Standing tall...

Dancing improves your posture, both on and off the dance floor!

Having a good posture and body alignment are important to all dancers. A good posture makes a dancer appear more elegant and confident. Good posture also improves overall balance and body control.

Not only does good posture make you look more confident and alert, slouching or slumping can actually be bad for your body so it might be a good idea to keep in mind.

Dance of all genres can help to improve your posture both on and off the dance floor as it will eventually become so natural that you will walk tall naturally and sit up straight instead of slouching out of habit. Even if you are not a dancer, improving your posture can have positive effects on your body, as well as making you appear more confident.

Incorrect and correct way of standing

Some steps to help improve your posture:

1. Firstly you need to find your center of balance. You can do this by imagining a straight line running through your spine
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
3. Your weight should be evenly distributed (Don’t put more weight on your one foot than on the other)
4. Stand with your body weight forward, your weight must be placed more on the balls of your feet than on your heels
5. Straighten your legs by pulling the muscles in your legs upwards, knees straight not bent, but don’t lock your knees
6. Tighten the muscles in your bottom
7. Tighten your tummy muscles
8. Widen your shoulders, keep shoulders square and relaxed by pushing them down and back (This sort of makes your chest pop out)
9. Relax your arms down the side of your body, more in front but not touching your body, keep your elbows slightly bent and hands soft
10. Lift your chin parallel to the floor, lengthening the neck
11. Keep your head in line with your spine
12. Eyes looking straight ahead not at your feet
13. Breathe deeply and relax
    

Tips:

• Keep your shoulders down and open as often as possible
• Look up and out, never down at your feet when you are walking
• Look in a mirror to check your posture
• Practice the steps for a few minutes each day

Hope these steps help you walk through life a little taller...

 

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

Forget your worries

Have the time of your life!

Dancing isn’t just about the steps, music, commitment, dedication and time it takes to learn to dance. It’s a perfect combination of physical activity, social interaction and mental stimulation which can enhance your life. It requires concentration but by expressing yourself and being creative you will see that it is a pleasurable and rewarding process.

Dance provides an emotional outlet where a person can express their inner feelings through body movement and creativity. 

It relieves stress. It is an all-around escape from day-to-day pressures. Leave your baggage at the door, forget about your worries and just dance.

Lift your spirits by just having fun. Enjoy the buzz and excitement the world of dancing creates. Let go of your inhibitions. 

When you have finished dancing you will feel very relaxed from releasing all your inner feelings and emotions and from a good work out.

Dancing sets you free from your emotions and what you feel inside, whether its happiness or sadness, can be expressed in your dances.

As you embark on your unique journey of dance, laugh, dance and twirl. Step on toes. Apologize. Dance and laugh some more. Let your worries go.

Love as always & forever, in dance

Mia xxx

Ballroom dancing

Romance at its best

Couple dancing

Ballroom dancing is a beautiful art form which is known to be a social dance form as it encourages social interaction between two people. It is a set of partner dances, which can be danced both socially (at evens or functions) and competitively at dancing competitions around the world. Ballroom dancing can’t be limited to specific steps and patterns as new dances and variations continue to be added. Therefore the beauty of ballroom lies in its constant change and development.

Ballroom dancing has been performed for centuries

Ballroom dancing dances follow a strict tempo which means the movements follow an even pattern of beats to music. The two main types of music you will be dancing to will either be in 3/4 or 4/4. The principles learnt in ballroom dancing can be applied to any type of music such as classical waltzes, disco or rock with the same beat you are looking for. 

Ballroom dancing subcategories:

Ballroom is a broad category of dance which can include most forms of social dancing, but it usually consists of the partner dances used in either International or American competition. The International competitive dance styles is regulated by the World Dance Council (WDC). The American competitive dance styles are used in the United States and Canada. The subcategories for both are similar as seen below. 

International competitive dances:

International standard dances:

• Waltz
• Tango
• Viennese waltz
• Foxtrot
• Quickstep

International Latin dances:

• Samba
• Cha-cha
• Rumba
• Paso doble
• Jive

American competitive dances:

Smooth section:

• Waltz
• Tango
• Foxtrot
• Viennese waltz

Rhythm section:

• Cha-cha
• Rumba
• East Coast swing
• Bolero
• Mambo

Other ballroom dances:

• Merengue
• Salsa
• Hustle
• West Coast swing
• Lindy Hop
• Swing
• Two-Step
• Rock-n-roll

Ballroom dancing can also consist of line dancing such as country line dancing in groups or other formations.

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

Ballet

Point your toes and strike a pose!

Pointe - On the tip of the toes

In ballet technique is the most important as it is a highly technical dance form. It consists of techniques such as pointe work (dancing on the tip of the toes), turn-out of the legs, graceful flowing precise movements, soft arm movements, leaps and spins as well as its delicate qualities.

Subcategories of ballet:

• Classical ballet
• Neoclassical ballet
• Contemporary ballet

Each category has varying degrees of structure and rigidity.

A classical ballerina on pointe wearing a tutu

Ballet is taught in ballet schools all around the world, each adding their own culture to modernize the art.

Ballet is a formalized concert form of dance where the word ballet can be used to describe a story performed to music, using ballet dance techniques. Ballet performances include dance, music (usually classical music), costumes and scenery but no talking. Performances use dramatic expressions and dance movements in a storytelling format to tell the story.

Examples of the most popular ballets:

• Swan Lake
• Giselle
• The Nutcracker
• The Sleeping Beauty

Ballet training is hard work and the dancers must develop strength, balance, flexibility as well as grace. They learn a set of movements and gestures. All ballet students are taught five basic positions which form the basis for almost all ballet steps.

The 5 Basic ballet positions

The language of ballet: 

Ballet has its own vocabulary which consists of lots of French words. The steps were first named in France, and they have kept their French names. The rules and steps have been developed over centuries.

For example:

• When you spin on one foot, the step or movement is called a pirouette
• En pointe means on point - on the tip of the toes
• A pas de deux, meaning “step for two,” is a dance for two dancers 
• Barre, a railing that dancers use in warm up exercises to hold onto for support

Ballerina at a ballet barre

  

Pas de Deux: 

A dance done by two individuals (a ballet duet) is usually performed by a male and a female.

A Pas de Deux is made up of four main elements:

• The entree or entrance which is the introduction
• The adagio or slow combined section of the dance
• Variations, which is a solo performance given by each dancer or where one artist is the main focal point
• A coda which concludes the piece

Classical Pas de Deux: 

Classical ballet style dances where the choreographer chooses a story or theme for the ballet. The type of music danced to is classical music.

Two famous dances in this style are the Black Swan pas de deux from "Swan Lake" and the Nutcracker pas de deux from the Tchaikovsky ballet.

Classical Ballet

A classical Pas de Deux can be seen below choreographed by Thordal Christensen.

The classical ballet was performed by Ade Obayomi and Melissa Sandvig on pointe shoes to "Romeo and Juliet: Prokofiev's Suite (No.1 Op 64b, 6th Movement)" Orchestre De La Suisse Romande & Armin Jordan on Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance.

A more modern form of a Pas de Deux performance can be seen below choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden who are co-founders of the Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company.

Katee Shean and William Wingfield dance to "Imagine" by David Archuleta on Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance. 

Hope this has left you wanting to be as graceful as a ballet dancer.

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

Dancing costs nothing

Yes it's free!

It’s so wonderful that you can dance anytime and anywhere for free. How and where you do it is up to you.  You can learn how to dance from your friends, watch people who are dancing and copy them.

You can learn many things from just observing people and teaching yourself how to do it.

You can even learn to dance by watching dance clips on the internet or looking for online dance classes which teach you dances in easy to follow step by step instructions.

The only time you will need to pay is if you want to attend dance classes or for club entrance fees.

Forging friendships

Bonding through dance...

Attending a dance class creates a social setting where you can meet new people and form friendships, besides learning to dance and improving your skills. It is a great way to have fun meeting new people in a safe, positive, environment.

It provides you with something in common with the rest of your class mates – a passion for dance, an easy topic to use to make conversation and learn to get to know someone new.

So sweet

 It’s great for couples too:

A couple doing the Tango

Joining a couples dancing class such as Ballroom, is a great way for couples to have a shared hobby which encourages attention towards one another. A great way for men to be true gentlemen by leading their ladies around the dance floor – how romantic.

For all the singles:

It can help you too by building confidence that others will find attractive and teach you moves which you can show off on the dance floor on fun nights out at the club or social events. Would you rather approach someone that is having fun dancing or a person sitting bored in the corner?

I wish you a lifetime of happy friendships...

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

Afro fusion

When the music changes, so does the dance...

Afro fusion is a dancing style which blends the techniques of formal dance training with an African flavour and spirit from sacred and traditional African dances of West, Central and East Africa. 

Formal dance styles such as ballet, jazz, modern dancing and contemporary are combined with African tribal dances or free flowing loose relaxed movements. 

It has even been blended with belly dancing and samba (Latin American ballroom) routines. 

This truly combines different cultures to form a new dance style by fusing inspiration and wisdom of all styles of dancing from around the world. A huge part of this dance style movement is expression and rhythm.

Movements which are used in Afro fusion choreography

An Afro fusion dance (can be seen below) done by South African dancers, Ashley and Kim on South Africa's version of So You Think You Can Dance.  The choreography combines contemporary with African dancing. 

An African Jazz fusion creates a more upbeat example of Afro fusion which can be seen below. The dancers, Tadd Gadduang and Jordan Casanova, were contestants on So You Think You Can Dance, season eight.

Love as always & forever, in dance

Mia xxx

African traditional dancing

Moving to the rhythm of a drum beat...

Traditional African dances were formed within the tribes (communities) and taught to the children in the tribe from a young age. No formal dance training was required and it was past down from generation to generation.

Various dances were done for different reasons to reflect events or occurrences in life such as weddings, funerals, celebrations, rites of passage or coming of age, religious practices or warrior dances.

African tribal dance cartoon

“Traditional African dance is an essential element of Africa’s cultural heritage because it is the living expression of its philosophy, and the living memory of its evolution and cultural wealth over the centuries.” Alphonse Tierou, a traditional dancer, from “Doople: the Eternal Law of African Dance.” 

African warrior dance

African dancing consists of:


Energetic movements such as high kicks, leaps, wide and rapid swinging of the arms, stamping of the feet, shuffle steps and fast foot work. Dancers move different parts of their bodies simultaneously to a rhythm which often contains more than one beat. 

African woman playing the drum

Traditional African dancing characteristics:  

• Movements are done in rhythm to the beat
• Dance along to African drumming and / or percussion instruments
• Human voice – singing
• Dances often tell stories and show the feelings and emotions behind the dance
• Wear traditional African outfits

To see an example of African dancing I have chosen an up beat energetic Senegalese dance which was performed on the TV series, "So You Think You Can Dance". Watch below. A Senegalese dance is a dance originating from Senegal, a country of western Africa. This clip truly captures the energy and fast movements of the dancers moving along to the rhythm of a drum beat. 

Showcasing true African spirit.

Love as always & forever, in dance

Mia xxx

Acrobatic Dance

Form of dance which blends acrobatic stunts with dance!

Acrobatic dance, also known as Acro dance or just Acro, is a challenging dance style which combines classical dance techniques with acrobatic stunts (tricks) in such a way that the movements flow in and out of one another – not robot like. It combines the suppleness of a contortionist with the gracefulness of a dancer.

The distinction between plain acrobatics and acrobatic dance:

Acrobatics is basically stunts and tricks set to music. Acrobatic dance is fundamentally dance with its acrobatic movements performed in a dance context. Dance elements from ballet, jazz, modern, or even tap are used as the foundation for dance movements in the choreography. The most common tricks or stunts consist of tumbling, back bends, hand-stands, cartwheels, various splits and many more complicated exercises.

Dancers who perform this style of dancing must:  

• Be very fit
• Be flexible
• Have upper body strength to be able to hold your body weight
• Have good balance and muscle control 
• Strong back muscles and stomach (abdominal) muscles

The above are necessary as it is a physically demanding activity and it is important when performing tricks to prevent injuring yourself. A high degree of discipline and concentration is also required for performing the stunts.

Acro dancers.

Acro has been taught and performed in South Africa for more than 50 years. It is also recognized as a sport and is a registered discipline with the South African Gymnastics Federations. It is a popular dance style which can be seen in professional dance theater, such as Cirque du Soleil. 

American dance company - Pilobolus.

An example of a dance group who performs acrobatic dance is Pilobolus, an American dance company. They include acrobatics, body contortions and a mix of humor and invention in their choreography. Watch them perform in the clip below.

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

 

Glowing confidence

Dancing can be a great confidence booster!

Many dancers possess great confidence which can be noticed in the way they walk and carry themselves. (They walk taller, have good posture and are more aware of their bodies than non-dancers). On the dance floor they stand out from the rest and just make what they do look so easy.

Dancing is a great way to build confidence as it builds self-esteem, provides discipline and a sense of accomplishment. Being confident and able to dance gives you an ability to enjoy yourself more in public settings. 

Most people love to dance but when it comes to dancing in front of people or dancing at weddings or events they prefer not to dance - they lose their nerve or don’t feel confident enough to dance. Many people, especially men, just DO NOT DANCE. They feel awkward or clumsy if they get asked to dance at a wedding, a simple standard ballroom dance or “sokkie”.  for example.

It’s a great feeling to know that you can get up and dance if you want to. Being able to go to clubs, parties, band concerts, weddings or any special event and being confident enough to dance instead of being that one person at the party who sits alone in the corner watching everyone else dance and have fun?

If you're generally a shy person, it may be difficult to do at first. It's normal to be nervous, but once you push yourself to do it once, you`ll notice yourself doing it more and more until it almost becomes natural to dance when the music starts playing. Before you know it, you might even become the life of the party!

NEVER think less of yourself or compare yourself to others, you are UNIQUE

Some tips to help you dance with confidence:  

• Find the type or style of dancing that you enjoy and feel comfortable doing. If you feel awkward or silly, chances are you look it too.
• Go for lessons. Find a good teacher who will improve your skills and boost your confidence. Knowing what you are doing often makes you feel more prepared which will lead to you feeling confident on the dance floor.  
• If you don't want to pay for lessons, watch people who are good at or ask them to teach you! Observe people who you want to dance like and copy them!
• Go out and dance, remember that practice makes perfect. Try out what you have learnt, keep smiling and have fun.  
• Don't stress or beat yourself up when you make mistakes, laugh it off and keep smiling. Chances are that no one will even notice that you made a mistake. Dancing is about fun after all
• If you feel nervous and don’t like feeling like everyone is starring at you, wait until the dance floor is full and then go dance - it's usually dark as well!
• It’s important to believe in yourself - you can do it! Dancing is about moving your body to music – it’s natural.
• Some dancing and some steps are more difficult than others, but through practice and perseverance you will get it right in the end. Even the top professional dancers have to practice and make mistakes. They are always learning new moves or have another technique that they need to perfect.
• Don't let trying to be perfect at everything get in the way of having fun and enjoying what you are doing. You will never dance with confidence if you focus on the negative, rather be positive - concentrate what you CAN do, not on what you can't do yet.
• Look confident and smile, it can cover lots of mistakes. Mistakes will mostly only be picked up by your reactions, so don’t react and broadcast to the crowd that you’ve made a mistake, just keep smiling and carry on dancing.   
• Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Dancing is fun, it’s a release and it’s good exercise. Just get out there and try your best!

Looking confident is the best fashion accessory you can have as it helps you stand out. Nothing is more beautiful than a big smile and confidence...

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx