Reality TV has been all the rage for quite some time now, but truth be told, I never was a fan. That was until Dancing With The Stars began airing. Every Monday and Tuesday night, my 4-year old daughter and I watch closely as the “stars” transform themselves into ballroom dancers each week as they get closer to claiming the coveted disco ball trophy. We love to gaze at their beautiful costumes, tap our feet to the live music, and of course at the end of the show, cast votes for our favorite dancers.
So, when the opportunity came up to participate in the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) 40th Anniversary Gala as a Community “star” I couldn’t pass it up. You see, Southwest Airlines is the official airline of CPRD and supports its many education programs serving diversity and at risk youth. They themed their gala “Dancing with the Denver Stars” and invited 12 corporate and community partners to participate in an evening of celebration and dance.
In true Southwest Spirit, I was thrilled to roll up my sleeves (or shall I say put on my dancing shoes) and represent Southwest Airlines at this star-studded event. I committed each Saturday leading up to the big night to learn choreography, get into shape, practice my moves, and prepare for my performance debut.
So, let’s just be clear, I’m not a professional dancer. In fact, aside from experience on my high school cheer squad (where the majority of our routines were simple eight counts) my dance training was non-existent. However, I figured what I lacked in skill I could make up in showmanship...yeah, right... I learned it takes a lot more than that! As a matter of fact, when I went to my first dress rehearsal, I was simply amazed at all the dancers and how much they had progressed with their routines.
On the big night, I was so excited to step into my dancing shoes. For a brief 90 seconds of lights, camera, and dance, I transformed into a ballroom dancer with “performance” make-up, costuming, and all the courage I could muster up in front of an audience of over 600 people. I ended the performance to much applause and hundreds of gold stars waving in the audience. Fortunately, the event was an exhibition, not a competition, and at the end of the night, we were all dancing to celebrate 40 years of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
Five, six, seven, eight…it is Cleo Parker Robinson Dance we celebrate! What a fun and creative way to experience dance and raise awareness for CPRD education programs. Many thanks to Cecelia Jones, my choreographer, who had the energy and patience to train me. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, YOU are our Denver Star!
