From the Amerst Bee:
Tommy Radon, an instructor at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Amherst, will present STORM, a fundraising event for Variety Club.
A nationally renowned ballroom dancer, instructor and choreographer, Radon and additional instructors will hold workshops from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, in the Millennium Hotel, 2040 Walden Ave., near the Thruway, Cheektowaga.
Additional instructors include Matthew Clark, a nationally renowned jazz teacher, choreographer and performer; Andrei and Anastasia Abrashin, three-time U.S. 9 Dance champions and Theater Arts champions; and Vera Chervin and Vladimir Kosarev, National Fred Astaire Smooth champions.
Workshops are 40 minutes each until 10:30 p.m. when there will be a professional show at 11:30 p.m.
Dance styles include jazz, hip hop, popping and locking, and ballroom. The day pass is $40 and includes snacks.
All proceeds go to Variety Club. For information or ticket sales, call 633-1866 and mention STORM.
Radon has reopened his choreography company, STORM, with fundraising as its primary goal. This is the first of many fundraising efforts STORM will be hosting.
He holds the record for most lessons taught within a seven-day period — 214.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Free Latin ballroom dancing at the Fred Astaire West Palm Beach
from wptv.com:SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- Have you ever wanted to take a Latin Ballroom dance class? Now is your chance. And it's free.
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio West Palm Beach will open its doors Saturday, February 28, for an open house "Wine and Cheese Guest Party." The Fred Astaire team will be teaching several group classes and performing shows with students and professional ballroom instructors. Studio managers and US Fred Astaire National Finalists Andreas Luetzner and Doreen Scheinpflug will perform.The open house party runs from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The Fred Astaire Dance Studio West Palm Beach is located at 4603 Okeechobee Blvd. For more information, call 561-478-1400.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Ballas Hough Band's new single "Do It For You" Now Available on iTunes
For the last several years, we’ve been watching Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, along with Tony Dovolani, on Dancing With The Stars. Did you know that Mark and Derek are not only champions of Dancing With The Stars but talented musicians as well? You may have had the opportunity to see them perform their music on the show, and now you can download their new single “Do It For You” from iTunes for only 99¢. Be one of the first to have the new Ballas Hough Band hit and enjoy how multitalented these young men are!
Dance Like The Stars In Texas
From The Tribune:A few years ago the country surrendered to dance fever and that fever is still raging.
“Dancing with the Stars,” “Superstars of Dance” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” have certainly kept dancing in the spotlight.
To dance like the stars, expect the old adage “you get what you pay for” to apply. There are a few local cowboy bars where couples can do country western dancing, but where does one go to learn to “dance like the stars?”
Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Kingwood, owned by Pahjmon and Cynthia Lipsey, has been providing instruction in different styles of ballroom dancing since 2005 and recently relocated to the Heritage Center in Town Center.
According to Pahjmon Lipsey, his is the only full-floor studio for adults in the area. He said they currently have a special introductory offer, which lets the students determine whether this is something they would want to continue with private or group lessons, or both.
“We are a ‘dance school’ and we work with our students to create a program for them based on what they want to learn and their beginning level of dance. Our students range in age from 4 to 5, to 80 to 90,” said Lipsey. “Not only is ballroom dancing a great way to exercise, it’s also a way to work your brain and body at the same time. You will get a cardio workout and learn the actual dance in the correct way – not just as aerobic exercise.”
The studio offers ballroom styles including Latin dance, swing, disco, club style, American style, international style and country western. All classes are available in private or group lessons with dance practice and socializing encouraged, much like a dance country club.
The studio offers ballroom styles including Latin dance, swing, disco, club style, American style, international style and country western. All classes are available in private or group lessons with dance practice and socializing encouraged, much like a dance country club.
Lone Star College- Kingwood also offers group dance classes at Fred Astaire Dance Studios for college credit.
Dance fever is also bleeding over to the business world. Professional dance instructors from the Fred Astaire Studio recently performed at a Realtor event in the custom section of Fall Creek – Serrano Creek.
“We featured two homes and had salsa and waltz champion dancers,” said Fall Creek Custom Sales Manager Janie Morris.
Fall Creek marketing director Meredith Weber said, “With the amazing popularity of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ dance seems to have taken America by storm. Following that trend, we thought it would be fun to literally bring dance home, and show how versatile dance can be while also showcasing our beautiful custom designs. With the lessons we’re offering in our open houses, you’ll be ready to be the life of the party with a sizzling salsa.”
Many health and fitness centers offer dance in the form of exercise, for example line dancing and Zumba, which is aerobics with Latin music.
Some couples, like Jeff and Brenda Sherwood of Kingwood, have made dancing their hobby.
Many health and fitness centers offer dance in the form of exercise, for example line dancing and Zumba, which is aerobics with Latin music.
Some couples, like Jeff and Brenda Sherwood of Kingwood, have made dancing their hobby.
“We started two years ago at Club Ballroom in Kingwood, which is closed now. The kids were all grown, we were empty nesters, and dance classes were something we had wanted to do for a long time but had never gotten around to. Sound familiar?” said Jeff Sherwood. “We have also taken dance lessons at Stetson’s, the country/western Dance Place in Humble and private salsa lessons.”
The Sherwoods also enjoy going into Houston for contra dancing.
“It is the type of dancing that the English settlers brought over in the 1700s, so it has historical value, too. They always have a live band, and it is less than $10 per person,” Sherwood said.
The Lake Houston Family YMCA offers line dancing to active older adults and Zumba. Marketing director Carol Sutton said, “We anticipate starting ballroom dancing in the spring so watch for more details in the near future.”
Aspiring dance partners may want to check out the Humble Community Center for square dance lessons and May Community Center in Huffman for beginning and advanced line dancing.
Photo: Fred Astaire Dance Studio located in Kingwood Town Center offers instruction in all styles of ballroom dancing and recently relocated to the old Heritage Center. Professional dance instructors are, Lyudmyla Tychuk, from left, Ruslan Sherman, Jessica Nail, Vladimir Khan and Cheryl Humphreys. Photo by Trilla Cook
Monday, February 16, 2009
Healthy Living Through Relaxation
From webmd:
Whether you enjoy a slow waltz around the living room, or are training for a competition, dance is a great way to stay active. In fact, ballroom dancing has been chosen as a demonstration sport for the 2008 Olympic Games.
When the Rumba Rhythm Starts to Sway
The benefits of dance are many: stress reduction, better posture and body alignment, increased confidence, improved agility, greater flexibility and stamina. Because dance is a low-impact sport and can be practiced at different intensities, it's a great workout for any age or fitness level. And dance is less likely to result in injury than activities that produce the same motion over and over, like aerobics or running.
Best of all, dancing is a great way to spend time getting closer—literally—to your partner. Because it relies on non-verbal communication and a sense of touch, it's a great way to bond. (The name of the most romantic of dances, the tango, reputedly derives from the Latin "tangere"—to touch.)
Add Some Style to Your Day
There are two main styles of ballroom dance—American Social and International. American Social, taught in many North American dance studios, is generally easier to learn and dance with different partners. Competitive dancers practice International style. Both offer lots of variety, from the slow and steady waltz to the pulse-quickening fox trot.
Dance the Night Away
Casual, loose-fitting clothing is acceptable at classes; avoid jeans, shorts and uncomfortable shoes.
Investing in shoes made for ballroom dancing will make it easier—they're specially designed to give you proper support with out adding weight, and the soles allow you to glide across the floor without missing a beat.
Sign up for a class to learn the basic moves and build confidence. Practice at home until you feel comfortable—then go and hit the dance floor.
The Stay at Home Spa
By enjoying a relaxing session in the comfort of your own home, you'll save on spa prices and avoid the inconvenience of traveling there and back, not to mention the crowds and scheduling problems. Whatever you feel is your favorite way to unwind, be sure to take the phone off the hook and put up a Do Not Disturb sign, so the rest of the family gives you some peace.
A relaxing bath. A good bath soothes all your senses: smell (with bath salts or essential oils); sight (candles or dimmed light); sound (your favorite mellow CD); touch (warm water, thick towels); and taste (a soothing beverage). To draw the perfect bath, fill the tub about 1/3 full with comfortably warm water, slip in, then fill the remainder with hot water until it reaches the desired temperature.
The yoga studio. Whether you can devote the corner of a room, or have a room of your own, keeping all your yoga gear in one convenient spot for quick access makes for a stress-free workout prep. The gear to get: sticky mat, DVD or video, comfy clothes.
Fast facial. In just 15 minutes, you can relax and give yourself a glow. The secret of making your at-home facial feel more relaxing: cover your face with a hot, damp towel and place a rolled-up hot towel behind your neck. Relax for a few minutes before applying your favorite peel-off face mask.
Pedicure-all. A pedicure is a double-duty spa treatment that's both cosmetic and relaxing. Start by soaking feet in warm water with bath salts. Trim nails and push back cuticles. Exfoliate and rev up circulation with a pumice stone, then massage a peppermint-based lotion into feet, ankles and shins. Finish with your favorite clear or colored nail polish. TIP: Look for a pedicure lotion with a mild exfoliant.
Whether you enjoy a slow waltz around the living room, or are training for a competition, dance is a great way to stay active. In fact, ballroom dancing has been chosen as a demonstration sport for the 2008 Olympic Games.
When the Rumba Rhythm Starts to Sway
The benefits of dance are many: stress reduction, better posture and body alignment, increased confidence, improved agility, greater flexibility and stamina. Because dance is a low-impact sport and can be practiced at different intensities, it's a great workout for any age or fitness level. And dance is less likely to result in injury than activities that produce the same motion over and over, like aerobics or running.
Best of all, dancing is a great way to spend time getting closer—literally—to your partner. Because it relies on non-verbal communication and a sense of touch, it's a great way to bond. (The name of the most romantic of dances, the tango, reputedly derives from the Latin "tangere"—to touch.)
Add Some Style to Your Day
There are two main styles of ballroom dance—American Social and International. American Social, taught in many North American dance studios, is generally easier to learn and dance with different partners. Competitive dancers practice International style. Both offer lots of variety, from the slow and steady waltz to the pulse-quickening fox trot.
Dance the Night Away
Casual, loose-fitting clothing is acceptable at classes; avoid jeans, shorts and uncomfortable shoes.
Investing in shoes made for ballroom dancing will make it easier—they're specially designed to give you proper support with out adding weight, and the soles allow you to glide across the floor without missing a beat.
Sign up for a class to learn the basic moves and build confidence. Practice at home until you feel comfortable—then go and hit the dance floor.
The Stay at Home Spa
By enjoying a relaxing session in the comfort of your own home, you'll save on spa prices and avoid the inconvenience of traveling there and back, not to mention the crowds and scheduling problems. Whatever you feel is your favorite way to unwind, be sure to take the phone off the hook and put up a Do Not Disturb sign, so the rest of the family gives you some peace.
A relaxing bath. A good bath soothes all your senses: smell (with bath salts or essential oils); sight (candles or dimmed light); sound (your favorite mellow CD); touch (warm water, thick towels); and taste (a soothing beverage). To draw the perfect bath, fill the tub about 1/3 full with comfortably warm water, slip in, then fill the remainder with hot water until it reaches the desired temperature.
The yoga studio. Whether you can devote the corner of a room, or have a room of your own, keeping all your yoga gear in one convenient spot for quick access makes for a stress-free workout prep. The gear to get: sticky mat, DVD or video, comfy clothes.
Fast facial. In just 15 minutes, you can relax and give yourself a glow. The secret of making your at-home facial feel more relaxing: cover your face with a hot, damp towel and place a rolled-up hot towel behind your neck. Relax for a few minutes before applying your favorite peel-off face mask.
Pedicure-all. A pedicure is a double-duty spa treatment that's both cosmetic and relaxing. Start by soaking feet in warm water with bath salts. Trim nails and push back cuticles. Exfoliate and rev up circulation with a pumice stone, then massage a peppermint-based lotion into feet, ankles and shins. Finish with your favorite clear or colored nail polish. TIP: Look for a pedicure lotion with a mild exfoliant.
How To Lower Your Blood Pressure With Ballroom Dancing
From ehow.com:
by Xsagutk GdFaith
Introduction
Throughout years in history, physicians have always encountered basic problems like high blood pressure, or hypertension, haunting their patients. As these doctors acknowledged the value of fitness through consistent exercise, they would recommend fun activities, such as jogging, walking and bicycling. Many people, however, dreaded those repetitive workouts and eventually ceased their routines. Their physicians then suggested ballroom dancing, which was a form of cardiovascular exercise that required socializing and vigorous, memorized movements accompanied by good music. In fact, little did their patients know that this type of workout can burn up to 400 calories when done for at least 30 minutes daily. The following steps are illustrated below to teach people an easy and an entertaining way to lower their respective blood pressure.
Steps
Step One
Establish a focused, yet positive, attitude. As the 2007 ScienceDaily stated, hypertension, or high blood pressure, "is associated with an increased risk for mild cognitive impairment, a condition that involves difficulties with thinking and learning" ("Science," 2007). Ballroom dancing, no matter what type, requires memorization, which then triggers significant neural growth and development.
Step Two
Communicate and enjoy waltzing with a partner and other fellow colleagues in the studio. Ballroom dancing is social dancing--not one but two people are necessary to perform a decent promenade. Indeed, "the movement to music is always a superior form of relaxation" (Luhrs, 2007).
Step Three
Dismiss the stresses of the day. Constantly worrying about that popular girl in high school or sweating bullets on that important project for a huge business client will get people nowhere but into anxiety, obesity, and lack of exercise--all root causes of high blood pressure. By participating in ballroom dancing, people can expect to temporarily and healthfully forget their concerns and avoid conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and an "increased peripheral arteriorial stiffness" ("AtCor", 2006).
Tips & Warnings
It is fine to worry about certain things in life, but never overdo it.
Imagine ballroom dancing as a magical experience.
Be sure to obtain your physician's approval before starting workout.
Be careful about ballroom dancing--you might just love it.
by Xsagutk GdFaith
Introduction
Throughout years in history, physicians have always encountered basic problems like high blood pressure, or hypertension, haunting their patients. As these doctors acknowledged the value of fitness through consistent exercise, they would recommend fun activities, such as jogging, walking and bicycling. Many people, however, dreaded those repetitive workouts and eventually ceased their routines. Their physicians then suggested ballroom dancing, which was a form of cardiovascular exercise that required socializing and vigorous, memorized movements accompanied by good music. In fact, little did their patients know that this type of workout can burn up to 400 calories when done for at least 30 minutes daily. The following steps are illustrated below to teach people an easy and an entertaining way to lower their respective blood pressure.
Steps
Step One
Establish a focused, yet positive, attitude. As the 2007 ScienceDaily stated, hypertension, or high blood pressure, "is associated with an increased risk for mild cognitive impairment, a condition that involves difficulties with thinking and learning" ("Science," 2007). Ballroom dancing, no matter what type, requires memorization, which then triggers significant neural growth and development.
Step Two
Communicate and enjoy waltzing with a partner and other fellow colleagues in the studio. Ballroom dancing is social dancing--not one but two people are necessary to perform a decent promenade. Indeed, "the movement to music is always a superior form of relaxation" (Luhrs, 2007).
Step Three
Dismiss the stresses of the day. Constantly worrying about that popular girl in high school or sweating bullets on that important project for a huge business client will get people nowhere but into anxiety, obesity, and lack of exercise--all root causes of high blood pressure. By participating in ballroom dancing, people can expect to temporarily and healthfully forget their concerns and avoid conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and an "increased peripheral arteriorial stiffness" ("AtCor", 2006).
Tips & Warnings
It is fine to worry about certain things in life, but never overdo it.
Imagine ballroom dancing as a magical experience.
Be sure to obtain your physician's approval before starting workout.
Be careful about ballroom dancing--you might just love it.
Dancing Off Calories
How many calories will you burn while dancing? That depends on the type of dancing. Here's a range of some of the most popular varieties, based on a 150-pound person, per hour:
Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour
Ballroom dancing: 265
Square dancing: 280
Ballet: 300
Belly dancing: 380
Salsa dancing: 420+
Aerobic dancing: 540+
Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour
Ballroom dancing: 265
Square dancing: 280
Ballet: 300
Belly dancing: 380
Salsa dancing: 420+
Aerobic dancing: 540+
Vampire Ball Raising Money For YMCA
From the NBC-2 website (Ft. Myers, FL):
On Valentine's Day, the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Ft. Myers, FL threw a "Vampire Ball" to raise money for the local YMCA. The idea came from twelve-year-old Chloe Hart, a student at the studio and dance champion who started dance lessons at the Y when she was a young child. All of the money raised went directly to the Lee County YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign to help pay for activities for kids before and after school.
On Valentine's Day, the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Ft. Myers, FL threw a "Vampire Ball" to raise money for the local YMCA. The idea came from twelve-year-old Chloe Hart, a student at the studio and dance champion who started dance lessons at the Y when she was a young child. All of the money raised went directly to the Lee County YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign to help pay for activities for kids before and after school.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
My Golden Dancers
Written on My Heart
By Elita Sohmer Clayman
Written on my heart is such a beautiful line. I saw it in a death notice of a lady who died and one of her coworkers said she had such a good heart and soul and that being around her was like having something written on his heart. What a lovely saying.
Can you go back in your life experiences and think about at least two people other than your parents and possibly your siblings who have touched your heart in many ways? We expect our parents and our brothers and or sisters to at one time or another stroke our feelings. If we are lucky, we do experience that with our families now and then or many times. We remember those precious moments as good memories, and we treasure them.
Meeting someone in your life other than your spouse or significant other is a moment in time we value. Meeting a stranger in our life who designates us as their friend and one day you realize that maybe something they have done becomes written on your heart.
Young children in school will have a special and dear teacher who sees something rare in them and in turn nurtures them and she or he becomes written on this child’s heart forever. I had a teacher like that back in junior high school (now called middle school.) She picked me out, I do not know why, and she liked me. She had given us our seats in the homeroom and she started backwards with the alphabet and somehow I wound up right next to her desk. I was upset at first being so close to the homeroom and French teacher combined. I thought in my twelve-year-old mind: What did I do to deserve this? We met the last day of school when we were placed in the classroom for about an hour so we could get to know her. Her name was Olga Virginia Bawden and until the day she died a few years ago, we kept in contact. She looked at me that middle of June day in 1946 and said to me, "Elita, when summer is over, I expect to see nice and long nails on your fingers, not the bitten off ones there now."
All summer I thought of that and did let my nails grow and no longer bit them as many teenage girls did in those days. You see, Olga had gorgeous manicured fingernails and she wanted me to have them too. The older kids did not like her when school started as she was a bit severe. She was and everyone admired a fine and eloquent French teacher and we learned to read and speak French. When my husband and I went to Paris in 1972, I honored Ms. Bawden because I still could read French and even converse with people there because she had taught us well.
You could say that she had written the French on my heart with her excellent teaching methods and her sometimes tough learning ways. Although I invited her to my wedding, she did not come. By then, she was up in years and had moved a distance from where I lived. She continued to send me holiday cards and one year they stopped arriving. I found out that she had passed away a few months before the holiday season. Once when I was eighteen, I met her for lunch in a department store cafeteria. I had not seen her since I was fourteen and had graduated from the junior high school.
She was dressed beautifully as she always had been when I was a young girl and yes, she still had the long and manicured nails. So did I. Now I was a young adult and she was a senior citizen and we were not like teacher and a kid, we were like two ladies. One a young woman and the other in senior land. She had never married, her fiancé was killed in the Second World War and she remained single. She always wore the earrings he had given her with a flight design on them. She wore them that day when we had lunch.
I told her then how she had influenced not only my nails, but she had influenced my life with her love of French things and her love of teaching. I did not say she had written something on my heart, I did tell her that I would never forget her. She told me that I was like the daughter she never had and would never have. She told me she picked me out that first day which was the last day of the previous semester and that she had purposely put me in the seat next to her desk. She did not say why but she said she knew she could be a positive and educational presence in my life. She did say that I had lived up to her expectations as a young girl approaching teenage life and after me and before me there were others. I was the only one who kept in touch, she said and she felt like it was meant to be.
If you all look back, you will discover someone who placed you in a situation and made your acquaintance happen and somehow he or she helped to influence your life and possibly you theirs. Many of you can look back if you are a ballroom dancer now and see who it was that kept you going at this wonderful hobby and if it was not for him or her, you would not be ballroom dancing now.
Merv Griffin just passed away and he picked out several personalities to be on his show and made them stars. He picked out Vanna White to host his Wheel of Fortune show and he said that he knew immediately when he saw her that he wanted her as hostess. The rest is show business history for her and dozens of others whom he saw something special in and by their own sheer will and his choosing of them, they are now stars.
Now we are not stars in that sense of the word, but we are stars in our own worlds. Ballroom dancers have dancing written on their hearts because they truly love this thing called dance. They love it in a special way that sets them apart from people who play golf, play tennis, play cards or even play other sports. Ballroom dancing is a world unto itself and we who are the recipients of its influence and impact sometimes wonder why we are doing this. Then we realize that it has become so ingrained in our bodies and hearts that we could not refrain from participating in it even if we wanted to stop. It is habit forming and we actually crave it when we are away from it.
Our first dance teacher was Laurence E. Miller. We called him Larry. He was a young teacher but he gave me the inspiration to keep on dancing and that we did. He and I competed in several cities throughout the country and any trophies or medals that I won were due to his persistent encouragement for me to excel. He now has his own studio in Maine and I know he still motivates his students, young or seniors. Bravo to teachers like Larry who change our lives by their encouragement for us to do well. The love for ballroom dancing that I have started with Larry and his stimulating my heart to be a ballroom dancer.
It is a good craving and will not harm us. It has become written on our hearts and we never want to have it ‘unwritten.’ It is the beauty in our life because every time we go and dance, we create a delightful happening and we are the center of it. We are the special person that I was in junior high school to Ms. Bawden. I let my nails grow that summer to impress her, a stranger to me then. She no longer was a stranger after the first semester. She was my friend, my mentor. So is ballroom dancing, it is our mentor, our friend, our heart written experience. It is a part of our life that we never want to leave us. It gives us motive, desire, results and most of all it gives us meaning.
Ballroom dancing is a delightful and fulfilling experience. May it never be silenced from our spirit because our heart has been written upon for eternity. It has been said that eternity is made up of no where and no when. It is the sum of the sums. To ‘sum’ it up, I cannot imagine my life without what ballroom dancing has bestowed upon me. Writing about my feelings on dance is a great fulfillment in my life. I know my readers all feel the same emotion about it. Ballroom dancing is written on our heart for eternity.
Just a few days ago, I received an email from Dr. Robert A. Fink who lives in the San Francisco Bay area in California. He had come across a short story I had written for another website and in it mentioned Ms.Olga Virginia Bawden as having been most instrumental in encouraging me to excel while she was my French teacher way back in 1946.
Bob mentioned that he felt the same way about her as I did. He was several years later in having her than me and still she was inspiring him as a young and almost teenager. Bob is a neurosurgeon and quite prominent in the medical community in California. He kept in touch with her through the years and always remembered her being a golden teacher. Golden in the sense that she requested from all her students to do the best they could and even to try harder than that and that she responded to them with superior teaching and profound respect. To someone of Bob’s stature in the medical community to still think about a junior high school teacher and her influence on his teenage years is really a tribute to this wonderful educator. It is also a gift of praise from him to her even though she is no longer here to receive it.
She never married and so to senior citizens like Dr. Robert Fink and Mrs. Elita S. Clayman, we feel in a way that we are the children she never had because we will always think of her and reminisce with sweet nostalgia of our adolescent years and this lovely looking teacher. A teacher of golden magnitude who saw in Bob and Elita potential for great and good happenings.
So Bob and I will pass these feelings down to our children so they may know the name of Olga Virginia Bawden as a very special and splendid person. There is a line in a movie that I love. It is called Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and it starred Jennifer Jones and William Holden. William says to her because he was going off to war and he thought he may not come back: “Suyin (her name in the movie) if I do not come back, we will not have missed because we have had the many splendored thing.”
So to Bob and Elita, they did indeed have the many splendored thing at different times in the years of 1946 for her and about 1950 for him, because they did not “miss the many splendored thing”, they received the warmth and happiness in knowing Ms. Olga Virginia Bawden, a teacher extraordinaire. She is written on our hearts for as long as we live.
Dancing and especially ballroom dancing is inscribed into our souls because we receive from our teachers who like Ms. Bawden give us these hours to enjoy and it is written on our hearts for as long as we live.
Always Keep On Dancing
You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net
Written on my heart is such a beautiful line. I saw it in a death notice of a lady who died and one of her coworkers said she had such a good heart and soul and that being around her was like having something written on his heart. What a lovely saying.
Can you go back in your life experiences and think about at least two people other than your parents and possibly your siblings who have touched your heart in many ways? We expect our parents and our brothers and or sisters to at one time or another stroke our feelings. If we are lucky, we do experience that with our families now and then or many times. We remember those precious moments as good memories, and we treasure them.
Meeting someone in your life other than your spouse or significant other is a moment in time we value. Meeting a stranger in our life who designates us as their friend and one day you realize that maybe something they have done becomes written on your heart.
Young children in school will have a special and dear teacher who sees something rare in them and in turn nurtures them and she or he becomes written on this child’s heart forever. I had a teacher like that back in junior high school (now called middle school.) She picked me out, I do not know why, and she liked me. She had given us our seats in the homeroom and she started backwards with the alphabet and somehow I wound up right next to her desk. I was upset at first being so close to the homeroom and French teacher combined. I thought in my twelve-year-old mind: What did I do to deserve this? We met the last day of school when we were placed in the classroom for about an hour so we could get to know her. Her name was Olga Virginia Bawden and until the day she died a few years ago, we kept in contact. She looked at me that middle of June day in 1946 and said to me, "Elita, when summer is over, I expect to see nice and long nails on your fingers, not the bitten off ones there now."
All summer I thought of that and did let my nails grow and no longer bit them as many teenage girls did in those days. You see, Olga had gorgeous manicured fingernails and she wanted me to have them too. The older kids did not like her when school started as she was a bit severe. She was and everyone admired a fine and eloquent French teacher and we learned to read and speak French. When my husband and I went to Paris in 1972, I honored Ms. Bawden because I still could read French and even converse with people there because she had taught us well.
You could say that she had written the French on my heart with her excellent teaching methods and her sometimes tough learning ways. Although I invited her to my wedding, she did not come. By then, she was up in years and had moved a distance from where I lived. She continued to send me holiday cards and one year they stopped arriving. I found out that she had passed away a few months before the holiday season. Once when I was eighteen, I met her for lunch in a department store cafeteria. I had not seen her since I was fourteen and had graduated from the junior high school.
She was dressed beautifully as she always had been when I was a young girl and yes, she still had the long and manicured nails. So did I. Now I was a young adult and she was a senior citizen and we were not like teacher and a kid, we were like two ladies. One a young woman and the other in senior land. She had never married, her fiancé was killed in the Second World War and she remained single. She always wore the earrings he had given her with a flight design on them. She wore them that day when we had lunch.
I told her then how she had influenced not only my nails, but she had influenced my life with her love of French things and her love of teaching. I did not say she had written something on my heart, I did tell her that I would never forget her. She told me that I was like the daughter she never had and would never have. She told me she picked me out that first day which was the last day of the previous semester and that she had purposely put me in the seat next to her desk. She did not say why but she said she knew she could be a positive and educational presence in my life. She did say that I had lived up to her expectations as a young girl approaching teenage life and after me and before me there were others. I was the only one who kept in touch, she said and she felt like it was meant to be.
If you all look back, you will discover someone who placed you in a situation and made your acquaintance happen and somehow he or she helped to influence your life and possibly you theirs. Many of you can look back if you are a ballroom dancer now and see who it was that kept you going at this wonderful hobby and if it was not for him or her, you would not be ballroom dancing now.
Merv Griffin just passed away and he picked out several personalities to be on his show and made them stars. He picked out Vanna White to host his Wheel of Fortune show and he said that he knew immediately when he saw her that he wanted her as hostess. The rest is show business history for her and dozens of others whom he saw something special in and by their own sheer will and his choosing of them, they are now stars.
Now we are not stars in that sense of the word, but we are stars in our own worlds. Ballroom dancers have dancing written on their hearts because they truly love this thing called dance. They love it in a special way that sets them apart from people who play golf, play tennis, play cards or even play other sports. Ballroom dancing is a world unto itself and we who are the recipients of its influence and impact sometimes wonder why we are doing this. Then we realize that it has become so ingrained in our bodies and hearts that we could not refrain from participating in it even if we wanted to stop. It is habit forming and we actually crave it when we are away from it.
Our first dance teacher was Laurence E. Miller. We called him Larry. He was a young teacher but he gave me the inspiration to keep on dancing and that we did. He and I competed in several cities throughout the country and any trophies or medals that I won were due to his persistent encouragement for me to excel. He now has his own studio in Maine and I know he still motivates his students, young or seniors. Bravo to teachers like Larry who change our lives by their encouragement for us to do well. The love for ballroom dancing that I have started with Larry and his stimulating my heart to be a ballroom dancer.
It is a good craving and will not harm us. It has become written on our hearts and we never want to have it ‘unwritten.’ It is the beauty in our life because every time we go and dance, we create a delightful happening and we are the center of it. We are the special person that I was in junior high school to Ms. Bawden. I let my nails grow that summer to impress her, a stranger to me then. She no longer was a stranger after the first semester. She was my friend, my mentor. So is ballroom dancing, it is our mentor, our friend, our heart written experience. It is a part of our life that we never want to leave us. It gives us motive, desire, results and most of all it gives us meaning.
Ballroom dancing is a delightful and fulfilling experience. May it never be silenced from our spirit because our heart has been written upon for eternity. It has been said that eternity is made up of no where and no when. It is the sum of the sums. To ‘sum’ it up, I cannot imagine my life without what ballroom dancing has bestowed upon me. Writing about my feelings on dance is a great fulfillment in my life. I know my readers all feel the same emotion about it. Ballroom dancing is written on our heart for eternity.
Just a few days ago, I received an email from Dr. Robert A. Fink who lives in the San Francisco Bay area in California. He had come across a short story I had written for another website and in it mentioned Ms.Olga Virginia Bawden as having been most instrumental in encouraging me to excel while she was my French teacher way back in 1946.
Bob mentioned that he felt the same way about her as I did. He was several years later in having her than me and still she was inspiring him as a young and almost teenager. Bob is a neurosurgeon and quite prominent in the medical community in California. He kept in touch with her through the years and always remembered her being a golden teacher. Golden in the sense that she requested from all her students to do the best they could and even to try harder than that and that she responded to them with superior teaching and profound respect. To someone of Bob’s stature in the medical community to still think about a junior high school teacher and her influence on his teenage years is really a tribute to this wonderful educator. It is also a gift of praise from him to her even though she is no longer here to receive it.
She never married and so to senior citizens like Dr. Robert Fink and Mrs. Elita S. Clayman, we feel in a way that we are the children she never had because we will always think of her and reminisce with sweet nostalgia of our adolescent years and this lovely looking teacher. A teacher of golden magnitude who saw in Bob and Elita potential for great and good happenings.
So Bob and I will pass these feelings down to our children so they may know the name of Olga Virginia Bawden as a very special and splendid person. There is a line in a movie that I love. It is called Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and it starred Jennifer Jones and William Holden. William says to her because he was going off to war and he thought he may not come back: “Suyin (her name in the movie) if I do not come back, we will not have missed because we have had the many splendored thing.”
So to Bob and Elita, they did indeed have the many splendored thing at different times in the years of 1946 for her and about 1950 for him, because they did not “miss the many splendored thing”, they received the warmth and happiness in knowing Ms. Olga Virginia Bawden, a teacher extraordinaire. She is written on our hearts for as long as we live.
Dancing and especially ballroom dancing is inscribed into our souls because we receive from our teachers who like Ms. Bawden give us these hours to enjoy and it is written on our hearts for as long as we live.
Always Keep On Dancing
You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net
Dancing With The Stars - Season 8 - Partners!
The dancing teams on the next season of Dancing With The Stars are:
Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts (returning for his 6th season on DWTS)
David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson (returning for her 6th season on DWTS)
Jewel & Dmitry Chaplin (2006 U.S. National Finalist & DWTS first-time professional)
Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas (former DWTS champ)
Lil' Kim & Derek Hough (former DWTS champ)
Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke (2-time DWTS Champ)
Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower (10 Dance Youth National champion & DWTS first-time professional)
Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer (returning for her 2nd season on DWTS)
Nancy O'Dell & Tony Dovolani (returning for his 7th season on DWTS)
Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy (returning for his 6th season on DWTS)
Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska (only pro to compete all 8 seasons on DWTS)
Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough (2 time DWTS champ) *
Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff (returning for her 6th season on DWTS)
* In an interesting twist, Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks are currently dating!!!
Belinda Carlisle & Jonathan Roberts (returning for his 6th season on DWTS)
David Alan Grier & Kym Johnson (returning for her 6th season on DWTS)
Jewel & Dmitry Chaplin (2006 U.S. National Finalist & DWTS first-time professional)
Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas (former DWTS champ)
Lil' Kim & Derek Hough (former DWTS champ)
Gilles Marini & Cheryl Burke (2-time DWTS Champ)
Ty Murray & Chelsie Hightower (10 Dance Youth National champion & DWTS first-time professional)
Steve-O & Lacey Schwimmer (returning for her 2nd season on DWTS)
Nancy O'Dell & Tony Dovolani (returning for his 7th season on DWTS)
Denise Richards & Maksim Chmerkovskiy (returning for his 6th season on DWTS)
Lawrence Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska (only pro to compete all 8 seasons on DWTS)
Chuck Wicks & Julianne Hough (2 time DWTS champ) *
Steve Wozniak & Karina Smirnoff (returning for her 6th season on DWTS)
* In an interesting twist, Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks are currently dating!!!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Dancing With The Stars, New Cast Revealed!
The new cast for the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars has been revealed! It's a great cast and even includes a husband/wife combination! Here they are:
Shawn Johnson, Olympic gold medal gymnast
Chuck Wicks, country singer
Gilles Marini, actor
Denise Richards, reality TV show star
Lawrence Taylor, retired NFL linebacker
Nancy O'Dell, Access Hollywood co-host
Steve-O, comedian
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
Lil' Kim, Grammy-winning rapper.
Belinda Carlisle, rock star
David Alan Grier, comedian and actor
Ty Murray, PBR bull rider (married to Jewel)
Jewel, singer/songwriter/poet (married to Ty Murray)
The season premiere is Monday, March 9 at 8/7c! Don't miss it!
Shawn Johnson, Olympic gold medal gymnast
Chuck Wicks, country singer
Gilles Marini, actor
Denise Richards, reality TV show star
Lawrence Taylor, retired NFL linebacker
Nancy O'Dell, Access Hollywood co-host
Steve-O, comedian
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
Lil' Kim, Grammy-winning rapper.
Belinda Carlisle, rock star
David Alan Grier, comedian and actor
Ty Murray, PBR bull rider (married to Jewel)
Jewel, singer/songwriter/poet (married to Ty Murray)
The season premiere is Monday, March 9 at 8/7c! Don't miss it!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
My Golden Dancers
George Joseph and Keep Your Eyes Open Wide By Elita Sohmer Clayman
My mom was the fourth child in her family. The fifth child Joseph was born blind and the second child Michael was born healthy. Mike was about four, he got an illness and it was not diagnosed properly, he lost his hearing and therefore his ability to speak. Joseph, who when grown changed his name to George, and Mike tried to converse. They could not because of their individual handicaps and as brothers were even not able to play together or argue as siblings do.
George grew up and was very accomplished in his work life and also his personal life. He played the piano of course by what is called ear and any song you hummed to him or that he heard on the radio, he could immediately play on the piano. We kids had to take piano lessons to learn a new song, Uncle George was gifted and of course, not being able to see could not view the printed version. So he played it from ear and was a wonderful and accomplished pianist. In later life, he played in a combo group which performed at weddings and various affairs.
George, I do not know why he changed his name from Joseph, was adored by all the nieces and nephews in the large family. My brother Herbert and I particularly loved this special man. He could talk about any subject and he was well versed on what was happening in the world then. Of course, there were no television sets, so he got all the news and opinions from the beloved radio that we in those years were fond of.
George graduated from a regular high school which was unheard of in those days and he never walked with a cane or had a Seeing Eye dog. During the Second World War in about 1944 an ophthalmologist named Dr. Mary Small decided after examining him that there was this new invention called contact lenses and possibly George Joseph could be fitted with them. He might be able to see very large print and she did not know what else since they were being experimented with in this country. They were manufactured only in Japan and he chose not to get them because we were coming out of the war with them. He felt it unpatriotic to buy something Japanese and so he declined. She told him he would have to do it soon before it might not work as he aged if he waited.
This was his choice and no one in the family tried to influence him after the initial conferences about it. He was married to RoseMarie at that time and one of the other gossipy sister-in-laws blamed her because she did not encourage him to try the lenses.
One said that maybe she did not want him to ‘see’ her because perhaps he had imagined her as more of a beauty. I think he just did not feel that at that age he could contemplate a new life of sight when he had been blind for so many years. He must have been about forty or forty five at that time and life was ok for him in his mind. He had a good job, a fine hobby of playing the piano at events and a loving wife and adoring nieces and nephews and siblings.
Dancing at a late age to some is something of a pleasant hardship and chore and one must really want this happening to them. I was forty-three when I started sincerely to take lessons and to dance. Of course, one cannot equate George’s declining contact lens with taking dance lessons but to him it seemed a hardship he did not want to enter in. To some folks seeking a hobby, ballroom dancing seems a hardship though never in the manner of George Joseph’s lack of sight. Some people feel they are too old to bounce around the floor. Others think they cannot comprehend all the moves and brain work needed to do this. Others feel they are too aged already and others do not have the encouragement of friends to accomplish this.
He thought the name Joseph did not define him and so he thought George a more romantic name that acknowledged his personality. Since he could not see himself in the mirror, he fantasized that George was more suitable for his calling as a pianist and a medical secretary to famous doctors transcribing their notes on operations into typed sheets. No computers were invented in those years yet.
Personality he had and then some. He had this marvelous melodious voice and when I spoke with him on the phone, he sounded like he was a movie star or a radio announcer.
He was very handsome with dark black hair and I often thought how sad he never saw how he looked. He did not let sadness overtake him from being blind. This was his life and he felt blessed to be alive. His work life consisted of being a professional medical secretary at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was not a secretary in a doctor’s office; he was an official medical secretary for the hospital. All of the prestigious and important doctors after an operation would request George to type their notes because of his meticulous manner in transcribing their work.
He walked around the huge surroundings of Johns Hopkins without a cane or Seeing Eye dog. How he did this we never could understand. He crossed the streets down there in downtown Baltimore after arriving there with a driver who brought him and others to work. He arrived in the building to his office and he was ready to go and work the full day. Everyone he worked with adored him and he adored them. The office was always full of admiring co-workers. They found in George (Joseph) a man who attained what he could with the handicap he had. He never felt sorry for himself. He loved life as all of us seniors and not yet seniors should.
My special Uncle George was a dear man who inspired everyone around him to conquer their fears and their anxieties by his cheery and loving manner. At my wedding, he was a guest but he got up and played a few special songs joining his band group. I was important to him. He was a splendid human being and an inspiration to all the many nephews and nieces.
The sad part was that George and Mike could never talk because of their different handicaps but the shaking of their hands and the hugging of their bodies still conveyed their love for one another. Mike married and moved off and George for a few years lived with my mom and dad before I was born and before he married RoseMarie. She adored him and they had had their secret word for each other. They would call themselves Dar and one day I asked what did that stand for. They said Darling. A darling couple these two were and their love and devotion was a privilege for us kids to behold.
Darling he was and all that he was became a journey to my heart. Once we went on a public bus. Of course his eyes were closed and people would stare at him and he could feel the stares. I as a young child of about eight stared right back at them for their inconsiderate attitude towards him. I wanted to yell out to them, do not stare, this is the most beautiful human being you will encounter. It was as if they were fascinated by this man with his eyes closed and still able to walk on and off the bus.
His eyes may have been closed but his heart and soul were open and full and he had a life of adventure and happiness.
People who ballroom dance have their eyes opened wide when they begin to perceive what dancing is all about and how it will affect their lives forever. When I was down competing in Florida in 1982 with my teacher, a blind lady got up and danced in several heats with her teacher. She won all her heats over sighted people and no one knew till it was announced that she had won this or that and that she was blind. She held her head up and moved to the music and the audience could not distinguish her blindness from afar.
There are rumors that the blind performer Stevie Wonder may compete on Dancing with the Stars next season. That will be something for us sighted people to watch and to appreciate his attempting to do it.
George being blind from birth accomplished great feats in his life. The lady in Florida danced beautifully and George with his music playing in bands for big occasions SAW MORE WITH EYES CLOSED than many people with their eyes open.
So to all you new or old ballroom dancers, you can believe like George Joseph did that even if sometimes you think life has dealt you a raw deal, go out and achieve and attain and be fulfilled because there is nothing you cannot do if you have the will to do it.
Do not keep your eyes closed because you are blessed with open eyes and sight. See all you can see and believe all you can believe and perceive that you are special and that you can be involved in this activity and will be making a journey into your own heart. Your heart will welcome this voyage and you will be the blessed traveler into a world of ballroom dancing and so much happiness and joy. You will be like my Uncle George seeing the world as only you can.
Seeing and believing that you can attain your goal to be a moderate dancer or even a competitor dancer is a lofty desire.
We can reach for these lovely expectations with the assistance of our dance coach, our partner and our own inner self. We can motivate our soul to achieve as much as we want at any age, at any time and even though George and Mike could never be physically close; their hearts knew that they were brothers. Nothing could keep their love for each other distant even though their only contact was a touch of the hand. One could not see the other’s hand and the other could not hear the other’s words. Still they were a unit as you will be with your dance partner or spouse when you attempt to ballroom dance. Ballroom dance needs the touch and the words for the event to happen but feeling it in your heart to be important in your life is surely a journey into delight and a Fait Accompli.
Go out and ballroom dance and know that nothing can ever take away the splendid feeling that happens when you walk out onto the dance floor and begin to move to the music. You are blessed because this begins with a touch of the hand and even though George and Mike could only touch hands they felt blessed.
You are now the fortunate one and as someone told me recently that no two eyes see the same thing the same way. Either can be right in their assessment of the sighted happening and both have good eyesight because they are able to distinguish the good from the bad and surely ballroom dancing is certainly the ultimate in excellent experiences.
We have not danced for seven months. We intend to go back to dance this Sunday.
Surely our eyes will be wide open and our touch will be divine and when the music starts we will be blessed that once again we are ballroom dancers. Bravo.
Always keep on Dancing.
You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net
He walked around the huge surroundings of Johns Hopkins without a cane or Seeing Eye dog. How he did this we never could understand. He crossed the streets down there in downtown Baltimore after arriving there with a driver who brought him and others to work. He arrived in the building to his office and he was ready to go and work the full day. Everyone he worked with adored him and he adored them. The office was always full of admiring co-workers. They found in George (Joseph) a man who attained what he could with the handicap he had. He never felt sorry for himself. He loved life as all of us seniors and not yet seniors should.
My special Uncle George was a dear man who inspired everyone around him to conquer their fears and their anxieties by his cheery and loving manner. At my wedding, he was a guest but he got up and played a few special songs joining his band group. I was important to him. He was a splendid human being and an inspiration to all the many nephews and nieces.
The sad part was that George and Mike could never talk because of their different handicaps but the shaking of their hands and the hugging of their bodies still conveyed their love for one another. Mike married and moved off and George for a few years lived with my mom and dad before I was born and before he married RoseMarie. She adored him and they had had their secret word for each other. They would call themselves Dar and one day I asked what did that stand for. They said Darling. A darling couple these two were and their love and devotion was a privilege for us kids to behold.
Darling he was and all that he was became a journey to my heart. Once we went on a public bus. Of course his eyes were closed and people would stare at him and he could feel the stares. I as a young child of about eight stared right back at them for their inconsiderate attitude towards him. I wanted to yell out to them, do not stare, this is the most beautiful human being you will encounter. It was as if they were fascinated by this man with his eyes closed and still able to walk on and off the bus.
His eyes may have been closed but his heart and soul were open and full and he had a life of adventure and happiness.
People who ballroom dance have their eyes opened wide when they begin to perceive what dancing is all about and how it will affect their lives forever. When I was down competing in Florida in 1982 with my teacher, a blind lady got up and danced in several heats with her teacher. She won all her heats over sighted people and no one knew till it was announced that she had won this or that and that she was blind. She held her head up and moved to the music and the audience could not distinguish her blindness from afar.
There are rumors that the blind performer Stevie Wonder may compete on Dancing with the Stars next season. That will be something for us sighted people to watch and to appreciate his attempting to do it.
George being blind from birth accomplished great feats in his life. The lady in Florida danced beautifully and George with his music playing in bands for big occasions SAW MORE WITH EYES CLOSED than many people with their eyes open.
So to all you new or old ballroom dancers, you can believe like George Joseph did that even if sometimes you think life has dealt you a raw deal, go out and achieve and attain and be fulfilled because there is nothing you cannot do if you have the will to do it.
Do not keep your eyes closed because you are blessed with open eyes and sight. See all you can see and believe all you can believe and perceive that you are special and that you can be involved in this activity and will be making a journey into your own heart. Your heart will welcome this voyage and you will be the blessed traveler into a world of ballroom dancing and so much happiness and joy. You will be like my Uncle George seeing the world as only you can.
Seeing and believing that you can attain your goal to be a moderate dancer or even a competitor dancer is a lofty desire.
We can reach for these lovely expectations with the assistance of our dance coach, our partner and our own inner self. We can motivate our soul to achieve as much as we want at any age, at any time and even though George and Mike could never be physically close; their hearts knew that they were brothers. Nothing could keep their love for each other distant even though their only contact was a touch of the hand. One could not see the other’s hand and the other could not hear the other’s words. Still they were a unit as you will be with your dance partner or spouse when you attempt to ballroom dance. Ballroom dance needs the touch and the words for the event to happen but feeling it in your heart to be important in your life is surely a journey into delight and a Fait Accompli.
Go out and ballroom dance and know that nothing can ever take away the splendid feeling that happens when you walk out onto the dance floor and begin to move to the music. You are blessed because this begins with a touch of the hand and even though George and Mike could only touch hands they felt blessed.
You are now the fortunate one and as someone told me recently that no two eyes see the same thing the same way. Either can be right in their assessment of the sighted happening and both have good eyesight because they are able to distinguish the good from the bad and surely ballroom dancing is certainly the ultimate in excellent experiences.
We have not danced for seven months. We intend to go back to dance this Sunday.
Surely our eyes will be wide open and our touch will be divine and when the music starts we will be blessed that once again we are ballroom dancers. Bravo.
Always keep on Dancing.
You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Michigan Studio Feeds 296 People
During this holiday season, the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Bloomfield Township collected food donations for the Gleaners Food Bank. Their goal was to collect enough food to feed 100 people. To their surprise, they far surpassed the goal and collected enough food to feed 296 people. “This is the first year that the Fred Astaire Dance Studio has worked with Gleaners, but it definitely won’t be the last” said Evan Mountain, co-owner of the studio. “We are very happy that our students, staff and the local community are able to help feed so many people in need.” The studio kicked off the food drive on December 6th with an Open House dance party. Anyone that donated non-perishable food items were given free lessons. As extra incentive to their students, Fred Astaire Dance Studio gave a prize of a new pair of dance shoes to the student who brought in the most food. The prize was won by Amanda Demery of Birmingham, MI. Although their food drive officially ended on December 19th, they will continue to collect food from anyone still wishing to make a donation.
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio is located at: 2510 Telegraph Rd; Bloomfield Twp, MI 48302; Phone: (248) 454-1715
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio is located at: 2510 Telegraph Rd; Bloomfield Twp, MI 48302; Phone: (248) 454-1715
Professional Women's Forum gets in a night of fancy footwork
From the Winston-Salem Journal:
By Leigh Somerville McMillan
Published: January 27, 2009
Picture a handful of men in a room filled with 60 women eager to dance. To some, it might look like a nightmare, but if one of those men teaches dance lessons, it's a dream come true.
Michael Krawiec, an instructor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Clemmons, was the dance instructor Thursday night as the Professional Women's Forum held its 14th annual Ladies Night Out at the Piedmont Club.
The night started off with a champagne reception and dinner in the Cardinal Room, providing the members of the group, the club and their guests with plenty of networking opportunities.
Catherine Itterman, the owner of Chi's, a women's clothing boutique on Robinhood Road, was a walking advertisement in an elegant silver metallic coiled choker that accessorized her starched white shirt and black pants. She and her guest Kim Wagner, a seamstress who does alterations for Chi's, hit it off with another professional in the style industry, Janine Shuman.
Mrs. Shuman and her husband, Adam, are in town from Florida for a prolonged consulting stint at SilkRoad Salon. On Thursday night, they offered free consultations along with stylists Erin Blakley, Sarah Sneed, Kelsie Gentle, Megan LaFever, Christopher Surratt, Kimberly Durhan, Amanda Banks and Donna Moore. Paul Weddle, the salon manager, also attended the party.
Pat Schreiber, the owner of Custom Professional Training Services in Kernersville, said she has been a member of the Piedmont Club for about eight years and has enjoyed Ladies Night Out for at least five of those years. "It's lots of fun," she said. "You meet wonderful women and businesspeople you wouldn't otherwise meet."
When I sat down next to Glenda Walters, I overheard her talking to her friend Becky Brown about PWF member Judy McAllister, a consultant for Doncaster.
Sharing the table with Walters and Brown was Melanie Gilliam, who shared a dream she had the night after the inauguration. "I dreamed it was me instead of Michelle dancing with Obama at the ball," she laughed. Later in the night, Gilliam got some free dance lessons so she will be ready if the opportunity ever arises.
Ladies Night Out also featured some serious conversation. I overheard Becky Jenkins, a BB&T employee who lives in Mocksville, sharing the good news that the bank had posted a profit. She was joined at the club by her guests Diane Lackey, Sheryl McDonald and Tina Underwood.
Jenkins said she belongs to several professional banking organizations but that PWF "provides a wider perspective" of other businesses and their concerns.
Mary McClure, Sharon Johe and Martha Claire Henzler looked like they were having a wonderful time as they enjoyed a spectacular view of the city lights from their table.
After dinner, Judy Sutherin, the membership director at the club, welcomed the crowd and introduced the dancers from Fred Astaire and the Shumans. Mrs. Shuman said that Winston-Salem has been "very warm and welcoming" since they arrived.
"We deliberately tried not to stuff you," Sutherin joked about the meal, but it's a wonder anybody could dance at all after the feast of basil chicken with wild rice and mixed vegetables, hot rolls and Key-lime pie.
As door prizes, five pairs of tickets to tonight's Dancing with the Stars at the Greensboro Coliseum were won by Priscilla Green, Becky Brown, Joylyn Budkey, Dee Sprinkle and Joyce Kearse. Johe won a $100 gift certificate from Chi's. Melanie Gilliam won dinner for two at the club.
Finally, the moment everybody had been waiting for. C.J. Joseph, the president of PWF, enticed everyone up on the dance floor with her own personal testimony.
"I always wanted to dance as a young woman but never thought I was any good," she said. "Then in late August, a friend invited me to take lessons at Fred Astaire. I went, and I've been hooked ever since."
Joseph said that as a result of her dancing, she has lost an entire dress size, her blood pressure dropped, and she has reduced her stress level. She had one piece of advice. "The only way to be good is not to think," she said. "You've got to learn to follow."
Now, for businesswomen who have built their success on their leadership skills, that may not have been welcome news.
But they were willing to try and Joseph's mother, Betty Lou Joseph, said she thought that everybody did a good job. And she should know. She said she taught dance lessons right after high school and eventually managed the studio. In fact, C.J. got a surprise when her mother mentioned that she met her husband in a dance class.
The dance that Krawiec and studio manager Jennifer Clark demonstrated to get the crowd in the mood was a dramatic tango. And then it was time for the group lesson, and instructors Vikki Haynes and Kimberly Angell shared the male part with Krawiec.
Clark's first tip of the night did a little to help balance out the "follow, don't lead" routine.
"Ladies, always start on the right foot," she said. "And how do you remember that?"
It didn't take long for the room to erupt with the answer: "Ladies are always right!"
By Leigh Somerville McMillan
Published: January 27, 2009
Picture a handful of men in a room filled with 60 women eager to dance. To some, it might look like a nightmare, but if one of those men teaches dance lessons, it's a dream come true.
Michael Krawiec, an instructor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Clemmons, was the dance instructor Thursday night as the Professional Women's Forum held its 14th annual Ladies Night Out at the Piedmont Club.
The night started off with a champagne reception and dinner in the Cardinal Room, providing the members of the group, the club and their guests with plenty of networking opportunities.
Catherine Itterman, the owner of Chi's, a women's clothing boutique on Robinhood Road, was a walking advertisement in an elegant silver metallic coiled choker that accessorized her starched white shirt and black pants. She and her guest Kim Wagner, a seamstress who does alterations for Chi's, hit it off with another professional in the style industry, Janine Shuman.
Mrs. Shuman and her husband, Adam, are in town from Florida for a prolonged consulting stint at SilkRoad Salon. On Thursday night, they offered free consultations along with stylists Erin Blakley, Sarah Sneed, Kelsie Gentle, Megan LaFever, Christopher Surratt, Kimberly Durhan, Amanda Banks and Donna Moore. Paul Weddle, the salon manager, also attended the party.
Pat Schreiber, the owner of Custom Professional Training Services in Kernersville, said she has been a member of the Piedmont Club for about eight years and has enjoyed Ladies Night Out for at least five of those years. "It's lots of fun," she said. "You meet wonderful women and businesspeople you wouldn't otherwise meet."
When I sat down next to Glenda Walters, I overheard her talking to her friend Becky Brown about PWF member Judy McAllister, a consultant for Doncaster.
Sharing the table with Walters and Brown was Melanie Gilliam, who shared a dream she had the night after the inauguration. "I dreamed it was me instead of Michelle dancing with Obama at the ball," she laughed. Later in the night, Gilliam got some free dance lessons so she will be ready if the opportunity ever arises.
Ladies Night Out also featured some serious conversation. I overheard Becky Jenkins, a BB&T employee who lives in Mocksville, sharing the good news that the bank had posted a profit. She was joined at the club by her guests Diane Lackey, Sheryl McDonald and Tina Underwood.
Jenkins said she belongs to several professional banking organizations but that PWF "provides a wider perspective" of other businesses and their concerns.
Mary McClure, Sharon Johe and Martha Claire Henzler looked like they were having a wonderful time as they enjoyed a spectacular view of the city lights from their table.
After dinner, Judy Sutherin, the membership director at the club, welcomed the crowd and introduced the dancers from Fred Astaire and the Shumans. Mrs. Shuman said that Winston-Salem has been "very warm and welcoming" since they arrived.
"We deliberately tried not to stuff you," Sutherin joked about the meal, but it's a wonder anybody could dance at all after the feast of basil chicken with wild rice and mixed vegetables, hot rolls and Key-lime pie.
As door prizes, five pairs of tickets to tonight's Dancing with the Stars at the Greensboro Coliseum were won by Priscilla Green, Becky Brown, Joylyn Budkey, Dee Sprinkle and Joyce Kearse. Johe won a $100 gift certificate from Chi's. Melanie Gilliam won dinner for two at the club.
Finally, the moment everybody had been waiting for. C.J. Joseph, the president of PWF, enticed everyone up on the dance floor with her own personal testimony.
"I always wanted to dance as a young woman but never thought I was any good," she said. "Then in late August, a friend invited me to take lessons at Fred Astaire. I went, and I've been hooked ever since."
Joseph said that as a result of her dancing, she has lost an entire dress size, her blood pressure dropped, and she has reduced her stress level. She had one piece of advice. "The only way to be good is not to think," she said. "You've got to learn to follow."
Now, for businesswomen who have built their success on their leadership skills, that may not have been welcome news.
But they were willing to try and Joseph's mother, Betty Lou Joseph, said she thought that everybody did a good job. And she should know. She said she taught dance lessons right after high school and eventually managed the studio. In fact, C.J. got a surprise when her mother mentioned that she met her husband in a dance class.
The dance that Krawiec and studio manager Jennifer Clark demonstrated to get the crowd in the mood was a dramatic tango. And then it was time for the group lesson, and instructors Vikki Haynes and Kimberly Angell shared the male part with Krawiec.
Clark's first tip of the night did a little to help balance out the "follow, don't lead" routine.
"Ladies, always start on the right foot," she said. "And how do you remember that?"
It didn't take long for the room to erupt with the answer: "Ladies are always right!"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My Golden Dancers
Nistar - Hidden MiracleBy Elita Sohmer Clayman
In a foreign language, the word nistar means several things. It means something like concealed or hidden miracle. It was used in the book of Esther in the bible when Esther was called upon to save her family from the evil doer.
We can have our own hidden miracles that may or may not be concealed from our conscious beings. Many of us do not know of our inner strengths or know of our inner abilities especially since we are getting older which is life’s process.
Have you ever thought how words can hurt or soothe you? My mom always taught us kids that if you could not say anything nice, say nothing at all. I notice as I grow older that others do not even attempt to do that.
I have a friend who emails her daughters daily. They both live out of town. She always signs the emails ‘with love from your mom.’ One daughter responds the same way with love from your daughter. The other one responds once in a while that way and other times nothing at all. The woman gets very upset when she sees this. She seems to need the other daughter to respond with the simple word of love to soothe her day.
I want to tell my friend that at this age in her senior life, she does not need the approval of this daughter. She knows she was a good mom and if this daughter cannot put down the simple word of love knowing that her mom craves this; then this is the daughter’s meanness to her aging mom. I tell her that she cannot let her daughter steal her life at this moment in being.
I was cleaning out some drawers and found a piece of paper from when I went back to get a college degree at age thirty-three. The Hungarian professor had quite an accent and the first day I heard him speak in the lecture room, I thought it would be hard to comprehend what he was saying. After the first time, I had no trouble and he and I became great friends.
When the semester was over, I sent him a thank you note for encouraging me, the oldest member in the class at age thirty-three. The rest were all teens, and I was the most attentive and productive classmate he had seen in a long time. One day during the semester I brought my three-year-old to class with me because his pre-school was closed for the day. The professor, Dr. Z. John Levay, looked at me and said that he did not think it was the appropriate place for a tot that day since we were discussing psychology and sex. I told him that if he misbehaved, I would leave immediately and that he could not understand what he was lecturing on.
At the end of the class, he came up to me and my son and said what a wonderful and well behaved child he was and at that moment Jeffrey jumped into his arms and hugged him. From that moment of hugging came a long and sincere friendship between our family and Dr. Levay’s family. We went to each other’s happy events and celebrated with joy those lovely times.
When he passed on six years ago, I gave one of the eulogies at his funeral ceremony in his church. I told of the time that Jeffrey jumped into his arms and how Dr. Levay had said to me on the first test essay paper-Mrs.Clayman: you can and will do better. He gave me a B on it and from that day forward, I attained all As and graduated from college with honor five years later.
The simple wording of you can and will do better encouraged me to excel. That is what we can all do in our dancing regardless of whatever age we begin to dance. Our teachers can instill in us the faith that we are special people taking on a lovely sport or hobby and that we will do fantastic things with it. We can compete, we can social dance and we will make many new dancing friends at the dance halls.
One day at the college before I graduated, I wrote a letter to the dean supporting Dr. Levay’s quest for his full professorship. The college was withholding it for some reason and I wrote this letter of what he meant to me in my life and to everyone whom he offered his hope to do well. Lo and behold, the college who had been suppressing the confirmation of the professorship in full awarded it to him.
He wrote me a thank you note and in it he stated:
To my star student Elita Sohmer Clayman who has earned my sincere respect because she has found herself and who, as an adult became a child again; a Child of God, by virtue of being a peacemaker.
That was in 1970. I had bridged the wide gulf between the school administration and their petty ways in withholding what was surely due this gifted scholar and teacher. The teens and I loved him and he introduced to all of us, regardless of age, that we were special and we could transcend any expectations we had of our schooling.
We can all be peacemakers if we implant the seed of learning to someone who thinks they cannot learn because of age or youth or even impairment. We fortify and embolden them that they too can be successful in anything new they attempt. It can be ballroom dancing, piano lessons, and sewing, anything they desire.
We who dance know that to dance is to enhance our life to the fullest. We reap benefits that one cannot imagine from dance. We have better health, we have extended our mind’s ability to think, we breathe better, we smile more often and most of all we have fun.
Fun helps to make us happy and health officials say that if you are happy, you possibly live longer. Like the daughter who does not put the word love down and she knows that her mom would be so happy to see it; we need not withhold anything from letting us assist someone to feel better. To be a child of God because we are peacemakers is probably the highest and finest ideal we can yearn for.
When we have become good dancers and we can show someone else that they too can be adequate doing this dear deed, then we will be a peacemaker. It will be a hidden miracle, a nistar and it will no longer be hidden. It will be displayed for everyone to view and mainly for us to be thankful that we ignited a flame in someone else who may not have had the thought to try.
Nistar miracle is surely something for us to adhere to because then we will surely be a peacemaker and become a dear child of God.
We then are at peace and we know that we accomplished something special because we allowed our hopes to extend to possibly a stranger and they were no longer strangers because we did not hide this dance love and it became a nistar, unhidden, alive and vibrant.
I heard this on a television show recently: May the road rise up to meet you and the wind always be at your back. May the sunshine warm your face and the rainfall softly fall on the field. Till we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
We, the people we are right today in this new year of 2009 can be a nistar miracle, a peacemaker and make the road rise up to meet folks who we try to encourage to ballroom dance for their health, happiness and overall heavenly happenings. We will be doing what we love-dancing and we will be extending that love to others to at least try. Once they attempt it, they will know that it is for them.
Life will change for them because they will be doing something so different, so special and most of all so rewarding. We will be the ones who get the dividend- we will have the prize most coveted by all. We now will feel absolutely that the road has risen to meet us and the sunshine will have warmed our face. We will be the peacemaker because we will have found our self.
Always keep on dancing.
You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net
Monday, January 26, 2009
Just In Time For Valentine's Day...Chocolate Tango!
What: Chocolate Tango
When: February 14, 3-6 p.m.
Where: Memorial Auditorium in Montclair State University, New Jersey
Chocolate Tango is a variety show that brings together under one roof, the best chocolate makers in America, tango artists from Argentina, and stand-up comedians.
After the concert there is a chocolate tasting a few steps away in the lobby/ reception area. Specially commissioned chocolates are provided by Andrew Garrison who was voted the #1 chocolatier in America by the food network. If you ever wondered what chocolate on the highest level tastes like, this is it. You will be able to walk around and taste many varieties of chocolate and experience total bliss. There will be chocolate fountains as well.
This chocolate tasting is also diabetic-friendly. There will be a separate table of chocolates that are suitable for diabetics.These chocolates are not just sugar free but they taste great.
The entire event lasts 3 hours.
Part of the proceeds of this event will go to local charities in Montclair N.J as well as the Institute for Educational Achievement.
Our concept in creating this event was to engage all six of your senses...... touch, smell, sight, taste, sound and humor.
When: February 14, 3-6 p.m.
Where: Memorial Auditorium in Montclair State University, New Jersey
Chocolate Tango is a variety show that brings together under one roof, the best chocolate makers in America, tango artists from Argentina, and stand-up comedians.
After the concert there is a chocolate tasting a few steps away in the lobby/ reception area. Specially commissioned chocolates are provided by Andrew Garrison who was voted the #1 chocolatier in America by the food network. If you ever wondered what chocolate on the highest level tastes like, this is it. You will be able to walk around and taste many varieties of chocolate and experience total bliss. There will be chocolate fountains as well.
This chocolate tasting is also diabetic-friendly. There will be a separate table of chocolates that are suitable for diabetics.These chocolates are not just sugar free but they taste great.
The entire event lasts 3 hours.
Part of the proceeds of this event will go to local charities in Montclair N.J as well as the Institute for Educational Achievement.
Our concept in creating this event was to engage all six of your senses...... touch, smell, sight, taste, sound and humor.
Dance Studio Students Practicing Steps Long Before Dancing With The Stars
From Lancaster Eagle-Gazette.com:"Dancing with the Stars" might have brought ballroom dancing into the limelight, but some of the residents of Fairfield County have been cuttin' a rug for some time now.
The Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Canal Winchester has been providing instruction in different styles of ballroom dancing since opening its doors in 1999.
Jayme Coakley is the manager of the studio and has been a ballroom dance instructor for the past 12 years.
Ballroom dancing is for everyone, Coakley said.
"Most people have some sort of rhythm most of the time," Coakley said. "The rhythm is normally in there somewhere, if we can build someone's confidence we can usually find it."
The dance studio offers ballroom dance styles including Mambo, Waltz, Fox Trot, the Cha Cha and Swing.
Not only is ballroom dancing a great way to build up someone's social skills, but it's also a great form of exercise, according to Coakley's students.
Brenda Hehn, who is a competitive ballroom dancer and a student at the dance studio, said she always gets a great workout when attending her class.
Brenda Hehn, who is a competitive ballroom dancer and a student at the dance studio, said she always gets a great workout when attending her class.
"It's an enjoyable way to exercise. People don't realize how much work ballroom dancing actually is."
Dancing Teen
From the Cleveland News-HeraldBy Jean Bonchak
“Absolutely unheard of.”
That’s how dance professional Andrea Bisconti assessed her former student’s recent win at a competition that took place during the Dancing With the Stars national tour stop in Cleveland.
So what made the victory so incredible for Tyler Mausser, a Chardon High School sophomore, who has been delivering dance performances since he was 5?Tyler and his partner, Laura Klenz, who attends Aurora High School, were first introduced on the Friday prior to the show that took place the following Tuesday. Their pre-audition practice lasted a mere half-hour. To their surprise, the tryout was successful. But due to busy schedules the remainder of rehearsal time consisted of a couple of hours Monday night and a few more right before the show.
Bisconti noted it usually takes years of working together before a couple can provide a prize-wining performance in the precision-driven world of ballroom dancing.
Evidently a special mesh of chemistry and style occurred between the talented teens in an extraordinarily short amount of time.
As a youngster, Tyler’s dancing experiences centered on steps learned from his Austrian heritage. But his interest was piqued after he participated in an after-school ballroom dance class in eighth grade.
He began watching the television show “So You Think You Can Dance” and enrolled at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Willoughby owned by Bisconti. There, Tyler said he learned technique, style, confidence and to always have fun. Instruction at dance icon Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s studio in New Jersey taught him not to overpower his delivery and to focus on letting the body flow through movements.
“Tyler is an extraordinary dancer. … He’s amazing. … They (professional dancers) have been raving about Tyler’s talents,” Bisconti said. “You’re going to hear more about him in the dance world.”
Tyler said he was surprised to receive a call from Bisconti asking if he would be willing to partner with Andrea for a shot at the title. The competition is composed of selected area dancers showcasing their talents at each DWTS tour stop. In Cleveland, 10 couples showed off their best cha-cha moves to impress the judges, DWTS cast members Kym Johnson and Fabian Sanchez.Tyler said a case of nerves set in after being chosen as one of the final two pairs. Audience members were instructed to text their choice for the winner via cell phone. His nervousness dissipated quickly after hearing that the crowd pleasers gained 88 percent of the votes. “We were ecstatic,” he said. “We really didn’t believe it. … I thought we’re probably not going to make it, but we ended up winning the thing.” In addition to newly heightened status, the duo was awarded a trophy and two Samsung Eternity touch-screen phones.
Tyler’s commitment to seek a career in dance is strengthened as a result of the significant victory.“I’m not really concentrating on winning the world cup or world nationals, I just want to give a new voice to dance,” he said.“Really what I want to be is a choreographer. Watching other people do my movements and feel what I feel is just out of this world.”
The dancer who has received several trophies at local competitions offered advice to those who aspire to step lively. “If you’ve got the talent, it’s God-given. ... Whenever you want to dance, dance,” he said.“It doesn’t matter if it’s in the hallway, on top of a building or in the cafeteria. When you have the feeling to move, do it.”
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Dance For Hope
From the Greensboro, NC News-Record.com:
This is one for the “Do what you can do, by doing what you do” files:
Olga Perkins and her 15-year-old daughter Tyler were riding in their car, discussing that it was really cold outside and how thankful they were that they had a warm home and how hard it would be if they were homeless.
That prompted Perkins to wonder whether people might be willing to pay to watch a local “Dancing with the Stars” type program, provided by Greensboro North Fred Astaire Dance Studio, where her daughters dance, with proceeds going to the Greensboro Urban Ministry.
“My daughter then mentioned the fact that maybe someone would be willing to donate a room where we could have the event and that kind of got the whole thing started,” Perkins wrote in an e-mail. “I then went to the studio and explained to them what we wanted to do and asked them if they would donate their time, which they agreed to do. I called around to see where we could hold the event and the Regency Room agreed to give us a reduced price and so we decided to go for it.”
“A Dance for Hope” was born. The show will be 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Jan. 24 at the Regency Room, 203 S. Elm St. Tickets, available beginning Friday, are $25, and if the event sells out, more than $7,500 will be raised for the work at Urban Ministry, which provides food and shelter for the needy.
Local stars include Sasha Tsyhankov, Alyosha Anatoliy, Gulya Asgarova, Gregory Mishura, Dasha Chub, Oksana Barantsova, Artur Sveshnikov and Nathan Foreman.
Tickets are tax-deductible and are available at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 1604-A Battleground Ave., or the Greensboro Urban Ministry business office, 305 W. Lee St. Call Urban Ministry, 271-5959. For a dance preview, go to http://danceforhope2009.blogspot.com.
This is one for the “Do what you can do, by doing what you do” files:
Olga Perkins and her 15-year-old daughter Tyler were riding in their car, discussing that it was really cold outside and how thankful they were that they had a warm home and how hard it would be if they were homeless.
That prompted Perkins to wonder whether people might be willing to pay to watch a local “Dancing with the Stars” type program, provided by Greensboro North Fred Astaire Dance Studio, where her daughters dance, with proceeds going to the Greensboro Urban Ministry.
“My daughter then mentioned the fact that maybe someone would be willing to donate a room where we could have the event and that kind of got the whole thing started,” Perkins wrote in an e-mail. “I then went to the studio and explained to them what we wanted to do and asked them if they would donate their time, which they agreed to do. I called around to see where we could hold the event and the Regency Room agreed to give us a reduced price and so we decided to go for it.”
“A Dance for Hope” was born. The show will be 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Jan. 24 at the Regency Room, 203 S. Elm St. Tickets, available beginning Friday, are $25, and if the event sells out, more than $7,500 will be raised for the work at Urban Ministry, which provides food and shelter for the needy.
Local stars include Sasha Tsyhankov, Alyosha Anatoliy, Gulya Asgarova, Gregory Mishura, Dasha Chub, Oksana Barantsova, Artur Sveshnikov and Nathan Foreman.
Tickets are tax-deductible and are available at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 1604-A Battleground Ave., or the Greensboro Urban Ministry business office, 305 W. Lee St. Call Urban Ministry, 271-5959. For a dance preview, go to http://danceforhope2009.blogspot.com.
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