55. Shorty Got Low

Dance has always been a part of my life,  and as I got closer to turning 50, I had my eye on something new and exciting: auditioning for the Minnesota Timberwolves Senior Dance Team. I’d been counting down the years until I hit the minimum age, inspired by a theater friend who was having the time of her life performing with this NBA crew.

When audition day finally rolled around, I walked into a room packed with nearly 100 dancers—twice as many as the year before. Old doubts could have easily crept in: Am I good enough? Do I look the part? But instead of going down that road, I made a choice. I told myself, You’re here to have fun. Think of it as a free dance class, and soak up the inspiration from everyone brave enough to be here today.

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Transcript

My Timberwolves Dance Team Audition

Speaker 1 0:00

I recently tried out for the Minnesota Timberwolves senior dance team . Did you think I was going to say that I tried out for the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team ? That's silly . Of course I wouldn't do that . I do not know how to play basketball . Anyway , I auditioned for the Minnesota Timberwolves senior dance team and I want to tell you all about it because it was a really great experience for me .

Speaker 2 0:38

Hello and welcome to Heal and Grow with Nikki . I'm your host , nikki Kraminga-Hill . Here we explore anything and everything that might support us on the journey to mental wellness .

Speaker 1 0:50

From hope to grief , possibilities to challenges , joy to heartache nothing is off limits .

Speaker 2 0:57

Let's reflect on our lives and discover ways to heal and grow together . I'm so glad you're here with me to heal and grow together .

Speaker 1 1:10

I'm so glad you're here with me , hey . Hey , if you like my work and would like to support me , one way to do that is through buy me a coffee . I have a link to buy me a coffee in this episode's notes . You just click on that link and then you can donate $5 or , you know , $500 , and that money goes to me and helps support my business . So thank you so much for considering . Hey y'all , I am recording in my mother-in-law's basement today , so just in case it sounds I don't know different or sounds like her house , although I don't think any of you have ever been here before . That's why I'm just recording in a different spot .

Speaker 1 1:48

Okay , so on to the Minnesota Timberwolves Senior Dancer Auditions . It was so much fun and I am really , really glad and really proud of myself for even showing up . So for a little bit of context , I have a really good friend who has been dancing with the Timberwolves senior dancers for a few years now and she loves it and she cannot say enough great things about the organization . Like the Timberwolves as a whole . She's essentially working for the NBA , which I think is really , really cool , and I always love talking to her about it . She and I are friends from years gone by , theater friends . My very first professional show she was in and we've done many shows together since and she winded down Is that a word ? Winded ? She wound , she wound down her theater career and is now dancing for the Timberwolves , which I just think is really freaking great , and she's just so happy with it . And I just I was like , oh my gosh , I really want to audition for this . I really want to , except that the minimum age is 50 . So for like two years I've been like okay , I'm excited to turn 50 , because when I turn 50 , I'm going to audition for the Timberwolves Senior Dance Line . So the minimum age is 50 to whatever . I have no idea how old their current team is , but they're , they're really fun , they're so fun to watch and anyway . Anyway , I just I really couldn't wait to audition . I've been looking forward to it for literally like two years .

Speaker 1 3:42

So I kept my eyes peeled for when the auditions would be and as soon as I found the info I registered and had to wait about a month for the audition and I was so excited for that day . I was so excited and I went with a couple of my friends , which was really fun for us to just be there together and to dance together . And we walk in to get our number

Welcome and Podcast Introduction

Speaker 1 4:10

. You get a um instead of like calling you by your name or anything like that . You just get a number that we all put on our right leg , sort of like a like if you're in a race like a marathon or running or something like that . So I was number 85 .

Speaker 1 4:26

And there were 100 people there and I don't know what I was expecting , but it wasn't 100 people . I think there's only 19 or 20 spots on the team and I thought , oh gosh , there are just a lot more people here than I was expecting . And there was a current member of the senior dance team standing right in front of me and then there was another current member standing right behind my friend . So we all started talking and got a little bit of the hubbub from these current members , who I just have to pause and say all of the current members that we met were so fun and kind and just welcoming and and in fact that I never actually met the coach who was teaching our choreography to us , but she was fantastic and she had like a panel of people there that I she introduced who they were , but I don't really know who they were , but

Arriving at the Audition

Speaker 1 5:28

I think the person in charge of Timberwolves entertainment was there .

Speaker 1 5:32

All these people work for the NBA and it and that didn't really hit me until I got there . I was like I'm just going to go to this fun little dance audition . And then I got there and I was like , oh , this is sort of the NBA , like that's so cool but also a little bit intimidating , and I had to get that out of my brain immediately . I just I had to get it out of my brain . Anyway . So , standing in line , waiting to go in , talking to these current members , and they said , um , wow , this is like double the amount of people we had last year . And I had watched the video from the auditions the year before and there were maybe 50 or 60 people there , and so word is getting out that this is a great space to be in , which is like , yay , good for you Timberwolves senior dancers .

Speaker 1 6:24

But also a little bit like as someone who's auditioning was like , oh yeah , there's just a lot more people than I was expecting . And I had to for myself , because I know myself now better than I did the last time I was auditioning for anything . I know myself pretty well and I just had a quick chat with my brain and I was like you are here to have a great time , you are here to dance , you are here to be inspired and empowered by the rest of the people that actually got up today to do this . So look at this like a free dance class instead of an audition and just do the best you can , because that's all I can do . That's all I can do is the best that I can , and I would not allow myself to get all wrapped up in how many people were there and if they were quote unquote good dancers or not , and you know , I just I had to say you have to stop it . Like , don't , don't keep going down this competitive path , which is exactly what it was , you know , because we're all competing for the same thing and I was like , and just look at this as how can I have fun today and how can I meet some really cool people ? And that 100 percent helped me have like , just an incredible time . I wasn't worried about am I good enough ? Am I cute enough ? Am I thin enough ? Am I ? You know , all the stuff that I've always worried about in the past and have had to in my defense I've had to worry about those things . Um , and just like , look around the room and see all the people that were there and just be so thrilled and happy about that . Um , so , okay , blah , blah , blah , shwa ,

Learning the Dance Routine

Speaker 1 8:23

shwa , shwa .

Speaker 1 8:23

What happened at the audition ? We all learned three counts of eights to that song . I think it's called low and I don't know who it's by , but you know the song is like should've got them bottom jeans , jeans , boots with the fur with the fur , the whole club looking at her . She hit the floor . She hit the floor . Next thing . You know , should've got low , low that one the floor . She hit the floor . Next thing , you know , shorty got low , low that one . Yeah , so just a really really fun song Like great pick , great pick , coach Kayla , that was a really fun song for us to dance to . So we learned three counts of eight and she went over it and over it and over it and over it , like she was a great teacher , her choreography was really fun . I think she's the one that choreographed it , I don't really know , but she was a great teacher and she was really patient . So we learn it and then we break up into groups of six according to the number that we were given , and we do the dance in groups of six . And so I got to wait around quite a bit , since I was number 85 , and my friends were also , you know , they were like 86 , 87 .

Speaker 1 9:34

And I have this rule for myself when I'm at an audition is that until it's my turn to go , I'm practicing I always stop and clap for the group that has just danced , because that is the polite and kind thing to do . Plus , it's just etiquette , is you ? You ? You applaud for the group who has already gone . So I stopped and I applauded for everybody . But I ran that thing , you know upside down , you know sideways , you know just so that I would know it . Because if I'm sitting there , if I'm in the actual audition and I'm thinking about what comes next , then I'm not in the moment . And so I rehearsed it every single time that I could until it got to my number . I rehearsed it facing every single direction in that room .

Speaker 1 10:33

Because that's another tactic that I like to do for myself and for my students is , once I've learned something , okay , let's mess it up and let's change which direction we're facing and let's change where we're standing in our alliance . And anyway , it got to my group and and I just remember it being fun , I think that I well not , I think I didn't make a mistake , which I don't super care about that , because I think that , like , go ahead and make mistakes as much as you want , how fun are you to watch ? So I think I did . Well , I felt really great about it and I had so much fun and I thought , if this is it , if this is all that happens , that's fine with me , I'm okay with that .

Speaker 1 11:20

And then they said we're going to take a break because when we come back , we're going to make a cut , which means that they're going to ask some people to stay and do either something else or repeat the thing that you just saw , or repeat the thing that you just saw , um , or repeat the repeat the dance that you just did . They just they want to see more from you , um . And so they the team of people that were adjudicating us , which was like four or five people left and we just sat around and talked to people for like 40 minutes and it was . It was very fun and a bit nerve-wracking because it took 40 minutes and the previous slash , current Timberwolves senior dancer , said oh , they've never made a cut before . I think it was smart that they made a cut , because 98 people is just a lot of people to be looking at at once . But I also took note like , oh , they've never done it like this before , so this is a change for everybody .

Speaker 1 12:21

And then they came back and they take a picture with everybody and then they say OK , we're going to call your number , and if we call your number , we want you to stay , and if we don't , thank you so much , you are allowed to go today and you want your number to be called because you want

Making the First Cut

Speaker 1 12:41

to stay . And my number was called and I was with two girlfriends . One of them was also asked to stay and one of them was told that they could go , which was just a bummer . Hey , timberwolves , that was a dumb idea because she totally killed it , but anyway . So those of us that were asked to stay learned three more counts of eight , for a total of six counts of eight learned . And then we divided up into groups of four , and then that was it , and then that was it , and then that was it . They . Let us all go after that .

Speaker 1 13:21

Um , they did say that the current team has two more games to dance at , and so they're going to wait to announce the next , the next year , next season's team , until after the current team is done . The current team's last performance , last game , is September 11th , so I'm not going to find out for a while and and that is okay , right now , at this exact second , I would really , I really want it . I have other work booked , um , so , as I write the second with the information I have , I would love to do it , um , and if I don't get it , then I would love to audition for them again in the future . It was such a positive experience and they were just , it was so the whole thing was just really well run and organized and I really appreciate that . Yeah , so I would audition for them again , for sure , for sure .

Speaker 1 14:53

And but overall , regardless of whether I am offered the gig and I can take it , or I'm offered the gig and I can't take it , or I'm not offered the gig , my huge takeaway from this was , well ,

Proud Reflections and Final Thoughts

Speaker 1 15:06

multiple things . Yay , yay , yay , hooray , hooray , hooray was the first thing . First thing , I'm so proud of myself for showing up , because , if you've listened to any of these podcasts or if you're a personal friend of mine , you know that it's just difficult for me to show up , for multiple reasons . I showed up , I danced my heart out . I was really proud of that too , as someone who used to be dancing every day , who now the only time I dance really is when I'm choreographing , and I'm still not dancing very much because I'm creating movement and putting it on other people and they are the ones that are dancing it . So I would say I'm still moving quite a bit , but I'm not dancing very much , and I danced my booty off that day .

Speaker 1 15:59

Oh , my goodness , everyone . I don't know what happened to my recording , but the last three minutes that I've recorded have completely vanished into thin air , and I don't even remember what I was saying . So I guess that we will just end it here for this week . If you haven't checked out Smorgasbord Arts yet on Facebook or Instagram , please do so , and if you haven't signed up for the Smorgasbord Arts monthly newsletter , please do so . All of those links are in this episode's notes . We would love to stay in touch with you and let you know what's going on with Paul and I and Smorgasbord Arts , but mostly and as always , thank you so much for healing and growing with me today . Bye .

Speaker 2 16:58

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