it would hurt her, she wanted to be strong and push past the pain to dance with all she had. 

Tanya is inspirational.  She’s is always there for everyone, when they’re down or when they just need a laugh or a place to hang out on the weekend.   

I’m glad Tanya is finally doing something for herself and fixing her problem.  I wish her the best of luck on her road to recovery and I know myself and all her other friend will be there by her side everyday.  She won’t be dancing for several weeks, but I know she’ll be the life of the team as per usual when she’s back at dance and feeling better.    

Results are in and we have our top ten…but we’ll get to that in a bit. First let’s talk about the bottom three of the elimination show. 

First Caitlin and Jason were back in the bottom…that wasn’t a surprise.  Then Phillip and Jeanine were in the bottom, also not too shocking.  But then Melissa and Ade were in the bottom…where did that come from? 

Of these couples I think it was pretty obvious who was leaving: Caitlin and Phillip.

Caitlin’s solo was okay, but three strikes you’re out, it was inevitable that she would leave despite her solo.  Jeanine is a really great dancer and the judges had already told her during yesterday’s show that she’d stay for sure.  Melissa is so good, and no one realizes how hard what she does really is and how strong she must be to make it look that easy. 

For the guys I knew Phillip would leave because the judges were dropping hints like saying they already know who to kick off before they dance when they heard that Phillip and Jeanine were in the bottom.  Jason’s solo was god and Ade is a sex god, so there was no other choice in the matter. 

A really nice twist this year was that the two eliminated this week are still going on the tour.  Getting eliminated before top ten sucks, and this way everyone is happy. 

So here’s the top ten:

1) Kupono Aweau  2) Brandon Bryant  3) Randi Evans  4) Jason Glover  5) Evan Kasprzak  6) Janette Manrara  7) Jeanine Mason  Ade Obayomi  9) Kayla Radomski  10) Melissa Sandvig

This is it guys, the moment we (or atleast I) have been waiting for for weeks!  The top ten dancers will be decided tonight, and I’m going to be completely honest I have no clue who’s gunna make the cut or who’s gunna be eliminated.  I do know that last episode was fantastic and that every dancer has a good chance of making the top ten. 

Melissa and Ade are safe for sure (according to my smiley face system).  Their first dance was a disco and it was really good, Ade is a sex god and Melissa had some nice splits and turns.  Their next dance was the Waltz and it was just beautiful.  Both dances made me smile so I gave the couple two smiley faces.

Kupono and Kayla’s first dance was one of my second favorite.  I got so into it by the end I had tears in my eyes.  Kupono was really good at being an addiction and Kayla is just fantastic at everything, especially when she gets to show her emotions like she did in this piece.  I gave them a big smiley face because their dance was so powerful.  Their next dance was a broadway, and as soon as I heard that I knew they were in trouble. I gave them a frowny face because it wasn’t that great, and since that’s the last impression people have of them I think they might be in the bottom three couples and Kupono (or Krapono as Michelle would say) may go home (hopefully not Kayla or else I’ll be angrier than when Natalie left).

Caitlin and Jason had two frowning faces that I changed to smiley faces…meaning I’m confused about their dances.  Their first dance was a foxtrot, Caitlin did well but I didn’t like the dance itself.  It was good (that’s why it got a smiley), but not memorable (that’s why it had a frown at first).  Their next dance was lyrical jazz and I liked it, but once again it wasn’t significant enough.  I don’t know if their dances will get them through or not, they may be in the bottom again if viewers were as confused as I was.

Philip and Jeanine may also be in danger, but I always think that just because Philip isn’t that great at other styles.  Their first dance was Russian folk, and it was kinda lame with some difficult moves thrown in.  The judges didn’t like it much either so they got a frowny face.  Their next dance though, the Jive, was good because Jeanine looked great.  So with a smiley for that dace they may manage to make top ten.  Jeanine is fine for sure but if they’re in the bottom I don’t know if they want Philip anymore.

Randi and Evan got one smiley and one frowny.  I really liked their hip hop by NappyTabs.  It remined me of “bleeding love” or “no air”, but the choreography was better than Randi and Evan and the same can be said for their next dance.  Pascha and Anya choreographed their sexy ballroom routine, but after seeing the two of them do it in practice the two little guys didn’t bring enough ‘umph’ on stage, so they got a frowny face.  I think they’ll be in the bottom, but the only reason Evan would leave would be because he’s a lot shorter than all the others girls and that would make for funny looking couples. 

Brandon and Janette are another couple that is definitely safe because they got two big smileys.  Their first dance was a tango and the judges thought it was as close to perfect as they’ve ever had on the show!  Big compliments mean big votes… There next dance was Jazz, and it was my favorite of the night.  It was quirky and weird and had perfect musicality.  There is no way either of them are going home. 

I guess we’ll see in a few minutes since the show is about to start… 

Sorry this SYTYCD update is a little late, but I was a bit preoccupied with my dance competitions. 

Here’s what I think of last week’s episode and elimination:

Brandon and Janette started off the night with a Cha Cha.  It was good, it reminded me of their disco a bit because Janette was rally fast and hard hitting.  The judges LOVED it and even went so far as to say it was the best Cha Cha they’ve ever seen on the show.  I wasn’t that crazy about it though, but it was obvious they’d be safe. 

My favorite dance of the night was Kayla and Kupono’s vampire dance.  It was absolutely fantastic from the song to the moves to the concept to the dancers.  Kupono and Kayla worked well together and Kayla is my favorite dancer on the show right now.  Their dance was fantastic, and the judges liked it too, but they were in the bottom three.  It really upset me that Kayla, the best dancer on the show, has been in the bottom three twice.  Both times Kayla was in the bottom it was after she performed my favorite dance of the night.  I hate to see her in the bottom and I’m convinced it’s because the viewers don’t like her partners. 

Evan and Randi did a weird broadway routine.  I though it was funny that Evan got a Broadway (his style) and the judges kept saying they wanted more from him.  I thought he was really great in this dance, and he played his character well, but the dance itself was just weird.  I thought they might be in the bottom three, but turns out I was wrong.

Caitlin and Jason followed the weird Broadway with a weird pop jazz.  Caitlin was an alien trying to impregnate the last man on earth, so it was obviously gunna be strange.  The judges didn’t really like it all that much, so I had mixed feelings towards it too.  I thought it was interesting, but the dancing wasn’t that great.  I’m glad they were safe because I’m tired of seeing them in the bottom over and over. 

Philip and Jeanine did a hip hop routine that was pretty cool.  They had a chain connecting their ankles symbolizing the bond of partnership on the show.  I didn’t find Philip’s crazy hip hop skills showed throughout the dance. It was weird that Philip and Jeanine managed to stay safe the past two weeks when Philip wasn’t that great and then when he’s in his own style he gets in the bottom for the first time.  It also seems a bit weird that this couple got hip hop twice out of four weeks. 

Melissa and Ade did a beautiful Pas de Deux where Melissa was on pointe. It was a really sweet routine and I’m happy they stayed safe.  It shows that viewers without dance backgrounds can appreciate classical ballet.  It was slow, but I got really into it, and the judges love having diversity on the show. 

Karla and Vitolio ended the show with the quickstep. It was their first dance together as a couple and their chemistry wasn’t that great, but I actually liked their quickstep because it had a story.  The dress trick was cool, but it was inevitable that they leave the competition because they’ve been in the bottom too often.  I was surprised Vitolio left and Kupono stayed even after he said he wouldn’t mind leaving the competition.  I realized that the judges didn’t want poor Kayla to have a third partner and risk being in the bottom again, so it made sense to keep Kupono not Vitolio. 

I hope Kayla is safe next week because she really deserves to be in the top ten.  Start voting for her even if you don’t like Kupono! We’re getting closer to the top ten so it’s just gunna get better and better.

What a way to end the dance season.  This year the end of the dance season was marked with two competitions, first was the 5678 Showtime Nationals then my team and I were honored to attend the Dance World Cup. 

These competitions were so unusual yet so familiar I can’t imagine a better way to end this year of dance.  First of all dance competitions are usually on the weekend, but not these ones.  Nationals was on Monday and Worlds was on Tuesday.  Packing an entire competition into one day was pretty intense, so everyone was excruciatingly tired.  My school was at the competition for 13 hours straight and I had four dances to perform with my team that day.  Let’s just say that being at the competition from 10 a.m to 11 p.m on Monday then waking up at 7:00 a.m the next morning was not the most pleasant of experiences, but it was worth it when we got back into the competition atmosphere. 

I want to paint a picture for anyone who doesn’t dance.  Image yourself in a crowed room scattered with dance costumes, bobby pins, hair spray, packed lunches, and scattered suitcases.  Getting into the competition spirit mean creating a niche for yourself in that crowed room and getting comfortable.  It’s excessive amounts of hairspray and teased hair.  It’s stretching with your friends.  It’s the sparkly sequins.  It’s hearing the same song for all the dances and knowing you’re different.  It’s about fun and nerves and excitement.  That was what we felt this Monday and Tuesday asides from being tired. 

Nationals was all of this mixed with sadness.  Yeah we all joke about burning our costumes after we finish our dances for the last time, but when it actually comes down to it I was sad that this was the last time my team and I were ever going to perform some of our best dances.  At the end of 500 Miles the lights dimmed and it just hit me.  We will never do this dance again.  So the usual smile that spreads across my face at the end of that dance twitched and I felt like I was losing something special. 

I might have lost a few routines but I gained a once in a lifetime opportunity and a beautiful medal from Worlds that encompasses it all.