We’re so excited to celebrate with you in May 2025!

Jay was a student at my dance company for a couple of years, but we never really spoke—our interactions were limited to me checking him in at the front desk while he quietly attended class. He was reserved and focused, while I was the outgoing social butterfly, chatting with students, organizing events, and making sure everyone felt welcome. We couldn’t have been more opposite, but somehow, life has a way of bringing people together. One day, as Jay was putting on his dance shoes for class, I casually asked if he was planning to attend an upcoming dance festival. It turned out he didn’t have any travel plans arranged yet, so I asked if he wanted to carpool with me and some other students. It was such a simple moment—me being my usual chatty, outgoing self—but it was the start of something unexpected. Two weeks later, I invited him to move into a ranch with me and some other dancers. Yes, Jay went from “quiet student” to “housemate” practically overnight. Our lease started in March 2020—right at the beginning of the pandemic—and so did our relationship. The night we moved in, we officially started dating. Since we were locked down together from day one, we didn’t get to have a typical first date. Instead, we spent those early months on the ranch, getting to know each other over endless hours indoors, sharing stories, laughing, and becoming best friends. It was like the longest, coziest first date ever… just with more sweatpants and fewer romantic dinners. And then there’s the funny twist: before Jay even became a student at my dance company, we had already met—and I had no idea. Months earlier, I’d hosted my first beginner’s workshop at a restaurant. I vividly remembered one participant who showed up wearing a brown leather jacket, stiff as a tree, trying to dance. He was so new and nervous that I stayed with him the whole class instead of rotating him with other students. It was such a memorable experience that I’ve often joked about it, telling people how unforgettable that workshop was because of the “stiff guy in the brown leather jacket.” Fast forward years later, Jay and I are together, and one day I see that same brown leather jacket hanging in our closet. I turned to him, wide-eyed, and said, “Wait… you’re the guy from the workshop?!” He just laughed and said, “Yep.” I couldn’t believe it—the unforgettable “stiff guy” I danced with that night had become my partner for life. In the midst of a chaotic world, I found my soulmate, my best friend, and my partner for life. Me, the outgoing social butterfly, and him, the quiet, steady presence, proving that opposites truly do attract. And it all started with a brown leather jacket and a dance workshop. Who knew timing—and a little bit of chance—could come together so perfectly?