Walking on the Moon

Michael Jackson in motion
by Joan Acocella

If you watch a video of the Jackson 5 performing “I Want You Back,” on the Ed Sullivan show, in 1969, you will see that the group’s lead vocalist—Michael, the youngest of the five brothers—was already an A-list dancer at the age of eleven. Here is this fat-cheeked boy, in a pink Super Fly hat that he is obviously proud of, doing tilts and dips and fanny rocks and finger snaps, and tucking in little extras—half steps, quarter steps—between them. Most amazing is his musicality, his ability to respond to the score faithfully and yet creatively, playing with the music, moving in before and after the beat. Musicality always comes off as spontaneity, and he was loved, early on, for that quality.

Now turn to “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” (1979). Ten years have passed. He has started recording his own songs. He does fancier steps. But at twenty-one, as at eleven, he is galvanizing above all because of his naturalness. He hops with joy; he wags his head; his shirt comes untucked.
Then come the landmark videos of the early nineteen-eighties: “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller,” all of them for songs that appeared on the collection “Thriller” (1982), which is the best-selling album of all time. At this point, Jackson has just about everything you would want in a dancer. He is very fast, and, now that the adult musculature has come in, his whole body is “worked.” (This means that every muscle is stretched, and operating in the service of the dance. Nothing is blurred.) As a result, he has a sharp attack, and wonderful clarity. Watch him—as you can, for example, in “The Way You Make Me Feel” (1987)—dancing, silhouetted, alongside other men doing the same steps. You can’t see the faces, but you know which one he is. He dives into a step more intently, and shows it to us more precisely, than anyone else. Around this time, the videos are featuring some new moves—for example, multiple spins (which seem, at times, to have received technical assistance). And he’s now doing the famous moonwalk, which he picked up from break dancing. He has also started doing some rather dirty moves, notably the crotch-grab, which will endure, with striking embellishments, throughout his career.

The “Thriller”-period videos were instrumental in converting MTV from a backwater to a sensation. Jackson consciously aimed at doing that. “I wanted to be a pioneer in this relatively new medium,” he said in his 1988 memoir, “Moon Walk” (a book, incidentally, edited by Jacqueline Onassis). He spent a fortune on these projects. The 1995 “Scream” video cost seven million dollars—a record at that time. He didn’t like to call these works videos. They were “short films,” he claimed—and rightly, for he had them shot not on videotape but on 35-mm. film. “We were serious,” he said.
Jackson took his choreography from a number of sources: hip-hop, sock hop, “Soul Train,” disco, and jazz dance, plus a little tap and Charleston. By his account, he constructed some of the movement himself. “Billie Jean,” he says in “Moon Walk,” still had no dance component the night before he was scheduled to perform it in honor of Motown’s twenty-fifth anniversary. He went down to the kitchen, turned on the music full blast, and, in his words, “let the dance create itself” on his body. His moonwalk had its début in that number.

But on most of his dances he did not work alone. Michael Peters, Vincent Paterson, and Jeffrey Daniel, all of them experienced stage and TV choreographers, collaborated with Jackson. On the PBS special “Everybody Dance Now” (1991), in answer to a question from the dance historian Sally Sommer, Peters said that Jackson’s method was to put together some steps and ideas and bring them to a choreographer, who would then organize them into a coherent dance.

But, whether he went it alone or got help, the result was much the same. He didn’t have a lot of moves. You can almost count them on your fingers: the gyrating hips, the bending knees (reversing from inward to outward), the pivoting feet (ditto), the one raised knee, the spins, and, above all, the rotated or raised heel, which is what he gets around on. These steps are generally done staccato. He finishes the phrase and freezes, then finishes the next phrase and freezes. He also has some moves so natural that one hesitates to call them steps: lovely, light-footed walks, struts, jumps, and runs. He made at least one important innovation in music-video choreography—the use of large ensembles dancing behind the soloist—but beyond that he created very little dancing that was different from his own prior numbers, or anyone else’s. Yet many people were happy to see him, again and again, do the thing he did. Long after the critics soured on his music and his videos, they still liked his dancing.

Sometimes they had to take the dancing on faith. Jackson, who had a thorough knowledge of the movie musical, revered Fred Astaire. He records in his memoir how thrilled he was when Astaire praised him. The old master even invited him over to his house, where Jackson taught the moonwalk to him and his choreographer Hermes Pan. (Astaire told Jackson that both of them, he and Jackson, danced out of anger—an interesting remark, at least about Astaire.) But despite Jackson’s awe of his predecessor, he never learned the two rules that Astaire, as soon as he gained power over the filming, insisted on: (1) don’t interrupt the dance with reaction shots or any other extraneous shots, and (2) favor a full-body shot over a closeup. To Astaire, the dance was primary—his main story—and he had it filmed accordingly. In Jackson’s videos, the dance is tertiary, even quaternary (after the song and the story and the filming). The camera repeatedly cuts away, and, when it comes back, it often limits itself to the upper body. Jackson didn’t value his dancing enough.

Pop critics often say that with the “Thriller” album, though it came early —he was only twenty-four—Jackson went as far as he ever got musically. The same might be said of the music videos born of this album. The “Thriller” video became part of world culture. On YouTube, you can see a clip of fifteen hundred inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, in the Philippines, doing the “Thriller” dance in unison, in their orange uniforms. (Prison officials thought it would be a good lesson in discipline.) The later videos were not as popular, because they were not as good. Now, in place of dancing and stories, he ramped up the pyrotechnics. Smoke banks enclose him. Great flames shoot up behind him. (Back in 1984, while he was filming a Pepsi commercial, the special effects set his hair on fire. He had to be treated for third-degree burns.) Then come the computer-generated effects: he vanishes, he materializes, he walks on walls. With this abracadabra, good causes, mawkishly treated, make their entry. “Heal the World” (1992) gave us war, and abandoned children sucking their thumbs; “Earth Song” (1995) was about the destruction of the environment. This would have been O.K. if he had gone on dancing, but he didn’t, or not much. In one video, he just walked; in another, he just sat; in “Heal the World,” he didn’t appear. “You Are Not Alone” (1995), the major embarrassment of this late period, shows him as an angel, quite naked, with a vast pair of feathered wings. Needless to say, this ruled out dancing. Many of the late videos are heavy on self-aggrandizement; others, on self-pity. He, too, was sucking his thumb.
Occasionally, though, he would get up off his chair, and then it was like old times. The last known video shows him at a rehearsal for the London season he was about to embark on. He struts, he boogies; he snaps and pops. As CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, said, “This doesn’t look like someone who’s very sick to me.” That’s not to mention that Jackson was fifty years old and, because he was in rehearsal, was probably not performing “full out.” He was still a great dancer. Two days later, he was dead. ♦

DWTS judge part of "Burn The Floor"

Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the judges of the hit show Dancing With The Stars, is joining "Burn The Floor," a Latin and ballroom dance extravaganza on Broadway, as a producer. DWTS pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff will join the cast as guest stars for the first three weeks of the show's 12-week run. Appearing at the Longacre Theater, "Burn The Floor" will open on August 2nd.

Charity Dance-A-Thon in Michigan

Friday, Aug 14-15, 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m.
at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Shake your booty for a good cause at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio Dance-A-Thon! Dancing starts at noon Friday August 14 to noon Saturday, August 15! We’re dancing round the clock to benefit Variety Far Conservatory for the Therapeutic and Performing Arts’ ballroom dance program for children and adults with mental, physical and emotional impairments. Private lessons are only $75, Group lessons only $10! Call (248) 454-1715 for more information!

So You Think You Can Dance 2009 Tour

Sunday, September 20: Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
Tuesday, September 22: Boston, MA - Agganis Arena at Boston University
Thursday, September 24: Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
Friday, September 25: Mashantucket, CT - MGM Theater - Foxwoods
Saturday, September 26: Trenton, NJ - Sovereign Bank Arena
Tuesday, September 29: Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Thursday, October 1: Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
Saturday, October 3: Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
Sunday, October 4: Champaign, IL - University of Illinois Assembly Hall Tuesday, October 6: Chicago, IL - United Center
Wedneday, October 7: Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Friday, October 9: Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
Saturday, October 10: Toledo, OH - Lucas County Arena
Sunday, October 11: Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Wednesday, October 14: Long Island, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Thursday, October 15: Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
Saturday, October 17: Richmond, VA - Richmond Coliseum
Monday, October 19: Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Tuesday, October 20: Duluth, GA - Arena at Gwinnett Center
Thursday, October 22: Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
Friday, October 23: Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
Saturday, October 24: Tallahassee, FL - Tallahassee-Leon Co. Civic Center
Monday, October 26: Houston, TX - Reliant Arena
Tuesday, October 27: Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
Wednesday, October 28: Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie
Friday, October 30: Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
Saturday, October 31: St. Louis, MO - Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis University
Sunday, November 1: Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
Tuesday, November 3: Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
Thursday, November 5: Colorado Springs, CO - Colorado Springs World Arena
Saturday, November 7: West Valley City, UT - The “E” Center
Monday, November 9: Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre LA LIVE
Thursday, November 12: San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
Friday, November 13: Glendale, AZ - jobing.com Arena
Saturday, November 14: Las Vegas, NV - Orleans Arena
Monday, November 16: Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
Tuesday, November 17: Fresno, CA - SaveMart Center
Wednesday, November 18: San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion at San Jose
Friday, November 20: Portland, OR - Rose Garden
Saturday, November 21: Everett, WA - Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center

Tickets sales begin on July 25th.

Dance In Puerto Rico!!!

The July 2010 Astaire Awards Championships will be held in the tropical paradise of San Juan, Puerto Rico at the El San Juan Hotel.

The El San Juan Hotel, an ideal retreat, is nestled along a beautiful beach and is surrounded by 15 lush acres of landscaped grounds - a perfect blend of tropical splendor and old-world sophistication. When you're not on the dance floor, you can relax on the white-sand beach, explore the city, or test your luck at the hotel's casino.

Tony Dovolani Coming To Boca Raton Studio

Dancing With The Stars pro Tony Dovolani will give a Master Dance Class at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Boca Raton on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 from 8-9:30 p.m. There is limited space available. The class costs $125 per person. Dovolani is also scheduled to appear at the Fred Astaire Studio in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, July 22nd.

Contact information:
Boca Raton studio: 561-391-8571
West Palm Beach studio: 561-478-1400

Dancing From The Heart

From the wickedlocal.com:

Medford, Florida

Charlie Belknap, a disabled war veteran, is unable to dance. But every time his wife twirls out onto the dance floor, he has to smile.

Frances Belknap, a Medford resident who also lives in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. with her husband during the winters, has been dancing for 11 years. She first became interested in dancing when the pastor of her church invited her and her husband to a practice party at the Fred Astaire Studio in Florida.

“It was a guest party, where people bring guests and they’ll dance different steps with you and offer you so many lessons for a really great price,” said Frances. “They kind of introduced you to rhythm dances and ballroom dances — smooth dances.”

She said the instructors showed newcomers the basics of three different smooth dances, the waltz, the foxtrot and the tango, and two different rhythm dances, swing and rumba. Inspired and excited, Frances decided to sign up for the lessons offered by the studio.

“I went to the first lesson,” she said. “I came home and I was so excited and happy that my husband said, ‘Keep going.’ So I kept going!”

Since then, Belknap has become a veritable veteran of dance.

“The first competition I did was in Boston,” she said. “My teacher said, ‘We’re going to have a competition in Boston, we can dance!’ So I decided I would do it, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

And she has.

Since then, Frances and her instructor, Joe Trovato, have gone to several competitions throughout the United States, including Austin, Texas and even Chicago, Ill. Frances’ most recent competition took place at the San Destin Hilton Resort for the Emerald Coast Dance Competition.

Surprisingly, she has never gotten nervous during a competition.

“I always get excited about competing, and showing the judges what we do,” Frances said. “It’s a chance to show off everything we’ve worked so hard on.”

And she always dances with a smile.

“I guess I just dance from my heart,” she said. “The smile just comes, and I don’t think about it.”

But Frances has not only danced like the stars; she has danced with them at the Fred Astaire Studio, too.

“I’ve been dancing with Eric Luna, who was recently on ‘Super Stars of Dance,’” Frances said. “He’s excellent. I’ve known him for a long time, because I’ve been dancing for 11 years and he started teaching there. I’ve known him since he was a boy, shall we say.”

Frances has also danced with such television personalities as Corky Ballas and Jonathan Roberts, of “Dancing With the Stars” fame.

“Tony Dovalani is coming!” said Frances excitedly.

She added she owes her ability to dance with these professionals to Trovato.

“He calls them, comes to get them to coach,” she said. “Our teachers are coached by them, and...they give group classes.”

Despite being surrounded by such well-known television personalities, Frances still prefers one dance partner in particular: her teacher.
“I’d much rather dance with Joe Trovato any day,” she said.

"Dancertainment" In New Jersey

An evening of Dancertainment sponsored by Fred Astaire and the Upper Montclair Business Association (UMBA)

On Thursday, July 23, Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Upper Montclair, NJ and UMBA will present an evening of "Dancing Under The Stars." The evening's theme revolves around a century of dance and will include dance demonstrations from all levels of Fred Astaire students - from newcomers to seasoned veterans. The participants will be demonstrating dances from the 1920s to the dances of today. Some of the dances that will be showcased are: the Quickstep, Cha-Cha, Tango, Jitter-bug, Lindyhop, Twist, Swing, Mambo, Dirty dancing, Hustle and even some Hip-hop. Iconic songs will represent the different decades, with hits such as "Tammy" and the "Tennessee Waltz," "La Comparisita," "Hey Baby," "Rock Around The Clock," "Zoot Suit Riot," "Footloose," "Staying Alive," "Dancing Queen," and more to showcase the dances of different eras and how they're still relevant today. Carrie Babcock, co-owner of Fred Astaire and 5-Time US Champion, will be MCing the event along with teaching introductory ballroom lessons and line dances.

The evening will also include a dance off judged by UMBA members and will wrap up with the 9:15 pm practice party at the studio!

The aim of Fred Astaire of Upper Montclair and UMBA is to entertain through the wonderful medium of dance. Ballroom Dancing is hotter than ever, with hit shows such as ABC's "Dancing With The Stars," Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," and spin-offs such as "Step It Up" and "Dance Your A&* Off." There's never been a better time to experience ballroom dance in America!

Everyone is highly encouraged to come out and participate in this fantastic event so wear your best period garb - gangster zoot-suits and flapper dresses, poodle skirts and saddle shoes, the rat-pack garb, keds and capris (ala Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing), bell-bottoms and leisure suits from the 70s, or your latest, trendiest little black dress of today. The event is going to be a blast and you certainly will not want to miss it!

FRED ASTAIRE OF UPPER MONTCLAIR
604 Valley Road
Upper Montclair, New Jersey 07043
THURSDAY, JULY 23
5:00 PM- 10:00 PM

Champion Dancers Come To Canton, Ohio

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in North Canton, Ohio welcomes World Smooth Champion Dancer Jonathan Roberts and World Latin Finalist Anna Trebunskaya to the studio on Saturday, August 15, 2009. Private classes are available all day and a Group class is scheduled at 11:00 a.m. The public is welcome. Call 1-330-497-3237 to register today!

Expressing Yourself Through Dance

Jeffrey Hajko, owner and manager of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Naples, Florida, was recently quoted in the Fort Myers Florida Weekly publication:

"For me, dancing is a different way of expression...You can write a poem, you can tell a story, or you can do the same thing with dance. And once people start dancing, they begin to realize that there's more to it - there are benefits. Exercise, making new friends, that sense of achievement that comes with moving so well."

Professional instructors at the Naples studio are currently training with nine prominent local celebrities for the "Dancing With The Stars" gala fundraiser for the Literacy Volunteers of Collier County held in mid-November.

My Golden Dancers

Aura of Happiness

By Elita Sohmer Clayman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep on Dancing

You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net

Reasons To Dance

Ballroom dancing appeals to people for a variety of reasons:

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

Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Florida Helps Community

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

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

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

Astaire Awards Championships 2009

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

By PATRICIA MONTEMURRI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fun, Fitness, and Family at Fred Astaire Dance Studios

from beachcomber.org (Destin, FL)

Lisa Worsham, May 14, 2009 Issue

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blackpool Festival 2009 - Team USA!

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

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

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

National Dance Championships 2009...Where Dreams Come True

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

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

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

Say It With Firecrackers!

Champion Dancers

By Marina Tarsinov, New York Eastside Studio Owner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Successful Pilot Program for Dance in Schools

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

- Students were provided with new learning opportunities.

- Students demonstrated a wider interest in more physical activity.

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

- Teamwork was encouraged and developed.

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

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

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Swing Dancing

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

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

Some different Swing dances include:

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

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

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

Blind Students Have Fun On The Dance Floor

News from Panama City, FL

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

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

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

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

Lose To Win!

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

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

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

Tune in on Mondays, 10/9c

Dancing With The Stars - New Pro!

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

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

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

America's Most Prestigious Competition!

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

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

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

The couple that sways together, stays together

From the Daily Mail Online (UK):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FAT to fit: Not so tiny dancer

From wickedlocal.com (Hanover, MA):

By Dana Forsythe

This week, I had my first dance lesson ever.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One thing they did say stuck out to me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Football to ballroom: Boys can dance too

From the jakartapost.com:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remembering Michael Jackson

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

My Golden Dancers

Joy, Hope and Faith

By Elita Clayman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep on dancing.

You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net

Dancing With A Star

From the newsherald.com: (Panama City, Florida)

By JON MILTIMORE / News Herald Writer
June 17, 2009 - 6:46AM
PANAMA CITY - Tony Dovolani is used to dancing with stars. He seems to forget he has become one.
The Kosovar-American world champion dancer of the hit ABC show "Dancing with The Stars" was in Panama City on Tuesday giving instruction at Fred Astaire Dance Studios.

"He is so good looking," said Shonie McCall, who had a 7:15 p.m. session with Dovolani. McCall began taking weekly dance lessons about a year ago after her husband died.

Dovolani, whose partners on the show have included actress Jane Seymour and country singer Sara Evans, does not appear distracted by his own rise to fame. He continues to instruct around the country at Fred Astaire Studios, which he joined at age 14, shortly after moving to the United States in 1989.
He has never looked back.

"I am living my dream in America," Dovolani said, who said he grew up watching stars such as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. "When I moved to here, I was surprised how few people ballroom danced. I get to bring something beautiful to people and that brings me great joy."

Brian Price, who founded Fred Astaire studios in Panama City 11 years ago, said other stars of "Dancing" have visited the studio, including Jonathan Roberts and Elena Grineko. Price, who began dancing 24 years ago, said the stars are an attraction to the studio, but the sport is becoming increasingly popular in its own right.

"People are seeing it is a great way to meet people," Price said. "It is a great alternative to (meeting people, in addition to) bars and church."

Life's A Dance!

From pnj.com (Pensacola, Florida):

Local celebs find rhythm for Covenant Hospice fundraiser

By Rebecca Rossrross@pnj.com

The rhythm is irresistible.

As music thumps through the Fred Astaire Dance Studio on Bayou Blvd., Teri Levin, co-owner of Levin-Rinke Resort Realty, is swept off her feet. Dance partner Victor Luna lifts Levin over his head, and spins her in the air.

Nearby dancers applaud, then get back to the sweaty business of rehearsing for Life's a Dance.

The dance extravaganza, taking place from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Saenger Theatre, will feature an all-star cast of national and local celebrities. Proceeds will benefit Covenant Hospice.

Luna, an award-winning dancer who runs the Pensacola studio with partner Dawn Westberry, described it as "an amazing evening of dance."

The event is divided into two parts — a dance competition with local notables such as Levin, Roy Jones Jr. and WEAR- Channel 3 TV anchor Sue Straughn — and a showcase featuring performers from the hit TV series "Dancing with the Stars," including Tony Dovolani, Elena Grinenko, Fabian Sanchez and Mark Ballas.

"Pensacola has never seen anything like this," Luna said. "These are some of the best dancers in the world coming to entertain us."

Tony Dovolani, who is friends with Luna, said that he loved visiting the Pensacola area.

"Some places are made by the people," the Connecticut-based dancer said. "Everyone here has a smile on their face."

Dovolani will not only perform during "Life's a Dance," but help judge the local competitors.

"I will be looking for the passion," he said. "That's very important."

Levin, who won top honors at Ballet Pensacola's "Dancing with the Stars" showcase in April, is ready to strut her stuff.

"I never had formal dance lessons growing up, but I've discovered a real love for it," said Levin, who will partner with Luna for a slinky tango. "And this event benefits such a wonderful cause. I couldn't say no."

Leah Harrison is a development manager with Covenant Hospice, a nonprofit organization which provides services to patients and their families during times of life-limiting illnesses.

She hopes that "Life's a Dance" will be a roaring success.

"It's a great way for us to raise money for our underfunded programs," Harrison said. "But it also shines a light on a healthy, mood-lifting activity that we endorse."

Luna, a top rated dance instructor, said that the evening should serve as inspiration to the community.

"Everyone loves to dance, and anyone can learn," he said. "Left feet, no feet, no rhythm, whatever. I can teach just about anyone."

Sue Straughn, who will perform a waltz with Luna during the competition, didn't share her partner's confidence, but is set to do her best. Whatever that may be.

"I'll get out there and do whatever it is I'm going to do, but it may not be a waltz," she said, laughing. "It will be something to see, though."

Additional Facts - Want to go?

- WHAT: Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Pensacola presents "Life's a Dance," benefitting Covenant Hospice.- WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.

- WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox Place.

- DANCERS: Performers from the TV series, "Dancing with the Stars": Tony Dovolani, Elena Grinenko, Georgia Ambarian, Eric Luna, Fabian Sanchez, Derek Hough and Mark Ballas. Local celebrity dancers: Sue Straughn, Teri Levin, Greg Litton, Roy Jones Jr., Leslie Ingram, Anita Ingram, Dan Brask and Malcolm Ballinger.

- COST: Tickets are $75, general admission; $150, VIP (includes entrance to post-show party). Available at the Saenger box office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 434-7444.- DETAILS: 208-7122.

Let's Dance!

From tvsquad.com:

Because you can never get enough of celebrities dancing, ABC has picked up Let's Dance, which they're calling a comedic reality show. It's based on a format that found success as part of the UK's Comic Relief programming. Rather than having celebrities commit to a full season to learn a variety of ballroom styles, a la Dancing with the Stars, this new show only requires a one-week commitment with the possibility of a "finale" return. And all they have to master is an already well-known dance.I guess this is where the "comedy" comes in?

The celebs will be asked to re-enact famous dance routines such as in Dirty Dancing, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, or even music video classics like Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Which is... funny, I guess? I love the picture that went with the story. No explanation but big red noses. So funny Maybe they dance with those? At any rate, funny or not the idea is to slot a short run, as in five episodes of Let's Dance between seasons of Dancing with the Stars. So what do you think? Is it too much dance, or are you on board?

Dancing Tips - The Thrill Of Competition

By Stanley McCalla

Judging a (New York, Fred Astaire Dance Studios) competition last August, I was pleasantly surprised by a senior Pro-Am male student who was jubilant on the dance floor. He was competing in a Bronze competition against three other male students. Watching him dance brought a nice grin to my face. Was it his technique…? His musicality…? His expression…? The latter was his prominent suit; in fact, his display of joy while performing was infectious. I don’t remember how he fared against his opponents but I think he did quite well.

Later that evening, having coffee with one of my colleagues, I noticed the gentleman in question sitting at the next table talking to some of his friends. Taking this opportunity, I went over, introduced myself and congratulated him on his performance.

"Thank you Mr. McCalla," he said, "I love every moment of it."

He went on: "Dancing has saved my life. It was either going to a shrink or going dancing, so I chose the latter. This is my first competition and I will do more of those because I realized that while on the dance floor I feel liberated from my problems and happy at the same time."

"Interesting," I said, "More people should know about your story."

He came back with, "Oh, yeah, I was rich once… my wife left me… my money is all tied up in a court dispute… needless to say, I have a lot of reasons to be depressed right now but I am not. Thanks to Fred Astaire Dance Studios, I found some new joy and happiness."

I chatted with J. for a few minutes before moving to my next judging session of the evening. I left with a nice feeling of satisfaction. His happiness at that time was genuine, and I felt there was a message there for all of us.

How many of you, like J., feels free on the dance floor? Perhaps you have taken lessons for a while, but have yet to experience this freedom that comes from performing. Maybe it is time for you to test the water and experience the thrill of competition.

I urge all of you who are reading this today to join us at AAC, our next National Competition to be held in Chicago this coming July. It is going to be fantastic, exciting, liberating and fun. Yes, we are experiencing a recession, but dancing amongst friends will keep you mentally and physically healthy.

Students, go to your teachers and ask them to sign you up. I hope to see you there. Until then, happy dancing.

Stanley is a Fred Astaire Dance Board Member & Examiner. He is available for coaching, judging, and examinations.

Review of So You Think You Can Dance

From the Los Angeles Times:

Finally! The part of the season we've been waiting for has arrived, so let's get right to it. The first of the top 20 dancers to perform were Jeanine Mason and Phillip Chbeeb, who did a hip-hop number choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo.

They were a couple trying to get to sleep who couldn't until they had resolved an argument. I enjoyed the piece, but didn't quite feel as in love with it as the judges did. Maybe I was rusty, or maybe the camera angles on the dance put me off (when will the show learn that quick cuts and zooms only take away from the performances instead of enhancing them?)
I think in general Tabitha and Napoleon's routine felt like something they had done before, and it's hard for me to feel very excited about a dance like that until I've gotten to know the dancers and their personalities a little bit. So I liked it, but I didn't think it deserved Mary Murphy's oh-so-predictable fake-out scream.

Next, Asuka Kondoh and Vitolio Jeune danced in Broadway style as choreographed by Tyce Diorio. With visions of Joshua Allen and Katee Shean's "Godspell" dance from last season, I anticipated a really fun, snappy dance, but the performance fell a little flat for me, partially because — with a fake old-timey camera propped up onstage — they seemed unclear about who they were performing to, and because in general it didn't feel as lively and zany as I expected. The judges agreed that they were left wanting more.

Karla Garcia and Jonathan Platero then tackled a Tony Meredith cha-cha-cha, which also wasn't quite as sharp and hot as I would have wanted, although Mary liked it enough to yell about it. I was worried at this point: Was I being too judgmental? Was I just nostalgic for last season? What was missing?

I quit worrying when Randi Evans and Evan Kasprzak danced a Tyce Diorio number that was sexy yet happy, romantic without being sappy or over the top. It was especially impressive considering neither dancer does jazz, and Evan and Randi had to pretend to be in love even though Randi is very married. The judges adored it and the two were deemed the Adorable Short Couple of the season (last season it was Courtney Galliano and Gev Manoukian). Mary was so taken by the dance that she shouted in Nigel's ear and then tried to break up Randi's marriage by talking about how hot she and Evan are together. By the way, Evan and Ryan have another brother. His name is the Other Brother, as detailed on his T-shirt.

I wrote last week about my uncertainty over Tony Bellissimo. I think he's adorable and charming, but I'm not sure if his dancing ability is equal to his personality. He performed a Tabitha and Napoleon hip-hop dance with Paris Torres. It was cool-looking, but guest judge Adam Shankman was right when he said that the dancers needed more snap and rebound when attacking their moves. Mary wasn't sure whether the number would be memorable. I think I enjoyed the performance a bit more than the judges did, but it certainly wasn't as good as the dances that preceded and followed it.

Caitlin Kinney and Jason Glover performed a Bollywood dance set to "Jai Ho" from the "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack as choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan, who is one of my favorite "SYTYCD" choreographers already even though we've seen his work only once before on the show. Look, you'd have to be dead inside not to enjoy Bollywood dancing. In fact, as I watched, I was amazed that there isn't a Bollywood dance class being offered at my gym as we speak. It just looks so cool and fun, and Caitlin in particular looked lovely and happy. I liked how she danced with her feet while she was doing a handstand. The judges, understandably, loved the whole thing.

And it just got better from there! Janette Manrara and Brandon "Lil C and Mia Michaels hate me" Bryant performed a Louis van Amstel fox-trot, looking debonair as could be. The turns and lifts at the end were lovely, and the judges loved it so much that somehow Mary was forced to confess that she's had too much Botox to appropriately express how much she liked the dance. That's a relief to me, because I was thinking that thus far this season that Mary's looking a little more tweaked than usual — but I was too nice a person to say anything. I hate it when Mary screams and I hate it when she pretends as if she's going to say something mean AND TOTALLY DOESN'T!!!! But this did make me like her more.

I think I've picked my favorite couple so far of the season, and it's Ashley Valerio and Kupono Aweau. Part of it may just be that they lucked out with their pick: a Wade Robson jazz dance about two crash-test dummies. As Adam said, you either love or hate Robson dances and I liked it a lot, including the odd makeup and Goldfrapp music. Allison in particular shined in the piece as the EVE to Kupono's WALL-E. I even loved the little crash-test doggie that scooted across the stage, even though it was a little bit distracting. The judges enjoyed the routine and Mary put the pup on the hot tamale train.

I have mixed feelings so far about ballerina Melissa Sandvig. On the one hand, I'm sick of the "naughty ballerina" finger in the mouth move she's been doing so much. On the other hand, at 29 she is nearly as old as I am and we old ladies need to stick together. She and Ade Obayomi performed a lovely Mandy Moore contemporary dance and Melissa's moves and grace were out of this world, thanks to her experience as a ballerina, naughty or not. Adam found it utterly special, and the other judges also loved it.
We closed out with Kayla Radomski and Max Kapitannikov who performed a Louis van Amstel samba. I could tell from the first move that it was going to be a fun, sexy performance, but the main story was how taken the judges were with Kayla, who had never danced ballroom before. Adam swore that Kayla made him believe in God. And with our last dance of the night, Mary finally put a human on the hot tamale train and knocked the protective headphones off Nigel's head.

Though the night took a little bit to really get started for me, I do think, cliched as it sounds, that this season could be even better than last, and I really enjoyed last season. Those dancers who didn't blow the judges away tonight will have to step up immediately (in 3-D or otherwise: That's an Adam Shankman joke, in case you didn't know).

Dancing With The Stars Dancer Visits Fred Astaire Dance Studios

From the newsherald.com:

June 10, 2009 - 9:04AM
PANAMA CITY, Florida - Professional ballroom dancer Tony Dovolani of ABC's hit series "Dancing with the Stars" is coming to Panama City next week.
A group dancing class with Dovolani will be at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 at Fred Astaire Dance Studios, 2401 Ruth Hentz Ave., off St. Andrews Boulevard and West 23rd Street. The cost is $35 per person, and space is limited. For more information, call 873-6269.

Watch Fred Astaire Professional Dancers "Work It Out"

At the Cross Country Dance Championships 2009, Fred Astaire Dance Studios national competition, Fred Astaire dancers entertained the crowd - Beatles' style!
http://www.fredastaire.com/interviews/studentinterview.html

See the Stars At Fred Astaire National Competition

Fred Astaire Dance Studios is proud to announce that professional dancers and celebrities from the hit TV show Dancing With The Stars will appear and perform at the Astaire Awards Championships in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, July 11, 2009. The stars scheduled to appear include:

Shawn Johnson - Winner of this season's DWTS and Olympic Gold medalist gymnast.
Mark Ballas - Shawn Johnson's dance partner and singer/songwriter/musician for the group Ballas Hough Band.
Tony Dovolani - Fred Astaire champion dancer and DWTS professional for seven seasons.
Fabian Sanchez - Former Mambo Champion and owner of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Birmingham, Alabama. Fabian was also a professional dancer on DWTS Season 6.
Jesse DeSoto - Fred Astaire champion dancer and DWTS professional on DWTS Season 3. Jesse runs the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Corky Ballas - Champion dancer. Corky partnered with Cloris Leachman on DWTS Season 7.

Spectator tickets ($50 each) will be sold at the door. Make plans to see the stars at this exciting Fred Astaire competition. For more information, contact your local Fred Astaire Dance Studio.

Star Dancers Come To Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Ohio

Dancers Cher Rutherford, Georgia Ambarian, and Eric Luna taught classes for members of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Canal Winchester, Ohio on Saturday, June 6. Ambarian and Luna are 10-time National Fred Astaire Theatrical Champions and World Cabaret Champions. Rutherford is a former US American Style Open Champion and US Theatrical Ballroom Champion. They have performed twice on "Dancing With The Stars" and also represented the US on "Superstars of Dance."

It was a wonderful opportunity for Fred Astaire Dance students to get personal dance instruction from such high caliber coaches.

The Healing Power Of Dance

A Fred Astaire Dance Studio owner in Crestview, Florida reflects on the dance business...

By J. David Colon, Crestview, Florida studio owner

"Our business is unlike any other" is a statement often used in the dancing business. I was enchanted by this business a few years ago and my wife Erika and I opened our very own studio in Crestview, Florida on December 2007. We have had the opportunity to impact people’s lives in amazing ways, but nothing has compared to the story I’m about to share.

Madilyn Lopez is eight years old; she is full of energy and loves to smile. Her mom, Michelle, enrolled her in our Kids’ class in September of last year. A few months later, Madi, as we like to call her, partnered with Lucas (also from the Kids’ class) as an Amateur couple. Michelle and her husband, Burt Lopez, made it a priority to bring Madi to the studio since Madi loved dancing so much. On April 21, the Lopez family and several of our students joined us at a local restaurant to watch Georgia Ambarian and Eric Luna perform on Dancing With The Stars. That following Saturday, tragedy struck.

On April 25, Burt Lopez, Deputy Sheriff for Okaloosa County, was shot and killed in the line of duty. This tragedy shook our whole county, and our main concern at that moment was the well-being of Madi. Madi’s next lesson with Lucas was scheduled for the following Monday but we had decided not to bother the family with any phone calls about lessons. To our surprise, Madi showed up for her lesson. Her head was down, her face was sad, and her eyes were red from so much crying. She hugged her instructor for a second and then turned to her partner, Lucas, to dance a Hustle. The moment she grabbed his hands, something amazing happened; her eyes lit up and her smile brightened the room. While Madi was dancing, her stepsister, who had brought her in for her lesson, explained that Madi had requested to come to our studio because she did not want to cry anymore and she wanted to be around happy people. We were the happy people, the ones that for a few minutes that day allowed her to be a kid again, away from a reality that only brought pain and sadness.

None of us at the studio had expected any of this to happen. We were even more surprised to find out that the funeral had been moved from Friday of that week to Thursday so Madi could compete at a Newcomer’s competition held at the Fort Walton Beach studio. Over 20 family members showed up to watch Madi compete. A week later, she danced at our first showcase.

Madi has been an inspiration to her family and has given them the strength to move forward. For us, she is proof that our business goes beyond dance steps, fancy dresses, and shoes. What we do taps into the very deepest emotions of the human heart; what we do not only provides comfort, IT HEALS. Our business is truly unlike any other.