Dancing | BulgingButtons

June 25, 2019
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

Keep on Dancing

So Mr. Google and I have been seeing a lot of each other lately, as I try to figure out some of the cool features he has to offer. Why a he? No idea. Moving on.

As I was sorting through photographs (on Google Photos) I came across a cool feature that probably everyone else in the world already knows about. Google sorted my pictures by events or objects, like boats, castles, graduation, etc. Well, the category that immediately caught my eye was dancing.

I clicked over to that group and was greeted by not only photos, but some short videos I had taken. I got to see my son dance around with intensity at his summer camp performances (I think choreography is a talent of his). It was fun to watch him “Bernie” with his friends and totally get into it.

I also took a trip down memory lane to watch my niece Whip and Nay-nay (I don’t have a clue how to spell that one and frankly don’t care enough to find out). She was a little smidge of a kid at her oldest brother’s Bar Mitzvah. In a few months she’s having her own Bat Mitzvah. She’s grown up a lot.

And then there was my brother and his wife. It was a short clip, but it was lovely to see the two of them enjoying themselves surrounded by family and friends. Finally, and maybe best of all, was the clip of my son dancing with his grandmother. She has about two dance moves and they both involve pumping her fists at her sides at though she’s running. It’s awkward, but she loves to dance, and he loves her, so there you go. It’s sweet, and I’m glad I got to see it today.

It’s funny how something unexpected can transport you to another place and time. I wasn’t expecting to think about any of those events today, but there they are. I’m grateful for photos and videos. I know many people take them but never look at them. I look at them. I like to remember. I also like to dance.

November 25, 2015
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

DWTS Makes Me Happy

What’s DWTS? Why, Dancing With the Stars, of course.

I thought it was a silly idea when I first heard of it, years back. I wasn’t into dancing, and I wasn’t into stars, and the idea of wasting my time watching stars dancing badly was just ridiculous to me.

Fast forward a few years, and somehow I caught the show, channel surfing or something, I suppose. Anyway, I liked it. I really liked it. I liked it so much I tuned in the following week. And then the week after that. Yes, I was hooked.

I don’t watch it every season, after all, I have a busy life, but I do enjoy it. I find myself wanting to stay home on Monday nights so I can catch the action live, but I have other things going on, so we frequently record it. Heck, we record it anyway, so we can play back our favorite bits.

The one and only Bindi Irwin with a friend.

Yes, I said we. My sweetheart enjoys it too. I’m not sure he gets quite the same kick out of it that I do, but this season he fell in love with Bindi Irwin, just like everyone else.

We decided that she’s a perfect example of the Law of Attraction at work. She seems to just radiate positive energy, and in return she makes these powerful connections to other people. Yes, I know it’s television, but I really think she’s something special.

I won’t even talk about the finale and the dancing, I’ll leave that to the official sites and the mega-fans. I’m just glad I watched this season, and got to enjoy the entertainment that this group of dancers provided.

November 27, 2013
by BulgingButtons 3 Comments

Amber Riley Can Move

Until last year I had never seen an episode of Dancing With The Stars. I don’t dance (two left feet, I’m afraid) and I’m not starstruck (okay, maybe there are a few exceptions, Chris Powell and Channing Tatum come to mind, but never mind that). Why would I want to watch some B list celebrities prance around a ballroom and makes fools of themselves? Then I watched an episode.

Oh my. Look at those moves. She’s not a dancer? Really? He’s a singer/football player/spokesmodel? I had no idea. But look at those moves. I loved the routines, I loved the variety, I loved the costumes and sets, and I grew to love those formerly unknown “stars.” Well, some of them. Some of them rubbed me the wrong way and I looked for every little flaw in their routines. If only I had my own judges scoring paddle at home.

That was last season. I started watching partway through the season, but was invested enough to be thrilled when Kellie Pickler won. She did a dance in silhouette that took my breath away. This season I buckled in from the first week. This group was going to be tough! Some of those people have been paid for dance, that’s kind of unfair, don’t you think? But dang, I loved to watch them dance. Still, I wanted someone who wasn’t a “dancer” to win the competition and take home the coveted mirrorball trophy. I didn’t have a clear favorite until about halfway through the season. I liked Leah Remini‘s spunk, and Brant Daughtery was certainly one to keep an eye on. Snooki was just fantastic, and Corbin Bleu and Elizabeth Berkley Lauren took my breath away. Even the stiff guys, Jack Osbourne, Bill Engvall, and Bill Nye were a pleasure. Oh heck, I liked them all! Let’s face it, I just plain enjoy the show, but when it got down to the final few, it became clear to me that Amber Riley was my choice. Of course she could not have done it without her fantastic partner, Derek Hough.

First of all, this young lady is gorgeous, inside and out. Every time the microphone was in her face she was smiling and upbeat. Whether that’s the sign of a really positive attitude toward life, or a really disciplined actress is a mystery to me, but either way I was impressed. Oh, and then there’s the dancing. The girl can move! She was dancing with an injury for most of the season, but she was still very fluid and light on her feet. I just loved to watch her dance, and the performance she did last night and the night before with the male professional dancers? Well, it blew me away. I could not be happier that this woman, whom professional dancer Karina Smirnoff described as not having a traditional dancer’s body (what a classy way to put it, Karina) danced her heart out and won over the judges and the audience. Way to go Amber. Thanks for winning one for the big girls!