Fordonski Christmas Card 2009

FABULOUS - Charlotte's Dance Company Workshop

Dance Prayer Circle

On Saturday, May 9th, we had our very first Dance Company Concert of 2009. This show was for our advanced dancers (ages 12 - 18). Every year, we have a prayer circle and all of the dancers hold hands and each of us puts one pointed foot in the center of the cirlce. It is our tradition each show and I just love it. Our choreographers praise our dancers. Our Graduating Seniors give their parting words, Cinda (our owner and Artistic Director) says something so wonderful and I usually say a little something.



This year, was so special to me because my daughter was dancing for the very first time in our Jr. Dance Company show. At the same time, Cinda's daughter (who I watched grow from 3 years old into an accomplished dancer and beautiful 18 year old girl) was dancing in her very last Dance Company Concert. Emotions were high and we have all been working so hard for months.

Here is my speech:

I am in awe of you girls. I go to work each day in my teeny-tiny closet of an office and I sit at my computer typing and creating schedules and e-mailing and right outside my door, little miracles are happening all around me.

Because of the line of work I am in....I have the chance to see our sweet 2 1/2 year old dancers take their very first dance steps.

I am blessed to have such a great boss and dear friend, in Cinda who has encouraged my daughter to take dance classes since she was 2 years old. Charlotte was a newborn in a little crib in my office and every day, during her very first year of life, I would take her in to see our dance company girls dance. You have been with her since the very beginning and are like big sisters to her. And now, because of your inspiration...she is dancing in her very first company show.

In my 16 years of working here at The Studio Atlanta Dance, I have seen our young company members start out in our company program and several years later, I witness the moment when that "light" is turned on and before our very eyes, the evolution of student to dancer begins.

And then we have YOU! You are truly what it is ALL about! YOU are the true definition of HOPE and DREAMS at The Studio Atlanta Dance. You are what Cinda had in mind when she opened her Studio 28 years ago. It is why our staff gets up in the morning and what we want for our youngest dancers - for them to stick with us and if they DO, they will leave this school knowing, without a shadow of a doubt that they are dancers and they can achieve ANYTHING!

Every recital season, we witness another miracle in you as you blossom into beautiful performers. And with the love, guidance and passion of our wonderful teachers like Angela, Dana, Tamara, Lonnie, Marci, Robbie and Caylan, you will leave this school as incredible human beings, as well.

So tonight, I want you to look back on how far you have come in your lifetime of dancing AND this year....and CELEBRATE! Let the muse come out of you and take the stage, confident in knowing that we are so proud of our beautiful, talented, wonderful dancers.

There is an old Sufi saying that says "God respects us when e work, but he LOVES us when we dance".

And after we all had time to say our prayers, praise and congratulations...we continue holding hands. We have another tradition where we pass the "hand squeeze" around the circle. It is such a BEAUTIFUL way to start our shows.



Well another season has come and gone. We have new, young dancers beginning in the Fall and we have four more Senior Dancers graduating. It makes me think of that great Joni Mitchell song called THE CIRCLE GAME.

"And the seasons, they go round and round and the painted ponies go up and down. We're captured on a carousel of time. We can't return, we can only look...behind from where we came and go round and round and round in the CIRCLE GAME."

Graduating Senior Slide Show

My masterpiece....5 months in the making. This was a collaboration with my good friend Angela Harris (choreographer and Mentor at The Studio Atlanta Dance) She choreographed a dance to this slide show (hence the long time looking at the picture at the end - the girls are dancing in front of the screen at that point). It was just magic and a dream of mine for a long time to have to two come together!

Happy Mother's Day DEE DEE!

My mother's Day video for my mom

There Once Was A Family Named Dorin

What was my favorite Christmas gift this year? A framed family photo from my uncle of my mom's side of the family which, over the years, has gotten very small. Both my grandparents died, as well as great Aunts and Uncles. It's just our small little family and even though we don't have the chance to see each other very often (they live in Virginia, we live in Georgia), we love each other very much!

We took a picture together at my cousin's wedding this summer and it includes my uncle and his family and my mom and our family.

Attached to the photo was a poem about how the family name was lost when my Uncle and my Mom had 2 daughters each. Instead of carrying on the "Dorin" family name, some of our family members have "Dorin" as our middle names.

In the beginning was a family named Dorin
Created by Margaret and Allen
Who begat Diane and Junior
With the chance of perpetuation
Alas, four beautiful daughters
All eventually losing their surnames,
On the growing family tree.
Although destined to fade as the Mohicans,
at the end nevermore to be,
May the name survive before first and last,
For generations so all may see,
That there once was a family named Dorin,
Whose creators are at rest in the sea.

Thanks to all who truly made possible a rare photographic opportunity
from the Last of the Dorin's
Christmas 2008

We started sobbing when my mom finished reading it. My grandparents, as you may recall, are at the bottom of Virginia Beach (their ashes were spread there). On Christmas morning, my mom told me a story that I had not heard, about how they did it. Several months after my grandparent's died, my uncle told my mom to meet him at this bar. When he got there, he plopped down two urns. He said "Well, here's mom and dad, I got a six pack - let's go to the beach and spread their ashes". So went to the beach in the middle of winter, said their goodbye's and scattered their ashes in the water. Then they sat down and drank their beer.

Virginia Beach was where my mom and her family spent many summers and was the perfect spot for Grandma and Papa!

Here is the list of all the Dorin's

Margaret and Allen Dorin (my grandparents)

Martha Diane Dorin Clark, Allen Dorin Jr. (my mom and Uncle)

Ashley Dorin Clark Fordonski (me), Sarah Whitney Hope Dorin Carlton (my cousin), Sarah Kathleen Benjamin Dorin Carlton (my other cousin).

Margaret Dorin Hyser (my sister's daughter Meg and my Godchild)

I will never forget the Christmas we received the most beautiful gift I have ever seen, from my sweet Uncle Lolly (Allen)!

You have not heard the last of "The Dorin's" - just you WAIT!

I Just Need A Tube of Toothpaste!

Ok...here is the toothpaste story. It is the dumbest thing and maybe not that funny, but you may be able to relate to this craziness.

So, I am signed up for Vocalpoint. This was one of a billion companies I signed up for to hopefully make some extra money doing surveys and trying products. So far, with Vocalpoint, I have received a free, kick ass razor, a coupon for free Kashi Breakfast bars, mouthwash, facial lotion, and a coupon for Crest Weekly spa treatment.

My teeth have been looking a little yellowish lately and I thought yesterday would be the perfect time to go get my Spa Treatment.

I stopped by both CVS and Walgreens and they didn't have it. So, I went to Publix instead.

The parking lot and store was a mad house and I finally made my way over to the toothpaste aisle. The box was there, so I got in line.

I was in one of those 10 items or less lines and while standing there, I noticed that one of mom's friend's was in front of me. "Oh God, what the heck is her name? She ALWAYS remembers my name. What the hell is it? Martha? Maggie? Oh my gosh! My hair is so greasy right now. OK, quick make your hair look better. And my teeth look so yellow. I look AWFUL! Oh Snap!
She is up to the cashier and she is going to turn to the side and see me. Quick, look at the gift cards like you are trying to make a decision. Oh darn, now her husband just walked up. What the heck is HIS name? Bob, Brad....Oh thank HEAVEN, they left!".

So I get up to the cashier who happens to be around my Dad's age and new on the job. I give him the toothpaste ($3.79) and the coupon (valued at $3.99) and he rings everything up. Well the coupon is denied because I didn't spend $3.99. So the man tells me to try and find some gum or something. I look behind me and there are 15 people waiting to just get through this stupid line and get home. I tell him, "Ok, but can you just take the lady behind me, while I go look?" and he tells me not to worry about it. So instead of walking around, I walk up the next cashier line and squeeze between the gum display and some lady's cart who is waiting to check out. I am so freaked out that I am going to make the people behind me waiting SO MAD! I have completely pushed up the lady's cart and it is so weird and hyper. She is looking at me like I am crazy and I feel crazy. Everything is 89 cents and up and I know I don't have that much money. So I go back to the man and tell him, "I can't do this. I can't find anything that costs 30 cents and I can't keep holding up the line!".

So he has to go through the grueling process of giving me a refund and he needs help from a manager. I was MORTIFIED. I am sure people are looking at me and thinking "Why can't you just get out your credit card and just GET THIS OVER WITH???" (I don't have credit cards anymore - all CASH baby!)

I just wanted to go in the store and get my toothpaste.

So, he does the refund, and gives me the coupon back. I was all prepared to just leave, but then he says "Do you want to take the box back and try to find something?". Stupid me, takes it and walks around the store trying to find something that is 30 cents. Finally I just give up and slam the box down to leave the store.

As I am leaving, I notice some small bags of Lays chips. Those are usually cheap. So I get the chips and get in line again.

After waiting in line for a few minutes, I am up to that same man cashier. I look down and realize that I forgot to go back and get the freakin toothpaste. So I run back to get it and when I come back, somehow I have to pay the difference in the coupon, plus the price of the chips.

This requires that I go into the bottom of my purse to find change and after two minutes FINALLY we make a sale and I can leave. The man was so dear and sweet and really wanted me to have my toothpaste. He never raised his voice or became impatient. Do you think he could be an "Elf on the Shelf"?

After waiting for five cars to back up and witnessing a major traffic jam that caused me to have to stand in the middle of the parking lot until they got it resolved, I got into my car. When I opened the box - there lies the tiniest tube of toothpaste I have ever seen IN MY LIFE in the biggest box known to man.

But my teeth ARE a little whiter today and I had a funny story to share with YOU!