Zach at Camp, Mommy Dances

C'mon, please! How many Parents dance when their kids go back to school? But that's not what I meant. Let's start with Zach at camp. He took the month of July off but started Summer Camp at his preschool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings this week. It's his day and he had fun playing with friends. He was disappointed that it is too cool to swim though. I had been talking to him about how Allison and Kate would no longer be his teachers. I said that in camp the classes mix but come September 5th, he'll have Mary Ellen and Eileen. He knows them. When I drop him off Mary Ellen and Eileen are two of the teachers that are there to welcome him.

To me, starting a new class with a new teacher isn't a new concept and I know what to expect. At the Y Zach has had new teachers before but not in a school setting. He understands what I mean when I tell him it will be very similar, but different. Camp will be different too but friends are there and he's spent the entire month asking about his friends. I had to pack for his cubby swimsuits and a towel too for the blow up pools in case they swim. He's size 5 now in shorts and jeans but the swimsuits are debatable so I packed both sizes. At least he's familiar with the school. The first thing he said at drop-off is "I want Allison's class" but he didn't cry and just walked over to a friend.

Meanwhile, Mommy danced. Back in college I had a dance routine that was so diverse it took 2 - 3 hours. Just like my gym routine, it's one song for each type. I also did a similar routine when we had given up on getting pregnant but that was about an hour long. Frankly, I feel like it's four years ago. In 2008, at this time, I enjoyed collecting new and old favorite recipes, gardening, and the dance routine which combined dance and some of my gym routine exercise (stretching, sit ups, stepper, aerobics, 1lb weights, 3lb weights yoga and pilates). Remember, my BA is in Dance so I studied a lot in college. Reminder, this is my current gym routine.

1. Stretching (Womanizer)
2. Stomach (3)
3. Step (Phonography)
4. 1lb. Weights ( I Wanna Go)
5. Aerobics (Selfish)
6. Isolations (Up n' Down)
7. Tae-Bo (Get Back)
8. Zumba (Kill The Lights)
9. 3lb. Weights (Hold It Against Me)
10. Walking ('Til The World Ends)
11. Pilates Standing (Everybody)
12. Yoga Standing (Break The Ice)
13. Pilates Floor (Inside Out)
14. Yoga Floor (Out From Under)

1. Womanizer: Feet together, left foot to floor, parallel, strait, bent behind, flip, foot to floor, parallel, strait (prechorus with verse)
2. 3: arms crossed, behind head Chorus-hip lifts alternate reaches, suck in tummy
3. Phonography: start-steps on ground Steps, Chorus-knee ups, steps swings, sides
4. I Wanna Go: Grapevine, Chorus-knee ups, steps swings, sides (circle arms before chorus) ending whistles-hold (prechorus with verse)
5. Selfish:  chorus-potaborre & box step grapevine, turns, pivots, reaches end with stepping side
6. Up 'n' Down: Head-no, circle, shoulder, yes, shoulders-lifts, circle, ribs (pre chorus)-side, front/back, circle, hips-side, front/back, circle, 8
7. Get Back: start- side punches verses/prechorus-punches, Chorus-kicks bridge-alternate side kicks "do you like it" and "let me see ya"-boxer punches slow-fighting stands ending-side punches
8. Kill The Lights: intro-step touch 1-twist together twist hop Chorus-step cross (F) step heal  2-step in step out bridge & ending- step touch (prechorus)
9. Hold It Against Me: Chorus-lift in front (together alternate) verses-over head switches bridge-to the side "give me something good..." (breakdown)
10. 'Til The World Ends: Prechorus-slow walks Chorus-Walk, Jump, hop, "see the sunlight" gallop (walk at slow down), skip
11. Everybody: verses-lateral sides PreChorus-tug of war Chorus-standing scissors, bridge-table top breakdown-leg lifts ending-leg lifts end-standing
12. Break The Ice: prechorus-tree chorus-Chair wrap right, wrap left, bridge-high lunge right, breakdown-high lunge left (transitions: feet together standing) end feet together
13. Inside Out: Chorus-Boomerange, verse 1-Corkscrew 2- V in/out and leg crosses bridge-bicycle (transition-legs apart) final chorus-legs in and up end-roll flat to floor
14. Out From Under:  (prechorus with verse ) Right leg lift, flat triangle, left leg lift, bridge-happy baby, final chorus-ball ending-corpse transition-feet /knees together


Here is my Dance Routine. I did a project on Belly Dancing and learned about other types in college but Hip Hop, Hula, and Japanese dance are new. I did research to remember key characteristics or each and some terminology I may have forgotten. It felt so comforting and familiar. I am still using most of the same songs and found myself just falling into what I used to do. I have shoes assigned to each type and change every two songs. Sometimes I'll combine the routines. My knee is bothering me from when I chipped the knee bone in the fourth grade falling off my bike (right side) so I was limited to just the first 10 parts this morning and couldn't go all out but it was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

1. Modern Technique (Carabean Blue)
2. Modern Dance (Beyond The Invisible)
3. Tap Technique (Stronger [What Doesn't Kill You])
4. Tap Dance (Fighter)
5. Jazz Technique (I Want It That Way)
6. Jazz Dance (Bye Bye Bye)
7. Ballet Technique (I Wanna Love You Forever)
8. Ballet Dance (Only Hope)
9. Pointe Technique (Take Me Breath Away)
10. Pointe Dance (Sweetest Sin)
11. Hula (I Will Remember You)
12. Belly (Whenever, Wherever)
13. Irish (Power Of Goodbye)
14. Country Line (Guys Do It All The Time)
15. Hip Hop (Survivor)
16. African (He Wasn't Man Enough)
17. Cheerleading (One In A Million)
18. Batoning (I Will Love Again)
19. Salsa (Ain't It Funny)
20. Waltz (My Heart Will Go On)
1. Modern: Flowy, Torso Focused, and Contract/Release 
2. Tap: Shuffle, Ball Change, Flap, Carolinas, Stamp, Stomp, Scuff, Pull Back, Riff, Ball Change, Shuffle-hop-step, Crample
3. Jazz: Low Center of Gravity, High Energy, Clean/Precise Movements, Syncopated Rhythm and Isolations
4. Ballet: 1st - 5th Position, Arabesque, Plea, Releve, Rondejom, Tondu, Assamble, Battmante, Potta Borre, Changemant, Chasse, Coupe, Develop, Echappe, Fondu, Fuette, Pose, Glesade, Jete, Pique, Pirouette, and Sessone
5. Pointe: Ballet with emphasis on going to on full point during releve. Stress rolling through the feet to safely get to the pointe. 
11. Hula: Hands and arms are used to tell a story
12. Belly: Isolations, Hip Shimmy (shaking back and forth quickly), Hip Hits (emphasis strike to one side), Udulations (circular or rotating)
13. Irish: jig, quick/Intircite footwork with stiff upperbodies, 
14. Country Line: Electric Slide
15. Hip Hop: Lock/Pop, Breaking, sharp movements, grounded feet/chest down isolations with a loose upperbody
16. African: Stamping, Stomping, Chest isolations, sliding, slithering
17.  Cheerleading: Balance, splits, kicks, leaps, handstands, bridge, rolls, flips, cartwheels, and arm waves
18. Batoning: Circles, 8's, Up down, out in
19.: Salsa: Woman's Part: Right foot back, step left, bring right foot in step left step right, switch and do the left side
20. Waltz: Woman's Part: Step back right foot, step side left, step front right foot, step together left