Happy Friday everyone! Each week we’ll be putting the spotlight on one of our own so you can get to know our team! Today’s featured member is: Donnelle Yoshino – choreographer of our Michael Jackson Medley team! She’s also a dance teacher at our home studio Spotlight Ballroom!
**When did you join SIM and how many years have you been on team?
-At the beginning 2001 so about 17 years?
**What has been your favorite SIM routine to perform? Which is your favorite routine to watch?
-The first Latin piece – Bond
**Tell us about when you first started dancing.
-My roommate invited me to watch her perform in a mini show. I refused to dance at all that night and threatened to leave if asked again. Then I went to a Halloween dance and won a prize and started attending dances every week.
**What is a fun fact we don’t know about you?
-I grew up on a farm. My dad grew grapes for wine fillers, so I learned to drive a tractor at age 12.
**What is your favorite dance and why?
-West Coast Swing because it uses the most variety of music.
**What is your most favorite thing about being on SIM?
-Being part of a community of dancers, inspiring and being inspired with every performance.
**What has been a challenge for you as a dancer?
-Making mistakes without judging myself – trying not to be a perfectionist, but just improve as much as possible.
**How has being on SIM changed your dancing?
-My dancing improved exponentially. I also learned most of my leadership as a choreographer watching Gwen [the founder of Spirit in Motion] run the team.
**What is the most important thing you’ve learned as a dancer?
-How to perform in front of an audience and really take risks.