Sarah Hudson can probably kill you.
Actually, there's nothing "probably" about that, or her - for that matter.
She is tough as nails, will drop down and do more one armed pushups than anyone in your zip code, and, oh yeah, she's a beautiful ballroom dancer.
This is the story of Sarah, an Arthur Murray Walnut Creek student, the woman her family refers to as "Warrior Princess", and, as a dancer, you may learn a thing or two about overcoming obstacles.
- Name - Sarah Hudson
- Enlistment Date - 3/5/1995
- Rank - Major. US Army Signal Corps
- Current Duties- Plans and Psyops.
- Boot camp location – Ft. Jackson SC.
- Achievements - First woman to hold an officer position for the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. First female commander as well.
SH: Taking ballroom is almost like having this double life. My students come into my office and they see the pictures on the wall and on my desk of me performing. They can’t believe it’s me. But honestly, it didn’t occur to me how completely different it was until the day I was running late for my lesson. I was coming straight from work and had no time to change. I said, “Screw it” and I threw my rhythm shoes on with my battle uniform. I took one look in the mirror and busted out laughing. Talk about a double life! How Alexis kept a straight face is still a mystery.
SH: Much like with the Army, I didn’t think about it, I just did it. Funny how when you have the huge decision in your life, thinking about it is a waste of time. I looked up Arthur Murray and set the appointment. I knew I wanted to dance, I just was not sure if I could. I thought I would suck at it.
SH: My first one was at Unique Dance-O-Rama® in Irvine, California and I was petrified! Looking back at how scared I was, it seems funny now. I’m a combat veteran who has been in life-altering situations, and the idea of going out where people could see me dance was scarier than a trip to Baghdad.
SH: The more I danced during that weekend, the easier it got. By the time the awards ceremony came out, I was having such a good time, I didn’t even recognize my own name when they called it.
SH: When I tell people I have been to three Dance-O-Ramas® they look at me like I have swum the English Channel. Each time I go I feel like I have had this experience that is amazing beyond words. It changes your focus, your goals, the way you view how you dance, and how others dance. It gives it an additional layer of beauty.
SH: I would not trade any of my Dance-O-Rama® experiences for all the whiskey in Ireland. While the price tag seems scary and the idea of being judged can have you running in the other direction, the experience of doing it is something you take with you forever. Forget regret.
SH: I enlisted in the Army at 18 over a boy. He had just enlisted, so two months later I signed up as well. I was a girly girl. I had no clue of what I was getting into. The whole "run around in the forest with a gun" thing was NOT how was raised. But I figured it out and began to push myself. The worst thing anyone could say to me is, “You can’t do that. Girls never do that.” That’s would just annoy me and I would finish it just to prove them wrong.
SH: I was a Lieutenant at that point, so I had a small team that I was immediately responsible for. The responsibility of being an officer for me was something I took very seriously. I received my officer rank on August 18, 2001. Less than a month later, the attacks happened. Because of that I knew I would serve overseas. It was just a matter of when. Training up for it was actually harder than being there. It was in Ft. Sill, OK, which is one of the saddest places I have ever been... There was no Starbucks! But my team and I made it work for us. By the time we left for Iraq, everything was instinct.
My family was really scared, so I worked hard to make the whole thing about as comical as I could. My mom was petrified, but I kept reminding her of how she raised me to never to back away from an obligation. I even joked about getting shirts for the departure ceremony that said, “President Bush sent LT Sarah Hudson to Iraq and all we got was this lousy T-shirt”. My nieces and nephews went to Build a Bear and made me a travel bear to take with me. I took him everywhere in Iraq and had him in my hands when I came home.
SH: Poor Alexis. I was asking him questions like I had a test the next day. I analyzed everything he told me. The one thing I remember him saying was that I had no fear of trying something. If he gave me a correction, I thought about it and said, “Okay, I think I know how to fix it.” I would then make the corrections. When he brought up the "No fear" I said, “You aren’t shooting at me.”
SH: I still have my first plaque at my office alone with a picture from my first solo routine. People come into my office and comment on it almost every day. My students marvel at it. Dance becomes a part of who you are. You can’t imagine a life without dance. I kind of enjoy the Diana Prince/Wonder Woman thing I have going on.
There are some people who are always looking for a fight and Sarah Hudson is one of those people.
The fight she's looking for isn't physical or verbal. It's internal. Whether it was the Army, maybe, or just her DNA, probably, Sarah is always looking for an obstacle to climb.
Every student will encounter adversity. While some people try to avoid it, she seeks it out. We have all been held back at some point by fear. The gates of our comfort zone can only be unlocked by the keys of courage, or the sledgehammer of blind faith. On the other side will be your new confident identity...
... you may even find your Warrior Princess.
Walnut Creek is where Sarah takes lessons, but we have convenient Arthur Murray bay area locations: Hayward, Livermore, San Francisco, Millbrae, Fremont, and Redwood City
You don't need dance experience, a dance partner, or military combat training to walk in and dance out.
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