July 31, 2014

Officially a NBA Jazz Dancer!

For some of you, this may be old news.
But guess what you guys?!
I'm officially an NBA dancer.
WHUT.
Still so crazy to me. 
But I've been getting a ton of questions about it, so I decided to just blog about it. 
And hellllooo, this is a big life event for me…it neeeeeds to be blogged about!

So…some background info. 
I've been in this total pickle lately.
I just graduated from college.
Don't have some awesome career yet. 
Want to go to grad school, but can't finish a program in the time before B and I hopefully leave for dental school.
We don't want a baby. 
We can't get a dog.
Fish are boring.
Plants are lame. 
And I was totally feeling lame as well. 
In a weird limbo stage, if you will.

So B and I are watching basketball together one night and I just said randomly, "I should just tryout to be a Jazz Dancer or something cool like that". 
BAM.
We both kinda looked at each other, like YA. You SHOULD do that Rik.
Which is strange because the thought has never, ever crossed my mind before.
But I looked up auditions and surprisingly they were only a few weeks away. 
So I kinda just let the idea sink in. 
I knew I was going to do it. 
It didn't make sense to NOT tryout. 
It's basically the only time in my life where I have nothing spectacular going on.
Aka: I could totally make time for this!
And I knew if I didn't at least tryout, I would always wonder "what if…". 
So I did it. 
And it was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life.
I wanted to back out a million times.
(tryouts were the same weekend as our favorite annual trip to St. George!)
Trust me…I had one too many reasons to NOT tryout. 
But obviously I ended up trying out
and I'm so glad I wasn't a chicken and that I didn't let my fears and doubts get the best of me.

Tryouts were like a week long process. 
And so intimidating at first. 
Imagine walking into a room of 80+ beautiful chicks with insane bodies and perfect hair! 
Scary.
Tryouts consisted of learning routines, performing them in front of judges, insane (like insane!) workouts…I thought I was fit until we had to work out with the Jazz Dancer's personal trainer as part of our audition. Girls were legit leaning over trash cans to throw up…and I was sore for a good 2 weeks after! Anyway, we had to submit videos of ourselves (an introduction and some of our own choreography), get interviewed by some peeps while we were videoed and mic-ed, and some more performing in front of judges. All the while cuts were being made and wanting to pass out from exhaustion. 

On the final day, we went in for interviews, and then performed all the routines we had learned throughout the week in front of the judges. 
I was way way way nervous for this part. 
It was the final stuff before the final cut. 
After everything was over, they told us to call a number at 5:00 where the 2014-2015 dancers numbers would be read off.
I tried to take a nap at home to pass the time, but ended up just watching So You Think You Can Dance instead. 
B was in class, but told me to text him the moment I found out. 
5:00 rolled around and I was too nervous to call.
I didn't want to know! 
I called and hung up before they started reading off the numbers. 
Then I called back after sucking it up and they. read. off. my. number. 
You guys. 
I Fliiiiiiiped. 
Like kicking the blanket up in the air with my feet while screaming type of flipping. 
I called again right away to make sure it was true…and called again (I think I called the number like 12 times to be absolutely certain!)
I hurried and texted B. 
Then ran upstairs to tell everyone but no one was home. 
HA! 
So I just jumped around my house while screaming for a good 5 minutes all by myself. 
I made a few phone calls (which consisted of just screaming I think) and just ran around a lot! 
I was just really really pumped!

After the initial shock wore off…I found myself in bed again. 
I didn't exactly know what to do with myself until peeps got home.
and I was soooooo anxious for B to get home, he was so supportive and excited for me throughout this whole process, I just wanted to celebrate with him.
So I ended up falling asleep to pass the time until his class got out. 
I remember waking up to him knocking really loud on the window then busting inside to congratulate me. 
We kissed and hugged and probably said "this is insane!" about five million times. 
oh ya. We were pumped!

I told Blake at the beginning of the whole tryout process that I wanted to go to Sweet Tooth Fairy after all of it was over. 
"If I make it, I'm getting a sugar cookie"
"And if I don't make it, I'm getting a dozen sugar cookies"
So we booked it to the Sweet Tooth Fairy to celebrate with my ONE sugar cookie :)
Then went to the food truck roundup.
Then to Jamba Juice.
The back home to celebrate.
Oh it was such a good night!
I was seriously just in awe the whole time, like what? I'm an NBA dancer?!

Anyway, it all has been so fun.
We had a video shoot the day after we found out we made it and that was awesome. 
Seriously, all the girls are so sweet and made the rookies feel welcome.
We have our first appearance on Monday at a Golf Tournament and I'm nervous/excited for it. 
All of this stuff is so new to me!
Appearances? Heck, I've never done one of those before.

Luckily, I'm still able to teach and dance at Jive, keep my job at App Raptors, and be a Jazz Dancer all at the same time. 
And I have the best support system that has made me feel so special through all of this. 
Seriously, thanks for all the excitement for me you guys. 
I feel so loved.
And I'm so excited!

So uhhh. Go Jazz!
And come to the games and say hi to me. 
Maybe I can throw you a t-shirt.
Or get you Lebron's autograph or something 
;) 

^^I took this picture on the first day of auditions while we were waiting to see who got cut. I think the sad face is because everyones hair looked phenomenal and mine was slicked back with sweat. Awesome. 


^^ Here's the text between B and I when I told him the news!
Sorry about the swearing!!! (really).
but it actually totally makes me smile.
It was a "Holy Sh!t" kind of day! For sure.

^^Alex and I at the video shoot! She's cute, huh?

^^Here's the piccy they used of me to announce the 2014-2015 team to the public. 
Whatever editing they did on my face makes me look gooooood, right?! Like a vampire off of twilight or something.
If only my skin looked so flawless and perfect in real life. #pimplesgoawayplease

^^ Lucky number 46! I wish I could tell you how much excitement came every time that number was read off or posted. Gosh I love #46.

Hope this all made sense.
I feel like that was a boat load of rambling and stuff!

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10 comments:

  1. I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU! Also, I love the swearing. It happens all the time in our little abode too :)

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    1. Thanks Aislynn...I'm super pumped! and ha! I'm glad you didn't mind the swearing...B and I debated whether or not we should edit him or not :)

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  2. I absolutely love reading your blog! Thank you for being so real, it's so refreshing.

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    1. Well hey, thanks for reading. Your comment made my day. thanks Ash!

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  3. Replies
    1. Thank you Ariel!! and have I told you yet that I love your hair?! I know, you cut it forever ago, but you rock it girl.

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  4. Damn that Blake for swearing!

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  5. Oh my gosh, I am so excited for you! This is the best news ever! Eeeeeee!

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  6. Congrats! That is so amazing and awesome!

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