Meeting Cory

I met my dance partner and instructor Cory Keck at the Dancing with Missouri Stars (DWMS) Kickoff party at Dr. Barbara Tellerman's house. I was excited when I learned that Barbara was hosting, because she was paired with Cory for last year's DWMS, and I was hoping to get her to dish some dirt about Cory's instruction style. She had only good things to say, of course, but she did issue a warning about the addictive nature of dance. After dancing with Cory for DWMS last year, Barbara fell in love with dancing and is still making time for it in her busy life.
I'll be completely honest and admit right now that I had already done some research on Cory after he sent me an introductory e-mail. I did what any self-respecting stalker-in-training would do... I googled him, and found his profile on Studio B's webpage, and I also discovered several youtube videos that featured him dancing. I watched the videos with high hopes, and my first reaction was one of delight. "Ooooh, he's really good! We're going to win," I thought. My second thought, however, was less hopeful. I worried that I would be a disappointment as a partner.
You see, I have been wanting to compete in DWMS since the first season, and wouldn't you just know it, my wish finally comes true when I am the most out of shape I've been in years. I had my second baby a little over a year ago, and I nursed for nine months, so I just haven't felt like my body has completely returned to being MY body yet. That said, I want to focus on the positive here, so even though I would have been in better shape to dance in previous seasons and probably would have been a more fearsome competitor, I think that this opportunity has come at the perfect time in my life. I really feel like it will provide the jumpstart I need to lose the rest of the baby weght and re-claim my body. So, tomorrow at my first lesson with Cory, I am going to try to show him that I am a hard worker, so he can look past my obvious flaws and hopefully see some potential.


Here's a video from one of Cory Keck and Dr. Barbara Tellerman's rehearsals from last year's competition. I can only hope I will get to this level in three months. Fingers crossed!