Echo Woman
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Love of dance led me to America
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| A life in America - Nicola Tighe with her family |
THE day that changed my life, was the day I got the job as a dancer for Spirit of the Dance - an Irish dance spectacular.
I had always loved to dance, and began lessons when I was just four years old. At 16 I decided to take it more seriously and told my parents that I wanted to go to performing arts college when I left school.
They said that I would have to get my A-levels first and then I could go. So at 18 I started my first of three years at Masters Performing Arts College, Rayleigh. Just before I was due to graduate, I went for numerous auditions for dance jobs and was offered two positions, one with Thomson Cruises and one with Spirit of the Dance.
I decided to take the job with Spirit as the contract was longer, and so in September 2001 - two weeks after the terror attacks, I boarded a plane to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I was to perform in the show.
Over the next year I performed with Spirit in Brazil, China and on the UK tour. Then in August 2002, 20 of the cast members flew out to Las Vegas, for what was originally meant to be a ten week run of the show at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino.
After the run our contract was extended, so needless to say, we made friends with lots of the locals and became very familiar with the Las Vegas Strip. As employees of the show, we got a lot of benefits at many attractions and were given VIP access to most of the nightclubs, shows and bars. We were also involved in many media events and were part of a television special on Las Vegas filmed for the Travel Channel and also a music video for Steely Dan.
I met my husband Michael at the Golden Nugget where he was a pit boss. We had often seen each other at work, but did not officially meet until we had a leaving party for one of my friends and he was at the same bar. We began dating and after a while I moved out of the hotel and into his place, bought a car and began to get settled. In October 2004, we found out that the show would be closing and that we would have the opportunity to move with the show. I decided to stay here in Vegas and take my chances that I could get another job in one of the shows on the Strip. I successfully auditioned for a new show called BITE which was to open at the Stratosphere Hotel in January 2005. Between the time of Spirit closing and waiting to start rehearsals for the new show, I found out that I was pregnant with our first child, so needless to say, I never started that new job!
In May 2005, we had our first son Ethan, and just last December we had our second son Lucas. My husband has an older son from a previous relationship, so I also have a step son, Trinton. The boys are all amazing and are very loving brothers and I couldn't imagine my life without them.
Two months after Ethan was born I decided to train as an aerobics instructor. I got a job working for 24hour Fitness (yes it is open 24 hours!) teaching a variety of different aerobic formats. I love my job teaching. When I am standing on the stage looking at my class, it reminds me of when I was standing on the stage looking out to the audience. This is the perfect job for me right now. When I teach my class, my son gets to play in the kids club with his friends and I get paid to work out!
If you would have asked me when I first got the job with Spirit if I would end up living in Las Vegas I would have said never in a million years, but here I am seven years later with a house in Summerlin - a suburb of Las Vegas, a wonderful husband, three amazing kids and a really great life, I couldn't ask for anything more! If it wasn't for me getting the job with Spirit of the Dance, I wouldn't be where I am today.
I do miss my family and wish that it were a little easier to visit - instead of getting on a plane for ten hours! I have been lucky though, that my parents usually come out to visit about three times a year so we usually only go a couple of months without seeing each other.
I would like to say that I miss the weather - but I don't. I just saw a fact about Las Vegas that on average we get 311 days of sunshine a year - I think Rayleigh probably gets about that many days of rain. I certainly don't miss that!
*Tell us about a day that changed your life. It can be happy, sad, funny, inspirational. It just needs to be focused on one day that means a lot to you. If we use your story we will send you a prize worth £50 from Debenhams, Basildon.
Send details of your story to us at echowoman@nqe.com by post to Echo Woman, Features, The Echo, Newspaper House, Chester Hall Lane, Basildon, Essex, SS14 3BL or call 01268 469380.
11:58am Monday 7th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Michael Tighe, Las Vegas on 6:32pm Mon 7 Apr 08
[bold][bold]I LOVE YOU BABY!!![/bold] MICHAEL[/bold]
I LOVE YOU BABY!!! MICHAEL
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