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Competition Checklist
 Competition Checklist 150 150 Clara Shih
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The competition atmosphere is nerve-racking enough, without getting to the venue and discovering that you forgot your favourite lipstick or your competition shirt! (Not only will your partner be unhappy with you, but DSBC might have something to say about your infringement of the dress code!) From experience, we know that forgetting things can cause added pressure which is really unnecessary.

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Fly Your Flag All Year Round
 Fly Your Flag All Year Round 150 150 Clara Shih
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Boy! Now that the playoffs are on, all I see are Canucks flags flapping in the wind on every car in town! It makes me wonder…where are all these fans during the rest of the year? How come they only come out during the playoffs and not throughout the season?

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Get Comfortable with Discomfort!
 Get Comfortable with Discomfort! 150 150 Clara Shih
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Time after time, I hear from my students, “REALLY??? But that feels so uncomfortable!” And again and again I’ll say to them each time, “Well, of course it’s uncomfortable! Anything new is going to feel somewhat awkward and strange at first.” The key is to not avoid it, but to face it straight on, so that you can actually learn something.

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Sustainability for the Planet and for Dancing
 Sustainability for the Planet and for Dancing 150 150 Clara Shih
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For me, the whole evening, as well as Earth Hour, was spent reflecting on how to make my life more efficient. Of course, being a dance teacher, coach and fanatic, I started thinking about ways to make my students more energy efficient while dancing. As a professional dancer, when I look out there on the competition floor, I am simply aghast at how much energy is expended on the floor and not used to contribute to a more positive performance! It’s so wasteful that it almost hurts! It’s like having all the lights and appliances in the house turned on, with no one home!

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The Spirit of UBC
 The Spirit of UBC 150 150 Clara Shih
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On the Friday evening, as we sat at our usual table on the short wall of the UBC Gala Ball, Michel Guimond (a good friend of ours and judge at the event) turned around and asked Joel and me, “Did you ever compete in the Newcomer Club Closed events when you were at UBC?” I replied, “Yeah, I sure did!!!” Like many of you out there, I am part of that crazy group of students who did their first competition ever at the UBC Gala Ball after their Newcomer year at the Dance Club!

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Are We Speaking the Same Language?
 Are We Speaking the Same Language? 150 150 Clara Shih
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Communication is so important in every aspect of life, whether it’s in the workplace, during play, within your family or in your personal life. On the dance floor, good communication can help to avoid misunderstandings, prevent arguments, accelerate your learning and improve your chances of success!

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Women Trying to be Men
 Women Trying to be Men 150 150 Clara Shih
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Probably one of my biggest pet peeves out there on the ballroom dance floor is women trying to lead! OMG! Ladies: stop resisting the man and trying to control him! Maybe you do that in your personal life or at work, but there’s no place for it on the dance floor!

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Down to the core
 Down to the core 150 150 Clara Shih
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How would you like to have a greater efficiency of movement, better balance and stability and increased power and control in your dancing? I know I would! Here’s how…

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Lights, Camera, Distraction!
 Lights, Camera, Distraction! 150 150 Clara Shih
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Competitions are full of distractions. There is a screaming audience, judges on the side of the floor, other competitors getting in your way, tight costumes with strips of fabric or stones flying everywhere, perhaps a new venue with a different sized floor and maybe even bright lights and cameras. Not only do you have to fight off your nerves, but you also have to deal with trying to show your best quality performance in the midst of all this mayhem!

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