Dancing Through Tough Times

Hello fellow readers,

Due to the current circumstances, we have shut ourselves indoors for the health and safety

of every human being, by doing so, the Earth is healthier and the air is cleaner. In addition,

we have found ourselves with more free time. In having so much free time, what do we do?

We find creative outlets like art, movies, binge-watching TV shows, music, and dance, which

brings me to today’s post: dancing behind closed doors. 

As many of you know, I love to swing dance (check out my previous posts: Swing On By!,

Holiday Swing Dancing, and California Balboa Classic 2020) and when the world closed its

doors, so did all the amazing dance venues and swing dance weekends. Just before the

community shut down, I was lucky enough to volunteer at a swing dance weekend called

Inspiration Weekend hosted by Atomic Ballroom (Irvine, CA) - I’ll have a future post about

this weekend. While I was volunteering, I had the opportunity to help in the house where

the instructors were staying and I remember them talking about how worried they were

about how things were going to change soon. Flash forward two months and now all these

instructors have adapted to find new means of income; most of them now host swing

dance lessons online.

Location: LindyGroove (Pasadena, CA)

Starring: the wonderful, Daniella

Photo credit: Victoria Chan

It’s incredible to see how over a couple of months people resorted to whatever was/is

accessible online. I know swing dancing is not the only dance being offered online, but I

was overwhelmed by how many people started doing it, and a couple of my favorite swing

dance venues took to the virtual world and started hosting Zoom lessons. Instructors

started posting lessons, live bands started hosting live music sessions on Facebook, and

both really just wanted to keep the community alive and asked for donations. You have

to stop and think about how many of these incredible artists lost their main source of

income - along with so, so many workers out there - and have turned to their friends for

help. Small businesses everywhere are struggling, including one of my favorite dance

venues, Atomic Ballroom. The least we could do is take lessons and pay like we normally

would.

Another thing that has taken the world by storm is the app Tiktok. I dragged my feet for

as long as I could, but eventually caved and downloaded the addicting app. On it, I saw

so many people learn to dance from short videos then record themselves dancing. People

even took it a little further whenever they could. I mentioned previously on my post

“Holiday Swing Dancing” that my incredible friend Kendall’s video went viral on Tiktok

of her and her husband dancing collegiate shag in the rain - find her on Tiktok

@live.collegiate.shag. Another video of theirs aired on EllenTube recently, as well! In a

recent interview she had with the amazing Paul - he has a Twitch channel “pauldances” -

she stated that people tend to share the video without her tagged so she has no way to

know just how many people are watching her videos. However, she continues to post

weekly videos and hopes to continue to inspire people to dance.

Paul, whom I just mentioned - and have mentioned on my previous swing dance posts

“Swing on By!” and “Holiday Swing Dancing” -, has continued to bring people together

with his Twitch channel and has hosted what he calls The Global Online Social where

he’ll have music playing and people can join in and dance. He’s also interviewed some

amazing dancers and instructors. Check him and Kendall out some time, you won’t be

disappointed.

Amidst all the turmoil, a lot of people have come together to share their love of dance.

The amazing Lizzy & the Triggermen brought the world a song to dance to and the

dance community did not disappoint in bringing joy through dance.

https://youtu.be/KP8WxCw5VEY 

Dance has a greater impact in our lives than we expected. Whether it's being playful on

Tiktok or taking time to learn a new type of dance, we strive to be better during these

hard times. You’re not alone, if you want to learn to dance, now is the time! Enjoy the

time we have and make memories you can share with future generations. We are always

living through history but right now we are living through a historical event, so make

the most of it!

Live every day to the fullest. Stay safe.

Love, Damaris

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Tinseltown

Hello fellow readers,

It’s been an interesting 3 months, so much so that I have neglected posting in a while, but

I am here because I have drawn inspiration to write. Today’s topic is motion pictures.

Films. Most commonly known as movies.

I grew up in a family that had a profound appreciation for movies where we would go to

the theater often and discuss the films thoroughly afterwards. My dad has an immense

movie collection that started with VHS then progressed to DVD, Blu Ray, and slowly to 4k

resolution. I take pride in saying that my dad has influenced the way I watch films and

appreciate all there is to appreciate: screenwriting, directing, acting, cinematography,

camera position, set design, costume design, so on and so forth. Something else I learned

to appreciate is films from other countries. Language should not act as a barrier for

watching a well-made film.

All this being said, my parents and I embarked on a journey of watching some of the films

nominated for “best motion picture” from the 2020 Oscars. We started with Little Women

then watched Parasite, Joker, 1917, and Jojo Rabbit. Let me start by saying, these were all

amazing films and I highly recommend you watch them if you have a real appreciation for

well-written stories and cinematography. Below I have separated my thoughts based on

film, so feel free to jump around.

Featuring some of my dad's collection

Little Women

If you know me then you know I am an avid reader. I read Little Women by Louisa May

Alcott some time in college and absolutely fell in love with it; I couldn’t put it down until I

finished. Previously, when I fall in love with a book that gets turned into a movie, I’ve been

somewhat disappointed every time. However, the newest rendition of Little Women was

amazing. The film really captured the love and rivalry between sisters while transporting

its viewers to their time period. The film felt authentic and visually amazing when it came

to lighting, setting, and camera angles. My only criticism is for the transitions between past

and present. There were times where it took me a bit to realize the timeline jumped to the

past or back to the present, but once I caught the small differences between past and

present the film flowed well. I understand what the director was going for with the

flashbacks, so I can appreciate the execution, but if you, my readers, are going to watch it,

just pay attention a little more or you’ll miss the transition. I still absolutely love this film.

Parasite

Subtitles. A lot of people get intimidated with the idea of reading subtitles when watching a

film, and I don’t blame them, it can be tricky, but once you master reading quickly, it

completely opens you up to some amazing films. I’ll name a few later in the post if you’re

interested in exploring foreign films. Parasite won the Oscar for “best motion picture” and

let me say, it does not disappoint. I did not know what to expect from the film because I had

no prior knowledge of the story line, so I went into it completely blind and I was on the edge

of my seat throughout it all. The story, the acting, the message, the cinematography,

everything was just incredibly flawless. I won’t say much else for fear of spoiling something,

but I will end with this: the film could not have been done in any other way. I have a deep

appreciation for this movie and, once you accomplish reading the subtitles quickly, you’ll

find the beauty in it. Don’t be afraid to watch it several times if you feel like you missed

something, that’s what I’ll be doing to see if I catch anything I missed.

Joker

When the trailer was released for this movie, I was extremely hesitant to watch it because I

am one of those movie-goers that dislikes DC films. Don’t get me wrong, I still watch almost

all the DC films, but I tend to be disappointed. Joker was not a disappointment. It was

perfectly written and filmed. Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Oscar for “best actor” - great

acceptance speech, by the way, I’d recommend watching that, the link is below - did an

amazing job making the audience believe he is Joker and not the Joker we’ve been

accustomed to, but a new version you can’t help but watch with an open mind. The first time

I watched the film, in theaters, I was uncomfortable most of the time, and I wanted to hate

the movie, but once I truly broke down the movie and thought about the story, acting, music

and filming, I could not help but be awestruck. The second time I watched the movie, I had a

newfound appreciation for the details I missed before. On top of the film, we watched the

bonus features included on the disc and it blew my mind. My appreciation grew even more

knowing more of the behind the scenes work that went into the film. If you have access to

the behind the scenes material, watch it and learn just how much work goes into a film.

Amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiiWdTz_MNc

1917

War movies can be difficult to watch, I know my mom hates watching them because she

dislikes being reminded of all the death associated with war, but she sat like a trooper

through 1917. The film brought a completely new perspective to war and you truly felt, as an

audience member, that you were following every step the main character took. The film

brought new visual tricks that I didn’t think would be successful but everything they did

was amazing. It flowed so well and the sets were so impressive. Like with Joker, we

watched the bonus features and were floored. There was so much preparation for filming,

the costumes, the settings, and even the implementation of new technology. I am blown

away by the film. If you’re a fan of war movies, this is definitely one to add to the list. Some

other war movies that are well done will be listed later in the post.

Jojo Rabbit

When I saw the trailer for Jojo Rabbit I thought the film was going to be a comedy. It turned

out to be more satirical. I didn’t really know what to expect from the film other than this is

set during the first World War, so my expectations were low. I was pleasantly surprised by

the story, the costumes, and the settings. One thing I want to warn you about is that you

want to approach the film like a child. You can feel the innocence oozing from the film and

the lack of understanding of the intense situation happening at this time. It reminds you

that everyone has their own story. It’s a good film, but I’ll admit, it’s not for everyone.

Foreign film list:

-Pan’s Labyrinth

-Mirage

-Like Water for Chocolate

-Palm Trees in the Snow

-The Orphanage

-Train to Busan

I am a little biased since I can speak Spanish so I tend to tilt more in that direction, but do

not hesitate to reach out if you have any other suggestions.

War film list:

-Hacksaw Ridge

-American Sniper

-Saving Private Ryan

-Bridge of Spies

Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any other suggestions.

During these hard times, I hope that you can find appreciation from the arts and everything

that is involved. Maybe you can add these films to the long list of things to watch, if not, feel

free to share them with others. If you’d like to explore more of the arts, my friend Cheyenne

has a blog called That’s a Wrap: Film Reviews where she writes about movies, music, and

film/tv. Check her out below!

https://thatsawrap.art.blog/

Live every day to the fullest. Stay safe.

Love, Damaris

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as Google Analytics, AdSense, and other data collecting cookies.

California Balboa Classic 2020

Hello fellow readers,

A post has been long overdue, it’s been a busy few weeks, but I am here to talk about my 

recent swing dance weekend! 

If you’ve read my first post about swing dancing - Swing On By! - then you’ve heard me 

mention Balboa. If you don’t know the dance balboa, then feel free to visit the following 

link, but the way I describe balboa is that it’s a close proximity dance that works very 

well for fast tempo songs.

http://www.lindycircle.com/history/balboa/

If you’re like me and prefer to learn visually what balboa is, see the link to a recent 

competition I got to witness of a couple of my favorite dancers, Blake and Teni, who are 

a major inspiration for me.

https://youtu.be/DLC6ewxpLsk

I’ve only been dancing balboa for a short period of time, but I absolutely fell in love with 

the fluidity and subtlety of it. When I watched competition videos for the California 

Balboa Classic I knew I wanted to get better. I’d been lucky to make a connection through 

the swing dance community with the volunteer coordinator who encouraged me to sign 

up as a volunteer for the California Balboa Classic 2020, so I did and I was one of the 

lucky few that had the opportunity! I volunteered a few hours every day of the weekend 

and in return, I got to attend classes and social dances for free.

The volunteer experience was absolutely wonderful. I love keeping busy and as a bonus, 

I got to meet new people and make friends. Don’t get me wrong, I was extremely tired 

for most of the weekend because of the previous work week, but I pushed through - with 

lots and lots of coffee - and had a lot of fun dances, got to dress up in vintage clothing, 

listen to amazing live bands, and witness some incredible dancers compete. I feel like I 

learned some new techniques and moves along with discovering some personal dance 

abilities. After the weekend, I was left wanting to expand on what I got a taste of over the 

weekend, but it’s been difficult to manage my time to do so. I’m not giving up, I just need 

to learn to adjust myself to the circumstances.

Photo credit: Skeeter

Location: CalBal 2020; Newport Beach, CA 

 

One thing I know for sure, I had an incredible experience volunteering, but now that I can 

afford to, I will attempt to attend California Balboa Classic 2021 as an attendee paying out 

of pocket. In addition, I would love to continue to grow in the dance and be more 

courageous to ask people to dance balboa with me. Also, I am so grateful to everyone who 

gave me advice and danced with me, there’s no way I could improve without practicing!

Live every day to the fullest.

Love, Damaris

P.S. I am required to mention that my blog may incorporate the use of cookies such 

as Google Analytics, AdSense, and other data collecting cookies.

Welcome to the 20's

Hello fellow readers,

It’s the first Monday of 2020 and I’m looking forward to what the upcoming year 

holds, but in order to look forward, sometimes you need to look back on all you’ve 

accomplished so far. So today, I thought I’d reflect on my year. Please keep in 

mind this is a reflection, not a gloat; I want to apologize if my year went better 

than yours, but remember, you made it to 2020, maybe this is your year.

I started 2019 in my last semester of college, so I was filled with depression and 

anxiety. I was taking my last two classes, an internship, and working part-time as 

a receptionist. Early on I knew I was taking on more than I needed to so I resigned 

from my part-time job and focused solely on school, including the internship. It 

was the best decision I made because even though I no longer had a steady income, 

I was able to be successful in my classes; it ultimately led to me graduating! I had 

an amazing friend take my graduation photos, he was such a good sport about 

driving around and spending the entire day taking my photos at the different 

schools I attended growing up, I cannot thank him enough! He did such an 

incredible job! I highly recommend asking him or at least follow him on Instagram 

@mikecalr.

 Photo credit: Michael Ramirez

My favorite photo

 

Graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry was a huge accomplishment 

for me. It took 5 years, lots of tears and stress, and so much love and support, but 

I made it! I celebrated my accomplishments swing dancing and with family. A 

week later, I departed for my trip to Europe - see my previous 4 posts about the 

trip (Ballad Du Paris, Great Scots!, A Potterhead’s Dreamland, Land of the 

Leprechauns) - where I got to see and do so much and make so many new friends. 

When I returned from my trip I got to spend a lot of time with my family and 

boyfriend. 

 Photo credit: my amazing best friend, Gabrielle

Location: Stirling Castle, Scotland 

In fact, I had family visit from another country and, since I was home, I was able 

to drive them around and take them to see the sights. Time at home also allowed 

me to reflect on myself and what brings me joy. I found solace in reading, writing, 

and, of course, Netflix binge-watching. It was during this time that I found 

inspiration for starting a blog to satisfy my love for writing, keep me motivated, 

and have an emotional outlet.

 Location: new job in early morning

By the end of 2019 I was offered a full-time job and soon after I started my 

training the day of my birthday! I feel so blessed to have had all these amazing 

things happen to me, and these are just the highlights, not including concerts, live 

bands, and so on. There were a lot of days where I felt depressed, lacked motivation, 

and questioned my abilities, but, upon reflection, it was a fantastic year. So, look 

forward to 2020, this could be your year like I said earlier, and I don’t mind 

stepping aside so you can have that. Feel inspired, motivated, and look at all the 

good stuff as they come, it could be a great year, keep your head up!

Live every day to the fullest.

Love, Damaris

P.S. I am required to mention that my blog may incorporate the use of cookies such 

as Google Analytics, AdSense, and other data collecting cookies.