A Little Bit About Me
Hi There! My name is Andrea and I am the face behind Little Art Adventures. I’ve already given a little bit of background on how Little Art Adventures came to be on my about page, so today I thought I would share a little bit more about me!
I was born, raised and educated in Southern California. And while it is basically sunny year-round, you can always find me cozying up to a fireplace, wearing sweatshirts and dreaming of rainy days. I absolutely romanticize cold, rainy days with a book and warm blanket. Which I think makes total sense why I love stories like Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia and Sherlock Holmes.
Before Little Art Adventures, I worked in tech. Ultimately, I realized that I wanted to take a stab at making an income in a more creative field, which is how Little Art Adventures came to be. I have always been a creative person but it took me MANY years to find the correct creative outlet. I’ve explored piano, guitar, ballet, jazz, salsa dancing, pottery, ceramics, acrylics, wood working, embroidery, needlepoint, plaster art, choir, acting, stained glass, cake decorating, graphic design, scrapbook… just to name a few!
In 2018, I took a salsa class with some of my coworkers and discovered the magic of partner dancing. Salsa didn’t completely align with my preferences so I decided to test out swing dancing! Looking back, it now seems so obvious to me that I was meant to be a swing dancer. Since then, I have gone on to compete with my partner and with a team. So when I am not book nooking, I am likely dancing Lindy Hop!
Here’s some background on how Air Mail Special put together the Jean Machine for our Camp Hollywood routine! We put a lot of time into perfecting this group aerial. It was super fun to perform in front of a live audience. The cheers from the crowd truly do give you a huge boost of energy! I also have some great bloopers 😈
If you want to join in on the fun, we have open auditions coming up on November 12th. Message me if you would like more info or have any questions!
#lindy #lindyhop #camphollywood #lindyhoppers #swingdance #grouptrick #aerial #airstep #acrobatics
Im back with another video 😝. It was super fun to connect with people and share about the behind the scenes of prepping for this competition. We film a lot of our takes so I naturally have a TON of footage. Thanks for letting me share them!
Shout out to @jpdancingtraining and @mariemariejs for the coaching and encouragement on the gap jump. Special thanks to @swinginden and @delovely11 for inspiring us with your incredible air! Who knows… maybe we will still get the move 🤪.
#swing #swingdance #lindy #lindyhop #aerials #partnertricks #camphollywood #airsteps #swingdancing
Well well well, it`s time for a sappy, post-Camp Hollywood post. It’s difficult to capture the experience in one post, but Ill do my best. To start, we have to travel back to the pool party at CH22. @jkerzz and I had just competed for our first time and we sat in the pool with @thebennyhop and @arigabianca , talking about how we wanted to throw-tf-down next year. And guess what? We spent the rest of the year working towards that 😂.
A few months later, we were doing weekly air nights with @benjieisme and @mushushi, two people who I`d long admired and now proudly call my friends! As the Socal Air group grew, legendary @jackchenofficial formed Air Mail Special. Special Delivery Stomp was a huge inspiration for me, so to get a chance to be part of the new iteration was a dream come true.
Now for CH23. Performing with the team was a blast, but once that was over, I was reminded of how much of an emotional rollercoaster competing can be. Putting yourself in front of your peers and inspirations, asking them to judge you, is a really vulnerable thing to do. As many other competitors know, it can be difficult to celebrate yourself when you know it wasnt your absolute best. This weekend, I really let my insecurities overshadow what we accomplished.
Logically, I know that the score sheets rarely make you feel good, not everyone shares your dance values, and that a small snapshot (literally ~20 seconds in the strictly 😂) does not define your value. Heck, none of those things define your value. But that doesn’t mean that I am always able to embody these beliefs. I am so incredibly proud of the amount of work Jake and I put in; I have never worked this hard for something. I think competing can be such an incredible practice of exploring your values, pushing yourself and connecting with others.
I also understand if this sounds crazy coming from the person who won 3rd in the AM strictly. But I feel that it’s even more important to share that it was a complex experience. I also want to thank everyone who provided support, especially when I was feeling down on Monday. When I say that I couldnt have done this without you all, I literally mean it. Thank you ❤️
Jake and I did our first jam circle at LindyFocus. Thanks to all our friends (@thebennyhop @violindyhopper @pauldancestv @shakeyjedipics) for encouraging us to go for it. It can be scary to take up space and we wouldn’t have done it without your encouragement. For some dancers, a jam circle may just be a regular thing, but it was something really exciting and special for us. Can’t wait for more!
Earlier this year, Jake and I started regularly meeting up with fellow swing dancers to work on air steps. This is something that Jake and I have been passionate about for a while, so working with other people has been really special. There’s something really inspiring about pushing your boundaries, relying on each other for safety, and just having fun. Sometimes things don’t go perfectly (scroll for some examples) but we always try to be safe and keep laughing. Thank you to @benjieisme and @mushushi for creating this group. It’s been so fun to watch it grow each week!
I have absolutely LOVED sharing my art with all of you. The internet can be a scary and mean place, but I feel extremely lucky that I have found a very loving and kind corner. I’ve received so much encouragement and support as I explore building Little Art Adventures. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey! I can’t wait to see where it takes us!