I know I just did a recap of Vegas yesterday, but I purposely left this segment out because I thought it was too important to just lump in with everything else from the weekend. I know some amazing women, and much to-do should be made about all of them after this weekend. :)
NOTE: I would also like to thank Bariatric Advantage for sponsoring the Saturday night event!
As much as I try to downplay the "Diva" part of my name, much of what being a Diva is true for me. I love to perform. I love the spotlight. I am a perfectionist when it comes to performing - not only for myself, but for others. When I see talent in people, I tend to push them. That often times gets me in trouble, but it's a gamble I'm willing to take, and a selfish one at that. You see, there's NOTHING that makes me happier in life than seeing someone come alive on stage. And I'm not talking in the generic American Idol Big Giant Commercialized Voice way, I'm talking about becoming alive.
One of my proudest achievements is this burlesque group, The Diva Taunia Dolls Burlesque. I take great pride in it because our doors are open to anyone and everyone who wants to experience it. All shapes, all sizes, all races, all religions, all genders, all sexual preference. EVERYONE is welcome here, in whatever capacity is comfortable for them. Sometimes that means helping out with props, sometimes that means a huge vocal number, sometimes it means being part of a group number. It doesn't really matter - we encourage participation in individualized ways, and I'm extraordinarily proud of that.
This past weekend, I saw a group of peers - amazing, beautiful, and talented women - step outside of their comfort zone and join our group. There were lots of "Holy shit, WTF am I doing!?" moments, but there were also, "I'm challenging myself to do something new," moments. And isn't that what life is all about? LIVING IT? So here, while I risk getting myself in trouble, I want to applaud some amazing women for the ballsy and fierce dancing in our show this past weekend:
ALL PHOTOS © Bethography / Melting Mama
LeAnne / Army Wife
First, I'd like to thank LeAnne again for her generous donation to the WLSFA, which won her a spot in the show. LeAnne and I live hundreds of miles away from each other, so she learned this number entirely from video tutorials that she worked on with diligence. She told me this was completely out of her comfort zone, which is why I was even more happy when she asked me the day of the show, "Did you bring some fishnets for me?" :) She told me that she had made this costume for her daughter, and now it fit her....and she looked like one foxy drill sergeant! I was so proud of her for dancing her ass off and embracing it. And really? That smile says it all.
Kateria
I met Kateria for the first time at our Board meeting on Friday morning - and instant friend! LOVE HER! I said, "you have to be in my show," and she said, "ok." Didn't even bat an eyelash! Showed up at rehearsal at my room, I gave her this dress (which I LOVE , but it looked so hella cute on her that I let her keep it), and she danced her ass off! I love anyone who jumps into life with so much energy
and happiness. She's an amazing gal.
Toni & Lynnda / Bariatric TV.com
To be fair, Lynnda and Toni are not entirely new to performing, per se - I mean, they DO host Bariatric TV, but burlesque was definitely new for them. Generally, the word burlesque instills fear into the hearts of most women. Still, Toni and Lynnda had talked about doing things out of their comfort zone, and they led by example - working the dance floor into a frenzy!
I don't think I can even put into words how much I love these two gals. They are the real-deal: open, honest, friendly, and just honest to goodness good people. (Mike gets a shoutout here for the same reasons - such an overall great group of people that I've been fortunate enough to become friends with!)
Beth / Melting Mama
Let's be honest: if anyone had reason to be nervous about getting onstage, it was Beth. Being friends with Beth is a funny thing: she's always surrounded by controversy, and for as many friends as she has, she also has enemies. A lot of people don't like what she has to say at times, and she is much braver than me in that she doesn't censor herself. The thing that I love about Beth is this: you don't have to share her opinion. Often times, I don't, and she knows that...but still? We're friends. I think we share the thought process that as long as you stand your ground with honesty, we're cool. Beth is honest, and sometimes that isn't pretty. But look at her here: she really IS pretty. Beautiful, really.
It took a LOT for her to get up onstage, and for that, she should be applauded. She did it. AND she did it in a tutu and corset. The gal has balls to the gazillionth, even though I know she' ll readily tell me that she was scared to death. So bravo, MM, you rocked that stage. You OWNED it.
My Husband
I'm a lucky girl. Here is a guy that has never been onstage before, and I forced him to 1) dance and 2) host the entire show. This is how much he loves me....he did it for me. He was petrified, but he did it, and I think he did a fantastic job. As we watched the video from that night, I was beaming with pride. He'd never hosted anything before, and was:) forced to fill time between costume changes and was really able to create funny and entertaining banter to stall. I think he's a natural performer, and he admitted to me that he now has the performing bug. It's going around, baby. And thank you to all of you for making Rob feel so welcome, and making his stage time less scary and more fun.
And lastly? All my regular cast member Dolls.
I'm not going to include pictures because 1) you can see them on our website and 2) I have to respect privacy for their regular daytime lives. But something important to know about these women: none are professional dancers or singers. Most have taken the stage for either the first time ever, or the first time in years. I am extremely lucky because they are all my friends, and they would all give me the shirt off their backs. (And not just because they were stripping out of it.) They are executives, creative directors, counselors, flight attendants, career professionals, and just outstanding, amazing women
For me to watch them onstage - to see them come alive, create, control, and empower their lives - it's something that I wish I could bottle up for everyone to experience. And yes, I realize that sounds very dramatic and mushy-gushy, but it's the truth. These are incredible women - all of them the entire cast (And men! We have incredible men in our cast as well), and I am honored to share the stage, rehearsal space, laughter, and fatigue with all of them. Thank you for making my life better, my life fuller, and my life more beautiful. xoxo
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