Dance as if no one is watching

The title quote for this particular post is a saying that has always been close to my heart.  The moments where no one was around and I danced my heart out were some of the most rewarding and inspiring moments of my life.  These moments are where I developed my passion for dancing and the desire to make dance a part of as many lives as I can.  No matter how many videos I post or how many inspirational quotes I find, nothing compares to fully giving oneself over to dancing in the moment.  Without experiencing that moment first hand, one can never have a full understanding.  Music, movement, and passion effect everyone.  For some passion is running, biking, singing, piano, etc.  Think of those moments...those moments where you are by yourself, playing that difficult song you have been working on and finally playing it perfectly, riding that hardest trail and finally making it to the end, singing from your heart and soul a song that you have written or personally connect with, running harder, faster, and farther then you ever have or running to get out of your head...to get away,  that is the kind of passion I'm looking for.  Those are the kind of students I want to attract and create at my studio.  As mentioned in earlier posts, no matter how hard I try to "be realistic" about my goals, I can't get away from dance, so I guess I'll just embrace it...

People do not stop dancing because they get older, they get older because they stop dancing - Author Unknown

Before I take a dance class, I choose to research difference dance forms to figure out what kind of dance I'm about to take to see if I will find it interesting and actually enjoy it. This particular blog post is to educate my readers about the different forms of ballroom dancing so they may better understand which dance form appeals to them the most.

The Rumba

Clearly for those more comfortable with the more sensual forms of dancing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8E8b6vBIbQ&feature=PlayList&p=DAFB72A3BDFD9E04&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=5

The Waltz:

The form of ballroom that comes to people's minds first

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho0Vq6DYLFM&feature=related

The Cha-Cha-Cha:

Fun footwork with lot's of hip action!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISmOGkAniZ4

West Coast Swing:

Not the traditional swing dancing! More on the smoother side with lots of footwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ZxiPKmacg

Tango:

The dance form that entices everyone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEwZIufmafo

(Still one of my favorite dance scenes of all time...)

These dance forms and others can be executed by anyone with the right amount of patience and training.  I want to offer a quality Ballroom dance education along with other dance forms at my studio to make dance a reality for anyone who walks in our door.

Why Ballroom can appeal to both Men and Women

Why is Ballroom Dancing better than a Blind Date?

-A bad date lasts all evening, but a bad dance lasts three minutes.

-You can dance with a dozen different partners in just one hour.

-If the dance partner is good, you can have another dance right away.

-You can enjoy the music even if you don't enjoy your partner.

-You have an excuse not to talk if you don't want to.

-You are always dressed just right ... look for a partner dressed to match you.

-No awkward goodbye at the end of a dance.

For MEN:

-You don't have to pay for her dinner.
-You get to see her before you commit to spending any time with her.
-You can get in close if you want to.
-If you like her, you can wrap her up in a cuddle without asking.
-You can take her for a test drive and see how she handles.
-You find out right away if she is a back seat driver.
-If she has bad breath you can spin her around to face away from you.
-If she talks too much, you can ignore her and 'concentrate' on the music.

For WOMEN:

-You get to buy a special pair of shoes for the occasion.
-You have more than 50 men to choose from on any given night.
-If you don't like his looks, you can decline the dance without trauma.
-You find out right away if he knows how to lead, or needs to be led.
-You can ignore his bad jokes and 'concentrate' on following.
-If he smells bad, you can lean out away from him and people will compliment you on your dancing style.
-Even if you don't meet any one interesting, you can get pleasant exercise
-If he talks too much, you can step on his foot.
-If he gets in too close, you can step on his foot

"To dance is to give oneself up to the rhythms of all life” -Dr. Maya V. Patel

Some say tap dancing is a dying art form. If this is true, what a sad day for the dance world. Tap dancing allows the dancer to explore the rhythms and beats of music and dancing that few dance forms actually create.

Suzanne Farrell said it best when she said,
"I liked tap, because I liked hearing the results of my movements."

It can be light, barely brushing the ground like in soft shoe. Cole and Atkins were two of the most brilliant soft shoe tap artists in history. Watch the following video for an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6f6ewUdHcQ

Or it can be more grounded, solid, heavier, creating a completely different sound, like the street dancers in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8g2n2XeAeA

One of my favorite tap videos I have recently found, has a dance battle between the more Jazzy/Street oriented tap dancing and the Folk/River dancing style. Also, to reiterate previous points I have made in my blog, they utilize other forms of dance to execute their tap steps. The one that will probably stand out to those not as familiar with other dance forms starts at about 3:21 when he starts to do turns, (Or Chane's (Sha-neigh's) in Ballet). Given they are more stylized then traditional Chane's but notice how he spots to keep his focus, keeps a solid core, and utilizes several other techniques that are taught in Ballet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwdjPDw6o5I&feature=related

Funny Tap Quote of the Day:

"I would imagine that if you could understand Morse code, a tap dancer would drive you crazy."
-Mitch Hedberg

There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good. ~Edwin Denby

Everyone can dance. Maybe not in the same forms and techniques as those professionally trained, but everyone can dance. I have not met one person who does not dance at some point in their lives. Our bodies are designed to dance, it is the natural rhythm of which all movement takes place. Everyone has danced in one of the following forms:

• Ballet
• Jazz
• Hip Hop
• Modern
• Crump
• Ballroom
• Square Dancing
• Line Dancing
• Swing Dancing
• In the shower
• To a rockin' song while in your car
• In front of the mirror
• In your underwear in your room
• With your kids, nieces, nephews, or kids you babysit
• While your cooking
• While your cleaning
• When no one is watching
• With your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, or significant other
• At the Prom, Homecoming, Grads, Sweethearts/Preference, or other high school or middle school dances.
• On a dance team
• Part of a dance club
• When you get a catchy song stuck in your head
• When you've watched "So you think you can dance" or "Dancing with the stars" and think to yourself, "Psh.... I can do that..."
• When you've watched any any of the dance movies that, though the acting is never fantastic, always have that killer ending dance scene that just gets your blood pumping

Everyone dances at some point for some reason. I want to provide dance classes that cater to everyone. From the rhythm challenged to the innately rhythmic. Sometimes people just need a release of some sort, whether it be aerobic, more structured,
or just some good ol' fashioned booty shakin!

"Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels." - Anonymous

I have had experience in many dance forms, but one I have not explored in depth is ballroom. It completely fascinates me. I always love a new challenge and I think ballroom is that new challenge. As my fiance' and I have attempted to choreograph our wedding dance, due to there being lack of ballroom lessons being offered in Cedar City, I have realized the difficulty and the patience required in being dependent on a partner. On a dance team, if someone makes a mistake, it may mess up the formation, throw their personal counts off, but it can be covered up by the other dancers, and that dancer can be reliant on the other dancers to get back on track. When relying on a partner as heavily as one does with ballroom dancing, unless you are perfectly in sync mentally and physically with the person, it is very hard to recover from a mistake, or to cover up a mistake so those watching will not realize something has happened.

There has also been a halt in my creativity when it comes to choreography in ballroom. I have practiced other dance forms enough that if I need to choreograph a dance for a class or team, I simply need to find the right song and ideas come pouring out. I can mentally see different movements working perfectly with inflections in the music. I automatically start moving to the music as though it is second nature, because well, it is second nature to me now. When attempting to choreograph a ballroom dance, I have some basic ideas that may work in different areas of a song, but because I don't have the movements ingrained in myself, or my fiance', that natural flow is completely absent. I have always had respect for ballroom dancers, but now I have a deeper understanding of the new form of dedication it takes to execute their dance forms.

There are several reasons I wish to offer ballroom at my dance studio. I personally would like to become more practiced at it. Even though I will be the director, I will be taking the ballroom lessons from the hired instructor on a regular basis to gain a stronger familiarity with the dance form. Another reason, is I truly wish to educate the community in this dance form. Couples and solo dancers alike can truly benefit from this dance form. Students will learn teamwork and discipline, gain confidence and strength, increase their grace and poise, learn of new cultures and styles, and develop a passion for music and dancing. There is a reason all of the dance movies are so popular. People of all cultures and communities can relate to dance and body movements. Dance of some form or another has a foundation in every society.

Watch the following clips, and tell me that they do not interest you. Tell me that there is not some part of you that wishes you could do this with another person...


Tango Scene from "Take the Lead":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEwZIufmafo

Tango Scene from "Shall we Dance":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bibtqDxXv1o

Dance Scene from "Mask of Zorro":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5WFUStHKXY

Dirty Dancing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpmILPAcRQo

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15xMqQ1sqIA

That's what I thought...

"To Dance is to be out of yourself, larger, more beautiful, more powerful" - Agnes De Mille

Dance can serve different purposes for different people.

For some, it is an art form and a masterpiece

For others, it is a night on the town, or a connection to another individual


To many, it is just plain fun!

For me, dance is utilizing the creative side of my brain. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying business, but I feel that I have not legitimately used the creative "fun" side of my brain in a long time. I believe this is one reason why dance is such a passion for me. It is not work to think about dance. It is by no means effortless, but still thoroughly enjoyable to choreograph, perform, or simply analyze dance in any form. When I am required to write a research paper about a predetermined (usually business or economy focused) topic, sure, I can find some interesting articles and eventually get the required page length completed. But when asked to write or talk about dancing, choreography, styles, or experiences, I could write a novel and spend all the time in the world researching it and soaking it all in, without thinking of it as work or homework.
Renn Zaphiropoulos said, "If you are working hard, you are doing something you do not enjoy doing." I want this to be my philosophy. I want teachers and dancers at my studio to passion for their "work" as I will. The atmosphere will be part of the strategy. It will be what keeps the clientele, and what will provoke word of mouth to bring in new clientele.

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them"
-Vicki Baum

"I do not try to dance better than anyone else, I only try to dance better than myself" - Mikhail Baryshnikov

In the dance world, there is always someone better then you. Period. Someone will always be able to jump higher, be that much more flexible, do that many more turns, have that much better technique, etc. Because of this, there is an expectation that applies a lot of pressure to dancers and choreographers alike. It is not a negative thing to want to improve, and to respect someone who is talented, but dancers should focus on themselves, and what they are capable of, and what they can learn and work on. They should be in competition with themselves. They should not try to be someone else, but be willing to learn from someone else. The fore mentioned quote by Mikhail Baryshnikov are words I would like dancers at my studio to live by. Constantly striving for self improvement will directly benefit the individual as well as the other dance students and team mates.

I have always tried to be a well rounded dancer. I know that dancers who specialize in one form can be valuable, but I believe dancer's should at least have a basic knowledge and respect for many forms. This is another concept I have as a vision for my studio.

I want all of my dance teams to take at least a basic course in ballroom dance. Even if their main focus is a completely different form, such as hip hop or ballet. My reasons being:

#1 - It forces teamwork. Any dancer can strive to improve themselves and pull off amazing performances alone. It's a completely different concept to do it with a partner.
#2 - It takes patience, structure, and discipline to be able to move as one with another person.
#3 - If forces the dancer to build trust with another individual.
#4 - There is no room for selfishness. You must give and take simultaneously in order to be successful. One dancer's success is completely determined by the success of their partner.

These skills are crucial for every dancer, and every person for that matter. Any relationship needs these attributes to succeed.

They should also take basic courses in ballet, modern, hip hop, and tap.

Ballet - Because ballet is the foundation of all dance. Basic ballet technique and it's general concepts will build a solid base that has functions in and will benefit all other forms of dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2Gp7z38DM

Modern - Not all forms of dance have a strict structure and exact placement in every movement. The modern style will help loosen that structure and show the freedom that dance can have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt4AGMWJ30c

Hip Hop - Everyone at some point or another loves to free style. Hip hop requires a dancer to find their own style. It also requires dancers to build up their strength. The jumps, stalls, and grounded nature of hip hop requires strong arms, legs, torso, and core. Though some forms of hip hop seem completely random, it takes conscious control to pull off the appearance of randomness. This control and strength can be a useful tool that can be applied to other dance forms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdkBZ9iWEWI&feature=related

Tap - All dance forms require rhythm, but none of them require it and teach it as thoroughly as a tap class. Rhythm is key to all dance forms. Dancers need to be able to work and play with rhythm. They need to be able to hear and choreograph not only on the beats, but on off-beats and regular beats. Doing so produces movements and steps that are unique and unexpected. Tap dancing also requires the isolation of different areas of the leg, ankle, and foot that other dance forms do not explore. Being able to flex certain muscles and areas of the leg, ankle, and foot to achieve different sounds and rhythms creates an awareness of those muscles that otherwise would not be recognized.

I wouldn't expect my dancers to play the drums, but this video definitely illustrates Rhythm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXFiFg2GX6w

Beginning Dancers prefer to take "Intermediate" Classes

Intermediate Dancers prefer to take "Advanced" Classes

Advanced Dancers take Private Lessons to work on their Basics

-Anonymous

"It Takes an Athlete to Dance, but an Artist to be a Dancer"

The quote that I have posted for the title of this particular entry is one of my all-time favorite dance quotes. I was always offended when people claimed that dance wasn't a sport, because clearly they have not experienced a legitimate dance class in their life. However, when I defended dance as a sport, many people claiming it is an art form were offended. I love that this quote covers both bases. It takes an enormous amount of controlled strength and flexibility to pull of certain moves gracefully enough to make it look effortless. Now, this video is to the extreme in some ways, but I think it makes my point. Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1DqfJtd3sU

Now I can step down off of my soapbox about that. I've decided what I want to call my studio. As you can see, this blog is called DaNcE StEpS. This is the name I wish to call my studio for a variety of reasons. Dance has many forms, and I want to offer as large of a variety as possible. If I were to call my studio something like "Perfect Pointe" it would imply that I am only offering dance classes such as ballet, jazz, and maybe ballroom. I want to offer ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, ballroom, modern, contemporary, aerobics courses, gymnastic/tumbling, etc. I think the name Dance Steps covers all forms that I would be able to offer.

I also enjoy the simplicity of it. It doesn't have to be "Miss Angelee's Spectacular School of Dance" or "Miss Wittwer's Academy of Dance". People can just simply say, "Hey, let's go take a class at Dance Steps tonight". It also eliminates the "cheesiness" factor; because both of the fore mentioned names are not only too long, but kind of sound ridiculous. Also, I think Dance Steps is a more approachable name than anything else more elaborate. If I approach a studio called "Miss Angelee's Spectacular School of Dance" I'm going to assume it's going to be a relatively strict environment with relatively "stuck up" or "snobby" dancers and dance instructors. Dance Steps seems straight forward and more relaxed.

I have some ideas for my logo as well. Everyone doodles while they are in class, especially if their professor in unbelievably dull. Though I have tried to "walk away" from this dream as I've mentioned before, whenever I doodle, I sketch ideas for my dance studio logo. I want it to represent what my studio is about in as simple a way as possible. I've thought about having the words Dance Steps embedded in foot/shoeprints like you would see in a dance instruction manual. That would be relatively basic. I've also considered the having a stick figure with black & white tap shoes casually leaning against the words "Dance Steps", but the issue with this one is they may think it is strictly a tap studio. I think my favorite idea so far is to have silhouettes of different dancers in the background behind the words "Dance Steps", or something similar. I could have a dancing couple, a hip hop dancer, and a ballerina or something. I was kind of messing with different silhouettes, as you can see in my picture. It would be done a little more professionally, but I like the basic idea.

"Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythm of your life. It's the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness, and envy." -Jaques D'ambroise

"I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance." - George Balanchine

Though this blog was mainly created for my Entrepreneurship class I decided to take this opportunity to see if pursuing a dream of mine would actually be worth it.

Anyone who actually knows me beyond my business courses knows dance has been a passion of mine for over 18 years now. Though I work avidly in the hotel industry now (and enjoy it, don't get me wrong) I have always had the dream of operating my own Dance Studio. That is actually one of the reasons I became a Business Management Major. I have my Minor in Dance Performance, but I needed to know the business background of things to see if my business venture is actually worth pursuing.

I have a thorough dance education of 18+ years including: 12 years of dance training in various forms from Dansworks Dance Studio, I have substitute taught classes since I was young, I was a member of Cedar High School's Drill Team, Mohey Tawa, throughout high school and became Captain, I have taught a variety of classes at 3 different studios over the last 4 years of my college education, as well as pursuing and completing my dance minor at Southern Utah University.

Though I've attempted to move on from this dream for a variety of reasons, I can't help but see opportunity to pursue it. When walking/driving past buildings and developing areas I notice particular buildings that would work perfect for a dance studio. Then my mind begins to reel and without trying I automatically plan which walls would work best for mirrors and bars, which part could be sectioned off into smaller/larger classrooms to accommodate every kind of class from hip hop, to pointe ballet, to ballroom. Would I offer tap classes? What ages should I market too? What about the older adult segment of the market that just wants a once-a-week class to just get in shape, not think about work, get away from the kids, or simply bring back a glimpse of how they used to feel when they danced when they were younger?

My goal with this blog is to utilize it as a tool to see if my dance studio is even an option in my life and in the current or near future markets.

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance" - Japanese Proverb