Here are the videos of Stacy as promised. We think that Stacy accomplished a lot in a very short time. We know that she would have kicked butt! If you have any questions or comments, please use the contact form.

Due to unforeseen events, Dancing with the DJ's showdown has been canceled. We are proud of Stacy's accomplishments, and we would like to share them with you. We wish would have taken more video and photos. This is what we have. With only 14 lessons, morning sickeness, and all, Stacy was ready to compete. We would be honored to work with Stacy and the rest of the Sunny 95 crew in the future.

The lessons haven't been all peaches and cream. Stacy has been working very hard on her dancing, and she is able to dance the entire routine with minor blemishes. She tends to forget the lead and follow portions of ballroom dancing. My job is to lead her through the routine and support her in the more difficult rhythms and challenging movements. I believe that Stacy is on the verge of a break through in that she will trust the partnership more and have a lot more confidence.

Deep Concentration

We've selected Stacy's jewelry and her hair style. Dana is loaning her a pair of Swarovski crystal earrings that will compliment her dress very nicely.

Fred & Ginger?

Stacy has purchased her fishnets stockings. These are used to help create long leg lines.

As the big day is looming, Stacy's lessons are increasing with intensity. Now is the time to run the routine over and over and over again, until she dreams of it. Minor tweaks are being made, such as arm styling and positioning. Stacy seems to be enjoying every bit of it.

Stacy can now not claim that she can't dance! In the first few minutes of the lesson today, Stacy danced 2 different dances, the Cha Cha and the Salsa. In both dances, she easily followed my leads.

The New Yorker

The choreography is done! Stacy is now slowly dancing through the entire Cha Cha Cha. However, she is too hard on herself. Stacy thinks that she can dance the routine perfectly in only one lesson.

The 3 Chas

Last Thursday, Stacy, Shawn, and Dino let the cat out of the bag. Yes, we are doing a Cha Cha Cha, as are Shawn and Dino. I actually think this is best. It is always easier to judge a competition when the competitors are dancing the same dance.

There are two different type of Cha Cha's - American and International. Like Dancing with the Star's, we've chosen to dance the International Cha Cha Cha.

Stacy's lessons are getting a lot more intense, and she is starting to show her true competitive colors. Some of the more difficult steps in the routine has given her a few problems. That's ok, because Stacy is working really hard to get it right.

The search for the perfect dress is still on. We've narrowed it down to two that were designed by Dana. Both dresses look great on Stacy. She just needs to choose.

The time and place has not been officially announced; however, I've heard rumors that the competition will be held on the 15th or 16th of February at noon. Check back on our website or listen to Stacy, Dino, and Shawn on Sunny95.

I want to talk about the cost of dancing, which was brought up by the DJ's Thursday. As in any sport, one can spend only a few dollars to causally dance or spend a lot more to competitively dance. Shoes are an important part to dancing. The right shoe can give one a better feel of the floor and the comfort to dance all night. Most dance shoes are less than a cost of a high end fashion shoe but are more expensive than shoes at Payless.

If one is looking to compete, shop around, look for a competitive studio. There are different types. Some studios focus on social dancers, some one competitive, and some have a good mix of both. Pricing will vary from studio to studio. However, beware of the studio that charges "10s of thousands of dollars" for a single competition - as Dino has been told. At our studio, a typical competitor on our team will only spend in the hundreds to go to a competition.

No, we didn't have a lesson today. Dana and I thought it would be a good idea to explain the process that Stacy McKay is going through. Stacy, is on the fast track to compete. Most students take more time to prepare for their first competition. Typical first time competitors study for at least 6 months before they compete. Students dance against others in their age, dance level, and normally gender. Competitors have their choice to compete with their professional instructor or with another amatuer.

Holly, the shoe box kitty

Tons of shoes

Cute strappy Latin shoes!

Later today, we met at our studio. Being the last day of the week both of us were pretty tired, but Stacy really worked hard on the routine. She had a few frustrating moments with a couple of tricky spots.

We have it! We know what dance we are going to do. Stacy felt it in her bones. She began moving to the music right away, even before she new what dance it was. The dances she chose from where Waltz, Swing, Tango, Rumba, Cha Cha, Merengue, Samba, Salsa, and Mambo. When Dana suggested the song, Stacy's eyes lit up and she smiled from ear to ear.

Today Stacy also saw the routine that she will dance. At first, her eyes were wide as saucers. Then she said with an eager smile, "I can do that!"

Next we will travel downtown to Royal Impression, the best shoe store around, to fit her for a pair of dance shoes. Diane, the owner, will know the perfect shoe for Stacy.

Now it's time to get serious.

Stacy's first lesson was today. When she arrived she was greated by four of the finest firemen that Hilliard has to offer. One of them, who shall remain nameless, was cutting a fine rug dancing a Salsa with Dana Coil, co-owner of the Studio. After quick introductions, the awestruck firmen left with smiles on their faces after seeing their favorite radio celebrity.

I could tell that Stacy was nervous about her first lesson, which everyone is. It takes a lot of courage just to walk through that door. It was a nice get aquainted day. We worked on basic movements, rhythms, and turns to the left and right.

Although, I can not write about the dances that we covered today. I can say that Stacy shows real promise in her dancing abilities. With continued training, she will be a very good dancer.

Stay tuned for more updates on Stacy's lessons and when and where the competition will be held.

--Stacy Coil