As the year draws to a close (and I rush off for the holidays with family), it’s time to get nostalgic. Grab a cup of tea, a fuzzy blanket, a kitten or two, and snuggle in.
2011 was a surprisingly good first year for Dance World Takeover. I published 19 articles and had well over 40,000 hits on the site. More than 1,100 people now subscribe to DWT updates (via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc).
Most importantly, though, I did a lot of things I’m proud of: fostering discussion, helping people learn, making people laugh and think. And I did all this with not even one fart joke.
I’d like to reflect on DWT’s top posts of 2011. These aren’t just the most popular as you see in the sidebar. For funzies, I’ve created five different categories and named the top post in each.
Got your kittens? Let’s start.
Most Talked About
27 Best Ways to Get Rejected at a Dance
As much I dislike conformity for conformity’s sake, I know that no one likes to be rejected. Especially not because of something they could easily fix.
The topic of rejection inspired a flood of discussion. With 68 comments and 384 interactions on Facebook, we’ve surely come up with hundreds of ways to get rejected.
Most Popular Guest Post
SHORYUKEN! When Sensei Became a Lindy Grasshopper
Jordan emailed me about blogging the other day. He said, “Damn girl, why you gotta make it look so easy?!”
Whatever, Jordan! You totally nailed this article. There’s something really poignant about a martial arts teacher struggling to learn to dance. It gives us all permission to live in our frustration with no regrets.
And 69 people on Facebook agree.
Most Controversial
By the dictionary, musicality essentially means musical intelligence. This post got people talking about what musicality means to them. As it turns out, people have a lot of different ideas (especially as they differ from mine).
I wrote this article to get people out of the musicality rut that I see swing dancers stuck in. I want dancers to think more about creativity. After all, dance is still dance, with or without music.
Most Popular Interview
How to Be a Dreamboat: An Interview With Peter Flahiff
Peter speaks with great honesty about his failures, his fears, his love for the music and the dance. This was my first interview, and I couldn’t have picked a better subject.
He may not think he’s a dreamboat, but 183 women on Facebook do.
Last but not least (?) …
Most Underrated
How to Nail Your Dance Goals in 2012
All bloggers have articles like this. You pour your heart into creating a post with the most useful information you can possibly think of… And pretty much no one reads it.
It’s a great article. Check it out if you hope to accomplish something dance-related next year.
Happy holidays, everyone! I’ll see you in the new year!
Photo credit: Shamey Jo
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Awww shucks! I’m flattered that so many people connected with that post. It was extremely helpful for me to write it… and CONGRATS Rebecca on getting 40,000 hits! That is no easy task.
Your post was quite timely, actually! A friend of mine who’s been doing MMA training for a couple of years had decided to come out dancing right around the time of that post. I sent him the link and he really connected with it. Beyond that, it boosted his confidence! So thank you, Jordan.
Originally I was just going to comment saying how much I love Peter Flahiff, but then I realized that you deserve much more than a silly, one-line comment.
Thank you, Rebecca, for a wonderful year of blog posts. I celebrated my one year swingiversary not long ago, and your posts have encouraged and informed me in my first year of dancing. Your wit, relevance, and dedication to communicating in a way all dancers can understand is appreciated. You and your writing are delightful additions to my life.
Thanks again for sharing! I wish you and Paul a the happiest New Year, and I’m looking forward to what 2012 has in store for your blog, my dancing and every interaction thereof.
P.S. I really do love Peter Flahiff.
I love Peter too! And I love that you’ve supported me so much this year. Thank YOU, Darryl.