The Best Investment for Your Dancing

So you have taken up dancing as your new interest. Having found the right dance studio - hopefully Dance Bethesda, purchased your package of private lessons or group classes and you are ready to trip the light fantastic.

But, Wait!!

Before you step out on the floor, have you invested in the most important piece of equipment to enjoy your dance experience and guarantee success?  Why the "Dance Shoe" of course.

Yes, your dance shoes are your most important investment you will make in your new hobby. Why? Well firstly, it will make you a better dancer and you will be able to feel the floor and not stick to it. Secondly, it protects you from injury as you will be using your toes, arches, heels and a lot more of your body than before. Lastly, a good dance shoe ensures the hours you spend on the dance floor are a pleasure and not a pain.

It's a great conversation topic to have with your teacher and other dancers, as we all have our own personal preferences when it comes to footwear.

There are many different styles of dance shoes for different types of dancers and dance styles. From the Latin Sandal to Ballroom Pumps to Smooth Shoes, each design serves a specific purpose.

For instance, you cannot do beautiful leg extensions in ballroom in a Latin Sandal, as you could lose a toe nail from extending backwards. Heel height is another example, while a higher heel makes you taller and legs longer to make a more attractive line. It also realigns your bodies balance point which takes time thru practice to adjust it and find center.

photo courtesy of Jordan Matter





Don't feel left out Gentlemen, there is also a range of shoes with many different textures and styles for you to make a fashion statement. From patent leather, suede, half leather and suede, there are many different styles to bring attention to your feet.

The dance shoe has come along way with many designers and manufacturers, the innovation of the dance sneaker was wonderful for those of us who suffer from bad feet or spend many hours on the dancer floor.

So which shoe is your you? Please join our conversation and tell us your experiences in finding the perfect fit.

Till next time

Michael Rye

LaBlast - Dance Like a Star

San Diego. July, 2012. IDEA World Fitness Convention.  I was a classical ballet instructor eager to expand my horizons in both the dance and fitness worlds.  This convention would provide many useful and enjoyable sessions, but my “raison d’être” for traveling thousands of miles was to take a half day workshop with none other than Dancing with the Stars pro/ballroom rock star, Louis Van Amstel.
His session was entitled “LaBlast – Dance like a Star!” and promised to make me “the star of my own ballroom”.  As a budding Ballroom Teacher’s College student at Dance Bethesda,
this was too good to resist.

The morning of the session I decided to arrive early so that I would get a good spot on the floor. As I walked into the room, I noticed a number of class participants seated on the floor chatting amongst themselves, and to my utter amazement, all on his lonesome stood Louis at the front, setting up his equipment and reviewing his notes.  Not only was he not being mobbed by adoring fans - not a soul was even talking to him!

I froze; excited by the possibility of meeting Louis in person but not wanting to bother him with my tongue tied ramblings.   After all, I was a complete ballroom newbie. What could I possibly say to him that he hadn’t heard a million times already?  So….I chickened out and sat down in a corner of the room and watched as someone else walked over to talk to him and get a picture taken.  Immediately I began kicking myself.  If I could face the examiners at American Ballet Theatre, or dance on stage with Bono in front of 20,000 people, surely I could at least introduce myself to Louis Van Amstel! 

I screwed up my courage and strode to the front of the room. I hovered patiently, palms sweating, until the other fan left and it was my turn.  Then Louis turned his gaze to me.  I was immediately struck by how unassuming and affable he is. He beams from ear to ear and seems genuinely pleased to be talking to you.

I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I introduced myself as a ballet instructor who was preparing for bronze level ballroom exams and I told him how much I was looking forward to his session.  To my amazement he seemed quite enthusiastic about my interest in ballroom and recommended I take the upcoming LaBlast teacher training in New York - the first teacher training on the east coast.

Following our conversation, I walked on rubbery legs (grinning from ear to ear) back to my spot in the room and the workshop began.   We learned the basics of LaBlast, and Louis led a number of interesting group discussions about dancing and teaching.  One of the highlights of this session for me was the discussion of dynamics and how to change our movement from light to heavy, our timing from sustained to sudden, our use of space from flexible to direct and our flow from free to bound.  The dynamics are divided into feminine and masculine qualities of movement. We practiced the LaBlast steps using these dynamics and trying to create a balance between the energies.

Louis is quite the showman with a raunchy sense of humor.  He expertly showed us how to highlight our feminine sensual zones. There are five, and he had us touch and/or emphasize each and every one of them in order to create more femininity in our movements. This resulted in a great deal of laughter and some blushing!

At the end of the workshop, Louis led us in a LaBlast master class. By this time, I was hooked.   Needless to say, I would graduate with the first class of east coast instructors one month later and I’ve been sharing my enthusiasm for this program ever since.  I am thrilled to be teaching LaBlast at Dance Bethesda starting in September. It’s a great way for experienced ballroom dancers to get a great cardiovascular workout in a style they already know and enjoy, and for newcomers to feel at ease dancing some basic ballroom steps in an easy to follow fitness format that works up a sweat! A “blast” is guaranteed for all!   See you in September!

Yours truly,

Jessica

 

A Saturday Afternoon Dance Class

As a 9 year old at the Les Rutherford Dance Academy in Yagoona, Sydney, Australia I was attending a Social Dance Class on a Saturday afternoon, when Les entered the ballroom. Now Les was a dramatical character of the Australian Dance World who always wore white shorts, white long walk socks and a Hawaiian shirt with lots of gold necklaces. He also was never without a glass of white wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other…the good old days.

So in comes Les and exclaims “Darlings, today you are going to learn about social dance etiquette!”  His lesson on that Saturday afternoon is still with me 43 years later.

“Gentlemen on one side of the room, Ladies please sit sweetly on the other side. Now Gentlemen, please walk across the room with a smile on your face, eye contact with the pretty thing you are about to ask to dance.”

“Introduce yourself first, my name is…… May I have this dance? As you extend your hand in a gentlemanly manner. Link arms with your partner and guide her onto the dance floor and take dance position.”

I can’t honestly remember how many times we practiced this ritual of asking a lady to dance, but its importance was not lost on me and to this day I think fondly of the dance teacher who taught me gentlemanly skills and elegance.

Another golden rule Les taught us that afternoon is to escort your partner back to her seat and not to abandon her in the middle of the floor, to run off to the refreshment table. One should walk her to her seat, wait for her to be seated and thank her for the dance and request another dance later in the program. A gentleman always asks for another dance, for you never know who you are dancing with, and your ugly duckling could develop into a beautiful swan.

 The Powder Room was another short and wonderful tale Les would like to remind us gentlemen of. That is ladies always go to the powder room in groups and love to dissect the attributes of the gentlemen they have just danced with. So your ability to get lots of dances could depend upon the grade the ladies give you while powdering their noses. Your manners, dancing ability, conversation, dress code and desirability as a future partner were all discussed.

The most important lesson that I did learn from Les, is to keep it simple when you first dance with a lady. As you don’t know what she may or may not know as far as steps. So during the first dance keep it simple and comfortable, that way you can talk to each other and find out what you have in common. The lady will appreciate you keeping it simple for the first dance and you can try flashier material next time around. There is nothing worse than a man, not being a gentleman, throwing a hundred steps at the lady trying to impress his knowledge with a poor lead and the lady being embarrassed by not being able to read it.

I was with Les Rutherford as a student from the age of 9 to 12 years and we met again 20 years later, when I was a Professional competitor. He installed into me, my love of adagio and theatre arts, the essence of styling and dancing the woman. It was great to be able to thank him for the skills he taught me, his reply was it was his privilege to pass on his love of dance and asked that I do the same.  I believe I have kept his request and passion alive to this day.

Thanks for reading and letting me share my fond memories.

Michael Rye

You Be The Judge!

We love to have a good 'ole time at Dance Bethesda and thought we would have some fun by creating the Dancing with The Stars (DWTS) ‘You Be the Judge’ Contest.  This contest gives students and non-students the opportunity to win weekly prizes for selecting the couple who tops the Leaderboard and the couple who gets the boot for the week.  The excitement is building up as this was the first elimination for the season of DWTS.  Contestants Zendaya Coleman and Kellie Pickler have proven that they are making a run for winning the Mirror

Ball Trophy this season on DWTS.  Zendaya performed an awesome Jive this week and Kellie Pickler really showed off her perfect lines in a modern Jazz routine.  Zendaya won Top of The Leaderboard by a slim margin this week.  Congratulations to our Judges Jessica Branch and Kendra Simon for making the right leaderboard selections .  Hoorah!  Unfortunately,  Dorothy Hamill had to withdraw from the competition due to physical injuries.  Both Victor Ortiz and Lisa Vanderpump received the lowest scores but were saved due to the withdrawal of Dorothy Hamill.  Many of our studio judges voted for D.L. Hughley to get the boot this week but his fans kept him in the game for another week.

So it’s on to week 3 and another chance for you to win prizes by voting for your choice to be on top of the leaderboard and the contestant to be eliminated from the competition this week.  You can email your votes to info@dancebethesda.com or vote via our Contest Page using our Facebook FAN Page. 

Good luck! 

Your DWTS correspondent,

Gizelle

Happy Holidays!

While sitting quietly at the studio, enjoying the peace of the approaching Holiday Season, I’m counting my blessings.

This past year we have increased our staff with great personalities in Katy Davis and Abraham Sannoh, joining Larry, Rosario, Michael P. and Anna on the dance floor. Gizelle and Shawn have done an amazing job, managing the admin side of the business and hosting our Friday Night Parties.

The main reason we have grown is because of you, our clients, fellow dancers and friends who come to Dance Bethesda.  Thank You!

One of my goals in opening Dance Bethesda was to create a place where the love of dance would flourish among different generations. We’re achieving that now through a new level of community involvement. You may not be aware that these groups share space with us here at Dance Bethesda:

Urban Artistry - World Champions in the genre of Hip Hop, House and Break Dancing.

Little Shakers Music Together - movement classes for newborns to 5 year olds, where they are introduced to music, social interaction and dance rhythms.

Rock Creek Dance Academy - new to us this year bringing classical, jazz and tap, catering from pre-schoolers to teenagers. A dynamic group of young ladies.

Capital Country Dance Club - host a social dance on the 2nd Saturday of the month featuring Country and West Coast Swing.

Maryland Dance Teachers College - has become a successful program in helping people train for a career in dance. Nine successful candidates have completed the course to date.

So what’s new for you? We will be introducing our Medal Test Examination Program, where students will be examined and judged on their dancing ability and given constructive comments to improve their dancing.

Another project is our Dancing Partnerships - where we will be working with business and community groups in promoting dance events. Our first was “An American in Paris” with THE WASHINGTON CLUB and FRENCH CULINARY SOCIETY  where 50 people ate, drank and danced the night away.  Which brings us to NEW YEAR'S EVE 2013 at THE WASHINGTON CLUB - fine dining, wines, dancing, performances, and valet parking included in ticket price.   So get yours now!

I am looking forward to bringing you an exciting 2013 dance program.  New Workshops, Group Classes and Themed Dance Parties and a few surprises.

On behalf of everyone - Happy Holidays!

Michael Rye

Do The Hustle!

If you stepped into a time machine set to about 40 years ago you might end up in a New York discotheque with guys wearing big Afro-hair, bellbottom pants and white shoes and the ladies in their flashy, psychedelic tops dancing to the latest disco music.  Strobe lighting, mirrored balls, and fog were common themes.  Nobody can forget John Travolta strutting his stuff in Saturday Night Fever.  It put Hustle on the map of dancing.  Other movies that incorporated Hustle were Boogie Nights, 54, and Last Days of Disco.

Hustle was a street dance that had its roots in other Latin dances like Mambo.  Hustle adopted a lot of the turns and loops from Mambo dancing but had a “ropey or stretchy feel”.  Names like “Rope Hustle” or “Latin Hustle” have been used.  The gay community got into the Hustle scene which is where the balletic arms and elasticity came from that is common in the dance.  Also, acrobatics were added into the dance to give dancers an edge in the contests.

There has been a lot of disagreement when Hustle started.  So let’s just say it started in the early 1970s.  It started with a simple 6-count dance counted 1-2-3 & 4-5-6.  It started as slotted dance like Mambo but evolved into a rotational one.  Some theorize that the Hustle dance evolved the same way that West Coast Swing did.  As the dance floors became smaller, rotational dances became slotted dances so dancers would not crash into each other. 

In the mid 1970s, the 1-2-3 of the count was dropped leaving the &4-5-6 count.  The dance continues to evolve but has never lost its basic &1-2-3 count; four footprints in 3 beats.  Commonly the dance is either taught as a 4-count or 3-count.  The patterns work for either count.  Furthermore, some teachers count Hustle &1-2-3, 1-2-&3, and 1-2-3&.  They all are correct!  Hustle music has a consistent rolling count, so the syncopations can happen anyplace.  This allows for embellishment and musical interpretation.

Musical purists have a difficult time with the &1-2-3 because music starts on the “1”.  That is the start of a bar of music.  So the first dance action is actually borrowed from the preceding bar.  So many teachers like to start with the 1-2-&3.  It does not matter because once the dance gets going it is the same.  Also, many teachers like the 4-count Hustle because it matches up with the 4/4 time signature of 4 beats per bar of music.   To me this makes the dance very flat and loses that coaster-type look and feel that makes Hustle so fun.

Hustle can be a challenging dance because of the tempo.  But once the feet are moving without much thought, the dance gets relatively easy.  Many of the moves used in Salsa, West Coast, Swing, Cha Cha, and Bolero can be incorporated. 

So don your white leisure suit and put your “Tony Manero” attitude on and Do The Hustle.

Yours Truly,

Larry Rindner

A Pleasant Surprise

The interpreter service called to confirm the lesson for Jillian and Garri.  I thought, “That’s strange, why would you need a service to confirm a dance lesson?  Oh, well this will be interesting. I wonder what language they speak.”

As I walked in the studio and met Jillian and Garri, I found out both are hearing impaired and communication was through the written word and sign. They were here for their wedding dance lesson.

I have taught deaf kids back in Australia and understood that they can feel the vibration of the music if played loudly enough. Jillian and Garri had selected Shania Twain’s “From this Moment” for their wedding dance song.

All the couples that come into Dance Bethesda to learn a wedding dance show the love they have for each other and this young couple was no exception. In fact the connection between them was a total joy to behold.

As I showed them the steps to the Rumba, demonstrating the actions and steps, Jillian and Garri quickly mastered the basics. With Garri feeling the rhythm from me, he was able to dance to the music very quickly; guiding Jillian into the box step, an underarm turn, and shoulder to shoulders with a dip for dramatic effect gave me a wonderful feeling of satisfaction.

Then we choreographed their entrance with Garri watching me as the D.J. for a nod when I hit the play button. He rose from his chair, offered his hand to his bride and gallantly led her to the middle of the floor to begin their dance. Jillian ever so graceful, walked around Garri looking lovingly into his eyes, then spun in for a sideways lunge, up and facing each other, they kissed then into dance hold, and off they went dancing.

Jillian and Garri had only had one major concern of whether or not they were dancing at the right speed to the music. They were with Garri doing an excellent job of leading Jillian around the floor. The delight in Garri being able to dance with Jillian was wonderful to watch.  Like all soon to be married couples, they had their disagreements which were fun to watch, their gestures to each other, then writing it down for me to adjudicate. The expression on their faces when one was right and the other corrected was always softened by a hug, a kiss or a poke of the tongue.

From a teaching stand point, it was curious to watch the reaction from other students sharing the floor with them. You could see that Jillian and Garri were hearing impaired but no one saw my slight nod to Garri to let him know to start. So there were some baffled looks from others trying to figure out how he knew the right time to go.

While working with Jillian and Garri we were able to develop a complex routine because they practiced at home. Their lack of hearing was no way a barrier to them succeeding in becoming good dancers for their wedding day. They are a very attractive young couple and watching them practice over and over again,  seeing the love that they share, the pride in each other in achieving their goal of learning to dance and making it look so graceful and fluid in motion had me reaching for the tissue box.

On their wedding day, their dance will empower everyone watching, step by step.

Yours truly,

Michael Rye