Dancing at the Ottawa Gala

OttawaGala.com

Midnight in Marrakech was the theme for this year's Ottawa Gala, this past April 16, 2011. The party was snazzy, the music was exotic and the food was delicious. What about the performers? Well, the belly dancing was very fitting for the thematic part of the entertainment and, of course, a swing performance was showcased.


Luckily, Swing Dynamite has been attending this gala for the past few years and I was part of the privileged few who got to wear the gorgeous costumes, dance our elegant choreography and of course, enjoy the fixings of a sweet gig: access to a VIP room, live music and a floor to dance your heart to, tasty nibbles and drinks. I suppose it was the place to be for up-and-coming young professionals and party goers.

Yes, I've been stalking the website for the 2011 photos... but considering that the 2010 photos aren't up, I'm not expecting them anytime soon. *Sigh*

Thinking back, I wonder what I was most excited about: performing this number for the first time, dancing my first swing gig, being on stage again for the first time in a while or simply to be at such a classy event. Definitely, all of the above.

It was a fabulous way – and I mean that quite literally – to break into performing this style of dance which I have been working on for nearly two years now. It’s different from competing or performing for other swing dancers: this is sheer entertainment and what it feels like to do show business… late nights, partying, dancing and putting your body through intense training and ensuring you are performance ready.

…I love the rush, and I put in the work, but at the end of the day, I’m grateful that this is not my daily routine. I truly respect professional dancers for how much they can handle and pull off.

Now, I'll admit, I still need an occasional fix; when is the next gig?