A bumpy journey, a beautiful destination

Yes!!! I have checked that off my list after so many years! Finally!!

Short + Sweet Dance Penang 2016: Everyday Carry

Everyday Carry was indeed was a long journey. It took one whole year and many many unexpected barriers for it to come to fruition.

It started with us approaching BB Ostella Adam to be our choreographer. As it turned out, her husband was planning to relocate back home... home is in Houston, Texas. So, she gave us a couple of options: do it via video-call or she recommended a few of her choreographer friends based in KL to take on this project instead. We chose the former.

We started out with the easiest task, buying the chairs from Ikea. From Jan - May, we had free movement rehearsals and explored with movements with and without the chair and recorded those sessions so that BB can find out our capabilities and range of movement. We started rehearsing actual choreography around July. But Alvin was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis of his right knee right and I was diagnosed with a cervical slipped disc right about end-July. We had to take a break from all physical activity and had to decide whether we still wanted to go ahead with this project.

I was adamant to proceed, because we have gone so far!!! It would be such a waste. So, BB wrote to the organizers to ask if we can transfer our participation to the Penang S+S Festival instead of KL. The Penang dates were later than the one in KL so, we can pick up rehearsals again after our month of rest and recovery from our geriatric orthopaedic problems. The organizers said yes!

And so we started rehearsing again in September, with some new choreography with our injuries in mind.

Performance week came and seeing the professionalism in the dance troupe from the Philippines, we just felt honoured to be sharing a stage with such talents. When Joe Hasham announced the winner of Best Newcomer, he said that normally this award goes to very young people, but this time is not the case. Unexpectedly, we won the Best Newcomer and Festival Director's Award for that dance. I am thankful beyond words that we even managed to complete this project. I am thankful that BB stuck it out with us even through so many hiccups. And most of all, I am thankful to share this journey with my partner in life, Alvin.

It may be our last attempt at a dance piece, but it will not be our last artsy project together. :)

My fav videos

Am @d Kuching airport Starbucks awaiting my flight... bored. Cant post d Kuching food stuff up yet coz cant transfer d photos yet. So, juz tot I'd post my 3 fav videos on youtube here. Am watching them now anyway... :)

Wet cement

After teamteaching with sifu ie. Kenny a couple of nights ago, got him to reassess me. :)

After giving me the usual feedback session, something he said, made a lot of sense. He said that the 1st 3 months is extremely crucial for any new instructor. This is when our habits form and sets in place. It is also when we make our first and lasting impression on members. Like wet cement, if you mold it while it's still wet, it takes the form you want. If you wait till it is set, sori lah...

So for the next few months, he advised me no matter how bored I am of the 2 releases I have, (which I am!) stick to it so that the moves become reflex action without having to use the brain. Instead, use the brain space, time and effort to improve on coaching. Members will also be happy to see us improve eventhough we teach them the sames songs. He gave a lot of very practical coaching tips too. Thanks sifu!!

So, its BJ 45 & 46 for me all da time... sien!!! :s Lucky after Christmas got BJ 47. :)

Caution: wet cement! Don't step on me ya? ;)

My very own first Bodyjam class!

Had my very own first Bodyjam class today in IOI!! It was an unexpected one, initially thought my first class would be the one in DU on Thurs...hehehe.


Ta-da! My name's on d board!!! :))))

Was kinda nervous coz wasn't really well prepared especially for the tracks from BJ45 which is a bit rusty since I was practising BJ46 like crazy to do clearance. Hehehe. But overall it was fun!! Looking forward to Thurs! :)

What a GGRRREEAAATT day!!

Today, I was nervous about 2 things... my first surgery (as a helper not a patient k?) and my Bodyjam clearance.

The surgery which was an abdominoplasty, lasted for about 6 hours!!! I only managed to have lunch at about 3.30pm! Had to stand all the way throughout the surgery and my legs ache. But at least d doctor asked to have the Mamma Mia! soundtrack playing and we even sang along! ;) Not only the surgery went super smoothly... my part in it also went super smoothly that the surgeon wanted to learn more. And he was singing praises about my product to another colleague of his while we were having a bit together till she agreed to use it!!! He said that his patients love the effects and the faster healing. I didn't even need to do any selling AT ALL!! :) Isn't that a nice warm fuzzy feeling?

Then in the evening, I made my way to Summit for my clearance assessment by Leo. Arrived early so I did some last minute practising. During the class, it wasnt as non-intimidating as IOI would've been since there are more people and I don't really know them. I guess sometimes my nervousness showed, sometimes I managed to hide it, hehehe. Adalah some mistakes here and there, lotsa improvements to be made still... for both cueing and technique. But final result??? I cleared!! I cleared!! Yay!!! Yay!!! Now am truly part of FF's Bodyjam team! Dance 4 life! :) Another warm fuzzy feeling!!

Wasn't it such a beautiful day??? :)

A eureka moment for Bodyjam

Last Fri evening I had planned a BJ46 practice wt a fellow trainee. But when I reached Axis, she was no where to be found. Called her a couple of times but she did not answer. I was ffk-ed!!! Sigh! So since I have already booked d studio wt Teoh, I might as well practiced alone. Luckily, Sista was gymming with me coz I was staying over at her house that day. So, I suggested she become my "member" while I conduct a class of 1...hehehe.

Sista was nice enough to teman me while I practice. Then halfway through class I had a "Eureka" moment. I realized I didn't have to struggle to memorize what to say and how to cue. Because I was trying to get her to follow what I do, I never ran out of things to say....which is a mistake that happens to me ALOT!! How she danced and how well she could follow me became like this feedback loop that prompts me what to say next. So, next time, when practising chorey get instructors...when practising cueing, get members eh?! ;)


Yay!!!! Thank God for Sista!! Hugs!!

Miracle 2008 - Bodyjam 45 Rrrrrocks!!!

Last Saturday was the Miracle event for this year at The Curve. Funds raised will go to Mercy Malaysia in aid of the China Earthquake Relief Efforts and also for Kirtarsh Handicapped and Disabled Childrens' Home in Rawang. You just buy the coupons and use it to gain entrance to class or to purchase stuff from sponsors.

As usual, us dancaholics will turn up for the most glamourous and HOT class of them all... Bodyjam!! Not just any Bodyjam, but the brand spanking new super duper hot Bodyjam 45!!! Woohoo!!

This time, I decided to drag Sista along for a fun time and a good sweat out! The rest of our gang opted out to go makan escargot in Jinjang... yeah, u heard me right... not si-ham, not lala, but escargot... in Jinjang! Hhmmpph!! Heartless gluttons. :p Well, it's their loss!

The new Bodyjam 45 has the coolest Rock Choreography ever! So all of us dancaholic divas were dressed all gothic and rocked up to the occasion.


Sista and I dressed to kill!!

We actually dressed to kill liddat even to class earlier that day... ;) vanity is a woman's birth-right!!


Sista and I on d dancefloor.... eh... why d fler looked at d camera so garang ar?


De sizzling HAUTE Bodyjam launch team!!


With sizzling hot & sexy moves...


Dancing our hearts out... notice d fler in white singlet? That's Sha, methinks he's da best dancer in our Bodyjam 45 training batch! :)


Strrrretch...


De super crazy energy in d launch team make you wonder if they're powered by energizer?? ;)

It was great fun!! All for a good cause too. Thanks to Baby to taking da chun chun photos for us! Muaks!!

So Amazing!!

So emotional, so dramatic... no words, just dance! So amazing!


Katie and Joshua

Why are cool stuff not available here??

Saw this while surfing for new dance trainers...


Isnt' it pretty??
It's just sooooo cool. Would be perfect to add to my Bodyjam-wear collection. Only available in US, UK and Aus though.

But if I buy online, the shipping costs a bomb!!! And I can't try it on to get the perfect size. :(

Why are all the cool stuff not available here??? Boohoohoo!!! :( :( :(

The spirit of Dance!

After 3 grueling days of training....
......
......
I passed!!! I passed!!! Yay!!!

It was physically draining but it was so much fun!! We had the 4 hour dance-school on the first to get us to buck-up on all the dance steps. By the second day, we were aching all over. But once we started dancing again, it seems that all the pain just disappears and we go crazy all over again! However, it wasn't just about dancing, we had to learn how to be a good coach, how to instruct and motivate people. A class isn't just about yourself...it is about the participants.

When all of us were working hard memorizing the choreography and practising in front the the mirrors, it gave me the feeling that I'm in the one of those dance-school movies like "Fame" or "Step Up". Cool eh?

I got a nice smooth R&B track for the 1st presentation which suited me quite well but for the 2nd presentation, I got a hard rock track. Yikes!! Just had to throw the real me out the window and be the angry rocker instead. It's really cool to be someone else once you're on stage! ;)


Go Bodyjam 45 trainees!!! :)

And thanks sooooo much to Leo, our headteacher who was there for us all the way from the start!!! You rock girl!!

Ballroom Dancing

Went to watch the Ballroom Dancing Grand Prix yesterday.



Bf won the day-show tickets from MixFM!

The morning session was all standard ballroom. They performed waltz, foxtrot, quickstep and tango. All d participants look so elegant and graceful... but my photos don't do them any justice le. They were moving too fast for my digicam.





Then in the afternoon after bf left, they had the Latin part. Whoa!! The costumes alone can heat up d dance floor. The competition for the Latin dances wooed a lot more participants. So many couples dancing cha-cha, rhumba, samba as well as jive (I dunno why is jive part of Latin???) The moves were even faster.... so even worse photos. Sigh...





There was a category for the Grand Seniors (above 55). These aunties and uncles can really shake their tush! They keep their figures in such good shape that even some 20-somethings can't compete. There was one lady who can even do a split!! Just imagine, these people are my parents' age!

Personally loved the cha-cha and jive the most!! I wanna dance like them too!!!

I am missing you...

I haven't been to gym since last Friday. This is coz one of my friends worked-out right after her belly pierce and got a bad painful infection. So I decided not to take the risk.

I did go to gym today, but I just did light exercises on the machine. No buckets of sweat, no adrenaline and endorphin rush. How boooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnggggggg...

I miss GX!! I miss Bodyjam!!! I miss dancing!! Boohoohoo... I am really missing this,

Haven't even blogged Miracle 07, think it's abit 2 basi 2 blog it now

I am soooo going for class tomorrow. I only have one more week to practice Bodyjam 41. This GXholic is back!!

Miracle Audition: 4TY CENT da bomb!

Last Friday was the auditions for the Miracle Team Challenge at FF IOI. The finalists will be able to present 1 track at the launch of the new release of Bodyjam 41 for a charity event!

That was what I had been busy with... practising da choreography for Bodyjam 34's Disco Inferno (by 50Cent). Whoa... now I know it is not easy to be an instructor. This is only 1 single track, imagine those who have to memorize the chorey for many many releases!!

My tribe??? 4Ty Cent!!


From left: me, Farah, Jean and Ann

We've been practising until pretty late at night, because we had to start our practices rather late, after the studios are free from the group-x classes.


Huddling for last minute pep-talk!

We did a few boo-boos during the performance but it was really fun! I could feel the tribe-chemistry of 4Ty Cent's performance!!! Hot!

Hip hop mania!


Bruuuuuuuutal looks!

Anyway, bf was too busy being a judge to take that many good shots... so I don't have much pics to post up yet. However, one of the team members from our rival team took plenty of pics and even a video of our performance as well as theirs! They were dressed to kill in their sizzling Latino outfits. Really cool! Can't wait to see those pics! :)

Bodyjammers are da coolest bunch I've met, they can be rivals and great friends at the same time. All we want to have lotsa fun, dance our hearts out and perform!!! The last time they had this tribe challenge, I was in a Bodycombat team... and just like the name, all da teams were in Combat! They had a much stronger competitive streak than the Bodyjammers.

My lean mean Bodycombat ex-tribe leader!!

You lookin at me???!!!

Hope we can make it to da finals!! All will be revealed on June 4th! Arrghhh... suspense gila!

Busy

Haven't got time to blog lately... busy with this.

Will blog once d audition is over!!!

Muhib-boogie's back!

Warm up those dancing shoes... muhib-boogie's back!!
Oh, it was actually back since last week but I missed it. Today I just got back about an hour ago from a session of Muhib-boogie!! This time in a new studio!!


Studio Akarkarya at Damansara Uptown

The last studio we used at Taman Desa had no proper wooden floors and no mirrors. Although that studio was much closer to my house but going the extra mile to this studio is worth it!

Cool studio eh? Mirrors for us vain-ports!!! ;)


Audition ads... gives you the "Fame" or "Centerstage" feeling!

After the class started, I didn't have the time or the chance to take anymore photos.

Today was suppose to be a Salsa recap but there weren't enough guys. Er, actually Muluk was the ONLY guy. So, we just learnt basic dance steps like kicks, turns and jumps. Fun fun fun!! Actually, a rock theme MMN mixer is coming up... perhaps we should learn up a choreography of a rock number to perform then eh??? But abit too short notice since the mixer is next week. Dah lah we are all amateur dancers, may need extra time to pick up da moves and grooves.

Anyway, we'll be back next week!! Muhib-boogie rocks!!

Bodyjam 40!!

Went for the new Bodyjam 40 last week. I have mixed reviews for this release. Music not as good as the last release, not so many hits in the songlist.

- Warm-up, so-so sahaja.

- Da latin track, tak ada kick la. Still prefer the previous release.

- The jive-swing track is da bomb!!! I loved "Candyman" at first move! I have always loved the swing era. The music, the fashion, the dance... love it love it love it!!! Btw, does anyone know where can I take up swing classes????

- Recovery track was cool too! JT's "My Love"

- Da last block, also so-so sahaja la. All the songs tak pernah dengar la.

- Cool down was quite cool, with da disco feel.

Overall, my fav is still Bodyjam 39 and 35. Still, I will go back for more, just for a taste of my "Candyman"!!! It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing! ;)

Funk with my heart!

Last Saturday, instead of attending class at FF IOI near my place... I rushed all the way back to my favourite club, FF Axis to attend the 1.15pm Bodyjam. I was almost late for the class and bumped into Ann Jet in da locker. She was rushing to attend da Line Dance Funk class.

Eh? Line Dance??? No!!! Bodyjam cancelled?? Argh! I didn't wanna attend one of those aunty-filled line dance class with country music.

But I went anyway since I was already there and since Ann Jet was accompanying me 2 da class.

I kinda lost my work-out mood and was expecting not to sweat one drop that day. But.. when da music came on, voila! It was "Man-Eater" by Nelly Furtado. And da moves? Grooveh!! Da next song was "SOS" by Rihanna!! One of my favs which was in both

and

Da moves for "SOS" was even groovier!!

And da workout?? Was fabulous!! I worked up so much sweat and I bet a whole lotta endorphins too!! You can bet I'll be back for more!!

Masquerade!!

I attended the Malaysia Muhibah Network Anniversary Mixer last Saturday at the Banker's Club themed The Red Carpet Affair: Masquerade!!


Navin and his lovely wife, Poorna
Navin is the founder of MMN. Without him, none of this would be around. And now, we are celebrating the 3rd Anniversary of MMN!! Looking forward to many more mixers!

The MCs were excellent too. Look at our MC's dress!!! Did she just step out of a time machine or what?


The food was really good or maybe it was because we performers were there pretty early for rehearsals and dinner started so late we were all STARVING by the time we ate.

How did our performance go? Ooh la la!! Lady Marmalade!


Le dancers - voulez vous coucher avec moi


Le unveiling of my red dress!


Moi, a catwalk model???


Le Moulin Rouge gals!


Le final pose!

Initially was a bit worried I'd feel left out as I was new to the network and I was there all by myself but as it turned out, it was pretty fun being a social butterfly flitting from one circle to another. Cool!!!


Micheal, Steph and moi

Vishal and moi


Moi, Gordon and Marina


Poh Jee and moi


Ladies in red - Marina, moi and BB

Of the Hula and Tahitian dance

Any mention of the Hula Dance and everyone has a picture of girls in grass skirts shaking their booty ala Beyonce Knowles. Actually, the Hawaiian Hula is a much more graceful dance. The fast shake-ur-bon-bon dance is the Tahitian Dance. Many gets them confused. I did too... not any longer.

2 weeks ago, we had a session on the Hawaiian Hula dance during the Muhib-Boogie session. It's not as easy as it looks although it is slow, it is very fluid. Therefore, there are no beats to follow, no abrupt movements and ur upper body must maintain its stillness.


Shaking our booteh!


Shaking my booteh!


Our pretty Hawaiian teacher


Don't move ur top half!

It was real fun although I haven't really mastered it. I wanna go to Hawaii!!!

So I think I can dance??

Heheheh, with some practice of course I do!!!

Anyway, went for my 3rd Muhib-Boogie session yesterday and we learnt Salsa!! Only da basic steps but I that's guess good enough for Salsarina Wannabes like me! It's not like I'm going pro, kan? At least now I can go on to the dance floor and not look goofy! Too bad bf's never free to teman me go for Muhib-Boogie because it's during his working hours... it would be fun to dance with him. :-/

Anyway, here are some pics, pics and more pics!!!


Da guy in da white shirt, Terence is our teacher this week,
the one who's so fast and blurry, BB is our co-teacher


Couple 1


Couple 2


Couple 3

***Salsarina Wannabe not included. Am behind da camera mah :-)