The Sixth Sense

We had a fabulous Dance Team Weekend. Even though it has been only about 52 hours since the whole thing started, it felt like an entire week! For those that don't know what I am talking about a Convention is a Dance Team Competition combined with Dance Classes and Shows put on by professional dancers. The Girls (and some boys) get to dance with people from the shows So You Think You Can Dance and famous dancer/choreographers. The guest teacher this weekend was the guy that is playing the lead in the new Footloose remake. (he was yummy) These things are super fun but super exhausting for everyone. This one took place at the Seattle Westin. We commuted from home but sometimes we stay in the hotel. Being Budget aware was why we commuted but I am starting to think it is the better route. I heard it took 15-30 minutes to get up and down elevators this weekend, ran out of hot water in the hotel,$49 overnight parking and lots of noisy girls and sirens kept parents awake. So I am glad to have saved the 400-500 bucks and slept soundly at home!

To give you an idea of how exhausting these things are, Hayley started after school on Friday at 3:15 with a Tap rehearsal, then hair and make up. Down to Seattle. Three costume changes, compete, and awards done at about 10:00 p.m. There was one trip to the lobby bar around 5:00ish. Then we left the house Saturday at 6:45 am and got home at 10:30 p.m. The competition actually didn't get done until an hour late at 12:30 am. I guess a dancer got kicked in the nose and bled all over the stage. Who said dance wasn't a sport?

But we were excused from the awards because I had a little episode during the evening. I had the Spins and Dizzy thing going on, Almost passed out in the back of the audience. How humiliating that would have been. Of course this caused me much anxiety because that is how I felt prior to my pacemaker surgery and when it happen then my heart stopped. I was totally stressed and self conscious about making a scene. I am so tired of not being normal. But this was another example of how tight dance families are. My mommy friends took great care of me, when I admitted to a few trusted moms that I was having a problem, they totally rallied. Mary had me lay down in her room after a trip to the blood pressure machine at Bartells. She took care of my daughter while I moved my van due to downtown parking limits and made a trip to the pharmacy. This was a huge relief. That way I could talk on the phone to my husband in the car and cry and pitch a fit about not feeling well without any witnesses except for the homeless crackhead that kept tapping on my car window. When I screamed "leave me alone", Scott almost hung up on me.

We shared carpool duties so today I slept in and felt much better. I was determined to show up for the parent class at 1:15. Hayley started up at 8:30 this morning, getting home after 6:00. I still was not feeling 100% but I have been referred to as "sickly" and it hurts. I am determined for my kids to not see me this way or be fearful that mommy is not strong enough. I know the previous evening worried my daughter, this was my way to show her I was just fine. The pain was worth that. The parent class is an opportunity for us moms and dads to show that the dancing talent of our children in most of our cases is clearly not genetic. At some of these things they actually have us learn a routine and dance it on stage in front of the teams and other parents at the closing show. I have fond memories of dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies a couple of years back. I live to embarrass my daughter, just another service I provide. This year was Disco Inferno and out of all the hundreds of parents there were only about a dozen of us with the balls to show up and 7 were from our team. It was during the girl's lunch break so many of them were able to come in and watch us learn and perform. My daughter was a conflicted combination of horrified and proud. I know there are photos and videos floating around, oh no. But to my disappointment it was not performed in the closing show. Sorry folks the live webcast was a no go.

During the closing show, it is packed with parents and dancers. Probably a thousand people? The professionals put on a show that is worthy of any theatre on Broadway. They showcase the best dances from each studio. They also honor dancers with "scholarships" or awards for their performances in class and auditions. We have been attending these events for 6 seasons now. Never has Hayley won one. She is what you might call a "backrow Joe". She is a great little dancer but she is never the one that grabs the attention. That and her height generally puts her in the back. Our attitude has always been that it is a privilege and honor to even make the team so already you are special and you are clearly talented. She never complains. This past year I could see she really was envious of the girls singled out at conventions. One of her coaches noticed she has really been putting in extra effort this past month. She also has had to really work hard at Tap. She was told she needed to do some catch up and dance extra hours to maintain her spot on her team. She has. So it made it even more special when she was singled out during Tap Class by a very famous and amazing Tapper for recognition. When her name was called for a scholarship and she went on stage to accept it, I was so excited for her. It made all the hours of sacrifice worth it.

It was also during this closing show that I yet again (see spring break drug bust story) got to use my sixth sense, aka mommy sense. I am certain that when I am with either of my children I have a heightened awareness that I don't have when I am alone. Case in point, injuries that I have had at my own hand seem to happen when my kids are not around. I think my mind takes a break and allows the stupidity factor to come into effect. There must be some scientific way to prove this theory. I am certain that I can remember someones name way better when I am in Mommy Mode than when I am out with my girlfriends. Now alcohol may have something to do with this but who knows.

I am always on edge at these events. They are in public, generally free of charge and you are surrounded by hundreds of strangers. Add to that hundreds of girls from ages 7-18 in various states of undress in dressing rooms and in costumes ranging from chicken suits to something you might see on a stripper pole (not at our studio thankfully). I hate to admit it out loud, but seriously it is a pedophiles dream. It would be like someone giving me a key to the Top Pot donut shop after hours and saying help yourself and btw they are all calorie free. In the past I have been aware of security escorting photo takers or other creeps out. But it is not like they are checking a special id on all the adults that says "I am a parent of a dancer and have a right to be here". I have let Hayley become more independent at these events but today that trend took a hit.

I have a false sense of security at the Westin because the event takes place on the 4th floor away from easy access to the big bad world outside. Like a few rides on an escalator would stop a person. Prior to the closing show starting tonight I was trying to find a seat in the packed room. I had gotten a chair on the side but the standing folks were going to block my few. I noticed a friend sitting nearby. Next to her was a guy that set my mommy sense off. Initially I batted away the feeling and chastised myself for being such a judgemental bitch. The phrase don't judge a book by its cover came to mind. Didn't I just lecture my daughter on that recently. Didn't I tell her not to be upset about not being recognized because it is the flashy ones that get noticed not the steady eddies? But that she shouldn't judge those girls. Just cause they look and dress like little attention whores doesn't mean they don't have substance and talent. So here I was thinking I don't like the look of that guy cause he is dressed all in gray, jacket, sweater, jeans wearing a flannel baseball hat pulled low. He was white, very tall and heavy. He had a kind of dorky white guy buzz cut and may have been missing a couple of teeth. Talk about profiling, TSA has nothing on me. He had a McDonalds soda and really seemed to be interested in watching everyone around him. But this was only one person in a crowd, why was he bothering me. Maybe because he was sitting next to my friend, maybe cause he didn't smile. He left the room at one point and left his jacket on the back of his chair. I promptly moved his end of the row chair over one and put my chair in its place. This way I didn't have to stand on my chair to see the show, remember mommy danced disco a couple of hours before. I figured he wouldn't notice cause he didn't look very smart. (oops, see, book, cover etc.)

I asked Renee if she knew him, she said no. I was relieved because I was hoping it was not her new boyfriend. He came back and we watched him go up and down the rows "looking for his chair and Soda". Hmmm, it was not hiding, it was obvious where it was. But he seem to be looking at the kids up front on the floor, the girls in costumes getting ready to perform. We waved and pointed to his chair, he sat. My mommy sense was buzzing. About 15 minutes into the show a group of girls age 7-10 came on stage in what can only be described as little slut costumes. Complete with bare midriff, knee high socks and pigtail dancing to a Lady Gaga song. At this point he seemed really alert. Before I made any snarky remarks to Renee about the costumes I decided to turn to him and confront him in my best polite manner. Best polite means bitchy with a smile.

"Excuse me, what studio does your daughter dance for?"

He had an oh shit expression on his face yet also took on defiant body language. "I don't have a daughter"
Ok, I turn my attention back to the stage. Okay, What would the bionic woman do? Ignore him? Hell no.

"excuse me, sorry, are you here to support a family member?"

"No, I am meeting someone"

Back to watching the little sluts I mean dancers on stage. Who the hell meets up with someone at a dance convention on the fourth floor of a hotel? "Hey want to meet at Denny's?" "No, meet me at the Jump dance tour closing show at 3:15 on the fourth floor of the Westin" I turned to Renee and told her what he said. She said maybe he is meeting a teacher or staff of the show. We both raised our eyebrows at each other and I was thinking "Renee way to try to be positive but does he look like someone these handsome and mostly very gay dancers are going to meet up with?"

Oh f*(( it, I have wanted to verbally kick someones butt all week.

"again excuse me sir, but which studio does that person work for or dance with?"

He starts to fidget and lean towards me.

In for a penny, in for a pound. "Cause this show is for family only so if you don't personally know someone here that you can introduce me too, you are going to want to leave right now"

He casually stood and grabbed his coat and started to walk towards the back. Again, penny and a pound, no way am I letting him go back out in the lobby where the dressing room is with the door opening and shutting constantly giving him glimpses of all these girls which at this point are now my honorary daughters. I marched after him. When I got outside the doors I started loudly asking for security which made him pick up his step. I could not find one person that looked like security so I grabbed the guy behind the counter selling sweatshirts. He happen to be the dancer that taught my parent class. I half expected I would have to take care of this myself. Again, don't judge the book. Cause this smallish (and hot) man that obviously didn't play for my team, turned into one fierce man when I told him about this guy and my suspicions. I pointed him out over by the dressing room doors. At this point the perv headed for the escalator. The fierce Gay who I now thought of as my own personal body guard, said "well it looks like he is leaving".

I said "Uh I want him out of this building completely, but I also don't want to miss the show" Hey I have some priorities and I pay a lot of money for these things. Maybe I scared him or he wanted to kick someones butt too, but he followed him. My daughter says I can be a little scary when I want something done. I like to call that look and demeanor "motivating" not scary. I didn't see Super Gay again but I assume he handled it.

When I headed back in I saw at the entrance a Dance Dad from our old team that is also my facebook friend. He also happens to be a pro body builder and a parole officer. Very convenient! So I gave him a detailed description and he said the guy would not make it past the door. I also told another Dance Dad near the back of the room who is a member of our fine military. I figured between those two Dads the man was not going to be a man anymore if he came back. Plus I am pretty sure Super Gay could pulverize him with just a look! I was then able to sit back down and enjoy the show.

Before doing this I very calmly said to a mom standing nearby who was trying not to look exhausted "excuse me you can have this chair. The man sitting there was a pervert and won't be needing it anymore because I chased him away". She didn't even question me she just said an extra warm Thank You and sat down to cheer on her daughter.

Yeah, that's the way I roll.