October 14th, 2009 | 
Author: One of the most beautiful styles of dancing is ballroom dancing. Ballroom dancing includes a variety of different dances. Today it is growing more popular across the United States and is an excellent choice for those interested in dance. Many people are starting to take ballroom lessons due to their fun, social, and exciting nature…
Ballroom dancing is a beautiful style of dancing that encompasses a variety of different dances, such as the waltz and the Viennese waltz. While in recent years this style of dancing seemed to go out of style for some time, ballroom dancing has been making a comeback recently with the emergence of various dancing shows on television, such as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Throughout America, ballroom lessons are once again becoming popular, and no doubt they will continue to do so in the years to come.
When most people think about ballroom dancing classes, usually they have visions of elegant women in beautiful gowns and men in handsome tuxedos waltzing across the floor. However, ballroom dancing includes much more than the waltz. While the waltz is one of the most popular ballroom dances, there are other dances out there, including the Quick Step, the Tango, Paso Doble, Rumba, Swing, and even the Foxtrot. Therefore, by taking ballroom lessons, you have to figure out which type of ballroom dance instruction you want to focus on.
A Rich History
Ballroom dancing actually goes back for hundreds of years and has a very rich history. It was very popular in England among the upper class back in the late 18th century and even on into the 19th century as well. It wasn’t until much later though that ballroom dancing began to be a hit with people who were a part of the working class. Competitive ballroom dancing really began to grown around the 1920’s and soon a Ballroom Branch was formed to make the various ballroom dances standardized for competitions.
When it comes to modern ballroom dancing, there are five basic dances that are included. These dances are the Slow Foxtrot, the Modern Waltz, the Quickstep, the Tango, and the Viennese Waltz. Other ballroom dances are included in the Latin American ballroom dances, such as the Paso Doble, Samba, Cha-Cha, the Jive, and the Rumba.
If you take a look at most ballroom lessons, you will notice that most of the teachers explain a right side to right side contact in the closed hold. This actually traces back to the time when men were dancing while wearing their swords. Usually their swords were worn on the left side, which means that they had to be careful not to hit their partner with their sword. This also seems to account for the counter clockwise movements that are usually used in ballroom dancing as well.
Well Known Ballroom Dancers
In the United States, two of the most influential people when it comes to ballroom dancing were Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They both were wonderful dancers and they often danced together for their films. One of their films actually portrayed dancers from the early 20th century and they are now considered to be icons of ballroom and social dancing. Many people who seek out beginner ballroom dancing classes, or even advanced ballroom lessons, will aspire to emulate or harness the energy and poise of Ginger and Fred.
Ballroom Dancing Today
Today ballroom lessons are growing in popularity and more and more people are beginning to get involved in this type of dancing. While it used to be a dance that mainly older people and wealthy people took part in, now-a-days almost everyone can take a ballroom dance instruction and go out dancing. Many people also think that ballroom dancing is just a slow dance around the floor; however, many of the dances are upbeat and there are different varieties of ballroom dancing as well.
Many ballroom dances are now seen frequently at competitions, in nightclubs, and in many dance studios as well. People are now realizing that not only is ballroom dancing a beautiful art, but it is also great exercise as well. Taking ballroom dancing classes and going out to dance can help strengthen the heart, the muscles, and build up endurance too. So, if you are interested in learning to dance, ballroom lessons are a great choice for you.
Further Ballroom Dance Reading:
-
Ballroom Dance – A Simple Guide | All Padded Up – Ballroom dance means kind of social dances where a couple would dance together following very common steps. Ballroom dance is a derivation from the word ‘ball’ (social events attended by elites in the early 18th century), …
-
Learn Ballroom Dancing: The Great Consideration – While at a ballroom dance, it is important that you follow basic ballroom dancing etiquette. Don’t turn down a request to dance unless you can’t avoid it. Accepting a dance when you’re asked is considered polite. …
-
Mon, 10/19: Larry Taylor’s Ballroom Dance (Gold Strike Hotel … – The longest and only night club in a Nevada hotel welcoming Ballroom, Latin and Swing Dan…Tomado de: http://las.vegas.eventguide.com/events/e100779.htm.
-
Ryan Di Lello, Ashleigh Di Lello, Karen Hauer – Ballroom – Video … – I’m sure his size helped with that though. Shollia UNITED STATES on October 26, 2009 at 11:45 pm. 3. The dancers were great. They danced the routine that the choreographer created for their ballroom dance. mia UNITED STATES …
-
NJ Ballroom Dance School . Learn Ballroom Dancing . Central Jersey … – NJ Ballroom Dance School . Learn Ballroom Dancing . Central Jersey: Ludo’s Ballroom – since 2000. – Owners Ludo Belan and Paula Medici. We are a Ballroom Dance School conveniently located in Whitehouse,NJ right off US Hwy 22. …
Over 300 years old and a dance that is loved around the world, the waltz is a very popular dance at ballroom dance competitions and in ballroom lessons. The waltz actually emerged from a folk dance in Bavaria in the 17th century, and then in the 1800s it began to become popular across Europe, although it faced a great deal of controversy as well. The waltz is probably one of the easiest out of all the ballroom lessons; however becoming a master of this dance could never be labeled with the term easy. While the steps are simple, beginners may have the appropriate steps while literally “bouncing” around the floor; however, the signs of a true master of this dance are smooth, sweeping steps that appear to glide across the floor. Therefore, the scope and depth of ballroom lessons for the Waltz is extremely great.
Waltz Characteristics
The most evident characteristics of this beautiful dance include the way swaying, rising, and falling are used throughout the dance. There should be a smoothness to the rising and falling and the steps should be reaching, confident, and sweeping. This dance should feel romantic and gentle, and its’ turning figures, elegant poses, and sweeping movements should command attention. While the music this dance is usually danced to is quite dreamy, the dance itself should have a light yet purposeful movement across the floor. When taking ballroom lessons, you will begin to notice how these attributes relate to the steps and music.
Waltz Techniques
In ballroom lessons across the world, the basic technique of the waltz is described as a three step that includes one step forward or backward, one step to the side, and one step that puts the feet back together. Every step uses the same timing and they are danced to music that is written in ¾ time, which means there are three beats in every measure of the music. This is an easy pattern to dance and is counted as 1,2,3; 1,2,3. When dancing the waltz, it is the first beat of every measure that gets the accent. This dance should use very soft, round patterns that will move you all around the dance floor.
Waltz Dance Competitions
Usually the first dance that is danced at ballroom competitions is the waltz. Remember, dancing the waltz may be giving the audience and the judge the first impression of your dancing. This is an essential part of ballroom competitions and being excellent at the waltz is a great way to get judges looking your way. Competitions are more than just performing and being judged though. Competitions are times when you can enjoy dance and learn more about dancing as well. No matter how great you are, you can always learn more about dancing, and competitions are great places to do so. When you choose to compete, you open the doors to challenge yourself as a dancer and to reach new and higher levels of dancing as well. Going to ballroom competitions is a great way to enhance your dancing career, no matter what your level of dancing is.
What Judges are Looking for in Your Waltz
When you are dancing the waltz in a ballroom dance competition there are many things that the judges are going to be looking for and you need to understand what they are so you can excel. There are many different general criteria that judges look for when judging a dance competition. Most judges take into account the way you present yourself and your dancing posture. They also tend to look at how you move to the music and whether you are dancing on time with the music. Usually, the look at how the man leads and the woman follows and whether or not partners are in sync together. Footwork, shape, line, and correct holds are also important things that judges look for as well.
Specific to the waltz, judges look for natural turns, reverse turns, closed changes, basic weaves, reverse pivots, closed impetus, and back whisks. Achieving a silver medal will require that you show outside spins, turning locks, drag hesitation, open impetus and wing, and open telemark and cross hesitation. To win a gold medal, you will have to be even more technical and memorable and have techniques like the contra check, fall away reverse and slip pivot, hover corte, closed wing, and left whisk will be the defining factors in your dance. For this, ballroom lessons are not always enough. It take’s dedication and an adept spirited resourcefulness to capture an audiance.
Preparing to Compete in the Waltz
Preparation for competing in the waltz is imperative if you want to be the best in this dance. While the basic steps may be easy for you to master and will quickly come as second nature, you will have to go beyond the basics in your presentation. You will need to spend hours practicing the advanced techniques that take you from a social waltz dancer to an excellent competitive dancer. Connecting well with your partner is imperative as well and you must master the connection before you compete in the waltz. Ballroom lessons will take you far, but you will need to practice passionately and dance with vitality in order to reach a level of competition.
When the day of your competition arrives no doubt you will be dealing with nerves; however, it will be an exciting time as well. Make sure that you arrive well prepared with your costume, needed makeup supplies, hair supplies, and anything else you may need to get ready for your big dance. Also be sure that you bring along your music for your dance as well. Take time to stretch and warm up before you go out on the dance floor and be sure that you arrive early so you will not miss your performance. Once you are out there dancing in the competition, let the smooth, flowing steps of the waltz carry you away and dance your way to being a winner.
IDSF Australian Latin Ballroom Dancesport Championship 2003
Duration : 0:8:43
Posted in latin ballroom dancing | 
Tags: Ballroom, chacha, competition, dancesport, Dancing, doble, IDSF, international, jive, latin, paso, rumba, samba | 
23 Comments »
Learn the basic back step of salsa dancing, including dance moves, footwork and rhythm in this free beginners video salsa lesson.
Expert: Leslie Sack
Contact: www.lesliesack.com
Bio: Leslie Sack has been teaching, performing and competing in Latin and ballroom dancing for the past 12 years. She was an award-winning teacher and dance competitor for Arthur Murray Dance Studios.
Filmmaker: Diana Bacon
Duration : 0:2:15
Scenes from Premier Ballroom Studio. Featuring classes from Hristo Minev & Laura Fan, Victor Fung, Ivan Spasov & Paige Inman, and Christine Belanger.
Practice rounds are before major competitions in our Sunday parties.
Duration : 0:3:2
As a marketer, have you spent many a late night coming up with a new marketing concept? Or perhaps you are a business owner who seeks to balance ethical business practices with making sustainable profits. You shake your head as you read the recommendations of your marketing manager. Quick-fix solutions. No long term thinking. Everything is now, now, now. So you decide to watch Discovery channel. You flick the remote. You stare at the screen…
Tattooed faces of Maori warriors from New Zealand. Performing a war dance. Raw, authentic, alive. You think, this what my marketing should be like. Real, natural, authentic. A facial tattoo worn with pride rather than an uniform with a brand on the pocket.
Tell me, have you heard of the Maori of New Zealand? Probably not. Just like not many people outside of China have heard of Sun Tzu. Yet his ancient text on the arts of war has influenced Chinese business thinking for centuries. So what’s the point? Well in today’s global markets, understanding different cultures is very important. Even more important is the ability to sense the subtle layers of communication. To perceive what’s important in the minds and hearts of your international customers. It’s about vibrations. Picking up what your customers are thinking. What they are feeling.
Now the word Maori is a very interesting word. Physically it means the native people of New Zealand. There are about 650,000 Maori in a world of 6.5 billion people. They are one of the most advanced native cultures in terms of integrating western thinking. They managed to sign a treaty with the British which showed strong independence and political acumen. Metaphysically the word Maori means pure, natural vibration. You are 100% pure natural vibration wrapped up in a body. You are 100% pure YOU. Every person has their own unique vibration. Their own personal signature. Their own individual tattoo. Everybody is a natural vibration of energy.
Here is how you can use the word Maori as an acronym to market and celebrate your uniqueness…
M = Metaphor.
Use stories. Use symbols. Use the senses to impart your message. This is why the tattooed Maori face is such a powerful metaphor. It evokes the primeval emotions. The whirling spirals of the cosmos. The star patterns. The flowing tides. The unfurling fern. These images were all metaphors. They all represented aspects of nature. By tattooing these symbols into the skin they strengthened a man’s connection to the universe
A = Authentic.
You must be authentic. Your marketing, your business is an extension of who you are. So you must align the purpose of your business with your own higher purpose. What would you die for? Or what would you survive for? Your answers to these questions point towards your higher purpose. Your true path. This is why the tattoo was so respected by the Maori. The spilling of blood and the intense pain endured during the tattooing process gave the tattoo-wearer much mana or prestige. The blood and the pain strengthened the character of the person for peace and war.
O = Organic.
Model the wisdom of nature. Look to the insects, the plants, the animals, the trees for lessons on life and business. We are a part of nature, not apart from nature. So finds way to be more organic in your thinking, in your actions. Think about your mortality for a moment. One day you will die. What will endure after your body has gone? In death there is life reborn. So find ways to leave a legacy that will last for a 1000 years or more.
R = Reciprocity.
The Maori law of reciprocity is called Koha. It means to exchange energy. It is the principle of giving and receiving. Just like breathing, you must exhale in order to inhale. Life and nature operate on reciprocity. For example a forest is a marketplace of exchange. Energy is being exchanged right now between the many species that comprise a forest. It represents the perfect economy. The perfect marketplace where everything benefits. There is no waste. Just transformation of raw matter into useable energy. So make sure that you are finding ways to cooperate and share your abundance with others. You make a living from what you get. You make a life from what you give.
I = Inspired.
The word “inspired” comes from the Latin root word spiritus meaning breath. So what ignites your breath? What makes feel alive? It is essential for the longevity of your business that you build it from the heartwood of inspiration. Carved with the labouring hand of love. There to stand for centuries as shelter for the homeless and the needy.
So when you need to add more impact, just think Maori and set your inner vibrations to high. Tattoo your mark upon the face of the world.
Hirini Reedy
Still struggling with trying to control or generate some successful weight loss? Whatever your diet or women’s weight loss program might be, try applying these five essential keys to successful weight loss in women.
1. Eat Your Meals More Slowly
If you have an eye towards shaping up, toning down and generating fat loss to improve your looks and health, then consider this. You will derive more benefit nutritionally from what you eat, when you chew your food more thoroughly and eat more slowly. Why? It’s because your body more easily extract nutrients from finely chewed foods. It’s also true of foods that spend more time in the digestive tract where their value is extracted. “Wolfing down” your food serves no constructive purpose other than to make you prone to indigestion, upset stomach, and ulcers.
2. Avoid Excess Salt
In speaking of salt, the Holy Bible says, “Will tasteless things be eaten without salt?” (Job 6:6) Salt has many uses and is a seasoning that has been used for centuries. Used in excess however, and it quickly can turn against you. In moderation, it embellishes flavor and taste and enhances a multitude of foods. But use too much and tastes are strong, pungent, acrid and bitter. Too salty is a cooking error that can be difficult to correct. Salt also promotes water imbalances in the body, causing water weight gains in some, Diarrhea in others. An excess of salt in foods is the bane of weight loss in women. Avoid it.
3. Avoid High Saturated Fat, Processed Flour and Sugar-based Foods
From ancient China comes the saying, “Eat noodles for long life”, but it’s best to do so in moderation. Deep-fried foods, processed flour pastries and breads, and all manner of sugary or sugar-based foods and drinks are truly best avoided as much s possible for successful weight loss.
4. Increase Your Physical Activity
Move your body, exercise, enroll in a gym and go regularly for physical, aerobic workouts. You might consider practicing a physical sport like tennis or golf, bike riding, roller skating or ice skating, jogging on a path, trail or treadmill. How about taking ballroom dance, Tango or Salsa dancing classes? Just find a physical activity you enjoy, practice it regularly and experience successful weight loss as you do. Come up with some way to regularly move your body and exercise for continued weight loss, especially in women.
5. Watch Out for Holidays and Festivals
Holiday celebrations and seasonal festivals can represent some of the best and worst times of our lives. One reason why is that this is often a time for cooking special foods and preparing all manner of “sumptuous drinks” all loaded to the rim with things you just know you really shouldn’t have. Okay, so we’re all human. Enjoy your holidays. Remember to do so though, in moderation. Don’t fall, or jump, completely off the wagon. Recovering from an extensive holiday binge can take weeks if you’re not as careful as you should be. Be careful of and exercise some control over what you eat and drink during the holidays.
Stop struggling with trying to control or generate some successful weight loss in women by using these five helpful fat loss program suggestions.
Dennis Carter
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/successful-weight-loss-in-women-five-essential-keys-522284.html
im going to do ballroom dancing (for teens) anyone know where i could do it in Edmond, Oklahoma?
no
Yes, we took them before our wedding so my husband wouldn’t look like Frankenstein. Well we just celebrated our 2yr anniversary and we are STILL taking lessons…
Here's your chance to literally waltz your way to grace, style and confidence on the dance floor! You will learn the essential components of this great ballroom dance, including Rise and Fall, Sway, and Footwork, as well as exploring steps that will showcase your waltz dancing and help you gain the poise to shine on the dance floor! 