My Golden Dancers

Aura of Happiness

By Elita Sohmer Clayman

Would you believe that just walking into the dance studio for the first time in 364 days gave me such a contented thrill? By contented thrill, I mean a feeling of happiness and also exuberance that I finally came back to my dance roots.

Dance roots can mean different things to various people. To me, it signifies that I am now feeling better for the first time since our automobile accident last June 2008, and that there is a real possibility that I will be dancing very soon. We came that Saturday morning at 1130 a.m. because the studio was having an Expo type activity so people could come in and get acquainted with the facility. They could also bring new or used dance shoes they no longer wanted to be able to sell them to others who may want a less-than-average priced shoe.

The owner of the studio greeted both my husband and I with a dear hug and kiss. We were as happy to see her as she was to see us. It had been a long ten months. We missed (at least I did) the beauty of the studio and the warmth of the owner. We missed the beautiful wood floor and the ambience of the atmosphere. We missed getting out there on the floor and doing our dance steps, routines, and just plain old having fun.

The roots of dance were planted in the soil of our hearts over 32 years ago when we stepped or danced our way into the first studio where we took together our first dance lesson way back then. I have always wanted to and loved to dance and this was a momentous occasion then for us to go as a couple and also a married couple.

Our love for dance or should I say, my love for dance was nurtured through my years of being single by taking a group of lessons when I was working and earning a good salary. I went to a studio and signed up for 50 lessons but I did not have an encouraging teacher to water my seeds of dance feeling. I finished up the course not really knowing too much more than when I started there. Then I took a few lessons with a fellow I was dating named David and he too did not awaken anything new in me about dancing.

The years passed with marriage and children and still I yearned to really learn to dance and the thought occurred in my mind that possibly I could compete. When we walked into the studio on November 2, 1977, the first thing I saw on the shelves there were some trophies some of the students had won. Right then and there, I knew that was what I wanted for my shelves. I had a carpenter come in many years later to custom make white shelves so I could display my competition trophies. I dust them every week with love in my heart for what they stand for in my dancing amateur career. Hard work and diligent and unrelenting time spent studying the world of ballroom dance.

Ten lessons evolved into ten or more years of taking lessons, competing, social dancing and just plain enjoying the social dances held on Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons.

Until the accident we would go to them at least three times a month. Then it all stopped and for one solid year we were unable to go due to numerous aches and pains from being hit hard by a man texting and running a red light.

Now the year has passed with many medical decisions and many sessions of physical therapy. We are ready. Going to the Expo for a few hours to sell some unused dance shoes really watered my dance appetite again. We sat there for an hour or so and watched some new students take free 15 minute try-outs with various teachers to see who they wanted to teach them if they decided to take dance lessons. We watched one teacher coach five men on converting some Rumba steps they knew to Bolero steps.

Finally, we left and I felt the aura of dance happiness surround my head. I was back where I am most often spending the happiest hours I am involved in.

As I so often speak about what ballroom dancing means to me, so again I am able to articulate about it in a more meaningful and current manner. It seems that next Sunday we will be back there and if we can only dance just a few dances since we are returning and have to be careful in what actions we take in our first day of dancing; then so be it.

I have decided if we only dance four or five dances, we will be ahead of the time because we will have again started our voyage in the beautiful sea of dance. The sea is calm now and the water is blue and we will dance serenely and be at peace doing so. We survived the terrible accident and are now back to begin our weekly ballroom dancing once again.

As Shakespeare said “Those who have self control truly own their beauty.”
Dancing is surely beauty in motion and our emotions determine our motion. In the Broadway play from many years ago called Annie based on the original comic strip called Orphan Annie, the main character Annie says that tomorrow will be good and they sing a whole song called "Tomorrow" that became a big hit on the music scene back then.

So tomorrow became now and next Sunday will be the tomorrow I was thinking about for one whole year almost to the day when I will arrive at the studio and once more dance a few dances. Each week, I will progress and dance more and more dances until the hours there will be filled with continuous dances. Tomorrow will be now and I will have won out over the aches and pains and the pains and aches. I will be the victor because I waited till tomorrow and tomorrow will be glorious. The no dancing time was a long period but now the glory days are upon us (especially me) and I will savor every minute I am doing it.

When I dance, I feel at peace and I in turn can encourage others to take up dancing and therefore I can be an amicable supporter of a different kind. I can be a harmonious person by trying to inspire and support new dancers- to not wait till tomorrow but to know that today is the day when they will enter the journey of dancing for the health of it, for the enjoyment of it and mainly for the peace they will feel when accomplishing this wondrous thing called dance. They will have self control and possess their own beauty.

We are bold when we decide to think about taking ballroom dancing lessons. We know we will find magic in doing so; and if we think we can do it, we should begin it. Whatever you can do or even think you may be able to do, and then surely we should set it into motion. We should all have hope with everything we attempt. That is the courage of life and dreams.

We will be kindling a new flame into our lives and our life will be brighter for it. We can do it, begin it and continue the light that will brighten our heart and be an everlasting beam that glistens into our daily existence.

We can accomplish the almost highest thing we want by being confident and secure and when we ballroom dance, we receive added self esteem and self assurance because we know we are doing something really special.

We set into motion a fulfilling adventure that will culminate in a special happiness so profound we will often wonder how we lived without it.

Annie in the play said "Tomorrow, tomorrow" and she surely knew that tomorrow would be so splendid it would make up for any days that were not that perfect. If we can only project that tomorrow will be blessed with good and kind events then we will have fulfilled our destiny in becoming happy. Ballroom dancing is like no other sport because in learning to perform it; we have boldness, adventure, motion, emotion and most of all a constant beginning of something so perfect to begin with that the final perfection we achieve is the ultimate reward.

The aura of dance happiness is in our soul. Hillel, a Jewish sage, said our soul is a guest in our body and deserves hospitality. Hospitality that is affable with the happiness we receive from this thing called dancing.

The more you do it, the more you benefit from its graciousness and you will observe how it makes you feel. The feeling sometimes is overwhelming and it fills your heart with the peace you deserve all the days of your lives.

Keep on Dancing

You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net

Reasons To Dance

Ballroom dancing appeals to people for a variety of reasons:

• For those of you looking for an intense workout, ballroom dancing is for you. You can modify your workout based on your physical abilities, concentrating on the slower dances if need be. Through regular practice, you can gradually increase your exercise by dancing to faster songs to a faster beat.
• Ballroom dancing lessons are a great way to interact socially with others. You'll find your dance studio to be its own little community. For couples, dancing is a bonding experience. It's a hobby that encourages teamwork and intimacy.
• As an outlet for creative people looking for some kind of artistic expression, ballroom dancing is perfect. You can express your own personality through the music that you choose, the costumes you wear, and your interpretation of the dance.
• Finally, if you're looking for the thrill of competition, the ballroom dance industry provides a variety of dance competitions throughout the country and world-wide.

Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Florida Helps Community

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Ft. Myers, Florida is participating in two benefits during the month of July.

To support the Make A Wish Foundation, Dancing With The Stars celebrity dancer Tony Dovolani will be at the studio on July 18th from 7-9 p.m. To attend this event, you can call the studio for reservations (239-939-1517).

On July 25, the studio will host a Dance Day Benefit for the local Animal Refuge Center from 2-4:30 p.m. This benefit includes a beginner's group class, a live auction, and professional performance. Tickets are $10 at the door and any additional donation of dog or cat food of equal value will get participants a free private lesson. Celebrity participants will be announced soon.

Astaire Awards Championships 2009

From freep.com (Detroit, MI)
6 Detroit-area dancers to train with 'Dancing With the Stars' celebs

By PATRICIA MONTEMURRI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Six Detroit-area dancers from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills will get tips this week from personalities from the hit show “Dancing With the Stars.”

The six metro Detroiters — ranging in age from 15 to late 60s — leave Wednesday to compete in Chicago in the Astaire Awards Competition, where they’ll have a chance to meet some of the prime-time dance show’s participants.

Professional dancer Tony Dovolani — who was paired last season with third-place finisher Melissa Rycroft on the ABC show — will choreograph the Astaire competitors for a special dance number.

The competitors will be “doing all the different ballroom dances — a waltz, tango, and a fox trot, cha-cha, a rhumba, and swing,” said Evan Meachum, who owns the Bloomfield Hills studio with his wife.

About 3,000 participants are to compete in the Astaire Awards Competition, which will also features judges such as Fabian Sanchez and Corky Ballas, who appeared on the TV show.

Competing for the local Fred Astaire studio are Emily Dobrota, 67, who lives outside Windsor, Ontario; Bobbie Fitzpatrick, 52, a small business owner from Metamora; George Zahul, 53, an accountant from Bloomfield Hills; Amanda Demery, 15, a high school student from Bloomfield Hills; Victoria Zahul, 20, of Bloomfield Hills; and Nancy Smith, 49, a nurse, from Bloomfield Hills.

Contact PATRICIA MONTEMURRI: 313-223-4538 or pmontemurri@freepress.com.

Fun, Fitness, and Family at Fred Astaire Dance Studios

from beachcomber.org (Destin, FL)

Lisa Worsham, May 14, 2009 Issue

As children, we aren’t afraid to move to the music, but before long, most of us became self-conscious and inhibited. As adults, many of us don’t feel confident enough to dance. If you’re someone who longs to let the music take you away, you’re the perfect candidate to become a student of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, one of the largest dance studios in the country and home to many world-class instructors.

LuAnn Pulliam and husband Bruno Collins have owned the Cinco Bayou studio for 26 years. Now retired from competition, the couple danced their way to a remarkable twelve U.S. Championships in Cabaret Style Dancing and were recognized as World Cabaret Champions four times. Pulliam is shy when asked about her legendary competitive dance awards, but she will quickly tell you how proud she is of the talented dancers she has trained to compete and teach.

Instructors Georgia Ambarian and Eric Luna are the current U.S. Cabaret Champions. They have been featured on ABC’s hit show Dancing With The Stars and on the PBS special America’s Ballroom Challenge. Two other employees, Jesse Benedetti and Kimalee Piedad, are ranked second in the nation and the world in Cabaret Dancing. Pulliam has also coached Tony Dovolani, one of the regular professional dancers on Dancing With the Stars.

While she enjoys helping dancers succeed competitively, Pulliam insists that you don’t have to be a competitive dancer to reap the benefits of dancing. “Anyone can learn to dance, regardless of his or her ability or disability, size or age,” she says. “One misconception many people have is that you already need to know how to dance to come to a dance studio, but we work with all levels from beginners to world champion competition dancers. And our students range in age from five to 95.”

The newcomer is greeted like a long awaited member of the family. Pulliam fosters that kind of atmosphere with her staff. “It’s a happy place to be because we all love what we do.”

Manager Joe Trovato is truly a member of the family. Originally from Italy, he came to Fort Walton Beach to visit his uncle Bruno Collins and ended up marrying Pulliam’s sister Tommie. Now he’s responsible for the day-to-day operation of one of the largest dance studios in the country. “This studio is ranked in the top five in volume in the Fred Astaire Company,” says Trovato. “And that includes metro area like New York and Miami.”
Another misconception that many people—especially men—have is that real men don’t dance. Quite the opposite is true. The instructors are competitive dancers, and that makes them athletes. Pulliam’s 16-year-old son Bruno points out that every male working there can bench press 350 pounds. “You have to watch your diet and take care of your body in order to succeed at dancing.”

Some may think dance lessons are too expensive, but Fred Astaire Studios has plans to fit any budget. There’s even a Guest Special—only $25 for two lessons. Pulliam says these introductory lessons allow instructors to help newcomers decide which style of dance they want to focus on and how they can best help students achieve their goals. “Some people want to lose weight, some just want to have fun, some want to compete and some people view it as a social outlet.”

Every Tuesday night, a Practice Social is open to all students at all levels. Students can meet and dance with each other and the instructors. The lights are low and there’s a club-like atmosphere, but it’s safe and easy to enjoy some good clean fun. One student who enjoys Tuesday nights is Mary Barnes, a retired schoolteacher whose movements on the dance floor make it hard to believe she is 72 years old.

“The first time I came to the Tuesday night social I never sat down,” says Barnes. “I had always wanted to dance, and the people here make it so easy. They also make you feel so special. I appreciate the world of dance so much more. Now when I watch the pros on television I understand what it takes to dance that way.”

Another senior says her classes at Fred Astaire Dance Studios helped her cope with grief and depression. Doris Faught enjoyed a long career as the first female veterinarian pharmacist in the country. She even wrote the pharmaceutical reference book used by most vets. She says she couldn’t seem to move past the death of her husband until her neighbor—a Fred Astaire student—talked her into taking lessons. Faught says all her friends say dance has changed her.

Cheryl Chrisan, the neighbor who recruited Faught, has been dancing at Fred Astaire Studios for over four years and says it is her stress reliever. “When you’re on the dance floor you can forget about everything. I consider dancing my hobby. My husband has golf, and I have this.”
That brings up another common misconception. Some people believe you must already have a dance partner to take lessons. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are at least 15 instructors at the studio, roughly half female and half male. Instructor Chris Uy just returned to Fort Walton Beach after working in studios in the New England area for a few years. “This studio is absolutely the best. Everyone has a positive attitude and the family atmosphere cannot be beat. We love our students and our job.”
If you think you are too old or too young or too fat or too clumsy to dance, stop making excuses and let the people at Fred Astaire Dance Studios show you how you can. And you can be sure you’ll be welcomed into a happy, healthy family.

Blackpool Festival 2009 - Team USA!

We are proud to report that the USA team won the Team Match at this year's prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival held in England. The Blackpool Dance Festival is the world's first and most famous annual ballroom dance competition, going strong since 1920. It is also the largest ballroom competition, with 1808 couples representing 60 countries in 2009.

This year, the Team Match was between Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and the USA. This is the second year in a row that the USA has won.

There was more good news for the US during Blackpool's Open Cabaret Division. Runners-up in this highly contested spot were Jesse Benedetti and Kimalee Piedad and third place went to Eric Luna & Georgia Ambarian. Both couples are Fred Astaire Dance Studios instructors.

National Dance Championships 2009...Where Dreams Come True

Fred Astaire Dance Studios invites you to experience the magic of dance at our next national competition, the National Dance Championships held in Orlando, Florida on October 21-25.

You will make everlasting memories at this action-packed event filled with competitive dancing, fun parties, and spectacular professional performances. Saturday night’s Gala Banquet will be the highlight of your weekend with its dazzling showcase performed by top-ranked competitors. Held at the Hilton Hotel, located in the Walt Disney World® Resort, you will also be just steps away from all of Walt Disney World’s most popular attractions.

Mark your calendars now for this extraordinary, unforgettable dance extravaganza!

Say It With Firecrackers!

Champion Dancers

By Marina Tarsinov, New York Eastside Studio Owner

The greatest assets of our studios are the incredible people working within the Fred Astaire system. They are the talent, the face, the moving force which make us successful throughout the years and which calls for our
respect, appreciation, and admiration. With much pride and gratitude today, we would like to put in the spotlight two great dancers who strive for perfection and reach new heights in their dance careers and in their teaching talents every single day.

RADOSTINA GEROVA and PLAMEN DANAILOV are 5 times Bulgarian Professional International Latin Champions, Rising Star US Open Finalists, Rising Star International Finalists, Rising Star Blackpool Finalists, UK 10 dance Championship Runners Up. They are also the current Fred Astaire International Latin Champions and finalists in many major US and European Championships.

Prior to their arrival in the United States, Radostina and Plamen, who are originally from Bulgaria, were top rated Amateur competitors and Champions in both International Standard and Latin. They competed with their previous partners at many National, European and World Amateur Events and went on to win numerous prestigious titles.

Radostina (Tina) joined the New York East Side Fred Astaire Dance Studio in 2000, and has been one of our most successful and sought after teachers ever since. Her incredible talent to inspire and bring the best out
of our students has earned well deserved respect and recognition for her work.

Tina and Plamen currently have a very active competitive and performance career, competing in all major US and International Championships and often being invited as featured performers at various DanceSport
and charity events.

They have five special show numbers, choreographed by Taliat Tarsinov, all of them with themes or dedicated to the most famous Broadway shows or the greatest movies. They dance the Cha-Cha to music from “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” and the Rumba to a theme from the movie “Dream Girls.” Their Paso Doble music comes from the soundtrack of the movie “Chocolate.” The show dance routine which Tina and Plamen danced at the World Show Dance Championship in May of this year is choreographed in the original style of Bob Fosse.

We all wish them luck at this and all upcoming events. Radostina Gerova and Plamen Danailov are fabulous performers, who have their unique voices in our industry today.

Successful Pilot Program for Dance in Schools

In the United Kingdom, the Aldridge Foundation, an educational charity, has funded a pilot dance course in 29 schools across the country. The Essentially Dance project trained school staff to teach ballroom dance to students of all ages and abilities, and dance lessons were included as part of schools' Physical Education programs. The recently published evaluation report detailed how successful the program was. Some of the benefits of this program were:

- Students were provided with new learning opportunities.

- Students demonstrated a wider interest in more physical activity.

- Dancing in the schools improved students' communication skills, self confidence, and self esteem.

- Teamwork was encouraged and developed.

- Overall, the health fitness of the children involved improved considerably.

In a time when it's hard to get kids off the couch or detached from their iPod, ballroom dance is the answer! For more information on the Essentially Dance project, visit http://www.essentiallydance.com/.

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Swing Dancing

Want to spot the Swing dancers on the dance floor? Look for the couples with the biggest smiles on their faces. Swing dancing, a truly American phenomenon, is lively, fast-paced, and athletic. Characterized by lifts, spins, and flips, dancers maintain a low stance and loose-legged posture. Swing dances allow couples to easily add their personal style and expression to their dancing.

With fewer rules than other formalized ballroom dances, Swing dancing has become one of the most popular forms of social dance in the United States.

Some different Swing dances include:

Lindy Hop - The original Swing Dance, the joyful Lindy Hop is known for its acrobatic air steps, swivels, kicks, rhythmic footwork, and lively turns. The Lindy Hop began as a blend of West African dance movements with European social dancing and is now open to inspiration and new steps.

West Coast Swing - Originally derived from the Lindy Hop, the West Coast Swing is a smooth, laid-back dance that encourages individuality. It is the official dance for the state of California. Dancers of the West Coast Swing perform in a "slot" on the dance floor where the man dances in place while the woman travels back and forth.

East Coast Swing - This quick, 6 count, triple step dance involves small and light steps. The East Coast Swing is performed in a circular, rotating motion with many wraps, tunnels, and turns. It brings back the feeling of the 1950s.

Blind Students Have Fun On The Dance Floor

News from Panama City, FL

The Independence for the Blind of Northwest Florida holds a summer transition program each year for their students. This program is designed to encourage high school graduates with visual impairments to become more independent.

For participants in this summer's program, the activities range from learning how to cook & hiking to meeting mayors. Another activity on their agenda was dancing. With lessons three times a week at the local Fred Astaire Dance studio, the students really had some fun as they learned the Tango, Rumba, Waltz, and Swing.

"We just love these kids," said studio owner Belen Price in a recent news article, "I feel that this relationship will last forever."

The lessons were also helpful for the instructors since they had to figure out how to explain the dances without relying on visual cues and demonstrations.

Lose To Win!

"No more feeling bad about yourself," the host of Dance Your Ass Off Marissa Jaret Winokur said during the season premiere of Dance Your Ass Off, "It's time to feel good."

The Oxygen Channel's new dance-diet reality TV show highlights 12 overweight people as they combine dance training, exercise, nutritional, and medical counseling. In a kind of Dancing With The Stars meets The Biggest Loser, each contestant is paired with a professional dance partner who trains with them for weekly stage performances in all different styles - from Hip Hop, to Ballroom and even Pole Dancing! The contestants are judged on their dance performance and that score is added to the percentage of body weight they lost that week to determine who is sent home.

The judges are Mayte Garcia, a famous dancer and singer, best known as the former wife of pop star, Prince. Garcia’s exceptional choreography skills span a variety of dance styles, including hip hop, salsa and freestyle; Lisa Ann Walter, an American actress, comedienne, writer, and film producer. Lisa is well known for her performance in Shall We Dance opposite Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez; Danny Teason, dancer and choreographer for Grammy® Award-winning artists such as Kylie Minogue, Diana Ross, Robbie Williams and Tom Jones.

Tune in on Mondays, 10/9c

Dancing With The Stars - New Pro!

The line-up for the next season of Dancing With The Stars hasn’t been announced yet but we do know of one dancer who will be on the new show: Twenty-one year old Anna Demidova won last season’s Pro Dancer Competition for the fall 2009 series.

A shining star in the dance world, Russian-American Anna was six years old when she started to dance. She won the Ireland Open Championship and the British Open Junior Ballroom Championship when she was 15 years old. With her dancing partner Andrei Begunov, she became the US Youth Champion in 2005-2006. At the World Championships, she made it to the finals, representing the U.S. In the Yyouth category, they won the BYU Championship, the Tri State Challenge, the King’s Ball, and the Ohio Star Ball. With her new partner Igor Mikushov, she has won many more championships, such as the Emerald Ball, the San Francisco Open, the Ohio Star Ball, and Manhattan Dancesport Championship. Demidova and Miushov made it to the finals in the Blackpool Under 21 Ballroom Championships.

Anna is definitely qualified to be a great addition to the show. The only question is ...who will be her partner?!?

America's Most Prestigious Competition!

The United States Dance Championships is being held on September 8-12, 2009 at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando (Orlando, Florida). A minimum of $180,000 in cash, medallions, and trophies will be awarded.

Both amateur and professional couples from over 30 countries will dance at the USDC in an elegant and exciting atmosphere. Each year, the professional US Champions are chosen at the USDC. Dancing With The Stars celebrity dancer and longtime Fred Astaire Dance Studios associate Tony Dovolani was the U.S. National Professional Rhythm Champion (2005-2006).

Final deadline for entries is August 8, 2009. Go to http://www.unitedstatesdancechampionships.com/ for more information.

The couple that sways together, stays together

From the Daily Mail Online (UK):

Vanessa Lloyd Platt, the TV divorce lawyer whose own divorce proceedings culminated in her arrest, has taken a break from advising couples in her £325-an-hour legal sessions to share with troubled couples her theories on saving their marriages.

In a move that can surely only mean a smart drop off in business for Ms Lloyd Platt, she is recommending that her clients try ballroom dancing lessons before insisting on going ahead with costly and painful marriage break-ups.

'Dancing is a lot cheaper than coming to me,' she said. 'Dance lessons are about £50 an hour; my fee is £285 plus VAT.'

Ms Lloyd Platt, 54, a regular on the GMTV sofa offering marriage advice, has learned to ballroom dance since the breakdown of her marriage, and claims the hobby has changed her life.

While her marriage was falling apart, the divorcee was filming a documentary, London Tango, which premieres at the Notting Hill Film Festival next month.

In the film, Ms Lloyd Platt learns to foxtrot and waltz alongside Strictly Come Dancing star Ian Waite.

'This film is about what dance can do to totally change your life. If people going through divorce or relationship breakdown learned to dance, I believe this country could completely turn around,' she counsels.

'I have actually said to my clients if there is any possibility of a resolution with your partner, why don't you attempt to resurrect the relationship by dancing?'

Lloyd Platt would have done well to heed her own advice last year when she divorced from husband of 16 years, accountant Daniel Lloyd Platt.

Despite encouraging her clients to pursue amicable conclusions to their splits, Lloyd Platt's own marriage ended acrimoniously, with Ms Lloyd Platt arrested for attempting to pervert the course of justice, although she was never charged and allegations were dropped.

Amid further allegations that her estranged husband was variously trying to poison her or had tampered with her brakes, Ms Lloyd Platt's divorce became a vituperative battle.

'I have suddenly found myself through dance in the middle of all this furore,' said Ms Lloyd Platt.

And while she may not practise what she preaches in the divorce court, when it comes to her new relationship, she is certainly behind her own theory that couples who sway together, stay together.

Since the divorce, Ms Lloyd Platt has got herself a new partner, entrepreneur Stewart Moss, 58, with whom she regularly takes dance classes.

'Stewart appears in the film dancing with me. We need to take more lessons together,' she confessed.

'Our goal is to go to Argentina and learn the tango out there.'

This idea really amused me. Years ago when my husband and I were still boyfriend / girlfriend, and in the days when I actually still paid attention to silly people like this woman, I persuaded my other half to go to a ballroom dancing class with me at university. Within fifteen minutes he was accusing me of being clumsy and having no co-ordination; I was snapping back at him for doing everything wrong; and we ended up having a massive argument, storming out and very nearly split up over it. Needless to say we never went again. Since we've now been together 18 years and are very happy, there was no harm done. But ballroom dancing is, ironically, the very last thing I would recommend to anyone on the verge of splitting up!

FAT to fit: Not so tiny dancer

From wickedlocal.com (Hanover, MA):

By Dana Forsythe

This week, I had my first dance lesson ever.

But first, a little background. In 6th grade, we had a school dance. I vividly remember sitting on a heater along the outskirts of the cafeteria floor. As couples congregated towards the center of the floor in pairs, dancing to such hits as "Jump Around," "Whoomp! There It Is" and "Rump Shaker" I held close to the sidelines.

Since then I've danced only a handful of times. At weddings, I avoid dancing like it's my job. Even at clubs or bars, I've never been a fan of getting up and showing off my moves. Side note: my moves consist of swaying, doing a horrible running man and nodding my head.

This has always made me feel incredibly self-conscious and enormously aware of my lack of rhythm. Truthfully, when I get out on the dance floor it’s like Donkey Kong trying to dance. I'm not talking about Super Nintendo Donkey Kong either; we're talking 8-bit, throwing-barrels-at-Mario Donkey Kong. You know that back and forth, awkward stomp.

In a move to remedy that, I headed over to Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Hanover last week. Douglas and Christine Banks, the owners of the studio, were nice enough to accommodate me this week as I brought my own brand of dancing into their lives. Christine even played the part of my dance partner.

I’m pretty sure I won’t be doing the foxtrot or meringue anytime soon, since I was tripping over my own feet half of the time, but it was really cool to learn something new and get out of my own head.

Both Mary Beth, one my instructors, and Doug laughed at me for wearing flip-flops on Friday. Despite telling me specifically to wear some sort of shoe, I went ahead and forgot all that and showed up with the worst footwear you could bring to a dance class.

As I’ve mentioned before, dancing holds a certain stigma for me. But, during the class, I just let go. For the instructors and the Banks,’ they see this kind of thing all the time.

“We get it all the time,” Doug Banks said. “People are very nervous when they see a room full of people dancing, and they immediately say ‘I can’t do that, I’m going to be the worst student you’ve ever had’.”

One thing they did say stuck out to me.

When I asked them what they liked about dancing, Doug replied that it allows him to enjoy and express what he loves about music.

“When you get to a club, or just hear anything you like you can get up and dance instead of just swaying back and forth,” he said.

On Saturday night, I got to put that idea into practice.

Although I attended the American Craft Beer Fest this weekend, I think I may have burned off all the calories I took in with just one night of dancing. Yes, I said dancing.

The band was Rubblebucket, and they absolutely ruined the stage at Harper’s Ferry in Boston. (That means they played great)

By chance a friend of mine had proposed going to the show after the beer fest and since I had nothing to do afterward, I said I might tag along. We got there around 10 p.m., just in time to see the Jamaica Plain-based band set up. Within five minutes, with saxophone, trumpet and trombone blaring, they erupted on the stage.

The best I can describe the music was manically happy and tribal. It had hints of electronic music like Bjork and Portishead, but the overall roots were in afro beat and funk. Along with my former Mission Hill roommate, several of the neighborhood peoples were at the Rubblebucket show.

While I’d like to think I danced my rear off this weekend, I know it wasn’t anywhere near how hard my friends danced. But, it’s not how good you are or how silly you look when you get out there.

I was reminded of that this weekend. It’s about how much fun you’re having and how the music makes you feel.

This kid I used to know, Andrew Fleming, was a roommate of mine when I was living in New Hampshire many winters ago. Fleming is a special dude. He has the uncanny ability to see any situation for the potential fun that can be had.

No matter how many people he knew or didn’t know, he would enter any social situation and immediately be the spark to start the fire.

A year before we lived in New Hampshire, he was at a party in Manchester.
As the night went on a few friends began noticing him dancing, and there was also a steady stream of young women trying to join him.

“He was literally boxing these girls,” I remembered fellow friend Josh Drumm saying the day after. Apparently, Fleming feeling a bit tipsy and just enjoying the music, was doing his best Sugar Ray Leonard impression, shadow boxing his dance partners.

He never once hit anyone, but the facial impressions on his would-be dancing partners were priceless. After a minute of trying to dance with Fleming, their faces would turn from a ‘this guy is pretty funny’ smile to a ‘is this guy serious?’ nervous tick.

The whole point though, is he was oblivious to all of it. He was having fun, just enjoying the music and being Fleming.

It’s something I remember anytime I feel the need to get up and dance.
To let go, accept your faults and just do something outside of your comfort zone is the only way to tackle things like this. It was clear I was going to mess up a bunch and most likely look like a stiff taking dancing lessons and then again on Saturday night, but at least I finally got off that heating vent.

On Wednesday, June 24, of this week, Driton "Tony" Dovolani will be at Fred Astaire’s to teach private lessons and hold an introduction to ballroom dancing class. Dovolani, came in third this year with scorned bachelorette Melissa Rycroft.

Football to ballroom: Boys can dance too

From the jakartapost.com:

Girls learning to dance is common, but not so for boys, who often prefer a muddy game of football or a few martial arts bruises to the sequins and glitz of the ballroom.

And that sentiment is found even among current world champions. Despite now being world-class dancers, Azerbaijan's Eldgar Dzhafarov, and Siberian-born Hong Kong representative Alexander "hated dance" as boys.
"We had extra subjects at school. I was 12 years old at the time. We had a choice of karate or dance. Of course I preferred karate so I joined that club. Only problem was I kept getting beaten up. In the end, my school advised my parents to place me in the dancing club," says world-class amateur dancer Dzhafarov.

"I hated dancing and I didn't like the partner they first gave me. But there was one girl I really liked in the club. I made a deal - if they gave me that girl I would stay and learn to dance. So I began just to get the girl," laughs Dzhafarov, who has made a career of high kicks over karate.

For Slovenia's Domen Krapez it was Patrick Swayze and the opening up of his country's post-USSR breakup that opened the window to dance.

"I started dance at eight years of age as an extracurricular activity at school. A film about dance had been made in Slovenia and the dance school was involved in the film," said Krapez.

"That was the time Dirty Dancing came out in Slovenia and everyone wanted to learn. Dirty Dancing was really big and also we had Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films on television twice a week."

For Siberian-born Alexander who represents Hong Kong, football was his preference, but his physique was that of a dancer.

"My dad wanted me to be a ballet dancer. I hated dance - I wanted to play football - well anything other than dance would have been fine with me," he said.

"I didn't like dancing with girls at all. But I was tall and slim, so my dad thought I would be good at ballet. There was a dance studio nearby and I had to wait to get into ballet. The dance school said they had a girl needing a partner so I should try ballroom first."

Ballroom paid off and despite his early loathing of dance, Alexander today is a world-class professional and second-place Blackpool professional Rising Star. He will represent Hong Kong in the Professional World Cup in China next month.

And for 18-year-olds Ghaith Mustofa and Wafer Hussein - young Iraqi refugees waiting in Indonesia for a country to accept them - dance has given them a reason to get up in the morning.

"As refugees we are not allowed to work, to study, to do anything. Learning to dance has given us a reason to get up each day," said Wafer, who like Ghaith grew up during decades of war with interrupted access to formal education.

Dance could end up offering these young refugees, like the world-class dancers who inspire them, unexpected career choices in a future currently on hold.

Remembering Michael Jackson

We were sad to learn news of Michael Jackson's untimely death. Fred Astaire and Michael were long time fans of one another. In fact, Michael Jackson dedicated his autobiography "Moon Walk" to Fred Astaire.

My Golden Dancers

Joy, Hope and Faith

By Elita Clayman

My dad many years ago, before I was born had some money. He bought some stock with a name on it that appealed to him emotionally. He let it sit in the safety deposit box and when I married Jerry, he told Jerry he still had the paper all these many years later. We checked it out and it had changed names and through the years had multiplied and was worth in the 1960’s about sixty thousand dollars. Dad had probably paid about several hundred dollars for it because he liked the name of the company.

So when it was finally cashed in about 1960, he had passed away and Mom had some extra security that she had only become aware of then. Names mean different things to various people. Parents name their children a name that they like. Many children do not like their given name and ask mom and dad, why did you name me that?

I have an unusual first name and I disliked it until I was eighteen. Then a magical thing occurred and all of a sudden I loved it. I could call up on the phone and say this is Elita, not even giving a last name. I could sign a register at an office and say Elita and no last name. I vowed that I would name my children regular names as I called them. So I did.

Jewish people name their newborns the name of a deceased loved one. If you had a grandmother named Sarah and you had a baby girl, you could name it Sarah or Sharon or Sophie or Sally. The reason behind it was to have the deceased finally rest in peace because they were remembered. We also give the child a Hebrew name which was the deceased’s name. For instance, Sarah in Hebrew would be Sura, so the child is Sarah in English and Sura in Hebrew. The Hebrew name is used for certain occasions like birth, confirmation, marriage and death. Then the Hebrew name along with the English name is recited etc.

Now days, the young folks will name their child Sura in Hebrew but in English they will name her Ashley or Courtney or Madeleine. They do not stick with the same initial as they did in my time. So names change and customs change and attitudes change. However, the meaning is the same, still naming after a beloved and deceased person. You hope that the new baby will be the same kind of person as was named for, good, dear and smart. You would never name the child after a relative or friend that you detested.

My mother’s brother and his wife had a baby girl and the day before she was born, my uncle lost his sister. So the daughter was named after the father’s sister who had died the day before. Her name was Elizabeth and so the baby girl became Elizabeth but they tacked on the name of a relative who had lived to be ninety as the second name- Lois. The reason being that the first Elizabeth, the sister had died at an early age of thirty-eight and the new parents wanted to insure that their Elizabeth lived the long life of the second relative Lois.

When we ballroom dance, we learn the names of the dances. Some of the dances have sweet names and other dances have stronger names. The Paso Doble really sounds quite Spanish and elicits the feeling in you that you are in Spain and you are performing before the crowds and though there is no bull there, one can conjure up the bull’s photo in their mind. The Rumba signifies the romance of this Latin time and makes one feel a bit sexy.
The Bolero sounds like a piece of clothing, but it is not. The Bolero is a form of the Rumba and it also can be very sexy. The Waltz is something that one thinks of as doing at a wedding as a first dance. Ballroom dancers know that waltzes are a really neat and lovely dance to do especially with someone you care about. The Swing makes one feel young again especially if your age is seniordom. The Cha Cha evokes memories of having fun and movement and exercise. TheTango is known as a dance of love and controlled movement and very theatrical. My husband and I way back in the early eighties were advocates of the Hustle. We would go to the Hustle night spots and dance all evening non stop and only sitting down for a light dinner or a drink. I wonder how we lasted dancing non stop though of course we were forty years younger at that time.

Did you ever wonder if the dance steps in the Hustle had been called the Waltz, how we would react to a dance called that with the energetic steps of the Hustle? Suppose the Cha Cha had been called the Foxtrot, how our bodies would be moving at that pace. If the Foxtrot had been called the Paso, would it have been as fiery?

So names evoke, stimulate, arouse and waken thoughts in our minds and bodies. Girls with male names (which are somewhat popular now) must have a hard time trying to be feminine. Girls named Sydney stir up masculine thoughts in my mind. I knew a man named Sydney in my working days and he was a wimp and or a nerd. He was nice and polite but if I meet a girl named Sydney, I see him. Of course, that is silly, but true. Doctors cannot have wimpy names because the patient will react negatively to him.

A doctor I knew many years ago had a rhyming name. His mom thought it funny to give him a name like Terry Rerry. His name was called over the intercom at the hospital, patients and medical personnel always smiled. He was a great doctor but his name created fun and snickers. I had an endodontist, a dentist specializing in root canals and his name was Dr. Brave. A nice name for him because people are not feeling too brave when attempting a procedure like root canal work.

Names can affect how we dress. If we have a masculine name and we are female, perhaps we think of our self as not so girly or womanly. If we have a meek name, we may appear in our mind as meek when we really are strong. The same thing happens when we dance. If our teacher, by chance says ‘today you are really dancing like Ginger’ we all of a sudden become Ginger and our shoulders react and our feet fall into place and we float off and down the floor. If our teacher says ‘today, you are really dancing like a wallflower’ then we become that wallflower.

The cardiologist getting ready to examine my heart and lungs and etc, said “come on over here beautiful.” At that moment I became beautiful because he had said it. Of course, I am, but so what? The significance of that remark fired into my mind a minute of beauty. Even if I had not looked good that day, I would have thought I looked good. All because a semi stranger, a medical person who himself is quite good looking said that word.

So names and words can beautify our lives whether we are seniors, children, young adults or really elderly. Words electrify and have been known to start wars. We should all learn to use our vocabulary to instill sweetness, goodness, happiness and joy. Whatever our given names are, we do not have to like it but we can make it a word of happiness. My firstborn’s middle name is Joy. That to us she has always been. If her second name had been Faith or Hope, that she would have been. If her name had been something other, I am sure she would have still been Joy. So always remember that someone’s name may evoke something in you and even if it is not lovely, still look at the person as if their name was Faith or Hope or Joy. Then it will be ours because we will have in our heart-faith, hope, joy and goodness.

The new singing sensation from England Susan Boyle was thought to be quite plain and frumpy by the judges as she came out on the stage for the talent contest there recently. They even kind of sneered at her until she opened her mouth and the most melodious and beautiful voice came out. Their sneers turned to admiration as to her talent and she placed second in the final days of the contest. A good lesson to learn from that is not to judge people by their clothes, hair, nails or even if they have a turkey neck. Judge them by their deeds and accomplishments. Susan Boyle is a wonderful example of feelings we should have in relationship to people’s looks and to give them a chance to show us their delightful achievement.

When I was about seventeen I went to audition to become a teenage model for a part time job in a very nice department store. When I got there, I thought lo and behold I will never win the coveted place because I saw there a girl from my high school who I always thought had the cutest nose. So right away I thought she would win even though my ‘figure’ was as slim as hers. Neither of us won but a few months later I became a teenage fashion model for another store and modeled clothing every Saturday morning for many months. I would go on Thursdays on the bus from high school downtown to the store called Stewarts and try on the clothes for the coming Saturday’s show. I never saw the girl with the cute nose there ever. I was chosen so her cute nose meant nothing. To me at the time it symbolized that I would lose. Lose I did not, I was a winner. We can all be winners if we have hope.

Keep on dancing and be Ginger and Fred and be filled with the joy that dancing gives to us and always have faith that we can continue dancing for many more years and hope that they will be filled with good health. Goodness will be our silent and loving and invisible name too. Joy will be ours forever and ever because we have the faith and the eternal hope. Cute noses do not matter, what matters is that we believe we have the power and the fortitude to accomplish wonderful things no matter what age we are.

Hope and Faith are really girls’ names now; we can adopt them as our ‘imaginary’ name to encourage our constant attempts to go forward. Forward and positive are other ‘imaginary’ names. As I mentioned in another article, little almost four year old Ethan, my number three grandson keeps on saying “go grammie go” when he sees me attempting the steep steps of his home when we visit. Yes, Ethan, Grammie is going and more going through her senior years and continuing on going like the Energizer bunny.

Grammie and all her senior ballroom dancers know that to keep on going is to keep on living the good and healthy life. That also applies to not yet seniors and almost seniors. We are adamant in maintaining and sustaining our time. Cicero said history is the witness of time. We are the witness in our own lives and we are determined to do so with gust and happiness.

Ballroom dancing and having fun and learning and keeping our minds active are what we are all about now at this time. No matter what age you are, you can always attempt something new and always have the hope and faith that it will all work out and be a fine activity. So as Cicero said our history of living is a good witness of the time we spend doing worthwhile activities.

Have joy, faith and hope and everything will be moving onward in your life.

Keep on dancing.

You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net