October 4 - Graceful Expressions

“Work like you don't need the money. Dance like no one is watching. And love like you've never been hurt.”

~ Mark Twain

Life is an adventure, full of its ups and downs and occasional sideways. But sometimes you're at the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

I'm interrupting my month of Halloween posts to talk about this past Sunday - the one 'gig' I have ever had and the catalyst for my balloon art hobby.

The Graceful Expressions Dance Company puts on an inclusive yearly parent-child dance, and about 3 years ago my friend April asked a number of people to volunteer help. She was looking for a DJ, ushers, face painters or anything that might help in the celebration, and one of them stood out - balloon twister. As a teen I had bought a bag of balloons and made the various animals I had found in a library book, and just recently I had bought a bag of balloons online after stumbling across some YouTube videos thinking my youngest son might be interested in the hobby.

I was a bit nervous about being able to build what someone asked me for. So to prepare I took careful notes while devouring YouTube videos; I went as "Super Balloon Man" to a friends superhero party, spending most of the night in a corner making balloon after balloon for the kids; I traveled the neighborhood at Halloween in the same costume barely keeping up with the candy infused pace of my sons; I attended webinars and saw amazing feats of balloon artistry; and I even went to a balloon convention. Sometime I'll write a full origin story, but that tale I will save for another day.

This dance is a magical thing, full of happiness and joy and love, full of the sweetest kids you could ever have the luck to know. I'm so happy that this strange opportunity arose, now I have some precious new friends and an event look forward to every year. Here is a link to an article about it (link).

(Thank you, John, for these pictures!)