A little about me

I've mentioned that I currently teach ballroom dancing at The Ballroom of Sacramento. I thought I'd talk a little today about my dance history.

I started dancing at the beginning of June in 1995 when my brother Bill informed me I was going to. We'd been ice skating and roller skating most of our lives with varying levels of commitment, but I hadn't skated much in a while. Bill had taken up ballroom dancing with one of his skating partners, but she'd lost interest so he decided I needed to take it up in her place. I didn't have anything else to do that night, so I went. I was immediately hooked! I started going every chance I could get.

At first, I mostly learned by following Bill and by taking the classes that were offered before dances. Soon we started taking group classes and my skills grew. At some point when I'd only been dancing a few months, Ruby Campbell, then owner of The Ballroom Dance Center, offered me a teacher trainee contract, where I'd learn to be a dance teacher through her program and would then have a job. Well, the education didn't turn out to be all it was cracked up to be and I quit. I continued dancing here and there and eventually ended up at The Ballroom of Sacramento.

I took classes and workshops whenever I could, and when Bill needed a partner and would swing for private lessons, I took them. We competed a little bit, but didn't do very well. We found more enjoyment in giving performances, where we didn't have to pay to dance in front of other people! I eventually decided to turn pro and began teaching at The Ballroom. Bill and I did a few pro-am competitions, but eventually I bowed out and let him concentrate on his amateur partners. Bill always has several partners.

When I got my horse three and a half years ago, I started cutting back at The Ballroom and eventually stopped teaching all together unless someone needed a sub or an emergency private lesson. This was fine with me, because I had something new to concentrate on and was kind of burned out on teaching. In the past year, I've started teaching a little more again, several times per year at Sacramento Ballroom Society and subbing more at The Ballroom. I'm hoping to get some more teaching in to supplement my writing career so I can quit my day job! I am available for private lessons and classes/workshops in American-style ballroom through the bronze level, and I DJ if equipment is provided. Contact me at twnkltoz@gmail.com!