Throwback: Celebrating Dancing Firsts

As the new year began, The Dance Buzz issued a challenge to dance bloggers: post a picture or video of one of your dancing "firsts" and share your story. I love dance, I'm all about blogging, and I happen to have a stack of old dance photos in my desk, so participating in this challenge was an big ol' YES for me.

My first Irish dance performance ever. That's me in the middle! 

This lovely photo is of my very first Irish dancing performance ever: June 6th, 1998 at the Arts Center in Venice, Florida. My Irish dancing best friend, Rayna [on the left], and I were so excited to finally perform the steps we'd been working so diligently to perfect. We were thrilled, but hated wearing our white blouses and black pleated skirts [or "Denny's waitress outfits" as we called them] before we got our first Butler School dresses. From the looks of it, we were dancing a beginner slip jig in this picture. Kudos to whoever took this picture! [I'm guessing Rayna's wonderful Mom...I love you Mama Gubersky!]

I've learned a lot since this performance. Mainly...
-   Smile! Dancing is fun, remember? Why were we all so serious?
-   Wear taller socks. We didn't have poodle socks yet, whoops.
-   And last, certainly but not least...Don't look down at your feet. They'll dance even if you're not staring at them!

Despite the rookie mistakes captured in this photo, I'm seriously kicking my butt and I'm learning to get up on my toes! [wait a second, that's the name of my blog...]  And look at that tiny little waist! Maybe that black pleated skirt wasn't all bad.

As a 12 year old beginner, I started Irish dance pretty late in the game according to dancer standards. When many pre-teen Irish dancers were getting ready for the Oireachtas or even Worlds, I was learning light jigs...and LOVING it! I was hooked on Irish dance from the get-go, and my love for dancing continued to grow since this photo was taken 14 years ago. Take a way the shiny new wigs, rhinestone buckles, and  thousand dollar dresses, and isn't that what Irish dancing is all about? I wholeheartedly think so.

What are your favorite dancing firsts?

-Moira

Thanks to The Dance Buzz for this fun challenge!