While I’m not a newbie to dancing in general, I am to Zouk…but I love it!
Ever since I saw Kadu & Larissa perform at the 2010 Sydney Salsa Congress, I’ve been taken by it’s beauty and sensuality - and despite other friends light-heartedly describing it as looking as though the female is stoned, I haven’t stopped watching that performance on you tube (see below) and have wanted to learn ever since.
Unfortunately Newcastle (where I live), doesn’t have any classes in Zouk, but as it happened a friend from here had done a few classes with “Step Up” in Sydney and so one weekend when we were heading down to “Noche de Fuego”, a Salsa party in Sydney, we went early so we could do a class. It was lots of fun and all 3 of us that went together said we were keen to learn more and perhaps even get a social night going in Newcastle if we could convince a few more people to learn.
That following week or the week after I got a message about a new 4-week beginners course starting (the class we dropped into was actually the next level up - and whilst I picked it up ok due to lots of other dance experience, I wanted to make sure I had the fundamentals right). As Sydney is about 2 hours away on a good run, a regular weekly class is often a little hard to commit to, especially on a weeknight (Monday night) as with a 7pm start there is not enough time to get there after work because the trip takes longer due to busier traffic. BUT…I thought that given it’s only a short course it was a bit easier to commit to, and decided to give it a go. I didn’t make the first class because there wasn’t enough time for me to arrange leaving work early, but I attended class last week, and again last night, and I really can’t wait to keep learning and getting to the point where I know enough to really get into it socially. (Once the beginners course is over I’ll go to the next level, but probably won’t make every week - but at least there is also a Saturday class, which means I can make a weekend or a day trip out of my Sydney visit, rather than a rushed trip.)
Now to the Kadu & Larissa video - I have watched this so many times & I don’t get sick of it!! I hope maybe to take a trip to Qld and do some classes with them either later this year or next year.
If you’re into Zouk, please share your thoughts, and if you’ve got any music suggestions, as I want to build my collection - I love the music.
Tags: brasilian dancing, brazilian dancing, partner dancing, Zouk, Zouk Dancing
Hi! I’ve been out dancing this afternoon and evening and have an early start so just a quick note to let anyone in Syndey, Australia know that Chunky Moves is performing “Mortal Engine” 5-15 May (i.e. only a few shows left).
Unfortunately I won’t make it to see a show, but keen to hear what others who could/can think. If you go, would love for you to post a review!
Happy dancing!
Bec
Tags: Chunky Moves, Chunky Moves Mortal Engine, contemporary dance performance
Well well…It would seem that I have been busy actually dancing lately that I haven’t posted for a while.
Here’s a little something to keep you going - an article I found that gives another persons perspective on dance and it’s benefits.
Dance is hands down one of the best forms of exercise that you can do. Not only is it an intense physical workout, but it also keeps your mind active and it is interesting and fulfilling to be able to express yourself with your body. There are many types of Kansas city dance lessons that you can take to get your exercise and meet your own individual interests.
With dancing you get a cardio workout, but you also develop and tone muscles that you didn’t even know that you had. The different movements in dance work your whole body while developing long and lean muscle fibers instead of the bulky type that are typical of weights.
Another aspect to dance is that it also makes your mind agile. There have been many studies which have shown that dancing is even more effective than crossword puzzles at warding off alzheimers disease and dementia. Because you have to follow patterns and combinations of dance steps when you are dancing it works the brain in a way that few other exercises can even come close to. An additional benefit is that the exercise and creativity combined mean that dancing is a very effective anti stress tool.
There are loads and loads of different dance styles that you can try. You can do individual dancing, couple dancing or group dancing. You might have preferences for different styles and what suits you will be a very personal thing.
People that really want to get sweaty and build up cardio fitness might like to try Zumba. This is a combination of Latin dance and aerobics that is a lot of fun while being very active. Other Latin dance styles include salsa, merengue, samba and cumbia. You can find these Kansas City dance lessons throughout town. There is also Latin ballroom, which is a more disciplined dance style.
Besides Latin, there are many other dance lessons that you might enjoy taking. Some of the choices include: ballet, tap, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, African, ballroom, jive, lindy hop, mambo and so on.
Dancing is an incredible body workout that also delivers stress relief and mental benefits as well. There are many different types of Kansas City dance classes to match your interests and workout needs.
Looking to find the most complete information on Kansas City salsa dance lessons?
Tags: benefits of dance, dance, Dance & fitness, performing arts, Zumba
About one and a half to two months ago I started doing yoga. I had been at a dance class talking with a friend (also a dancer/dance teacher) about how much I needed something to stretch out and release tension, and it was just perfect timing that she had come across a pamphlet for a new yoga studio that had opened up locally. Even better was that the studio, “Hot Power Yoga”, is set-up to heat the room for classes, which means you really work up a sweat and your core temperature rises, and muscles are warmed-up a lot quicker, allowing great flexibility and release of tension and blockages in the body. The reason this was great news is that for quite some time I had been keen to try yoga in a heated room, but there was never anywhere in Newcastle to do it. Now this opportunity had just arisen at the perfect time and to sweeten it even further, Hot Power Yoga were offer unlimited classes for the first 10 days at only $19 for new students - an introductory offer that was simply irresistible. In the first 10 days I think I managed to attend 6 or 7 times, and have been hooked since then!
At the end of last year I had injured my back and as well as pain, my flexibility had decreased as a result (flexibility in my back as well as hamstrings tightening). When I sat on the floor with my leg stretched out front together I could barely lean forward without substantial pain. After only 3 or 4 yoga sessions I was already back down to chest on legs and the feeling of freedom in my hips has been amazing!!
The reason I’ve brought this up, is because I believe that a dancer can benefit greatly from “conditioning” their bodies via avenues outside of a standard dance class alone. Not as a replacement or substitute for specific dance training, but a supplement to enable further advances in flexibility and strength (among many other things); to retrain static or dynamic alignment; and to prevent burnout.
Yoga is one of the avenues I like to pursue to help condition my body. There are of course other ways too. But at this point I’d just like to point out the difference between the conditioning I am talking about and general fitness activities (note: conditioning is the word I like to use, and these are my own views as to what it refers to - I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just my opinion so if you think with other terms or jargon that’s ok). Yes it’s ok to have other fitness interests and to be involved in various types of cardio training, but the “conditioning” I am referring to at the moment requires activities that are similar enough to the type of movements you would do when dancing - or if conditioning yourself for a different sport or athletic pursuit, the conditioning should appropriately mimic those movements or types of movement so that the strength (for example) you’re developing is functional.
For example, if you’re a dancer wanting to improve the height and amount of time you can hold a leg extension from a developpe - it would be fair to assume you may need to improve your leg strength (other factors such as muscle endurance also come into play too, this is just a starting point). While various weights exercises at a gym, e.g. leg presses, may work on strengthening certain leg muscles, they are training the muscle in a different way and therefore will not necessarily help your developpe…in fact if you focus on exercises that shorten or bulk your muscles you may find this counter-productive.
Pilates is another method popular for conditioning a dancers body. Alternatively your regime could start as simply as getting you own theraband to provide resistance as you perform various basis movements. This is particular useful in conditioning as it helps a dancer train dynamically (static strength and flexibility can vary greatly to dynamic strength and flexibility - e.g. some people can sit in “splits” but can’t kick there leg up as high or get a perfect line in a jete.
Finally one other thing which I am not really sure whether to include as part of conditioning or instead to call it part of “caring” for your body.
I find getting regular or semi-regular massages really useful in releasing my muscles and joints. I find massages help me to feel rejuvenated and prevent bad alignment problems or chronic muscular problems that could result from the inevitable compensating game that parts of the body play to try to protect other sore and tired parts.
I’d love to hear from other dancers and get your opinion on this topic.
Below is a little bit on resources if you want to know more about Power Yoga, Conditioning for Dance or are looking to get your hand on a theraband (latex exercise band) so you can get started on your own conditioning regime
Power Vinyasa Yoga was developed by Baron Baptiste in the 1980s. I’ve created a link for you if you want to check out some Baron Baptiste Resources
There are also plenty of other Power Yoga
As I’ve only recently commenced my yoga practice, I haven’t yet had a look at any of these books or DVDs, but I am planning to start my collection. If you have already read or watched one, please post your review. I’ll do the same as I work my way through.
Now there are probably some of you who would like to try out Power Yoga but aren’t really into the “home practice” thing. If you happen to live in Newcastle, NSW, Australia then I can recommend Michael, Erin and Karl at Hot Power Yoga. Go to http://www.hotpoweryoga.com.au for more info about class timetables and pricing as well as some basics about Power Yoga and it’s benefits.
If you live elsewhere in Australia or around the world, just search online for classes in your area - try search terms such as “Power Yoga” or “Power Vinyasa Yoga” or “Baron Baptiste Yoga”.
Similarly you could do the same for Pilates classes or Pilates
Or…you could just get one or more Theraband
Well that’s all for now…off to Yoga in the morning at 6:15am so don’t want to make it too late a night. Please send through your thoughts on conditioning and any books or other resources you recommend/don’t recommend.
Tags: Baron Baptiste, conditioning for dance, Conditioning for dancers, dance exercises, dance training, Hot Power Yoga, Pilates for dancers, Power Vinyasa Yoga, power yoga, Theraband exercises
So on tonight’s dance classes menu was contemporary and latin ( a two hour half/half classes of Bachata and Salsa).
I’ve already talked about Salsa recently in my last post, so tonight I’m reflecting more on the contemporary class…it was good! I was pretty tired so by no means was it my best dancing ever, but I felt good in my body and had a good level of body awareness during class (I really think the yoga I’ve been doing lately has been helping me greatly in so many ways - including this heightened awareness of body during stillness and movement).
It’s an open class (at Pivot Studio, in Newcastle) so the experience and skill levels are fairly varied, but everyone just works where they are at, and the teacher (Janice) will give feedback accordingly. I’m really enjoying the piece we’ve been working on the past couple of weeks as it has a good combination of fast and slow movements; standing and floor work; technical versus emotive actions…it’s one of those dances where you can connect your body and feeling through the music…had you ever had that experience when sometimes you don’t connect as much with a piece and it starts to feel like you are just doing moves rather than really dancing; or if you aren’t being pushed you get a little complacent and “disconnect” so to speak or don’t challenge yourself to reach your potential?
Well the fact that this dance did stir something up in me made me reflect on these circumstance and gave me the idea to speak to one of my friends I dance with. We’ve had a few discussions and both know that sometimes it can become easy to get in a rut and stay at one level when you’re in a class of people less experienced than yourself, because you can manage to look proficient and pull out nice lines and quality of movement without a great deal of effort. We’ve also both agreed that is not what we want for ourselves - I still want to develop myself so much more and so does she.
We both have said that when we started dancing together in classes it had a positive impact due to the healthy competitive spirit it awoke it us - all of a sudden we had someone else to benchmark against - someone to observe and learn from - someone we didn’t want to outdo us too much! Fortunately in our case the competition has had a positive affect - because we’ve chosen to feel inspired and encouraged by each other, rather than threatened or disheartened. Have you ever stopped to think how you react to having “competition” in your classes?
Anyway, so I asked my friend last week to let me know whenever she has feedback or constructive suggestions for me, and she said the same back…I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of it as I think it will be great to have an outside eye with different thoughts, beliefs and background circumstances and education to enrich who I am as a dancer - kind of like how you develop exponentially when you are exposed to multiple different teachers of the same style .
There are also some other potentially exciting developments in the pipeline for my friend and I…but too early to discuss now.
In the meantime, three cheers for embracing some friendly competition, but always keep in mind that even though if you taking your dancing seriously at a competitive, semi-professional or professional level you’re going to be pitted against or compared with others day-in-day-out, you’re ultimately competing against yourself…forever working on improving yourself!
Tags: contemporary dance, contemporary dance classes, contemporary dancers, semi-professional dancers
He was born as Fred Austerlitz near the turn of the century and is considered to be one of the greatest tap dancers that ever lived. Having performed on Broadway, he brought a great deal of grace and style to bear that greatly influenced how future dancers would view their work.
He performed first on Vaudeville with his sister, Adele. After she married and retired from the stage, he went on to concentrate on working in film. Despite less than stellar screen tests, he was able to get RKO studio Head of Production, David O. Selznick to take a chance on him. Fred Astaire turned this opportunity into a string of successful movie appearances, some of which included him performing with Ginger Rogers.
Though Fred Astaire always appeared to be improvising his steps, dancers that worked with him revealed that he actually spent countless hours choreographing each of his movements. Because his movies earned so much money, he was given complete choreographic autonomy. Taking advantage of this freedom, he introduced innovations to how dancers were shown on film, demanding that the entire body be included in each frame without having the camera switch to closeups of the face, feet, or anything else. Moreover, Fred Astaire felt that it was important that dance moved the plot of the film forward, rather than just featuring the moves. Pulling together dance steps and acting made the segments more appealing to Depression-era audiences. Through his incredible genius he became a leader in making tap an important part of Hollywood productions!
Fred Astaire died of pneumonia on June 22, 1987. He was interred wearing a smoking jacket, black pants, and patent leather shoes. Fred Astaire’s life will likely never be portrayed on film as this would be against his wishes. He felt that any such portrayal would misinterpret his life and fail to honor his truth. Footage of him dancing was allowed to be used in a Dirt Devil vacuum commercial in accord with his wish that he only be seen dancing with an electrical appliance after his death.
Fred Astaire’s impact on the world’s of dance and film cannot be denied. He was a true film legend!
See Fred Astaire and many of the fastest tap dancers that ever lived at www.FamousTapDancers.com. It’s a great collection of tap video clips that will keep you enthralled for hours
Tags: actors, american history, artists, arts, Celebrities, Dance for Children, dancers, entertainers, entertainment, famous dancer, film, Fred Astaire, history, humanities, movies, tap dancers
Just remembered that I posted an article about pole dancing some time back and thought I’d give an update that since then I have actually tried pole dancing!
In February this year I did a 6-week beginners course and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I can now report first-hand that it truly is great for fitness and building strength (without bulking)…I have a friend who I also Salsa with who actually now teaches pole, and she was saying last week that she put on a few kgs of muscle when she first started! It may sound of-putting to some ladies who are afraid of muscle, but for the record this friend and all others I’ve met look very lean and toned - still feminine for sure.
I was told I did really well - I think the dancing background definitely helped me pick things up easier and look more graceful when doing the moves, but there were also absolute beginners (never danced before in their lives) in the class that had great fun. I was very keen to start the next class called “Get Vertical” but as I already dance 5 nights a week, the timetable clashed with other classes so I’m having a term off - hoping to resume next term - if not with Get Vertical, perhaps with the “Pol-r-tease” class which is a strength and conditioning class based around the pole.
Tags: Dance & fitness, pol-arise, Pole dancing
So as usual another night filled with dancing!
Earlier in the evening I had a Argentinean Tango class…this is the newest genre to be introduced to my dance education - my 5th class if I am correct.
With the vast majority of my dance past being in styles that are individual rather than partnered, of course having to follow someone else introduces a greater degree of unpredictability, but what makes for a greater challenge than other partnered dancing such as Salsa (I love Salsa 
is the subtlety of the man’s lead.
The connection between two dance partners in tango can make or break the dance, because if the woman can not feel the minute movements that originate from the man’s chest, she will not know which direction to move in, or where to place her weight.
When danced well it is a beautiful thing to watch…our teacher and his wife gave a demonstration last week and it was stunning - not so much a super showy piece, but charged with a level of intensity and passion that just pulls a little at your heart, making you feel just that little bit emotional (well for females at least!).
After stopping for a dinner break, I then made my way to a dance party hosted at the Newcastle University venue “The Bar on The Hill” by the Latin Society “La Pena”. It was the first one back for the year, and as expected, there was plenty of Salsa, a bit of Bachata and a splash of Merengue. The turn out was not as good as I had expected and perhaps hoped, but there were plenty of friends there, I had some great dances and it’s always nice to be able to dance to a live band.
The parties are held each month, so it’s a great opportunity to not only have fun (the primary goal), but also to keep building on skill by practicing away in a social setting.
I first started dabbling in Salsa a few years back, but it was always bits ‘n pieces / stop-start / and never in a technical, structured way. Then since about last May (2009) I have consistently been taking classes and attending social nights and some workshops (e.g. including ones at this years Sydney Salsa Congress…at which I took some videos of the workshop classes, so I will have to post some soon). Three weeks ago I started another Salsa class that covers a lot more technical detail and is structured - because I’m really enjoying Salsa dancing and want to keep improving to become really good. In short - I am loving it, and can already tell its making a difference. I’m finding that I am following much better when doing complex sequences with more experienced dancers, and when helping others (I assist a little in teaching some basics to new beginners) I think I am giving better tips.
So anyway, tonight was another opportunity to have fun and practice and I think I had a few awesome dances.
But now, I am getting a little bit tired and have lots of potentially draining activities planned for the weekend (as well as dancing, I also love keeping active and fitness in general) so better get some rest.
Will spill my thoughts on more dance topics very soon, and as always welcome your comments and/or feedback.
Have you ever been so concerned about getting something “perfect” or “right” that you just never made it happen? You spent all your time and energy trying to figure out the “best way” to do that thing or achieve that goal that you never actually took action (or sufficient action) to move toward it?
Most people have encountered this at some stage in one or more aspects of their lives and in varying degrees. I confess that I have been in this situation on more than one occasion…Yes, in regards to my pursuit of dance (which I will elaborate on at some future time) but also regarding this very blog! I’ve umm’d and arhh’d and procrastinated since starting it some time ago - trying to figure out exactly what to write about and how to present information that will be of value to you, that it has gotten in the way of me just being myself and being honest…and resulting in infrequent posts.
This is not a long post - mainly just to let you know what I’ve been thinking and to advise that The Dancers Portal is going to be different from now on - to beginning with I’m just going to share…It may sound a little self indulgent but please know that my intention is just to develop a little bit of a relationship with you, so that you can get to know me and feel comfortable sharing your stories and ideas for what content you would like The Dancers Portal to cover.
I really want to grow and develop this blog and the associated web page so that it is a place of education and inspiration for all types of dancers - as well as a great reference for link to other research and great dance related events, competitions and products, so please always feel welcome to leave comments.
Look forward to talking with you all again soon.
With each new day there is another opportunity to dance, so until we have our next encounter on The Dancers Portal be sure to get those bodies moving!!
Tango, also known as the dance of love, is certainly one of the most sensual and passionate dances out there. It is characterized by sharp and clipped movements, a close hold, and its staccato elements. Today, tango is loved and danced all around the world. In this article we will take a peek into the history of tango.
Tango originated at the end of 19th century, somewhere around 1880, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was born in the working-class neighborhoods and was very popular in brothels where the girls use it to entertain their clients. From there it soon moved to more established communities and into dancing houses.
In the early 20th century, tango spread throughout the world. In 1909 it was danced at the first world dance competition in Paris. After 1912, it became the craze of the dancing world.
Where did the word Tango come from? There are many theories and assumptions. The most probable is the one that supports the idea that it comes from Portuguese word tangere or Latin word tango which in both cases translates - to touch.
Today, many different styles of tango exists: Tango Argentino, Ballroom Tango, Tango Oriental, Tango Canyengue, Tango Liso, Tango Salon, Tango Orillero, Tango Apilado, Tango Nuevo, Finnish Tango, Chinese tango, and so on. The two main styles are Argentine and American ballroom style.
The basic tango is not so difficult to learn. The basic step consist of five steps taken to the 8 counts of music. The rhythm is slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Tango is danced to music written in 2/4 or 4/4 timing. It’s usually 4/4 - 4 beats to a bar of music.
Tango is certainly one of the most passionate and sensual dances. Today, it is danced all over the world by people from all walks of life. From the brothels of Buenos Aires to worldwide popularity it sure came a long way.
Some say that dancing tango is like making love. If you would like to learn it, see tango instruction video. Also take a look at the tango dance history.
Tags: arts, ballroom, dance, Dance for Children, dancing, entertainment, hobbies, Latin American dance, latin dance, recreation, tango