News del Mercado: A Light

My original plans were to travel to Utah on Valentine's Day night and drive up to Rexburg, ID. the next morning with my mom to see Victoria in her showcase that Thursday night. I hadn't been able to see her in the fall because it was the same weekend as Kade's nationals for the marching band/ color guard. With Blake's death, I changed some plans and flew out Monday evening to help with what I could for the funeral and the McDonald family before driving up to Rexburg Thursday morning, per the original plan. I hadn't been to Rexburg since we toured the summer of 2021 and didn't have any idea that Victoria would attend there and love it so much!

We arrived in time for her tap class she is the TA for. I brought my tap shoes since I am currently taking an adult tap class with some of my friends. I got permission to join this "beginner" class at BYU I, though they were much more advanced than the moms I tap with! It was fun being a part of the class, watching Victoria lead the warm-up, and trying to keep up with those kids! The teacher taught the Shim Sham that class, which, amazingly enough, our class had already learned. I already needed reviewing and I knew going in that the Shim Sham is different depending on where you live in the nation. So, the Michigan version is definitely different from the Idaho version. Afterward, they practiced a dance that was so amazing and they practiced it over and over, each time using a different song that progressively picked up in speed. Each time, more students would drop out and observe. The final time through was just Victoria and Ava (the head teacher) tapping so fast, I couldn't believe it! I had always known Victoria to be a good tapper, but it was never her favorite. I think she likes it better now.

The first crosswalk just after Victoria's apartment. The dance building is just after the stadium here, so she's super close to where she spends the most time.

The tap class allowed me to take a pic! Some had already left, though.

The hallway of her apartment complex.

We got a quick and cold tour of campus and of Victoria's apartment complex. Rexburg is definitely cold and windy, but it wasn't as cold as it could have been when we were there but was cold enough. Still, no one was wearing a coat or anything on their heads!

After I ate some of Victoria's tacos she made and we chatted with her roommates while she got ready, my mom and I went to our Airbnb while Victoria arrived early for the showcase. Our Airbnb was super cute and a place my mom and Jim had stayed at when they took Victoria up after Christmas. It's just 10 minutes away from campus.

Making her mom tacos.

Her cute room.

She's make-up and hair ready!

We got a thank you note and cookies from the Airbnb hosts since Jim booked their place twice.

The moment we had been waiting for arrived and we got to watch the showcase. There were so many amazing numbers and styles of dance. It was nice to watch so much variety and see more male dancers than I did at Dancin' Feet. Victoria was in a jazz number toward the end, choreographed to a song by Frank Sinatra. The program notes on the piece said, "The intention behind this dance is to showcase Jazz Dance Technique within a non-traditional framework. The use of Frank Sinatra was intentional in seeking playful movement, textured variations, and comfortable ease." They danced in cute suspenders and hats and with chairs. Victoria is now known for her amazing ariels in many of her dances where it's appropriate.

Frank Sinatra Jazz dancers

Victoria hanging with her male dance friends backstage, since she was dressed similarly.

After the show we met some more of her dance buddies and went "to dinner" after 9 pm with her two besties and their moms. We were definitely trying to keep up with the college life! We knew this was the plan so I had only a small taco at her apartment around 4 and then got a veggie burger at the burger joint we were at so I could digest easily. My mom ate her own meal at the Airbnb. We're smart old people!

Late-night dinner group!

Friday morning had a fresh new pile of snow, so my mom and I did an indoor workout on my phone that worked us pretty well! We checked out and met Victoria and her dance friends after their morning class at their usual Friday lunch spot in the Crossroads, which is like a mall food court, only for college kids and much better! On Fridays, they have .99 pizza slices at the pizza place there and it was some of the best I had ever had! And it was so fun chatting with a lot of her closest dance friends before we left.

Friday lunch buddies!

The next change in plans was to drive back to the Salt Lake area for the viewing. Victoria would have driven down with us, but the tryouts for the Danice Alliance team (the biggest travel team at BYU I) were on Friday afternoon and evening. She had been talking about trying out for the team for a while and was really excited to do so. She had already talked with the lady in charge and told her that if she happened to make the team, she wouldn't be able to attend the first practice on Saturday because she would be at her cousin's funeral.

When she called me at the viewing to tell me that she had made the team, I cried different tears than I had been crying all that evening. I was so happy for her! It was a light in the weekend, as was being up to visit her, while very short. She left to drive down to SLC after she showered, where she stayed with my aunt and uncle that night. Her roommate had been planning to drive down and see an old friend, so she just waited a bit till Victoria was ready. Luckily, SLC is only 3 1/2 hours away from Rexburg. My aunt and uncle took her down to the funeral the next morning and I was able to enjoy being with her the rest of the evening and night after the funeral. I drove her back up to Rexburg Sunday morning in what turned out to be a white-knuckle drive for part of it. The storm got really bad in southern Idaho and I almost got off the freeway to wait it out, but Jason looked into it and informed us that it would improve if we kept driving. It did! But I didn't stay long in Rexburg because I was nervous about driving back down if the storm got in my way again. It turned out to be just fine and I got to eat Sunday dinner with my brother's family, his in-laws, and my dad and Mary Lou.

I am so proud of what Victoria has learned while at BYU I as a student, a dancer, and as a young adult, taking care of herself. She sacrificed being in the opening number of the show this summer so she could go to Blake's funeral, which she was so glad she did. She's in a bunch of numbers and has been practicing super hard. I can't wait to find out where they will go on their tour in July!