Dancing Tips - Why You Should Do Your Medal Test

By Stanley Mc Calla

Last month, after conducting a medal examination for a few students at a studio, one student, with an inquisitive look, approached me and asked: “Excuse me Mr. McCalla, Do you think that doing the medal test is going to make me become a better dancer?

“Well absolutely” I replied. “How do you feel now that you have done the test?”

She said: “ I feel that I understand and have a better grasp of my elements”

She went on to tell me that she came from a ballet background and that she had to learn so much of the technique through a relentless series of exercises, before even experiencing the joy of moving to music. She added that by going through studying the medal test at Fred Astaire, she had experienced some similar technique as the feet position, even though the feet do not turn out as much in Latin and not at all in Ballroom. She also learned, at the same time, the different body positions as close, promenade, fallaway, open and parallel position etc…

So I said: “Miss C., you’re absolutely right! Not only that you are educating yourself in the proper Ballroom and Latin technique, but you are also learning to dance on your own two feet , action that will make the partnership between you and your teacher or any other leader more agreeable. For when you perform either in a showcase or a competition, you will pleasantly dazzle your audience and command attention.”

I personally think that Miss C. is on her way to becoming an outstanding dancer partly due to her pursuit of technical knowledge. I also think and strongly suggest that all of you should study and take your medal test regardless of your level. By doing so, I can guarantee that you will improve faster on becoming the dancer that you want to become.

If you haven’t done one medal test yet, I recommend that you ask your teacher about training for one.

You belong to a great Fred Astaire Dance Studio and organization that provides the best certified instruction in the world. You should go ahead and avail yourselves of one of the great benefit that your studio and teacher has to offer.

Until next time, happy dancing.

Stanley McCalla
Fred Astaire Dance Board Member & Examiner
National coach and adjudicator
Fred Astaire National Champion

Doctor Practices Steps For Dancing Contest

From vindy.com:

By Guy D’Astolfo

Call her the dancing doctor.

Dr. Elena Rossi, a neonatolgist, is the chairwoman of pediatrics at St. Elizabeth Health Center and associate chairwoman of pediatrics at Akron [Ohio] Children’s Hospital-Mahoning Valley.

She’s also putting on a clinic as a ballroom dancer in an ongoing show sponsored by Cleveland television station WEWS-Channel 5.

“Cleveland’s Dancing With the Stars” is headed into its fifth round of competition, and Dr. Rossi and her professional dance partner, Raymond Cedeno of Fred Astaire Studio in Willoughby, have survived.

The show is not affiliated with the popular TV series “Dancing With the Stars,” but it is modeled after it. The show started with 11 couples, each one a pairing of a local celebrity — like Dr. Rossi — with a local professional dancer. One couple is eliminated each week in online voting (newsnet5.com).

Each round is held at a different location in the Cleveland area.

Dr. Rossi is a Youngstown native who now lives in Boardman. She was asked to represent Akron Children’s Hospital as a celebrity in the competition and jumped at the chance.

She is not only the only Mahoning Valley resident on the show, but — as a 50-something — she’s also the oldest participant.

Some of the other celebrities include former Cleveland Browns player Al “Bubba” Baker (eliminated in Week 2); Elizabeth Kucinich, wife of U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (eliminated in Week 4); Cleveland Indians mascot Slider (still in it); and a host of Cleveland-area TV, radio and political personalities.

Dr. Rossi and her husband became interested in ballroom dancing a few years ago and regularly go to dances. She’s also a fan of “Dancing With the Stars.”

“It’s a fun thing to do,” she said of the Cleveland competition. “The nurses are behind me. ...They have signs up in the hospital that say ‘vote for Dr. Rossi.’

“It’s a light-hearted thing,” she continued. “We deal with life and death every day. This is kind of fun.”

In addition to her work at St. Elizabeth’s and Akron Children’s, Dr. Rossi is an associated professor of clinical pediatrics at North East Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

She is also an ambassador for March of Dimes and vice president of the Touched by Nathan Foundation.

She and her husband, Donald Somers, have two children, Donald and Allyson, both in college.

Pro Dancer Competition on Dancing With The Stars

From abc.com:

You get to pick a new dancing pro for next season!

We are putting the future of "Dancing With The Stars" in YOUR hands with our inaugural Pro Dancer Competition. Six professional dancers will compete for the opportunity to be part of the next season of "Dancing With The Stars".After each performance, judges will comment on the dances but you, the fan, will vote and decide who will stay and who will leave! Phone lines and online polls will open at the top of each performance show so that fans can vote for their favorites. Phone lines will stay open for 30 minutes after the end of the show. Online voting will remain open until noon (Eastern Time) the next day.Here's how it works:

Week 1: Six dancers will dance. Each fan can vote up to 6 times during the voting period. The female dancer and the male dancer with the fewest votes will be eliminated.

Week 2: Four dancers will dance. Fans can vote up to 4 times during the voting period. The dancer with the fewest votes, whether male or female, will be eliminated.

Week 3: Three dancers will dance. Fans can vote up to 3 times during the voting period. The dancer with the fewest votes, whether male or female, will be eliminated.

Week 4: The last two dancers will dance. Fans can vote up to 2 times during the voting period.

Week 5: The dancer who received the most votes will be announced on the show.

Astaire & Rogers, On Demand at Comcast

By Nicole Alexander, Communications Coordinator, Corporate Communications for Comcast Corporation

Before “Dancing with the Stars”, “America’s Best Dance Crew” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” there was Astaire-Rogers. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are among the most successful and well-known dancers in American history. Together, this dancing and acting duo made ten films. To this day, "Fred and Ginger" remains an almost automatic reference for any successful dance partnership. Many classical dancers and choreographers acknowledge their importance and influence on dance today. Now, you can see what they were all about – Comcast has ten films featuring Astaire and Rogers available now including, Shall We Dance, Swing Time and Top Hat. So check out the pair that has inspired the dance craze of today On Demand in the “Movies & Events” folder under “Movie Collections.”

Dancing With The Stars - Week 6

A Teacher's Perspective

By Debra Stroiney

Oh Gilles…. I was actually disappointed by your dancing this week. Jive was just not your dance but you did a good job with something that is so difficult. This goes to show you that everyone has dances they excel at and dances that are more difficult to learn. I felt that the speed of dance was taking away from some of the things that Gilles usually does best. But this will help him to learn that even if the dance is fast you can’t compromise the things that make the dancing good, such as arm styling, character, and performance.

Well here we go with the judges this season. They have been relatively good about giving appropriate scores throughout but to me the scoring was off last night. Unfortunately I was siding a lot with Len. Even if the audience doesn’t want to hear Len’s negative comments, it has to be realized that Len is the only one who is truly a ballroom judge; everyone else has a dance/choreography background. So even if it is harsh what he says is usually correct. First, with Lil' Kim. She performed an excellent number. Great use of the music but there were some mistakes I saw she made and Len was correct in saying that there wasn’t a lot of Jive in the routine. So why did Carrie Ann and Bruno give her 10s???? It wasn’t a perfect routine/performance. 10 = perfect!! Second, I feel that Shawn’s Rumba was better than Melissa’s. Melissa got a point higher, not too far off. I felt Shawn flowed from one step to the next where as Melissa’s was a little choppier. It also seems they are trying hard to get Steve-O off the show. I am not saying he is a great dancer but that was one of his best dances. I couldn’t believe some of his arm extensions… his fluidity was not there but he tried.

I actually like Lawrence and Ty’s Jive. They both did well with a dance that could have been awful for them. After seeing how mechanical they were in the Paso Doble I was cringing a little when they started their performance but each of them did a solid routine. Even Ty who the judges didn’t like so much put out a performance that was better than his Cha-Cha and Paso. I find the Jive harder than both of these dances. So I was impressed he held his own.

Prediction: I would normally say Steve-O but he has had an impressive fan base over the past few weeks so I am not sure if that will be the case again this week. If the fans come through again the bottom 2 tonight will be Ty and Lawrence.

Caring For Dancing Feet

From khsltv.com:

When you see a ballerina twirling gracefully, or watch Fred Astaire sweep Ginger Rogers across the dance floor in an old movie, you probably don't think about the stress their feet are undergoing. But dancing puts an enormous strain on feet and ankles. Sprains, stress fractures, corns, calluses and blisters are all among the unfortunate consequences of dancing without proper attention to the feet. The first thing to keep in mind is that your shoes should be comfortable. If they're painful when you put them on, you can be sure that they'll be worse after a night of dancing. There are shoes specially designed for aerobic dancing. No matter what type of dancing you'll be doing, pick appropriate footwear. Do some warmup exercises to loosen up your feet and ankles before going out on the town for a night of dancing. It pays to get your feet used to the activity. Finally, have your feet checked by a foot specialist. Tiny abnormalities can become big problems if they're not identified and corrected ahead of time.

My Golden Dancers

Embroidered Into Our Hearts
By Elita Sohmer Clayman

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I do not feel it. These words were written during the Holocaust by some Jewish people. Even then, they had faith which is hard to believe that people involved in terrible times still believed in better days.

Maybe, in this day and age, we can apply those words to our lives right now. Everyone wears different glasses to see the world. It doesn’t mean it corrects their vision in seeing things. They may perceive things differently than you and I do. That does not mean either of us is right or wrong.

Nyugen Binh came to this country from Vietnam many years ago. When she came, she was only seven years old. She barely could speak English, and the kids in the classroom made fun of her speech. However, when she was in math class, she excelled and then the classmates began to respect her for her intelligence. They no longer saw her as an immigrant who could not speak the language. They viewed her as a really smart seven-year-old that was in their class and would surely learn to speak well. The different glasses they viewed her with gathered her respect from them because of her ability in the mathematical category.

Many times when we go to social dances, we view someone new to dancing as mediocre because they are hesitant in doing a dance or to try a new step. We see ourselves as being very efficient in dance because we have been doing it for a long time. We sometimes forget that only several years ago we were in their shoes - dance shoes, that is.

When I first started to dance in 1977, I had the desire to dance with my teacher in a showcase at the studio. I trained for about six months with a weekly private lesson with him and then another one with my husband. The solo lesson I had with the professional teacher was difficult because I was learning a routine with an opening and closing theme.

Eventually I was ready to perform. I went out and bought a gorgeous green chiffon dress with ruffles and green satin dance shoes for my feet.

We rehearsed and rehearsed and when the day of my first showcase approached I was overwhelmed with happy anticipation and nervous apprehension. I thought that perhaps I would call him at home and tell him that I had a bad cold. No, that would not work. I thought I would not show up on time at the studio. No, that was not right. Then I thought why not go out and be brave and perform. At that time I was about 44 years old. I was slim, trim and full of vim.

The Saturday approached and in the morning I took my two children who were 17 and 13 to the mall where we ate a light lunch and went to a movie. My husband was working and he would be home by five p.m. When we came out of the movie I realized that it was still five hours to show time at the studio.

My children each had a party to attend in the evening so they were occupied and I was on my own. As the time approached my nerves were really active. We got to the studio about 8:30 and we were told to go into the changing room and to put on our dance clothes. The teacher came over and warmed us dancers up with a preliminary dance to get our feet ready.

Still I thought that perhaps I would slip out the door, call my husband on the cell phone and I would go home without performing. Then I realized that was wrong. So I put my best foot or feet forward and said to myself “let’s do it.”

I was second to perform and when they called my name out I went floating onto the floor with the teacher by my side. My nerves lessened and before I knew it I was even enjoying myself. While I was performing, an obnoxious audience member yelled out at me as I floated by “smile baby smile.” I guess I was not smiling but that was not the proper thing to scream out at me. I took it in my stride and smiled and finished up to a lot of applause.

Afterwards I was proud of myself and realized that I even kind of enjoyed it. Now I had the performance shot in the arm stimulus and I thought what fun this had all been. I really wanted to chastise that loud mouthed man who told me to smile. I guess he did not mean it nastily but it sounded that way to a very anxious dancer who really had butterflies in her stomach and toes.

I vowed that I would never do that to anybody else, scream out like that. No one needs to hear that admonition while they are trying hard to accomplish something new.

At my Weight Watchers meetings, praise and commendation is the sweetest of all greetings. We are taught there that two ounces of lost weight is a victory and just coming to a meeting class is certainly success.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749-1832 said “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”

Reasonable words are indeed powerful. Words can heal and words can hurt. I would rather be the recipient of encouraging words and I always speak encouraging words to anyone I see. I always taught my children it they could not say anything nice, say nothing at all. Mom taught me that and I always tried to live by that thought.

When we are dancing and going to a dance and there is a new dancer there for the first visit, it is our obligation as a seasoned dancer to speak with them and to enlighten them with words of confidence and happiness. We can tell them how well they are doing even if that is a small lie but a white lie. That entices them to continue on and to go forward and not be depressed because they think they cannot emerge with a fine career so to speak in social or competitive dancing. One simple word can inspire them to continue on with this new event in their life that not only is good for their health but excellent for their mind.

So anytime you are at a dance and you being the experienced dancer versus the new person on the dance floor, do a mitzvah (good deed) and go and make some conversation with the novice dancer. Tell him or her that tonight is a new journey for them and the road may have a few detours but that the avenue will be full of bright lights, no stop signs, just green lights that say go. The going will be sweet and full of happy days and nights and mostly a feeling of self assurance.

Goethe also said “Whatever you can do or think, you can.” We should all be in the CAN mode because whether we are senior citizens, almost senior citizens, twenty somethings or forty somethings our goal is to have fun dancing, learning, socializing and attaining self confidence in this bold power we are trying for. We are never too young or too old to be educated in something new and by doing something new to us we gain the ability to procure the power that comes with added knowledge.

Knowledge is power and power is as Bertrand Russell said, “The desire increases with the habit.” The habit Horace Mann said “is weaving a thread of it everyday and we cannot break it.” These dancing threads are strong and once they they are woven into our hearts nothing can tear it apart. Our hearts are sewn with these strands and sewn so securely that we never want them to rip away. They are embroidered into the lace of our minds.

Keep on Dancing

You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net

New Dancing Memoir

From amazon.com:

A Year Of Living Dangerously: One Woman's Journey From Beginner To Winner
By Lydia Raurell

One morning, fifty-five-year-old Lydia Raurell stumbled across an ad in the local paper that read "Walk in Monday, dance out Friday." She did just that. A year later she reigned atop the national leader board--a first for a newcomer. This is her amazing story, recorded in her own words and in over one hundred breathtaking color photographs.

For the first time ever, immerse yourself in the magical world of ballroom dancing--a world where the details count--the shoes, the many dresses, the hair and the makeup--and the competition is stiff. While shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance have introduced ballroom dancing to millions of Americans, very few of them know what competing in dance is like. By following Raurell across the country on her journey to the top, readers will gain intimate knowledge of what the competitions entail, and what it takes to succeed.

Dancing With The Stars - Week 5

A Teacher's Perspective

By Debra Stroiney

Every week, no matter which dance, Gilles comes out and gives an amazing performance! He should consider doing more dancing in his entertainment career. He has learned so many things so quickly. He is truly a natural dancer. Now that he talked about his martial arts background I can see where some of his skill comes from. Participating in martial arts helps with balance, posture and coordination. I have one thing to say about Len’s comment that the routine was hectic…. I think that the routine was hectic because of the music. If they did not dance to the beat of the music then they would have been criticized for that. I showed this routine to someone who has never danced before and she even commented that the music was very fast and not that great. Speaking of the Paso Doble music, it makes me laugh at the songs they chose for this dance. For a show dance some of them are appropriate but I do empathize with the celebrities who have to learn the more difficult technique of this dance as well as dance to music where you can barely hear the beat.

This week of dances is one of the toughest. Both of these dances are difficult to first learn. The steps are simple but the technique and timing is difficult to learn and make or break the dance. I also think the scores reflected the more difficult dances. The higher scores were those who choreographed simpler routines and spent more time on the technique of the dance.

I have been surprised at how well Lil Kim has been doing with her dancing. The judges seem to like her a lot. They tend to praise her more than Shawn Johnson. I am wondering why they criticize Shawn more? Because she is an athlete and younger? They both received the same score in Viennese Waltz. I saw Shawn’s as being a little better; there was more substance to it.

I am actually surprised David Alan Grier was eliminated this week but it goes to show you that the votes really do count. David always had solid performances but never impressed the judges. Unfortunately, he must not have had a strong fan base either. Now there is evidence of just how much of a fan base Steve-O really had but it came through this week. There are times that he looks very uncomfortable while dancing but the viewers wanted to see him back. They must find him entertaining!

Fred Astaire Dance Studios Dance For Kids' Benefits

From Chattanoogan.com:

Feel The Heat Benefits Kids On The Block April 17
posted April 8, 2009

Feel the Heat Impact 2009, an annual fundraising event to benefit Chattanooga's Kids on the Block, will be held on Friday, April 17, at Pier 2.

Guests will board the stationary boat which will be turned into a “sassy salsa” club and be greeted by the Kids on the Block.

The evening will include food, specialty drinks, salsa dancing and a silent auction. Salsa exhibitions by Dean Botting of Fred Astaire Dance Studio and dance instructions by Patti Turner and Michael DiAngelo will be held throughout the evening.

All proceeds will benefit Chattanooga's Kids on the Block to help continue its educational programs free of charge to schools in the 12 county service area.

The festivities will begin at 7 p.m. boarding the pier, where guests will check in and begin the bids on items in the silent auction including a Disney World package for four, 2010 Predators game package, accommodations in Charleston, Gatlinburg and other locations, winery tours, evening cruise package for six, and much more.

While bidding on silent auction items, guests will have the opportunity to win a jewelry item from Brody Jewelers as well as other items including a Dell Inspiron Mini 9.

A buffet will be served beginning at 7 p.m. and an open bar will be available until midnight. Guests will enjoy salsa dance exhibitions and dance instructions throughout the evening while dancing to music provided by Sound Force Entertainment.

For the past 29 years, CKOB features life size puppets designed to teach children and adults about social concerns and differences in a non-threatening manner giving them skills to stay safe and healthy. The programs are free of charge to schools in 12 different counties thanks to funding from United Way, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Mental Heath Association of Middle Tennessee, Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association, Tennessee Donor Services, among others, individual donors and fundraisers.

Tickets for the event are $80 for individuals and $150 per couple, which includes the buffet, open bar, specialty drinks, and dancing.

Additional information and ticket purchases can be made by calling the Chattanooga's Kids on the Block office at 757-5259 or www.kidsontheblock.net/impact2009.

My Golden Dancers

Ashley and Beliefs
By Elita Sohmer Clayman

Ashley, a daughter of a friend of mine, received a prayer necklace for a gift. The directions said to open the charm's lid and to put your prayers in it and then to close it and wear it. We assumed that by doing so the prayers would come true. Ashley told her mom that she wanted to take it to her church day care center and to add a prayer to the necklace and to “splain” (explain) to the teacher all about this necklace.

Ashley, even at her young age of three and half, knew the reason behind prayers and what prayers mean to the majority of us. You need not be religious (any religion) to pray and to believe and to hope. I saw a license plate with the word BELIEVE on it. I thought that maybe it belonged to a clergyman of any faith and how appropriate that was. However, when the person got out of the car on the parking lot, I saw it was a senior citizen. I approached her and said what nice wording that was and she told me how that came about.

She said when she was a young girl, they had very little money and things were done so frugally in her home that she often prayed that they would have enough money for food and some meager clothing so she could go to school and not be ashamed of her looks.

Her old grandmother told her to always believe that tomorrow would be better and the day after that even better. So ever since there were vanity license plates, she had the word of believe on hers.

Vinda Riley of the Midwest wrote to me about her wanting all her life to be a dancer of any kind. When she was a youngster, she wanted to be a ballerina and they could not afford it. When she was newly married, she wanted to take ballroom dance lessons and she could not afford even group lessons in a recreation center. As the years went by, her desire increased and finally when the dance movies came, especially the first Japanese movie called Shall We Dance, her desire overwhelmed her. She saw it five times and identified with the man in the movie. So she went out and signed up for a short course of group lessons at a local dance studio. Needless to say, that hooked her and she is still dancing and still learning and has five trophies for her competition days. She said she always believed it would happen and perhaps waiting so long made the event more special. Now she goes twice a week for lessons and twice a week for social dancing and she finally convinced her husband to accompany her. Now they believe together and have fun with their new found happiness.

When I was young girl, there was a movie theater about eight blocks away from our house. In those days, you walked everywhere or if you had about fifteen cents to spare, you took a streetcar. So I saved my fifteen cents each way and walked the eight blocks to see a movie called The Red Shoes starring Moira Shearer. As I remember these many years later, it was about a girl who wanted to be a dancer and these red shoes that were her inspiration. On the way back from walking to the movie, it got a tiny bit dark as the days were getting shorter and this was the beginning of wintertime. I had to walk by an old and gray looking building that was a convent. It was very dreary looking and also a very dark day. I quickly moved my pace up to walk faster past this sad looking building and I pretended that I was Moira Shearer wearing my red ballet shoes. I imagined that I had come to this old, creepy building and that I danced for the folks in there to give them a piece of the outside world since I was told they never left the convent other than for funerals. I thought that maybe if they saw a young person dancing, they could smile and be happy. I pranced by the old building and as I did, an elderly nun came out I guess to get some air. She smiled at me and said “How are you, my dear young one, and why are you walking by so fast?” I replied that “I was running home from the movie and it was getting late and did not want my mom to worry about me.” She said “You are a good girl and may God bless you all the days of your life and you should always be good to your mom.”

I never forgot her saying that and many years later I saw that the Red Shoes was made into a video tape and I thought how nice if the old nun was living and I could send her a copy of the movie. Of course, she was not, it was like fifty years later and she was old then and I was about fourteen or so. I figured she knew that someday I would be wearing red dance shoes and she had blessed me with her words and that is why so many years later I took up ballroom dancing which is not ballet but you can wear red shoes if you want.

Always remember, if you have the desire, it is never too late to start a hobby. A friend of mine retired with her husband and they chose to live in Williamsburg, Virginia which is quite a distance from her home here in Baltimore, Maryland. She built a nice home and had to make new friends and start a new life at this senior time in their lives. She emails me that now she is taking up golf and is the only female in the class and she loves it. She is doing something that she wants even though it is later on in her life and she is having fun doing it. She joked that the teacher is quite young and cute.

Ballroom dancing is a sport that can be started even if you are a senior. When we first started to dance, we went to a competition in Florida. I competed in a few dances and saw that the ladies who were seniors and then some were dancing with their teachers as Pro-Ams and were having the time of their lives. They dressed up, they danced, they had fun and they had a marvelous social life. I was only in my early forties and felt quite young compared to these seventy and some eighty year old ladies. They were spry and dedicated and gorgeous to watch. As they won their competitions and took hold of the gigantic trophies that were given, I thought how wonderful that these senior ladies could go out on the dance floor and participate in this fantastic sport-hobby and that they excelled in doing so.

From Ashley to the nun to Vinda Riley to my friend Gloria in Williamsburg, Virginia to me, Elita, we all BELIEVE IN WHAT WE WANT TO BELIEVE IN and that is beautiful. As long as we believe and as my Dad used to say “Tomorrow will be good, the next day better and the days after than wonderful.” Take up your ballroom dancing, your golf, your desire and believe that you can always add a prayer as little Ashley wanted to do.

Ballroom dancing knows no age limits as to starting times. Ballroom dancing knows no restrictions as to what you can and will be able to comprehend. You can go out there and begin when you are ready and it will be waiting for you. One of the definitions of ready is to be on ‘one’s toes.’ How appropriate because that is what we are doing, being on our toes and resolving to accomplish and to do their best at this time in their senior years. No senior moments for these ladies, they were accurate, excellent and delightful.

Ashley, Vinda, Gloria, Elita and you, my dear reader are going to put on your red shoes, black shoes, gold shoes or any shoes and go on the journey of dance either today, tomorrow or real soon. Your shoes of any color will promote your dancing your way into excitement and passion. Someone once said that passion is the wind necessary to put everything in motion. The motion becomes emotion and from then on your dancing will take hold of your life and your life will be full of passion and glorious days and evenings.

Always keep on dancing and believing.

You can email me at elitajerrydancing@verizon.net

'Puttin' On the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache, A Biography'

From The Wall Street Journal:

By Peter J. Levinson

Excerpted from "Puttin' On the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache, A Biography" by Peter J. Levinson, with permission from St. Martin's Press. All rights reserved.

Chapter Four

Fred and Ginger

Almost a month before Fred and Phyllis were married, RKO announced it was sending a camera crew to Brazil to film background and aerial scenes for its forthcoming musical production, "Flying Down to Rio." A succession of casting notices followed in the film press. The volume of publicity was designed to alert the movie audience that "Rio" was going to be a major film musical. (1)

RKO was an acronym for the combination of the Radio Corporation of America and the theatre chains of Keith and Orpheum. The film company was established in 1928 when Joseph P. Kennedy (yes, that Kennedy) persuaded David Sarnoff, the chairman of RCA, to venture into the movie business. The company, at first, showcased RCA's sound on film. However, by 1933 its yearly film slates were extremely unpopular, and RKO was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

Merian C. Cooper had replaced David O. Selznick as production chief at RKO. While trying to move "Flying Down to Rio" and other films into production, Cooper was heavily involved in putting together an adventure film about a giant ape captured on a small South Pacific island who wreaks havoc while being held captive in New York. It was to be called "Kong."

Earlier in 1933, Cooper had signed Ginger Rogers to the studio. By then, Rogers was a film actress having appeared in twenty-five films. She had recently made a significant impression in "Gold Diggers of 1933," still considered rather a milestone musical of the Depression period.(2) Her rendition of "We're In the Money" was one of the highlights of the movie.

When Fred reported for work, he had no idea who had been assigned to work with him since the final casting for the picture was still incomplete. For a time, Dorothy Jordon was seriously considered by Cooper as Astaire's dancing partner. She had been Adele's understudy in "Funny Face." Jordon, however, ultimately married Cooper and left with him for Europe on their honeymoon as the picture moved into production.(3)

On the third day of filming, Astaire was informed that Ginger Rogers might be appearing in the film, but he still wasn't at all sure if she was going to be dancing with him since of late Ginger had concentrated on playing several dramatic parts.(4) He questioned whether she was that interested in a dancing role. When it was ultimately decided that she would be cast opposite Fred, they had a joyful reunion and looked forward to working together, this time as dance partners. Ginger helped him to become more comfortable working with the camera.(5) Already a seasoned actress, she possessed tricks of the trade that Astaire was not yet familiar with.

Dave Gould was assigned as dance director for the movie, but Fred found himself drawn to the keen, foreword looking ideas of Hermes Pan, Gould's assistant, who had a great physical resemblance to Fred, although Pan was slightly taller. Pan, had, of course, worked with Ginger in "Top Speed" on Broadway. He had never seen Fred perform but remembered, "he was already famous for doing broken rhythm dancing… on the beat, off the beat, back and forth."(6)

On the first day of shooting, their rapport was immediate when Pan showed Fred the way out of a troubling bit of choreography by suggesting he execute a tap "break." At that moment, whether he realized it or not, Fred Astaire had found his muse. Basically, they thought exactly alike about film dancing. A lifetime association was born. Fred once referred to Pan as "The rock ... He doesn't make any fuss about anything." (7)

Pan reflected on their association by saying, "I didn't influence his style because he was already a star when I was starting out. People naturally influence each other whether it's unconscious or not. Later on, I could see certain moves or attitudes he would never have done before." (8)

Fred was called "Fred Ayres" in the "Flying Down to Rio" screenplay. It was a halfhearted attempt to establish his name with moviegoers. He was signed for $1,500 a week, and due to overtime wound up making $10,000 on the film.

The movie opens in a Miami hotel where Fred appears as the best friend of Gene Raymond, the bandleader/songwriter/aviator. (Vincent Youmans wrote the film's score.) Raymond has on camera romance with the Mexican beauty, Dolores del Rio, who entices Raymond to fly her to Rio de Janeiro for the grand opening of the Hotel Atlantico.(9) In Miami, in a scene that was originally tinted in a rose color, but never released in that form, Fred and Del Rio dance a tango together. Unfortunately, no sparks flew in their number.

Ginger was billed fourth and Fred fifth in the film. Their roles were incidental to the plot and their characters have no interrelationship. While Ginger sang "Music Makes Me," as the vocalist in Raymond's band, Fred is seen playing the accordion in the band. Fred's version of "Music Makes Me," along with the title song, supplied Fred with another two-sided hit record. He also lead the band in the spectacular, well remembered title number in which a bevy of leggy chorus girls pose seductively and then dance while strapped atop the wings of the biplanes flying in formation above the Atlantico Hotel. (10) Though this sequence was the essence of camp, made possible by rear projection and process shots, film audiences marveled at how vivid and absolutely incredible it was.

What excited movie audiences even more, however, was Fred and Ginger dancing together to "The Carioca," shot at a cost of $600 as a major production number shot in a mere three days on a set representing the Carioca Casino in Rio. (11) Buoyed by Ginger's suggesting, "Let's show them a thing or three," Fred grabs Ginger's hand and they sprint determinedly onto the dance floor. The impact of their dance causes the other dancers to back away to give them more room. This is followed by twenty-five couples in Brazilian costumes, then a group of black Northern Brazilians, who add even more variations to the Latin dance number. Fred and Ginger return for a spectacular finale, dancing atop seven pianos, arranged to form a circular dance floor. (12)

(1) "Starring Fred Astaire" by Stanley Green, Burt Goldblatt, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, (1973), Page 58; (2) "Starring Fred Astaire" by Stanley Green, Burt Goldblatt, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, (1973), Page 58, 59 (3)"Fred Astaire: A Wonderful Life" by Bill Adler Carroll & Graf Publishers; 1st Carroll & Graf ed edition, (1987), Page 90; (4) "Steps In Time" by Fred Astaire, The Cooper Square Publication Edition, New York (2000), Page 185 (5) "Fred Astaire: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts) by Larry Billman, Greenwood Press, (1997), Page 13 (6) "Fred Astaire: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in the Performing Arts) by Larry Billman, Greenwood Press, (1997), Page 13 (7) "Oral History Collection of Columbia University," 1983, Beverly Hills, by Mr. Higham, Page I-4 (8) "That's Dancing! From the jazz singer to the present day, some 1500 musical have been made in Hollywood" by Tony Thomas, Harry Abrams Inc., New York (1984), Page 92 (9) "Starring Fred Astaire" by Stanley Green, Burt Goldblatt, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, (1973), Page 63 (10) "Starring Fred Astaire" by Stanley Green, Burt Goldblatt, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, (1973), Page 64 (11) "Flying Down To Rio" RKO Production Papers, Special Collection, UCLA Library (12) "Starring Fred Astaire" by Stanley Green, Burt Goldblatt, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, (1973), Page 65

A Different Spin On Dancing

From signonSanDiego.com:

Class with wheelchairs opening up new world, connections for all partners

By Michele Clock (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer

Deep inside a cavernous building in La Mesa, a speaker blares a cha-cha tune. A ponytailed man dressed in black steps smoothly across the linoleum, moving to the beat and asking his students to do the same.

Half the dancers begin following his steps. They know it's bad form, but some look down – to make sure their partners don't roll over their feet.

The weekly class at Sharp Grossmont Rehabilitation Center helps build strength and self-confidence in people who use wheelchairs. It's also building bridges between their world and that of their dance partners.

James Taylor, 33, of University Heights said that before the class, the most contact he had with wheelchair-users was a “hi” here and there.

“This is the first time that I've really interacted with people in wheelchairs,” he said. “It's also the first time that . . . the differences with a wheelchair actually mattered to me.”

The class is taught by William Valencia, a Marine and Army sergeant turned dance instructor. He's one of almost 20 instructors nationwide who have a teaching certification from the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit American DanceWheels Foundation, and the only certified instructor on the West Coast. The foundation promotes and provides training in wheelchair ballroom dancing.

To understand what it's like to use a wheelchair, Valencia got into one for his cross-country return flight from training. He described the experience as “humbling.”

“People kind of ignore you,” Valencia said. “People look at you with sorrow. You could get to the front of the line, and people help you, but there's no eye contact.”

Melinda Kremer, executive director of American DanceWheels, said the dance classes are about more than fancy floor moves.

“For me, this is about society changing and the potential to create new alliances with a group of people who are misunderstood,” she said.

The greater visibility of people with disabilities has helped boost understanding and interest in wheelchair dancing, she said. There was Heather Mills' appearance on the TV show “Dancing with the Stars” a couple of years ago. The former model has a prosthetic leg. And a recent MTV series called “How's Your News?” followed people with disabilities as they traveled the country.

Kremer said her nonprofit receives about 40 inquiries a month from people interested in learning, teaching and watching wheelchair ballroom dance. That matches the number of calls that her group got in its entire first year in 2004.

Tierrasanta resident Beverly Weurding, 65, who has a form of muscular dystrophy, teamed up with Liz Clarno, a recreation therapist at Sharp Grossmont, nearly two years ago with the goal of bringing wheelchair dance to San Diego. Weurding struggled to find an instructor until she met Valencia, who has been teaching dance for 27 years in Mission Hills and before that, in Little Italy and upstate New York.

Clarno received an $800 grant from the Grossmont Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit, philanthropic arm of Sharp Grossmont Hospital, for the current class and for a second session planned for later this year. Weurding helped form an affiliate of DanceWheels Foundation to promote wheelchair dancing locally.

Alisa Shuman, 52, of Santee said the class has opened up a new world. She has learned to formally dance for the first time and enjoys showing that people in wheelchairs can do “what everybody else can do.”

“We're really not looking for special treatment,” said Shuman, who is paraplegic. “We want equal treatment. We want people to address us like they would everybody else.”

One recent weekday afternoon, Valencia led a group of 10 – five in wheelchairs, five not – in a little lesson in the cha-cha.

Valencia moved slowly, starting with the simplest steps and progressing from there. He stopped when it appeared a student was off track.

Hands clasped, the pairs faced each other and tried to move as one to the rhythm. Some seated dancers needed more help from their partners, while others rolled the wheelchairs on their own.

The moves that Valencia teaches are much the same as traditional ballroom dance but more physically demanding. For the able-bodied dancers, abdominal and back strength is important for moving their partners, who are positioned at a much lower angle than standing partners.

For wheelchair dancers, upper-body strength is important, said Rosalie Cardenas, 59, of Shelltown.

“It's not easy,” Cardenas said. “I'll tell you, it's work.”

Cardenas, who has for years called herself a “salsera” because of her passion for salsa and Latin music, danced all her life until becoming paralyzed from the waist down two years ago. Cardenas, a cancer survivor, said the class has changed her life.

“It really took me out of the sadness” after the paralysis, she said. “Ever since I started dancing and socializing with other people, that really motivated me, gave me confidence and the desire to share this with other people.”

David Juare, 60, of Encanto was paralyzed from the waist down in a car crash at age 13. He said he hadn't danced in a group setting in a wheelchair in 40 years. During a recent class, Juare listened closely as Valencia coached him to straighten and extend his arms.

“I'm finding rhythms I didn't know I had,” Juare said, smiling.

His partner, Judy Nichols, 72, joined the class with her husband, Jack, 77. The Alpine couple are traditional ballroom dancers. During his first class, Jack Nichols found himself overcorrecting and taking bigger steps.

“I had no idea what this would be like,” Jack Nichols said later. “The basic dance steps are there, but of course more cumbersome.”

Nichols said he and his wife appreciate the chance to connect with their wheelchair partners.

“We are helping other people have some of the same enjoyments we have,” he said.

Learning to dance alongside able-bodied partners has brought the wheelchair-users a sense of confidence and equality that they say is sometimes missing in their lives.

Weurding said that when her muscular dystrophy started progressing to the point that she needed a wheelchair, she felt an ache in her stomach because she “became the invisible person around people.” Her fear that nobody would talk to her kept her from social gatherings, and for a year, she mostly stayed in.

“It was wheelchair dancing that pulled me up and over this isolation from society,” she said.

Once she put her energies into creating the wheelchair dancing program, Weurding said, “Life made a dramatic change for me.”

Staff librarian Michelle Gilchrist contributed to this report.

Hold All Calls - We Have A Winner

From boston.com:

Posted by Bob Ryan, Globe Staff March 31, 2009 11:02 AM

I confess to a guilty pleasure: I love "Dancing with the Stars."

Don't mean to alarm anyone, but I like dance. I was quite the 10-year-old tap dancer, if I do say so myself. I am a huge fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, especially Astaire.

I'll watch any Astaire-Rogers movie (I mean, she was flat-out gorgeous, which is a nice bonus), and Kelly's acrobatic style is amazing, but I am here to say that the single greatest dance number in the history of Hollywood was the Astaire-Eleanor Powell "Begin the Beguine" collaboration in "Broadway Melody of 1940." This premise is completely non-negotiable.

So what does any of this have to do with sports? Simple. My initial interest in this particular program was Jerry Rice. I was curious, and he delivered the goods, finishing second. This made dancing chic, and so we have had the succession of athletes, from Emmitt Smith, who won the whole thing; to Clyde Drexler, who was horrible; to Appolo Ohno (another winnah); to Gille Villeneuve (yet another winnah); to Kristi Yamaguchi (yup,still another winner); and now to Lawrence Taylor, who is a middle-of-the packer.

This year we are, I think, four weeks in, and I am here to tell you it is over. For in this year's competition we have the single greatest dancer in the history of the show. His name is French actor Gilles Marini, and he is astonishingly good.

On Monday night he danced an Argentine Tango. Omigod. I thought Carrie Ann Inaba was going to leap over the table and rip off his clothes (she's pretty hot herself). I mean, she needed to get hosed down. Bruno Tonioni is naturally exuberant, but this performance taxed even his enormous powers of verbal approbation I'm telling you; Gilles Marini is both disgustingly good-looking and even more disgustingly talented.

The judges gave him three 10s. It's hard to get a 10 out of salty Brit Len Goodman, who twice gave scores two rungs below each of his colleagues last night. Three 10s is rare.

The public may not agree, but my advice to the people who run this show is do whatever you have to in order to make this "competition" come out right. It would be a collosal embarrassment, as well as a laughable miscarriage of justice, if this man does not win. I really don't see any reason to continue. Gilles Marini is the best dancer DWTS has ever had.

About halfway through his number, I said to my daughter, Jessica, "This guy is so good I don't think you could tell which was the professional and which was the amateur." Keep in mind that his partner is two-time winner Cheryl Burke.

And what does Carrie Ann Inaba say? "You can't tell who is the professional and who is the amateur!" Swear to God.

Case closed.

Snoopy Makes A Bid For Dancing With The Stars

Fred Astaire Dance Studios Presents Annual Show

Fred Astaire Dance Studios presents annual show

The Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Wisconsin will present its annual ballroom dance show, Dance Fantasy, at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield.

The show will feature professionals and students from its seven Wisconsin studios.

The shows begin at 6 p.m. Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13.

The Brookfield studio originated in 1998 and is part of a franchise that has 110 studios across the United States.

The studio's instruction varies from ballroom to country-western to salsa and nightclub dancing for all ages and abilities.

BUSINESS: Park Bank

ADDRESS: 14870 W. Greenfield Ave.

PHONE: (414) 466-8000

HOURS: lobby hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday; drive-through hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday

WEB SITE: parkbankonline.com

BUSINESS: Fred Astaire Dance Studios

ADDRESS: 2445 N. 124th St.

PHONE: (262) 796-1121

WEB SITE: FredAstaireBrookfield.com

Dancing With The Stars - Week 4

A Teacher's Perspective

By Debra Stroiney

I know, I know, I was wrong last week about who would be voted off. I did not expect such a huge fan base for Steve Wozniak! I am wondering if Denise got voted off because of some of the things Maksim said which were published.

I feel that it is always an interesting week when they have new dances that they can also perform lifts in. It kindof shows you what the instructors focus on when they are coming up with their routines and how they are teaching their students. I find it interesting that more of the men stood there in the Argentine Tango than they did in the Lindy Hop. Usually Argentine Tango would be easier to pick up on. It’s slower, the footwork is not as difficult, and there are many options. I feel all those who danced the Argentine Tango except for Gilles and Lil' Kim were filled with times of standing and a lot of lifts. We all want to see the lifts but it is also important to make sure there is dancing in there too. There was more dancing in the Lindy Hop routines than the Argentine Tango routines.

I knew when I saw Shawn Johnson’s routine that the judges were not going to like it. Mark played to her gymnastics, and I see nothing wrong with this. They created that routine for her fans and the audience. It is probably one of the only dances that they could do this with and it didn't look out of place. They put on a fantastic show, and it was fun to watch. She still danced quite a bit. In fact, Melissa probably did almost as many tricks as Shawn did but the one difference I saw is the tricks flowed better in Melissa's choreography.

Ty Murray is definitely the most improved dancer. This is what you want to see when you are working with a professional who is teaching you to dance.
I cannot believe how rude the judges were to Steve Wozniak. When they said that he stinks, you could see that Karina was also affected by this. I don’t blame her; it is a reflection on her as a teacher if they are negative. In some ways, he just does not have the ability to learn as quickly as the others but Fred Astaire always said that anyone can learn to dance. That is exactly what Steve is doing - he may not be a performer but he is learning to dance. I wonder if the fans can save him again this week.

Something will have to change in the coming weeks or the audience votes are going to be even more important. Now I feel that we have the dancers who are coming out and trying hard but just don’t perform very well. Then we have those who are mediocre, they are doing well but they just don’t have the extra uniqueness that the others seem to have. Now the judges are starting to reflect this in their scores and comments.

I really don’t know if I can pick the two that may be voted off this week. I am thinking that one of them is Holly. Her fan base is not as strong as the two Steves.

New Dance Show to Air in June 2009

The "Biggest Loser" meets "Dancing With The Stars" with the Oxygen channel's new reality-TV show, "Dance Your Ass Off."

Former Dancing With The Stars competitior Marissa Jaret Winokur will host this first-ever dance and weight-loss competition series that combines the best of both reality genres. Contestants will diet and dance to "discover their inner thin." Each week contestants will be judged by their ability to perform a dance routine combined with the weight loss they have achieved for that week. The contestants will be challenged with mastering a variety of dance styles from hip-hop to ballroom and cabaret, and will be partnered with professional dancers who will help each contestant reach their highest dancing potential.

"I am thrilled to be the host of 'Dance Your Ass Off!,'" said Winokur. "I had the time of my life learning how to ballroom dance for 'Dancing with the Stars,' and getting in shape was just an amazing extra bonus. I'm really excited to help others do the same thing. I know what the contestants will go through on so many levels, I am sure we will inspire each other!"

Proclamations of 2008 - Virgina's Ballroom Dance Week

The state of Virigina formerly recognized September 19-28, 2008, as BALLROOM DANCE WEEK, issued by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. The text of the proclamation follows:

WHEREAS, ballroom dancing is an activity that provides many physical and social benefits, promotes creativity and artistic expression, and is enjoyed by many as both a competitive sport and as a pleasurable pastime; and

WHEREAS, ballroom dancing is enjoyed by people of all ages and with one of the largest amateur enrollments in the country, Virginia is a leader in the field of ballroom dancing; and

WHEREAS, USA Dance, Inc. has over 20,000 members nationwide and more than 1,500 members in the Mid-Eastern Chapter, which serves the Virginia, District of Columbia, and Maryland areas; and

WHEREAS, USA Dance, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote ballroom dance as an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, ballroom dancers in the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the United States will celebrate Ballroom Dance Week from September 19-28, 2008, and will sponsor special events during the week to increase public awareness of the benefits of dancing and provide opportunities for enjoyable ballroom dancing;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy M. Kaine, do hereby recognize September 19-28, 2008, as BALLROOM DANCE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Tony Dovolani & Melissa Rycroft!

Tony Dovolani & Melissa Rycroft sign autographs after rehearsal: