Notes from the Dance Floor

Be Nice to Your Partner

2012-02-17T16:23:00.002-05:00

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I taught a couples-only class this week. I had a great time with it, and I hope the couples did, too.

One of the reasons I felt it went well was that I did a fair amount of (hopefully gently) reminding the ladies to be nice to their partners. Not that they wouldn't have anyway; they all seemed like really nice people. But I've found in the past that some women have very high expectations of what a single dance class is supposed to do for their guy.

It's actually one of my pet peeves. So many women want their men to dance with them. So after X amount of cajoling, pleading, bartering, or threatening, they finally get the guy to try a lesson. In her shoes, my thought would be, "Wow, I really appreciate him for giving this a try; I know he's just doing it for me, but I hope he likes it enough to do more as he becomes confident with it." But sometimes it seems that what is actually going on is more like, "Finally, this teacher is going to straighten his lead out and he's going to boogie with me like a rock star all the time."

Sometimes it doesn't show up on the first couple of lessons - the "honeymoon" phase. But by the third, fourth, or fifth lesson, the disappointments begin to surface. And vocally, too.

"Honey, I can't feel you."
"That's not what she [the teacher] said."
"You're not leading me."
"I'm tired of this step - do something."
"You're doing it wrong."
"Don't you remember anything else?"

Like fingernails on the proverbial chalkboard.

Leading is not as easy as "just lead it." There you are, an utter novice, in a room full of couples who seem to be dancing faster/better than you (feels like the autobahn), with a partner who keeps moving all over the place to music you are aware of but haven't yet mastered, trying to feel comfortable with a couple basic moves, all the while trying to remember one of the fancier steps - oh, and once you remember that one exists, you have to know where and when to lead into it, as well as what to do so she can feel it, too. And smile like it's fun, even though every cell of your brain is exploding with the constant effort.

Now try doing all of that while someone who is supposed to be your partner/friend/ally is obviously impatient, bored, exasperated, or just disappointed.

That's a recipe for a man who will humor her for a little while and then resolutely forsake any future attempts to get him up and dancing.

Ladies, if you truly want to see the day when your man is willing, maybe even a little eager, to take you onto the dance floor, please do yoursleves a favor: give him all the time he needs to learn in the way that makes him most comfortable and confident.

I'm absolutely serious when I say that I don't care if he wants to repeat the box step 400 times to make sure he's got it. Your answer, with the beautiful smile that puts him at ease, should be, "Sure thing, honey, and I'll keep count for us. Ready? 400...399...398...397...396...395...".

Not-so-New Year's Resolutions - How Are They?

2012-02-03T17:10:00.003-05:00

I have a student who is beating herself up a bit because she has "gotten off track" in her Zumba class attendance. She is probably a bit over-commited, activity wise, and is feeling the effects. That's from her mouth, not mine. I really don't like watching her be so frustrated with herself, because I think she's just wonderful.

When activities, commitments, and responsibilities start to crowd in on each other, our personal needs are some of the first to fly out the window. Meditative time, fitness classes, hobbies and crafts, that stack of magazines on the nightstand. They all tend to get ignored when our family, career, and social things pile up.

It's probably one of the reasons New Year's resolutions are so fleeting. The hope and promise of a New Year quickly gives way to the daily task list and appointment calendar of, frequently, other peoples' stuff disguised as our own stuff.

January has just vanished behind us. Startling, isn't it? I think now is a great time to give yourself the gift of one minute. One minute to assess what it was you started 2012 so determined to do. Where do you stand? Do you still want it? Is other peoples' stuff going to take precedence for the next 11 months also?

Take your wife out dancing. Go to that wine tasting. Schedule an hour to read something completely enjoyable. You get the idea.

One minute to check your status, reaffirm your intentions, and make that activity happen. A lifetime to be glad you did.

And remember, the ballroom is open for business!

Competition or Showcase?

2012-01-20T15:17:00.002-05:00

Mac or PC? Smooth or crunchy? Pulp or pulp-free? Competition or showcase?

I was recently announcing to my spouse my excitement over the showcase the studio has scheduled for April. He responded with a really good question - "How is a showcase not a competition?" It made me think for a second, because although in my universe the answer is obvious, we have long since established that not everyone lives in my happy little universe.

The answer could be in-depth and probably confusing. But I like to try to simplify things as much as possible. Here goes.

In my ballroom universe, a show dance is an individual, stand-alone, choreographed routine whose prime purpose is presenting a dance for the entertainment of an audience. A show dance would be presented as one of many numbers in a larger whole. The larger whole is typically one of two things, either some type of a show - "showcase" - or a dance competition.

A showcase is the ballroom world's version of a dance recital - an entire evening of routines performed by various students, partly to entertain, and partly to showcase the skills aqcuired. Some of my favorite showcases, and the ones I most enjoy performing in, are the ones that are less like traditional recitals and more like a dance revue or Broadway-style dance show. There are backdrops, set pieces, stage lighting, costume changes, and smooth transitions from dance to dance. For me, all that spells FUN!

A competition is a judged event in which participants compete for a score or placement. Although there is a competition category for show dances at many competitions, there are many more categories assessing proficiency at a specific level of a syllabus with expected patterns and school figures (i.e. not choreography).

Without getting into philosophical nuances about the best competitors being great performers, etc., a simplistic view might be:
showcase = performance;
competition = placement (as in first place, second place, and so on).

Both will do wonders for someone's dancing, even someone who is just learning for social purposes. If all the world is a stage, that would explain why everyone congregates around the dance floor in a nightclub. Even if you are strictly a social dancer, in a very real sense you are on stage every time to step onto the dance floor.

Not trying to scare you off the floor, promise. Just pointing out that the sooner you get accustomed to people watching you dance, the sooner it will quit freaking you out, if it does. The fastest way to get used to it is to get out there in front of a bunch of 'em on purpose. Both competitions and showcases are great for that very thing. If it feels to you like a trial by fire, imagine how much confidence you'll have when you're on the other side of it.

Whether you jump in for fun, or to conquer a discomfort, either way, the result is oh-so-worth it!

Find the Teacher That Suits YOU

2012-01-13T15:45:00.008-05:00

Considering stepping out of your comfort zone and taking up dance for the New Year? Good for you! I wish you an enriching, fun journey - for that's what it is. They say that if you're embarking on a long trip, make sure you enjoy the company of whoever you're traveling with. As far as I'm concerned, that's great advice for taking up a new skill, too.

The teacher you choose has a lot to do with how good of a dancer you become. Of course you’ll want to find a good instructor, someone who can get you the results you want - who wouldn't. But how do you know if someone is a good teacher for YOU? I figure that anyone who’s going to teach you to dance needs to have two things: good disposition and good training. We'll chat about training another time, because I think it's more of a no-brainer. Disposition, however, is far too easy to overlook during the selection process.

Good disposition is difficult to measure, but you’ll know it when you see it. Someone who genuinely enjoys people, loves to teach, and has a good attitude is fun to be around. This is a teacher who can put even the most reluctant students at ease. And that’s probably the first thing you should look for – do I feel comfortable with this person? Thirty-one years of perfect dance training won’t help if the teacher makes you miserable. Unless you’re just into that kind of thing - and believe me, I've seen people who are - impatient, intimidating personalities don’t always get the best results.

It grates on my nerves when I hear teachers barking at their students and marginalizing their efforts. Fortunately, I've found it to be the insane exception, and I've never heard it in my home studio in Avondale.

Anyone curious about the process is welcome to observe any of my lessons (as long as you're nice and respectful to my students!). Watch how I interact with my students, both the newbies and the veterans. See how I communicate with them, how I pick on them, and how I encourage them. I try to approach my students with respect, compassion, and humor. I don't laugh at their mistakes until they're tough enough to take it. By then, they've seen me laugh at my own foibles a few times - and probably laughed right along with me.

I could be looking for a Spanish tutor, a piano teacher, or a calculus instructor. I'd want them all to have the same qualities: treat me with respect, handle me with compassion, and teach me with humor. But as usual, that's just me, and it may not be the way for you. What will be important for you is to give it a think and look for an instructor who has the qualities that will be most conducive to your own learning process. Happy dancing!

I Got Outted

2012-01-09T15:12:00.002-05:00

After enjoying two weeks off at the end of December, last week was my first week back teaching fitness classes in 2012.

A couple of my students, from different classes, decided to put the fitness teacher in the spotlight. They independently queried something like, "So how much exercising did you do while you were off those two weeks?" I'm not sure if they wanted to hear me say, "Every day," or not. Honesty is usually the best policy, so my answer in both classes was, a little sheepishly, "Practically none."

You would have thought that an English teacher had just admitted to using "ain't" on a regular basis. Some people were shocked; others figured I was just human (presumably for not living up to something), and maybe felt comforted by that.

I teasingly told them that I held them to a higher standard than I held myself, mostly because it sounded funny on my ears at the time.

After some reflection, though, I remembered that my lack of activity during those two weeks, while not a great example of how to live a fit life, was exactly what I had planned to do all along. It's not what I would necessarily coach someone else to do, but then I wouldn't coach someone else to mimic anyone's fitness habits unless they worked for that individual.

Point is, 2 things: during the other 50 weeks of the year, I'm very active (my career demands it); and at the end of the two weeks, I knew I'd get right back into my routine (again, my career demands it). I knew that my break would be a benefit to me, not a setback.

Sure, my body changed a bit over those two weeks. But the break was worth it to me (and the time investment of working my way back to where I was), at least partially because I knew, without question, that I'd be returning to my healthy routine.

I don't think that taking a break from my health program is an inherently awful thing. Sometimes it might provide a little perspective to do so. For me, the keys to a successful break from healthy habits include: a clear intention of why; an unshakable commitment to getting back on track (including a specific start date); feeling good (not guilty) about doing it; looking forward to coming back to and improving upon my routine; and being realistic about where I'm gonna be when I get started again.

In fact, the physical break also gave me mental time to start working on my health and fitness focus for 2012 - better nutrition - and so far, it's working. More about that later. For now, I'm clinging to the realization of the thing that I just did, which I try so hard to encourage others to incorporate into their self-improvement efforts: Rule #1 is Know Thyself.

Here's to your health!

2011-12-31T11:10:00.001-05:00

Did you fall off the nutrition + exercise wagon during the 2011 holiday season? If not, congratulations - well done! If you did, you probably have plenty of company: vacations and holidays, for many, are official breaks from regular schedules.

When I find myself a bit unseated from my fitness / health routine, my first question is, “What am I going to do about it now?” I try to start by not beating myself up for worshipping at the altar of peppermint bark (only Williams-Sonoma’s, of course). Next, I take stock. What habits have slipped? How am I feeling physically? How are my clothes fitting now?

Once I know where I am, I first change the things that are easy to fix - and that will make a positive difference. Increase water intake. Return to regular use of the supplements that helped. Spend a few minutes stretching when I get out of bed. Those are the things that are simple for me to commit to and implement.

As I get back on my regular schedule, I’ll start tackling the harder stuff, which starts off on a hand-written list. I add goals to my routine one thing at a time, allowing each one to take hold before I seriously commit to another.

I like to feel successful in my efforts, and for me baby steps are key. Going for broke with an all-or-nothing, aggressive, fix-me-now approach doesn’t work for me.

Since we are infinitely unique as individuals, there are infinite ways for you to reach your goals - mine is the one that is tailor-made to work for me. Yours should be the one that is tailor-made to work for you. Know yourself. Know what will work for you.

Whether you start small, start big, or somewhere in between, the important stuff is to start with a plan that you know is going to make a long-term difference for you. I’m not in it just to shed a few holiday pounds. I’m in it to live a healthier life.

Please have a safe and fun New Year’s celebration!

Top 3 Pieces of Advice to Live the Best Life Ever

2011-09-19T14:27:00.002-04:00

In keeping up with articles, blogs, bulletin boards, and the like in the dance and the fitness industries, I am confronted over and over again with generalizations, prognostications, and panaceas, and they are frequently at odds with each other.

Source A says one thing; source B refutes it. I see it amongst scientists, dance coaches, personal trainers, doctors...everyone has a study to support seemingly contradicting conclusions. What they have in common is the tendency to apply their conclusions to us as peoples instead of us as individuals.

Read all you want. Then find yourself a professional (doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer, life coach, whatever). Plan to consult with that professional for their expertise and guidance, but do your homework first. Go in educated. About what? All the stuff you're expecting to learn from them? Of course not. Go in educated about the one thing you know more about than anyone else on this planet: YOU.

Get help. But before you do, do the top three things that will help any professional guide you to positive results. In fact, if you've done them, you've probably found some areas of your life that are working fine without professional guidance.

What are those top three things we should all do to guide us through the maze of health/medical/wellness knowledge circulating today?

Simple:

1. Know thyself.
2. Know thyself.
3. Know thyself.

Stand Up for Your Health

2011-08-16T10:17:00.002-04:00

I won't bore you with all the details that fascinate me, but I was just reading an article citing research that gives us this great little nugget:

if you find yourself at a desk for long periods of time (hello, corporate America)...just the act of standing up periodically can improve your overall health and might even help slim your waistline.

The suggested dose of "periodically" was every half-hour. It doesn't say you have to stand up and walk two flights of stairs. Just stand up.

Myself, I would add a little stretch. Ward off carpal tunnel syndrome, you know. Stand up and gently shake out your fingers and wrists. Or extend your arm and gently pull your fingers back toward your body. Do this on each hand just to keep balanced. Either way, count to 10-Mississippi while you do it. Then get back to work.

Repeat every 30 minutes and let me know how you feel at the end of the week.

What Motivates Healthy Choices?

2011-08-10T17:20:00.003-04:00

Greetings. Forgive my absence. Or don't. ;)

Either way, I have a question for you: if you already have a healthy lifestyle routine, what motivates you to stay on it? and if you don't, what would motivate you to stick with one?

I talk to a lot of people who share with me that they would like to lose weight. I get the feeling from many of them that what they are sharing is not a new thought. It's probably something they have tried and left and come back to time and again. It can seem like an endless battle.

And if you agree, I would suggest that therein lies the first hurdle to motivating someone to stick with any fitness program. If making health, weight management, general fitness, and overall well-being choices is treated as a battle, chore, nightmare, requirement, job, "to-do," burden, drudgery, "have to," etc. - can anyone really be motivated to do it long enough to feel it make a difference? If you're one of those rarities who just "sucks it up" and gets it done, this may not concern you right now. But for some of us, a little reprogramming might be beneficial.

Instead of telling ourselves "I really should get off of this couch," let's try thinking, "It feels good to get up and stretch!" Instead of "Gotta go to the gym," try "I can't wait to get movin' around!" Instead of "(Groan) I'll have to do like a million crunches to make up for that brownie," - which doesn't work by the way - try thinking "That dessert really satisfied my sweet tooth - I'm going to skip that 2:30 candy bar."

Choices. Health and well-being = moment-by-moment choices. Think positively about being healthy, and it's easier to make healthy choices.

But just in case I'm wrong, don't quote me on that! ;)

Florida No-Fault

2010-05-07T11:54:00.009-04:00

I've noticed that new dancers are often intensely concerned about making mistakes on the social dance floor. My advice? Don't be.

Surely, we all approach the dance floor with the intent to put our best foot forward. But how do you respond to that inevitable miscommunication, bump into someone's toe, or memory lapse? Simply put, but harder to execute: Move on, Move on, Move on!

Clearly, if the same "mishap" becomes a recurring theme, it probably needs to be addressed - if something in the system isn't working right, let's flush it out and correct it. But those aren't the mishaps I'm really talking about.

I'm speaking of all those imagined horror stories that people dream up in their heads, which often prevent them from getting out there and giving it a whirl. What if I forget the steps I learned? What if I turn the wrong way? What if lead a slow turn and she buzzes around in a spin? What if I lose my rhythm? What if I step on her toe / bump his knee / elbow him in the chest / the floor opens up and I fall into a craggy, lava-encrusted nightmare?

Really. This is social dancing, not search-and-rescue on a volcanic island. The stakes aren't really as high as you're making them out to be. And don't worry. I get the embarrassment factor. As a shy introvert by nature, I am the last person who wants to make a fool of myself on the very public dance floor. But when I was a newbie, I probably let my own hyper-critical self stand in the way of a lot of fun - not to mention learning opportunities - on the dance floor.

Keep in mind that a huge factor in social dancing is how you and your partner pull off everything you've learned while caught in the tempest of a floor of swirling, flailing other couples. There really is no other experience, other than that very experience, to prepare you for that and make you confident with it.

See the logic but still not convinced? Then make it easier on yourself. Wherever you are, do your homework and find out which dance crowds in your area are most welcoming to new dancers. Of course, in my silly little universe, any dancer worth anything at all is patient and kind with other dancers, es-pe-cially new ones. But maybe that's the teacher in me talking. Anyway, it's not far-fetched that occasionally, one of you out there will run into a social dance partner who isn't the most forgiving of your newness. I think that's sad, and encourage you not to take it personally. Finish the dance and find a nicer partner. Hopefully it's even rarer that you find a whole social dance group or club that way - I call them dance cliques, and I don't have the time or patience to try to break in to their little circle. Take me as I am or I'll cheerfully go somewhere else!

But I digress. Back to the point: if you're new, and have new-ness concerns, ask around. Talk to other dancers. It shouldn't take long to pinpoint the nightclub(s), studio(s), or organization(s) that offer a friendly, supportive atmosphere to all dancers of all levels of accomplishment. Attend those dances first. Build your confidence. Build your library of dance floor skills. And then, if you're still interested in dancing at the other places, you'll have the experience you need to feel like you can hold your own with any partner. How fun that'll be! So what are you waiting for? Get out there and dance!

Announcing VIP Women's Dance

2009-10-30T15:26:00.008-04:00

Meet my new friends at VIP Women's Dance in Jacksonville Beach! VIP Women's Dance is a place for women to get fit, feel sexy, and dance!

We are very excited to announce the addition of Zumba Fitness classes with No Frills Dance starting in December!

VIP offers a complimentary introductory class on Mondays at 8pm and Saturdays at 1pm for any women curious about the variety of classes they offer. Lynn Maxey and Leigh Ann Zagray will make women of all ages and all skill levels feel welcome, safe, and successful.

Specializing in pole fitness, chair dance, and belly dance for women only, VIP can also book a party for your next ladies night out with the girls. Celebrate your bachelorette party or special event with VIP and create a memorable fun experience you will never forget!

To RSVP for the introductory class, book a party, or ask questions, call Lynn or Leigh Ann at (904) 415-7590.

Watch the No Frills Dance news feeds for the official December start date of Zumba Fitness at VIP.

Get Moving!

2009-10-15T14:25:00.006-04:00

Movement begets movement. Joint issues such as arthritis prevent a lot of people from doing the things they want to do. My best advice: early on, develop a lifestyle that will keep ailments at bay. (And forget about age. I've known 20-somethings with back issues, so please don't assume this article is about aging.)

Not being a doctor, I can't advise a particular course for all y'all out there. But I can share my own experience. Two years ago, I had started waking up in the morning with joints going snap-crackle-etc. That was a new thing, and it didn't sound good. I had just started teaching Zumba Fitness, and when we got going in class, my joints added their own weird soundtrack for my ears alone.

When I noticed that my morning spring-out-of-bed routine had turned into more of a grunt-and-roll, I started questioning. And being stubborn, and not willing to buy into that aging thing, I saw no reason to let things continue in that direction.

My solution for my body? Simple. Fish oil. Move more. My massage therapist had been recommending fish oil for months, and until my bones started singing, I smiled and nodded at her respectfully. I've never been real consistent about taking supplements, but the symphony of snapping in my knees, wrists, ankles, etc was pretty motivating. I finally listened to my massage therapist and started taking one capsule of fish oil each morning.

Concurrently, my Zumba Fitness class load built to a consistent three classes per week. It meant that I was moving those happy little joints a lot more, a lot more often, and with regularity. Within a couple of months, the creaking and cracking was gone.

Since then, I have taken one fish oil capsule per day religiously, with no need to up that dosage. My activity level in Zumba Fitness alone, never mind teaching Ballroom and Latin, has remained steady at a minimum of 3 hour-long classes per week.

The result? Within the first couple months of fish oil + activity, my joints quit creaking and snapping in the morning. The warm-up sequence during my classes no longer had an extra, personal soundtrack. Moving in general felt, and continues to feel, easier and more fluid.

No. I probably couldn't do ultra-demanding activities like climbing Mt. Everest. But that's not on my list of what, how, and why I need to be able to move. I can do my everyday activites, all the dancing and non-dancing things I desire to do, and probably a little more if necessary, with comfort and ease.

So my ultimate advice? Find an activity you love and do it. Start small and slow if you're already grappling with body issues. Consult a physician, personal trainer, or some other well-being professional. But commit to yourself and your future that you will do one vitally important thing: MOVE.

Local Competition This Weekend

2009-09-30T17:03:00.006-04:00

If you haven't been to a live ballroom dance competition, and I don't necessarily mean to compete yourself, you're in for a treat.

Each year, Jacksonville's own Kaluby's Dance Club hosts a good-sized dance competition right here on the First Coast. Fittingly, it's called the First Coast Classic (go figure), and it's held at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort.

The action starts Thursday, October 1st, and continues through Saturday, October 3rd. You'll see pro-am dancing (in which one partner is a professional and one partner is an amateur) at every level, from newcomers up through experienced competitors, all day/evening Thursday, and during the days Friday and Saturday. Hopefully, there will also be some amateur couples (in which both partners are amateurs). Most of the professional heats (in which both partners are professionals) are held Friday and Saturday nights.

This is probably a "duh," but by the way --

"Amateur" means that the dancer pursues his dancing as a hobby (or a serious hobby) (or an intensely serious hobby) instead of as a career. It does not indicate that his dancing is amateurish or lacking in merit. (Remember when all the athletes we sent to the Olympics were considered amateurs? But there was nothing amateurish about their feats!)

"Professional" indicates a dancer who dances for a career.

Anyway, spectator tickets are available for the First Coast Classic this weekend, and it's a comp that tends to draw some good couples. Plus, you may recognize some of the competitors. John Glessner and some of our friends from Avondale Dance Directions will be representin.' For a change of pace this weekend, go check it out!

Bridal Season Begins

2009-09-20T18:07:00.003-04:00

I was at Dillard's The Avenues' "I Thee Wed" bridal show today, where I was able to present my little PowerPoint with a bunch of great new photos, thanks to all you August dance models out there. I realize you've been wondering how the photo shoot came out, so I'm making it my mission this afternoon to get some of them up on the web so you can ooooh and aaaah over them.

I am really happy to have so many kind, generous, light-hearted students - I am proud of you all - Mary & Pete, Gerri & Patrick, Troy, Jila, Victor, Darlene, Cindy, Susi & Hernan, and Michael - for who you are and for the dancers you are becoming.

And a special shout-out to Cindy Coates, who not only photographed us, but also spent hours putting together a DVD presentation for me. So check out all of our galleries - here, on the website, on Facebook, and on Ning - I've scattered gems about all over for you to find - like a treasure hunt! Have fun!

Why So Many Waltzes?

2009-08-31T15:24:00.004-04:00

It's like asking why there are so many kinds of music. Music connects with us on a very personal level, and we all react differently to different styles of music. Dance is a physical expression of what the music makes us feel. With so many styles of music, it's only natural that there will be a variety of styles of dance. Let's look at the Waltz styles we've been discussing.

International Style Waltz - If your first dance steps were anywhere outside of the United States, this is probably the style of dance you learned. International Style is the standard for partner dancing - whether social or competitive - around the world. I love International Waltz because it teaches precision of technique and impeccable partnering - it is truly where two people appear to dance as one, as the partners never separate from each other once the dance has begun. It is elegant, timeless, and truly beautiful to watch.

American Style Waltz - If the first thing you ever learned about Waltz was a box step, then you probably learned American Style Waltz, which, surprise, surprise, is the style of Waltz taught and danced in the United States. (International style is of course taught here as well, but typically as a competitive style - if you're going out social dancing in the U.S., you'll see American Style most often.) In American Style, the partners are allowed to separate as often as they (i.e. the leaders) wish during the dance. This makes it a very expressive form of Waltz. That box step may seem pretty sedate, but as you learn to 'dance outside the box,' you'll find that American Waltz is at its best when the partners are not only turning and traveling, but also dancing into and out of each others' arms, as in underarm turns and dynamic side-by-side moves. I love American Waltz because its open movement and picture-story lines make me feel like the ballerina that I'm not.

Country / Western Waltz - Not surprisingly, a C/W Waltz is danced to a C/W song written in Waltz timing. Its style is in keeping with the spirit of the other Waltzes (turning and traveling dance, characterized by rise and fall), with a couple of differences. One is the music - a C/W song and a Ballroom song are bound to sound different. Also, C/W Waltzes are typically faster in tempo than an American or International Waltz, but not as fast as a Viennese Waltz. And, on the social dance floor, it is highly progressive, meaning that it is moving strongly down the line of dance, turning or not, pretty much all the time. There is a sense of movement to C/W Waltz that is hard to beat.

Viennese Waltz - Very likely the oldest of the Waltzes, it is also the fastest. Reminiscent of stately ballrooms in the courts of kings, Viennese Waltz combines the speed of a roller coaster with the rotation of the big swing at the fair - only Viennese Waltz spins in both directions. Oh yeah, and it's traveling all the while. This is an advanced Waltz, and typically reserved for dancers who have already cut their teeth on the regular American or International Waltz. Viennese Waltz is not for the faint of heart nor the sloppy of technique. It takes a lot of hard work - both in training, and during the dance itself - to pull this one off. But boy, is it ever fun!

So that's my two cents - now go try a Waltz!

Types of Waltz

2009-08-25T09:43:00.003-04:00

So, how many types of Waltz did you come up with?

Depending on how you count, I got 4-6. The first two are easy: Country/Western Waltz and Viennese Waltz. Although all Waltz forms share things common to the genre, each version has its own "spin" on the dance. Country/Western Waltz has very progressive movement and is probably the next-to-fastest Waltz. The fastest? That's Viennese Waltz, which is simultaneously fast, progressive, and dizzifyingly rotational.

The other Waltzes, and the ones most commonly found in the social setting, American Waltz and International Waltz, are the ones that count as 2 or 4 styles, depending on how you look at it.

Why? At the beginning through Bronze levels of achievement, both American Waltz and International Waltz use closed footwork, like in the box step and progressives (or links) most of us know. But once you start learning the Silver level and above, both dances use what is known as continuity styling, in which your feet pass each other.

Some people look at a Bronze Waltz and a Silver Waltz and see two completely different dances. They're really not, but the advanced footwork used in Silver-and-above Waltz does make the dance look and feel very different from its Bronze predecessor.

Chew on that for a while, and I'll be back to tell you why I think each style is a valuable contribution to the Waltz genre.

Which Waltz are You Dancing?

2009-08-21T15:12:00.003-04:00

How many versions of Waltz can you name? And do you know which one you are learning? I'll let you mull that one over and get back to you.

In the meantime, here's a couple of tips for beginners to Waltz. No doubt you've been learning the box step - it's where we start everybody in American style social Waltz.

One of the best things you can do to strengthen your Waltz is to make sure counts 2 and 3 of the box step are a side-close step. That means that once you take your side step on count 2, the other leg should then close completely to the planted leg on count 3. Sloppy Waltz-ers will leave inches-wide gaps between their legs on the third count.

To make it clean and neat, remember to close your feet!

Pose for the Camera...Preview

2009-08-20T12:58:00.002-04:00

Ever write an entire post, only to have it disappear in the publishing process? That just happened to me. You'll say it's operator error, no doubt, but I'm certain I hit the happy little button just the one time. Now the world will never know what I was going to say about our upcoming photo shoot. Probably just that it will be fabulous fun. And, really, isn't that enough?

Learning a New Dance: the Digital Age

2009-08-17T13:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, all you adorable students of mine who keep nudging me towards iThis n' That, Face-something-or-other, and Why-Fi connections...

...here I am. Writing blogs. You better hope my writing skills can keep up with my teaching skills, or we're all in trouble!

So remember your dance etiquette - it's not nice to leave your dance partner out on the floor (or a blog) by themselves...I expect lavish praise for trying out this first step of the digital 'dance.'

Happy dancing!