megan and emily in kansas city

Last Thursday, the 17th, after school, Megan flew to Kansas City, Kansas (not to be mistaken with Kansas City, Missouri) with Patti and Emily McTernan. Megan has danced with Emily for MANY years, and after all this time has found her to be a very good, loyal, and fun friend. So when Patti called and asked if Megan would be interested in making this trip...Megan was very excited. The plan was to attend a regional dance convention and competition for West Coast Dance Explosion, before attending the national one here in Las Vegas in July. The girls would have to attend a regional one to be able to try out for "Elite Dancer". Also Emily is interested in pursuing a Physical Therapy degree in college and KU has a very good program so they wanted to visit the university. Emily also thought they had a very good dance team there so they scheduled to take a ballet class while visiting the university on Friday! (note- Patti is a much better mother than I, at least in the exposing your children to colleges area!)

Friday, was a great experience for Megan. She loved the university, the college town atmosphere, the dance class, everything about it. Everyone there is still flying high about the basketball national championship, Megan even came home with some Kansas sweat pants. She has decided she would like to become a "Jayhawk"!

Saturday, they started taking classes in the morning at the convention, and then they competed their duet together. I got a phone call in Maui, from a distraught Megan, telling me something about a costume "malfunction". :( (Since I wasn't there I don't know how to explain it, but I'm thinking it must not have been as bad as Janet Jackson's!) She was pretty upset, because Emily was pretty upset...it wasn't "all just for fun" for Em. (Meg knew that going in) Anyway, I tried to talk her through it the best I could, and she promised to call me later that night. I then sat and stewed about how I could possibly make her feel better so many miles away!

Next phone call, an hour and a half later, a jubilant Megan, laughing, whooping, hollering, freaking out because "the duet" (Megan and Emily's), had just received the HIGHEST score of every dance competed. Not just the duets, of EVERY dance! Highest score of the competition! No one had any idea who these two girls were, because they were the only people there from Bunker Dance in Las Vegas. They competed one number...and blew the roof off! (reminds me a little of..."without the bitter we wouldn't know the sweet")

Megan also decided she had nothing to lose, so she entered the auditions (not in her plans previously) and was awarded a scholarship worth $175.00. This was a very POSITIVE weekend for my dancing daughter who often doesn't feel a lot of personal positive feedback. I'm so proud of Megan. She really has a beautiful talent. I love to watch my girls dance!

Two other things she learned from her weekend:
1- Patti gets lost even more than me. (that is hard to believe!)
2- Our family doesn't eat as healthy as the McTernan's. (that is NOT hard to believe!) Megan was "in need" of some candy by the time she got home :)