Friday, September 10, 2010

FAB Friday - Born to Dance

Today I wanted to feature one of the most amazing women I have ever known in my life!  My 2 years older than me sis,



She is the epitome of passion, creativity and courage.  She was born to dance and has never let anything stop her, not ANYTHING!  It truly is rare to find a person who is so determined and passionate.  When she was 9 she was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes, and quickly became the star patient of every doctor because she didn't let her diabetes become an excuse not to live her life.  She continued to work hard in competitive gymnastics and dance until she was able to attend a professional dance school.  When our family had to move to a new city 8 hours away, her drive and desire to dance at that high level wouldn't let up and so at age 15, she moved back to our hometown on her own to complete her professional dance training at the Edmonton School of Ballet where she knew the choreographer Stacy Tookey from SYTYCD "she's from Edmonton too, her mom own's Shelly's Dance Studio and Stacy took some classes at Edmonton School of Ballet when I was there, she's a little bit older then me though."

When she was 18 she became a licensed massage therapist and then moved away again on her own to be able to pursue dance and support herself working in a dance shop and at a spa. 
A year or 2 later while she was attending college on a dance scholarship (where she danced with Thayne Jasperson, one of the contestants from SYTYCD) she became extremely ill, so ill that she had to leave school and when she come home, was diagnosed with Graves Disease.  During that time, she couldn't dance but her creativity and well of inspiration would not be contained, she picked up a guitar, taught herself to play and wrote a bunch of amazing songs which she performed at our city folk festival. That was also the time that she met her super awesome, and also talented artist husband, Kirill.  He is a level designer for a popular computer game, a talented photographer and the most adoring supportive husband.  Those two are going to have some super talented kids! 
Around that same time, she found out she had Celiac Disease,  which was such a blessing to figure out because once she got completely off gluten, her Graves Disease went into remission and she was able to avoid the invasive treatments that had been proposed.  Since that time, her health, dance and fitness career has really taken off.
She is an in demand dance instructor and choreographer who guest teaches all over the place, including dance intensive workshops, her most recent guest teaching job being in Boston.  She has spent the past 2 summers in New York attaining honors in the ABT Ballet curriculum and has won many awards for her choreography with competition teams and many of her students go on to receive full dance scholarships to college after training with her.  Trista likes to keep busy with her passions, so whenever she isn't dancing, teaching, choreographing, designing costumes, editing music (oh and modeling), she teaches yoga, pilates and is a certified Turbo Kick and Piyo instructor.  She recently became a Beachbody Coach and she's a member of JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
AND not only does she do so many amazing things, she is also the best listener and big sister anyone could ask for.  All my life she always took me under her wing, been my best friend and supporter.  She has held my hand through so many things.  Whenever people talk about soul mates, I always thought of my sister and I.  When she moved away at age 15, it was like half of me was missing!  Thank God for technology now that makes it SO much easier and affordable to stay connected and close since we can't always live near the people we love.

Trista has always been an inspiration to me and I've only scratched the surface on her awesomeness :)  Through all her trials, she never complains or whines, she just does what she needs to do so she can live her life to the fullest.  I remember feeling so bad everyday when my parents had to give her injections but she never felt sorry for herself.  Most of us did something when we were younger like dancing, gymnastics, piano, soccer...whatever...but we get older and give it up.  Trista will never lose touch with her dancing roots.  Dancing will always be a major part of her life and I love and admire that passion that is always there. Nothing has stopped her and nothing will stop her.  She is the most beautiful person inside and out.  And the hilarity that ensues when we get to stay up late together is priceless.

Visit her Beachbody Coach website Here and her personal site Here and her Work It Facebook Page Here.





A Trista and Candace original hillbilly song we wrote when we her like 7 and 9....
I don't care if you got those fancy clothes
I don't care if you got a limo or a mansion..
cuz I just wanna love a for a who i wanna love a love love love love love love love
ya I just wanna love a for a who i wanna love a love love love love love love love
I want a guy whose got those ugly clothes
I want a guy who even picks his nose
cuz I just wanna love a for a who i wanna love a love love love love love love love
ya I just wanna love a for a who i wanna love a love love love love love love love
ya I don't remember the rest...........but we made up lots of dorky songs back in the day.

And now I leave you with this awesome video of a very small person who must also be born to dance!

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