I took tap for 15 years and appeared weekly on WSJV's DD Donovan Show in Elkhart. I danced on live Tv every Thursday. One week I danced with drum sticks, tapping and drumming except they said action and I forgot the entire routine and improvised for 2 1/2 minutes on live Tv while my mom almost passed out behind the camera man.
I am a LaSalle High School graduate. While there, I was required to take swimming. All I had to do to pass the final was to dive off the high board into the water. I am scared of heights. I put it off until I was the last one to test. I climbed up and walked to the edge. I couldn't afford to not pass so I jumped off and while in the air, I was so happy that I had done it I punched myself in the face and gave myself a bloody nose....but I passed.
While walking downtown South Bend with a girlfriend, I neglected to notice the open manhole and I fell in. I caught myself by my elbows and skinned my arms all up while dangling in my mini dress. Yes, quite embarrassing and very painful.
I choreographed an entire segment of a city wide musical production at Notre Dame. Our theme was the era of the stagecoach. I created and taught and was the lead dancer. Because of the constant dancing, I broke down all the ligaments in my feet causing them to swell beyond recognition and on the eve of the production found myself in the emergency room. I stayed off my feet, was carried into Notre Dame, and was able to dance but collapsed at the floor entrance afterwards and missed two weeks of school.
I met former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney and his wife, Linda, at their home in St. Johns Wood , England. I was told I would never meet him and I set out on a mission which took me across the Atlantic to accomplish it.
In Chicago, after watching the Bristol Old Victoria Company's Romeo and Juliet, I tried to get autographs and was standing in the alley leading to the stage door. All dressed up I leaned on the wall because my heels were killing me. I was leaning on a service door and it opened up suddenly with me following it, landing in an office with a bunch of Englishmen drinking Champagne. Being the lady I was, and also embarrassed to tears, instead of exiting through the door, I bustled up my dress and climbed back out the service door.
While attending the ballet in Chicago, during intermission I took the elevator down to use the restroom. At that time, they weren't self service, there was an attendant that pushed the buttons for you. Having waited too long, I really was rushing to get to the ladies room, except when I got to the room with the stalls, I realized that there was a lot of extra plumbing and a row of men with shocked faces...as I had entered the men's instead of the women's. The man closest to me shouted at me and I turned and ran. I hid around the corner until I felt confident that most of the row of men had left. I pushed the button on the elevator and when the door opened, the attendant was the shouting man from the men's room.
While sitting in a Hardees restaurant with my three teenage children eating, a familiar song came over the music system. It was the classic "Life is a highway.....I wanna ride it all night long". Well, being the cool mom I was, I started singing only I should have checked my lyrics book first because when I sang it I accidently substituted the word "you" for "it"....go ahead, sing it to yourself. Quite the blunder. Well, I am surprised my teenagers talked to me after that one. Oddly enough, they still wanted to be seen out in public with me. Now that is true love.
While in Florida at Sea World, the kid's dad and I were in the audience of about 2500 watching the water skier show. Now they passed back and forth with formations that grew taller with each pass. I was so into this show and was so amazed by the skills displayed that I forgot there were many people around me. During the final stunt, they were making their final pass by to end the show which prompted the music "ta-da". Well, they weren't the only ones taking their final moment because without realizing it, I stood up, arms straight up in the air and I yelled, "ta-da".... and then realized I was the only one standing. That was embarrassing!
I directed all of the talent shows and musicals at the jr. high I worked at. The talent shows were productions with production numbers, themes, sets, and were quite elaborate. This particular one had a Disney type theme of a jungle and many of the songs from Lion King, etc. I had taught two of the participants who had taken tap, a routine and they were surrounded by the cast as they danced. What they didn't know was that they would be joined by another dancer the night of the show. I snuck in the back, put on a full gorilla costume and while they were dancing, I sauntered onto the stage and joined them. After it was over, I exited back stage and hid my costume. No one knew who the gorilla was for months. I finally confessed. It was great fun.
So there you have it. Just a glimpse into the life of Dixie through the years. I do have sane moments but if you can't laugh at yourself and share your stories, what good were they. We grow through each and every experience we have.
I stopped for now but I have many more and there will be a Blast into My Past sequel.
Stay tuned!
1 comment:
You are one crazy lady, I think the hardee's story is my favorite
Post a Comment