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