Throwback Thursday #38 - RA Thriller Dance-Off (Video)

Today's throwback comes to us from October 30 of last year.

This post marked the end of the second biggest story arc of last year, the climax and conclusion to an absolutely remarkable experience. I had the chance to work with a stunning team of remarkably talented people to let our light so shine (even if we had to dress up like zombies to do it).

Even today, I am absolutely thrilled to run into these friends of mine whenever I see them around town or on campus. Things have changed since then--most of us aren't RAs anymore, if any of us, and two members of our crew are officially hitched (glee!), but I am convinced that the bonds we have forged aren't as easily broken as a housing contract. No, not by a long shot.

But, anyway! I know you didn't come here to read me reminisce, but to watch a super attractive video! Click this link to check it out!

Throwback Thursday #35 - Dance-Off Challenge Continues

Don't forget to throw your hat into the poll ring! Be sure to add your voice at the top of the right column!

Today's throwback comes to us from October 23 of last year.

Whenever I'm embarking on a creative project, I go through several levels of enthusiasm. The first is usually akin to self-deprecating doubt, and always the toughest to hurdle. Aw, man, I'll think. This is the worst idea I've ever had.

After I contemplate this worst idea, however, I suddenly have a eureka moment. I see a solution to an issue I originally had with the concept, or some new layer pops into my mind. Yes! I'll think. This is the best idea I've ever had!

Now, depending on how long it takes me to dive into the project, I may or may not jump back and forth between these two emotions several times before finally beginning. An example of this back and forth includes my work on my Jackalope novel (which I speak of briefly in this post here). After all, I've been working and tweaking that project on and off again for nearly four years now.

Anyway, I could discuss my other levels of enthusiasm, but I'll save that for later. For now, just know that, in regards to the dance-off challenge, I was most definitely in stage two when I wrote that post. Even I'm impressed with the raw bubbliness I express in this post.

But don't just take my word! Click here to read Let Your Light So Shine: Dance-Off Challenge Continues!

Throwback Thursday #34 - Dance-Off Challenge

Hey, y'all! Don't forget to mount your thinksteeds and arm yourself with thinklances so you can throw your voice into the thinkjoust! Check out the poll to your right!

Today's throwback comes to us from October 22 of last year.

This post definitely deserves some mention because it marks the beginning of a long-running 'arc' that ran all through October. Many of the posts from that month focused on the RA Zombie Thriller Dance-Off, which was actually a ton of fun for everyone involved.

I won't go on and on about this yet; we still have quite a few more throwbacks to this experience yet to come. But, click here to read Finding Unity: Dance-Off Challenge!

RA Thriller Dance-Off: VIDEO (with Added Commentary)

D&C 136:28 - "If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving."

Well, here we have it! The end of a saga, a conclusion to the past week of posts and a lot of work on this dance crew's part. I'm not sure if this is what was in mind when the above verse was written, but either way, enjoy!

Gettin' ready, gettin', gettin' ready. We absolutely trashed that restroom. We felt marginally sorry for the maintenance crew the next morning.

I do my own stunts and my own make-up. Unfortunately, I still have fake blood residue all over me. Some very concnerned individuals came up to me after I showered last night and asked me what I'd done to get such nasty rug burn on my legs.

The crew in all its post-zombie horror. Good job, guys! Mad props to our costume specialist, music editor, break dancer, and choreographer. MVPs all around!

I wrote a commentary about this post on September 3, 2015. Click here to read!

Let your Light So Shine: Dance-Off Challenge Continues (with Added Commentary)

Doctrine & Covenants 136:18 - "If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving."

So, I'm not very good at dancing. Nor am I good at choreography. You may ask why I was one of the three primary choreographers for our Thriller dance in our RA group. I wondered, too, especially since my blocking turned our stage into some kind of space robot.

If you don't see it, go watch some Star Trek for an hour or something.

All in all, though, most of you know I am a severe advocate of letting your light so shine (aw, gee, what a surprise, it wasn't like the title spoiled the topic for you or anything), and I believe this even when you're not sure if what you're doing is really, you know, your color of Christmas lights (Too soon?).

So, sure, I didn't really know what I was doing. But I was helping in the way I could, and even though my winged zombie idea was totes shot down (WARNING: Link leads to video containing a SPOILER [The ending to Doctor Faustus] and potentially disturbing imagery if you don't like stage demons dragging an actor down to stage Hell. Don't make deals with the devil, kids. But it shows my wing idea!), I managed to not feel like a total deadweight to the party.

In that sense, as I experimented with a potentially new talent, I let the light so shine because, though I am certainly not the best choreographer or dancer, I was able to develop that part of me.

The real professionals are on either side of me. I'm just the terrible artist!

Be sure to try something new today! I dare ya!

I wrote a commentary about this post on August 13, 2015. Click here to read!

Finding Unity: Dance-Off Challenge (with Added Commentary)

Romans 8:35 - "Who shall separate us from the love of God? ..."

I learned a lot during my experiences with my fellow RAs yesterday. The first experience happened during our class, in which we talked about diversity, specifically everyone's race, ethnicity (they're different, apparently. Whodathunkit?), and culture. The second experience happened after our staff meeting, during which the RAs from my building collaborated with the RAs from another building in preparation for a dance-off coming up next week.

Throughout the day, I kept coming back to the fact that we are all different. I think of people like the Mythbusters, who are very different individuals, yet act well together as a team. I think of people from bands like the Beatles, who performed so well together, yet eventually fell apart.

There are many separate reasons why these two groups found unity or a lack thereof, but the main point is, if we are not careful, friendships, marriages, and other dear relationships, no matter how strong they may appear, have the chance to crack under enough  pressure. Hearing about diversity in class, I recognized the most important thing we can maintain under that selfsame pressure is a genuine love for those around us.

Sure, we may not know everyone, or even really love them in the same way we would a family member or friend, but seeing as how we are all children of our Heavenly Father, we--and by we, I mean everyone--deserve proper respect and kindness.

I feel as though a lot of damaged relationships begin with one of the participants dwelling on how different they are from the other (or others, as it may be). The more we focus on what sets us apart, the easier it  is for the spirit of contention to find one of those cracks and wiggle in. However, I firmly believe that no matter what relationship we're in, we can find the strength to hold it together by channeling the same love we feel from our Savior toward whoever it is we're currently around.

I mentioned the RA dance-off because we had about eight or nine individuals in that room. Each of us were wielding ideas and concepts and questions and jokes willy-nilly, left and right, and inside out, and it would have been very easy for any of us to rage  against the dying of the light when our ideas were tossed or merged with another. However, that didn't happen. We all stayed strong, and our enthusiasm remained high even after we decided to break and reconvene today, because of the love and respect we all had for each other. The important thing here is, then, that we're going to smash this dance-off into the ground. Look out, competition!

Who are some of your favorite 'odd couples?' Who was your least favorite break up?

I wrote a commentary about this post on August 6, 2015. Click here to read!