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 So for children who may be shy or withdrawn, dance allows them to find confidence, on and off the dance floor.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.

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.

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."

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..."

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!

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.

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.""

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.

Guess Who?

Tom Selleck is the next rumored celebrity to star on this fall's season of Dancing With The Stars!

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.”

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.”

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

Cheek to Cheek

Fred Astaire is in heaven with Ginger Rogers in the classic film Top Hat

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.

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.

Tony Dovolani Back on Next Season of Dancing With The Stars

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

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.

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.

Will Dan Quayle be the Next Celebrity on Dancing with the Stars?

Rumors are spreading that ABC is aggressively pursuing Dan Quayle for next season's Dancing With the Stars. Perhaps the former vice president who couldn't spell "potato" will triumphantly dance the mashed potato(e).

One website says the star is "on the short list" and in final negotiations. Quayle has yet to officially confirm.

Kim Kardashian to Join Dancing with the Stars?

Socialite Kim Kardashian has been tapped as the latest celebrity to join the cast of hit show Dancing with the Stars.

The former girlfriend of R&B singer Ray J is reportedly in talks with network executives to appear on the hit talent contest, where she would show off her assets in the hope of winning the crown as America's favorite novice ballroom dancer.

According to the New York Daily News, Kardashian is set to join the cast - rumored to include former 'N Sync star Lance Bass - for the show's upcoming season this autumn.

Confi-Dance Team Match

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Rochester, MN is having a Confi-Dance Team Match this Friday, July 19th. Click here for more information.

Fred Astaire National Awards

The following national awards were awarded at this year’s Cross Country Dance Championships:

Top Junior
Savanna Michael, Jupiter, FL

Top Newcomer Students
Male – Andy Sage, Lake Park, FL
Female – Sara Sage, Lake Park, FL

Top Bronze Students
Male- Andy Sage, Lake Park, FL
Female – Gracelynn Tuotti, Buffalo, NY

Top Silver Students
Male – Kent Savage, Houston Kingwood, TX
Female – Mary Mitchem, Houston Katy, TX

Top Gold Students
Male – Sean Orr, Tarrytown, NY
Female – Lindsey Willis, Tarrytown, NY

Top Overall Students
Male – Kent Savage, Houston Kingwood, TX
Female – Patricia Becker, Buffalo, NY

Runner Up Top Studio
Jupiter, FL

Top Studio
Chicago North

2008 CCDC Top Teachers
1st Place – Sean Emad, Mesa, AZ
2nd Place – Warren Brown, Jupiter, FL
3rd Place – Genadi Lulchev, Scottsdale, AZ
4th Place – Vladimir Velev, Jupiter, FL
5th Place – Ben Seifert, Houston Woodlands, TX
6th Place – Jessica Nail, Houston Kingwood, TX

Ballroom Is Booming!

According to a recent article in Poron Insider, enrollment is up at dance class studios across the nation, but the real surge is yet to come.... Click here to read the full text of the article.

Congratulations to Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina

Fred Astaire studio owners in Montville, New Jersey and Champion Dancers Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina recently won the World Masters Title in Professional Latin at the Yankee Classic 2008 and the North American Professional Latin title at the North American Dancesport Championships 2008.

Fred Astaire Trivia

During last month's conference on Fred Astaire in Oxford, England, scholars from around the world shed more light on America's favorite dancer of all time, Mr. Fred Astaire:

• Fashion writer G. Bruce Boyer presented on how Astaire’s soft-collared shirts and comfortable suit jackets replaced the customary European wardrobe of high starched collars and restricted jackets.
• British record producer Ken Barnes recalled how he persuaded Bing Crosby and Astaire to duet on an album in the 1970s. When he heard that Barnes wanted the sound of tap dancing for one of the tracks, Astaire said, “Nothing sounds like feet but feet,” and did the steps himself.
• Astaire perfected and improved upon the “wraparound” movement in his routines - a series of steps originally described in Vernon and Irene Castle’s dance manual - in which he encircled his partner with one arm, then unwraps her and returns to their initial position.
• Astaire used jazz motifs borrowed from African-American musicians like Fats Waller and Lionel Hampton.
• Film and television historian Patricia Tobias demonstrated how Astaire made sure that camera tracking always complemented body movement, keeping the dancing figure within the central third of the frame.
• Famous choreographer George Balanchine incorporated Astaire’s movements in his work with the New York City Ballet. In one clip shown, a Balanchine ballerina is heard telling two young dancers to “make it more Astaire.”
• Astaire's daughter, Ava, admitted that while dancing at her debutante ball, she and her father were the only couple moving in the wrong direction!

Another Star Considers Dancing With The Stars?

Stage and film actor William Hurt is thinking of following Marlee Matlin's footsteps in Dancing With The Stars. He co-starred with Matlin in 1986's hit film Children of a Lesser God.

According to OK Magazine, Hurt is a fan of the show, watching last season as Matlin danced her way to seventh place. "He said of the deaf actress, "She's amazing in every way. She's always had my vote.""

So You Think You Can Dance Tour Dates

September 2008
9/20 Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
9/21 Portland, OR - Rose Garden
9/23 West Valley City, UT - "E" Center
9/25 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
9/27 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
9/28 San Diego, CA - Sports Arena
9/30 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena

October 2008
10/1 Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre
10/2 Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
10/4 Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
10/5 Fresno, CA - SaveMart Center
10/7 Glendale, AZ - jobing.com Arena
10/10 Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre
10/11 Houston, TX - Reliant Arena
10/12 Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
10/14 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
10/15 Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
10/17 Chicago, IL - United Center
10/18 Green Bay, WI - Resch Center
10/19 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
10/21 Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
10/22 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
10/24 Highland Heights, KY - Bank of KY Ctr
10/25 Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
10/26 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
10/28 Trenton, NJ - Sovereign Bank Arena
10/29 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena

November 2008
11/1 Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Theater
11/2 Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Center
11/3 Providence, RI - Dunkin' Donuts Center
11/5 Long Island, NY - Nassau Coliseum
11/6 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
11/8 Pittsburgh, PA - Petersen Events Center
11/9 Norfolk, VA - Constant Convocation Center
11/10 Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
11/12 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena

Next Celebrity on Dancing With The Stars

Former N-sync star Lance Bass is set to appear in the next season of Dancing With The Stars, starting in September 2008.

Movie Minutiae

During the filming of Singin' in the Rain, Gene Kelly teased Debbie Reynolds about her lack of dancing talent. Fred Astaire discovered nineteen-year-old Reynolds crying under a piano and gave her dance lessons.

Home Sweet Home for Fabian Sanchez

Reprinted from Birmingham Magazine:

The Hot List...PEOPLE AND THINGS THAT ARE MAKING THIS CITY SIZZLE

Hoover resident Fabian Sanchez and his dance partner, Academy Award-wining actress Marlee Matlin, may not have won season six of Dancing with the Stars, but Sanchez’s larger-than-life personality and exuberance for our city ensure his place on our 2008 Hot List. And boy can he dance!

Born in New York City, Sanchez spent his childhood in his parents’ native Colombia and has lived in Birmingham since he was a teenager. His dream was to become a professional soccer player but a summer job teaching dance at a Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studio turned into his career for the past 16 years. “I didn’t come in here wanting to stay,” says Sanchez, “but I just fell in love with the dancing, I thought it was so cool and I saw the opportunities that I could have. And, here in this business you could be a United States champion or a world champion, you could be a coach, manager, supervisor, whatever you want to do, you can do in this business.”

Sanchez has indeed achieved much in his career. He and his wife Jacqueline own a Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studio in Hoover, he’s a four-time Fred Astaire National Champion and in 2006 was the World Mambo Champion. It was this feat along with the support of his good friend Maksim “Maks” Chmerkovskiy, a Dancing with the Stars veteran, which catapulted his name to the forefront of contenders for a coveted spot on season six of the show. The experience was a whirlwind. He was called on Thursday night and had to be in Los Angeles three days later to begin practicing with Matlin. Days were spent practicing, appearing at numerous special events, doing interviews and signing autographs.

Now that this season has ended, Sanchez is traveling around the country making appearances with Matlin, attending charity events and coaching and judging throughout the Fred Astaire organization. He’s also enjoying time with his wife and son at home and at their studio while waiting to hear if he’ll be selected for the next season of Dancing with the Stars.But, Sanchez says that a permanent move to Los Angeles is not in his future. To prove his love for his home Sanchez tells a story from a night spent at a Los Angeles club along with the other Dancing with the Stars celebrities and professionals. He says, “One night Kid Rock was [at this club] and he decided to get up there and sing three times. He did two of his songs. The last thing he sang, I mean I went nuts because it was ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ ... Every time I hear that song when I’m out of town, it reminds me of how much I love this place, how much I love being here and I’m so glad I chose to stay in this city. When that song comes on, especially that night and everybody, all my friends, the dancers and celebrities from the show, obviously everybody knows I live here, so everybody came and hugged me and started singing with me. ... It was so cool, man to hear that song over there. That’s it, I’m just happy to be here, happy to be able to see my family and I’m happy for the people with Dancing with the Stars to give me an amazing opportunity to be able to expand my career and be able to take it to as high of a level as it is to be on that show. Really the staff there, the dancers, it’s really like a dream team to be able to perform along with some of the best dancers in the world. I feel very privileged to be able to be a part of it. It’s been great.”

Quick Before The Music Stops

Janet Carlson's newly published memoir, Quick Before The Music Stops, describes her midlife renewal through dance, and how her newfound empowerment transcended the dance floor and became immediate and relevant in every aspect of her life. Carlson, the Beauty & Health Director at Town & Country magazine, has written articles for O the Oprah Magazine, Elle, Redbook, and Departures, among other publications, and she blogs for the Huffington Post Living Section. In her book, she describes how taking ballroom lessons allowed her to rediscover the joy, passion, and confidence that had been missing from her life.

"There is no time for regret in dance. You have only now, this moment, for your performance, your glorious movement. Whatever you're going to do, do it now, quick, before the music stops."

"This new period is rich - as rich in some ways as having my two children because it has been a kind of birth - but it has also been extraordinarily painful thanks to the self-examination that dancing has provoked in me. And so, because of dance, I can say, unequivocally and gratefully, that I am alive at last."

Click here to read a review.

Special Note: The Fred Astaire Dance Studio on Manhattan's Upper West Side (174 West 72nd Street) is having a book signing and practice party on July 17. Contact the studio for more information at (212) 595-3200.

Eddie Simon's Ballroom! Show

Dance champions from around the world will come to the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ on July 18 at 8 p.m. and July 19 at 3 and 8 p.m to perform in Ballroom!, an original production showcasing the talents of top names in ballroom dancing. Choreographed by renowned dancing coach, judge, and choreographer Eddie Simon, Ballroom! will feature dancers who have won numerous US and world championships, including the reigning US Rhythm and World Mambo champions Jose Decamps and Joanna Zacharewicz. There will also be an onstage amateur competition during the second act of the show.

Mr. Simon was recently quoted as saying: "It's so exciting because in our world, [ballroom dancing] has been a big thing all the time, a special little secret...Maybe people have stayed in hotels and seen these dancers going back and forth in beautiful costumes and wondered, 'Where are they going? Who are they?' Now it's exposed to the rest of the world, definitely through the TV shows."

Tickets for the show cost $25-50. Click here to read more.

NY City Ballet Dedicates Dance To Fred Astaire

During the New York City Ballet's season opening at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 8, the performance of Jerome Kern's ballet "I'm Old Fashioned" began with a printed dedication to Fred Astaire on a movie screen. Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire appeared, dancing through the theme. Their images eventually disappeared to be replaced by three sets of soloists and a corps of 18.

Jane Seymour Reflects on "Dancing"

Jane Seymour, a celebrity dancer on last year's Dancing With The Stars who was partnered with Fred Astaire champion dancer Tony Dovolani, reflected recently on her experience on the hit dance show:

"First of all, it lost me 22 pounds and put me in a size zero, which was an interesting experience in and of itself...In terms of how it affected me as a person, it was by far the most exhilarating and exciting thing I think I've ever done."

Click here to read more.

First Ever Special Olympics Ballroom Dance Competition

This nation's first ever Special Olympics ballroom dance competition occurred Saturday, July 5, in Fort Wayne, Indiana where clients from Easter Seals Arc competed for a first-, second-, or third-place medal or a ribbon. Organizers for the local program hope that it will become a model for a new national Special Olympics sport. Steve Hinkle, president of Easter Seals Arc and a longtime ballroom dancer, was quoted in a News-Sentinel article as saying: "Ballroom dance is a healthy activity. If you really are into ballroom dance, it can improve all kinds of things in your health...It can be a lifelong skill."

Conference on Fred Astaire

During a four-day conference in June, more than 75 people from across the world gathered in Oxford, England to celebrate the singing and dancing legend Fred Astaire.

For the world's first conference on Fred Astaire, his 66-year-old daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, flew from her home in Ireland to host dignitaries at the conference, including Mr. Astaire's record producer, Ken Barnes, and a group of biographers. The conference featured more than 16 presentations on Astaire's life and included performances from Fred Astaire performer David Benson and world renowned pianist Jack Gibbons.

Organizer Kathleen Riley was quoted in an Oxford Mail article as saying: "I think there are few popular entertainers like him who have had such an extremely long career signing, dancing and choreographing and had such an impact on popular culture. We had a great reaction from everyone who attended. It was a scholarly event so we took a serious look at Fred Astaire's work, but it was also a lot of fun with good acts and people signing along and enjoying themselves."

New Dance Website

A YouTube-style site specifically designed for dancers is up and running! DanceJam (www.dancejam.com) is a video-based social website that contains videos of dance performances and instructional tutorials; it is the place to be for anyone who likes to move! Members can create profiles, post photos and videos, leave comments, etc.

Other features include:

• Slow-motion buttons on each video so that dancers can watch routines frame by frame to help them learn.
• Battles pitting two DanceJam members with similar styles against each other (site visitors vote for the best).
• A dance encyclopedia.

Dancing With The Stars vs. So You Think You Can Dance

Shannon Peace, a contributing writer to www.starpulse.com, analyzes the two television programs that have sparked America's interest in dance: Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance? Which show is better? Click here to find out.

Waltzing With Tony...No Defeat In These Feet

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer, Leslie Gray Streeter, dances with Tony Dovolani during the Grand Opening of the West Palm Beach studio in Florida. Here is her article:

Leslie waltzes with Tony: No defeat in these feet
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 03, 2008

"I haven't met the person I can't teach to dance," Tony Dovolani tells me.

"You haven't danced with me yet," I tell him.

When I set up my interview with the Dancing With The Stars hoofer, who was in town to promote the new West Palm Beach Fred Astaire Dance Studio, I agreed to a short dance lesson, because my job involves the sacrifice of my dignity for the amusement of the reading public. But inwardly, I was freaking out.

Choreographed dancing is way up there on my Monk-like list of fears, along with sinkholes, sharks and that mold that eats people's houses. I've always been uncoordinated, but I blame my terror of partner dancing on my 1988 debutante ball, where during the waltz, I tripped on the train of my own dress and could be seen literally hopping up and down like a lace-gloved Whack-A-Mole to avoid causing a collision with the other dancers. So Tony's confidence does little to deter my nerves, even as he leads me out onto the floor.

"I'm going to teach you the most successful step that's ever been discovered - the box step," he says, gently putting one hand on my back and beginning to count "One, two, three."

OK, that I can do. Tony tells me to look up at him, which takes a few seconds to feel comfortable, a.) because he's stunning, and b.) because looking at him reminded me that he was a internationally famous professional dancer and I am a marginally locally known person who enjoys watching other people dance while I eat.

And that, actually, is where everything gets better, because I remember that Tony is the professional, and the man, so he leads. Since he knows what he's doing, all I have to do is follow. I am a normally a bad follower, because I get too into my own head, forget to count, and because I have control issues.

"If you know what you are doing, you can lead," Tony smiles, and since we both know I don't, I just follow him. And even though I know this is a basic step, the fact that I do it without falling or hurting the famous person is progress.

"You have to know your ABC's before you can spell," he says, spinning me one more time. I feel pretty, witty, light and, maybe, ready for more dance lessons. But not around moldy sinkholes. One thing at a time.
Dance studios owe business boom to ABC's show 'Dancing With The Stars' didn't invent partner dancing, but it appears to have reignited interest in elegantly gliding across the floor in graceful sync.

'We've seen about a 30 percent increase' in people nationwide taking lessons, says Armando Martin, national director of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios. 'It's obviously very appealing, the movement in those beautiful dresses. You see celebrities who are not necessarily talented, but who, in weeks, are actually doing it. And they say "I can do that!" '

The ABC show was certainly on the minds of many of the more than 100 people who crowded into the Okeechobee Boulevard studio for the grand opening last Saturday to see series star Tony Dovolani and other professionals dance, and to try their hands and feet at everything from the tango to the Electric Slide.

'I'm a fan of the show, and after meeting him, I'm a fan of Tony's,' said Donna Weiss, one of several people (mostly female) waiting to get their photos taken with Dovolani. 'He's very humble and very gracious. And he's hot and sexy. Come on!'

Famous Choreographer Jerome Robbins Honored at SPAC

The New York City Ballet is dedicating its three-week season (opening 7/8/08) at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY to its late associate artistic director and ballet master, Jerome Robbins. Well-known as a perfectionist, Robbins would urge his dancers to dance like Fred Astaire. When he was staging his ballet, "I'm Old Fashioned," he made his dancers watch Fred Astaire dance on film repeatedly.

You Might Be Addicted To Dance...

You might be addicted to dance if:

• You listen to dance music at times when you cannot possibly dance -- i.e. on your car stereo, with headphones while taking public transportation, on airplanes.
• More than 50% of the t-shirts in your wardrobe are dance-related.
• When you are debating whether or not to buy a new article of clothing, a chief factor in the decision is whether or not you can wear it dancing.
• You go to non-dance social functions with other dancers but you cannot carry on a conversation for longer than 15 minutes without talking about dance.
• You have to explain at least once a week that you missed some over-hyped television program, a business function or social event because it conflicted with dance class.
• What you eat for dinner depends on whether you're going dancing afterwards (nothing too heavy, no garlic or onions).
• Even though you are an advanced dancer, you drop in on the beginners classes at least once a month just in case they are doing a beginner dance you've never learned.
• You subscribe to more than one dance-related magazine or newsletter.
• The photos on your desk at work include at least one of you at a dance-related event.
• You plan business trips and vacations so as to avoid missing your favorite local dance classes.
• You have, at least once in the past year, spent more time driving to a dance event than you knew you would actually spend dancing, i.e. one hour each way commuting to dance less than two hours.
• If you have pets, at least one of them has a dance-related name -- a cat named Cha-cha, a dog named Paso, a bird named Cucaracha.
  

Interview with Tony Dovolani

Champion Dancer and Dancing With The Stars Professional Dancer Tony Dovolani was recently profiled in the Palm Beach Post:

Step by step: Leslie learns about dancing with a star, Tony Dovolani
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 03, 2008

You might know Tony Dovolani as the elegantly handsome dancer who has swept the likes of Hairspray's Marissa Jaret Winokur and former wrestler Stacey Keibler off their famous feet on ABC's Dancing With The Stars. But between seasons, the 34-year-old Kosovo native is something of a traveling missionary, spreading the gospel of partner dancing and the social civility it inspires.

"Dancing is for everyone," says Dovolani, who spends several weeks a year making appearances at Fred Astaire Dance Studio locations around the country, including a performance with professional partner Elena Grinenko at the recently opened West Palm Beach studio.

"One of the things we have lost is social contact with each other," he says. "We spend so much time watching TV. Partner dancing is the only sport where you start by saying 'Hello' to someone else."

While he was in town, Tony said "Hello" and explained why we should be dancing (yeah!)

Question: Why is it so important to you to increase the popularity of ballroom dancing?
Answer: I've been working with students for 17 years, making sure the quality of dance stays up. I love what I do - it's a joy and a blessing. Partner dancing was a part of our culture for 70 years, but in the '80s it kind of faded away. It needed to be revamped, and Dancing With The Stars has helped that. It brings joy to people.
Q: So people have told you that they're interested in dancing again specifically because of the show?
A: They say 'It's the only show we watch as a family.' .... I think the new wave of interest started with the Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere movie Shall We Dance. People rediscovered that dancing by yourself is just not as fun, so they start with someone else.
Q: Why did you want to do the show?
A: I'm a teacher at heart, and that's a key part of it. I was raised in the Fred Astaire system, and you can teach everyone to dance. I have people say, "I have two left feet," and I say, "I have two right feet, so together I think we can make it work."
Q: What are some of the issues the celebrities have as dancers?
A: What keeps our interest as viewers is seeing them go completely outside their box. The whole point of the show is seeing them make the best of it. Some don't know their left from their right, some can't hear the music. We work seven to eight hours a day, seven days a week. We don't get a break!
Q: You want to prove that dancing is for everyone, of every size and age, and your most recent celebrity partner, Marissa Jaret Winokur, was a testament to that.
A: She started the show because she believed that you don't have to be a size zero or 2 to dance. Ballroom is for everyone. She had lost 45 pounds before coming on the show, and she said, "I'm not going on a diet." I told her, "You look perfect the way you are." We actually may have gained a few pounds. Everyone always talks about how much weight they lose on the show, and they asked us and we said "None! Were we supposed to?" You don't have to be an ideal size. Most of my students are not an ideal size.
Q: Let's go through your partners on the show, and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. Marissa?
A: Joy. Absolute joy, such a positive way of looking at life.
Q: Jane Seymour?
A: She was so determined. I'd never worked with anyone so determined.
Q: Leeza Gibbons?
A: A class act.
Q: Sara Evans (who left the show before the end of the season because of personal issues)?
A: A sweetheart. It was unfortunate what she went through.
Q: Stacy Keibler?
A: Should have won. People talk about how she was a (Baltimore Ravens) dancer, but we had so many of those singers who were dancers on the show. Drew Lachey was in a boy band, and he won! She did dance, but ballet and ballroom are two different animals. She was the hardest-working celebrity I've ever had, but her downfall was that people thought it came easy for her. If they had seen her struggle on the show, it might have been different.

Dance Among The Stars 2008

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio on Manhattan's Upper West Side (174 West 72nd Street) presented Dance Among The Stars 2008 on June 27. Click on the image below to view a slide show of the show's highlights:

New Dancing With The Stars Game for Wii

The sequel of the Dancing With The Stars: Get Your Dance On! Wii game system will be released this fall (2008), available for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS consoles. This version will feature new stars, including Mel B., Apolo Anton Ohno, Joey Fatone, and Jennie Garth. Players can use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controls to enact dance moves. With the hand-held Nintendo DS game, players can change character's outfits and dance partners at any time.

"'Dancing with the Stars' is an ongoing cultural phenomenon that appeals to people of all ages. It is mainstream entertainment at its best," said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. "We feel the game is the perfect opportunity to evolve the idea of 'active family fun'."

Guess Who Will Be On Dancing With The Stars Next?

Warren Sapp, the former Bucs and Raiders defensive tackle, says he will be one of the next celebrity dancers on the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars. "I enjoy the idea of training for something else. My whole life has been football. I could hang out in L.A. for a few weeks. My daughter would love it," he was quoted as saying in a recent St Petersburg Times article.

Midsummer's Night Charity Dance Event

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Youngstown, Ohio is teaming up with the Help Hotline Crisis Center to put on a Midsummer's Night Charity Dance Event on July 18th at the studio. The evening will consist of dance showcases by Fred Astaire dance professionals and 12 amateur and pro-amateur couples who will compete for the top three spots. A Best Impression Award and an award for the top fund-raising Dance Team that raises the most in donations will also be awarded. Dance team registration forms are also available at http://www.helphotline.org/ by clicking on upcoming events.
The community is invited. Tickets are $25 per person. For tickets, to register a team, or corporate sponsorships call Anna Masi, resource development coordinator at Help Hotline Crisis Center, at 330-747-5111.

Rock the Reception

TLC's “Rock the Reception” reality dance show features a bride and groom - along with their wedding party - as they surprise their guests with an entertaining and energetic "first dance" routine created by professional choreographers.

Tony Dovolani in Who's Who In America 2009

Fred Astaire Champion Dancer and Dancing With The Stars professional dancer Tony Dovolani has earned a place in the commemorative 2009 edition of Who's Who In America. Since 1899, Who's Who has chronicled the lives and careers of America's most noteworthy men and women.

Hot Chick and a Guy!

Owner of the Fred Astaire Studio in Fort Myers, Florida, Andrea McCain is also part of an acoustic music duo called Hot Chick and a Guy that plays around southwest Florida. With guitarist Michael Pick, a martial arts teacher, Andrea is currently recording an original album called "Making Lemonade." Andrea and Michael play an eclectic range of musical styles, covering everything from Tom Petty to Nancy Sinatra to Rihanna. They can be heard from 5-9 p.m. every Saturday at The Sandy Parrot in Fort Myers Beach and from 5-7 p.m. on Thursdays at Nita's Sweet Bean Cafe in Fort Myers. Click here to read more.

Viva Las Vegas Benefit In Florida

Every year, the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Sarasota, FL dedicates a showcase event to a deserving organization. This year, they chose to perform a "Viva Las Vegas" show to benefit the Lakewood Ranch High School theater program on Sunday, June 29. The benefit featured amateur and professional dancing to the music of famous Vegas shows.

Tony Dovolani in West Palm Beach

Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko performed at the Grand Opening of the Fred Astaire Studio in West Palm Beach. Click here to view a video of Tony teaching a lesson.

Dancing Under The Stars In Florida

Representatives of the Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers, Florida will host a "Dancing Under The Stars" series every Thursday night through July 18th at the Pavilion in Market Place. Dance instructions are provided by the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Marketing Director for Gulf Coast Town Center, Ashleigh Henry, was quoted in a recent news article as saying: "The instructors at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio are some of the area's finest and what better way to learn to dance than under the stars at Gulf Coast Town Center. We look forward to seeing everyone out at this exciting event." Click here to read more.

A Student's Perspective

Sixteen-year-old Savanna Michael is a dancer at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter, FL.

When did you start dancing?
5 years ago, in Ohio.

Why did you become a dancer at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter?
Two years ago, I came to Florida for a long vacation with my mom. I took a few lessons at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Jupiter while I was on vacation. I liked it, actually loved it, so I decided to stay with this studio. I come to train here every other month and spend most of my time in the studio; I go back to Ohio. I spend one month in Florida taking lessons, and one month in Ohio practicing.

What did you want to become a dancer?
The movie “Dance with Me” inspired me to take lessons. I hated the first year because I felt I did not know anything, and then later I started to like it.

What goals were you hoping to achieve through dancing?
I started to set goals for the first time when I started to dance at this studio. I realized that I wanted to become a professional dancer and that I would like to open my own Fred Astaire Dance Studio when I am older.

How did dancing better your life?
It is keeping me in shape; it made me stronger, improved my posture, and I am not as shy as I used to be when I started. I am a lot more outgoing with my friends and I feel I became a better person.

Did your personal expectations for your dancing change since you started?
Oh yeah! The first year I hated it. I had no goals; I did it just for the exercise. Now I love it! I want to become a professional, I want to improve more and I want to have more understanding of the sport.

What kind of activities do you take part in at Fred Astaire Jupiter? I dance at regional and national competitions. My biggest success so far was becoming 2nd at the World Pro/Am Junior Standard Championships and 5th at the World Pro/Am Junior Latin Championships at Ohio Star Ball. I have taken Top Youth Student at many Fred Astaire Regional and National Championships. My biggest competition yet was the Cross Country Dance Championships in Las Vegas last April. I also love to do Showcases and I perform at studio events like Holiday Galas and at some Friday practice parties. I participate in most of the events.

FADS Spotlight Evening

Ilya Ifraimov & Nadia Goulina - America's Ballroom Challenge

Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko - Blackpool 2008

Spotlight On...Riccardo Cocchi

By Catherine Brill, Fred Astaire Corporate Copywriter

What do you get when the former World Amateur Latin Champion dances with the current US Latin Champion? A hot, new Latin partnership!

Riccardo Cocchi, the newest member of the Fred Astaire National Dance Board, and Yulia Zagoruychenko, have set the dance world on fire since forming their partnership in the fall of 2007. They have just returned from the Blackpool Festival where they placed 2nd in the International Latin division, winning second place in all dances – a remarkable achievement.

“We just started in September and already rank second,” Riccardo noted, “Yulia is the best and we’re happy to be dancing together.” Their preparation for Blackpool was intense and, at times, “a nightmare” but it was all worth it when they got on the dance floor. “Everything was great once we started dancing,” Riccardo said.

Born in Terni, Italy, Riccardo has been dancing since he was six years old at his parents’ dance studio. He began to compete in ballroom at the age of eight but didn’t become a Latin dancer until about ten years ago, when he partnered with Joanne Wilkinson. Riccardo and Joanne were two times World Amateur Latin Champions, ten times Italian Amateur Champions, Professional Italian Latin Champions, and Professional Grand Finalists at the UK, British and World Championships.

After this dynamic duo ended their professional partnership in 2007, Riccardo took a break to wait for the right person to be available. His wait was worth it when he found Yulia, one of the most successful and talented dancers in the world today. Dancing together less than a year, Riccardo and Yulia have already come in 1st at many major dance competitions around the world, including the Holiday Dance Classic, the BDF Star Championships, the Philippine Star Ball, the Indonesian Open Dancesport Championships, the 8th Singapore Asian Open, and the Emerald Ball. At Blackpool, Riccardo and Yulia helped the USA win its first-ever Team Match!

Riccardo recently moved to New Jersey but don’t count on him to stay still for very long! Riccardo and Yulia plan on representing the US around the world, performing and competing at various prestigious events. Upcoming events include the US Nationals, the National Capital DanceSport Championships in Australia, the Manhattan Dancesport Championships, and the International Championships in London. When not busy competing, Riccardo will be available for coaching; he will be at the Fred Astaire studio in Indianapolis on August 2-4, along with world-acclaimed coach, choreographer, and former World Champion, Shirley Ballas.

Fred Astaire Franchise Developer Dan Rutherford was instrumental in introducing Riccardo to our chain and helping him with the paperwork necessary to move to the United States. Dan met him about four years ago and was immediately impressed by his talent. “I knew I wanted to train with him on a regular basis.”

The future for Riccardo and Yulia couldn’t be more promising. With their magical chemistry on the dance floor, they are well on their way to becoming the first World Latin Champions from the United States! We are proud to have someone of such immense talent with the Fred Astaire organization.

The Dancing Life - Judging & Coaching In NY, FL, and AZ

By Stanley McCalla, US Ten Dance Finalist, Fred Astaire National Smooth Champion, FADS National Coach and Adjudicator, FADS National Dance Board Member

During a span of ten days, I judged a beginner’s competition in White Plains, spent a few days in Boca Raton, Florida coaching, and finally ended in Scottsdale, Arizona for Antoinette Benevento’s June competition. I’d like to share my experiences with you, which was nothing less than perfect… oh well, maybe close.

White Plains Beginner’s Competition

It has been awhile since I judged one of those and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The students and their teachers were literally having a ball in a packed, spacious room full of rowdy spectators. The highlight of the day for me was the Trophy Ball where at least 10-15 students received their certifications after being showcased by their teachers. The Trophy System is, no doubt, at the core of our business. As a person who has gone that route, I strongly encourage all of our students to get their certification through the Trophy System as this will surely help improve their dancing.
This event was superbly organized. To Laura and Armando Martin, I say: “WELL DONE.”

Boca Raton, Florida

Coaching in Boca was like working in paradise, if there is such a thing. Although it wasn’t the first time that I’ve been to that spacious studio, I felt that my job was the best in the world as the owners, Jean-Marc and Pam Casanave, greeted and treated me like royalty. The teachers were very professionals and eager to learn, which is an excellent attitude for success. The students were like sponges…they wanted knowledge. I loved them all.

To the students there, I say: You belong to a great studio. Listen to your teachers and the managers as they will take you to the path of brilliance.

To the teachers and owners, I say: “Bravo.”

Scottsdale, Arizona

The Hilton Hotel, which housed the two-day dance competition, was by all standards a five-star hotel with amenities to boot. Antoinette Benevento, with the help of Tim Bohnett, did nothing but live up to her legendary reputation as an organizer and host. The competition itself was well run, even running ahead of schedule sometimes. I judged some very good talent within both the student and teacher ranks.

Saturday evening’s festivities included three Closed Professional competitions and a delightful show by a top United States Latin couple, Jurga Pupelyte & Vaidas Skimelis. I was personally floored by their rendition of passion (a medley of modern and Latin). To me, this competition was a great example of how Fred Astaire is taking the lead in the dance business industry, through personalities like Antoinette Benevento.

To Antoinette, Tim Bonhett, Bill - who incidentally did a great job MCing, the DJ, and many others not mentioned here, I say: I take my hat off to you (chapeau bas).

To the teachers and students, I say: Congratulations! Come and show your stuff at the National Competitions. The rest of the country needs to see what Arizona is made of.

West Hartford Instructor Teaches News Team

Clemens Lengenfelder, owner of the Fred Astaire studio in West Hartford, CT, taught the local FOX morning news team how to dance this morning. Check out the video by clicking on the photo below:

Save The Date For Colonial Classic Dancesport Championships

Students and teachers from Fred Astaire Dance Studios around the northeast will compete against each other at the 42nd Colonial Classic Dancesport Championships at the Marriott Hotel in Mystic, CT on August 7-9. Call your local Fred Astaire studio for more information.

Dancing With The Teen Stars in Memphis

Call today (901-753-2158) for teen classes at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Memphis, TN.

Nickelodeon Show Brings Dance To Kids

Dance on Sunset, Nickelodeon's first reality TV dance show, premiered in March and aired its last episode on Saturday, June 21. Each week, choreographer Tony Testa choreographed two dances for a group of 6 professional dancers, ages 14 to 20, to perform at the beginning and end of the show. Also, throughout the show, Testa and the "Nick 6" broke down an original dance in a simple and easy format, so the audience and viewers at home could follow along. According to a recent article on http://www.enterteenmentnews.com/, Testa got his inspiration from "tap dancers like Gregory Hines, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly."

In a recent New York Times article, the Executive Producer of Dance On Sunset Jane Lipsitz was quoted as saying, “Kids love to dance, and they always have...We wanted to give them something interactive that they can’t get from computers. And we wanted to keep it pure, to focus on the joys of being a kid and the joy of music.” Testa's choreography was refreshingly age-appropriate for Nickelodeon's pre-teen viewing audience.

Dance Shows On Television

FOX is currently airing the fourth season of So You Think You Can Dance. Contestants have to perform a variety of dances – from hip-hop routines to the waltz – each week in order to move up in the competition. Tune in Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. EST for performances and Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m. EST for results.

MTV joined the dance competition craze with Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew. Now on its second season and hosted by Dancing With The Stars runner-up Mario Lopez, this show focuses on street and studio dance crews showcasing their fancy footwork each Thursday night at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Master of Dance is TLC’s new dance competition series airing on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. EST. This show tests contestants’ moves and flexibility by changing the song in mid-performance. Hosted by another Dancing With The Stars celebrity alum, Joey Lawrence, the grand prize is $50,000.

Tribute To Cyd Charisse

We were very sad to learn of Cyd Charisse's death on Tuesday, June 17, at the age of 86. Charisse was famous for her magnificent dancing roles in many Hollywood musicals. She starred in 38 movies and made her Broadway debut in 1992 in "Grand Hotel." Her appearance in one of the most famous dance movies of all time, Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly, established her as one of Hollywood's greatest talents. In later years, she enjoyed a successful song-and-dance partnership with her husband, Tony Martin, in nightclubs and on television. In 2006, President George W. Bush presented her with a National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony.

She was one of Fred Astaire's most memorable partners in three movies: Ziegfield Follies (1946), The Band Wagon (1953), and Silk Stockings (1957).

Of Charisse, Astaire once said: "Cyd is a great girl, simply the most lovely-looking girl you could ever meet. She never changes, always looks the same. And the nicest-natured person...She's just beautiful, trained, very strong in whatever we did. When we were dancing, we didn't know what time it was."

In his autobiography, he wrote: "That Cyd! When you've danced with her you stay danced with."

During a 2002 interview with the New York Times, Charisse said that her husband could always tell which leading man - Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire - she'd been dancing with. "If I was black and blue, it was Gene. And if it was Fred, I didn't have a scratch." In a 1992 interview, Charisse remembered Astaire fondly, saying simply: "Fred moves like glass."*

Our condolences go out to Charisse's family and friends. The world has lost a legend.

* Quotes taken from International Herald Tribune article, June 18, 2008

Save The Date for Jersey Boys!

Fred Astaire Dance Studios in New Jersey are putting on a terrific show on Saturday, September 13th at the Bergen Tech School in Hackensack, NJ. "Jersey Boys" will feature pro/am solos, novelties, and showcases performed by staff and students of Fred Astaire studios in Montville, Morristown, Red Bank, Upper Montclair, Westwood, and Englewood, choreographed by Mr. Stephen Knight, and performances by the New Jersey staff, managers, and owners, choreographed by Bruno Collins.

Tickets are on sale now for $25 each. For ticket sales, please contact Brittany Matthews at the Red Bank studio at 732-741-4188.

Dancing With Desire Recap

Ft. Walton Beach studio's charity event on June 12th, Dancing With Desire, was a huge success! Featuring a host of celebrities from Dancing With The Stars, this program raised money for the Desire Street Ministries and the local YMCA.

After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Desire Street Ministries facilities in New Orleans, the Executive Director, Danny Wuerffel and his wife Jessica, wanted to put together a benefit to help displaced inner city youth get back into a permanent facility. Having taken dance lessons at the Fort Walton Beach studio, they turned to Fred Astaire for help. Luann and Bruno Collins were more than happy to help. According to Luann, tickets sold out early this year and they had to add chairs to accommodate all the calls for the show. They also had a “Make A Wish” family join the show as their guest!

Most of the guest dancers were longtime friends of the Astaire studio staff. Among the performers were Maks Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko, Mark Ballas, Derek Hough, Fabian Sanchez and Marlee Matlin, Jonathan Roberts and Valentina Kostenko, Jesse DeSoto and Jackie Josephs, Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian, Ilya Iframov and Nadia Goulina.

“This was our biggest to date and the phones wouldn’t stop ringing,” said Luann Collins about the event.

Click here to read a recap about this exciting event.

Rhythm Comes To Texas In Dance Revue

Texas professionals and amateurs will steal a Houston stage on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 as talented students from the Fred Astaire Dance Studios come together to bring “Rhythm of the Night,” the 3rd Annual Ballroom Dance Revue, to the thespian enthusiast and average Houstonian alike. Held at Houston's Hobby Center, the night will be a fantastic display of ballroom dance skill, talent, and creativity. You don't have to be a judge on Dancing with the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance to know good dancers when you see them!

Houston area students will be accompanied by their teachers to dance over 80 different musical routines to a variety of music for the Professional/ Amateur part of the show. The music will be a mix of fun oldies, ranging from the 1930s to the popular music of today. This show has something for everyone. Nevertheless, Fred Astaire Dance Studios would not be an awesome host if they did not give the audience a taste of the professional star power during the night's Professional Act. It’s a family treat for not only the hometown of Houston, but from afar as well. Make sure you pick up your tickets for this Broadway musical dance revue by clicking here.

Riccardo Cocchi & Shirley Ballas In Indianapolis

Acclaimed dancers Riccardo Cocchi and Shirley Ballas will be coming to the Fred Astaire studio in Indianapolis on August 2-4th. Riccardo Cocchi just came in 2nd in the International Professional Latin division at Blackpool. With his previous partner, Joanne Wilkinson, Ricardo was a finalist in all major professional competitions, as well as winning both the IDSF and IDU World Championships before turning pro. Shirley Ballas is the 3 times winner of the Open To The World British Latin Championships. She has held the following titles: 8 times United States Champions, 3 times British National Champions, United Kingdom Champions, European, 2 times International Champions and Dual of the Giants Champion, amongst others.

Coaching will be available for anyone that would like to come in. Both Riccardo and Shirley will do pro, pro/am and amateur couple coaching. Contact Dan Rutherford at 317-291-6500 for more information.

Save The Date for the DC Invitational on June 29

Celebrate with the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Washington, D.C. at their Invitational at the Washington Golf & Country club's President's Hall on Sunday, June 29. With exciting competitive heats, showcases, a buffet dinner, open dancing, and professional shows, this event is the place to be! If you don't want to compete, please join us as a spectator or for dinner! Click here for more information.

Never Give Up!

“Can’t act. Slightly bald. Also dances.”

This was one official's reaction to Fred Astaire's first screen test in 1933. He kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hills home.

Fred Astaire once said: "When you're experimenting, you have to try so many things before you choose what you want, and you may go days getting nothing but exhaustion." But his perseverance paid off. “The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it’s considered to be your style.”

Dads Love Dancing Too

In celebration of Father's Day (June 15), TiVo recently conducted a poll to find out which TV shows most fathers say they hate but secretly love. And guess which show came in first? None other than our favorite...Dancing With The Stars!

New Studio In Plymouth, MA

Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Plymouth, MA celebrated their grand opening on June 7th! Congratulations to Marsha and Jay Kane who won 15 lessons in the raffle: 5 private lessons, 5 group classes, and 5 practice sessions - wow, what a great prize! They arrived at the celebration early and were great sports about being two of the first people up on the dance floor.

One self-proclaimed "soccer mom," Ann Luongo, chronicled her time at the party in an article in the local paper. Searching for something to do with her husband, Anne and her husband arrived at the studio and found it overflowing with happy people smiling and dancing. Although they didn't stay long, they signed up for a lesson, inspired by the upbeat and uplifting atmosphere! Click here to read the full article.

Catherine (Casey) Baird and her manager Forrest Burke-Moran look forward to seeing everyone in the studio again very soon to teach the Swing, Foxtrot, Salsa, Waltz, Tango, or any other dance you would like to learn! Don't hesitate to call them at 508-732-6790 or email dance@fadsplymouth.com to book your lessons now.

California Studio Participates In Local Dancing With The Stars

To benefit the Tri-City Health Center, Bill Ranells, owner of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Santa Clara, participated in a local version of Dancing With The Stars on May 20th. Eight local celebrities learned the Salsa, Swing, and Tango while local dance instructors opened their hearts to teach them free of charge. The competition raised over $20,000 for the Center, which will devote most of the proceeds for school programs that combat teen pregnancy.

Ballroom Dancing In The Summer Olympics?

Is ballroom dancing an art or a sport?

Ballroom dancing is on the International Olympic Committee's 31-sport waiting list for a spot in the Summer Games. With ballroom dancing's world-wide audience (local versions of Dancing With The Stars air in 25 countries with 20 million viewers watching the U.S. version and an astounding 40 million viewers in China) promoters believe that ballroom has as much a claim to Olympic status as beach volleyball, a recent addition to the games.

Click here to read more.

Marlee and Fabian Haven't Stopped Dancing!

Fabian Sanchez, owner of the Fred Astaire Studio in Birmingham, Alabama, recently accompanied his former Dancing With The Stars partner, Academy Award winning actress Marlee Matlin, to raise money for the International Center on Deafness and the Arts in Northbook, Illinois. An inspiration to anyone who has ever struggled with any kind of disability, Matlin and Sanchez took sixth place in the latest season of DWTS. At the center, they gave students a brief lesson on the cha-cha and the mambo, also performing their Dancing With The Stars routines during a benefit for the center on the following day. Matlin once belonged to the center's Traveling Hands Troupe. Click here to read more.