My mom, J. Clair Woodbury, would always say, “Keep a Song in Your Heart and a Smile on Your Face”. Momma was so much fun. We would sit together on the front porch of our Nashville home, and after a while we would just start laughing and laughing. Daddy would come in and join us and then he would also start laughing as we created quite a ruckus of excitement.

A way to keep that song going is to avoid talking badly about others. “If you don’t have something good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all”. Good advice, wouldn’t you agree? Fill your speech with words of praise, hospitality, and encouragement to others.  It makes life easy and creates lasting friendships.

Am I perfect with this? Let’s see. Recently, I was faced with the option of speaking out of turn to “get something off my chest”. I grew tired and irritable from thinking about it and from the desire to “let someone else just have it”. Then, I had a turning point. My good neighbor of 23 years, Reeva, passed away. I just happened to be cleaning out my storage room at the exact time a crew was hauling away her things after the estate sale. A group of strangers were just hauling her possessions away as the property manager stood by. Sad.

This brings to home what really matters in life. Does “getting our own way” make us happy? Is fulfilling our every whim the formula for creating moral fiber and character? I then proceeded to finish loading up my car for my give-a-way as I de-cluttered my life.  I became aware that giving to others was truly fulfilling in my life. Also, as Reeva’s things were unceremoniously packed away in a truck, I realized that the things I own could never compare to who I am on the inside.  Then, the little song in my heart began to sing and I was happy inside.

To the last point, if we don’t have something good to say about someone, then say nothing at all. I do not wish anything bad on others. What if the bad thing happened to them? What if I could make someone else unhappy and “pay” for what they did to me? Would that create a memory of a lifetime that I would want others to remember me by? A memory I would cherish years down the line?

I want to be remembered as someone who always wanted the best for others. Someone who was willing to help those around me be the best they could be in their own lives.  I want to be a beacon to guide others to a lighted path to their success.

What was that?  Hey, I think I just heard a little tune humming in your mind.  Could that be the song in your heart that you’ll be singing today?

Next week: If you can visualize it, you can make it happen!

Sincerely,

David Earl Woodbury

6 Stars remain and a double elimination is coming.  Last night had 2 dances, a Ballroom round and a trio round.  First the Ballroom round…

Donald sold the Tango this week with strong movement and sharp transitions.  His frame has improved, but he still needs to pull up and be taller.  Donald’s footwork was good, but his steps often were a little wide like a Cowboy.  Score 27

The connection in Maria and Derek’s Viennese Waltz is very believable.  Can we say “Ballroomance”!   There was a lot of caressing which helped the routine connect to the music and to each other.  Of course, Len thought it was entirely too much. When they did use the proper Ballroom frame, she looked fabulous!   Score 28

Melissa and Maks were at it again.  Same script, different week.  Rehearsal went like this…Maks yelled, Melissa cried, Maks was bleeped and… bleeped.  This way of teaching really frustrates me!  Any dance instructor across the Arthur Murray organization would be fired immediately for treating any pupil that way… and they should.  As for the FoxTrot routine, I thought it suffered.  Her feet were often lifting up off the floor and she had a section where she lost it.  The remainder of the routine she pulled together and did a good job.  Score 24

Katherine and Mark danced a classic Viennese Waltz.  Her technique was really good, her posture and head position were elegant, and movement was smooth.  I felt the straight forward classic approach was nice, but contrary to Maria’s performance as it lacked a connection.  Score 26

Roshon made it another week and he needed a great performance to stay around.  Roshon and Chelsie stepped up with a very smooth and controlled FoxTrot. He was gliding from step to step and had a really strong frame.  When they broke apart, he was like Fred Astaire and made it look so easy!  Well Done!  Score 29

Ladies, ballroom spoiler… William Levy was in a full tail suit and was still hot!  The Latin lover delivered ballroom at a respectable level.  William and Cheryl’s FoxTrot was divine.  It was well balanced with cool and jazzy parts.  He is in it to win it!  Score 30

The second routine for the stars was a trio.  They were able to pick one additional eliminated pro, or someone from the dance troupe, for a 3 person number.

Here’s the run down… Donald’s Jive was fast and fun with the addition of Karina, a great use of three people!  Score 28.  Clever choreography from Derek with a Bollywood inspired Samba that kept you interested.  Although I would have liked to see more body rhythm from Maria. Score 25.  Melissa came alive in her Samba with the Chmerkovskiy brothers.  A lot of Samba and great body rhythm.  Score 27.  Katherine, Mark, and Tristan had a clever and cool Cha Cha.  Despite a wardrobe malfunction, she did well (it was not ten worthy).  Score 29.  Roshon was on fire last night!  His Paso Doble with Sasha and Chelsie was so strong and sharp!  He is mastering control over those skinny legs and feet.  Score 27.  Another Paso Doble for Willliam and Cheryl, with the addition of Tony. They had a good story and he always looks natural no matter what dance is handed to him.  Score 27.

This week is tough to make a prediction because the couples whose Ballroom routines I liked the best, I liked their trios the least, and vice-versa.  Melissa pulled through on the trio, but overall I think she should be next to go.  Ahhh, the second eliminated star is really tough, but because Roshon was stellar this week,  I’m going to say Donald.  I sure hope Katherine has some fans!

Christy Melgoza

Franchisee of Arthur Murray Dance Studio Woodland Hills

Arthur Murray Certified Adjudicator

This week is classical week.  As for last week, my predictions came true… Roshon and Gladys were the bottom two, with Gladys being eliminated. Gladys was a class act and had a descent amount of talent.  Unfortunetley, not enough for this season.

Starting off classical week is our classical singer, Katherine Jenkins, performing a Rumba with Mark.  Not only is she a classical singer, but she must be classically dance trained to some degree.  The arch in her feet and ankles are amazing!  The leg lines are from training for sure, not the amateur.  Can somebody please tell DWTS to put some shirts on these men, it is a bit overdone for this season.  Score 27

So pretty much the group numbers are entertaining, but as far as actually making a difference in the competition, it doesn’t.

Next up was Melissa Gilbert and her injured partner, Maks, performed an Argentine Tango.  Maks has a cyst in his foot, creating a potential problem for Melissa having to rely on him, and maybe his brother will have to take his place.  Maks did dance with Melissa and she had on a weird dress for this routine, it seems out of place and too soft for this dance.  It’s a good routine, but unfortunately for them, there has been some really good Argentine Tango’s this season, and this pales in comparison.  The music, the dress, the lack of passion or connection really took its toll on this one.  Score 21 (I don’t think it was that weak)

William Levy and Cheryl performed a beautiful Viennese Waltz.  Unfortunately, William has his recurring ankle injury, but is sucking it up to get his job done.  His movement was good, but with the smoke on the ground you can’t really see his feet, good trick.  He did a good job with staying on the rhythm because his song had a really soft beat and some professionals would have trouble hearing it.  He made it look graceful and has a way of bringing emotion to every dance.  Score 27

The next Argentine Tango was performed by Roshon and Chelsea.  Needing to pull his act together this week because he was in the bottom two last week and narrowly escaped, he worked on his masculinity with Val Chmerkovskiy.  I thought this was classical week, why did they play “Bad Romance” from Lady Gaga?  Anyhow, that being said, his performance was strong, interesting, clean and confident.  I still agree with the judges that he needs to work on his legs and feet to ground himself, and not look so wobbly.  Score 25

On to Donald Driver and Peta’s performance of a Viennese Waltz.  His movement and footwork was good, but he still needs to work on his posture.  This was a classical Viennese Waltz, and classical steps and style it had!  Len was actually spot on, stating his footwork was great, but the fleckarel (a step where the couple turns in one spot) was a mess.  Score 27

Maria Menounos and Derek were up next performing a Paso Doble.  Oh really, she came out as a vampire with fangs.  She has good control, and she was really clean with no visible mistakes.  This was one of the best performances of the night.  It had a great balance of steps, story, and intensity. Eventually, I warmed up to the fangs. This was good enough to warrant  the first perfect score of the season!  Score 30

Last up was Jaleel White and Kym performing a Viennese Waltz.  This was a very difficult one to hear, as this beat seemed really obscure.  Kudos for just being able to hear it and dance on time.  Not only was it a fast song, but Kym packed it with steps and had a lot going on.  The artistry was lost a bit, probably because of the amount of content within it.  Score 24

The night ended with the team competition, and the winning team collecting more points for their weekly score.  Up first was Team Tango, with Jaleel, Katherine, Roshon, and Maria.  Beginning of the dance was Very Cool and impressive with good performance quality coming out of everyone.  This was a really good routine, but I wanted more dancing out of the group because the formation portions were the best part of it.  Score 27

The final performance of the night was team Paso Doble, with Donald, William, and Melissa.  The beginning was good, very dramatic with the flames and music.  The individual performances were hit and miss, with a variety of mistakes and good parts.  Donald was the highlight of this group.  Cool routine, but not as clean. So, pretty much the group numbers are entertaining, but as far as actually making a difference in the competition, it doesn’t.  Score 26

Though this season started out truly impressive, the dust has settled and with each dance, strengths and weakness have shown their face.  My bottom two this week are Melissa and Jaleel.  They both have executed difficult ballroom moves, but need to develop the artistry and performance aspects.  My prediction leaving this week is Melissa.

Christy Melgoza

Franchisee of Arthur Murray Dance Studio Woodland Hills

Arthur Murray Certified Adjudicator

“All of our best days strung together like a beautiful string of pearls.”

You’re sitting by yourself, still and quiet, and a tear forms and falls from your cheek. A past memory, a remembered pain, a distant moment resurfaces. You don’t know why, but the tears begin to flow and you are lost in a reverie that you can’t shake.

Or, you are preparing for the day early in the morning and suddenly a grip of nerves comes over you. Your stomach tightens and a wave of nausea surges through your body. What is that? Perhaps a dread of the day ahead, an anticipation of something awful happing and our imagination runs wild. We are caught up in a whirlwind of fear and anxiety over a dark fantasy that does not even exist.

Has this happened to you? Have you kept it to yourself and you feel alone thinking you are crazy and you need help? Well, this happens to us all at one time or another. We all at some point arrive at “overwhelm”. We cry over the past and worry ourselves sick over the future.

A dear friend of mine, Joan Solka, said this to me, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present”. What a great motto! We cannot change the past; we can fret over it or just let go of it.  We have absolutely no control over the morrow, and the reality of life is that we have only right now to live and be happy.

Exercises:

What to do when the past or worry of the future knocks us off our keesters? First, I get a hold of myself and acknowledge what is happening to me. “Get a grip on yourself, David,” I sometimes say, “Wow, this is a rough one, but I know it will pass.” Then, I count my blessings and repeat them out aloud, “I have my faith, my health, my love and family, and my ability to dance and teach others”. I am blessed to be a steward of all the wonderful gifts that I have in my life.

The end magic potion for me is service. I am truly free from the past and worry of the future when I am called into action for service to others. When I am giving of myself to encourage others, to guide them and to lead them, or offer light to them, then, I am truly happy and fulfilled. Try it sometime. Volunteer to help someone during a dance party. Offer your services to another dancer or partner. Give of your time to an organization or person who cannot pay you back and see what happens. You may just beat the blues and find your own secret potion for happiness, like a beautiful string of pearls.

Next week: Keep a Song in Your Heart!

Sincerely,

David Earl Woodbury

Oh no, I knew this one was coming…  Say good-bye to Gavin DeGraw.  Nice job Gavin, there is just stiff competition this season.

Motown week was kicked off with some good, old school music and from Smoky Robinson and Martha Reeves.  The original artists were there to sing live while the couples danced.  Too cool!

One of the original Motown legends, Gladys Night, danced a Rumba to “My Girl”.  They brought back some of the cool Motown moves, but lacked in the Rumba technique.  In this type of Rumba, you are supposed to step on a straight leg throughout this dance, which she didn’t do.  Elegant, but overall very average.  Score 21

Maria and Derek danced a classic FoxTrot, while Martha Reeves sang live.  Maria stood tall and elegant, and had a nice stretched left position.  Though she had a few timing issues, she moved well across the floor. Not my favorite dance from her, but well done!  Score 26

Roshon really struggled with the sensuality of the Rumba during the rehearsals, which left me wondering how he was going to pull this off.  Contrary to the judges comments, I think he did pull it off.  It was sexy, strong, and syncopated, well beyond his years.  Dancing live to Smoky Robinson was a bonus.  Only two points above Gladys… come on!  Score 23

Katherine and Mark tore it up while dancing a Samba to The Temptations.  Her Samba had it all:  bounce, funk, and fun!  Katherine is the one competitor that has control of her OWN movement and timing, which is unusual at this level of dancing (and she’s gorgeous while doing it!).  Score 29

Donald Driver had the Motown swagger as he danced a FoxTrot to The Temptations.  His movement was smooth, but there was no mention from the judges about his terrible posture.  While his personality fit this type of FoxTrot, he also had some footwork errors that were missed.  Donald and Peta’s routine was good, so I guess the judges decided to overlook the details!  Score 27

Learning from Maks looks anything but inspiring and fun.  There has got to be a better way to get the best out of people.  None the less, Maks and Melissa danced a lovely, lyrical Viennese Waltz to Smoky Robinson. She is starting to let herself go in her routines, but you can still see some tension in her shoulders.  Again, no mention of missed footwork, but the rest of the complimentary judge’s comments were well deserved. Score 24

Jaleel landed in the bottom two last week and only survived by winning the dance dual against Gavin.  Last night, Kym and Jaleel danced a Cha Cha to The Temptations and the judges loved it!  For me, Jaleel is a bit of an enigma.  He is sharp and crisp with his movements, but that can also make him look too stiff.  Jaleel needs to work on having contrast of slow and quick movements because right now all of his dances look the same.  The judge’s scores make me seem crazy.  Two 10′s!  Score 29

The next routine went something like this… Line, hold, line, hold, wiggle, rub.  Cheryl and William danced a sexy Rumba to Smoky Robinson and he looked good while he STOOD there.  I agree with Carrie Ann, there needs to be MORE content.  William did a good job with his lines, but the difficulty is going to have to go way up if he wants to be in the finals.  Score 27

Motown Marathon worked something like this… Every couple danced at the same time and one by one they got tapped out.  The top couple received 10 points, 9 for 2nd, and so on.  Those points got added to their totals for the evening.  Mark and Katherine were the last couple standing, which made their already high score of 29, a 39.  These creative secondary competitions are my least favorite part of the show.

As for the rest of the show, my bottom two predictions are Gladys and Roshon, with Galdys going home.

Christy Melgoza

Franchisee of Arthur Murray Dance Studio Woodland Hills

Arthur Murray Certified Adjudicator

“May I have this dance?” “I would be happy to do that for you”. “What a pleasure to dance with you”. “So good to see you today”. “How are you doing?” “Good evening, everybody”. “May I help you?” Remember all these wonderful greetings? Have you ever passed someone and they did not even say hello to you? Where did our manners go, and when did we rationalize such behavior?

In ballroom dancing, good etiquette is still alive and flourishing. How we greet one another, how we ask each other to dance and accept that dance. How we finish a dance and give a lovely thank you. Wow, ballroom dancing requires us to always be at our best and aware of our manners, grace and poise.

Poise, carriage, grace, and composure.  Those four words were taught to me as a young student in 1975. We carry ourselves in a poised state of being, and we are composed as we maneuver in a graceful manner. I have based all my career years in dancing on those four words.

What do women want in dancing? They want to be asked to dance in a warm and friendly way. They want a smooth, confident and elegant lead. Ladies want a safe hold that does not offend them in any way and they do not want to get stepped on, or used as a battering ram in a big crowd of dancers. They want to be thanked after a dance and left with a little glow of joy.

What do men want in dancing?  They want to feel they are in command in the lead. They want and need encouragement and praise for the level they are currently dancing. Partnership in the form of helping the movement around the dance floor and maintaining posture and frame is greatly appreciated.  At the end, guys want to feel that they did a good job and that the lady was happy to dance with them.

These are high requirements, but they truly are the basics of dance chivalry, which is truly just courteous behavior from both partners. If someone sees us not say hello to others, or not carry ourselves in a gracious way, they may think this is OK and try to emulate that behavior. We must remember that a sincere smile and friendly greeting are some of the basic elements of success in dancing, business, and family, and life in general.

My mother was a Southern Bell from Louisiana who never knew a stranger. I learned how to say my “Please’s and Thank You’s” from her great example. My Atlanta born dad was my example of being a gentleman to all those around him. Now, I am trying to live the legacy through the example they left for me.

Next week: Living in the Present

Sincerely,

David Earl Woodbury

It was Latin night on Dancing with the Stars and Santana was playing, so you know it’s going to be a good night!  This is the best intro and exit music that DWTS has ever had.

Jaleel and Kim opened the show with a booty shaking Samba.  He is hoping to get high scores this week since his scores have been falling lately.  Jaleel was strong and convincing, but had a lot of fluttering feet, which seems to be a weak point so far.  He did sell this routine, and his body was a surprise!  The judges really liked it and gave him decent scores.  Score 24

Next in line was Melissa and Maks performing a Salsa.Is it just me, or are the open shirts on all the guys is getting a bit obnoxious? Their routine was very fast, and she doesn’t seem to have really had a chance to fully develop the actual Salsa technique. The transitions were the best part, that was where you can see her talent.  The judges confirmed my evaluation, in that the control was lost.  The judges actually got this one right, I mean agreeing with me.  Score 21

Maria and Derek were up next performing a Salsa, as well, and we will see if it’s better than Melissa’s. Although Derek dropping on her chin during rehearsal was pretty scary, it wasn’t serious.  However, ouch was the first response once she started dancing, since her hips looked like she was going to throw something out.  Maria hit the moves well, but (contrary to the judges) for me it lacked sex appeal and rhythm. Score 27

Katherine and Mark performed an Argentine Tango.  I cant believe she was in danger of going home last week, her talent is obvious and she is definitely one of the best dancers on this show.  Their Arg.Tango was crisp and clean with a lot of difficult lifts, and I don’t know if this could have been performed by anyone else on this show. They were spectacular and deserved 10′s all across the board! Almost all the judges agreed. Score 29

Gavin and Karina performed a Samba as well, and I was worried.  When he announced to the audience at his concert that he needed their votes, he wasn’t kidding.  He was on time and did what he was asked to do, but the posture struggled and the whole thing was a bit corny.  Great attitude, but Gavin went backwards this week and is going to need a miracle to keep up with the other guys left on the show.  Score 19

William and Cheryl did an Argentine Tango.  He certainly had good presence on the floor and firm hold through the chest.  He made a lot of nice lines and seemed to be in control, and leading Cheryl. This was hot and sexy, and pretty damn good, especially after that debacle last week.  Last night was a bazillion times better than the week before.  He brought sexy back!  Score 29

It was a busy week for Gladys and Tristan, with concerts in four different cities in four nights.  I must say she is selling this Samba very well and is already better than last week.  This is her most natural dance to date, but still lags behind the other contestants.  She is just not in the league of some of the other contestants, but she has personality to spare!  Score 22

After being in the bottom two last week, (that wasn’t from a lack of a high score, but obviously low votes), Roshon and Chelsie came out with a fierce Salsa.  He hit the beat well and looked like he would fit in at a Salsa club, Roshon can definitely shake it!  This boy is loose with his body which sometimes takes over his control.  Luckily, it was few and far between!  Score 26

Donald and Peta performed an Argentine Tango, and all of the Argentine Tango’s tonight received very high scores.  Donald did do a very good job, but just below the passion and intensity of William.  It was all very technical and well executed, but the routine fell a bit flat because of the lack of connection.  On any other night this would have been fantastic, but because of the other two excellent Argentine Tango’s, it comes in third.  Score 27

After the first two weeks, I didn’t think there was going to be much to write about as everyone was killing it. As the show has settled in, we are now seeing the ups and downs of the different dance styles.  This is the biggest spread thus far from 19-29.  The bottom three should be Gavin, Melissa, and Gladys, with only one in the true bottom…Gavin.

Christy Melgoza

Franchisee of Arthur Murray Dance Studio Woodland Hills

Arthur Murray Certified Adjudicator

“I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.”

BFO, know what that means? A Big Flash of Obvious! Do you know if you’re running toward your goal, and do you have intention in every stride in your life? We all know that we fall short of the mark, but there is hope. As long as we are looking ahead and setting our goals, we are moving forward.

The Big Flash of Obvious is that usually we are the only person in our “crowd” that has the life goal.  When you are motivated by passion and life-changing commitment, you are probably alone in your walk most of the time. We see other like-minded leaders of purpose, just enough to keep us on track and share our hopes and dreams, then we go into the world to be “lights” to others.

BFO – our commitment will be tested, daily! The moment I wrote my first blog on weight loss, January 2011, I was immediately confronted with “You don’t need to lose weight” “Don’t go off the deep end” “You’ll hurt your health”. I listened to my Weight Watchers leader and just followed the plan to my 40 pound weight loss and maintenance. Now, I have 14 more pounds to go and I’m on my way. My commitment to health and weight loss continues to be tested at every banquet, buffet, and each Sunday morning donut and coffee meet and greet after Mass. 

BFO – our commitment will help us overcome life’s obstacles. After we make the decision to have purpose in every area of our lives, the focus helps us get through the rough times. I am running 10K’s again, and I am running just as I did in the past.  I pick out a colorful shirt on a runner ahead of me, and I run until I pass them. Then, I pick off the next one and catch up to them and pass them. This has helped me pick up my pace and run past fatigue.

Put a purpose in every step you take. Do this when you take the first stride of the morning, or the last march before sleeping, the first pattern on the dance floor or the last walks leaving the dance studio. With every person we greet, everyone with whom we come in contact, have the purpose of giving them life and light. The great gifts we are given require us to be great stewards of those gifts!

Next week: Chivalry is not lost! (Make sure the men read this one!)

Sincerely,

David Earl Woodbury