"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