Legendary singer and dancer Michael Jackson, in a recent interview with Good Morning America, recently stated that he is "'inspired by many great artists,' noting he wished he could have worked with [Chris] Brown or Fred Astaire."
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Show Dance!
Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian won the Professional Theatre Arts Championships at the Florida State Championships. Here is a clip of one of their amazing routines:
Misty May-Treanor trades beach for ballroom
Here's the latest news from the Orange County Register on one of the new Dancing With The Stars contestants:
"Olympic beach volleyball champion Misty May-Treanor, fresh off her second straight Olympic gold medal, is setting her sights on a new trophy this fall: the mirrored disco ball that goes to the winner of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
May-Treanor, who spent her teen years in Costa Mesa and graduated from Newport Harbor High School, is one of 13 new stars revealed as part of the cast for seventh season of the show that kicks off Monday, Sept. 22.
While she won her gold medals in Beijing and Athens with volleyball partner Kerri Walsh, for "Dancing" she'll team up with professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who returns to the show for his fifth season."
Click here to read more.
Bachelorette Jen Schefft Dances At Fred Astaire Studio
Jen Schefft, the Bachelorette star, a contestant in Chicago's charity event "Dance For Babies" held this July, has a newfound respect for ballroom dancing. According to a local article published in the Arlington Heights Post by Stephanie Fosnight: "Six weeks of rehearsals later, Schefft is definitely coming down with stage fright. 'I thought it'd be easy,' she said. 'It's not.'" Click here to read more.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Hollywood Singing and Dancing
A two-disc movie, "Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History," will be released in October. The 220-minute program, produced by Great Musical Treasures, explores the progression of song and dance in film, from Busby Berkeley’s Depression-era black-and-white films to recent hits such as Dreamgirls and Chicago. Academy Award-winning performer Shirley Jones hosts the program, which features interviews with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Shirley MacLaine, Mickey Rooney, Rita Moreno, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Jane Russell, Tab Hunter, Joel Grey and directors Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) and Rob Marshall (Chicago). Click here to read more.
New Cast of Dancing With The Stars Revealed
Here's the line up for this season's Dancing With The Stars:
Lance Bass, Singer
Rocco DiSpirito, Chef
Misty May-Treanor, Olympic beach volleyball player
Maurice Greene, Olympic sprinter
Toni Braxton, Grammy-winning singer
Kim Kardashian, Reality TV star
Cody Linley, Hannah Montana co-star
Cloris Leachman, Oscar-winning actress
Ted McGinley, Actor
Brooke Burke, Actress
Jeffrey Ross, Stand-up comedian
Warren Sapp, Super Bowl champion
Susan Lucci, Soap Star
Rocco DiSpirito, Chef
Misty May-Treanor, Olympic beach volleyball player
Maurice Greene, Olympic sprinter
Toni Braxton, Grammy-winning singer
Kim Kardashian, Reality TV star
Cody Linley, Hannah Montana co-star
Cloris Leachman, Oscar-winning actress
Ted McGinley, Actor
Brooke Burke, Actress
Jeffrey Ross, Stand-up comedian
Warren Sapp, Super Bowl champion
Susan Lucci, Soap Star
Thursday, August 21, 2008
New England Region Holds Record Breaking Competition
By Karen Green, Assistant Director of the New England Region
One small region. Sixteen studios. Three sold out hotels. More than 200 competitors. Almost 6,000 entries. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Instead it went off with hardly a hitch.
On August 6-9, the New England Region held its 43rd Colonial Classic at the Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa in Groton, CT and, what is usually our smallest competition throughout the year, unexpectedly became our biggest ever. Up until this point, our “biggest ever” was November of 2007 with 5,300 entries. Many may remember the story of that competition – the hotel lost power for 3½ hours and organizers ran the competition from a generator they purchased at Home Depot!
“August is typically small for us with about 3,500 to 4,000 entries probably due to summer vacation schedules,” said Kim Haidinger, the New England Area Director. She also explained that our August comp didn’t really have a “home” until this summer. We had tried out various locations before deciding to use the Mystic Marriott, which is already host to our November competitions. “People obviously love Mystic,” Kim said. “As soon as our initial numbers came in, we realized we were over our room block and called the hotel right away.” Much to our dismay, the Marriott was sold out for our comp weekend and was unable to increase our room block. “We were referred to a Hilton about four miles away,” said Kim, “but they only had about 15 rooms they could give us.” We quickly sold out those rooms as well and had to contract for five additional rooms at a third hotel!
But, despite this last minute juggling, the competition weekend went off as planned. A highlight of the weekend included a fantastic judging panel made up of Christine Harvey-Banks, Stanley and Jennifer McCalla, Dan Rutherford, Nicole Carroll and Anastasia Abrashin. “They were so interactive and animated,” said Kim. “The students loved that kind of attention and seeing the judges move around the floor to get a good look at all the couples.” Kim also reported that having Lyall Bradshaw as the invigilator always helps maintain a high level of integrity at competitions.
The region arranged for the Paul Mitchell School of Hair Design to send stylists at no charge to do competitors’ hair and makeup. The students appreciated this free service and the energy and excitement in the foyer was contagious as dramatic makeup was applied and intricate up-dos were created.
One of the biggest hits of the weekend was the new Midnight Buffet that was offered at the conclusion of the sessions on Thursday and Friday night. We found that so many competitors and instructors wouldn’t eat dinner before dancing the evening sessions or they had eaten and they were starving after dancing all night. And, most of the time, by the time we finish, room service and the restaurants are closed. So, we arranged for what they dubbed the “comfort food buffet” to be available with pizza, a baked potato bar, chicken fingers, soup, and cookies. The participants were deliriously happy about the buffet. They were so appreciative to have something to eat at that time and they loved the choices.
The record-breaking competition concluded on Saturday night with the Grand Ball and Banquet. “I think the hotel had about an hour and a half to prepare the ballroom for the banquet,” said Kim. When everyone returned dressed to the nines, the ballroom had been transformed and the competitors, instructors, and other guests enjoyed a wonderful evening of social dancing and the presentation of awards for Top Studio, Super School, School Spirit and the Top Instructors and Top Students. The climax of the ball was the professional show with honor dances by the professional division winners and a stunning performance by champions Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed. “We were so thrilled to bring such a world-caliber couple to our region to perform,” said Kim.
So, what’s in store for the New England Region at our upcoming November competition? Traditionally our largest, how are we preparing to top 6,000 entries?
We’ve increased our room block at the hotel so we hopefully won’t have any rooming issues but, the competition is blocked in on either side by large conventions at the hotel so starting earlier or going into Sunday is not possible. “We’ve adjusted our schedule and have had to eliminate and combine some things,” explained Kim. “You never know what challenges and issues will come up with events like these,” she continued. “We just take each competition as it comes and every obstacle becomes a challenge to make every event better than the last.” And, judging by how our competitions are growing, this philosophy is working.
One small region. Sixteen studios. Three sold out hotels. More than 200 competitors. Almost 6,000 entries. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Instead it went off with hardly a hitch.
On August 6-9, the New England Region held its 43rd Colonial Classic at the Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa in Groton, CT and, what is usually our smallest competition throughout the year, unexpectedly became our biggest ever. Up until this point, our “biggest ever” was November of 2007 with 5,300 entries. Many may remember the story of that competition – the hotel lost power for 3½ hours and organizers ran the competition from a generator they purchased at Home Depot!
“August is typically small for us with about 3,500 to 4,000 entries probably due to summer vacation schedules,” said Kim Haidinger, the New England Area Director. She also explained that our August comp didn’t really have a “home” until this summer. We had tried out various locations before deciding to use the Mystic Marriott, which is already host to our November competitions. “People obviously love Mystic,” Kim said. “As soon as our initial numbers came in, we realized we were over our room block and called the hotel right away.” Much to our dismay, the Marriott was sold out for our comp weekend and was unable to increase our room block. “We were referred to a Hilton about four miles away,” said Kim, “but they only had about 15 rooms they could give us.” We quickly sold out those rooms as well and had to contract for five additional rooms at a third hotel!
But, despite this last minute juggling, the competition weekend went off as planned. A highlight of the weekend included a fantastic judging panel made up of Christine Harvey-Banks, Stanley and Jennifer McCalla, Dan Rutherford, Nicole Carroll and Anastasia Abrashin. “They were so interactive and animated,” said Kim. “The students loved that kind of attention and seeing the judges move around the floor to get a good look at all the couples.” Kim also reported that having Lyall Bradshaw as the invigilator always helps maintain a high level of integrity at competitions.
The region arranged for the Paul Mitchell School of Hair Design to send stylists at no charge to do competitors’ hair and makeup. The students appreciated this free service and the energy and excitement in the foyer was contagious as dramatic makeup was applied and intricate up-dos were created.
One of the biggest hits of the weekend was the new Midnight Buffet that was offered at the conclusion of the sessions on Thursday and Friday night. We found that so many competitors and instructors wouldn’t eat dinner before dancing the evening sessions or they had eaten and they were starving after dancing all night. And, most of the time, by the time we finish, room service and the restaurants are closed. So, we arranged for what they dubbed the “comfort food buffet” to be available with pizza, a baked potato bar, chicken fingers, soup, and cookies. The participants were deliriously happy about the buffet. They were so appreciative to have something to eat at that time and they loved the choices.
The record-breaking competition concluded on Saturday night with the Grand Ball and Banquet. “I think the hotel had about an hour and a half to prepare the ballroom for the banquet,” said Kim. When everyone returned dressed to the nines, the ballroom had been transformed and the competitors, instructors, and other guests enjoyed a wonderful evening of social dancing and the presentation of awards for Top Studio, Super School, School Spirit and the Top Instructors and Top Students. The climax of the ball was the professional show with honor dances by the professional division winners and a stunning performance by champions Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed. “We were so thrilled to bring such a world-caliber couple to our region to perform,” said Kim.
So, what’s in store for the New England Region at our upcoming November competition? Traditionally our largest, how are we preparing to top 6,000 entries?
We’ve increased our room block at the hotel so we hopefully won’t have any rooming issues but, the competition is blocked in on either side by large conventions at the hotel so starting earlier or going into Sunday is not possible. “We’ve adjusted our schedule and have had to eliminate and combine some things,” explained Kim. “You never know what challenges and issues will come up with events like these,” she continued. “We just take each competition as it comes and every obstacle becomes a challenge to make every event better than the last.” And, judging by how our competitions are growing, this philosophy is working.
In the photo below, Robin Jedlicka (left), owner of the West Springfield, Massachusetts studio and Sergh Aliev, instructor at the Hamden, Connecticut studio and Elmar Schmidt from the Norwalk, Connecticut studio compete with their students:
Dance Lessons For Children
According to a recent article in The Windsor Star published on www.canada.com, there are many benefits to signing up children for ballroom dance lessons. Through dance, children can develop "poise, agility, strength, and coordination."
The article goes on to state:
"And perhaps best of all, dance provides an avenue for children to unfold and expand their creativity.
"Dance is a creative endeavour," says Cindy Pattison-Rivard, artistic director at Nancy Pattison's Dance World. "Even though it's often labeled an art, it's also very much a sport - it's a very intense, yet very fun, form of exercise, offered in a safe, healthy environment."
Pattison explains that dance teaches children proper posture and head and body alignment, all while encouraging a healthy dose of self-esteem and grace. "Dance lessons teach kids respect... it also teaches them discipline, the confidence to set goals."
Dancing, for kids of all ages (and adults too), has been proven to reduce stress, manage weight and increase energy levels, as well as muscle tone. It's also the perfect partner to any sport.
"Dance and sports go hand in hand," says Pattison. "Gymnasts, figure skaters, football players - they all take dance, to increase agility and flexibility. Watching the Olympics this year, it's obvious divers have had to train in some form of dance too."
While dancing can certainly be a very individual sport, Pattison feels that dancers share a sense of community and a genuine love for the arts. So for children who may be shy or withdrawn, dance allows them to find confidence, on and off the dance floor.
"It can be recreational and it can be competitive. And as with any sort of routine activity, it teaches them life lessons - so even if they never grow up to be a competitor on So You Think You Can Dance, they'll have fun and they'll be challenged.""
Click here to read the full text of this article by Anna Cabrera Cristofaro.
The article goes on to state:
"And perhaps best of all, dance provides an avenue for children to unfold and expand their creativity.
"Dance is a creative endeavour," says Cindy Pattison-Rivard, artistic director at Nancy Pattison's Dance World. "Even though it's often labeled an art, it's also very much a sport - it's a very intense, yet very fun, form of exercise, offered in a safe, healthy environment."
Pattison explains that dance teaches children proper posture and head and body alignment, all while encouraging a healthy dose of self-esteem and grace. "Dance lessons teach kids respect... it also teaches them discipline, the confidence to set goals."
Dancing, for kids of all ages (and adults too), has been proven to reduce stress, manage weight and increase energy levels, as well as muscle tone. It's also the perfect partner to any sport.
"Dance and sports go hand in hand," says Pattison. "Gymnasts, figure skaters, football players - they all take dance, to increase agility and flexibility. Watching the Olympics this year, it's obvious divers have had to train in some form of dance too."
While dancing can certainly be a very individual sport, Pattison feels that dancers share a sense of community and a genuine love for the arts. So for children who may be shy or withdrawn, dance allows them to find confidence, on and off the dance floor.
"It can be recreational and it can be competitive. And as with any sort of routine activity, it teaches them life lessons - so even if they never grow up to be a competitor on So You Think You Can Dance, they'll have fun and they'll be challenged.""
Click here to read the full text of this article by Anna Cabrera Cristofaro.
Get Ready For USDC
The most prestigious competition in the United States, the United States Dance Championships, will be held on September 2-6 in Orlando, Florida at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando where amateur and professional competitors from over 30 countries will dance for four major World Championships and a further seven US titles.
Several members of the Fred Astaire National Dance Board will be judging the event. Fred Astaire winners in last year’s competition included Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina (4th place in Professional Latin), Jonah Schneider and Lindsey Rutherford (3rd place in Professional Rising Star Rhythm), Greg Fidurski and Gabriela Jileva (2nd place in Professional Rising Star Standard), Victor Luna and Dawn Westberry (3rd place in Professional Theatrical Dance – Bolero), Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian (1st place in Professional Cabaret), Jesse Benedetti and Kimalee Piedad (2nd place in Professional Cabaret), and Mikhail Zharinov and Galina Detkina (4th place in Professional Cabaret).
This year’s competition will also include a special meeting of American professional dancers with the WDC (World Dance Council). All American professionals affiliated with the WDC will meet during a short forum with the President of the WDC, Mr. Donnie Burns, during the WDC Presidium. This is a great opportunity for the WDC to communicate directly with professional dancers. The exact time and location will be clearly posted at the event.
Top professionals will be competing at this exciting event. Be there to cheer them on!
Jerry Rice Talks About Dancing With The Stars
Access Hollywood reports:
”Dancing With The Stars” is famous for scoring big athletes, but this time the ABC show may be getting more than it bargained for.
“They’re really going after a big one this time,” ”DWTS” Season 2 finalist Jerry Rice told Access Hollywood‘s Billy Bush in an interview for “The Billy Bush Show.” “I think it’s Warren Sapp.”
The retired NFL defensive back weighed in at 285 pounds a year ago, according to USA Today, but Rice says Sapp will slim down for the dance floor.
”You’re probably going to see him trim down, lose some weight,” he said. “I know Warren, Warren is very competitive so he’s going to give it 100%.”
Rice told Billy that he’s still using the moves he learned on “DWTS,” showing them off at a recent charity event in Napa.
”We went through some moves, we did some ballroom stuff, we did some Latin stuff,” he said.
Click here to view a full copy of the article.
”Dancing With The Stars” is famous for scoring big athletes, but this time the ABC show may be getting more than it bargained for.
“They’re really going after a big one this time,” ”DWTS” Season 2 finalist Jerry Rice told Access Hollywood‘s Billy Bush in an interview for “The Billy Bush Show.” “I think it’s Warren Sapp.”
The retired NFL defensive back weighed in at 285 pounds a year ago, according to USA Today, but Rice says Sapp will slim down for the dance floor.
”You’re probably going to see him trim down, lose some weight,” he said. “I know Warren, Warren is very competitive so he’s going to give it 100%.”
Rice told Billy that he’s still using the moves he learned on “DWTS,” showing them off at a recent charity event in Napa.
”We went through some moves, we did some ballroom stuff, we did some Latin stuff,” he said.
Click here to view a full copy of the article.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Did You Know?
George Balanchine, one of the 20th century's foremost choreographers, a pioneer of ballet in the United States, and co-founder of the New York City Ballet, once said this about Mr. Fred Astaire:
"I will tell you something that maybe will make you laugh. It should not. I am serious. The male dancer I like to watch, really the only one I like to watch, is an American -- Fred Astaire. He is the most interesting, the most inventive, the most elegant dancer of our times. I don't mean classical, of course, but dancing; he's so good at it that he ought to have a statue. I mean that absolutely. ... He is like Bach, who in his time had a great concentration of ability, essence, knowledge, a spread of music. Astaire has that same concentration of genius; there is so much of the dance in him that it has been distilled."
"I will tell you something that maybe will make you laugh. It should not. I am serious. The male dancer I like to watch, really the only one I like to watch, is an American -- Fred Astaire. He is the most interesting, the most inventive, the most elegant dancer of our times. I don't mean classical, of course, but dancing; he's so good at it that he ought to have a statue. I mean that absolutely. ... He is like Bach, who in his time had a great concentration of ability, essence, knowledge, a spread of music. Astaire has that same concentration of genius; there is so much of the dance in him that it has been distilled."
Ballroom To Barbell?
Weight lifting and ballroom dancing? Not something you'd normally think of together but according to a recent Reuters wire service story, some Olympic weightlifters "...like to emphasize that strategic finesse and delicate maneuvering are just as important as a tank-like torso in the battle for gold."..."German Julia Rohde, who competed in the 53kg class, was a competitive ballroom dancer before turning to weightlifting..."
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
New Book About Fred Astaire Coming Soon
Joseph Epstein's soon-to-be-released biography of Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire (Icons of America) explores Astaire's dancing talent, including the story of his life, his personality, his work habits, and his many accomplishments. The book discusses his early life with his sister, Adele, his gifts as a singer, and his many movie dance partners, including Cyd Charisse, Rita Hayworth, Eleanor Powell, and Betty Hutton. One chapter is devoted to Astaire's partnership with Ginger Rogers. According to Amazon, "What emerges from these pages is a fascinating view of an American era, seen through the accomplishments of Fred Astaire, an unassuming but uncompromising performer who transformed entertainment into art and gave America a new yet enduring standard for style."
Fred Astaire Owner In Off-Broadway Show
Kelly Gilmore, the owner of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Staten Island, NY, will appear in an Off-Broadway theatrical production of the classic American play, "Ten Nights in a Barroom" at the Bank Street Theatre in lower Manhattan from August 14-28. Gilmore has worked with celebs like Dustin Hoffman, Marlo Thomas, Bill Cosby, and Jennifer Grey, who he coached for Dirty Dancing.
Hip-Hop Dance Champion Admires Astaire
Joshua Allen is the hip-hop, mostly untrained, dancer who just won the So You Think You Can Dance championship on August 7th. Among dancers he admires, Joshua lists Mikhail Baryshnikov and Fred Astaire!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
New Studios!
New Fred Astaire Dance Studios are opening up around the country every month. New studios recently opened in these areas:
Charlotte, NC
Del Ray Beach, FL
San Diego, CA
Oceanside, CA
Huntington, NY
Click here for a studio directory to find other studios in your area.
Charlotte, NC
Del Ray Beach, FL
San Diego, CA
Oceanside, CA
Huntington, NY
Click here for a studio directory to find other studios in your area.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Beijing's Other Games: Dancing In The Park
NPR's All Things Considered reported on an unofficial "sport" going on this week during the Olympics. Every morning, thousands of people engage in their own brand of exercise: they dance. Here are some excerpts from the NPR article:
"At 7:30 a.m. in Red Scarf Park, it's time for Latin dance. Three hundred older Chinese are gliding across a polished stone floor in an outdoor pavilion.
The men wear pressed pants, and women twirl in pleated skirts. They do the tango, the Viennese waltz — even the jitterbug.
"I like dancing, I like music," says 52-year-old Ko Fengling, a regular. "I like it from the bottom of my heart. This way of working out is quite good. You can entertain yourself while you exercise."
Ko is retired from a clothing dye factory. Her dance partner is a former co-worker, Meng Xinghong, who seems shy.
When asked what draws him here, he takes the question the wrong way: He quickly points out that his relationship with his partner does not go beyond the dance floor.
"Working out has [a] lot of benefits," Meng says. "There's nothing else. I just like dancing."
Social Freedom With Dance
Fan Delong, who used to work in the Daqing Oil Fields in northeast China, enjoys the social freedom of dancing in the park. After retiring several years ago, he has come here every day in warm weather.
"There's no fixed partner," Fan says. "You can just look around whenever you come. When I invite people, if the person thinks I dance well, she'll accept my invitation. If she doesn't, I don't care. I can ask someone else."
And Fan — a lanky man who wears a baseball cap — says there are advantages to not dancing with your spouse.
"If you dance with your own people, there are more problems," Fan says. "If you make a wrong move and your wife says, 'You've stepped on my foot,' you have no other choice [but] to put up with it."
Beijingers have been ballroom dancing in parks for decades, but there was a time when they didn't. During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, the government banned things it saw as foreign and bourgeois.
Lin Sunrong, who used to work as an interpreter for Chinese diplomats, describes that chaotic period in a diplomatic light.
"You could dance during the Cultural Revolution, but we didn't dance like the way we do today," Lin says. "It was revolutionary dance.""
"At 7:30 a.m. in Red Scarf Park, it's time for Latin dance. Three hundred older Chinese are gliding across a polished stone floor in an outdoor pavilion.
The men wear pressed pants, and women twirl in pleated skirts. They do the tango, the Viennese waltz — even the jitterbug.
"I like dancing, I like music," says 52-year-old Ko Fengling, a regular. "I like it from the bottom of my heart. This way of working out is quite good. You can entertain yourself while you exercise."
Ko is retired from a clothing dye factory. Her dance partner is a former co-worker, Meng Xinghong, who seems shy.
When asked what draws him here, he takes the question the wrong way: He quickly points out that his relationship with his partner does not go beyond the dance floor.
"Working out has [a] lot of benefits," Meng says. "There's nothing else. I just like dancing."
Social Freedom With Dance
Fan Delong, who used to work in the Daqing Oil Fields in northeast China, enjoys the social freedom of dancing in the park. After retiring several years ago, he has come here every day in warm weather.
"There's no fixed partner," Fan says. "You can just look around whenever you come. When I invite people, if the person thinks I dance well, she'll accept my invitation. If she doesn't, I don't care. I can ask someone else."
And Fan — a lanky man who wears a baseball cap — says there are advantages to not dancing with your spouse.
"If you dance with your own people, there are more problems," Fan says. "If you make a wrong move and your wife says, 'You've stepped on my foot,' you have no other choice [but] to put up with it."
Beijingers have been ballroom dancing in parks for decades, but there was a time when they didn't. During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, the government banned things it saw as foreign and bourgeois.
Lin Sunrong, who used to work as an interpreter for Chinese diplomats, describes that chaotic period in a diplomatic light.
"You could dance during the Cultural Revolution, but we didn't dance like the way we do today," Lin says. "It was revolutionary dance.""
Ballroom Dancing Is For Everyone
In a recent local ABC show in Syracuse, NY, Tony Dovolani was interviewed about his latest experience on the last season of Dancing With The Stars. Click here to read more.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Guess Who?
Tom Selleck is the next rumored celebrity to star on this fall's season of Dancing With The Stars!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Fred Astaire Comes To San Diego
With a new studio in San Diego and another one opening up in nearby Oceanside, Mr. Joey Fusina is putting Fred Astaire on the map in Southern California!
A perfect combination of white sandy beaches, a bustling metropolis, and a stunning coastline, San Diego County is a great place to live. Now Southern Californians - looking for exercise and a healthy alternative to hitting the nightlife - can turn to Fusina’s Fred Astaire studio for excitement and fun as they learn how to dance.
Fusina has had a successful career in the dance business for the past thirteen years. He recently joined the Fred Astaire association because he “likes the vision that Fred’s has” and truly believes in the company's mission.
Fusina is a Southern California native, born in Thousand Oaks, CA. Catching the dancing bug as early as 5th grade when he was part of the cotillion, he went on to compete as a member of an amateur formation dance team as a teenager. When he was in college at Sonoma State University, he was looking for a part-time job and answered an ad for a training class at a dance studio. From that moment on, he was hooked. Originally interested in becoming a Broadway actor, dancing fulfilled his dream to perform. A short two years later, when he was only twenty years old, he bought his first studio. Not only was he the youngest studio owner, he was also one of the most successful. He credits his past successes to “a little luck and being a really good people person, understanding people, and believing in them.”
A perfect combination of white sandy beaches, a bustling metropolis, and a stunning coastline, San Diego County is a great place to live. Now Southern Californians - looking for exercise and a healthy alternative to hitting the nightlife - can turn to Fusina’s Fred Astaire studio for excitement and fun as they learn how to dance.
Fusina has had a successful career in the dance business for the past thirteen years. He recently joined the Fred Astaire association because he “likes the vision that Fred’s has” and truly believes in the company's mission.
Fusina is a Southern California native, born in Thousand Oaks, CA. Catching the dancing bug as early as 5th grade when he was part of the cotillion, he went on to compete as a member of an amateur formation dance team as a teenager. When he was in college at Sonoma State University, he was looking for a part-time job and answered an ad for a training class at a dance studio. From that moment on, he was hooked. Originally interested in becoming a Broadway actor, dancing fulfilled his dream to perform. A short two years later, when he was only twenty years old, he bought his first studio. Not only was he the youngest studio owner, he was also one of the most successful. He credits his past successes to “a little luck and being a really good people person, understanding people, and believing in them.”
The Shoes Make The Dance
Louis van Amstel, Jonathan Roberts, Anna Trebunskaya, Paul Richardson, Olga Rodionova, Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina...What do these dancers have in common? They all wear DanceLife shoes!
DanceLife shoes are renowned for their superior styling, craftsmanship, and perfect fit. With superior cushioning and elegant styling, our shoes are durable, flexible, and comfortable. DanceLife is the official shoe sponsor for the hit TV show, “Dancing With The Stars.”
DanceLife shoes are renowned for their superior styling, craftsmanship, and perfect fit. With superior cushioning and elegant styling, our shoes are durable, flexible, and comfortable. DanceLife is the official shoe sponsor for the hit TV show, “Dancing With The Stars.”
Many well known couples have worn DanceLife shoes in some major competitions recently, including:
Ilya Ifraimov & Nadia Goulina
Pavlo Barsuk & Anna Trevunskaya
Artur Adamski & Alexsandra Plaza
Decho Kriev & Bree Watson
Ilya Reyzin & Amanda Reyzin
Igor Mikushov & Anna Demidova
Blaz Pocajt & Inna Berlizyeva
Artur Adamski & Alexsandra Plaza
Decho Kriev & Bree Watson
Ilya Reyzin & Amanda Reyzin
Igor Mikushov & Anna Demidova
Blaz Pocajt & Inna Berlizyeva
Possible Celebrities On Next Dancing With The Stars Season
The line-up for this fall's Dancing With The Stars won't be officially released until later this month but insiders report that Kim Kardashian will be battling against her mother, Kris Jenner with the possibility of being partnered with father/son professional dancers Mark and Corky Ballas.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Dare To Dance
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Chattanooga, TN is participating in Dare To Dance, a local version of Dancing With The Stars, on September 6th to benefit The Kidney Foundation of the Greater Chattanooga Area and the Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults agencies, two nonprofits serving families in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. Teams will perform rehearsed dances at Chattanooga’s newest venue, The Mill. Attendees and local celebrity judges will vote for their favorites. Each dancer is spending the month of August practicing with Fred Astaire professional dancers at the Chattanooga studio in preparation for this exciting and worthwhile event.
So You Think You Can Dance Renewed
FOX has announced that So You Think You Can Dance will return for a fifth season next summer! This summer, both the Wednesday and Thursday night telecasts have ranked among the top five shows for adults between the ages of 19-49.
Don't miss the season finale of Season 4 on Wednesday, August 6 from 8-10 PM ET and Thursday, August 7 from 8-10 PM ET on FOX.
Weight Loss Week
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Buffalo Grove, Illinois held a "Weight Loss Week" in July. During this event, students were challenged to take as many group classes as possible and record how much weight they lose. The Buffalo Grove studio offers over 12 group classes a week that are free of charge to students who take at least one private lesson during the week. One of their most popular classes is the Ballroom Workout class that uses basic elements from Latin dances to create an exhilarating cardio workout!
Dancing For A Cause
On August 28th, 8 local celebrities in the Boca Raton, Florida area will team up with Fred Astaire professionals for Boca's Ballroom Battle. This dance competition benefits the George Snow Scholarship Fund, an organization providing educational grants to young scholars.
Gotta Dance
Fred Astaire Dance Studio student Julia Whedon wrote about her introduction to dancing*:
It was lunch hour. I was waiting for the light to change at the corner of Broadway and 57th Street. Chase Manhattan right behind me, Duane Reade due east, I was idly panning the lower floors of surrounding office buildings-that unseen phylum of fix your fiddle, store your fur, read your palm when I spotted a small fourth-floor sign: FRED ASTAIRE DANCE STUDIOS.
Incredible, I thought, the whole world gone mad, and they're still teaching ballroom dancing. In broad daylight. At high noon. On a lunch hour, maybe, Imagine. I not only imagined it, I imagined myself doing it. The genie was out of the bottle. I sprinted across 57th. I wanted to dance-a real dance with steps to music-and I wanted to do it at once.
I must have wanted to do this for a long time, maybe all my life. But how could I? Everything prevented it—the way music is, men are, what women have become. I'd been a fair dancer once —modern, ballet, that sort of thing. But Health came along and ruined all that. But Health came along and ruined all that. Dance became Exercise. And I'd never been in it for my thighs. Dancing is what you do about music, if it's in you to do it; and if it is and you don't, it becomes a blocked language, like sex. Fear arrived all cold and clammy in the elevator, What kind of guys would dance in a place like this? And what kind of woman would dance with guys like that? Panic. I needed an alibi. Too late. The doors parted. A huge wave of warm music broke over my head, lifting me from where I was and dropping me 'down to someplace new. Day turned into night. Eydie Gorme was belting out a samba.
A couple of hard-looking women in glittery pumps and practice clothes strutted past, looking like magicians' assistants. Beyond, on a large dance floor, two couples were performing extreme Latin dances with cocked hips. A well-muscled young man partnered a woman about sixty-bony in the sternum, ropy in the neck-the kind you hold doors for. Her dancing was not only beautiful, she danced as if she were beautiful. So did he. Was this possible? Didn't I know her from the express line at D'Agostino's? A slender, blond teacher skimmed across the floor with a nervous, bespectacled fellow near forty.
She danced him through her fingertips, smiling, moving as if he were doing it all. I was escorted into an office and told that I could have a half-hour evaluation for $12. I would have paid them $800 just to dance for five minutes like the lady from D'Agostino's.
I was introduced to my teacher, Robert Pike. He wasn't what I expected. Sixty maybe, with a kind of Melvyn Douglas face, he led me into a private studio. I followed, suddenly appalled at what I'd done. Chatting pleasantly, he cued up a tape, took me firmly in his arms and. moved me out across the floor.
Just a word about firmly. You can tell a lot from the way a man swings an ax, snaps the ball or leans into a canter. This guy was the real thing. I don't know what he saw in the wraparound mirrors, but I saw a heroine from the silents being swept downstream, heading for the falls.
He had me dancing in five minutes, really dancing in ten. Waltz, swing, rumba. Half these dances I didn't even know--except I was doing them. “You've danced before,” Mr. Pike remarked. Here comes the pitch, I thought. But he was right: I had. I told him about lessons, once upon a time in Hollywood, at Arthur Murray. "Was that the studio on Wilshire?" Mr. Pike asked. It was. It turns out to be one of the first places he taught. Coincidence is a marvelous thing and got us talking. He told me (side, together, close) about himself, Growing up in Atlanta, the Marines (quick, quick, slow), performing with Les Brown, Hollywood in the Forties. I couldn't tell by this time if I was dancing to the story or the music. This guy was ballroom dancing.
I signed up for ten lessons, which included optional Friday night practice sessions with the staff and other students. I wasn't so sure about those. Private lunch-hour assignations were one thing public admission another. But after three lessons I was so dance crazed I was ready to try anything. I like to think of myself as a grown-up lady. I've been in boardrooms and labor rooms, stopped arterial bleeding, made a citizen's arrest, given speeches, but never with the surge of anxiety I experienced walking into that practice session.
There I am, alone in my party dress. Suddenly big music fills the air. Instantly, Mr. Pike is at my side. From that moment, I am never not dancing with him or someone else. I meet a deli owner from Queens, a scientist from Columbia, an Estee Lauder exec. Doing this dancing in public for the first time with strangers is a little like trying out your French on a Frenchman.
"Nice samba," says a partner at my third practice session.
"Like your waltz," says another. "Very light."
"It's true," says a teacher who coaches competitors, "you can go as far as you want."
Go where? What's he talking about? Competition. They think I am dancing very well, they think I should consider competing. I’m flattered, of course.
There is a newcomers' contest scheduled a month hence. I should think about it. It's excellent preparation for the Eastern Regional’s. I'm dumbstruck.
*reprinted from the Fred Astaire Cincinnati newsletter
It was lunch hour. I was waiting for the light to change at the corner of Broadway and 57th Street. Chase Manhattan right behind me, Duane Reade due east, I was idly panning the lower floors of surrounding office buildings-that unseen phylum of fix your fiddle, store your fur, read your palm when I spotted a small fourth-floor sign: FRED ASTAIRE DANCE STUDIOS.
Incredible, I thought, the whole world gone mad, and they're still teaching ballroom dancing. In broad daylight. At high noon. On a lunch hour, maybe, Imagine. I not only imagined it, I imagined myself doing it. The genie was out of the bottle. I sprinted across 57th. I wanted to dance-a real dance with steps to music-and I wanted to do it at once.
I must have wanted to do this for a long time, maybe all my life. But how could I? Everything prevented it—the way music is, men are, what women have become. I'd been a fair dancer once —modern, ballet, that sort of thing. But Health came along and ruined all that. But Health came along and ruined all that. Dance became Exercise. And I'd never been in it for my thighs. Dancing is what you do about music, if it's in you to do it; and if it is and you don't, it becomes a blocked language, like sex. Fear arrived all cold and clammy in the elevator, What kind of guys would dance in a place like this? And what kind of woman would dance with guys like that? Panic. I needed an alibi. Too late. The doors parted. A huge wave of warm music broke over my head, lifting me from where I was and dropping me 'down to someplace new. Day turned into night. Eydie Gorme was belting out a samba.
A couple of hard-looking women in glittery pumps and practice clothes strutted past, looking like magicians' assistants. Beyond, on a large dance floor, two couples were performing extreme Latin dances with cocked hips. A well-muscled young man partnered a woman about sixty-bony in the sternum, ropy in the neck-the kind you hold doors for. Her dancing was not only beautiful, she danced as if she were beautiful. So did he. Was this possible? Didn't I know her from the express line at D'Agostino's? A slender, blond teacher skimmed across the floor with a nervous, bespectacled fellow near forty.
She danced him through her fingertips, smiling, moving as if he were doing it all. I was escorted into an office and told that I could have a half-hour evaluation for $12. I would have paid them $800 just to dance for five minutes like the lady from D'Agostino's.
I was introduced to my teacher, Robert Pike. He wasn't what I expected. Sixty maybe, with a kind of Melvyn Douglas face, he led me into a private studio. I followed, suddenly appalled at what I'd done. Chatting pleasantly, he cued up a tape, took me firmly in his arms and. moved me out across the floor.
Just a word about firmly. You can tell a lot from the way a man swings an ax, snaps the ball or leans into a canter. This guy was the real thing. I don't know what he saw in the wraparound mirrors, but I saw a heroine from the silents being swept downstream, heading for the falls.
He had me dancing in five minutes, really dancing in ten. Waltz, swing, rumba. Half these dances I didn't even know--except I was doing them. “You've danced before,” Mr. Pike remarked. Here comes the pitch, I thought. But he was right: I had. I told him about lessons, once upon a time in Hollywood, at Arthur Murray. "Was that the studio on Wilshire?" Mr. Pike asked. It was. It turns out to be one of the first places he taught. Coincidence is a marvelous thing and got us talking. He told me (side, together, close) about himself, Growing up in Atlanta, the Marines (quick, quick, slow), performing with Les Brown, Hollywood in the Forties. I couldn't tell by this time if I was dancing to the story or the music. This guy was ballroom dancing.
I signed up for ten lessons, which included optional Friday night practice sessions with the staff and other students. I wasn't so sure about those. Private lunch-hour assignations were one thing public admission another. But after three lessons I was so dance crazed I was ready to try anything. I like to think of myself as a grown-up lady. I've been in boardrooms and labor rooms, stopped arterial bleeding, made a citizen's arrest, given speeches, but never with the surge of anxiety I experienced walking into that practice session.
There I am, alone in my party dress. Suddenly big music fills the air. Instantly, Mr. Pike is at my side. From that moment, I am never not dancing with him or someone else. I meet a deli owner from Queens, a scientist from Columbia, an Estee Lauder exec. Doing this dancing in public for the first time with strangers is a little like trying out your French on a Frenchman.
"Nice samba," says a partner at my third practice session.
"Like your waltz," says another. "Very light."
"It's true," says a teacher who coaches competitors, "you can go as far as you want."
Go where? What's he talking about? Competition. They think I am dancing very well, they think I should consider competing. I’m flattered, of course.
There is a newcomers' contest scheduled a month hence. I should think about it. It's excellent preparation for the Eastern Regional’s. I'm dumbstruck.
*reprinted from the Fred Astaire Cincinnati newsletter
Bruce Hasson Coming to DC Studio
Bruce Hasson will be available for coaching at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Washington, D.C., August 12-13. Bruce is a full certified dance consultant with the Fred Astaire franchise, holding many Top Teacher Awards from both regional and national competitions. He also is a member of the Fred Astaire Dance Board and is an accomplished choreographer and coach. Call the studio today for more information: (703) 876-1773.
Daytona's Gotta Dance!
Local celebrities will light up the dance floor with the help of Fred Astaire professionals on Saturday, August 9th at the Seaside Music Theater in Daytona, Florida. The dancers will strut their stuff before a live audience who will vote on their overall performance: dancing, choreography, costume, and choice of music.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Dancing For Babies
The Fred Astaire Studio in Chicago recently participated in a charity event to benefit the March of Dimes. On July 31st, 5 local celebrities competed in a local Dancing With The Stars challenge with professional Fred Astaire dancers. All proceeds went to benefit the March of Dimes. The Chicago studios were very excited to be able to participate in such an important event and look forward to many more opportunities to benefit their community through the wonderful world of dance.
Click here to view a video of the event.
Click here to view a video of the event.
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