It’s been a slow week for me in terms of dancing thanks to my defective bronchi.  What are bronchi, you may ask?  They are the larger air passageways in the lungs.  Mine have a tendency to overreact causing constriction, excess mucous, and difficulty breathing.  Well, they’ve been going into hysterics the past week so I have had to sit out from my favorite past-time, which by now you should know is ballroom dancing.  I missed class with Marieta, Inna, Toni, and haven’t danced with Ivan since Saturday.  It is a sad, sad thing.

But if you know me, and how much I love the ballroom world, you’ll know that I’ll still find some way to be involved.  On Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited by my friend Ivonne, the one I wrote about in this post, to be with her as she tried on some Smooth dresses in the hopes of finding one that would work for her upcoming competition in Tucson, just two weeks away!

We went to Kalina’s, well I suppose the official name is Designs By Kalina, here in Scottsdale (Ha!  Ivonne had to drive to my neck of the woods this time!).  I never even knew it was there but tucked away behind a dry cleaner’s and next to the 24 hour fitness center it stands, luring ballroom dancers into its showroom for a glimpse into the glamorous world of DanceSport.

When we arrived we were greeted by Wendy who runs the front end services for the showroom when Kalina is on the competition circuit.  One of the nice things about Kalina’s place is that Ivonne had the option to rent some of the dresses.  Many places don’t offer this service and one has to purchase a dress outright.  Wendy was ready for us and had two dresses available to try on.  She ushered us into a large and private fitting room complete with a dress rack and chairs.

Even from the first moment we saw the dresses, one stood out.

Isn’t it gorgeous?  It is a fantastic dress.

But there is one thing that could make it look better.  And that is Ivonne wearing it.

At first the silly woman told me I couldn’t post a picture of her in it because it had to be a surprise.  Of course, about 5 minutes later she came to her senses, realizing that she was too excited to wait.  She posted the pic on Facebook and the current count of comments telling her how beautiful, amazing, and wonderful she is numbers 46, with 32 likes. I don’t know what it is about Ivonne and peacocks, but on her Facebook page is a big screaming picture of a peacock – fierce, and strong, but colorful and elegant as well. It seems to fit. Ivonne is also strong and fierce when it comes to her goals, but she is as iridescent and gorgeous and soft as a peacock’s feather.

In any case, my favorite comment was, “fly, pink peacock, FLY!”  It fits perfectly!  Ivonne glowed in this dress.  It looks great on her and she looks great in it.

But all this was made possible by the ladies at Designs By Kalina.  They had the dress shipped from across the country so Ivonne could try it on.  They provided a comfortable, lovely space for a fitting.  They had dresses available for rental, which isn’t always the case.  Plus, Ivonne was also able to pick up a pair of Smooth shoes as well.  In addition, we got to peek at dresses under construction (all of which looked gorgeous), dresses on consignment, and pictures of previous dresses in action in a scrapbook at the front of the store.

Probably most entertaining and interesting for me was meeting Wendy.  She is also a DanceSport competitor and competes in International Standard Ballroom.  She is thin and toned, sporting a fit dancer’s body.  You’d never guess her age, which she shared with us…she looks that good.  I mean, not everyone could wear the hat she was sporting.  It was fabulous – kind of like a beret but replete with large feathers.  It screamed fabulousness, chi chi, and glam.  Wendy rocked that hat.  Plus, she was helpful to Ivonne.  But even better is that she is a fan of ballroom dancing and encouraging for anyone and everyone to give it a try.  She’s been dancing for 8 years, if I recall correctly, and loves this industry.

So, I’m excited because I have made another connection to the ballroom world.  I got to support my friend in finding a dress that will make her feel beautiful and feminine in her upcoming competition.  I got to meet Wendy and learned about Designs By Kalina.  I haven’t met Kalina, herself, just yet, but I’m sure the day will come.

Until then, congratulations Ivonne, you pink peacock, you, and readers look out for Kalina as you compete out in the big wide world.  She goes to a lot of competitions with her dresses, and from what I experienced at her showroom, she has some beautiful things to offer.  If you live here in Phoenix, you can visit their showroom, pick up a pair of new shoes, or have a dress designed.  You can check out their website here: Designs By Kalina.