PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!

Busy busy busy, that's what we always are this time of year! Last year we had our school show in October, the previous autumn was crazy busy with Talent Suomi etc. And it’s not just learning new choreos that takes time but also finding and making new props, designing (and previously even stitching) new costumes… A lot of creative brainstorming  is needed to make the show the DBDC way.

This autumn we’re keeping busy with two TV shows and a very big, unique show in Zürich. We already did one TV shoot in August (I will tell you more about it once it will be out) and now practice for both Dancing With the Stars Finland and the Zürich show are going on full speed. That means about 10 hours of practice a week only for these two main shows (or even more when they get closer). Everyone has their daily jobs or studies on top of this and planning the practice schedule for 15-20 people so that everyone can always be there should be close to impossible. But what is one special quality about DBDC is the commitment of the dancers. This would be impossible if everyone wasn’t so committed and willing to make extra effort so that practices go smoothly and the group will be at its best when it’s showtime. We don't look at it as it is just some hobby we somehow have to squeeze in between the rest of our life. This is not a hobby for us, it’s our lifestyle.

For little over a year we have had the privilege of having our practice sessions in our very own, BEAUTIFUL dance studio that is located in the heart of Tampere in Tullintori shopping center. Before opening the studio in September 2013 we were always renting dance halls from other places – and if nothing else was available we went down to “Bommari”, the TUT bomb shelter that had cold and hard concrete floors and definitely no mirrors but enough space to go through the dance steps. Sometimes we were almost run over by the skater guys using the same space and you never knew who would walk in the middle of our dance routine but all of that only brought little extra excitement to our practices. Bommari was one of a kind spot but many of us still have some unforgettable memories from those times. It really put our team spirit  and dedication to test!

Bommari...a picture says more than a thousand words!

THE spot for practice used to be the Hervanta Leisure Center ("Vapari"). That is where it all started to grow and we definitely remember with love the great and patient service we received from the Vapari staff when we more than once took some extra minutes in the hall 108 after our scheduled practice time and the place was already closing. The same time we had the Vapari storage room and sometimes the dance hall itself full of our props like big foldable car, sunflower umbrellas and butterfly wings. Big thanks to everyone in Vapari for supporting us and bearing with us during those times!

         

           Video of our fun filled practice session in Vapari for Talent Suomi in 2012. 

Now the facilities to practice couldn't be better. But now there are also more shows and the shows are getting bigger and practices more demanding in many ways. In every show we are trying to improve and as standard is already high it takes a lot of work. The commitment and teamwork is what keeps us going and the fact that even we are just so eager to see the result after everything is ready. The ideas and choreos we are working on right now are just amazing! We all have bruises all over and muscle pain in muscles we didn’t know existed. Danny definitely isn’t going easy on us. But I’m over excited myself and I’m certain you will all love the outcome. Just wait and see! :)

Our Studio, our second home <3