What a tagline, hey? As soon as I saw it on the DanceTeacherWeb Facebook page, I was hooked. I pulled strings, booked babysitters, and paid for flights.

It was worth it all.

I don’t even know where to start with my recap of my 3-day dance teachers’ convention. My heart is full, my head is spinning, and my body is just starting to feel normal again! 3 days, starting with breakfast at 7:30am, only breaking for an hour at lunch, and wrapping up at 6pm. Stuffed full of inspiration, here are the highlights for me:

1. The location! Nestled at the base of the mountains on the far east end of Las Vegas, the Red Rock Resort was breathtaking. I posted my photos here, but even they don’t do it justice. It was beyond luxurious – and our conference rate was only $109US a night! Crazy! I also booked a massage the afternoon I arrived, and it was top-notch. Beautiful spa, with every amenity you could ask for. I will definitely be back, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an off-strip escape to Las Vegas (or anywhere!).
   

2. The freebies! I can’t even start to remember everything we were given with our conference fee. There was a full expo/trade show during the conference, and it went far beyond the usual trade show swag. We also received a backpack, t-shirt, free breakfast daily, treats at lunch every day, a $50 gift card from Discount Dance Supply, free shoes from Capezio, free massages on Wednesday…not to mention the INSANE amount of prizes that were given away! And to top it all off, when we pre-registered for the 2013 conference, we received a full year of DanceTeacherWeb membership! Wow.
   

3. Louis Kavouras! Oh my… I have such a deep love of real modern dance, and Louis’ classes took my breath away. I moved in a way I haven’t been able to since I took classes with Maria Chia. The chair of the UNLV dance program, his style and his personality spoke to my heart and my body, and I just can’t escape the organic feeling. I cannot wait to inspire my own students in their modern classes this fall!
   

4. Simone dePaolo! Spunk and awesome. Hilarity. And pushing me out of my comfort zone into an Afro-Jazz class where I felt so grounded and connected to the earth like never before. I was FREEin her class. I adore her, and cannot wait to work with her again next year.
   

   Thanks to Kristi for the photo…which doesn’t do justice to my insane, sweaty, lions-mane hair I was sporting after Afro-jazz!!

5. Cathy Roe! One of the few faculty names I knew going in, her classes on composition absolutely changed the way I look at choreography. Wow. Just so much wow. And her personality is beautiful. Charming, hilarious, open. Loved her.
6. JV Goecke! I’ve never met a teacher who reminded me so much of myself. She said the things I only think. Totally fantastic. I would also LOVE to have her come out to Edmonton to hold one of her Jumpstart bootcamps for dancers!!!
7. Jessica Rizzo! I recognized her right off the bat – she’d adjudicated in Edmonton a few years ago, and I love her enthusiasm. Her pre-teen modern class was EVERYTHING I hoped for! It’s my first time teaching modern in years, and it’s easy to forgot how simple you need to be, and yet how complex you can make a simple, beginner exercise phrase. So perfect. Her improvisation class was also incredible – it’s something I’ve always struggled with, and it was the perfect pathway to introducing my kids to improv!
8. The company! I spent the week with Miss Kristi, and it was so much fun! It’s always scary to suddenly spend every day with someone you usually only see for a couple hours at a time, but we had a blast. It reminded me of how much fun I had with Krist-a  during our ADAPT teacher training years ago.
9. The Mirage! We decided to spend Thursday night on the Strip at the Mirage. I’d only stayed at the MGM before this week, and the Mirage was the perfect choice. Weekdays are slow, so they upgraded us to a premium room on the 21st floor with an incredible view for no extra charge!
   

10. Crazy Horse Cabaret at the MGM! We decided we wanted to see a burlesque show in Vegas. No one has wanted to go the last two times I’ve gone to Vegas, so I was so excited to go with Kristi!! And WOW! It was classic cabaret – tease, comedy, sexy, sultry, and campy. It was awesome. We were right up front…a little unsettling at first, but it turned out great! It’s a topless show, which I wasn’t expecting, but the fact that the bodies were so natural was very inspiring – not a single implant on stage! Bums jiggled and shoulders shimmied. The level of art was sky-high, and the choreography and music were incredible! A must-see show, and only $57US for the best seats in the house! Bijou bijou bijou!
    
    

    My (overpriced!) souvenir photo from Crazy Horse

11. Tabu! When you’ve already spent $70 on 4 drinks (between the two of us – only 2 each!!), a free-drink wristband is a godsend Even better was the group of 65-70 year old ladies in line for the MGM nightclub – no goofy 21-year old party for us! We closed down Tabu, dancing until our feet couldn’t stand, and actually being asked to leave when the lights came on. I haven’t danced like that in years. It was the most fun I’ve ever had at a Vegas nightclub…or any club!!
12. Shopping! I never spend money on myself at the outlets, but I always get my bugz a full closet. I did finally buy myself two of the famous Vegas wrap dresses that I’ve wanted for years, and a pair of Merrel Pace Gloves for only $86!

It was a great week. I was actually a little sad to come home, even though I missed my family. My only regret is that I didn’t take more pictures!

I have to spend a few days decompressing and wrapping my head around all the dance-intenstive awesomeness. I wish classes started next week, not 3 weeks from now. Mind you, how is it only 3 weeks from now???? But most times, I’m ready to come home by Day 4. I was gone for 5 days, and I could have stayed a few more. It was incredible.

The creative oasis was just what this girl needed to recharge.

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Hopefully this makes up for the week of slacker posts  This post is a part of the Summer Blog Challenge! Join the rest of us:

Natural Urban Mama
This Mom’s Got Something To Say
The Dulock Diaries
2 Plus 2×2