Dancing Queens Episode 7 — Dance is Joy

We’re in the final countdown to the competition that the Dancing Queens ladies have all been preparing for: Millennium Dancesport Championships. This competition is a very large regional event that is known for its elaborate themes. For example, 2023’s theme was Egyptian Nights. When I attended the event in 2018, the theme was comic book superheroes. The theme of the 2022 Millennium on Dancing Queens was a nostalgic flashback to the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

We haven’t arrived at the competition yet in Episode 7, but the ladies are in serious prep mode with lessons with their pros, cross training, and getting outside coaching. Through the pressure and stress of doing everything they can to ensure the best chance of dancing away as the champion, an important truth emerges in this episode — dance at its core is about joy.

I appreciated the storytelling arc between Episodes 6 and 7 because it reflected a journey that many of us go through. We hit a point when at competition after competition, our results are not what we had hoped. We feel disappointed and frustrated, and we start to question our efforts. Our self-esteem and self-confidence take a hit. In order to recover and keep moving forward in our dancing, we have to pause and reconnect with our joy of dancing. That joy keeps us motivated and helps us maintain a positive mindset as we work through the…