You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.

"You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile."

You have some nerve, Mark Baker. Wow.
So, remember how last Saturday was a super awful day for me? Well, turns out it was a pretty bad one for Alycia too. And what got to top it off? Mark Baker telling her that she and a couple other girls on team needed to lose some weight. Yep. No tact. To say that Mark Baker is a complete asshole (pardon my french) would be an extreme understatement. First of all, Alycia is gorgeous. In every way you could ever imagine. So him saying that to her is completely outrageous. But recall how he said a couple other girls needed to do the same? He was so kind as to list them off for her. Myself and one other were included. Um, yeah. I'm ready to punch him in the face right now for several reason, and this one is getting to be the last straw. If he EVER DARES to say that to my face, I'm gonna quit. Right there. On the spot. It is hard enough these days for a girl to be comfortable with her body as it is. She doesn't need jerks that are SUPPOSED to be their LEADERS and COACHES making that even more challenging. The fact is, Alycia and I weigh about the same as most of the other girls on team. What's the problem then? According to Mark, we "look heavier". This is most likely due to the fact that they're a good 4 inches taller than us. Apparently, he'd like Alycia to return to the weight she was at when she was a 14-year-old ballerina by our first show, if at all possible. Yeah so...that's in a good week and a half. SCREW THAT! You know, I wish he'd come and say that I need to lose weight to my face. I dare him. I'd love to tell him EXACTLY what I think about him. I don't care if he's my teacher and thus should have my respect. If he's not going to give it, the hell if I'm going to give it back! He doesn't get to treat us any way he wants or say anything he wants and then just expect complete respect for it. If he thinks we're too fat to be on team, why in the hell did he put us on it in the first place? Because he thought we'd be able to lose enough weight to look decent enough for his beloved tour team? Well, I have news for you Mark. Our bodies don't work that way. Especially mine. Sure, I could drink nothing but lemonade for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and MAYBE get in the general area that you'd like, but there's no way I'd EVER do that for you. First, because I don't want to be a part of an extracurricular activity that sucks my time and energy enough as it is ESPECIALLY if it's going to make me feel even worse about myself than I'm already prone to. And second, because I'm an athlete before a dancer. I've played softball and other sports since I was 4, so my body is built after that lifestyle, not the "tall, skinny dancer" one. So please Mark, tell me to my face what you so willingly said to Alycia. You'll be down a dancer in half a second. Sure, I'd miss ballroom. I'd miss the social aspect and all the friends I've made there, but if I'm going to feel pressured to slim down every time you have us do a new lift...it just wouldn't be worth it anymore. Hence, if you want to keep every member of the team ON the team, keep your rude, jerkish comments to yourself. I don't want to hear it from you. I don't need your help to feel awful about myself. Wow, what a professional you are.