And soon begins the best time of the year..

February and March, the best two months of the year.
(Yeah, and December. But this isn't about Christmas!)

It's about.....
......

..............
DANCE COMPETITIONS!

As you can see by my happiness in this picture in the hotel from one of the competitions last year, these are an exciting time for me. 

Our first competition is a week from today! I'm so geeked! Then I have another this month in a few weeks!  And two in March!

I don't know what competitions are like for those of you that compete, but for us..

We do it for fun and experience.

Yes, we love to win and strive for perfection, don't get me wrong.

But my dance instructors are no Abby Lee Miller.

We don't treat competitions like life or death.

We don't go home "losers" if we get 2nd place for a dance. 

Our teachers actually tell us good job and are proud. They don't tell us how badly it sucked at least until we get home.

Abby Lee Miller makes me so mad... but I can't stop watching it....

I have 6 dances again this year for competitions. I was offered 7 but since the economy sucks so bad right now, I had to turn down a jazz trio. At least I'll have 9 dances for the recital.

I have Hip Hop, Jazz, Musical Theater, Tap, Production, and Lyrical this year for competitions.

It's second time doing a lyrical dance since 5th grade, I'm so excited!

I just love being on stage.

Yep, that's me in the lift from two years ago. I love doing that! I had to do it two years in a row, if feels like you're flying.

Us rushing to the middle of the stage at our first competition of 2011 to receive our Top Intermediate Studio Trophy, they got this shot at the perfect time!

Action shots from last year's Musical Theater number and my Hip Hop Duet- 

#DivaSwag

#DivaSwag

Yep, that's me being lifted. I get lifted every year in at least one dance or more, and I love it haha.

That was the scariest thing ever. We were always afraid one of the chairs were going to collapse.

It would have been cooler if the picture showed all our legs up at once! GRRR!

Evil

That was just some of the fun I had last year. I had 4 other dances but pictures cost money...

It's funny because for last year's musical theater, we were French. The year before that we were from Chicago.

Hehehe... or Chicoga....

I laugh so hard every time I see this. Our mistakes are hilarious.

This year we are Italian for Musical Theater.

Can't I ever just be American?

I like the dance though, so it's okay.

We're hoping this year at that same competition we'll be able to win Top Studio again. 

Judges, those people amuse and annoy me at the same time.

Someitmes, the judges are awesome. Some of them will smile and bounce along to the music or at least show the tiniest spec of emotion.

Then there's some who look like this-

I'm not even joking.

It's my goal to make them smile, or laugh, or something!

I make so many faces and have so much emotion when I dance, and I'm proud of that. If my solo video was better quality, you could see what I mean.

Sometimes I succeed with my goal, and sometimes I don't. 

So it's amusing and annoying.

Like we came to dance for you SHOW SOME EMOTION.

And you know what else is making me freak out?! The competition is a week away and out of my 6 dances, I have 2 costumes. TWO! GAH! THEY ARE SUCH PROCRASTINATORS! 

*Calms self*

Not only do I love dancing and watching other dances during this time, I love being with my dance friends and just having so much fun.

The hotels are the best time ever.

When we aren't on stage, we have the best times.

Who says waiting can't be fun?

Don't worry, we got a good one after this!

I love those girls. They're like my best friends.

I just can't wait to travel, be on stage, dance like crazy, and be with my friends and have a great time.
AND EAT OHMYGOSH. Eating at dance competitions is just fun to me for some reason. probably because most of the girls at the competitions won't eat like us, and we do just as good as them and are just as fit.

I love the smell and atmosphere of competitions too. I love the smell of hair spray and that smell the stage has that I can't describe. I love all the glitter, jewelry, costumes, shoes, bobby pins, and rhinestones

So, that's where I'll be next Saturday! Have you competed in a dance competition before? If so, what do you love about it? If not, do you want to go to one?
If you ever get the chance, you definitely should. It's something you'll remember forever.

Post Script- Sorry I haven't been posting that often. I really just haven't had the time, or really any good ideas for posts. I'm hoping that changes very soon.
I took the SAT's this morning. Phew, glad that's over.
I had to miss dance to take it! GRR!
It wasn't an easy test, but definitely not as hard as I imagined. I think taking the PSAT twice really helped me to prepare. I would have been in for a huge surprise if I hadn't taken them.
If you're planning to take the SAT, I highly recommend taking the PSAT first if you can, it really helps.