Dancing
« Previous EntriesBelly Dancing
Sunday, February 7th, 2010There are few dance styles practiced today that have so entranced and enthralled the Western mindset quite like the ancient art of belly dancing. Exotic, alluring and seductive, even the name itself brings to mind images of undulating, scantily-clad dancers and the strong, heady aroma of burning incense. But much of what we know about [...]
Flamenco!
Monday, December 21st, 2009If swing dancing is the ballroom epitome of the American spirit – all cheer and flailing arms and exuberance, which culture or country does Flamenco embody? To answer that question, it requires an unraveling of centuries of dance tradition. Although linked in the cultural consciousness to Spain, Flamenco’s origins are much broader in scope and [...]
The Twist
Saturday, November 21st, 2009The Twist is a cultural phenomenon that just won’t stop. In 1960, singer Chubby Checker got teens on their feet with his number one dance hit ‘The Twist‘ – and we’ve been shimmying and shaking ever since. From basement rec rooms to prime time television, the dance spread like wildfire across the globe – but [...]
Dancing on Air – Acro Dancing Takes Flight
Saturday, November 14th, 2009‘To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.’ – Agnes De Mille In all likelihood, Ms. De Mille didn’t have the subject of today’s post on her mind when she spoke her now oft-repeated quote – but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t agree wholeheartedly that when it comes to dance, [...]
How the Charleston Changed America
Sunday, September 13th, 2009The seeds of sweeping social change can be sown in the most unexpected of places. For women and African-Americans in post-World War I America, those planting grounds were the crowded, lively (and in some cases, desegregated) dance floors across the country. It may seem naive to attribute such vast changes to the cultural landscape to [...]
Competitive Wheelchair Dance Sport
Saturday, August 15th, 2009‘To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.’ – Agnes de Mille From the Busby Berkeley musical extravaganzas of 1930′s cinema, to today’s current love affair with televised dance competitions, partner dances have always inspired passion and awe in the hearts of a worldwide audience. For most of us, our [...]
A Tribute to Swing Dance King Frankie Manning
Friday, June 5th, 2009If traditional ballroom dancing is the adults’ table at a family function – elegant and decorated with the finest silverware, then surely swing dancing is the rowdy children’s table, where peals of laughter are bouncing off the walls and the food is more likely to be found in someone’s hair than on someone’s plate. Even [...]
Adventures in Zip-Lining
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009Not too long ago I served as a “dance host” on a two-week cruise from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. What is a dance host? Many cruise ships hire gentlemen who are accomplished dancers to be available to dance with women. Our typical daily schedule involved being on the dance floor at six o’clock [...]
Puttin’ on the Ritz – Competitive Ballroom Dancing
Saturday, March 14th, 2009For most of us, ballroom dancing brings to mind the familiar black and white images of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, gliding across the screen with an effortless elegance. But competitive ballroom dancing is a wholly different animal – at once sensual, artistic, and thoroughly athletic. Dancing Cheek to Cheek – Fred Astaire and Ginger [...]
Say it with Latin! – Dancing to Spark the Body and Soul
Friday, February 20th, 2009“Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.” – Martha Graham Dance is not just a collection of steps and techniques, slides and heel steps, and posture and cadence. Dance is a story, a cultural history, and an inspiring expression of passion and life. Nowhere is this more evident to me than [...]
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