Let's RiSE

We all have a movie scene that from the moment we saw it, we’ve wanted to live it out in real life. For me it was the scene in the movie Tangled where Rapunzel was surrounded by thousands of floating lanterns. This past weekend I got to live out that scene at the RiSE Festival.

R- is for Rapunzel of course! I got to feel like a Disney princess for a night. What’s cooler than that?! Dream come true.

I-Inspiration. My mother and I were inspired to use our first lantern to write all the things that we wanted to let go of… “our crap” is what we called it. Our second was for our dreams. The whole event was full of inspiration. Seeing thousands of people writing on lanterns to release them into the sky... kind of incredible.

S-Surrounded and Speechless. The entire crowd lit and released their first lanterns all at once. In “3… 2… 1…” thousands of lanterns were released and the sky lit up with dreams of those that I was surrounded by. It was truly magical. I was in awe and completely speechless.

E- Emotions. It was a surprisingly emotional experience. As my mother and I wrote on the lanterns, the things we wanted to let go and the things we were dreaming of, tears filled my eyes… Here I was, being given a chance to physically let go of what has been holding me back. You could feel the energy of everyone in the crowd. It was one of the most spiritual and tranquil feelings I’ve had. After the first lantern release, my mother and I stood there, crying happy tears, trying to take in this incredible moment that we had been given. We hugged each other and she said to me “This is so cool!” then we cried some more happy tears.

As incredible as the night was, one of the most tangible emotions was Gratitude. As I stood watching thousands of lanterns float higher and higher above my head I was overwhelmed with gratitude... grateful that the woman who has supported me through the toughest of times and the happiest, was standing beside me to experience this moment with me. Grateful that she knew how much this event meant to me, so she extended her trip to make sure that she could accompany me and make it special. We lit a few more lanterns and released them. Each time just as magical as the previous.

THANK YOU!

When we were preparing our final lantern my mom looked at me and asked “What do you want to write on it?” I smiled and said “I kind of just want to write ‘Thank You’”. She smiled and nodded, because she had had the same thought. Thank You to the Rise Festival for making my dream come true! Thank You to the universe for the abundance of gifts! Thank You to God for giving me such a spiritual experience! And Thank You to my mother for sticking beside me!

THE LESSON:

I’m vowing to let go of my crap and chase my dreams. It’s time that we all take a moment out of our hectic lives and purge ourselves of those things that no longer serve us. It’s time to let go of the guilt, the self-doubt, the judgment and let yourself live in a higher state of mind where only the good can thrive. I was able to physically write my “crap” on a lantern and “let it go” into the sky, where it is no longer attached to me. Whatever works for you… just do it. Let yourself live! Stop holding yourself back.

It’s fall, the season of letting your dead weight fall to the ground. So what are you still holding on to? Is it serving you? No? Then let it go. Allow yourself to live in freedom from the things that don’t serve you.

Together we will RiSE.

XOXO,

Dorothy in Sin City

Courage VS Confidence

“You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid and that kind of courage you have in plenty” -The Wizard of Oz

This quote caught my attention a while back and has been on my mind recently. 

Sometimes I feel like I have tons of courage and, other times I feel like I have very little, but is it COURAGE that I’m lacking, or the CONFIDENCE to use that courage? I had the courage to move to Las Vegas. I had the courage to go cliff jumping (which was huge for me, by the way.  A year ago, I don’t think I would have done that). I had the courage to take risks and make huge life decisions. Then again, sometimes doing the smallest thing makes me feel vulnerable and seems to completely paralyze me.

So that must make it more about confidence, which I think most people struggle with on some level.  Sure, there are a few people in the world who are 100% confident in themselves and their abilities, but I think most of us often underestimate ourselves and what we are capable of.  The question I keep asking myself is, WHY?  It could be because of our childhood experiences, traumatic events, societal “norms”, our own wiring-of-our-brains, etc., but how long do we allow these things to dictate our future before we realize and recognize our own self worth? Personally, I know that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t realize mine on some level, but I still wonder why I'm not always able to confidently and comfortably do exactly what I set out to do.

I think it starts with the belief that I can. You cannot passionately change your life without first, believing. You cannot step onto the stage wanting to give your most perfect performance without even a small part of you believing that you have the ability to do so.

Over a year ago I posted a photo on Instagram that said “What if, all of a sudden people discovered their true power and shed the shackles of a system that enslaves them?”  What IF everyone did start believing in themselves, their power and abilities? This world would change immensely! But I cannot change the world, so I'm starting with me to be better, be more confident and discover my true power.  I may doubt myself along the way, but I know that I’m capable.

Even though I'm beginning to realize that I may have more in common with the Cowardly Lion than I'd like to admit, I am also understanding that, in the end, he found out that it’s not that he didn’t have courage, but just that he didn’t fully believe in his own abilities.  He didn't trust in himself enough to use the courage that was innately within him. So maybe it's okay to have a little Cowardly Lion in me, maybe we all have some, we just get to believe and know that we have plenty of courage to face our fears.

XOXO,

Dorothy in Sin City

Up, Up and Away

Shortly after I made the move to Sin City

A year ago today, I boarded a flight to Las Vegas from Kansas City to start my new life.  It was, by far, the scariest thing I had ever done.  It felt surreal.  As my parents drove me to the airport and walked with me inside the terminal, I couldn’t believe what was about to happen.  We sat outside the gate until the last possible moment.  Then, I slowly got up, burst into tears, hugged them both and walked through the doors with tears still streaming down my face.  I boarded the plane feeling like I was experiencing an out-of-body moment.  The flight seemed like the longest three hours of my life.  I was anxious and scared, but I just wanted to get to Vegas as soon as possible to get settled and make it all seem more real…which I’m not has sure has fully happened to this day.  I remember lugging my two huge suitcases to the taxi line and getting in the taxi.  The driver asked me, “Are you from here or just visiting?”  As strange as it was to hear myself say it, I replied, “I live here.”   As scary as that day was, I always knew that I was doing the right thing.  On the plane I wrote in my journal, “I have full faith that I’m where I’m supposed to be, but it’s scary. The unknown is scary, but everything will work out.  I just want to be happy. I’m anxious to see what awaits me in Sin City.”

It’s crazy to look back and see how much my life has changed since that day.  My surroundings have changed, my day to day life has changed, my friends and relationships have changed, my comforts have changed and even I have changed.  Do I regret that drastic move?  Never.  It’s become the best decision that I ever made.

In all honesty, I’m really proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished and learned his past year.  I know I still have a lot to learn and haven’t begun to realize all I am capable of, but for the year I’ve been here, I’ve done a lot.

The first few months here in Vegas, I was really unhappy.  I was having a hard time fitting in and finding where I belonged.  I missed my family and the comforts that I had in Kansas City.  I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity instead of changing it, because I was afraid of stepping outside of my comfort zone to make a difference in my life.  When I finally got over myself, took a step back, humbled myself and really looked at my life and where I was, that’s when things changed.  I made moves that needed to happen and I put my life in better order.  THAT’S when I finally became happy and THAT’S when my life here in Vegas started falling into place.  I can honestly say now that I am so happy here in Vegas.  I have great friends and supportive people around me, who I know will always be there for me. I have jobs that I love, a roof over my head, a car to drive and food in my fridge. I’ve been incredibly blessed.

I’ve learned a lot (you can read about some of those lessons in my last post.)  I’ve grown a ton and I feel like the same person, but a better version of me.  Every year around January 1^st, I always think about how awesome my year has been and never expect the next one to top the last, but it always does. If this first year in Vegas is any indication of what my next year will be, I better buckle up and hold on! This hot air balloon's fire is still burning and the basket’s going higher and higher. If I just keep finding my courage, following my heart and using the lessons I’ve learned… I know It’s gonna be an awesome ride!

XOXO,
Dorothy in Sin City

COURAGE, HEART, now a BRAIN

It’s been almost a year since I moved to Las Vegas and I’ve learned so much since then. More than I ever could have expected.

I realize that we are all constantly learning in life; about ourselves, about others, about our work, our dreams and goals, so although some of the lessons that I’ve been taught haven’t been the easiest, they’ve been life-changing, eye-opening and are so exciting.

Here are the Top 10 things I’ve learned on this road, so far (in no particular order):

1. Don't forget your badge of courage.  You cannot wait around for life to happen to you, you have to go after what you want. This may seem obvious, but sometimes you think that things will eventually fall into place, which is true to an extent, but it also takes your hard work and persistence to get those things together.

  

2. The road has many twists and turns and chance encounters.  Things don’t always turn out how we’ve planned, but that's okay. I thought I had things figured-out and knew how my life would end up. It turned out that my plan can no longer be my plan, but it will all work out even better than I could have imagined.

3. Embrace the journey.  Only you hold yourself back. I’ve got so much support and love, but this is one I am continually challenged by. Holding myself back out of fear is definitely a trait I will be letting go of.

4. Take friends with you.  When you open yourself up to others, you become happier. When got out of my comfort zone, I started opening up to new friends and different experiences, I became exponentially happier.

5. The answer may be with you all along.  Trust yourself more. Listen to your intuition and learn how to decipher what you really want. Then take action.

6.  The Wizard does exist.  When you feel lost, remember that God is always by your side. Don't stray from Him, stay the course and He will help you find your way.

  

7.  There really is no place like home. Your family is extremely important and it's possible that you’ll see the impact they've had ON your life and IN your life even more when they’re not around.

8. The Wicked Witch doesn’t have control! If you don’t like the way something’s going in your life, change it. Take charge.  Don't make excuses.  It's as simple as that.

9. Flying monkeys don't scare me. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Although it seems like a minor thing, when Bernard asked me to consider dying my hair, even that little change was big for me.  I had never entertained "changing me."  My first thought was “HECK NO!!” But then when I thought about it more, I decided that it was only hair and I should just try it. Go Ginger!  Guess what? Now I’m really happy that I did. It’s been fun and has given me a new sense of being bold and confident.

10. Ride the twister.  Staying in your comfort zone will never get you anywhere that is truly fulfilling! If you want to grow and progress, you have to constantly push yourself beyond what is convenient or familiar. Be brave enough to feel awkward and uncomfortable for awhile. That feeling doesn't last long. The positive results that come from it do.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be constantly learning and challenging myself. I am extremely thankful for all of the teachers I have in my life. Most of all, I look forward to more lessons, new experiences and kicking up these ruby red shoes in the "City of Neon and Bright Lights."

Heart

“As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.”   - The Wizard of OZ

Some may wonder why the Tin Man would want a heart… why would someone want to feel all the heartache and pain that one can go through? But the wonderful joy you can feel from having a heart can outweigh the bad immeasurably. Having heart is being strong, forgiving, compassionate and full of faith. I also believe that having heart is connected to our intuition.

“Follow Your Heart”…  a common cliché saying that we have all heard a million times. It seems too simple… life is never that simple, right? But what if it was? What if following our heart was merely as easy as it sounds? I’m not saying that we are all making life harder on ourselves, life can be very challenging. I think that following your heart can mean different things to everyone. For me, I’ve learned that my intuition knows more than I give it credit for. And my intuition knows my hearts desires. The issue is that sometimes following your hearts desire is not always easy because sometimes our heart wants one thing, and our mind wants another…. And thus the battle within yourself begins. Other times you know immediately when something is exactly what you want.

When I was given the opportunity to move to Las Vegas to pursue my dream, I knew immediately, without question, that it was meant for me. My intuition knew at that exact moment that all was falling into place for a reason. That answer came very easily and quickly for me. But unfortunately in life, the answers don’t always come so quickly or merely as easily. When those times come, we must keep going in faith that God will guide us to our answer in His timing and in is His way. “We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying-but without absolute assurance-that we are acting in accordance to God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps.” (David Bednar 2011)

We may not always understand why things happen the way that they do. But if we let our hearts guide us, we will always make it to where we are meant to be. There is no doubt that we will encounter disappointments and heartache along the way, but even when that happens, we must remind ourselves that the joy that we will feel when we get what our heart truly desires, will be better than anything we could have ever imagined. And that joy will help to erase the pain that we once felt. That joy will be a driving force in life… A feeling that we will strive to obtain. I believe that the Tin Man wanted that joy and was willing to endure that heartache that sometimes occurs so that he could experience what it felt like to be loved, to be blessed, to be grateful and to feel the happiness that life has to offer. How wonderful it is that we have to capacity to feel.

XOXO,

Dorothy in Sin City

UPDATE: LVCDT is working on our upcoming performances in Baltimore and Laguna Beach as well as our World Premiere of “Alice Down The Rabbit Hole” in October at the Smith Center in Las Vegas. I am teaching at a local studio and also working part time at a retail store. I am excited for the opportunities that may arise the next few months and look forward to being able to share all my experiences!

Courage

Courage is stepping outside your comfort zone. Courage is doing things that are unfamiliar. Courage is being scared, but going for it anyway. Courage is trusting that your life will lead where it is meant to.

In January I attended a casting call for a Redken Hair show. I nervously walked into a room full of all sorts of girls. I had no idea what to expect. We were asked to stand based on our measurements, height, hair type, color, etc.  I was booked to be a model in the show! It was so much fun! They highlighted my hair (I wouldn’t let them dye it… I was too scared) and then styled it into what they called the “Wrap Star Ponytail”.  I got paid to let people play with my hair all day long... FINE BY ME!!! The stylists were all in awe of how much hair I had and loved playing with it. I’m definitely going to try to do more hair shows when I can... as long as they don’t want to butcher my hair! Haha. I walked in totally out of my comfort zone, but walked out with experience and connections.

The Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater had three successful shows in Vegas at the West Las Vegas Library Theater for Black History Month. I was so nervous for the shows… I really wanted to do well and perform to the best of my abilities. We had one children’s show where we performed “Phib” and  “Pajama Party”. The kids all really seemed to like it and it was a really fun performance. Then that night we had an evening performance where I got to perform in “Solstice”, “Read Matthew 11:28” and “Lifted”. We did that same evening performance as a matinee the next day. All were such fun performances. I was reminded yet again, how much I love being on stage. I loved each of the pieces that I got to perform for different reasons. It was an overwhelming weekend of emotions. I am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to perform alongside such amazing people and artists. But not only was that overwhelming, I was overwhelmed by the amount of support that I received. I had so many new friends come and support me in my show. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such incredible people in all areas of my life. I’ve always felt like I was here in Las Vegas and with LVCDT for a reason, but having so many people come out to be there for me was just another bit of proof that I am exactly where I belong. My family isn’t geographically close to me to be able to come to my shows, but I’m grateful to have more people that I can call family. Moving to Las Vegas has been the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was definitely outside my comfort zone, and I know that I am gaining more and more courage since I moved out here to do things that are uncomfortable for me.

LVCDT just got back from a residency in Prescott, Arizona. We had two performances and a master class with area dance studios. Again, I was just overwhelmed with the gratitude to be a part of this amazing group of people, going to other places and inspiring other dancers to follow their dreams. It was heartwarming. I love what I do and who I get to do it with.

I will soon be starting a teaching position at a local studio out here on Wednesday nights teaching ballet and pointe. I am so excited and happy to be a part of the studio!

Things are really falling into place. I always knew they would. It has just taken time to get settled into everything and my new life in Sin City. I am excited and hopeful for what lies ahead. I have the courage to trust that my life is where it is supposed to be and that I am headed down the right path. Everyone is capable of courage, if they just take that first step towards it. It is there and so much easier to achieve than we think.