Christie was on tour as a professional dancer when unexpected turns teach her about strength and confidence, even when things get difficult.

Level: upper intermediate 

Accent: Canadian

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5 words and expressions in today's story:

- BREAD AND BUTTER: Someone's main job or main source of income. Examples: "For many musicians, playing concerts is their bread and butter." or "Writing is her bread and butter; it pays all her bills."

- OUT OF THE BLUE: Something happens suddenly and unexpectedly. Examples: "I was walking home, and out of the blue, it started raining heavily." or "He received a phone call out of the blue from an old friend."

- BUMP UP: This phrasal verb means to upgrade or move to a higher position or level. Examples: "She was bumped up to a manager position at work." or "The airline bumped up her seat to business class for free."

- LONG STORY SHORT: To explain only the most important parts of a story, leaving out unnecessary details. Examples: "The car broke down, we missed the event, and long story short, it was a terrible day." or "Long story short, we decided to move to a new city after many discussions."

- TO BURN OUT: This phrasal verb can mean two things: (1) When a fire stops burning because there is no more fuel. Example: "The campfire burned out after we ran out of wood." (2) When a person becomes very tired and can't continue because they have worked too hard. Example: "The campfire burned out after we ran out of wood." or "After working nonstop for months, he finally burned out and needed a vacation."

Episode Links:

- To find out more about Christie Cunningham, visit her website

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