The Comer/Flanagan History of Dancing

Dancing has always been a staple of the Comer/Flanagan family. My father's grandmother was known to dabble in ballet and my father is actually a very talented Country and Western dancer. On my mother's side, my grandmother did ballet when she was young, but gave it up to raise her family. Little did she know she had started a long line of dancers. My grandmother had 5 daughters. The oldest sister was an ice skater. Brenda is now 50, and is part of a Wheelchair Ballroom Company, where she helps the disabled learn to dance even in wheelchairs. Another of my aunts, the youngest was also an ice skater, and went on to perform with Disney On Ice. My mother was the middle child, and excelled the most out of the family as far as dancing went. She fantasized about being a ballerina ever since she was little, watched movies and dressed up but her family could not afford to send her to take ballet. My mom left her home and family in Miami Florida when she was 17, to pursue ballet in Houston. She auditioned for the Houston Ballet in 1980, and was accepted into the prestigious company. She danced successfully with the ballet until 1988, when she became pregnant to also begin the life of another little dancer....me! My mom is now 47 and does Tango Dancing and teaches Pilates (which is exercise based on dance) and we will both be traveling to Argentina this May to experience the real salon tango of Buenos Aires.

Now I have dabbled in about every different dance you could think of. I started in Ballet of course to follow in my mother's footsteps, but it seemed I was a little too wild for the subdued and proper dance. I have done jazz, tap, and gymnastics, and eventually was led to Irish Dancing. I was inspired the first time my parents took me to see Lord of The Dance, and had to try it. I danced with McTeggart Irish Dancers of Houston for 3 years until I had an injury and had to quit. Several years later, I grew interested in Ballroom Dancing (way before Dancing With The Stars was ever created). Latin Ballroom Dancing is my passion and I have been competing now for 6 years. I would have never made it to where I am without the support of my parents who understood how important dancing is to those who love it.