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When I first met my dance partner Morten Schnedler, he asked me whether I wanted to wear a beautiful ballgown for our performance. Envisioning myself in a sea of loveliness, I latched onto this vision. So it came as a great surprise to me when we met for our first dance class and he shared his music selection. Let's just say it's not a waltz.
How did I get into this predicament? As the community marketing director for Main Street Connect, publisher of this website and nine others, I delivered a $10,000 check to Curtain Call in Stamford. It was the winner of our Santa's Wish List promotion. The following day, they called with a proposition. One might even say a challenge. I'm one of those people who walks around with an "eager to help" sign on my forehead and walked right into their trap. Which turned out to be a gift. That's the way it works.
The proposal was intriguing: appear on stage at the Palace Theatre in Stamford on May 14 for Curtain Call's Dancing with the Stars fundraiser. I would be one of the "Stars" paired with a professional dancer. If you've watched an episode of the reality show, "Dancing With The Stars," then you know the formula. The "celebrity" starts lessons with few skills and emerges a swan on the dance floor. No small task. You can imagine my panic, so I asked for a day to think about it.
How do you say no to helping a local community group while at the same time helping yourself? I accepted the challenge. Partly because I want to be a good role model for my three kids. I want to show them that I am the kind of mom who pushes herself to try new things. But mostly because I believe that going outside my comfort zone forces me to grow.
What started as a frightening unknown has turned into something I embrace with joy. Walking into the dance studio is like walking into a private dance party. Everyone is supportive and welcoming. I've grown accustomed to hearing "let's do it again" which means I don't have the routine nailed. I have no illusions about looking like the ugly duckling transformed into an elegant swan, but I'm satisfied with the journey. Click on the video to see a sample of our dancing. Here's a link to the voting page on Curtain Call's website. Voting for us supports a worthwhile cause and validates the notion that we're never too old to learn something new.
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