By Armando Martin, Fred Astaire Dance Studios National Dance Director
The Ohio Star Ball took place on the third weekend in November, and, once again, record numbers of people and entries attended this very prestigious event. It was a very long week for those of us who judged the competition, but the culmination of the professional events was well worth the time invested.
The professional Latin Competition was not as exciting as it could have been due to the fact that the Latin World Championships was going on during the same weekend in Europe. Because of this, both the top two U.S. and Canadian couples were not in attendance in Ohio.
The one thing that was truly invigorating for me was the amount and the quality of Fred Astaire Dance Studio professionals in the field, and the fact that we had so many good placements. The semifinal of the World Smooth was full of our people, couples such as Greg and Gaby from New Jersey and Vladimir and Vera from Buffalo, New York. Making the final and dancing with great flair and class was Misha and Gal from the New York East Side studio.
In the Rhythm category, the same was true. Many of our couples graced the floor during the semifinal round, which, by the way, means that we will be seeing these couples in the finals in the years to come. Making the final of this World Rhythm event was Ricky and Albina from the Milwaukee Central Studio; they continued to impress the judges and dance great after their final placements at the USDC.
The Pro Rhythm Rising Star final was riddled with our FADS couples; four out of the six finalists were from our company.
The following is the list of all the Fred Astaire couples who made a real impact in the professional events. I’d like to send my congratulations to all of our couples and thank you all for making us all proud. Keep it up.
Jesse Benedetti & Kimalee Piedad, Ft. Walton Beach - 3rd in Professional Theatrical/Solo Exhibitions
Ricky Bentzen & Albina Habrle, Milwaukee Central - 5th in World American Rhythm & 6th in Rhythm Show Dance
Aaron DeSoto & Jaana Lillemagi, Chicago North - 1st in American Rhythm Rising Star
Ivan Dishliev & Marieta Nedyalkova, Phoenix - 3rd in American Rhythm Rising Star
Anatoli Gorolevici & Irina Gorolevici, Hanover - 6th in International Standard Rising Star
Nikolay Karchev & Robyn Zmudzinski, Milwaukee Central - 5th in American Rhythm Rising Star
Vicente Martinez & Megan Murphy, Chicago Downtown - 1st in Professional Theatrical/Solo Exhibitions
Aleks Nashev & Brittney Bartler, Chicago North - 2nd in American Rhythm Rising Star
Mikhail Zharinov & Galina Detkina, NY East - 4th in World American Smooth and 4th in Smooth Show Dance
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Cheryl Burke Interview
From theday.com:Kristina Dorsey
In a month, Cheryl Burke should be back to doing what she does most famously: teaching celebs how to dance.
On "Dancing with the Stars," she has tranformed Emmitt Smith from a football player into a charismatic dancer. She helped little-known actor Gilles Marini become the smooth operator who ended up tangoing into second place.
And, OK, her stint trying to make over politico Tom DeLay into a dancing machine didn't quite work. Their run was cut short when he got stress fractures in both feet.
The next "Dancing with the Stars" season should be starting up at the end of February or the beginning of March, and Burke is still in the dark about the whole thing, including potential partners.
In the meantime, she's coming to Mohegan Sun on Thursday to debut a new series featuring reality TV stars. Called Reality Check, it's held at The Shops at Mohegan Sun. Burke will be dancing with fellow ballroom champ Genya Mazo and then autographing photos.Burke, 25, has won "Dancing with the Stars" twice, when her partners were Emmitt Smith and former 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey.
One of her Burke's assets on the show is her ability to coach the stars well and to choreograph pieces that truly show them off to their best advantage.
She says that, with Lachey, he was a good performer coming in, and the technical part of dancing was the challenge. Smith's work ethic was tremendous, but he had never really danced before; he improved greatly over the course of the season and made the dances his own.She lucked out in those cases. The professional dancers have no say in who their partners are, Burke says. The producers do the matchmaking, and she thinks a lot of it has to do with personalities.
That's not the only thing out of the professional dancers' control. For the most part, they don't get to choose their songs; the producers do."
We can't plan ahead. So once we know we've gotten to stay another week, they give us a new dance and a new song," Burke says."It's hard because we have to choreograph that same night and come in (to rehearse it) the next day.
"If that sounds like a punishing schedule, well, it is."We don't really get any days off. It's seven days a week, and it's every day, every night working through your new dance, your routine," she says.
As for those two "Dancing with the Stars" mirror-ball trophies that she won, Burke says they've improved the construction as the seasons have gone on. Hers, though, are from early on, and she says there were times when letters ended up dangling to the side and "you start seeing the mirrors fall off the mirror ball." (They've since been fixed.)
While Burke gained favorable notoreity for winning "Dancing with the Stars," she experienced the inevitable downside of fame, too. She made tabloid headlines in 2008 for putting on a few pounds, enduring criticism even from a couple of her male colleagues. She said back then that she had just taken time for the first time in years and wasn't dancing seven hours a day.
Burke has since slimmed down again but says, "I think that whole situation has been more of an inspirational story. A lot of the people that come up say, 'That's such crap that happened to you.' It sent the wrong message out. I believe with a women's body, you don't need to be anorexic to be beautiful. ... I was never that skinny, skinny girl. I'm an athlete."
An athlete, yes, and a choreographer, too. Asked whether she might want to choreograph on, say, the Fox show "So You Think You Can Dance," Burke dodges the question for the most part, saying that "Dancing with the Stars" has been very good to her and that her loyalty lies there. She is contractually still tied to "Dancing with the Stars" as well. Eventually, though, she does hope to create her own show.
And she'll continue dancing."The way I express my feelings and myself is through dance," she says. With dance, too, you can always push farther. She says, "You're never done. You're never perfect."
So You Think You Can Dance NY Auditions
From nydailynews.com:
Hundreds of "So You Think You Can Dance" hopefuls poured into Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, hoping to shake, spin and glide their way onto TV.
They may not be able to moonwalk like Michael Jackson or hip shimmy like Beyonce, but they all had superstar aspirations.
"This is my dream! All my family and friends have been calling, saying 'I can feel it, you're gonna do well," and tears just come to my eyes," said Jason Taylor, 21, who was born and raised in the Bronx, but now lives in New Britain, Conn.
Taylor got in line for the auditions at 6 a.m. wearing a black Yankees cap pulled on sideways over his braids and high hopes of earning a "golden ticket" from producers that means moving on to audition again in front of judges Tuesday or Wednesday.
Some contestants have made appearances on the show before, like Jamie Greco, 30, a horror movie writer and director who lives in the Bronx. His all-out "gender chameleon" dance audition was aired during Season 2.
This time around, he came armed with a towering fruit hat, a pink fringe skirt and a bag of vegetables to use as props.
"I looove dancing," he gushed. "I'm a little bit intimidated being around all these people with professional training, but I know the real me will shine through."
A powerful personality is key, agreed the show's hostess, Cat Deeley.
"Personality always wins through at the end of the day," she said. "It's the back stories. It's the sense of humor. It's the fun. All those kind of things that make someone have charisma, make people identify with them, make people get off the sofa and actually pick up the phone and vote. And that's not an easy thing to do."
The show will audition wanna-be stars between the ages of 18 to 30 in six cities this season, including Chicago, Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami.
"Dancing is a huge part of my life and I've watched this show since Season 1," said Amanda Feliciano, 19, of Plainfield, N.J. "I've stretched and practiced. Now it's my turn."
Hundreds of "So You Think You Can Dance" hopefuls poured into Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, hoping to shake, spin and glide their way onto TV.
They may not be able to moonwalk like Michael Jackson or hip shimmy like Beyonce, but they all had superstar aspirations.
"This is my dream! All my family and friends have been calling, saying 'I can feel it, you're gonna do well," and tears just come to my eyes," said Jason Taylor, 21, who was born and raised in the Bronx, but now lives in New Britain, Conn.
Taylor got in line for the auditions at 6 a.m. wearing a black Yankees cap pulled on sideways over his braids and high hopes of earning a "golden ticket" from producers that means moving on to audition again in front of judges Tuesday or Wednesday.
Some contestants have made appearances on the show before, like Jamie Greco, 30, a horror movie writer and director who lives in the Bronx. His all-out "gender chameleon" dance audition was aired during Season 2.
This time around, he came armed with a towering fruit hat, a pink fringe skirt and a bag of vegetables to use as props.
"I looove dancing," he gushed. "I'm a little bit intimidated being around all these people with professional training, but I know the real me will shine through."
A powerful personality is key, agreed the show's hostess, Cat Deeley.
"Personality always wins through at the end of the day," she said. "It's the back stories. It's the sense of humor. It's the fun. All those kind of things that make someone have charisma, make people identify with them, make people get off the sofa and actually pick up the phone and vote. And that's not an easy thing to do."
The show will audition wanna-be stars between the ages of 18 to 30 in six cities this season, including Chicago, Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami.
"Dancing is a huge part of my life and I've watched this show since Season 1," said Amanda Feliciano, 19, of Plainfield, N.J. "I've stretched and practiced. Now it's my turn."
Monday, January 25, 2010
Be Part Of The Action!
Cross Country Dance Championships
April 14-18, 2010
Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, NV
One of the best events of the year is coming up soon! At CCDC, you will dance - both competitively and socially - as never before.
Challenge and reward yourself at this glamorous competition, which includes dazzling professional shows, gala dinners, fun parties, social dancing interludes, top competitive heats, and a world-class judging panel. Make your plans to attend this great event today! http://www.fredastairedancestudiocompetitions.com/
April 14-18, 2010
Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, NV
One of the best events of the year is coming up soon! At CCDC, you will dance - both competitively and socially - as never before.
Challenge and reward yourself at this glamorous competition, which includes dazzling professional shows, gala dinners, fun parties, social dancing interludes, top competitive heats, and a world-class judging panel. Make your plans to attend this great event today! http://www.fredastairedancestudiocompetitions.com/
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Princeton, NJ Offers Full Instruction in Ballroom Dance
From towntopics.com:
Perhaps a recurrent New Year’s resolution is to lose a few pounds, tone up a bit, and generally just get more exercise — the problem is you don’t care for the gym. The good news is there’s an alternative, and it’s fun!
Come trip the light fantastic at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Princeton at the Princeton Shopping Center. Opened in October, it has become a popular spot not only to learn a variety of ballroom dances, but to meet new friends, and enjoy a social and welcoming atmosphere — all while you exercise.
“Dancing is not just entertainment, it is a benefit for the body,” points out Millie Dhirmalani, owner, with Nadia Goulina and Ilya Ifraimov, of the studio. “While dancing, your body goes through a wide array of movements, involving an increase of motion, and the more you dance, the more your muscles will flex and extend. Most forms of dancing involve a series of bending and stretching, resulting in an increase of general flexibility throughout your body. By increasing your flexibility, you are also conditioning your body to prevent possible injuries.
“Because dance uses a myriad of muscle groups, you can expect your body to get toned in ways that might surprise you,” continues Ms. Dhirmalani. “Most people associate strength and toning with the gym, but many people forget that your own body can act as its own weight for your muscles. From dipping and turning to mastering the Latin figure eight, you utilize all major muscle groups, including legs, arms, back, and core.”
Magic Remedy
In addition, says Ms. Dhirmalani, because dancing is so much fun, it is also a great stress-reliever. “Many studies have shown how the art of dance can help improve your mind, body, and sense of well-being. It is a magic remedy for redirecting one’s focus. If you are concerned about work, your family, or your massive To Do List, for a short time, while you are dancing, your worries seem to disappear. When you come to dance, you leave your worries at home. Your personal time is just for you.
“The social benefits of dance also have a hand in decreasing stress. As you build friendships and participate in the group activities, this promotes relaxation and confidence and a sense of well-being.”
And it doesn’t matter if you are brand new to the dance floor or know the steps to all the dances. Beginners to advanced dancers are all welcome. Students are all ages — from teens and young adults on up to an 85-year-old lady — and all backgrounds. University professors, a former Navy Seal. a former boxer, housewives, and doctors and lawyers all enjoy dancing at the studio.
Some people come as couples, but the majority — and this includes guys — come alone, notes manager TJ Matthews. Sometimes, a visit to the dance floor can be a surprise, he adds. “One man came in with his wife, and it was a big surprise for her. They came in and took a class, and have continued to dance.”
Regular Student
Princeton resident Ledlie Borgerhoff has become a regular student and is devoted to ballroom dance. “I started coming just after the studio opened. I’ve always wanted to learn ballroom dancing. I had formerly studied modern dance and been active in the theater. Now, I’m passionate about ballroom dancing and come every day.”
“She has been working very hard, and now she will compete in an upcoming competition,” adds Ms. Dhirmalani.
Lessons, both group and private, are 45 minutes, and categories include smooth (waltz, foxtrot, tango, and Viennese waltz), and Latin or Rhythm (samba, rhumba, mambo, cha cha, and swing).
“First, we offer an introduction to all the dances, and teach the basic steps. Then we’ll develop a program around the student’s goals and ability. We customize the package for each student,” explains Ms. Dhirmalani. “Taking both private and group lessons is ideal. You learn the basic steps with the instructors, and then practice and work with other people in the group. We also have the Fred Astaire Trophy system, which includes different requirements students must meet in order to graduate to the next level.”
In addition, the students have opportunities to enter Fred Astaire competitions. Four students participated last weekend, and not only that, says Ms. Dhirmalani, “Other students from our studio went up to support them. There is great camaraderie here.”
That results in part from the welcoming atmosphere and personal attention given to each student. The attractive studio, one of 130 Fred Astaire Dance Studio franchises nationwide, features a full-sized ballroom, with a specially designed raised floor to alleviate stress on knees. Bistro chairs and tables are available for dancers and spectators, and complimentary refreshments are offered.
Special Dances
Ms. Dhirmalani, a former Radio City Rockette, is a national Fred Astaire champion, having entered regional and national Fred Astaire dance competitions, prior to opening the Princeton Studio. She not only loves ballroom dance, but is dedicated to sharing it with others. “I have always been passionate about dance, and now, we want people to know we are here to educate them in dance in a welcoming atmosphere.
“Also, we will choreograph special wedding dances for a couple about to be married, so that their first dance as a married couple can be special. Our instructors have also danced at events for the Princeton Chamber of Commerce and Princeton and Montgomery High Schools.”
She adds that in February, the studio will be host to the Princeton Adult School’s cardio-dance classes.
On Friday, January 22, it will also hold a special “Dancing With The Stars” performance, featuring professional ballroom dancers Tony Devoloni and Snejana Petrova. Dinner, cocktails, and dancing will be included. Tickets are $60.
Ms. Dhirmalani is delighted with the Princeton Shopping Center location and with the response both from dance students and the neighboring businesses. “The warmth and acceptance of being welcomed as a new person in the community has been wonderful.”
“We hope to partner with a restaurant and offer people a dinner and dance date night,” adds Mr. Matthews. “Bring back romance. Try dancing!”
Hours are Monday through Friday 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Weekends by appointment. (609) 921-8881.
Perhaps a recurrent New Year’s resolution is to lose a few pounds, tone up a bit, and generally just get more exercise — the problem is you don’t care for the gym. The good news is there’s an alternative, and it’s fun!
Come trip the light fantastic at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Princeton at the Princeton Shopping Center. Opened in October, it has become a popular spot not only to learn a variety of ballroom dances, but to meet new friends, and enjoy a social and welcoming atmosphere — all while you exercise.
“Dancing is not just entertainment, it is a benefit for the body,” points out Millie Dhirmalani, owner, with Nadia Goulina and Ilya Ifraimov, of the studio. “While dancing, your body goes through a wide array of movements, involving an increase of motion, and the more you dance, the more your muscles will flex and extend. Most forms of dancing involve a series of bending and stretching, resulting in an increase of general flexibility throughout your body. By increasing your flexibility, you are also conditioning your body to prevent possible injuries.
“Because dance uses a myriad of muscle groups, you can expect your body to get toned in ways that might surprise you,” continues Ms. Dhirmalani. “Most people associate strength and toning with the gym, but many people forget that your own body can act as its own weight for your muscles. From dipping and turning to mastering the Latin figure eight, you utilize all major muscle groups, including legs, arms, back, and core.”
Magic Remedy
In addition, says Ms. Dhirmalani, because dancing is so much fun, it is also a great stress-reliever. “Many studies have shown how the art of dance can help improve your mind, body, and sense of well-being. It is a magic remedy for redirecting one’s focus. If you are concerned about work, your family, or your massive To Do List, for a short time, while you are dancing, your worries seem to disappear. When you come to dance, you leave your worries at home. Your personal time is just for you.
“The social benefits of dance also have a hand in decreasing stress. As you build friendships and participate in the group activities, this promotes relaxation and confidence and a sense of well-being.”
And it doesn’t matter if you are brand new to the dance floor or know the steps to all the dances. Beginners to advanced dancers are all welcome. Students are all ages — from teens and young adults on up to an 85-year-old lady — and all backgrounds. University professors, a former Navy Seal. a former boxer, housewives, and doctors and lawyers all enjoy dancing at the studio.
Some people come as couples, but the majority — and this includes guys — come alone, notes manager TJ Matthews. Sometimes, a visit to the dance floor can be a surprise, he adds. “One man came in with his wife, and it was a big surprise for her. They came in and took a class, and have continued to dance.”
Regular Student
Princeton resident Ledlie Borgerhoff has become a regular student and is devoted to ballroom dance. “I started coming just after the studio opened. I’ve always wanted to learn ballroom dancing. I had formerly studied modern dance and been active in the theater. Now, I’m passionate about ballroom dancing and come every day.”
“She has been working very hard, and now she will compete in an upcoming competition,” adds Ms. Dhirmalani.
Lessons, both group and private, are 45 minutes, and categories include smooth (waltz, foxtrot, tango, and Viennese waltz), and Latin or Rhythm (samba, rhumba, mambo, cha cha, and swing).
“First, we offer an introduction to all the dances, and teach the basic steps. Then we’ll develop a program around the student’s goals and ability. We customize the package for each student,” explains Ms. Dhirmalani. “Taking both private and group lessons is ideal. You learn the basic steps with the instructors, and then practice and work with other people in the group. We also have the Fred Astaire Trophy system, which includes different requirements students must meet in order to graduate to the next level.”
In addition, the students have opportunities to enter Fred Astaire competitions. Four students participated last weekend, and not only that, says Ms. Dhirmalani, “Other students from our studio went up to support them. There is great camaraderie here.”
That results in part from the welcoming atmosphere and personal attention given to each student. The attractive studio, one of 130 Fred Astaire Dance Studio franchises nationwide, features a full-sized ballroom, with a specially designed raised floor to alleviate stress on knees. Bistro chairs and tables are available for dancers and spectators, and complimentary refreshments are offered.
Special Dances
Ms. Dhirmalani, a former Radio City Rockette, is a national Fred Astaire champion, having entered regional and national Fred Astaire dance competitions, prior to opening the Princeton Studio. She not only loves ballroom dance, but is dedicated to sharing it with others. “I have always been passionate about dance, and now, we want people to know we are here to educate them in dance in a welcoming atmosphere.
“Also, we will choreograph special wedding dances for a couple about to be married, so that their first dance as a married couple can be special. Our instructors have also danced at events for the Princeton Chamber of Commerce and Princeton and Montgomery High Schools.”
She adds that in February, the studio will be host to the Princeton Adult School’s cardio-dance classes.
On Friday, January 22, it will also hold a special “Dancing With The Stars” performance, featuring professional ballroom dancers Tony Devoloni and Snejana Petrova. Dinner, cocktails, and dancing will be included. Tickets are $60.
Ms. Dhirmalani is delighted with the Princeton Shopping Center location and with the response both from dance students and the neighboring businesses. “The warmth and acceptance of being welcomed as a new person in the community has been wonderful.”
“We hope to partner with a restaurant and offer people a dinner and dance date night,” adds Mr. Matthews. “Bring back romance. Try dancing!”
Hours are Monday through Friday 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Weekends by appointment. (609) 921-8881.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Dance Lessons - Part Of Woman's Makeover
From todaystj4.com (Milwaukee, WI):
"Milwaukee Makeover"
By Courtny Gerrish
Imagine getting a chance to transform yourself... from the inside out.
One lucky woman won a complete makeover. We first met her the day she learned she'd won the makeover. Michelle Weber, who is from Waukesha, had already begun changing herself. She recently lost more than 100 pounds.
She wasn't even sure she wanted to try for the makeover, she said. "It was hard, I contemplated, do I really want to put myself out there, do I really want to show people, hey, I weighed over 200 pounds before," she told us.
But she jumped right in and started the grueling regimen. Her package included a membership to the Wisconsin Athletic Club, complete with a personal trainer. Her sessions were every day, and she'd often start working out at 4:30 in the morning.
From there, Michelle went to work. But she also had to fit in skin sessions with Enhancing Light Laser Cosmetics, dental treatments with Modern Touch Dental, a new hairdo, and dance lessons at Fred Astaire.
The makeover is the brainchild of Kelly Becker, a local businesswoman who was herself the recipient of a total makeover on Fox's "The Swan" reality show a few years ago. She told us it changed her life.
"Just to make myself feel happy inside, to have a new outlook on life, it really helped me overall," she said frankly. The makeover helped Kelly so much, she wanted to offer the same experience to a local woman. So she started recruiting local businesses who all contributed to Michelle's new look.
Four months after Michelle began her makeover process, she got to "come out" in style at a gala event at Kenosha's Strawberry Creek, a golf and social club.
A crowd of family and friends gathered to see her big reveal.
Kelly announced Michelle's name, and she came through the doorways looking like a new person. The workouts trimmed anther 18 inches from her already slimmed body, she had a beautiful new smile, new hair, and new clothes.
"She's gorgeous," her husband said.
Michelle herself said she feels like a totally new person, more confident and happy. "Every minute was worth it in the end."
And to finish her big night, the once-shy young woman performed an East Coast Swing dance for the crowd.
"Milwaukee Makeover"
By Courtny Gerrish
Imagine getting a chance to transform yourself... from the inside out.
One lucky woman won a complete makeover. We first met her the day she learned she'd won the makeover. Michelle Weber, who is from Waukesha, had already begun changing herself. She recently lost more than 100 pounds.
She wasn't even sure she wanted to try for the makeover, she said. "It was hard, I contemplated, do I really want to put myself out there, do I really want to show people, hey, I weighed over 200 pounds before," she told us.
But she jumped right in and started the grueling regimen. Her package included a membership to the Wisconsin Athletic Club, complete with a personal trainer. Her sessions were every day, and she'd often start working out at 4:30 in the morning.
From there, Michelle went to work. But she also had to fit in skin sessions with Enhancing Light Laser Cosmetics, dental treatments with Modern Touch Dental, a new hairdo, and dance lessons at Fred Astaire.
The makeover is the brainchild of Kelly Becker, a local businesswoman who was herself the recipient of a total makeover on Fox's "The Swan" reality show a few years ago. She told us it changed her life.
"Just to make myself feel happy inside, to have a new outlook on life, it really helped me overall," she said frankly. The makeover helped Kelly so much, she wanted to offer the same experience to a local woman. So she started recruiting local businesses who all contributed to Michelle's new look.
Four months after Michelle began her makeover process, she got to "come out" in style at a gala event at Kenosha's Strawberry Creek, a golf and social club.
A crowd of family and friends gathered to see her big reveal.
Kelly announced Michelle's name, and she came through the doorways looking like a new person. The workouts trimmed anther 18 inches from her already slimmed body, she had a beautiful new smile, new hair, and new clothes.
"She's gorgeous," her husband said.
Michelle herself said she feels like a totally new person, more confident and happy. "Every minute was worth it in the end."
And to finish her big night, the once-shy young woman performed an East Coast Swing dance for the crowd.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dancing With The Stars - News About Next Season
Dancing with the Stars season 10 will thus kick off with a two-hour performance show on March 22, then another two-hour performance show the following week on March 29. During both times, viewers will be able to vote per episode. The first elimination night will take place after the second two-hour performance show.
The Dress Makes The Dance!
From latimes.com:
Looks count on TV dance shows
By Vincent Boucher
January 17, 2010
Right about now, in January, as the holiday glow fades and winter boredom sets in, die-hard fans of ballroom, hip-hop, tango and salsa may have a dawning realization: "So You Think You Can Dance" had its season finale the week before Christmas.
And "Dancing With the Stars" won't be back till March.
We'll miss the shows too -- as much for the highly inventive, undeniably glamorous costumes as for the riveting quick steps and rumbas.
The January lull gives us time to ponder and appreciate the work of designers who build the "looks" for both shows from the ground up, in the scant few days between one week's result show and the next week's competition -- with little to go on but a piece of music, a hunch and a ton of Swarovski crystals.
Costume designer Soyon An won an Emmy in 2009 for "So You Think" for doing something that had never occurred to her as a student of fashion design at the Otis College of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. "I thought I was just going to work in a cubicle somewhere," she said.
But the South Korean native, whose family moved to Los Angeles when she was 3, found a different path when she started doing background extra work and "got to see what costume designers were doing backstage." Then a stint assisting celebrity stylist Jessica Paster with her red-carpet clients gave her an extra push.An, a veteran at 19 Entertainment (the production company behind "So You Think" and "American Idol"), took the lead design job at the show during last summer's Season 5, finished fall's Season 6 in December and will be back for Season 7 once a start date is set. In the meantime, she will be the women's costumer for "American Idol" for the season that began Tuesday.
When "So You Think" is in production, she starts her almost never-ending work week by hearing the music for each routine in meetings with the choreographers and picking a color scheme for each performing couple or group number."
Colors just pop into my head while I'm listening to the song," she said, adding that because the choreography is still in the works, she never gets to see it until after she has finished her designs -- and then only once at the dress rehearsal a day before the show. "I don't think fashion trends really influence my work; my thing is called deconstruction. I like to believe I know what's going on, but I also believe I'm a trendsetter," she said, citing influences as varied as cholo street style, Japanese cute, lots and lots of magazines, the Discovery Channel and her own travels. As the dances encompass hip-hop, ballroom and just about everything in between, any show can find her creating a colorful "little cupcake" mini, a slinky ombré disco dress and camo-print beaded fatigues. For the judges, "character" is the holy grail of the show, as the professional dancers try to disappear into the roles demanded by the set. Costumes can help make or break a routine as viewed from the proscenium stage.
"The costumes affect the way America sees the performance," said one of the show's judges, producer/director Adam Shankman. He cited contestant Karen Hauer's hip-hop turn wearing a bold yellow mechanic's uniform that obliterated her image as a ballroom dancer as well as modern dancer Noelle Marsh's gowned transformation for a fox trot.
Meanwhile, "Dancing With the Stars" -- which returns to the schedule in the spring -- is a celebrity-driven spectacle of barely there bodices flaunting spray-tanned cleavage, floaty fabric panels that dip and swirl along with the dancer's moves and campy touches such as plopping a Day-Glo green wig on contestant Kelly Osbourne to finish off a '60s look. Women aren't the only ones who put on a show: The professional partners and in-shape male stars bare arms and more in sheer beaded shirts, and they often sport biceps-friendly stand-alone vests. In one notable instance last season, dancer Derek Hough discarded his shirt altogether for just a wide sash in a steamy salsa number.
It's all entertainment, said costume designer Randall Christensen, also an Emmy winner and a former dancer. "I'm lucky to have an Edyta Sliwinska, who can wear a quarter-yard of fabric and get away with it." As each season progresses, he added, the celeb women ask for briefer and briefer costumes as they get in fighting shape. "We like to push it, and they're proud of their bodies," he said, "so why not show it?"
Christensen knows from his own experience the importance of costumes to a dancer: "I learned years ago that when you take the dance floor, they start judging you that minute, and the costumes are a huge part of that." Ideas come from favorite designers such as Gaultier and Cavalli but also from "the classics," such as Ralph Lauren and Chanel. But because he grew up watching the "Sonny and Cher" and "Carol Burnett" TV shows, his biggest inspiration is Bob Mackie, because, he said, it was such "huge fun" to see what the designer would come up with every week. "
For the '70s, he was really pushing the limits," Christensen added, mentioning outfits worn by Cher and Mitzi Gaynor. Sometimes network censors cut to a face shot when a Mackie costume was too revealing.
Christensen believes the influence of his show has women of all ages "asking for a little bling, asking to be sexy" when they go shopping. Once, looking at the beaded bras on display at Victoria's Secret, he thought, "Did we do that first or did they?" Beyond television, dance-influenced fashion has captured the imagination of mainstream designers such as the always-opinionated "Project Runway" alum -- and onetime break dancer -- Jeffrey Sebelia. As the new designer for the L.A.-based casual-wear line Fluxus, his dance-driven spring collection was full of body-conscious ruching and tulle-like sheer modal knit. "It's hard to pinpoint why," Sebelia mused. "When I started looking into fabrics and doing research, it just seemed to be a good time to be doing this."
Characteristically, his inspiration was a little darker. "In this so-called recession," he said, with "this sense of poverty, I was also thinking of one of my favorite movies, 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' "Sebelia unwittingly hit the nail on the head with his mention of "Horses," Sydney Pollack's's 1969 saga of Depression-era dance marathons in which couples competed for money by dancing until they literally dropped from exhaustion. Maybe the TV dance revival is the reality-show version of a dance marathon, where everyone sits at home voting on which dancers will ultimately get the big prize.
But at least today's contestants are dressed a whole lot better.
Looks count on TV dance shows
By Vincent Boucher
January 17, 2010
Right about now, in January, as the holiday glow fades and winter boredom sets in, die-hard fans of ballroom, hip-hop, tango and salsa may have a dawning realization: "So You Think You Can Dance" had its season finale the week before Christmas.
And "Dancing With the Stars" won't be back till March.
We'll miss the shows too -- as much for the highly inventive, undeniably glamorous costumes as for the riveting quick steps and rumbas.
The January lull gives us time to ponder and appreciate the work of designers who build the "looks" for both shows from the ground up, in the scant few days between one week's result show and the next week's competition -- with little to go on but a piece of music, a hunch and a ton of Swarovski crystals.
Costume designer Soyon An won an Emmy in 2009 for "So You Think" for doing something that had never occurred to her as a student of fashion design at the Otis College of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. "I thought I was just going to work in a cubicle somewhere," she said.
But the South Korean native, whose family moved to Los Angeles when she was 3, found a different path when she started doing background extra work and "got to see what costume designers were doing backstage." Then a stint assisting celebrity stylist Jessica Paster with her red-carpet clients gave her an extra push.An, a veteran at 19 Entertainment (the production company behind "So You Think" and "American Idol"), took the lead design job at the show during last summer's Season 5, finished fall's Season 6 in December and will be back for Season 7 once a start date is set. In the meantime, she will be the women's costumer for "American Idol" for the season that began Tuesday.
When "So You Think" is in production, she starts her almost never-ending work week by hearing the music for each routine in meetings with the choreographers and picking a color scheme for each performing couple or group number."
Colors just pop into my head while I'm listening to the song," she said, adding that because the choreography is still in the works, she never gets to see it until after she has finished her designs -- and then only once at the dress rehearsal a day before the show. "I don't think fashion trends really influence my work; my thing is called deconstruction. I like to believe I know what's going on, but I also believe I'm a trendsetter," she said, citing influences as varied as cholo street style, Japanese cute, lots and lots of magazines, the Discovery Channel and her own travels. As the dances encompass hip-hop, ballroom and just about everything in between, any show can find her creating a colorful "little cupcake" mini, a slinky ombré disco dress and camo-print beaded fatigues. For the judges, "character" is the holy grail of the show, as the professional dancers try to disappear into the roles demanded by the set. Costumes can help make or break a routine as viewed from the proscenium stage.
"The costumes affect the way America sees the performance," said one of the show's judges, producer/director Adam Shankman. He cited contestant Karen Hauer's hip-hop turn wearing a bold yellow mechanic's uniform that obliterated her image as a ballroom dancer as well as modern dancer Noelle Marsh's gowned transformation for a fox trot.
Meanwhile, "Dancing With the Stars" -- which returns to the schedule in the spring -- is a celebrity-driven spectacle of barely there bodices flaunting spray-tanned cleavage, floaty fabric panels that dip and swirl along with the dancer's moves and campy touches such as plopping a Day-Glo green wig on contestant Kelly Osbourne to finish off a '60s look. Women aren't the only ones who put on a show: The professional partners and in-shape male stars bare arms and more in sheer beaded shirts, and they often sport biceps-friendly stand-alone vests. In one notable instance last season, dancer Derek Hough discarded his shirt altogether for just a wide sash in a steamy salsa number.
It's all entertainment, said costume designer Randall Christensen, also an Emmy winner and a former dancer. "I'm lucky to have an Edyta Sliwinska, who can wear a quarter-yard of fabric and get away with it." As each season progresses, he added, the celeb women ask for briefer and briefer costumes as they get in fighting shape. "We like to push it, and they're proud of their bodies," he said, "so why not show it?"
Christensen knows from his own experience the importance of costumes to a dancer: "I learned years ago that when you take the dance floor, they start judging you that minute, and the costumes are a huge part of that." Ideas come from favorite designers such as Gaultier and Cavalli but also from "the classics," such as Ralph Lauren and Chanel. But because he grew up watching the "Sonny and Cher" and "Carol Burnett" TV shows, his biggest inspiration is Bob Mackie, because, he said, it was such "huge fun" to see what the designer would come up with every week. "
For the '70s, he was really pushing the limits," Christensen added, mentioning outfits worn by Cher and Mitzi Gaynor. Sometimes network censors cut to a face shot when a Mackie costume was too revealing.
Christensen believes the influence of his show has women of all ages "asking for a little bling, asking to be sexy" when they go shopping. Once, looking at the beaded bras on display at Victoria's Secret, he thought, "Did we do that first or did they?" Beyond television, dance-influenced fashion has captured the imagination of mainstream designers such as the always-opinionated "Project Runway" alum -- and onetime break dancer -- Jeffrey Sebelia. As the new designer for the L.A.-based casual-wear line Fluxus, his dance-driven spring collection was full of body-conscious ruching and tulle-like sheer modal knit. "It's hard to pinpoint why," Sebelia mused. "When I started looking into fabrics and doing research, it just seemed to be a good time to be doing this."
Characteristically, his inspiration was a little darker. "In this so-called recession," he said, with "this sense of poverty, I was also thinking of one of my favorite movies, 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' "Sebelia unwittingly hit the nail on the head with his mention of "Horses," Sydney Pollack's's 1969 saga of Depression-era dance marathons in which couples competed for money by dancing until they literally dropped from exhaustion. Maybe the TV dance revival is the reality-show version of a dance marathon, where everyone sits at home voting on which dancers will ultimately get the big prize.
But at least today's contestants are dressed a whole lot better.
Students Put Their Best Feet Forward
From buffalonews.com (Buffalo, NY):
By Mark Sommer
Dancing star and instructor Anna Trebunskaya took Buffalo by storm Saturday, turning the parquet floor of the Adam's Mark Hotel ballroom into a clinic for ballroom dancing.
Trebunskaya, from TV's "Dancing with the Stars," was participating in "Dancing for a Dream," a fundraiser of the Variety Club, which has a long history of supporting Women & Children's Hospital. The nine-hour event was sponsored by STORM, a nonprofit organization that raises funds through dance events.
Trebunskaya's 45-minute classes in cha-cha and rhumba were among 12 classes — from salsa and hip-hop to foxtrot and ballet — that continued throughout the day before the performance-packed evening.
"Ballroom dancing used to be older people's leisure activity, but I think "Dancing with the Stars' shows it really, truly is a sport — you have to be really athletic," the Russian-born Trebunskaya said shortly before leading the class. "It's not as simple as it looks."
She spends three months a year working for the show, on which she has been a fixture for four seasons. She said the show's popularity has made it easier for people to understand how she makes a living.
"Before — when you'd chat with people and they'd say, "What do you do?' and you'd say, "I'm a ballroom dancer; I'm a teacher as well.'
"They'd say, "Really, you can make money doing this?' Now I think everybody goes, "Oh yes, just like that program.' "
Trebunskaya admitted not having heard of stars she has been paired with, such as NFL football great Jerry Rice, because she is so immersed in the dance world. She said because of her busy dance schedule, she doesn't own a TV.
Grethe Vruarin, a University at Buffalo graduate student, was one of about 200 people in attendance by early afternoon. She was excited to dance to Trebunskaya's instruction.
"Not only is it a TV show that everyone watches — it's Buffalo, and we don't really expect it. It's cool," Vruarin said.
Trebunskaya, of course, wasn't the only instructor for the nine-hour marathon. Among them was local choreographer and STORM founder Tommy Radon, whose dancing credentials include earning "top NY instructor" from Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Radon taught one class and choreographed three others.
The variety of dance classes offered throughout the day was quickly apparent when the opening ballet class was immediately followed by hip-hop.
Keith Williams, who danced in both, said the ballet class was an eye-opening experience.
"Ballet was something I had never really done before, and growing up, I never was so fond of it. I've got a whole different perspective on it now," Williams said.
Williams performed a cartwheel and front flip near the conclusion of the hip-hop class, as dancers lined the outside of the dance floor. Fellow dancer Zeke Cicus, who weighs 285 pounds, concluded his series of moves with an unexpected split.
"This is very good for Buffalo," said Cicus, who like Williams is a member of the Eccentric Flow dance troupe at UB. "A lot of the kids were having a good time just coming to a place on the weekend and dancing. They're loving it."
Instructor Maria Ruffato led the dancers in constant sharp, then soft, gestures, with "popping," "locking," "sliding" and robotic movements.
Charmese O'Callaghan, a Niagara Falls dance instructor who teaches hip-hop, praised Ruffato's instruction and said she was having a great time.
So was Karon Cannon of Buffalo and a senior at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, who said he was pretty much a beginner — although his solo suggested a streak of modesty.
"It's a great experience. I haven't had any training, but I always wanted to learn. I'm really picking up new things," Cannon said.
Mary West of Grand Island, watching her 9-year-old daughter Teresa, liked what she saw.
"This is just completely awesome," she said. "It's an opportunity for her to learn so much. Not only does it help a great cause, but they're learning from such talented people who are in the business."
By Mark Sommer
Dancing star and instructor Anna Trebunskaya took Buffalo by storm Saturday, turning the parquet floor of the Adam's Mark Hotel ballroom into a clinic for ballroom dancing.
Trebunskaya, from TV's "Dancing with the Stars," was participating in "Dancing for a Dream," a fundraiser of the Variety Club, which has a long history of supporting Women & Children's Hospital. The nine-hour event was sponsored by STORM, a nonprofit organization that raises funds through dance events.
Trebunskaya's 45-minute classes in cha-cha and rhumba were among 12 classes — from salsa and hip-hop to foxtrot and ballet — that continued throughout the day before the performance-packed evening.
"Ballroom dancing used to be older people's leisure activity, but I think "Dancing with the Stars' shows it really, truly is a sport — you have to be really athletic," the Russian-born Trebunskaya said shortly before leading the class. "It's not as simple as it looks."
She spends three months a year working for the show, on which she has been a fixture for four seasons. She said the show's popularity has made it easier for people to understand how she makes a living.
"Before — when you'd chat with people and they'd say, "What do you do?' and you'd say, "I'm a ballroom dancer; I'm a teacher as well.'
"They'd say, "Really, you can make money doing this?' Now I think everybody goes, "Oh yes, just like that program.' "
Trebunskaya admitted not having heard of stars she has been paired with, such as NFL football great Jerry Rice, because she is so immersed in the dance world. She said because of her busy dance schedule, she doesn't own a TV.
Grethe Vruarin, a University at Buffalo graduate student, was one of about 200 people in attendance by early afternoon. She was excited to dance to Trebunskaya's instruction.
"Not only is it a TV show that everyone watches — it's Buffalo, and we don't really expect it. It's cool," Vruarin said.
Trebunskaya, of course, wasn't the only instructor for the nine-hour marathon. Among them was local choreographer and STORM founder Tommy Radon, whose dancing credentials include earning "top NY instructor" from Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Radon taught one class and choreographed three others.
The variety of dance classes offered throughout the day was quickly apparent when the opening ballet class was immediately followed by hip-hop.
Keith Williams, who danced in both, said the ballet class was an eye-opening experience.
"Ballet was something I had never really done before, and growing up, I never was so fond of it. I've got a whole different perspective on it now," Williams said.
Williams performed a cartwheel and front flip near the conclusion of the hip-hop class, as dancers lined the outside of the dance floor. Fellow dancer Zeke Cicus, who weighs 285 pounds, concluded his series of moves with an unexpected split.
"This is very good for Buffalo," said Cicus, who like Williams is a member of the Eccentric Flow dance troupe at UB. "A lot of the kids were having a good time just coming to a place on the weekend and dancing. They're loving it."
Instructor Maria Ruffato led the dancers in constant sharp, then soft, gestures, with "popping," "locking," "sliding" and robotic movements.
Charmese O'Callaghan, a Niagara Falls dance instructor who teaches hip-hop, praised Ruffato's instruction and said she was having a great time.
So was Karon Cannon of Buffalo and a senior at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, who said he was pretty much a beginner — although his solo suggested a streak of modesty.
"It's a great experience. I haven't had any training, but I always wanted to learn. I'm really picking up new things," Cannon said.
Mary West of Grand Island, watching her 9-year-old daughter Teresa, liked what she saw.
"This is just completely awesome," she said. "It's an opportunity for her to learn so much. Not only does it help a great cause, but they're learning from such talented people who are in the business."
Get Hot, Hot, Hot at the Ridgefield Playhouse
From newstimes.com (Ridgefield, CT):
"Not everyone has to dance like the people they see on TV," says Christoph Lawatsch, manager of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Ridgefield. "Everyone can dance, you just have to start with the basics."
The perfect opportunity to try out Latin dancing is at the "Dancing with the Stars -- Sizzling Salsa" event at the Ridgefield Playhouse Thursday.
Professionals from the Fred Astaire Studio will be teaching participants the basics of the salsa, tango and meringue.
For dancers who want a chance to show off their moves, a competition will be held after the lessons. Audience members will vote for the couple they think had the best dance, and the winner will receive tickets to a show.
Allison Stockel, executive director of the Ridgefield Playhouse, organized the evening, which includes a margarita tasting and salsa party in the lobby before the dancing begins. There will also be an after-party where everyone can cool down with music and food courtesy of Southwest Cafe of Ridgefield. Employees from Adam Broderick Salon and Spa will be at the event too, providing make-up tips and applications so participants can get the perfect look for when they go out dancing.
"It's a cheap way to have some fun," Stockel said.
The event is being hosted by the Danbury Hospital Spirit of Women program. Spirit of Women is a national program aimed at helping women become more engaged in health and wellness. According to Andrea Rynn, director of community, public, and government relations at Danbury Hospital, the program helps empower women to take better care of themselves through eating right, exercising, and taking time to focus on their own personal needs. Rynn says Latin dance is a great, fun way for women to get up and move.
"Latin dance steps are easy to learn," Rynn added. "And you don't have to be an expert to have fun with it."
Members of the Spirit of Women program will be on hand to answer health questions and talk about how to join their program. Their goal is to show how exercise can be enjoyable, and that dancing is a great way to get the heart pumping.
"The event will show you the power of dance," Stockel said.
"Dancing with the Stars -- Sizzling Salsa" is set for THursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $5 and can be purchased on the Ridgefield Playhouse Web site, or by calling their box office at 203-438-5795.
"Not everyone has to dance like the people they see on TV," says Christoph Lawatsch, manager of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Ridgefield. "Everyone can dance, you just have to start with the basics."
The perfect opportunity to try out Latin dancing is at the "Dancing with the Stars -- Sizzling Salsa" event at the Ridgefield Playhouse Thursday.
Professionals from the Fred Astaire Studio will be teaching participants the basics of the salsa, tango and meringue.
For dancers who want a chance to show off their moves, a competition will be held after the lessons. Audience members will vote for the couple they think had the best dance, and the winner will receive tickets to a show.
Allison Stockel, executive director of the Ridgefield Playhouse, organized the evening, which includes a margarita tasting and salsa party in the lobby before the dancing begins. There will also be an after-party where everyone can cool down with music and food courtesy of Southwest Cafe of Ridgefield. Employees from Adam Broderick Salon and Spa will be at the event too, providing make-up tips and applications so participants can get the perfect look for when they go out dancing.
"It's a cheap way to have some fun," Stockel said.
The event is being hosted by the Danbury Hospital Spirit of Women program. Spirit of Women is a national program aimed at helping women become more engaged in health and wellness. According to Andrea Rynn, director of community, public, and government relations at Danbury Hospital, the program helps empower women to take better care of themselves through eating right, exercising, and taking time to focus on their own personal needs. Rynn says Latin dance is a great, fun way for women to get up and move.
"Latin dance steps are easy to learn," Rynn added. "And you don't have to be an expert to have fun with it."
Members of the Spirit of Women program will be on hand to answer health questions and talk about how to join their program. Their goal is to show how exercise can be enjoyable, and that dancing is a great way to get the heart pumping.
"The event will show you the power of dance," Stockel said.
"Dancing with the Stars -- Sizzling Salsa" is set for THursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $5 and can be purchased on the Ridgefield Playhouse Web site, or by calling their box office at 203-438-5795.
Friday, January 15, 2010
News About Dancing With The Stars, Season 10
From seattlepi.com:
When Dancing with the Stars' 10th season returns on March 22, there'll be fewer couples on the dance floor.
ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson said Tuesday that he likes airing two cycles of the show each year, but thought last season featured too many couples. He said Season 10 will be limited to 11 or 12 at the most.
This time around, the first elimination will take place after the second episode, and will be based on the judges' scores and votes from the public for the first two episodes.
The Season 10 cast has yet to be announced.
When Dancing with the Stars' 10th season returns on March 22, there'll be fewer couples on the dance floor.
ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson said Tuesday that he likes airing two cycles of the show each year, but thought last season featured too many couples. He said Season 10 will be limited to 11 or 12 at the most.
This time around, the first elimination will take place after the second episode, and will be based on the judges' scores and votes from the public for the first two episodes.
The Season 10 cast has yet to be announced.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
My Golden Dancers
Dancing is Like a Box of Chocolates
By Elita Sohmer Clayman
Some months, it is hard to find an interesting topic to write about. Even though it is January, February is the month of love, Valentine’s Day. The first Valentine’s Day that I was going with my husband occurred only four months after we had met. I did not expect much and I did not get much. He gave me a five pound box of chocolates and I was so thrilled that I did not open it up for two months. I let it sit on my bureau dresser and kept looking at it all the time.
I loved the heart shaped red box with the bow on it and the smell of the delicious chocolates. The box could have been empty and I would have still loved it for the thought and all the things I hoped would come true from this first offering. The things did come through and we married two years later.
Many dancers feel great anticipation after starting on their first lesson. We started on November 2, 1977 and after we went down in the elevator of the dance studio, I had this premonition that tonight was the beginning of a new plateau in our lives. So it was and it evolved into weekly dance lessons, competitions for me and Saturday night social dances at the studio where we took these lessons. The next day after the first lesson, we rode down to a music store in a small mall and bought six dance records.
We would go down to our family room in the basement and roll up the rug and try to remember what we had learned the previous night. We wanted to become good dancers and we knew that practice surely made us closer to perfect. We took notes as the teacher gave us instructions and tried to decipher what he had said the previous evening. I even bought a small tape recorder and began to tape in audio mode the whole lesson to help us remember his teachings.
Those were exciting moments in my life, the beginning of a dream that I always wanted to be a ballroom dancer. Now I see advertisements on the television that hurray ballroom dancing is back. Back from where I say? It never left, we knew it never disappeared; we knew it was alive and well.
Many email me that ballroom dancing has influenced their life to the point that it is a necessary need they have to do it, spend money on it and enjoy it. Even some dancers who now are unable to go out and dance due to some physical ailments or problems with their shoulders or knees still go to dances and sit around talking to other dancers and use it as a social tool even though they cannot really dance a lot there that day or evening. They feel that just being there in the dance environment is cause enough to dress up, pay and if they can only dance one or two dances, they have accomplished and continue on their dream. They may not be able to cha-cha the way they used to years ago, but they can still enjoy the music and the beat and listening to the music is also therapy to their hearts and ears.
The Valentine heart box of candy when opened consisted of about twenty different kinds of shades of chocolate. So is the box called dancing when opened. There are many varieties of dancing and like the chocolate may appeal to one person and not the other person. The interesting thing is like the box of chocolates, dancing is sweet and delicious and we do not know what to expect when we bite into a piece that looks a bit like something we have not discovered before this moment. We can try it and if we do not enjoy it, we put it aside or in the case of candy, we throw it away. We cannot destroy something in dancing by tossing it aside, but we can save it for later or for never or for when we are more ready to ‘taste’ it and savor it.
Many readers write about their first experience taking that initial lesson. They have fear, they have anticipation of something great, they have feelings intensified by the unknown and lastly they have hope. Hope that they will excel in this at some point and that they will eventually view it as a hobby of delight and an hour of fun and knowledge. That is exactly what I imagined after the first lesson with our coach, a young man about twenty years or so in age from us. That did not matter. He had the tools we wanted and he gave us the love of dancing that we still adhere to. He encouraged us and complimented us and gave us the hope that we could become great.
I have always been grateful to him because he helped a couple in their 40s to feel that 40 was young to begin to learn to dance. The learning is easy; it is the continuing on and reaching for the stars. Like my Valentine box of candy way back in 1958 given by a young man to the young lady he was starting to court as they called it then, our assorted dancing box was full of enticing tastes of dancing. I am glad that I opened it up and did not let it sit there. That is my dancing and not my candy.
When we bought our first little doggie, we named her Candy because she was white and fluffy like a cotton candy on a stick you get at a carnival. Our second doggie many years later was named Rhumba and I need not explain why other than to say she moved her hips like she was doing that dance.
So go and open up that Valentine box of imaginary candy and think of it as a container of ballroom dancing opportunities. Sweet, delicious, delightful and enticing. The most important part is that it is better than the candy because it will not stick to your hips, it will make your hips move and heart feel happy. Go rhumba or cha-cha or waltz. Whatever you accomplish for those four minutes will make your life sweeter and - best of all - no calories used up. In fact, calories will disappear as you dance your way to a sweeter life.
Keep On Dancing.
Elita Sohmer Clayman
Baltimore, Maryland
January 2010
By Elita Sohmer Clayman
Some months, it is hard to find an interesting topic to write about. Even though it is January, February is the month of love, Valentine’s Day. The first Valentine’s Day that I was going with my husband occurred only four months after we had met. I did not expect much and I did not get much. He gave me a five pound box of chocolates and I was so thrilled that I did not open it up for two months. I let it sit on my bureau dresser and kept looking at it all the time.
I loved the heart shaped red box with the bow on it and the smell of the delicious chocolates. The box could have been empty and I would have still loved it for the thought and all the things I hoped would come true from this first offering. The things did come through and we married two years later.
Many dancers feel great anticipation after starting on their first lesson. We started on November 2, 1977 and after we went down in the elevator of the dance studio, I had this premonition that tonight was the beginning of a new plateau in our lives. So it was and it evolved into weekly dance lessons, competitions for me and Saturday night social dances at the studio where we took these lessons. The next day after the first lesson, we rode down to a music store in a small mall and bought six dance records.
We would go down to our family room in the basement and roll up the rug and try to remember what we had learned the previous night. We wanted to become good dancers and we knew that practice surely made us closer to perfect. We took notes as the teacher gave us instructions and tried to decipher what he had said the previous evening. I even bought a small tape recorder and began to tape in audio mode the whole lesson to help us remember his teachings.
Those were exciting moments in my life, the beginning of a dream that I always wanted to be a ballroom dancer. Now I see advertisements on the television that hurray ballroom dancing is back. Back from where I say? It never left, we knew it never disappeared; we knew it was alive and well.
Many email me that ballroom dancing has influenced their life to the point that it is a necessary need they have to do it, spend money on it and enjoy it. Even some dancers who now are unable to go out and dance due to some physical ailments or problems with their shoulders or knees still go to dances and sit around talking to other dancers and use it as a social tool even though they cannot really dance a lot there that day or evening. They feel that just being there in the dance environment is cause enough to dress up, pay and if they can only dance one or two dances, they have accomplished and continue on their dream. They may not be able to cha-cha the way they used to years ago, but they can still enjoy the music and the beat and listening to the music is also therapy to their hearts and ears.
The Valentine heart box of candy when opened consisted of about twenty different kinds of shades of chocolate. So is the box called dancing when opened. There are many varieties of dancing and like the chocolate may appeal to one person and not the other person. The interesting thing is like the box of chocolates, dancing is sweet and delicious and we do not know what to expect when we bite into a piece that looks a bit like something we have not discovered before this moment. We can try it and if we do not enjoy it, we put it aside or in the case of candy, we throw it away. We cannot destroy something in dancing by tossing it aside, but we can save it for later or for never or for when we are more ready to ‘taste’ it and savor it.
Many readers write about their first experience taking that initial lesson. They have fear, they have anticipation of something great, they have feelings intensified by the unknown and lastly they have hope. Hope that they will excel in this at some point and that they will eventually view it as a hobby of delight and an hour of fun and knowledge. That is exactly what I imagined after the first lesson with our coach, a young man about twenty years or so in age from us. That did not matter. He had the tools we wanted and he gave us the love of dancing that we still adhere to. He encouraged us and complimented us and gave us the hope that we could become great.
I have always been grateful to him because he helped a couple in their 40s to feel that 40 was young to begin to learn to dance. The learning is easy; it is the continuing on and reaching for the stars. Like my Valentine box of candy way back in 1958 given by a young man to the young lady he was starting to court as they called it then, our assorted dancing box was full of enticing tastes of dancing. I am glad that I opened it up and did not let it sit there. That is my dancing and not my candy.
When we bought our first little doggie, we named her Candy because she was white and fluffy like a cotton candy on a stick you get at a carnival. Our second doggie many years later was named Rhumba and I need not explain why other than to say she moved her hips like she was doing that dance.
So go and open up that Valentine box of imaginary candy and think of it as a container of ballroom dancing opportunities. Sweet, delicious, delightful and enticing. The most important part is that it is better than the candy because it will not stick to your hips, it will make your hips move and heart feel happy. Go rhumba or cha-cha or waltz. Whatever you accomplish for those four minutes will make your life sweeter and - best of all - no calories used up. In fact, calories will disappear as you dance your way to a sweeter life.
Keep On Dancing.
Elita Sohmer Clayman
Baltimore, Maryland
January 2010
Vito Aiming For Big Dance
From stltoday.com:
Vito aiming for big dance
BY VAHE GREGORIAN
OF THE POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Jan. 10 2010
Perpetually rumpled and shaggy, relatively anonymous and absolutely committed to non-conformity, 5-foot-5 and a blank slate when it came to dancing, snowboarder Louie Vito was both an improbable invitee and participant for "Dancing With The Stars."
"Who would have thought they'd want somebody from snowboarding?" he said at the U.S. Olympic Media Summit last fall in Chicago.
But he considered the offer to take part in a show seen by an estimated 22 million people a week a once in a lifetime opportunity, certainly for himself but also for his sport.
"I think it's about to hit the mainstream hard," Vito said.Reflecting the conflict between the sports' aspirations to grow and gain further recognition while staying true to its Gen X roots, Vito said he had to contend with "haters" who accused him of selling out by taking part. Fellow snowboarder Steve Fisher, though, wasn't among them."I'm proud of the little guy," he said.
Vito, a prime contender for the U.S. team to be determined later this month for the upcoming Vancouver Olympics, scoffed at the naysayers, saying he wasn't going to suddenly try to be "Mr. Cool" instead of a snowboarder.
"That's who I am," he said, "and that's who I'm going to portray on the show."
Considering how cleaned-up Vito looked during his partnership with dancer Chelsie Hightower, that might be a matter for debate. And as someone who got into his sport largely because "no one could say you have to do it their way," he found it a challenge to have to do disciplined steps.
But there's little doubt that his appearances reaped publicity for U.S. Snowboarding, even if he was eliminated in Week Six with judges cracking wise about Vito saying "he got all wacko" on one dance and looking "slightly dazed and confused" on another.
Those labels, of course, have been thrust on Vito and his brethren almost since they began their uneasy alliance with the Olympic movement in 1998. Snowboarders have claimed 14 medals since, including seven in the 2006 Turin Games. But they also have had trouble superimposing their free-spirited culture over the stodgier Olympics, resulting in controversies such as several failed drug tests and the Lindsey Jacobellis incident in Italy.
Jacobellis finished with a silver medal in snowboard-cross after crashing while hot-dogging with the gold medal within her grasp. Her act was completely consistent with the slacker ways of snowboarding and utterly contrary to the Olympic ethos.
During a teleconference afterwards, Jacobellis treated it rather casually, saying, "It's just a race, and anything can happen." That stoked a veteran Olympic reporter, who responded, "Just a race?! Not an Olympic gold?!"
Jacobellis responded that she had just won the first silver ever in the event, "So you have to give me something." But the call ended abruptly with her in tears.
Vito began training for the reality show in mid-August and immersed himself in the competition, an event he expects to help him in more ways than one. Beyond the exposure, Vito reckoned that training in dance for four to six hours a day helped his conditioning and flexibility.
"My (hunched) snowboard posture doesn't really work for the ballroom," he said.
When it was over, Vito said he had no idea he would be so "bummed" not to win.
But he also said that competing in Vancouver on the Olympic stage would be "a breeze" after being under such high-profile pressure — against the grain as it might have been.
Vito aiming for big dance
BY VAHE GREGORIAN
OF THE POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, Jan. 10 2010
Perpetually rumpled and shaggy, relatively anonymous and absolutely committed to non-conformity, 5-foot-5 and a blank slate when it came to dancing, snowboarder Louie Vito was both an improbable invitee and participant for "Dancing With The Stars."
"Who would have thought they'd want somebody from snowboarding?" he said at the U.S. Olympic Media Summit last fall in Chicago.
But he considered the offer to take part in a show seen by an estimated 22 million people a week a once in a lifetime opportunity, certainly for himself but also for his sport.
"I think it's about to hit the mainstream hard," Vito said.Reflecting the conflict between the sports' aspirations to grow and gain further recognition while staying true to its Gen X roots, Vito said he had to contend with "haters" who accused him of selling out by taking part. Fellow snowboarder Steve Fisher, though, wasn't among them."I'm proud of the little guy," he said.
Vito, a prime contender for the U.S. team to be determined later this month for the upcoming Vancouver Olympics, scoffed at the naysayers, saying he wasn't going to suddenly try to be "Mr. Cool" instead of a snowboarder.
"That's who I am," he said, "and that's who I'm going to portray on the show."
Considering how cleaned-up Vito looked during his partnership with dancer Chelsie Hightower, that might be a matter for debate. And as someone who got into his sport largely because "no one could say you have to do it their way," he found it a challenge to have to do disciplined steps.
But there's little doubt that his appearances reaped publicity for U.S. Snowboarding, even if he was eliminated in Week Six with judges cracking wise about Vito saying "he got all wacko" on one dance and looking "slightly dazed and confused" on another.
Those labels, of course, have been thrust on Vito and his brethren almost since they began their uneasy alliance with the Olympic movement in 1998. Snowboarders have claimed 14 medals since, including seven in the 2006 Turin Games. But they also have had trouble superimposing their free-spirited culture over the stodgier Olympics, resulting in controversies such as several failed drug tests and the Lindsey Jacobellis incident in Italy.
Jacobellis finished with a silver medal in snowboard-cross after crashing while hot-dogging with the gold medal within her grasp. Her act was completely consistent with the slacker ways of snowboarding and utterly contrary to the Olympic ethos.
During a teleconference afterwards, Jacobellis treated it rather casually, saying, "It's just a race, and anything can happen." That stoked a veteran Olympic reporter, who responded, "Just a race?! Not an Olympic gold?!"
Jacobellis responded that she had just won the first silver ever in the event, "So you have to give me something." But the call ended abruptly with her in tears.
Vito began training for the reality show in mid-August and immersed himself in the competition, an event he expects to help him in more ways than one. Beyond the exposure, Vito reckoned that training in dance for four to six hours a day helped his conditioning and flexibility.
"My (hunched) snowboard posture doesn't really work for the ballroom," he said.
When it was over, Vito said he had no idea he would be so "bummed" not to win.
But he also said that competing in Vancouver on the Olympic stage would be "a breeze" after being under such high-profile pressure — against the grain as it might have been.
Monday, January 11, 2010
New Host For Dance Your A$@ Off!
From independent.co.uk:
Former Scary Spice Mel B has signed up to host the second season of "Dance Your A$* Off," a reality-TV weight loss show in which contestants battle to shed the pounds on the dance floor. Each week, the competitors are scored according to their weekly weight loss and their elaborate dance routines.
Mel B, a former contestant on Dancing with the Stars, said: "After the birth of my second daughter, I wanted to find a fun and effective way to drop the pounds and get back in shape.
"I realised I didn't have to look far to find the answer. Whether I was dancing around the house with headphones on or on stage with the Spice Girls ... I learned firsthand that dancing was the key to shedding off the pounds and keeping them off."
Former Scary Spice Mel B has signed up to host the second season of "Dance Your A$* Off," a reality-TV weight loss show in which contestants battle to shed the pounds on the dance floor. Each week, the competitors are scored according to their weekly weight loss and their elaborate dance routines.
Mel B, a former contestant on Dancing with the Stars, said: "After the birth of my second daughter, I wanted to find a fun and effective way to drop the pounds and get back in shape.
"I realised I didn't have to look far to find the answer. Whether I was dancing around the house with headphones on or on stage with the Spice Girls ... I learned firsthand that dancing was the key to shedding off the pounds and keeping them off."
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Set To Open In Freehold, New Jersey
From freehold.injersey.com:
The rumors (and window signs) are true: the Fred Astaire Dance Studio is coming to Main Street. Owner Amanda Tilghman took some time to fill us in on when the studio will open and what it will have to offer Freehold-area twinkle toes.
"We're looking to open in the next two weeks, hopefully," she said. "We just have to get the maple floors down and finish the decor. It's really a great space."
When they open, a range of dance classes including salsa, waltz, tango, cha-cha, and mambo will be offered. Individual classes will run from $25, with class packages starting at $275. The studio will also host private parties on Friday evenings.
Tilghman, who also owns a children's dance studio in Jackson, decided to open an adult studio in Freehold out of fondness for the area.
"I've always liked Freehold, always ended up here no matter where I was living," Tilghman said.
Classes will be taught by Tilghman, who studied ballet in Europe and danced with the National Opera of Ukraine, and a male dance instructor who studied and danced throughout Russia.
The rumors (and window signs) are true: the Fred Astaire Dance Studio is coming to Main Street. Owner Amanda Tilghman took some time to fill us in on when the studio will open and what it will have to offer Freehold-area twinkle toes.
"We're looking to open in the next two weeks, hopefully," she said. "We just have to get the maple floors down and finish the decor. It's really a great space."
When they open, a range of dance classes including salsa, waltz, tango, cha-cha, and mambo will be offered. Individual classes will run from $25, with class packages starting at $275. The studio will also host private parties on Friday evenings.
Tilghman, who also owns a children's dance studio in Jackson, decided to open an adult studio in Freehold out of fondness for the area.
"I've always liked Freehold, always ended up here no matter where I was living," Tilghman said.
Classes will be taught by Tilghman, who studied ballet in Europe and danced with the National Opera of Ukraine, and a male dance instructor who studied and danced throughout Russia.
Spotlight On Life Gala In Wisconsin
From gamesteamwi.blogspot.com:
You are invited as the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin (NKFW) hosts a sneak preview of the newest sport at the 2010 NKF U.S. Transplant Games -ballroom dancing!
The "Spotlight on Life" Gala will be held Saturday, January 30 at the MequonCountry Club. This black-tie optional event will be a celebration of the"second chance at life" given through organ donation and the science oftransplantation.
The spotlight will shine brightly on Wisconsin's "Medical Stars." You will delight in watching professional and amateur dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studios perform on behalf of each of Wisconsin's transplant centers: Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center,Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and University of Wisconsin - Madison!
Each couple will showcase a style of ballroom dance from the Night Club,Latin, and Smooth dance divisions, which will be featured at the 2010 NKFTransplant Games. The fate of the dancers will be in the hands of the audience as votes are cast for their favorite performance.
In addition to the ballroom dance exhibition, guests will enjoy a delicious dinner and cash bar along with the musical talents of the Jeannine RiversGroup.
Ticket prices range from $40/ticket to $80/ticket. Proceeds will support transplant recipients, living donors, and donor family members who will beattending the 2010 NKF U.S. Transplant Games as part of Team Wisconsin.
Please visit www.spotlightonlife.org to purchase your tickets!
Accommodations
Guests attending Spotlight on Life will receive special rates at our hosthotel, Best Western Quiet House and Suites in Mequon. The special one-night rate of $65 (SAVINGS of up to $135!!) includes complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and Mequon Country Club along with complimentarycontinental breakfast on Sunday Morning! Make sure to mention "Spotlight onLife" when making your reservation (262-241-3677).
You are invited as the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin (NKFW) hosts a sneak preview of the newest sport at the 2010 NKF U.S. Transplant Games -ballroom dancing!
The "Spotlight on Life" Gala will be held Saturday, January 30 at the MequonCountry Club. This black-tie optional event will be a celebration of the"second chance at life" given through organ donation and the science oftransplantation.
The spotlight will shine brightly on Wisconsin's "Medical Stars." You will delight in watching professional and amateur dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studios perform on behalf of each of Wisconsin's transplant centers: Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center,Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and University of Wisconsin - Madison!
Each couple will showcase a style of ballroom dance from the Night Club,Latin, and Smooth dance divisions, which will be featured at the 2010 NKFTransplant Games. The fate of the dancers will be in the hands of the audience as votes are cast for their favorite performance.
In addition to the ballroom dance exhibition, guests will enjoy a delicious dinner and cash bar along with the musical talents of the Jeannine RiversGroup.
Ticket prices range from $40/ticket to $80/ticket. Proceeds will support transplant recipients, living donors, and donor family members who will beattending the 2010 NKF U.S. Transplant Games as part of Team Wisconsin.
Please visit www.spotlightonlife.org to purchase your tickets!
Accommodations
Guests attending Spotlight on Life will receive special rates at our hosthotel, Best Western Quiet House and Suites in Mequon. The special one-night rate of $65 (SAVINGS of up to $135!!) includes complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and Mequon Country Club along with complimentarycontinental breakfast on Sunday Morning! Make sure to mention "Spotlight onLife" when making your reservation (262-241-3677).
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Schools That Rock!
From naplesnews.com (Naples, FL):
Kickin’ it old school: Immokalee Middle School students get a lesson in ballroom dancing
By KATHERINE ALBERS
Friday, January 1, 2010
COLLIER COUNTY — Immokalee Middle School students didn’t just run into holiday break.
They salsaed, waltzed and cha-chaed into it.
“It’s a whole lot of fun,” eighth-grader Jevon Alberique said of dancing. “At first I didn’t want to do it, but it has been one of the best things we have done.”
The Immokalee Middle School students performed as part of the Schools That Rock program, which returned to the school for its third year.
Schools That Rock teaches the students how to swing, salsa, merengue, waltz and cha-cha within a two-week span.
The program was created and sponsored by Bradenton-based World Dance Arts Foundation. It was brought to Immokalee Middle School by a donation from Eva Sugden Gomez, a Naples woman from a philanthropic family.
“I am a ballroom dancer. That is my hobby. When I heard about the World Dance Arts Foundation’s program, I knew I wanted to contribute to it,” she said. “Dancing is social. It teaches you about setting goals. And it is participating in something that is fun.”
The curriculum needs a sponsor because the Collier County School District doesn’t have the $3,000 per school to spare to bring it to local middle schools.
“We are very fortunate to have this partnership so that students have this experience,” Immokalee Middle School Principal Abel Jaimes said. “This is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work our students have put in.”
Immokalee Middle School students taking physical education participated in the program under the guidance of professional dance instructor Molly Cook, of Naples.
“I love them,” Cook said of her students. “I hope this gives them a sense of accomplishment, a sense of dignity and hopefully a knowledge of ballroom dancing.”
On the day of their performance, the students’ teachers, peers and parents came to the cafeteria to watch the fruits of their labor. The students entered in pairs of two, dressed like they were headed to a school dance.
As the first group of students walked onto the floor, their faces looked nervous. But once “Jingle Bell Rock” began playing through the speakers, their nervous faces broke into smiles, even if they occasionally stepped on their partner’s foot.
Some even counted as Cook, with her Santa hat on her head, reminded them to keep their heads up.
“It’s pretty fun. It’s been interesting,” said John Gonzalez, a 13-year-old seventh-grader. “I like the cha-cha. It’s fun and it’s the one I know.”
The program first came to Collier County a few years ago, when Community School of Naples parent Debra Stevens got the first Schools That Rock going at Community School.
“The goal is to get all of the middle schools handled,” she said. “It teaches them an art form that encourages respect. It is creative and multicultural and stretches their knowledge of music.”
Stevens admits the students are reluctant at first, but said by the end of the class, they are looking forward to it.
Hilda Lozano certainly thinks that’s true. She and her husband, Artemio, came to see their daughter, Loura, dance. Loura chose her father as her dance partner for the open dance competition at the end of the performance.
“She was excited. She’s been showing her dad at home,” Lozano said as she watched Loura merengue with her father. “It’s good. They need to learn something different.”
Aisa Gonzalez, a migrant resource teacher at the school, was asked to dance by eighth-grader Dave Rouzard. The two won the open dance competition.
“I love doing this and he can dance so well,” she said. “It’s wonderful and the kids love (Cook).”
The feeling is obviously mutual as Cook hugs her students at the end of the performance.
“They all touch me ... When they get out there, I get goose bumps,” she said. “They blow my mind every time.”
Immokalee Middle School, which was the first school Cook taught the program at, also has a special place in her heart.
“These kids are so appreciative,” she said. “(They) made my Christmas.”
Kickin’ it old school: Immokalee Middle School students get a lesson in ballroom dancing
By KATHERINE ALBERS
Friday, January 1, 2010
COLLIER COUNTY — Immokalee Middle School students didn’t just run into holiday break.
They salsaed, waltzed and cha-chaed into it.
“It’s a whole lot of fun,” eighth-grader Jevon Alberique said of dancing. “At first I didn’t want to do it, but it has been one of the best things we have done.”
The Immokalee Middle School students performed as part of the Schools That Rock program, which returned to the school for its third year.
Schools That Rock teaches the students how to swing, salsa, merengue, waltz and cha-cha within a two-week span.
The program was created and sponsored by Bradenton-based World Dance Arts Foundation. It was brought to Immokalee Middle School by a donation from Eva Sugden Gomez, a Naples woman from a philanthropic family.
“I am a ballroom dancer. That is my hobby. When I heard about the World Dance Arts Foundation’s program, I knew I wanted to contribute to it,” she said. “Dancing is social. It teaches you about setting goals. And it is participating in something that is fun.”
The curriculum needs a sponsor because the Collier County School District doesn’t have the $3,000 per school to spare to bring it to local middle schools.
“We are very fortunate to have this partnership so that students have this experience,” Immokalee Middle School Principal Abel Jaimes said. “This is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work our students have put in.”
Immokalee Middle School students taking physical education participated in the program under the guidance of professional dance instructor Molly Cook, of Naples.
“I love them,” Cook said of her students. “I hope this gives them a sense of accomplishment, a sense of dignity and hopefully a knowledge of ballroom dancing.”
On the day of their performance, the students’ teachers, peers and parents came to the cafeteria to watch the fruits of their labor. The students entered in pairs of two, dressed like they were headed to a school dance.
As the first group of students walked onto the floor, their faces looked nervous. But once “Jingle Bell Rock” began playing through the speakers, their nervous faces broke into smiles, even if they occasionally stepped on their partner’s foot.
Some even counted as Cook, with her Santa hat on her head, reminded them to keep their heads up.
“It’s pretty fun. It’s been interesting,” said John Gonzalez, a 13-year-old seventh-grader. “I like the cha-cha. It’s fun and it’s the one I know.”
The program first came to Collier County a few years ago, when Community School of Naples parent Debra Stevens got the first Schools That Rock going at Community School.
“The goal is to get all of the middle schools handled,” she said. “It teaches them an art form that encourages respect. It is creative and multicultural and stretches their knowledge of music.”
Stevens admits the students are reluctant at first, but said by the end of the class, they are looking forward to it.
Hilda Lozano certainly thinks that’s true. She and her husband, Artemio, came to see their daughter, Loura, dance. Loura chose her father as her dance partner for the open dance competition at the end of the performance.
“She was excited. She’s been showing her dad at home,” Lozano said as she watched Loura merengue with her father. “It’s good. They need to learn something different.”
Aisa Gonzalez, a migrant resource teacher at the school, was asked to dance by eighth-grader Dave Rouzard. The two won the open dance competition.
“I love doing this and he can dance so well,” she said. “It’s wonderful and the kids love (Cook).”
The feeling is obviously mutual as Cook hugs her students at the end of the performance.
“They all touch me ... When they get out there, I get goose bumps,” she said. “They blow my mind every time.”
Immokalee Middle School, which was the first school Cook taught the program at, also has a special place in her heart.
“These kids are so appreciative,” she said. “(They) made my Christmas.”
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Dancing With The Stars 2010
From okmagazine.com:
Former Boy Meets World star and current The Dish host Danielle Fishel aspires to be on Dancing With The Stars in 2010.
“I’ve told them really straight forwardly that I really want to do the show, and unfortunately they’ve got thousands of other celebrities that feel the exact same way,” she tells me. “There are so many people who want to do that show because it’s a real classy show, especially for reality TV. I told them I’m interested, they know I’m interested, and hopefully one day they’ll think I’d be a good fit for the show. “
Her dream partner is Maksim.
“He is the biggest, manliest dancer they have on that show, and I think for me to have a male dance partner, I would want someone that I felt very feminine next to. I think he’s the manliest dancer on the show.”
Former Boy Meets World star and current The Dish host Danielle Fishel aspires to be on Dancing With The Stars in 2010.
“I’ve told them really straight forwardly that I really want to do the show, and unfortunately they’ve got thousands of other celebrities that feel the exact same way,” she tells me. “There are so many people who want to do that show because it’s a real classy show, especially for reality TV. I told them I’m interested, they know I’m interested, and hopefully one day they’ll think I’d be a good fit for the show. “
Her dream partner is Maksim.
“He is the biggest, manliest dancer they have on that show, and I think for me to have a male dance partner, I would want someone that I felt very feminine next to. I think he’s the manliest dancer on the show.”
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
No Tour Planned For So You Think You Can Dance Season 6!
It looks like Season 6's winners probably won't be going on tour. Last week, finalist Mollee Gray "tweeted:" "I just heard we aren't having a tour?! Ugghh man that sucks for sure ... :( I'm gunna cry :("
Because "So You Think You Can Dance" aired two back-to-back seasons for the first time -- with 6 starting in September, barely a month after 5 finished -- and Season 7 auditions beginning in just a couple weeks, no tour is planned for Season 6's top 10 finalists.
Because "So You Think You Can Dance" aired two back-to-back seasons for the first time -- with 6 starting in September, barely a month after 5 finished -- and Season 7 auditions beginning in just a couple weeks, no tour is planned for Season 6's top 10 finalists.
New Dance Movie in 2010
From seattlepi.com:
Step Up 3-D will premiere on August 6, 2010
Now that America is unabashedly in love with dancing (thank you, America's Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars), you don't have to hide your excitement for yet another Step Up sequel! Next August, Step Up 2 the Streets director Jon Chu takes his crew to the mean rues of Paris, where MSA nerd-popper Moose (Adam Sevani, who battled Miley Cyrus in an online dance-off last year) has been left behind like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone 2 and joins forces with his new French pals to win an international dance competition. Former Step Up stars Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, and Channing Tatum show up, along with SYTYCD alums Twitch, Katee, Joshua, and Ivan.
Step Up 3-D will premiere on August 6, 2010
Now that America is unabashedly in love with dancing (thank you, America's Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars), you don't have to hide your excitement for yet another Step Up sequel! Next August, Step Up 2 the Streets director Jon Chu takes his crew to the mean rues of Paris, where MSA nerd-popper Moose (Adam Sevani, who battled Miley Cyrus in an online dance-off last year) has been left behind like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone 2 and joins forces with his new French pals to win an international dance competition. Former Step Up stars Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, and Channing Tatum show up, along with SYTYCD alums Twitch, Katee, Joshua, and Ivan.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Dancing With The Stars - Next Season
Rumor has it that Season 10 of Dancing With The Stars is targeted for a March 22, 2010 premiere. Rumored celebrity contestants include Kate Gosselin, Jennifer Grey, Jermaine Dupri, and Levi Johnston.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
New Year's Resolutions For Dancers
From dance.about.com:
Many people set goals to work toward in the coming year. If you are a dancer, perhaps you can think of a few ways to improve your dancing. Here is a list of new year's resolutions for dancers...write down a few and get dancing. Good luck!
Limber Up
A dancer can't be too flexible. All styles of dance require excellent flexibility to perform steps and jumps correctly. If your flexibility could use some improvement, make it a habit to stretch each night before bed and each morning before breakfast. You'll be amazed at how quickly you become more limber. And you'll love what it does for your dancing.
Get Stronger
Dancers need to be strong. Strength allows a dancer to move quickly and protects against injury. Try adding a few strength-building exercises to your daily routine. Incorporate a variety of exercises to strengthen the entire body.
Try a New Style
All dancers can benefit from trying out a new dance style. Trying a different type of dance not only challenges the body, but also the mind.
Challenge Yourself ***
Don't be afraid to give yourself a challenge this year. Maybe you've never had the confidence to enter a dance competition or perform a solo routine. You'll never know what all you can achieve if you don't try.
*** Live out your dreams in 2010 at a Fred Astaire Dance Studios National Competition! Go to www.fredastairedancestudiocompetitions.com for more information on the exciting events we've got planned for next year!
Many people set goals to work toward in the coming year. If you are a dancer, perhaps you can think of a few ways to improve your dancing. Here is a list of new year's resolutions for dancers...write down a few and get dancing. Good luck!
Limber Up
A dancer can't be too flexible. All styles of dance require excellent flexibility to perform steps and jumps correctly. If your flexibility could use some improvement, make it a habit to stretch each night before bed and each morning before breakfast. You'll be amazed at how quickly you become more limber. And you'll love what it does for your dancing.
Get Stronger
Dancers need to be strong. Strength allows a dancer to move quickly and protects against injury. Try adding a few strength-building exercises to your daily routine. Incorporate a variety of exercises to strengthen the entire body.
Try a New Style
All dancers can benefit from trying out a new dance style. Trying a different type of dance not only challenges the body, but also the mind.
Challenge Yourself ***
Don't be afraid to give yourself a challenge this year. Maybe you've never had the confidence to enter a dance competition or perform a solo routine. You'll never know what all you can achieve if you don't try.
*** Live out your dreams in 2010 at a Fred Astaire Dance Studios National Competition! Go to www.fredastairedancestudiocompetitions.com for more information on the exciting events we've got planned for next year!
Dancing Tips...Food For Thought During This Happy Holiday Season
Dear Dancers,
The holiday season is already upon us. The party mood will soon set in, and our palates will be ready for good home cooking.
As a dancer, however, and for some of us, the thought in the back of our minds will be ‘TO INDULGE OR NOT TO INDULGE!”
As a professional who has experienced the dilemma of absorbing the proper amount of food for ultimate performance, I agree that overindulgence is not the way to go. However, without restraining yourself too much, you may take pleasure in savoring your holiday meal by being a bit selective.
One of the way to be efficient as a performer is to prevent the onset of iron deficiency in one’s body.
To paraphrase Nicolette Aisen, an expert dietician in the dance field, as a dancer we should attempt to:
- Eat more iron rich foods such as lean red meat, skinless chicken, fish, eggs and legumes.
- Include Vitamin C rich foods or drinks at each meal.
- Eat more wholegrain breads and iron-fortified cereals.
- Drink tea and coffee between meals rather than with them.
If you are vegetarian or restricting certain food groups from your diet, obtain further dietary advice to suit individual requirements.
If you manage to eat satisfactorily by enriching your body with the right ingredients as per the above tips, congratulations… If not? Forgive yourself and try to get back on track as soon as you can after the holidays.
Meanwhile my best wishes for this Holiday season and a happy new dancing year.
Stanley McCalla, Dance Board member and examiner, National Champion and adjudicator
Monday, December 21, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance, Season 7 Audition Dates
MIAMI
Monday, January 18, 2010 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
1300 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33132
NEW YORK
Monday, January 25, 2010 at the Manhattan Center
311 W. 34th Street
Between 8th & 9th Avenues
New York, New York 10001
Dancers must be either a US citizen or legal permanent resident of the US, possess a current legal Employment Authorization Card enabling him/her to seek employment freely in the US (i.e., without restrictions as to employer) by the date specified in the eligibility rules. Dancers must be no younger than 18 or older than 30 years of age on the first day they register for auditions. Any dancer who is a minor in his/her state of residence must also have a parent or legal guardian sign all required documents. Dancers must provide legal, valid proof of age when they register for auditions. Check Fox.com/dance for full eligibility rules.
Monday, January 18, 2010 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
1300 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33132
NEW YORK
Monday, January 25, 2010 at the Manhattan Center
311 W. 34th Street
Between 8th & 9th Avenues
New York, New York 10001
Dancers must be either a US citizen or legal permanent resident of the US, possess a current legal Employment Authorization Card enabling him/her to seek employment freely in the US (i.e., without restrictions as to employer) by the date specified in the eligibility rules. Dancers must be no younger than 18 or older than 30 years of age on the first day they register for auditions. Any dancer who is a minor in his/her state of residence must also have a parent or legal guardian sign all required documents. Dancers must provide legal, valid proof of age when they register for auditions. Check Fox.com/dance for full eligibility rules.
My Golden Dancers
Appearances are Deceiving
By Elita Clayman
I am not ashamed to say I love soap operas. I have been watching them since I got married 49 years ago. I first started viewing one of them at 1:30 in the afternoon. Here is why.
My husband had a grandmother when I married him. I never had any grandparents because they were all deceased before I was born. My new grandmother Annie loved to watch one particular soap called As the World Turns. So in order to have something to converse with her about, I would turn on this show. Then I would call her on the phone the next day and we would talk about the storyline. I adored this little old lady who was my grandmother-in-law.
It was fun to talk to an old lady who was about 88 then about the silly storylines on the serial. We would conduct a lengthy discussion on the day’s happenings, and I felt good knowing I shared a little moment in her life. I loved her so much.
We can all find a person in our lives that came into our life at a later time and who influences us a bit and we in turn influence them and we have something in common, even a soap opera story.
Many times when we are out dancing at a competition or a social dance or even a group dance lesson, we will meet a stranger that appeals to us either as just a friend or maybe something romantic could happen. We talk, we dance, we mingle, we socialize, and we dream of what could be taking place.
Once, when we were social dancing on a Saturday night at the dance studio, there was a very short man who was dancing with a very short woman. We assumed they were married; they danced beautifully together and were very coordinated and enchanting in their movements. I was told after seeing them many times and thinking they were a darling couple that they were actually brother and sister. I then could see the resemblance after hearing that. So two siblings, each single, had taken up ballroom dancing. They had no other partners and they enjoyed their dancing and their activity so much that they appeared to be a married couple or a dating couple to the average person who saw them dance.
Another time, a father brought his teenage daughter to the dances. She danced with her dad and a few younger men and then sat a lot. I found out that her mom had died and her father wanted to go out on Saturday to dance and did not want to leave her alone so soon after the demise of the parent. She came often but, after several months, she stopped. This was not a place for a teen with all adults, and so he ceased to bring her and let her be with her own age group. She had become an excellent dancer.
One day, a fellow walked in with long hair, and he reminded me of a singer named Tiny Tim. He came with an Asian lady and they danced very well. He looked quite weird with his long hair for this time in his aged life but when he danced you forgot the ugly hair and saw the two meld as one and dance the night away. They were a married couple. His hair was longer than hers and once you got past the mane, you saw him as a different person. So looks can be deceiving and not an accurate noting of a person and who they really are.
Soap operas depict people who are often like ordinary people. Other times, they depict people who are wealthy and powerful and who try to demean the every day person and from that evolves stories that go on and on. Many times, a story will be relevant to life as it is now and of illnesses people have and emotional problems between members of a family and social contacts too.
People with long hair, brothers and sisters, fathers and daughters, grandparents-in-law and just regular folks ballroom dance and when they dance, we do not know what their job or profession is. A short guy can be a revered physician or lawyer, a father can be a successful business man, a long haired fellow can be an accomplished certified public accountant and a granddaughter-in- law who found the love of a soap opera through her new husband’s grandmother can be a writer of dance articles.
Ballroom dancing brings together people of all walks of life and in doing so we examine our hearts and our souls and we find ourselves addicted to this inspiring activity that nurtures our every moment with hours of excitement and exercise. We do not need shows like Dancing with the Stars to enhance our days.
Real ballroom dancers do not take seven hours of lessons six days a week to learn as these people do. They go about this in a manner that a normal ballroom dancer does not. We do not take forty hours a week (we could not afford the cost and our bodies could not take the rigorous activity). We, with our teachers, do not do the show stopping routines even with a competition. We do not learn one dance a day for the whole seven hours. If we did, we would not survive and continue on. We would be bored, tired and restless.
My main concern with shows like this is that they do not portray the reality of learning to ballroom dance. They portray a specific and intense manner of learning that is really not productive for us as regular people. I think that when we see someone in our group or our studio or our dance class who is really trying hard to become excellent, then that is who we should emulate.
The kid with her dad, the brother and sister, the long haired man and the soap opera addict (who loves to dance - me) are the ones people should imitate. They are the true and meaningful ballroom dancers who will inspire others to dance. That way, ballroom dancing will survive because real people like us are expanding the public’s notion on who ballroom dancers actually are. We dancers are special people performing a delightful performance of outstanding learning and happiness.
Ballroom dancing is something meaningful to us. We are the panorama and the view is beautiful and we are ever the brightness of the dance floor. We continue on and we are constantly evolving into the best we can be.
We are the bright lights in the dancing world and no one can extinguish our joy, our delight and our spirit in what we do.
We are on 52 weeks a year. Nothing can stop us. We are excellent and we know it.
By Elita Clayman
I am not ashamed to say I love soap operas. I have been watching them since I got married 49 years ago. I first started viewing one of them at 1:30 in the afternoon. Here is why.
My husband had a grandmother when I married him. I never had any grandparents because they were all deceased before I was born. My new grandmother Annie loved to watch one particular soap called As the World Turns. So in order to have something to converse with her about, I would turn on this show. Then I would call her on the phone the next day and we would talk about the storyline. I adored this little old lady who was my grandmother-in-law.
It was fun to talk to an old lady who was about 88 then about the silly storylines on the serial. We would conduct a lengthy discussion on the day’s happenings, and I felt good knowing I shared a little moment in her life. I loved her so much.
We can all find a person in our lives that came into our life at a later time and who influences us a bit and we in turn influence them and we have something in common, even a soap opera story.
Many times when we are out dancing at a competition or a social dance or even a group dance lesson, we will meet a stranger that appeals to us either as just a friend or maybe something romantic could happen. We talk, we dance, we mingle, we socialize, and we dream of what could be taking place.
Once, when we were social dancing on a Saturday night at the dance studio, there was a very short man who was dancing with a very short woman. We assumed they were married; they danced beautifully together and were very coordinated and enchanting in their movements. I was told after seeing them many times and thinking they were a darling couple that they were actually brother and sister. I then could see the resemblance after hearing that. So two siblings, each single, had taken up ballroom dancing. They had no other partners and they enjoyed their dancing and their activity so much that they appeared to be a married couple or a dating couple to the average person who saw them dance.
Another time, a father brought his teenage daughter to the dances. She danced with her dad and a few younger men and then sat a lot. I found out that her mom had died and her father wanted to go out on Saturday to dance and did not want to leave her alone so soon after the demise of the parent. She came often but, after several months, she stopped. This was not a place for a teen with all adults, and so he ceased to bring her and let her be with her own age group. She had become an excellent dancer.
One day, a fellow walked in with long hair, and he reminded me of a singer named Tiny Tim. He came with an Asian lady and they danced very well. He looked quite weird with his long hair for this time in his aged life but when he danced you forgot the ugly hair and saw the two meld as one and dance the night away. They were a married couple. His hair was longer than hers and once you got past the mane, you saw him as a different person. So looks can be deceiving and not an accurate noting of a person and who they really are.
Soap operas depict people who are often like ordinary people. Other times, they depict people who are wealthy and powerful and who try to demean the every day person and from that evolves stories that go on and on. Many times, a story will be relevant to life as it is now and of illnesses people have and emotional problems between members of a family and social contacts too.
People with long hair, brothers and sisters, fathers and daughters, grandparents-in-law and just regular folks ballroom dance and when they dance, we do not know what their job or profession is. A short guy can be a revered physician or lawyer, a father can be a successful business man, a long haired fellow can be an accomplished certified public accountant and a granddaughter-in- law who found the love of a soap opera through her new husband’s grandmother can be a writer of dance articles.
Ballroom dancing brings together people of all walks of life and in doing so we examine our hearts and our souls and we find ourselves addicted to this inspiring activity that nurtures our every moment with hours of excitement and exercise. We do not need shows like Dancing with the Stars to enhance our days.
Real ballroom dancers do not take seven hours of lessons six days a week to learn as these people do. They go about this in a manner that a normal ballroom dancer does not. We do not take forty hours a week (we could not afford the cost and our bodies could not take the rigorous activity). We, with our teachers, do not do the show stopping routines even with a competition. We do not learn one dance a day for the whole seven hours. If we did, we would not survive and continue on. We would be bored, tired and restless.
My main concern with shows like this is that they do not portray the reality of learning to ballroom dance. They portray a specific and intense manner of learning that is really not productive for us as regular people. I think that when we see someone in our group or our studio or our dance class who is really trying hard to become excellent, then that is who we should emulate.
The kid with her dad, the brother and sister, the long haired man and the soap opera addict (who loves to dance - me) are the ones people should imitate. They are the true and meaningful ballroom dancers who will inspire others to dance. That way, ballroom dancing will survive because real people like us are expanding the public’s notion on who ballroom dancers actually are. We dancers are special people performing a delightful performance of outstanding learning and happiness.
Ballroom dancing is something meaningful to us. We are the panorama and the view is beautiful and we are ever the brightness of the dance floor. We continue on and we are constantly evolving into the best we can be.
We are the bright lights in the dancing world and no one can extinguish our joy, our delight and our spirit in what we do.
We are on 52 weeks a year. Nothing can stop us. We are excellent and we know it.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Get That Dancing With The Stars Look!
Looking for a self tanner that won't leave streaks and spreads equally? Try Fake Bake tanning products to look naturally tan in the dead of winter!
STORM Brings 1,000 Dancers Together to Benefit the Variety Club
From pr-usa.net:
Following the success of the 2009 STORM Dance Clinic, local choreographer Tommy Radon announces STORM’s first 2010 fundraiser, which he promises will be bigger and better than this year’s event. “Dancing for a Dream” will be held on January 16, 2010 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, 120 Church Street, Buffalo, NY. The goal is to raise $40,000 with all proceeds benefiting the Variety Club of Buffalo.
From 9:00am to 6:00pm, there will be a series of twelve 45-minute dance workshops in styles comprising Ballet, Ballroom, Belly Dancing, Break Dancing, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Lyrical Jazz. Each class will be taught by professional instructors who hold some of the most prestigious titles in the world of dance. Andrei and Anastasia Abrashin, from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Williamsville, NY, are three time US Nine Dance Champions and Theatrical Arts Champions. Vladimir and Vera Kosarev, from the same studio, are US National Fred Astaire Smooth Champions.
Local instructors will be joined by Anna Trebunskaya, whose titles include 2004 US Rising Star Latin Champion and 2008 US National Dancesport Latin Finalist. Anna is also one of the professional instructors on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”. She will be teaching two Master Classes at “Dancing for a Dream” and, for an additional fee, is also available for private lessons during the day.
Tommy hopes to sell over 1,000 tickets for the event, which runs from 9:00am to Midnight and includes a Professional Dance Show at 8:30pm followed by general dancing. “This is a great opportunity for the dance community of Buffalo to donate to those less fortunate while learning from some of the best in the business”, says Tommy. “Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience and ability. You can join in every workshop or just come to watch but, once you see what’s happening, it will be hard to sit still.”
An all-day pass to the event, which includes all workshops and the evening entertainment, is $40. Reservations can be made at www.stormbuffalo.com or by phone at 716-310-8027.
Following the success of the 2009 STORM Dance Clinic, local choreographer Tommy Radon announces STORM’s first 2010 fundraiser, which he promises will be bigger and better than this year’s event. “Dancing for a Dream” will be held on January 16, 2010 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, 120 Church Street, Buffalo, NY. The goal is to raise $40,000 with all proceeds benefiting the Variety Club of Buffalo.
From 9:00am to 6:00pm, there will be a series of twelve 45-minute dance workshops in styles comprising Ballet, Ballroom, Belly Dancing, Break Dancing, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Lyrical Jazz. Each class will be taught by professional instructors who hold some of the most prestigious titles in the world of dance. Andrei and Anastasia Abrashin, from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Williamsville, NY, are three time US Nine Dance Champions and Theatrical Arts Champions. Vladimir and Vera Kosarev, from the same studio, are US National Fred Astaire Smooth Champions.
Local instructors will be joined by Anna Trebunskaya, whose titles include 2004 US Rising Star Latin Champion and 2008 US National Dancesport Latin Finalist. Anna is also one of the professional instructors on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”. She will be teaching two Master Classes at “Dancing for a Dream” and, for an additional fee, is also available for private lessons during the day.
Tommy hopes to sell over 1,000 tickets for the event, which runs from 9:00am to Midnight and includes a Professional Dance Show at 8:30pm followed by general dancing. “This is a great opportunity for the dance community of Buffalo to donate to those less fortunate while learning from some of the best in the business”, says Tommy. “Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience and ability. You can join in every workshop or just come to watch but, once you see what’s happening, it will be hard to sit still.”
An all-day pass to the event, which includes all workshops and the evening entertainment, is $40. Reservations can be made at www.stormbuffalo.com or by phone at 716-310-8027.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Fred Astaire & The Holidays
Did you know that Mr. Fred Astaire was in three holiday movies?
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" - A 1970 television special starring Astaire as the narrator and Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle/Santa Claus. The film tells the story of how Santa Claus and several Claus-related Christmas traditions came to be. It is still played every year on television.
"The Man in the Santa Claus Suit" - A made for TV movie. Fred Astaire had eight different roles and sang the title song.
"Holiday Inn" - A 1942 film starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. An original song from this movie is "White Christmas."
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" - A 1970 television special starring Astaire as the narrator and Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle/Santa Claus. The film tells the story of how Santa Claus and several Claus-related Christmas traditions came to be. It is still played every year on television.
"The Man in the Santa Claus Suit" - A made for TV movie. Fred Astaire had eight different roles and sang the title song.
"Holiday Inn" - A 1942 film starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. An original song from this movie is "White Christmas."
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
'Dancing with the Stars' star visits Crestview
From the crestviewbullentin:(Crestview, FL)
By Brian Hughes brianh@crestviewbulletin.com
2009-12-08
Nita Smeddon ended up with two instructors for her regular afternoon dance lesson at the Crestview Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Her usual teacher Scott Seip’s expertise was supplemented by an acknowledged expert in the art of the dance, Edyta Sliwinska.
Sliwinska, best known for her nine seasons on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” was in town last Friday and spent most of her day at the Main Street dance studio working with Fred Astaire’s clients. That evening she offered a group lesson.
Smeddon wasn’t Sliwinska’s only pupil during the lesson, however. She had several others, who just didn’t happen to be out on the dance floor at the time.
“The staff is listening and watching and learning,” said studio owner and manager David Colón. “It’s awesome. It’s a good chance to learn from the best.”
“I think Scott’s having the most fun,” observed studio co-owner Erica Moreno as Sliwinska propelled him along the floor in a sultry tango to demonstrate the steps for Sneddon. “He’s in her arms a lot. He is going to have nice dreams tonight!”
Moreno said Seip wanted to make sure someone took his photo with Sliwinska because his buddies didn’t believe he would be spending the day with a television personality, let alone being frequently embraced in a dance with her.
Also watching from the sidelines was Crestview High School junior Yumi Terrell, whose lesson followed Smeddon’s. She was looking forward to learning a few extra pointers from the out-of-town celebrity guest—until she went online, looked up Sliwinska’s impressive credentials and started feeling a bit out of her league.
“Now she’s a little nervous,” chuckled Krickett Goutreaux, another Fred Astaire instructor, who, turning to the student, indicated Seip and said, “C’mon, Yumi, you dance with a star every day.”
But as Smeddon’s lesson came to a close and Yumi got to observe how personable Sliwinska was with the pupil, Yumi was ready to hit the floor herself. As for Smeddon, her eyes sparkled as she headed for a chair.
“That was so much fun!” she said. “I had a wonderful time. She (Sliwinska) is darling.”
The Polish dancer, who on the most recent season of “Dancing with the Stars” was partnered with writer/musician Ashley Hamilton, found her visit to the Hub City a welcome change. Instructing ordinary people was more relaxing than teaching celebrities, she said.
“When you work with some stars, you have to brace yourself for moody people who are late all the time,” Sliwinska said. “Dancing with regular people is more pleasurable.”
After a quick break for some fresh fruit and water, Sliwinska was ready to hit the floor once more with Seip and his next pupil, the now-eager Yumi.
“For me, the effort is pretty much the same,” Sliwinska said. “I give each student I take 100 percent, whether they’re movie stars or regular people. There’s no difference.”
For budding dancers such as Nita Sneddon and Yumi Terrell, however, their 45-minute encounters with the famous dancer indeed made a difference, and created memories they will always remember.
By Brian Hughes brianh@crestviewbulletin.com
2009-12-08
Nita Smeddon ended up with two instructors for her regular afternoon dance lesson at the Crestview Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Her usual teacher Scott Seip’s expertise was supplemented by an acknowledged expert in the art of the dance, Edyta Sliwinska.
Sliwinska, best known for her nine seasons on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars,” was in town last Friday and spent most of her day at the Main Street dance studio working with Fred Astaire’s clients. That evening she offered a group lesson.
Smeddon wasn’t Sliwinska’s only pupil during the lesson, however. She had several others, who just didn’t happen to be out on the dance floor at the time.
“The staff is listening and watching and learning,” said studio owner and manager David Colón. “It’s awesome. It’s a good chance to learn from the best.”
“I think Scott’s having the most fun,” observed studio co-owner Erica Moreno as Sliwinska propelled him along the floor in a sultry tango to demonstrate the steps for Sneddon. “He’s in her arms a lot. He is going to have nice dreams tonight!”
Moreno said Seip wanted to make sure someone took his photo with Sliwinska because his buddies didn’t believe he would be spending the day with a television personality, let alone being frequently embraced in a dance with her.
Also watching from the sidelines was Crestview High School junior Yumi Terrell, whose lesson followed Smeddon’s. She was looking forward to learning a few extra pointers from the out-of-town celebrity guest—until she went online, looked up Sliwinska’s impressive credentials and started feeling a bit out of her league.
“Now she’s a little nervous,” chuckled Krickett Goutreaux, another Fred Astaire instructor, who, turning to the student, indicated Seip and said, “C’mon, Yumi, you dance with a star every day.”
But as Smeddon’s lesson came to a close and Yumi got to observe how personable Sliwinska was with the pupil, Yumi was ready to hit the floor herself. As for Smeddon, her eyes sparkled as she headed for a chair.
“That was so much fun!” she said. “I had a wonderful time. She (Sliwinska) is darling.”
The Polish dancer, who on the most recent season of “Dancing with the Stars” was partnered with writer/musician Ashley Hamilton, found her visit to the Hub City a welcome change. Instructing ordinary people was more relaxing than teaching celebrities, she said.
“When you work with some stars, you have to brace yourself for moody people who are late all the time,” Sliwinska said. “Dancing with regular people is more pleasurable.”
After a quick break for some fresh fruit and water, Sliwinska was ready to hit the floor once more with Seip and his next pupil, the now-eager Yumi.
“For me, the effort is pretty much the same,” Sliwinska said. “I give each student I take 100 percent, whether they’re movie stars or regular people. There’s no difference.”
For budding dancers such as Nita Sneddon and Yumi Terrell, however, their 45-minute encounters with the famous dancer indeed made a difference, and created memories they will always remember.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Scenes We Love
From cinematical.com:
We have television to thank for a serious dance renaissance. TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars have introduced a new generation to the joys of the samba, the waltz, and the quickstep, while High School Musical (and now, Glee) brought song-and-dance production numbers back into vogue. Suddenly it seems like the world's gone dance crazy. Of course, geeks like me, who grew up watching the great movie musicals, have been dance crazy for most of our lives.
On this week's episode of SYTYCD, show producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe lectured a pair of dancers about the importance of telling a story through choreography, instructing them that technical proficiency isn't enough --the audience wants to understand who the characters are, what the relationship is, and what they're trying to convey. Well, if he'd wanted to illustrate that concept, Lythgoe could do worse than to point his young contestants at 1953's The Band Wagon, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Directed by the great Vincente Minnelli, the musical tells the story of an aging hoofer who hopes to reinvigorate his career by starring in a hilariously awful musical interpretation of Faust, which turns out to be such a disaster that he and his comely co-star, along with the show's writers (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray), have to create an entirely new show on the fly to replace it.
The whole thing is a classic MGM-musical device -- the "let's put on a show!" plot, which allows for a number of disparate songs and dance sequences, from the comic ("Triplets") to the typically ambitious Astaire routines ("Shine On Your Shoes"). The major set piece of the new show is "Girl Hunt," a lengthy modern-ballet piece modeled on Mickey Spillane's 1950's detective fiction, starring Astaire as the private-eye and Charisse (who, by the way, Nigel Lythgoe danced with back in his chorus-boy days) as an irresistibly mysterious dame. It's the sort of supposed Broadway number at which MGM musicals excelled -- utterly impossible to stage in an actual theater, of course, but brilliantly entertaining on the big screen.
The entire sequence is pure joy to watch, and justly famous (not just because Michael Jackson used it as inspiration for his "Smooth Criminal" video, either.) In this too-short excerpt, Charisse is beyond stunning in a red sequin dress, with legs that go on for days -- be sure to notice how Astaire's gun comes to attention when she drapes herself across him. Better yet, rent the whole movie on DVD. There's not a moment of The Band Wagon that isn't magical.
We have television to thank for a serious dance renaissance. TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars have introduced a new generation to the joys of the samba, the waltz, and the quickstep, while High School Musical (and now, Glee) brought song-and-dance production numbers back into vogue. Suddenly it seems like the world's gone dance crazy. Of course, geeks like me, who grew up watching the great movie musicals, have been dance crazy for most of our lives.
On this week's episode of SYTYCD, show producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe lectured a pair of dancers about the importance of telling a story through choreography, instructing them that technical proficiency isn't enough --the audience wants to understand who the characters are, what the relationship is, and what they're trying to convey. Well, if he'd wanted to illustrate that concept, Lythgoe could do worse than to point his young contestants at 1953's The Band Wagon, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Directed by the great Vincente Minnelli, the musical tells the story of an aging hoofer who hopes to reinvigorate his career by starring in a hilariously awful musical interpretation of Faust, which turns out to be such a disaster that he and his comely co-star, along with the show's writers (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray), have to create an entirely new show on the fly to replace it.
The whole thing is a classic MGM-musical device -- the "let's put on a show!" plot, which allows for a number of disparate songs and dance sequences, from the comic ("Triplets") to the typically ambitious Astaire routines ("Shine On Your Shoes"). The major set piece of the new show is "Girl Hunt," a lengthy modern-ballet piece modeled on Mickey Spillane's 1950's detective fiction, starring Astaire as the private-eye and Charisse (who, by the way, Nigel Lythgoe danced with back in his chorus-boy days) as an irresistibly mysterious dame. It's the sort of supposed Broadway number at which MGM musicals excelled -- utterly impossible to stage in an actual theater, of course, but brilliantly entertaining on the big screen.
The entire sequence is pure joy to watch, and justly famous (not just because Michael Jackson used it as inspiration for his "Smooth Criminal" video, either.) In this too-short excerpt, Charisse is beyond stunning in a red sequin dress, with legs that go on for days -- be sure to notice how Astaire's gun comes to attention when she drapes herself across him. Better yet, rent the whole movie on DVD. There's not a moment of The Band Wagon that isn't magical.
Monday, November 30, 2009
DANCE STUDIO IN NJ PROMOTING FUNDRAISER FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Manasquan, New Jersey is hosting a holiday fundraiser on Sunday, December 13, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. to benefit the Food Banks in Monmouth & Ocean counties. The community is invited to donate any canned goods or other non-perishable food items at their official drop point in the Orchards at Wall shopping plaza, next to Pier 1 Imports. Dance director Britt Matthews says monetary donations are also welcomed.
“Attendees who donate money for the food bank will have their contribution matched by our Fred Astaire Studio,” notes Matthews. “In addition, all donors will receive a raffle ticket for prizes throughout the day, but monetary donors will receive an extra ticket as an even bigger incentive.”
Vendors offering last minute holiday items and donating a portion of their sales include Pampered Chef, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Sipada, Daizu Soy Candles and Fred Astaire Studio. Door prizes will be donated by The Mill, Algonquin Theatre, Hand & Stone Massage, Fred Astaire Studio, Garrow Family Chiropractic, Broadway Ray, and much more. If you’re looking to sell your gold, bring your jewelry and speak with a gold expert! Dancers from Fred Astaire Studio will perform dance demonstrations throughout the afternoon. Any new students who purchase the Fred Astaire Introductory Special that day, Fred Astaire Studio will donate 100% of those proceeds to the Food Bank. Refreshments will be served throughout the day as well.
For additional information contact Fred Astaire Studio at 732-528-0151.
“Attendees who donate money for the food bank will have their contribution matched by our Fred Astaire Studio,” notes Matthews. “In addition, all donors will receive a raffle ticket for prizes throughout the day, but monetary donors will receive an extra ticket as an even bigger incentive.”
Vendors offering last minute holiday items and donating a portion of their sales include Pampered Chef, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Sipada, Daizu Soy Candles and Fred Astaire Studio. Door prizes will be donated by The Mill, Algonquin Theatre, Hand & Stone Massage, Fred Astaire Studio, Garrow Family Chiropractic, Broadway Ray, and much more. If you’re looking to sell your gold, bring your jewelry and speak with a gold expert! Dancers from Fred Astaire Studio will perform dance demonstrations throughout the afternoon. Any new students who purchase the Fred Astaire Introductory Special that day, Fred Astaire Studio will donate 100% of those proceeds to the Food Bank. Refreshments will be served throughout the day as well.
For additional information contact Fred Astaire Studio at 732-528-0151.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
How Do They Do It? It's All In The Bottle!
According to a recent news article published in The Wall Street Journal, the cast of Dancing With The Stars goes through more than six gallons of spray-tan liquid each 10-week season!
Contestants and professional dancers get sprayed down the Sunday before each televised competition. Depending on the dance they are performing, the makeup artists apply a specific tone of tan. Latin dances like the Rumba call for darker shades while hands, necks, and ankles are mainly worked on for dances like the Waltz and Foxtrot since most of the body is covered.
Self tanners take six to eight hours to set and wears off after a week.
There is a rumor that in Season 6 (2008), contestant Jason Taylor, who is African-American, had to get spray tanned because his professional dance partner, Edyta Sliwinska had over-sprayed and was darker than he was!
Contestants and professional dancers get sprayed down the Sunday before each televised competition. Depending on the dance they are performing, the makeup artists apply a specific tone of tan. Latin dances like the Rumba call for darker shades while hands, necks, and ankles are mainly worked on for dances like the Waltz and Foxtrot since most of the body is covered.
Self tanners take six to eight hours to set and wears off after a week.
There is a rumor that in Season 6 (2008), contestant Jason Taylor, who is African-American, had to get spray tanned because his professional dance partner, Edyta Sliwinska had over-sprayed and was darker than he was!
Top Dancers Are In New York!
The staff at the New York East Fred Astaire Dance Studio are not only great teachers, but top dancers as well! We proudly congratulate them on their tremendous success at the National Dance Championships in Orlando, Florida.
Sonya Fil and Eugene Graev, 2009 Fred Astaire National Vice Champions in Open Professional International Latin
Galina Detkina and Mikhail Zharinov, 2009 Fred Astaire National Champions in Open Professional American Smooth
Radostina Gerova and Plamen Danailov, 2009 Fred Astaire National Champions in Open Professional International Latin
Sonya Fil and Eugene Graev, 2009 Fred Astaire National Vice Champions in Open Professional International Latin
Galina Detkina and Mikhail Zharinov, 2009 Fred Astaire National Champions in Open Professional American Smooth
Radostina Gerova and Plamen Danailov, 2009 Fred Astaire National Champions in Open Professional International Latin
News From Milwaukee
The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Brookfield, Wisconsin is carrying on the tradition of excellence set by our co-founder, Mr. Fred Astaire. Studio owner Albina Habrle, along with her new partner of 10 months, Ricky Bentzen, placed fifth in American Rhythm at the most prestigious competition in the United States, the United States Dance Championships 2009! Professional competitive dancing is an important part of the studio’s makeup. In all major competitions and national events across the country, dancers from the Milwaukee Central studio and other studios in the surrounding area strongly represent Fred Astaire Dance Studios! For example, at the AAC 2009, the top five winners of the American Rising Star Rhythm Championship were all from either Milwaukee or Chicago! In Albina’s studio alone, all but two of the nine staff members there are active professional competitors. Albina is able to pursue her dancing due, in large part, to the help of her well-organized studio manager, Nicholas Plante. Additionally, Albina credits all of her staff members for her successes: “I owe so much to my staff. Most of them have been with me since day one.” Although the studio had been in the same location for the past 12 years, they moved into a much bigger facility this year due to their expanding student body! Doubling the size of their old studio, their new facility is 10,000 square feet with a large master ballroom and junior ballroom. Congratulations to Albina and all the hardworking staff members in the Milwaukee Central studio for a wonderful year!
New Studio in Princeton, New Jersey
The glitz… the glamour… the music… the passion has finally come to Princeton, New Jersey. Fred Astaire Franchise Dance Studios is proud to announce the grand opening of their Princeton studio, conveniently located in the Princeton Shopping Center. Owned and operated by Professional Dance Champions Ilya Ifraimov and Nadia Goulina and Fred Astaire National Champion Millie Dhirmalani, this studio offers top-notch training for their students. The studio features a full-size ballroom, including a separate area for group classes, showcase dances, and wedding choreography. The chic, city-like décor, complimented by state-of-the-art lights and sound systems, and the fully certified staff provides a professional atmosphere for their students. On Saturday October 3, 2009 the Fred Astaire staff held an Open House from 11:00-6:00 p.m. The open house began with the official ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Bernard Miller. Afterwards, the studio hosted free group classes, social dancing, and an evening of showcase dance performances by both professionals and amateurs.
Spotlight On...Greg Fidurski & Gabriela Jileva
By Catherine Brill, Fred Astaire Dance Studios copywriter
Greg Fidurski and Gabriela Jileva have it all – a thriving studio combined with a distinguished competitive dancing career. Although their workday schedules are structured and rigorous, with mornings devoted strictly to dancing and the rest of the day to running their studio, they are able to successfully balance the challenges of studio ownership and the intensity of competing with enthusiasm and good cheer.
Dance partners and co-owners of the Morristown, New Jersey studio, both Greg and Gabriela (“Gaby”) have years of experience in dance. Gaby started dancing and competing at the young age of 10 in her native country of Bulgaria where she won the National Open International Standard title and represented Bulgaria in the World Cup Championships. Greg has danced for the past 24 years. Originally from Poland, Greg was the Polish National Youth and Open International Standard Champion, representing his country in many international championships while running a dance studio for children there. When Gaby moved to the United States eleven years ago, she began teaching at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Upper Montclair, New Jersey; Greg, arriving in the U.S. a few years later, taught at an independent studio before moving to our organization. They began to dance together in 2006, and it became quickly apparent that their partnership was a winning combination.
A month after competing for the fi rst time at a New York/New Jersey regional competition, they won the National Fred Astaire Open International Standard Championship. After dancing less than year together, they were National Rising Star fi nalists. In 2007, they became International Standard Rising Star vice-champions as well as Masters World Cup finalists and Classic Show Dance vicechampions. In 2008, for the third time in three years, they became Fred Astaire National Open International Standard Champions, Rising Star Standard vice-champions, and World Masters vice-champions.
As if this wasn’t enough, they recently decided to add Smooth style dancing to their repertoire. At this year’s NDC, they placed 4th in the American Open Smooth division!
“I have the best partner in the world. We are really a great team,” Gaby says.
Their commitment to our national competitions is unwavering. For the past three years, Gaby and Greg have competed in nearly every single Fred Astaire national competition, missing only one because of a flight cancellation!
Of their performance at last year’s United States Dance Championships, Armando Martin, our National Dance Director, noted: “Although the standard competitions didn’t produce any FADS winners, it was a great showcase ... Greg and Gaby … were in the final of the Open to the World Rising Star competition and were also second in the Standard Showdance. This couple’s expression and musicality truly sets them apart when they are on the floor. Greg’s happy-go-lucky personality is always a refreshing sight on the Standard floor…”
Greg and Gaby opened a brand new Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Morristown, New Jersey. Their studio has been running for over two years now and is only getting stronger. According to Gaby, “We have the best staff anyone could dream of.”
Over the years, they have found that it is the people associated with our organization who make all the difference. Along with Antoinette Benevento and Rae Josephs, Gaby gives special credit to her mentor, Kay Connors. “If there’s a reason why I’m with Fred Astaire, her name is Kay Connors. It’s hard to disappoint people when they believe in you. You don’t want to disappoint them, and I don’t want to disappoint Kay.”
Along with working on their Smooth and Standard dancing, their main goal for the upcoming years is to develop their studio to its fullest potential. We have no doubt that they will achieve this with their usual determination, energy, and drive.
Dancing With The Dedham Stars
From boston.com:
Six prominent residents to strut their stuff, and all for a good cause - boosting the local schools
By Michele Morgan Bolton, Globe Correspondent November 22, 2009
Selectman Jim MacDonald is known for his careful and conservative approach to issues and, in his own words, is something of a stiff.
So the 2-minute, 20-second routine he’s rehearsing to perform, in costume, with a partner, in front of practically the whole town, is a leap outside his comfort zone. To say the least.
“I said, ‘I don’t dance,’ ’’ the six-term selectman stressed as he recounted a chat with Dimitria Sullivan, president of the Dedham Educational Partnership, the nonprofit that’s sponsoring the second annual “Dancing With the Dedham Stars.’’
“She said, ‘That’s OK.’ And I said, ‘No. You don’t understand. I really don’t dance.’ ’’
But after several months of ballroom dancing lessons and countless rehearsals, MacDonald and five other prominent Dedham residents will take to the floor at Moseley’s and trip the light fantastic on Dec. 5 to raise money for the partnership.
“It’s so out of character for people who know me,’’ said MacDonald, who is a lawyer. “I am a strait-laced and by-the-books kind of guy. My wife has been trying to get me to dance for 30 years.’’
For such a regimented soul, MacDonald is coming around and learning to let down his guard. When he first met with dance partner Taylor Gough, he had some difficulty unwinding. But the rhythm soon started to take over.
“It’s really about getting the steps, getting the moves,’’ he said. “Well, I just do what she tells me to do.’’
Last year’s event, which raised $18,000 for the group for a variety of initiatives at the public schools, was so popular that tickets to this year’s version sold out in a week. The names on the dance card were chosen by a four-person DEP committee that put together a large list of potential dancers from all over town.
“Basically, they were who we thought would bring people in,’’ Sullivan said. “And we wanted it to be as inclusive of as many groups as there are.’’
Some weight went to the bucketload of e-mails that poured in after last year’s show from people who said they’d love to be picked.
But the final lineup has come down to: MacDonald; Dedham High School nurse Maria Antonuccio; Oakdale School principal Holli Armstrong; former Dedham police officer and school resource officer Richard Huyler; Jen Polito of the Dedham Housing Authority; and former Department of Public Works director Archie DeVirgilio.
Gough attended the show last year because her father was one of the judges, and a few friends were in the group dance at the start of the show. She started dancing at Paulette’s Ballet Studio in Newton at age 3 and joined the teaching faculty part time in 2000. The rest of the time, Gough is a cardiac nurse at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
“When Dimitria asked me about working with Jim, I was thrilled,’’ Gough said. “I really am glad I didn’t partner with anyone else. He’s catching on great and taking it all in stride.’’
Gough said MacDonald’s nerves were obvious at first. “But he’s been gaining confidence and is starting to seem comfortable with choreography. We’re both just looking to have a good time with this fund-raiser and are definitely looking forward to showing what we got.’’
Dancers are required to keep the particular style of dance they choose secret until the big night. So while MacDonald would not go on the record with his pick, he did offer this: “Taylor originally told me I seemed like a disco type of guy.’’
He laughed deeply: “Uhh . . . no.’’
Whatever happens on Dec. 5, what will probably go down in the memory books this year is Armstrong’s reaction when she learned she had been picked.
In a video posted by committee members to publicize the event, Armstrong is chatting on the phone at her desk when the committee materializes in front of her, carrying balloons like the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Prize Patrol.
Once she realizes what is happening, Armstrong lets loose a high-pitched scream and drops the phone.
On the other end was fellow principal Clare Sullivan of the Avery School.
Armstrong quickly remembers with whom she was speaking and grabs the phone back. Later the video shows her offering some dance moves in her office. A natural at performing, Armstrong also teaches a musical theater class after school. She said she was so taken with last year’s Dancing with the Dedham Stars performance that she “joked’’ with others about how she’d better be picked this year.
“I’m a little competitive,’’ she admitted. “I keep telling everyone I’m in it to win it. But I know it’s all about the kids.’’
Armstrong has been practicing with partner Martin Rycroft at the Fred Astaire Studio in Norwood two to three times a week. And while she said she doesn’t generally get nervous when she performs, “On the 5th? I think I may feel a little nauseous.’’
Sullivan said what made last year’s event so worthwhile, besides the generous proceeds, was the standing ovation at the end. That’s DEP’s goal, she said, to bring schools and the community together.
“The crowd just exploded,’’ she said. “And the dancers realized what they can do. That’s the beauty of the whole thing.’’
Although tickets have sold out, donations can be sent to the Dedham Educational Partnership at 100 Whiting Ave., Dedham, MA 02026. More information is available at www.dedham.k12.ma.us/DEP/. Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net.
Six prominent residents to strut their stuff, and all for a good cause - boosting the local schools
By Michele Morgan Bolton, Globe Correspondent November 22, 2009
Selectman Jim MacDonald is known for his careful and conservative approach to issues and, in his own words, is something of a stiff.
So the 2-minute, 20-second routine he’s rehearsing to perform, in costume, with a partner, in front of practically the whole town, is a leap outside his comfort zone. To say the least.
“I said, ‘I don’t dance,’ ’’ the six-term selectman stressed as he recounted a chat with Dimitria Sullivan, president of the Dedham Educational Partnership, the nonprofit that’s sponsoring the second annual “Dancing With the Dedham Stars.’’
“She said, ‘That’s OK.’ And I said, ‘No. You don’t understand. I really don’t dance.’ ’’
But after several months of ballroom dancing lessons and countless rehearsals, MacDonald and five other prominent Dedham residents will take to the floor at Moseley’s and trip the light fantastic on Dec. 5 to raise money for the partnership.
“It’s so out of character for people who know me,’’ said MacDonald, who is a lawyer. “I am a strait-laced and by-the-books kind of guy. My wife has been trying to get me to dance for 30 years.’’
For such a regimented soul, MacDonald is coming around and learning to let down his guard. When he first met with dance partner Taylor Gough, he had some difficulty unwinding. But the rhythm soon started to take over.
“It’s really about getting the steps, getting the moves,’’ he said. “Well, I just do what she tells me to do.’’
Last year’s event, which raised $18,000 for the group for a variety of initiatives at the public schools, was so popular that tickets to this year’s version sold out in a week. The names on the dance card were chosen by a four-person DEP committee that put together a large list of potential dancers from all over town.
“Basically, they were who we thought would bring people in,’’ Sullivan said. “And we wanted it to be as inclusive of as many groups as there are.’’
Some weight went to the bucketload of e-mails that poured in after last year’s show from people who said they’d love to be picked.
But the final lineup has come down to: MacDonald; Dedham High School nurse Maria Antonuccio; Oakdale School principal Holli Armstrong; former Dedham police officer and school resource officer Richard Huyler; Jen Polito of the Dedham Housing Authority; and former Department of Public Works director Archie DeVirgilio.
Gough attended the show last year because her father was one of the judges, and a few friends were in the group dance at the start of the show. She started dancing at Paulette’s Ballet Studio in Newton at age 3 and joined the teaching faculty part time in 2000. The rest of the time, Gough is a cardiac nurse at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
“When Dimitria asked me about working with Jim, I was thrilled,’’ Gough said. “I really am glad I didn’t partner with anyone else. He’s catching on great and taking it all in stride.’’
Gough said MacDonald’s nerves were obvious at first. “But he’s been gaining confidence and is starting to seem comfortable with choreography. We’re both just looking to have a good time with this fund-raiser and are definitely looking forward to showing what we got.’’
Dancers are required to keep the particular style of dance they choose secret until the big night. So while MacDonald would not go on the record with his pick, he did offer this: “Taylor originally told me I seemed like a disco type of guy.’’
He laughed deeply: “Uhh . . . no.’’
Whatever happens on Dec. 5, what will probably go down in the memory books this year is Armstrong’s reaction when she learned she had been picked.
In a video posted by committee members to publicize the event, Armstrong is chatting on the phone at her desk when the committee materializes in front of her, carrying balloons like the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Prize Patrol.
Once she realizes what is happening, Armstrong lets loose a high-pitched scream and drops the phone.
On the other end was fellow principal Clare Sullivan of the Avery School.
Armstrong quickly remembers with whom she was speaking and grabs the phone back. Later the video shows her offering some dance moves in her office. A natural at performing, Armstrong also teaches a musical theater class after school. She said she was so taken with last year’s Dancing with the Dedham Stars performance that she “joked’’ with others about how she’d better be picked this year.
“I’m a little competitive,’’ she admitted. “I keep telling everyone I’m in it to win it. But I know it’s all about the kids.’’
Armstrong has been practicing with partner Martin Rycroft at the Fred Astaire Studio in Norwood two to three times a week. And while she said she doesn’t generally get nervous when she performs, “On the 5th? I think I may feel a little nauseous.’’
Sullivan said what made last year’s event so worthwhile, besides the generous proceeds, was the standing ovation at the end. That’s DEP’s goal, she said, to bring schools and the community together.
“The crowd just exploded,’’ she said. “And the dancers realized what they can do. That’s the beauty of the whole thing.’’
Although tickets have sold out, donations can be sent to the Dedham Educational Partnership at 100 Whiting Ave., Dedham, MA 02026. More information is available at www.dedham.k12.ma.us/DEP/. Michele Morgan Bolton can be reached at mmbolton1@verizon.net.
Friday, November 20, 2009
My Golden Dancers
Uplift Yourself and Go Forth
THE GIFT TO YOURSELF
By Elita Sohmer Clayman
My mother had six siblings, two sisters and four brothers. Her sister Ruth and her brother George were born blind. The two blind children went to the Maryland School for the Blind and then on to regular high schools where they excelled. They were like one of the first handicapped children to go to a sighted school as it was called.
They both had wonderful jobs and married spouses who had their sight. My aunt Ruth learned to cook, keep a clean home, and she was a fantastic knitter. She knitted all her dresses and many coats and they were of different yarn colors and were full of intricate knitting patterns. People who met her could not believe that a sightless lady could knit like that. George was a medical secretary for the well known doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The respected doctors always requested that George do their transcription.These two relatives of mine did not let their disabilities take away from their lives. They did volunteer work for organizations and were loved by their relatives and friends and their spouses. My brother and I adored Uncle George and we saw him often since he lived in Baltimore. Aunt Ruth lived in New York City where she went to the Broadway plays every month. She sat there and loved to go to the theater. She saw Richard Burton live in a Broadway play and wrote him a note how she adored him and could not see him. He wrote her back how proud he was she enjoyed the play.
Many seniors who go dancing cannot dance the way they did when perhaps they were younger. Some still go and sit there and maybe dance once or twice during the afternoon or evening. They still enjoy being there and socializing; getting out is a big thing in their day. One lady I know could not dance at all because of some orthopedic problems. She would come with her husband and he would dance with some other ladies and she sat there smiling and happy just to be in that environment.
An acquaintance of mine used to get up every morning and make a list of the doctors she was going to that day. One day it would be the podiatrist (that was ok because she did do some ballroom dancing and needed her feet to be in good shape.) The next day it was the dermatologist because she had a sore on her back. The next day it would be the internist because she had some aches and pains. The next day it was the orthopedic doctor because her knees hurt. She made the rounds of all the doctors.
She got to know the secretaries at these doctor’s offices very well and made sure she kept in good speaking friendships with them so she could call and insert herself into an appointment when she wanted it. One day she woke up and said to herself, no doctors today. Today I will go and do some ballroom dancing. I will take a lesson, I will look at a pair of new ballroom dance shoes, and I will practice with my husband in the family room. I will not go to a doctor this week.
That was quite a new method of living for her. No doctors, no secretaries, no driving to various offices. The only driving she did that week was for her dancing activities. She got excellent exercise; her mind did not think about illness and you KNOW WHAT? She felt physically good all that week. She decided she would frequent the doctor offices only when and if she really needed it. She would not go there to be reassured that everything was ok when in her heart she knew it was fine.
Ballroom dancing is like a good drug. It stimulates your mind; it exercises your feet, arms and neck. It enhances your good thoughts and it raises your esteem in your own mind. You are not sick, you need no doctors today, and you can and are surviving at this senior passage of time. Ballroom dancing is a stimulant that is good for your soul and keeps your mind active. Even if you go and sometimes sit out some or all dances, just going takes good courage. You are special and you do not need a medical person to tell you that everything is FINE. You know yourself that you are a good person and if you are feeling well enough to go out and dance or do dance activities, you are a golden senior, not a senile senior. That is the best gift you can give to yourself.
Keep on Dancing
THE GIFT TO YOURSELF
By Elita Sohmer Clayman
My mother had six siblings, two sisters and four brothers. Her sister Ruth and her brother George were born blind. The two blind children went to the Maryland School for the Blind and then on to regular high schools where they excelled. They were like one of the first handicapped children to go to a sighted school as it was called.
They both had wonderful jobs and married spouses who had their sight. My aunt Ruth learned to cook, keep a clean home, and she was a fantastic knitter. She knitted all her dresses and many coats and they were of different yarn colors and were full of intricate knitting patterns. People who met her could not believe that a sightless lady could knit like that. George was a medical secretary for the well known doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The respected doctors always requested that George do their transcription.These two relatives of mine did not let their disabilities take away from their lives. They did volunteer work for organizations and were loved by their relatives and friends and their spouses. My brother and I adored Uncle George and we saw him often since he lived in Baltimore. Aunt Ruth lived in New York City where she went to the Broadway plays every month. She sat there and loved to go to the theater. She saw Richard Burton live in a Broadway play and wrote him a note how she adored him and could not see him. He wrote her back how proud he was she enjoyed the play.
Many seniors who go dancing cannot dance the way they did when perhaps they were younger. Some still go and sit there and maybe dance once or twice during the afternoon or evening. They still enjoy being there and socializing; getting out is a big thing in their day. One lady I know could not dance at all because of some orthopedic problems. She would come with her husband and he would dance with some other ladies and she sat there smiling and happy just to be in that environment.
An acquaintance of mine used to get up every morning and make a list of the doctors she was going to that day. One day it would be the podiatrist (that was ok because she did do some ballroom dancing and needed her feet to be in good shape.) The next day it was the dermatologist because she had a sore on her back. The next day it would be the internist because she had some aches and pains. The next day it was the orthopedic doctor because her knees hurt. She made the rounds of all the doctors.
She got to know the secretaries at these doctor’s offices very well and made sure she kept in good speaking friendships with them so she could call and insert herself into an appointment when she wanted it. One day she woke up and said to herself, no doctors today. Today I will go and do some ballroom dancing. I will take a lesson, I will look at a pair of new ballroom dance shoes, and I will practice with my husband in the family room. I will not go to a doctor this week.
That was quite a new method of living for her. No doctors, no secretaries, no driving to various offices. The only driving she did that week was for her dancing activities. She got excellent exercise; her mind did not think about illness and you KNOW WHAT? She felt physically good all that week. She decided she would frequent the doctor offices only when and if she really needed it. She would not go there to be reassured that everything was ok when in her heart she knew it was fine.
Ballroom dancing is like a good drug. It stimulates your mind; it exercises your feet, arms and neck. It enhances your good thoughts and it raises your esteem in your own mind. You are not sick, you need no doctors today, and you can and are surviving at this senior passage of time. Ballroom dancing is a stimulant that is good for your soul and keeps your mind active. Even if you go and sometimes sit out some or all dances, just going takes good courage. You are special and you do not need a medical person to tell you that everything is FINE. You know yourself that you are a good person and if you are feeling well enough to go out and dance or do dance activities, you are a golden senior, not a senile senior. That is the best gift you can give to yourself.
Keep on Dancing
Monday, November 16, 2009
Melissa Rycroft is returning to Dancing With The Stars.According to ET Online, the Bachelor star, who competed in the show's eighth season, will perform an encore routine with partner Tony Dovolani tomorrow night, reports ET Online.
"We have had one practice. It was about two hours at 10pm on Tuesday night after the last show," she explained.
"I'm excited to go back. I love everybody, I love the show."
Rycroft's fiancé Tye Strickland added: "She is amazing. It took her 30 minutes to learn the whole dance and she already has it down."
The 26-year-old finished in third place behind actor Gilles Marini and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.
The Dancing With The Stars semi-final airs tonight on ABC.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)