Sunday dinner at imperial hotel

That's what a weeks worth of bronzer looks like

Make up by moi

The heavy hitters

Team match!

journal entry 6

When we didn't make the cut for top 100 initially we were really sad because the dancing was the worst and so we both had this awful what if feeling. maybe we could have made the next cut? ...so that sucked. We went back to watch the semi and the f8nal and also team match and that was really fun, team match was awesome because it was Europe against the Americas and great Britain and Australasia. so Michael and joanna sergey melia riccardo and yulia and maurizio and andrea were all dancing. I still love michael and joanna and think there dancing is by far superior to anyone else's. Trey compared them and riccardo and yulia to the hieneken guy and the dos equis most interesting man. the Heineken guy is awesome but show offy, where as you just see the most interesting man and know he is a bad A. I laughed on the walk home that night when he said that but it is true, the analogy works. Besides that RS Latin was a home run for the US Denys and Antonina got first place and Pasha and Daniella took second we were so proud :) Then we rushed off to the imperial hotel and the North American party hosted there, THAT was a ton of fun. we hung out with Sasha and Alex and our table was so loud because we are all the youngest i guess, like under 25..and none of us got further then top 50, so misery loves company and we were just being mouthy and having a good time. Dinner was so fun and we split a cab with pasha and daniella on the way home and talked dance. The party took away some of the sting of feeling like crappy dancers because we made a lot of friends and laughed a lot. today we danced 1st qualifying heat for amateur and i can't decide whats going on, because the dancing feels bad and i am not sure if it is because i am more aware and therefore better...(probably...hopefully..) or if its because i am getting worse... (prob not, but still...) We made the cut and at this point no goals have been set for amatuer because the division is just so advanced that we just dance for experience at this point and if we do well we will be happy. yulia and ferdinand look great and her dress is so cute i think i want to buy it, she has great taste. After the round shirley and yegor gave hugs and kisses and some encouragement for tomorrow, shirley told me i looked beautiful out there, which was really nice to hear after watching all he other pretty girls in fabulous dresses... and T bought me a new coat :) great way to end the day...except its not over we still have to practice which we leave for in an hour...this is just naptime... which i need to do, i am so tired my eyes are all burny

Band stand

Couple 392

Journal entry 5

We danced in our second qualifying heat in rising star this morning and made it back to dance on Sunday, we made it through all the qualifying rounds! Trey came and told me because I didn't want to look, I never look the first time, and he had the biggest smile on his face, it was an exhilarating moment. I will remember that picture of how he looked coming towards me with all the excitement in his body. It was the same type of energy he had after we were married just such raw blatant emotion I loved it I was weak with relief, because we made our goal. And really since we have started this trek we have met every goal we set for ourselves. It proves to me that prayer works, which i already knew because we do a ton of it, and that dreams come true, and now that I know what that feeling actually feels like I can never go back. It's like a good drug :) one hit just won't do it. Practice is still a mother effer because we have two captains on our team and although I would like to say T usually takes care of our business, I am a bully when I wanna get my way. Tomorrow I need to do laundry and go grocery shopping because Sunday and Monday is back to business. And I can't relAx if things aren't in order. I sleep so well here, I remember it was like that last year too, I can nap easily and wake up rested or sleep through the whole night, it's fabulous. Sue, the sweet Lady that runs our b&b says it's something in the air and people will comment on it all the time... Must be the ocean or something but I think it's because so many dreams come true here.

DANCE AGAIN SUNDAY!

Hope and Trey have now made TWO cuts in the Rising Star Amateur Latin competition in Blackpool, England!!

They dance again Sunday morning!

They are one of 158 couples that are still in the competition. Out of the 158 only 13 couples are listed as from the USA... but all the other USA couples are clearly foreign as well (Yevgini, Andre, Dimitriy, Mariya, etc, etc).

They are doing SOOO WELL and representing the USA fantastically!!

You can see the qualifiers from each round at the official blackpool website
http://www.danceplaza.com/

At dinner, this place is a hard rock cafe knock off, delish

Off to eat

That's us 392!!! Go USA

After we saw the marks!!!

Practicing at winter gardens this morning

Getting ready for rising star warm up

Journal Entry 4

Ahhh, so Trey has been doing this thing for me before I fall asleep...... :) no but it's relaxing.... Haha it's hypnosis I guess, lately I have been closing my eyes and all I can see or think is dance and it makes it hard to fall asleep, so Trey will talk me through a visualization. He will talk about the beach and tell me to picture waves and the breeze in the trees. It has been working famously. So last night we both slept well, the competition this morning was scheduled for noon but we were in the second block of heats which was heats 11-19, which would startnat 2:50 so we ate breakfast around nine, which consisted of corn flake cereal with sliced banana for me and choco something for Trey, I drank juice and he drank coffee, when we were done with that sue brought out our hot breakfast which is three slices of dinner ham, baked beans, boiled mushrooms, scrambled eggs, and toast. I love eating this breakfast, oh yeah a has brown also... I crave this breakfast and I always feel just right after I am done eating it. So we went up to get ready and my straightener fizzes out and so did my blowdryer. Luckily my b&b had a blowdryer for me but T had to run to super drug and get me a cheap British straightener and safety pims because blackpool doesn't supply any for your number, which we didn't know until we were there. Our warm up felt really bad, the floor felt slick and it was crowded so it was frustrating, Trey and I got mad at each other and exchanged a few nasty words and had a drama moment. But when it was our turn to compete it was like magic, the floor was perfect, the music was enchanting all we saw was each other and it went wonderfully well all 4 dances were equally good. Yegor came up to us before hand and gave hugs and kisses, it was comforting to know a coach was watching... Besides shirley who was judging. Shirley did seem to be watching us every time I saw her though and I made sure to throw a wink her way just like she asked me too. Good news is we made the cut and will dance again tomorrow morning at 10 am, practice rounds start at 8:30 and we have breakfast at 7:45, which will be early for me, so hopefully I can talk Trey into getting me a red bull :) the goal is to make the cut again tomorrow ok god? Thx xox

DANCING NOW!!

Hope and Trey are currently dancing in England at the Blackpool Championships at Winter Gardens.

They are competing (right now!! -- with the time change) and will be in the 19th heat of the Festival Rising Star Latin competition.

19 heats!!!!

SENDING LUCK AND ENERGY THEIR WAY!!!

--- Hopefully they post soon and let us know how it goes!!-----

Dinner first night in blackpool

Journal Entry 3

On the bus on our way to blackpool now, yesterday we had our last night of rounds at Semely and it was wonderful because it was there 25th anniversary so Carmen and Brian were there with two other couples doing shows, the original "heat 1" at rounds it's like five heats of 12 couples on the floor, it's crowded and hot and sweaty and the music is loud, Brian said it isn't always the best place to practice but it is the best place to dance and I agree wholeheartedly. It was amazing being there, everyone showed up at one point. Peter Maxwell was there and gave some words and Greg and Lydia both got gifted for there hard work which I was glad to see because I didn't even know them and I could tell they love doing what they do and they do it tirelessly. It was an amazing experience. I am on the bus ride feeling really nauseas and I was watching horton hears a who. Which is an amazing story probably one of my favorites. I love when the mayor of whoville looks at his wife Sally and says this is bigger than me, take the family and get them safe. And she says I will I believe in you. It made me cry the whole thing did but especially that part because no one believes in him, and she honestly does. It's significant because with Trey and I traveling and being so far away from home the bottom line is he's my buddy and my pal and we can laugh and hang out and get sick of each other and all the traveling he has succeeded in taking care of not just himself but me too and the luggage has been heavy and the walking isn't easy and the dancing is hard but I realized that he always makes sure I get the lightest load, and although it isn't always obvious right away and even if he's being a jerk, underneath all that he is still helping me out, and making my job as easy as he can. We crossed the border into blackpool now, and I need to buy new dance shoes so I can't wait to get checked in to our place and get to the winter gardens.

Journal Entry 2

Yesterday at rounds Daria and Val were there as were a few canadians like Artemis and one other guy. Greg and I are pretty good friends I would say. There was a coach doing a lesson when we went in for rounds that later approached us and asked where we were from and is this our first year? A few people have asked us and I can't decide if that's because we look good or not. Practice was a lot better yesterday paso was a royal mess all three times but jive felt great surprisingly since we haven't danced it in a few weeks.... Greg introduced us when we were leaving for the night to his friend Jake who lives here in norbury and wants to hang out him and his brother... Yesterday I went and talked with Vesa and Luca too, it was wonderful! The sweetest people ever and we had so much fun. Then Trey and I came home and I napped for 6 hours.... Kinda crazy but it felt good. I fell asleep after rounds at about 1 am and woke up today about 2pm. I think I am still trying to figure the time zone out because I still feel tired. I woke up really sore too, neck back and legs. Luckily my feet aren't as sore. I am really looking forward to rounds tonight and tomorrow Trey is taking me into London to eat at our favorite place, Masala Zone, and to scope out where the comp is at. We compete in two days in London for the idsf crystal palace cup

May 24, 2011 9;56 London Time Journal Entry 1

We got in to London around noon and arrived at Anns house by tube train and foot at about 4 pm. We went to rounds at 7 but they didn't really start until 8, it was amazing. Trey and I started out really nervous and small because everyone, EVERYONE was there. Stefano and Olga, yulia and riccardo, melia and sergey, kerill and Elvira, Neil and katy a, yulia and Ferdinand. Everyone I have ever watched and idolized was there dancing in a studio space. The studio itself was really cool, it had a bar and a stage where some swanky euro trash lounge area was but it was not big or fancy. Kate and her partner from USA were there and from minute one were at each others throats and then on the flip side there was Neil and katy a who played and laughed with each other. Neil loves her and the daninc g so much it is enchanting. The room was so crowded and all different levels. Trey and I didn't Feel close to the worst but still lot to work and focus on. Trey and I were careful and professional I only got hit in the head once in rumba and ran into yulia once in paso (big scary oops ;)) but we did alright! I feel now that shirleys choreography was for the best because it can be danced similar to what I saw others dancing tonight. A lot of soon to be friends were there and I love this world, the atmosphere was incredible. Trey and I stood with the Russians and Italians because the American couples were all scattered and arguing with one a other.... Which is interesting in retrospect but was annoying at the time. My shoulders are aching and my feet are raw but I am happy. Covered in sweat and exhaustion but nothing in this world can beat how I feel right at this moment. Anns house is pleasant and I am grateful I can feel comfortable here. Greg de wet was the only person I introduced myself too tonight because Allan told us too, he's a bundle of fun and told us to kiss and hug Allan when we see him next. Now I just want to shower with Trey and watch horton hears a who...