THOUGHTS ON DANCE

The Dancer who understands both the music and the dance, becomes the VISUAL part of the music. The “Artistic Skill” with which a Dancer learns to move to Music can actually change the way an audience HEARS that Music. When this happens, the dancer has “arrived” and has become the “lead instrument” in the band! (quote by Skippy Blair)

Some dance wisdom: Men are always left. Women are always right. Let me say that again; women are always right. <ornery grin & wink!> (Susan 5/2/06)

"TAKE THE LEAD" - Check out this movie about dancing. A former professional dancer (Antonio Banderas) volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system. While his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the true story of ballroom dancer Pierre Dulane. (Susan 4/4/06)

Never stop playing! I was teaching a group dance class of adult students. Every time the children in the building would walk past our door, they would stop and watch what was going on, staring for several minutes! We adults were having great fun, laughing and practicing our dance steps. The children had curious looks on their faces. I said to the class, "Apparently children are not use to seeing adults PLAYING!" I have often thought of the dance floor as a "playground for adults!" Remember the good old days when RECESS was our favorite subject?! Don't stop playing just because you are older with more responsibilities. Keep dancing, laughing and having FUN ON THE DANCE FLOOR! As is stated in the Bible, "A merry heart doeth good like medicine!" (Susan 3/31/06)

"Dancing is like painting a picture with your body! The dance floor is the canvas. The music is the paint. The dancers' passion and emotions are the different colors - always varying in color, mood and intensity. The dancers' feet and arms are the paint brushes. The dancers' steps and movements are the brush strokes. When skillful dancers are painting a beautiful picture on the dance floor with a mixture of music, passion and movement, the audience will watch in awe in the same way that one can not take his eyes off of an accomplished artist skillfulling and precisely painting a beautiful picture on his canvas." (quote by Susan Davison 4/5/06)

ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" TV show with new celebrities in ballroom dance training resumed with its second series in 2006 and its third series in 2007! Families across America tuned in for this fine program about ballroom dance training and competition. To our delight, this show has brought about a resurgence of interest in ballroom dancing!

Ballroom Bootcamp - Regular people are prepared for three different national dance competitions within a 5-6 week period! Instructors will be Gocha Chertkoev, Christian Perry, and Susannah Cuesta.

The following information was received from Dean Ollins, the Series Producer of Ballroom Bootcamp:

In each episode of Ballroom Bootcamp, three everyday people from all walks of life subject themselves to an intense 5-week training program to become competitive ballroom dancers. Each person gets one-on-one instruction from a top ballroom professional who has free rein to do whatever it takes to transform their student from "Average Joe or Jane" to dancer extraordinaire. After four weeks, each student is presented with a professional who will be their dance partner at an actual, real-live dance competition. The three competitors dance against one another before judges sanctioned by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA), and the winners qualify for a grand ball to be held at season's end.

Event Commentators will be Brian McDonald, president of the NDCA, and Linda Wakefield, Co-Director of the Ballroom Dance Company at Brigham Young University.

DANCING WITH THE STARS - On July 6th, Kelly Monaco and pro-dancer Alec Mazo pulled off a controversial win on the "Dancing with the Stars" TV show on ABC! Hope you had fun watching the dancing, voting for your favorite dance couple and cheering them on in the competitions!

My first choice was Joey & Ashly and then second choice was John & Charlotte. However, I do respect Kelly & Alec for attempting a more difficult Freestyle dance and pulling it off adequately (but with Kelly coming in for a hard landing after that helicopter spin!). I believe ALL of the dancers are winners! They gave it their all and improved their dancing ability! They will never regret their entry into the world of DANCE!

“I AM A DANCER!” - Famous painter Vincent Van Gogh has been recorded as saying, "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint…and that voice will be silenced."

I pondered the truth of Van Gogh’s statement and realized that most any other pair of noun and verb could be substituted for his words ‘painter’ and ‘paint’. With my field of expertise in mind, I chose to insert the words ‘dancer’ and ‘dance’ as such: “If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You are not a dancer,’ then by all means dance…..and that voice will be silenced.” How true! I have been making the same point to my students through the years, yet with different words.

I often address my beginning students as “dancers” and encourage my students to begin to think of themselves as “dancers”. I have told them, “If you have paid for dance lessons and are studying dance, and beginning to apply what you have learned from your brain to your feet, and are beginning to apply your newly-trained feet to the dance floor, that gives you the right and the permission to call yourself a “DANCER”.

Silence that negative voice within yourself that tells you that you are not a dancer. At your next dance lesson or dance event I suggest that you dance across the dance floor to a wall-length mirror, look yourself in the eye, and say to yourself, “I AM A DANCER!”

Have fun, dancers!

(c) Copyright Susan M.G. Davison 4/20/05

Susan says, "I have been hearing raving reviews regard- ing upcoming film "Madhot Ballroom". The movie is about Pierre Dulaine's "dancing classrooms" programs in NYC. Read below:

Bryn of The Trades.com says: I have to say that having read about this film and even reading what Seth had to say about this trailer I was deeply cynical about this film. Cute kids, doing ballroom dancing? It just sounded like an excuse to have kids with big eyes looking adorable in matching outfits, like some horrible Disney Channel movie. Wild horses couldn't have dragged me to see it. But I have to say. I was wrong. Dead wrong. This trailer made me laugh and (when the teacher tries to console the losing kids and ends up breaking down herself) even managed to touch me in less than three minutes. This documentary trailer really spoke to me. Which is strange considering I'm not an inner city kid, a teacher or a fan of Ballroom dancing. I have to say that I'm now officially looking forward to this film and would even recommend it. And surely the ultimate aim for any trailer is to bring in an audience. Well, consider me there. (Score: 18 out of 20 )

"This funny old dance is perfect for two." ~ Winnie the Pooh

Social dance forms arise out of a profound physical need to create a language in which people can speak to each other without words. But since the sixties, most social dancing in Western culture has been essentially a solo activity. People did their own thing, unencumbered by the needs of another body, unencumbered by rules and conventions.

But during the last decade, there has been a huge revival of interest in ballroom dancing - the smooth dances such as Waltz, Foxtrot and Tango - the Latin dances such as Cha Cha, Rumba, Bolero, Samba, Mambo/Salsa, Merengue - and the Swing dances of America along with Hustle, etc.

Couple dancing holds a unique enjoyment in communicating between two people. It is as simple as the primal urge for two human bodies to move as one. Bodies are close and intimate and used to direct and/or monitor the partner's movements. The energies of the bodies are united. The limbs move together in unison and accuracy across the dance floor and in precise timing with each other and to the music. It is this combination of silent communication between two people and the resultant uniform movement that is so enjoyable. Add to this a vibrant mix of music with the communication and movement, and you have the ingredients of something more than just a hobby or sport. You have a genuine art form which can be used to express the most profound and complex longings that people can have about their lives, about each other, and about the nature of existence itself.

~ paraphrase of SALLY POTTER, dance choreographer

"A GOOD teacher CELEBRATES if and when a student surpasses him/her in knowledge and skill." ~ (quote by Susan Davison 7/19/05)

"We should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day" (and dance a little!) "so that worldly cares do not obliterate our sense of the beautiful." (quote by Goethe)

To Goethe's quote, I personally added "and dance a little!" ~ (Susan 7/12/05)

Happy birds soar! Happy dogs wag their tails! Happy people DANCE!!!

Life without dancing is like a cake without frosting!

Life without dancing is like a Christmas tree without lights!

"I thank God daily for the good health to be able to walk, run and dance! My father suffered from Multiple Sclerosis for the latter part of his adult life, so for years I witnessed his struggle just to walk. He would often lose his balance and fall. He always said to himself, "Fall down seven times; get up eight." I will always admire the determination and fortitude that my father modeled for me. Walking was a struggle for him, so running and dancing were totally impossible. Those experiences taught me to never take my physical abilities for granted! I view being able to walk, run and dance as a great privilege! May all of you be fortunate to stay healthy enough to be able to walk, run and dance! May God bless you and yours!

"Keep on dancing! And never take it for granted!"

[Susan : ) ]

"On 7/14/07, a friend and I had the chance to meet ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancers Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko after they danced several AWESOME exhibition dances at the Independence Day Showcase at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, IN. They are the current American Rhythm World Champions! See photo below. (Thanks to Jeanne Cross for bringing them to Fort Wayne! It was a very enjoyable evening of wonderful entertainment!)" [Susan 7/15/07]

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