Things were going so smoothly at FFC Studio! Recent rehearsals significantly improved our competition routines in preparation for NCHC Nationals in Nashville this weekend.

For once, Fancy Free Cloggers started the final practice without a list of last-minute changes in response to an injury or other emergency. We even finished competition stuff EARLY and started reviewing routines for an upcoming show with our friends the Riverside Cloggers!

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Y'all picked up that those two paragraphs of good news are written in past tense, right?

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FFC reviewed choreo to the intro and part A of "Do Something Crazy."  Somewhere around the broken ankle step or turning to the back, clogger Laura hit the floor. She screamed. And she continued to scream.

When Laura managed to roll to her side, it became obvious why: her elbow was dislocated! I don't mean slightly dislocated - no doctor or x-ray was needed to make this diagnosis.

A pair of mother/daughter nurses on our team immediately took charge of the patient. Teammates jumped into action to assist: one dancer was tasked with calling for a squad, others fetched pillows from the couch to better position Laura, someone made an ice pack. Another dancer gently removed Laura's clogging shoes.

Our patient's 7-year-old daughter remained amazingly cool, calm, and collected! Upon request, she gathered up Mommy's phone and bag and helped retrieve her own booster seat out of the vehicle so she would be prepared to ride home in someone else's car. I was told she even directed the emergency responders upon their arrival. "Mommy is right in there!"

Evie texted updates from the ER while other teammates waited at the studio with Laura's daughter until her ride got there. 

ER staff put Laura's elbow back into place, but we must wait until her follow-up with a specialist to see what else is required. 

I hope this sleeping clogger beauty is able to rest with less pain now!

FFC has a plan so we don't have to scratch any routines at competition.  Bonus points to the fill-ins if  judges and audience can't guess who is dancing Laura's spot during Precision and Hoedown!  

No matter what the score sheets say or what happens on the dance floor, FFC has already won with regards to this competition. We displayed teamwork when it really counted, when we were helping someone we love. 

Wishing a speedy recovery to Laura! You can bet she'll be dancing at a clogging workshop as soon as possible! She's made of tough stuff. Thanks for giving permission to share this story on the blog, Laura.

Thank you to everyone who was at practice that day, with SPECIAL THANKS to Rose Marie, Kim, Matt, and Leah. 

Speedy recovery to any other cloggers on the injured reserve list for Nashville!