Dance Lessons with SalsaCrazy
Archive for February, 2010
read comments (0)Dance Lessons – Learn These Styles First
Author: admin
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When learning to dance people often immediately think of one of two things, the typical childrenâs dance school type classes such as ballet, tap, and jazz, or formal dance instructions for adults that typically center around ballroom type dancing including such forms as the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, or Rumba.
When considering dance as a formal occupation or even as an enjoyable pastime the best way to start is with ballet. Ballet is actually the center of all dances and can be incorporated into any style from the elegant ballroom types to hip hop street dancing.
All dancing styles will help to develop balance, dexterity, and grace and also give the dancer a sense of camaraderie with fellow participants and an active and socially engaging way to develop their personal lives.
While there are many styles of dance that are interpretive such as African and hip hop, most other forms of dance require a structured design and the learning of particular steps and movements. The usual progression from ballet to other forms is seamless and easy as ballet gives the dancer a backdrop to base all of the other movements on.
Many enthusiasts of the sport of ballroom dancing have a formal background in ballet and jazz. Using the styles and movements of the classical dance arts help to enhance the steps in ballroom dancing giving them a more elegant flair.
Competitions for ballroom dancing can be found globally all through the year and more and more competitions for other forms of dancing are gaining in popularity as well.
For more information on theater and performing arts, visit http://www.performingarts.asia.
For more information on reality tv, visit http://www.realitytv.asia.
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John Parks
http://www.articlesbase.com/theater-articles/dance-lessons-learn-these-styles-first-535846.html
Tango at La Viruta Buenos Aires from Jet Set Life on Vimeo.
Filling the void (when work is removed) brings us to some interesting places around the world. The most recent of which is taking a Tango lesson at La Viruta Armenian Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. The idea for this came straight from the Oracle himself-Tim Ferriss. If you prefer watching video over reading text, then watch the video above and for a good laugh go to minute X and watch Kim’s head tilting to show me where to move next. It’s hysterical. I don’t expect Dancing with The Stars to be calling anytime soon. I’m getting ahead of myself here.
In reading Tim’s fantastic book the Four Hour Work Week he talks about becoming a champion Tango dancer (on a mini-retirement to Buenos Aires) and how he trained at a Milonga called La Viruta. What’s a Milonga you ask? I asked the same question. By definition a Milonga is-a term for a place where Tango is danced. I thought, well, O.K. that seems clear enough.
Kim and I sat down at the beginning of the year and created our 2008 dreamline. In the ‘do’ category we decided to list ‘take a tango lesson at La Viruta Armenian Cultural Center in Buenos Aires’. We really had no idea what to expect and wanted to be surprised.
So, here’s how it goes down. The Milonga itself doesn’t really get started until around midnight. If you want to take a lesson you get there at around 11 p.m. You purchase a ticket at the door for a beginner, intermediate or an advanced class. Have a drink at the bar and wait for them to call your class. Oh yeah, it’s all in Spanish. I mean entirely. Not a word of English to be heard anywhere.
Our group (maybe about 20 people) was called to the dance floor and our lesson began. We had two instructors, a male (I think it was Lorenzo Llamas) and a female (I’m pretty certain she was Penelope Cruz- and BTW very pregnant). Our instructors give us very detailed and very fast instructions in perfect Argentine Spanish. Of which I understood - Zippo. The good news is that they demonstrate a set of Tango steps for us to mimic. The bad news is I couldn’t mimic squat.
After an hour of a hysterically funny and embarrassing Tango lesson it was time for the Milonga to begin. Imagine people ranging from 20 to 90 years old showing up at around midnight and dancing Tango until the sun rises the next morning. It’s really quite an experience. Everyone Tangos in a counter clockwise direction in amazingly beautiful synchronicity.
It got me thinking about life. It cost us five bucks to get in and 2 cocktails at the bar. That’s it. I say, don’t wait until retirement to experience all there is in the world. Use a mini-retirement to sample your deferred life plan NOW! It’s worth it. I promise.
Robert Murgatroyd
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/filling-the-void-tango-lesson-at-la-viruta-in-buenos-aires-710694.html
what to expect at a private latin dance lesson?
Author: admin
what would one usually wear?
i’m a rhythmless beginner… how many lessons does one usually need to be able to at least fake it on the dance floor?
anything else you can tell me to expect?
You do not need to dress as though you are on ’strictly dancing’. A skirt or dress that is loose enough around the legs to allow you free movement, Basically just an everyday skirt/dress is sufficient.
The really important piece of clothing is your shoes. If you are serious about learning then invest in a pair of dance shoes. The soles are designed specifically for dance. They are made of suede leather to allow you to twist, slide and glide. They should have straps of some sort in order to stay properly attached to your feet (you don’t want to twist your ankle!). There are two types of dance shoe, one for Latin and one for ballroom, They are not too distinct from each other and will serve both purposes until you are proficient.
I laughed when I read ‘how many lessons before I can fake it’. Trust me, after private lessons you will NOT need to fake it nor will you want to. You will follow the routine just as taught.
How many lessons you will need will depend on (a) how good your teacher is (b) how fast you can learn (c) your enthusiasm and commitment (d) how much practise you put in between lessons.
Your teacher will start you off on simple basic steps for each of the different dances, probably two dances a lesson. I would gamble he/she will start you off with the Cha Cha cha.
If I had to guess, I would suggest that you will feel confident enough to take to the floor and do basic moves for most latin dances within 6-8 weeks, assuming a 1 hour lesson per week.
What can you expect?….. Once you can dance basic latin (and ballroom) you will gain massive confidence on any social occasion where dancing is going on.
In my opinion there is no other social or leisure activity to touch it.
P.S And don’t look at your feet when you learn. You can’t look at your feet and balance at the same time! (lol)
i want to take dance (standard ballroom) lesson in london , i wanna to become dance athlete..I have a certificate from alliance of united kingdom professional dance teachers of dancing/ United kingdom alliance so where i can take dance lesson ??
Do you know Paul harris ?? I wonder if he can teach me ??
you could try pineapple
