We got take-out Chinese over New Year’s and my fortune cookie read: “Doors will be opening for you in many areas of your life.” That made me feel hopeful. I’ve figured out I’m an antsy person… always striving to do more, be more, grow… But consequently that means I’m often worried about not doing enough or doing too much, and it not being enough. It’s a slippery slope. If you open lots of doors to new rooms, does that mean you have to close others, or can they remain ajar for you to go back and visit every once in a while?

If I have learned anything as a mom, it’s that you can’t have it all. Something’s gotta give- maybe not forever, but it’s always a give-and-take. So how does this affect our doorways to dancing?

In 2012 we have to decide ‘what’s the plan?’ Is it behind door number 1? That might have a goat and two chickens behind it! Door #2 might be better, or it might be worse! My advice is to open a door with a peephole! Ha! Seriously, though, most of us have an inkling of what’s behind the door, so open it with your feet planted firmly on the ground, your best allies at your side and your plan of attack to walk, run, jump, leap or dance through! (And… If the door closes, know that God will open a window with friends to help you climb through). Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!

Happy New Year and Happy Dancing!
(Make sure to look for the next issue of the RSF Pro-Am Voice to help you make your dancing plans for 2012)!

Regina Ruff, your RSF pro-am voice

OMG- how did the year 2011 fly by so fast? What’s next? If you are a resolution kind of person, you should know what’s next… If not, I feel sorry for you. You are letting life lead you around by the nose, reacting to everything like it’s out of your control and not your fault. Sigh….

Need some help? Wake up!!! Take action…. ACT! Make changes and make things happen.
Most of all celebrate… with music, with friends, with dance and the RSF!

Do you have a dancing goal or resolution for 2012 you’d like to share?
Drop us a line and let us know!
We’d love to hear from you!!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice

Training can take place anywhere, any time- whether it’s the holidays, you’re traveling, or possibly you’re dealing with an injury or illness. You just need to get creative. Do some fancy kick boxing, take a walk in the airport, or work on strengthening an uninjured area. Also train your mind! Watch videos, try reading self-help books to help you relax or focus better. Just do what it takes to make 2012 better than 2011!!!

Remember: keep moving, be good to yourself, let go of regret, forgive others, keep spreading your RSF joy, — And of course, keep dancing!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice

As I wait in the airport, I realize 2011 is winding down and I take some time to scroll through the pictures on my iPhone. There are pictures of special/random moments frozen in time… kid pics, party pics, holiday pics, scenery pics, and of course- dance pics! So many good times and happy, smiling faces… and we want to see yours!

Please look through your random RSF pictures captured forever on your phone (or somewhere else)! If you have a shot you’d like to share from 2011, upload it onto our RSF facebook page or email it to me to share in the next issue of the RSF Pro-Am Voice. Let’s send out 2011 in RSF style!

Happy Holidays and keep dancing!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice
ABI feature writer02-freeze-frame

you're only as old as you feel!

Recently I’ve had quite a few friends who have had setbacks while competing due to injuries. Knees, feet, ankles, and shoulders all take on a lot of wear and tear while we dance. Overuse, improper stretching or just a freak misstep and POW! It can result in stress fractures, pulled or torn ligaments and muscles, and painful neuromas to name a few….

How do you deal with these kind of setbacks? Can they be avoided? What is your opinion? Leave us a reply- we’d love to hear from you!

In the meantime, here is a picture of how one RSF dancer dealt with her knee injury during a recent RSC competition. You can’t keep a good man(woman) down!

Remember- keep dancing, but be smart and stay healthy! Take care of your bodies… they’re the only ones we have!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice
ABI feature writer

The very next day I was off to Texas to take my daughter to audition for her “Broadway” dreams. It was a little funny… she has been dancing and performing since she was five, but this is a new venture- auditioning for college programs, and she was visibly nervous. While we were waiting in the lobby of the auditorium, however, there were kids walking around to talk about the school’s program and answer any questions, and one girl said as my daughter was walking in, “Don’t be nervous! This is what you’ve been waiting for!… The chance to do what you love- perform on a stage!”

When it comes to RSF ballroom competitions , world championships, or shows, the same thingking should apply for us: Don’t be nervous or think that you’re not ready or not good enough! Don’t say, “I need to practice more or get to a higher level before I go out there.” This is what you love! And you learn more by doing than by waiting…. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and ‘Just Do It!’

Were you at the show? What did you enjoy it? Do you have performance anxiety? How do you deal with your nerves? Leave us a reply! We’d love to hear from you!!!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice

ABI feature writer

As I watch my daughter prepare for college auditions in dance and musical theater, I’ve thought a lot about the seasons of life…. There’s a time to be born and a time to die. Times of great joy and times of sadness. A time to reap and a time to sew. A time for love and a time to hate. A time to speak and a time to keep silent. A time to build up, and a time to break down. And finally- a time to sing and a time to dance!

Some people have said, “Isn’t it time to give someone else a chance?” Other friends have said, “How long do you plan to dance?”

“As long as there’s music in me,” is my first reply…. (As long as I can, if my body will cooperate… is the underlying thought)! I may not be able to compete for forever…. There’s always somebody new coming up behind you, a fresh face full of excitement and wanting your spot. We may never be the best in the U.S. or a world champion, but as far as I’m concerned, in my heart and in my soul, this is the time and the season TO DANCE!

If you are in Atlanta this weekend, ’tis the season for “Bright Lights- Big City” on the corner of Broadway and Ballroom! Come see the hottest ballroom dancers perform on Saturday evening. Dinner and dancing are included in the ticket price. Contact Academy Ballroom Atlanta for more information. However, no matter where you find yourself this weekend, or the rest of this holiday season, make time… to set goals, to sew the seeds and make changes, and to dance!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice

Happy Turkey Day to all of our RSF Family! Thanksgiving dinner is still grumbling in some tummies, the dishes are soaking, and the kids are recovering from a friendly game of football in the cul-de-sac, giving me a moment to reflect on the many things I am thankful for….

It has been a year full of growth and change, and one of the things I have learned is that you have to be ready to jump in with both feet, even if you’re scared or worried something won’t work. If you only give 50% or hold back, you may miss your opportunity to grow, to change, to make a difference. It’s a scary thing- changing… sometimes the changes aren’t what we think we wanted or deserved. The important thing is to surround yourself with good, positive people who will lift you up, challenge you, and help you to push your limits!

So in this season of giving thanks, I want to say ‘thank you’ to all of our wonderful RSF friends: dancers, coaches, organizers, sponsors, partners and friends who have believed in us and see value and worth in what we do!

I know we are all thankful for our families, friends and good health, but take a moment to leave a message here or to send a personal note to the people who have challenged YOU- to grow, to change, to stretch, to be bigger and better than you ever imagined… and to live (and dance) with passion!

Be happy. Be thankful. And… keep dancing!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice

Tonight is the grand finale of Dancing With The Stars season ? The remaining contestants are Ricki, Rob, and J.R. All three of them have proven themselves on the dance floor. They have stamina, they have drive, and they have desire, and they also have something else: mass appeal or a big fan base…

Last week a majority of dancesport competitors were in Columbus, Ohio to participate in the Ohio Star Ball. For years, this one competition has brought together the finest dancers, the ‘best-of-the-best’, and up until budget cuts interefered, it was all broadcast on TV through public television. It’s an odd place- Columbus, Ohio, to go for the most prestigious titles… not very exotic, but the “stars” come out for it.

We also have ‘rising stars’ competing in the RSC to give dancers a chance to set their course and make their own constellation in the dancesport galaxy. However, like in all competitions, whether it’s Ohio, DWTS, or something else, whenever we set our sights on the stars, someone will have to fall short. Not everyone gets the gold medal or the mirror ball… but does that make them less of a star?

So let me ask you, who or what is a star for you on the dance floor? Is a star someone who shines because of the beauty and elegance of their face and body, or is it someone who has an inner glow or a joyful spirit? Many qualities make up a good dancer, but I challenge you to think about the special qualities that make someone a real star.

On the dance floor or in life, there are many people who light up our lives. Are they just full of a lot of flammable gas burning in the night sky? Is it their powerful, magnetic charisma that pulls us toward them like a flame draws in moths? Or do they bring joy, peace, love, and laughter? There are many lights, many stars… some burn out faster than others, but we need all kinds!

Congratulations to the new champions of Ohio Star, and good luck to the newest star to be crowned on DWTS tomorrow night! Who did you vote for and why? Let me know what you think…

And as always, keep dancing

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice
ABI feature writer

The Impossible Dream Lyrics
Lyrics by Joe Darion

To dream … the impossible dream …
To fight … the unbeatable foe …
To bear … with unbearable sorrow …
To run … where the brave dare not go …
To right … the unrightable wrong …
To love … pure and chaste from afar …
To try … when your arms are too weary …
To reach … the unreachable star …

This is my quest, to follow that star …
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far …
To fight for the right, without question or pause …
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause …

And I know if I’ll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I’m laid to my rest …
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach … the unreachable star …

Music and dance are like that. They bring out the Don Quixote in all of us. We may have impossible dreams… of being a champion, or maybe of just being young and fabulous or beautiful, but when the music plays and we are out on the floor with our partner, for a few minutes that impossible dream IS possible! There are people out there, however, who will try to tell you to get real and grow up. They are the “Miserables,” the pessismists. Don’t let them get to you- don’t give in to their negative view of the world! Keep believing, keep dreaming, keep trying. We may not end up on Dancing With The Stars, but we will be better off in the end, both physically and emotionally, if we just reach for the stars and KEEP DANCING!

Regina Ruff, your pro-am voice