Guest Commentary: Adel de Meyer: Social Media Personal Attacks - Is this Productive?

Adel de Meyer

I came to know Adel de Meyer through social media over a year ago via Twitter.  To say I was immediately impressed is an understatement. She has an enigmatic persona that comes across quite rapidly. My background, dual major in Psychology and Communications, and then moving into a career in sales, marketing and social media, Adel’s natural ability was obvious to me!

As our relationship grew, I began to learn about her background. You can read in depth about Adel on her website. My purpose is simply to give you a short platform to preface her comments below. She recently wrote a brief commentary that is much needed in these days of self-branding and promoting good-will to each other and positive messaging. No matter how we deliver our message, there are always those that will misconstrue it. Perception is many folks reality; however, objectivity is needed also to truly understand messaging.  I believe Adel has mastered the art of understanding both her clients and her audience quite well in conveying both, who they are and what they have to say.  Likewise, when it comes to herself, she also is awesome at projecting both. 

Adel now calls Brisbane, Australia home, having been born in South Africa.

Her short title, believe it or not, is: Social Media Marketing Specialist, Speaker and Trainer and Hootsuite Solution Partner, but so much more! A beautiful blonde with a vibrant spirit who challenges all of us to dig deep, tap into our passion, bring it forth and make our mark!

So for the woman born on Christmas day, in her own words,

changes are called for: 

Making a few changes - Starting the new year off fresh - I am who I am - I look the way I look - I talk the way I talk - Those who don't like me for who and what I am won't be missed. Those that are negative and always judge others or me, gossip and are nasty will be removed from my profiles - Nothing personal, I just don't need your negative energy dragging me down.

I like to take selfies, I like silly jokes, I have a weird sense of humor and yes sorry that I have long blonde hair and full lips and you might not -

I'm not going to go through my life feeling guilty or hating myself because it might offend someone else that doesn't have it or can't make a beautiful photo. You might have other features or abilities that I don't have and would love to. I have many other things that I hate about myself, like my bad skin and being overweight o and my big nose but I don't go around putting girls that look much better and prettier than me down and get jealous if they post a sexy selfie - I say Good for You Girl, Rock it!

   

Today I want to say, stop judging and being nasty to others - you never know how they might feel about themselves or their lives. Let others express themselves anyway they please, and if you don't like their silly selfies or jokes or breakfast photos - you know what hide or remove them and move on. You really gain nothing by putting others down - Words cut deeper than knives. A knife can be pulled out, words are embedded into our souls!!!

Too many people are 'Keyboard Warriors' behind this powerful tool called 'Social Media'

I did request her permission to share these comments as I think it is something we should all contemplate before judging.  Here are a few additional remarks she made to those in her inner circle that responded to her post:

There are some that are pretty, some that are clever, some that are rich and some that have it all. Everyone should just allow everyone their little piece of sunshine in this world and stop being jealous. Yes, jealousy in moderation is a good thing but keep it to yourself. Don't go and put others down or always spit out your comments online and criticize everything others do. 

I wish for many things that others have that I see online but I don't go and gossip or put up status updates 'talking indirectly' to those and say how terrible their photos,selfies,tweets,lives or families are. 

Social media can sometimes be a nasty dirty place.  I've seen it more and more this year.

I find it fascinating this is written by someone so young, so gorgeous and yet so insightful and not in a context of a defensive posture. This is also a well-versed woman with a background in modeling, PR, media spotlight, and knowledge about the use of social media and its positive and negative impacts. 

Her words should and do have impact.  Many look and come to her for advice and guidance, personally and professionally, which is why I felt this blog was important to post.  I am proud of her as a woman, friend and proven professional.

Please take the time to review and share her comments.  When you buy a product, you buy it based on many factors. Selfies reflect more than just a look, just like a cover of a book, it is a cover, a reflection but not the entire piece of work.

You can reach Adel at:

Adeldemeyer.com

Twitter: @adeldmeyer

Instagram: @adeldemeyer

Facebook: www.facebook.com/adeldmeyer

The Stone

It was so elegantly designed,

With so much lovingly thought,

And the timing was perfect,

When it was bought.

It spoke volumes

With its color so clear,

And was a constant reminder

Of the love that felt so near.

It reminded me always,

Of all of the years and all the tears,

Things that had been shared.

Moments that had been highs

              and moments that been lows,

And all the sacrifices    

                          and the  loving care.

Seeing it let me know,

The seed that I sow,

Would continue to grow.

Silly I suppose,

Looking back at that time,

I had assumed it would last forever,

That bond that feels it should be mine.

But nothing in life

                Is a given

Nothing should be taken for granted,

           Not even the shine of stone,

Not even love that has grown.

One day you could awaken

Deep out of a slumber,

And find your days are numbered.

Looking down at your ring,

Your heart loses a string.

     Gone is the stone,

           A piece of your heart is cracked 

                       never to be replaced 

                                 just like the ring. 

Love is as Bright as the North Star

One of the most precious questions I hear these days when I spend time with my granddaughter are the ones she asks me about my son, her daddy.  They are filled with so much wonder over the fact her grandma is the mommy of her daddy and her daddy was once a little boy! She has just a hard time picturing the big strong protector over her and her momma and her little brothers was once a little guy himself in need of protection.

The funny questions that arise over his baby years just make her giggle to no end! What did he eat, vegetables, French fries, etc.  I hope God forgives me when I get there because I sometimes tell little white lies hoping some of the good habits I say he had over some things he wouldn’t touch will rub off on her. I did do what psychologists say you perhaps shouldn’t do, try to make him eat them. Forcing a child to eat something by making them sit there at the table is a fruitless effort indeed. I found I suffered not him. He found ways to amuse himself! I counted down the minutes, not him, so gave that idea up quickly!

She always wants to know how her daddy did in school Fortunately for me, and him, he was excellent.  He had to work hard at it, at times, but other times, it

came so easily.  I feel badly sometimes over these questions. Though she is quite good in school, she has a tendency to put herself down telling me it is hard for her and she isn't very good. I know from her mother this is not quite true. 

When she tells me she wishes she was as smart as her daddy and would not has as much trouble in school as he did, it is like a punch in the heart to me. I just encourage her and naturally, run to my cell, texting her dad!  See, even grandmas embrace technology.  I still find myself wanting to protect every aching heart-ache she has, nomatter how small.  I know full well this is impossible to do, perhaps that is why older folks are allowed to bear children anymore! She is like her dad in that she is, by nature, a perfectionist, a bright student but good is never quite good enough for her!

Her mother is called her momma, as she has been born and raised in the south,  a true southern belle. Momma has already forewarned me, any question on behavior issues, be cautious on responses! LOL! These are not to be thrown back in their faces, e.g. daddy wasn’t always good or daddy didn't listen to his mommy and clean up his room!  However, daddy was usually good except possibly that last example. But honestly, what boy is a clean freak? My granddaughter is such a silly girl, she doesn’t believe me on the daddy did no wrong anyways!  She says her daddy is way too funny to have always been good. No way!  She says she thinks he had to have made me mad. Heck, he makes her mad and momma!  

She is very much into princesses and Disney that she wants to know all about f her parents love story.  Did her parents kiss as kissing, at her age, is a big deal!  What did I think when he met his princess, her momma?  Did he think she was beautiful?  She watches my face very closely as this is about her mother, her role model.  I speak very slowly because I think this is so critical to her development even though it seems like childish questions.  It is not really, underneath she is formulating her ideas of marriage, family and the love between her parents. I want  her to hear from me nothing but the same messages she hears at home, love is unconditional in her family.  She also needs to know, in grandma's opinion,  her momma took her time picking a man that was going to treat her well and take good care of her. And that her daddy fell in love with her momma for lots of reasons not just because she was beautiful. 

I think it is adorable that she understands how much I love her daddy and cares about who he fell in love with, even at her age. She asked if he asked me before he married her. I told her he was no longer a boy but a man and did not need to ask a mommy to make decisions. He followed his heart just like her momma did when she said yes.  Her face lights up!  It is not like a Disney story I have told her because family's argue, kids get in trouble and learn and parents disagree and then work out their problems. I know she sees households are work.  Her house has lots of activities going on, dealing with autism, three kids on different school schedules, a daddy running two dental practices and a momma trying to put all their lives in order!  

I find, for an 8 year old, her questions very deep and thought-provoking on her part.  It also shows her putting the pieces together of life and her future.

 All these lessons are learned in the family but getting a reaffirmation in your extended family is so reassuring to a child.  We all benefit from support systems. She is blessed to have parents that care about developing that. 

Parents sometimes can get so caught up in life that all the sudden kids can be around the wrong kind of people until red flags go off and  some damage is done. I am so blessed my grandchildren are in a home where all their questions and lives are monitored carefully.  They are put in places where their questions are asked of the right kinds of people.   If I am not sure how to answer,  I pass on the question and turn it back to her parents, as everyone should! To me, this is not passing the buck, this is allowing the parents to do what they are given the chance to do, and they do it so well with her!

She wonders and asks me a lot how much I miss her when she is not with me and with my son.  This is a cute endearing habit she has picked up for late.  She slips into asking questions about her daddy calling him 'your son" smiling and somehow still finding it funny! I tell her to me it is and was part of my life.  

  I did the things her momma does for her and her brothers, held him when he was sad, took him to school, cared for him when he was sick,put him to bed each night telling him I loved him.  I remind her love is not about being with someone, it is about caring about someone when you are with them and not with them. God loves us always and we don’t even see Him but He always loves us. Not being near a Grandma, cousin, aunt or uncle doesn’t mean that they aren’t loving and missing you. She seems to get a real sense of this I think from attending church and again, discussion with her parents from relatives outside of town.  

I would have to say one of my favorite questions of all is asking me if it was hard to "give up your son to me and to mommy?"  She gets her serious look like she feels badly for me. Actually this time of year, it drives home the point of Christmas. Do we ever truly  understand the pain God felt seeing his son Jesus endure the agony  everyone reject Him for doing nothing but bringing goodwill to men? Trying to bring eternal salvation is astounding and then, to in response His son was met  with screams of crucify Him.  This is unimaginable to moms everywhere.  How appropriate that on Good Friday most churches have us, kneel in forgiveness when re-enacting that scene for that horrendous sin. And here we are in December, far before that wicked day,  getting ready to celebrate the birthday of the most sacred of all births. Jesus, son of God. 

And then, back to my granddaughter’s question, I raised my son to move forward and bring a token, in comparison to Jesus, to new family he would establish and

lead. He was ordained, in my eyes, to be the head of a new household, a new family, create a new legacy.  And he has, in my mind, better than the old one I tried to create. 

I try hard to help a little girl understand my joy, not pain.  Trying to capture this in the context of an eight year old that I have not lost something but done what God expected me to do. I look at my flaws and realize there are things I could have done better, forgiveness I have asked for those defects of character of both God and my children and blessings I bestowed on them as well. But in my granddaughter's eyes, I do no wrong. Perhaps that is part of the joy of grand-parenting.  

My happiness over my son’s success and her happiness and pride in her daddy and family make the mission complete. I think she somehow understands this in a small way. I know, one day, she will completely see the circle of life. She certainly understands that without her daddy moving on, falling in love with her mommy and having her, there would be no us, no grandma and granddaughter to bond together.  

And so at Christmas, as families gather around the tree, may little girls everywhere remember that the love they share for those around  their tree, is one of the most beautiful lights in the universe.  Just as Jesus brought people together on His time on earth to spread God’s love and light, they are meant to do the same with their time on earth with their families.  May you all shine the light of Christmas in your homes and beyond like the star of my granddaughter and how her daddy still shines bright all these years to me!    

Post Breast Cancer Folks Like Me

Funny little thing about breast cancer so many don’t want to talk

about, the post-treatment, as in life after cancer. It is, for so many, never quite the same. Some women luck out and it is. Stars and happy shouts to all of you!  But for those of us not too lucky, reality bites.  I write this for those, those that need the support that those that have never walked down the path don’t quite understand.

Long after treatment, no one is asking how you are doing. It is assumed, you beat it, and therefore, you are now doing fine, back to you. Oh, you may have a different outlook on life, maybe live more healthy, and maybe have new boobs or no boobs at all but life is relatively normal. 

Feeling blessed is a given many days, living on the other side of cancer, being a survivor is a nice title. It has an awesome ring to it. However, attached to it, for many women, are long-term side effects that are just not issues women knew they signed up for or ‘expected’ after treatment.  Once it was out of your system, some of us ran for cover.  This was me, heading for the circle of friends that never had cancer to get as far away from the disease as possible. Unfortunately, it is as if the long-term side effects hunted us out of hiding, wrecking a new kind of havoc on our lives. 

Good-bye life without doctor appointments and health worries, and hello feeling like a hypochondriac and kids and friends that look at you like you are a freak of nature.  The multitude of issues varies but support groups show a vast similarity among women survivors.  There is a mixed benefit of sharing in these groups. It aids in understanding and support. And then, on the flipside, it is depressing to hear others suffering more than you. However, I always recommend keeping a few survivors in your circle of support, in your close knit of friends. Without them, you are left with an outside world that does not totally understand life post cancer.

The medical issues that creep up do not always occur immediately afterward, some come in time, and some, such as lymphedema can occur at virtually anytime. There are far too many and I don’t even know them all. Just to list a few though for those that are wondering what could possibly occur with someone medically after cancer treatment: estrogen-related issues due to sudden onset of menopause, bone density issues, neuropathy, chemo brain which can also cause issues with multi-tasking, immune deficiency issues. In my case and a few friends I have since met, we experience extreme chronic migraines. I never had this diagnosis or issue pre-cancer. Make no mistake, we all feel blessed to be here, even on a bitchy day.

Recently I was with a few survivors. One in the group who has been dealing with Stage 4 for many years made an interesting statement. She said she felt sorry for her significant other.  Too much of the care-taking falls on one person, doctor appointments, dealing with her mood swings, etc. making her feel the relationship was very one-sided. She told us her mate would be better off without her.  We all can relate, life isn’t fair and the relationships we have from cancer aren’t either. None of us signed up for cancer or the side effects afterwards. When you are a survivor with continual health issues, just like any chronic illness, it is a drain on a relationship and it takes take a toll.  It is hard, at times, as a survivor, not to feel resentful of a disease that has stolen more than just breast tissue, more than just the months or years of treatment but has altered your life, lifestyle, etc. significantly. For some of us, financially we are never the same. Medical insurance does not cover everything. The same thing is true of the post-cancer issues and many of us find ourselves in a position where we have enough issues we can no longer work.

Emotionally, going through facing death can be one of the biggest wake-up calls many of us face. It will force some women to take a good hard look at their life and initiate changes, first with themselves and then with everyone around them.  Make no mistake, not everyone is going to like these changes but they must be made. Living healthy is important, not just physically but emotionally. Health begins in the head and then settles in the body.   If people walk away from you because you are trying to get it right by God, you must trust your faith in the person that saved you ultimately and let go of the distrust to move forward.

If you are reading this and are one of those survivors frustrated because family or friends are not getting it, your health and emotional dilemmas, post-cancer, know you are not alone. Also, if you have tried to get folks to understand, it may be a fruitless effort. Some of us have cried, wrote letters, and tried everything under the sun to no avail.  

The harder you try the more loony you look!  Wasted energy is energy that could be spent working towards staying healthy, being proactive in warding off disease, one less doctor appointment and building a network of friends and family that are open to understanding the new you, post cancer. What you need in your life is acceptance of who you are now, compromise in your relationships and not settling for unhealthy manners of living, be it physically or emotionally. 

I believe a network of cancer friends is important. I also believe it is important to have a mix of friends that are not. I am blessed to have some dear friends that are not cancer survivors and really do seem to understand my health issues and changes I have gone through emotionally and 100% accept me and support me. If you don’t have that in your relationship, as I use to tell my daughter, dump them. Cancer can return its ugly head at any time and stress increases the odds. Unhealthy relationships have no place in your life anymore. They simply increase the number of doctor appointments on your calendar. 

Please know you are blessed to have survived breast cancer or to be here, still fighting.  Those of us, in that crowd, support you for all the changes you have made and all the continued issues you are dealing with. We have compassion for your sad days, joy over the happy ones and above all, celebrate your life! 

Norman Rockwell Doesn't Exist for Many

Norman Rockwell pictures always seem to depict the perfect Christmas.  I wonder how many families in America actually have a nuclear family, children living with their biological parents. With a divorce rate of 50% or more, half of the homes do not.  That means, Christmas trees are surrounded with children with one parent and a step-parent or a single parent sharing both duties.

It is hard to see and hear about huge families all gathered sharing memories year after year and not have those traditions within your own family.  But having

others take the time to include those less fortunate in your Christmas is really

what the season is all about. The three wise men traveled quite far to visit a newborn baby just to present him with presents.  Take the time to invite someone who might not have a family to spend the holidays with this season to your home, to your family celebration.

When I look back at the memories I have had with my children, pre-divorce, it was a great deal easier to celebrate. Not having to split children between two families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was less stressful.  For the children, having both parents present I am certain Christmas morning was more exciting than having one parent there.  

Luckily my ex coordinated gift-buying with me so we did not double up on gifts.  It still was a strain and meant, many holidays it was anything but ‘normal’ after the first several years.  There were step-parents to deal with, who never feel quite the same about the kids, more family get-togethers to go to which is not always fun when kids turn into teens. 

As my children turned to adults and had children, the clock seemed to turn back. I saw them return to babes again, sitting back and seeing reminders right before my eyes.  Grandchildren full of wonder at Christmas lights, ripping open presents when they were large enough to understand what to do with a gift, and fearing Santa but wanted to give him their wish list! 

But, much as I and many want that Norman Rockwell Christmas, your children have their lives too and sometimes you can’t be a part of it. And so, as it goes,

grab the holidays you get with them, and soak up those memories.  None of those moments will last forever. And reality is too many of us are really not a part of a Norman Rockwell picture family. Jesus wasn’t either and He is the origin of Christmas, the real celebration.

Friends are chosen family too.  Find your circle of love to

celebrate Christmas with and reminisce about past holiday celebrations.  Take what God has given you, embrace it and make the most of all you have.  Jesus was not one that lived His life wishing for more though he was quite poor. He lived with faith, showing all of us it is possible to live with few riches and yet feel blessed, and rich beyond measure if we live in the light of God’s goodness.   Video of some of my Christmas moments

Mamma Didn’t Tell Ya – Bless Her Soul

You need to take time to thank your mammas!  She never told you some of the pitfalls of aging and halleluiah! If you had known you would have ran for cover! If you don’t know, SPOILER FOLLOWS, read no more.

Your mirror becomes your enemy. Yes, done are the days when you wish it could talk. No, ladies this ain’t The Wonderful World of Disney where she is going to tell you things that just ain’t so. Have you heard of the Mirror Test?  Don’t try it if you aren’t ready to visualize the truth. Take a handheld mirror, turn your head upside down and look at yourself in this position. Look at all dem (or should I say damn) wrinkles! Thank you dear Eileen Fonde for sharing this tip! Reality check.

Oh, and those boobies you thought would never drag, if you were fortunate enough to be graced with them. The age old Pencil Test is true, it is done by many plastic surgeons, if your breast tissue can hold it, you are droopy sister.  Time for a lift, to the tune of a lot more than you want to spend, lots of retirement money, cruises, you name it. And, it won’t last forever, so give it up. Buy a wireless bra to lift them babies up or just accept it. Life goes on and you just lost your portable shelf.

Don’t pretend you don’t know what I am talking about when I say menopause can be women’s worse enemy! Oh yeah, no

more periods but that doesn’t mean hair isn’t the end of the sentence for you! You may luck out and see a sharp decline in shaving hair on your legs but look-out, it is starting to pop out in places you never heard women get it! Yep, all the sudden you feel in competition with your male counterpart as you sneak in the bathroom to get rid of much unwanted facial hair. Heck, some of you are buying portable thin shavers and literally having to shave your face. The good news, if you want to look on the bright side, is you are not alone. Millions of women are at the mirror doing the same darn thing! Thanks Mom, sincerely for not mentioning this tidbit.

Oh, let’s not leave out the negative connotations women get verses men with weight gain. As men get middle-age belly fat, they are assumed to be “party animals” having beer bellies. Women are told they have “muffin tops.” Oh yeah, easy on the bakery goods, you “sweet tooth freaks”, can’t say no to nothing!  And by the way, men are said to be couch potatoes contributing to excessive weight gain. Older women, by nature, refuse to move the coffee table, and thereby are soap opera queens, or the type addicted to Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil, which ratings show, many do not even watch.

It is hard to talk about this subject directly and honestly without sounding crude so if easily offended stop reading now!  Butt cracks are okay on young people, women in particular in tip top shape have taunt behinds. Ladies aging do not.  And let’s face it, there is usually enough room in there for Moby Dick for many women.  And the way jeans are designed these days, at any age, bending over lets it all hang out.  Who designs jeans anyways? Can there be any anywhere they are not called lo-rise or mid-rise?  How about a pair that doesn’t fall down when you move?  Most women are not enjoying the ritual of being compared to “plumbers” by their husbands.

Sex has its advantages at this age. With experience comes the ability to become better negotiators.   It can easily become a Get Out for Shopping Excursion Card Free! Men have less energy to fight women and women have more time to browse in stores and get an added Senior Citizen Discount. However, shopping is an experience.  Clothing styles seem to often want to quickly jump the aging population into the style less class and jump the prices up for some reason though most are living on limited stable incomes.  Hello, did you know that seniors are living in poverty level in many instances?

While young women go to manicures and pedicure

appointments, it is no secret; you will also have appointments and getting out. However, your calendar will be habitually filled with doctor appointments.  Hence, you will be also be touched physically with care, if you are lucky enough to find a good healthcare provider that provides it. 

But the good news is this, there is plenty to

enjoy about aging ladies!  It is the most liberating time of your life. All of above, you will take with a grain of pain and a huge sense of humor. You will laugh over calamities as never before. You will cry and through past experiences, know troubles will pass and the sun will come out tomorrow.  Outer beauty perhaps may have passed you by but you will have gained the wisdom to know it doesn’t matter in the end.  True beauty comes from inside your soul, from God and your spirit.  That beauty will never diminish unless your light of faith goes out. So ladies let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! God bless you till your God, your belief system, calls you home! 

Hip-Hopping Around the Christmas Tree

Coming up with original gift ideas for Christmas is hard. Everyone wants to come up with that elusive gift idea that is something the receiver will remember the entire year and continually be thankful for and excited about.  The best kind of gift that fits this description is the gift that surpasses the season, one that continues to delight well after Christmas and into the New Year.  It has to be something that brings dance into the eyes of the receiver from the giver. What does this? Simply said, the gift of dance!   

Giving a gift of dance classes is so wonderful for a falalalala of reasons.

 Dance is great therapy for improving the mind-body connection. It requires synchronized movement but is done in interaction, fun environment. It allows self-expression as, in dance, not everyone does every movement in exactly the same way which enhances one’s creativity actually encouraging it. A great instructor will push each dancer to their limit and try to stimulate growth and new ways of movement with their bodies.   This process builds confidence and dexterity.

There are many health benefits to dance. Dancing requires good posture as all dance originates from a pose, a starting position that is uniform, set posture stance. As the body moves, it requires muscle movement, flexibility and increases in range of motion, mobility and muscular strength.  Dancing can further reduce weight if combined with sensible eating habits.  Higher output tends to decrease appetite. 

Movement that requires the brain to focus energy externally on something outside of the psychic/brain is a healthy mental exercise. This is especially true for anyone under stress, dealing with depression, or anxiety.  Taking personal energy and learning to focus it into body energy and movement can net beautiful flows of dance on the dance floor.  Re-directing negative flows of energy into positive motion is one of the best therapies there are.  Less talk and more motion, dance can be healing! Give the gift of dance to an adult or a child or teen to overcome an area they can master on their own.

Watching a child or an adult go through the rigors of a dance class and the end result, the benefits they get from participating is beautiful. The excitement, the goal setting and accomplishment, the taking ownership of the dance, the confidence-building, bonding with other dancers, and physique change all adds to self-esteem and an improved person.  It is amazing to be a part of the process but just as amazing to sit back and watch it happen.

Justin Jenkins/Southern Movement

This past fall I felt privileged to get to know Justin Jenkins.  He worked with me on an exciting venture for the American Cancer Society, donating his time. He is the Hip-Hop Instructor at the Dance Studio my little granddaughter dances for.  He helped put together a Dance Flash Mob, held down at Bridgestone Arena with several of the Titans cheerleaders in as well. Through this experience, I came to learn about this man.

What I know is this. Justin was raised in Memphis, TN. He is a humble man, not big on promoting himself or ranting about how great he is. But, his dancing is

incredible, his patience beyond most I have seen and his love of dance, well, a beautiful thing.  His love of seeing his students succeed is astonishing for a man, he interacts with each student like they are each his own personal protégé.  He was on the Dance Crew show and toured the country with Southern Movement, an outstanding Hip-Hop dance group for several years. 

 Seeing Justin dance is an experience is all I can say. But these days, he seems to have hung up his dance shoes for a passion towards helping others find the joy in hip-hop he found, the freedom of expression of this unique dance form.  His style is unmistakable and he seems to have this knack for helping others discover theirs.  Whether he is working with young children, teens or his adult classes, he makes that connection as an instructor that puts people at ease so they can learn to bring out their own magic dancing feet.

Justin Jenkins w/fiance Taylor Corlew

With the holidays upon us, when thinking of gift giving, don’t strain your brain too hard if you are at a loss at what to get. This is not a one size fits all but for some folks out there, some teen age girls and guys, some children, male and female, dance classes for the New Year learning Hip Hop may be an awesome idea!  Just wait and see their reaction when they start working with Justin, everyone loves this guy. 

For adults, okay, the men in your life, if they think they can ‘bring it on down to the dance floor’ make them prove it!  Buy them some classes and let them show you their stuff!  And on the flip side, what a fun way for women to get in shape, and get their grove on!  Pass the blog on, the idea or however you see fit. 

You never too young or too old to dance.  All it takes is a mind, imagination and a body that doesn’t want to stand still when you hear music playing.  If you are the type that “The DJ has you falling in love again” every time a great song comes on, give someone a gift they never forget!

Hip-Hop Instructor:  Justin Jenkins

Diamond Academy of Dance
639 S. Mt. Juliet Rd.Mt. Juliet, TN  37122

615-587-7903

Special thank you to both Justin Jenkins & Kemmian Beard of Bearded Productions #KemoKoreo for this work with this year's American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Dance Flash Mob! Chorgeography/Production/Filming/Dancer Selection Process 
This year's Strides was the city's most successful to date.