Malaysia Latin Dance Championships 2012

It's been a week since the dance championships! Time really flies.

So being super punctual or just kiasu people, me and my fabulous partner got up at 5am to have breakfast before rehearsals in the early morning.

I thought it was rather crazy or out of my usual routine to have breakfast at 6am-ish... on a SATURDAY MORNING. I usually sleep at that time especially after I've had a night out.

Early faces in the morning~

So after arriving at Blackbox @ Publika, we had done our rehearsals. Then the madness started once the clock ticked 11am. Everyone was busy running around, makeup artists busy painting faces, stylists busy fixing hair. In my case, I was both my own makeup artist and stylist. As we were racing for time, I just tuned out to the chaos and listened to some music while applying my own makeup.

The make-up look of the day was....strong brows, super dramatic cat-eyes, with yellow accents (to match my costume), baby pink cheeks and nude lips. And not forgetting the bling-bling on the right cheek bone! It was really spontaneous as I've not enough time to decide on what look to use the night before.

 I really like the cat-eyes. I wore a softer version at the Heineken Bottle Launch (click for link).

 Notice how long the 'wing' is? almost touching my eyebrows!

In case you were wondering about the products/brands I used :

Eye Shadow - Inglot

Eyelashes - Kiss Me (Pop Look)

Cheeks - Kiss Me

Eyebrows - SASA Cybercolors 

Face - Kiss Me Heroine Smooth Cover Powder, Sunplay Skin Aqua B.B Cream, Maybelline Angelfit Concealer

One reason I had to rush was because I needed time to beautify my partner.. in the most manly way possible!

On him, I used simple makeup. Just some concealer, B.B Cream with powder, blush on the cheeks and my super Kohl Eyeliner from SASA CYBERCOLORS. 

So this is my first time putting on makeup on a guy who's fully awake and aware of what's happening! Lol

Before we knew it, the whole thing begun and it's already the first pair's turn to go onstage.

Ben & Ainaa's awesome ending pose!

After them, it was our turn. *heartbeat noise*

Yeah, you saw it correct. I was wearing glasses and a white school shirt.

 See, the story of our choreography starts off with a nerdy girl (yours truly), who sees the stud in the blinged vest and gets totally smittened! Then she transforms into a gold/yellow salsa dancer and that's how the story goes, or rather, the choreography.

And yes, the glasses gets thrown away, and the shirt as well. ;)

Part of our routine before the stunts begun. I can remember all the moves by heart now and the feeling of adrenaline shooting up to the sky!

And that's our end pose. The Ashley-split. Heheh. Since we were so used to practicing in front of the mirror, it only felt so right when I split and felt my thighs touch the floor. FYI, I've never done a split before. So it's a huge accomplishment for me! XD

Thankfully, all our stunts were executed nicely and it was probably the best performance compared to all the rehearsals we've done. So proud of my partner who kept his cool and looked so confident onstage!

 It felt wonderful to hear the ovation we got, especially encouraging shrieks and cheers we got from our supportive friends and family.

The feeling onstage was amazing. 

We both felt amazing and enjoyed every second of our dance.

"The stage is like a pedestal. Once you're up there, you're untouchable."

After our turn was done, we went backstage again. To chill and to take pictures   camwhore.

We're off the hook!

Went back to watch the rest of the show, which was really entertaining. These people can really really dance. It was like a free watch for us, and I enjoyed it. It was inspiring watching the other dances like Zouk and Bachata. Especially when we have competitors who come from other countries like the Phillipines and Indonesia. 

After everything, it was the award-giving ceremony. By then, everyone was pooped but anxious to know the results!

Daniel and I were blessed to get First Runner Up for the beginner division for Salsa!! 

We did it!

The winners for the Salsa Beginner division. :)

My lovely sis & mom came to support. <3 

Honestly, my mom was the one who's pretty shocked and surprised to know that I took Salsa this seriously. Until she saw me sew my costume and Daniel's vest, she probably thought, 'Shit just got real!'

Our awesome friends who cheered so loudly for us! <3

With my guardian angel who also came to watch us dance. :)

The famous twin showed up as well! :')

All the competitors and judges

We won certificates, a trophy and cash prizes. The only thing in my mind was, "ZOMG, TROPHY!" Guess Daniel and I will share custody of this thing. I never got trophies for stuff in awhile.. and this one is a DANCE one. 

First time in my life, I get a trophy for dance! it's usually story telling, public speaking, sports and music,etc.

Before we knew it, the whole event ended. Which meant no more practices and rehearsals, no more late nights at the studio. Although it was tedious, tiring and painful, it was the fun part, really. Especially when you have supportive friends who help and instructors around to give advice. After all our sweat, tears and blood, it all paid off. :)

I'm so so happy to have taken up salsa.
I'm genuinely at my happiest when I'm dancing.

It was rather random, I've only really started dance classes for 2 months plus. Before that, it's been self-learning and going for social dancing on Friday nights and picking up things from people.

 Maybe I'm crazy about dance. And I like to have some accomplishment from what I learn. This championships is a big one for me. Considering I've no dance background and I'm not really a dancer as everyone knows me as just a musician.

Well, now, I'm proud to be called a dancer and this competition marks the beginning of my dance experience for many many years. 

xxx 

Ashley Mah