It's Saturday, March 5th. Tampa Bay Skating Academy's Spring Recital.
This day marks Justin and Sarah's first performance together in front of an audience as ice dance partners.
As they take the ice to perform the Canasta Tango, one of the first dances beginning ice dancers learn to master, I raise my camera and wait for the music.
Invented by James B. Francis, the dance is skated in the Reverse Kilian position to 4/4 time Tango music at 104 beats per minute. What this means is it may look simple but it's not.
Camera in hand, I look for the two to appear on the screen. But all I see are white letters against a black background: Battery Empty.
My heart sinks. I just became another example in the parent-camera mishap file.
Within minutes - in fact, the time it takes to skate twice around the rink - my distress turns to joy.
"You guys skated really well," a fellow skater says as they finish and exit the ice. Jim, their ice dance coach, and others echo similar sentiments.
Justin and Sarah said they weren't that nervous when they went out on the ice.
"This was the first time we skated together with all those people watching. It didn't feel like the first time," Justin said. "I was shocked at how 'not nervous' I was about it. I was just so happy.
"I feel so comfortable being out there with Sarah, so when it comes to competition time I don't think we'll be as nervous."
Their first competition as ice dance partners is next weekend at TBSA in Oldsmar. They will skate two dances, the Canasta Tango and the Rhythm Blues. Justin also will skate a solo performance to Pirates of the Carribean. Sarah also will compete solo in several other events.
I'll be sure to pack lots of extra batteries.
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