No Chips please...Only Salsa

Mmmm Salsa!  One of the best social dances out there is Salsa.  There are places to salsa everywhere and it doesn't take a lot to get started, a few basic steps can get you out there feeling good, meeting new people and creating a whole social circle of fun happy people that just want to dance and have fun!  A few steps to get started and then once out there you will be inspired to try out new moves and combinations.  Because Salsa is a street dance it is ever changing and evolving, there are a very few "rules", which is very exciting.  Every partner has their own take on the dance and every partner brings something new.

If you are getting ready to go on vacation, mainly Mexico or the Caribbean etc,  invest a bit of time in some lessons with a professional teacher.  Learn some survival skills then hit a local hot spot.  Most clubs have
 a free lesson or very inexpensive lesson before the dancing begins which is a great  time to get warmed up with your skills, learn a new thing or two and also meet a few people you'll dance with later.

Kansas City Dancers  check out - www.kansascitysalsaclubs.com

They dance Wednesday & Thursdays at Retro Nightclub  http://retrodowntown.com/  and Friday & Saturday at Elements in the Power and Light district  http://www.powerandlightdistrict.com/index.cfm?page=dine-drink-play&venueID=9  .
And to learn some survival skills go to Deborah Doll Dance www.deborahdolldance.com

To Chicken or Not to Chicken...

Traditional dances are a component of the wedding reception and are either embraced wholeheartedly or rejected completely, there is no real middle ground.  The money dance or the dollar dance, the dance where the bride and groom dance with guests who have donated to the "cause"- the honeymoon or general housekeeping for the new couple, is one of those traditional dances that many couples either love or hate.  The roots of the money dance go back to a Polish tradition where money was pinned onto the brides' gown or apron, also a tradition in many cultures - Philippine, Hungarian,Yugoslavian, and is considered a way of wishing the new couple well and enables guests to get a little one on one time with the bride and/or groom.  It is not essential to your reception but many feel this is a good time to be with guests, with a nod to traditional expectations.

The Chicken Dance.  you either love it or not.  I have seen less and less of this dance at receptions but the ones that do have it played and dance it have a blast.  So again, not required but if you have children at the reception it is a nice group dance.

Polka.  I personally love to polka.  If you have any relatives who dance the polka, including one polka in your evening, especially if it is for a grandparent or older relative, dedicate that to them and dance it with them.  It makes for a great memory for all and a nice personal touch and appreciation for that relative.

Tarantella and other folk dances.  Again, not essential but a great way to include all the guests to participate, is a lot of fun and keeps tradition alive.

The final comment is this, make your reception reflect you, whether you decide to do traditional dance or not.  If you do include them and are unsure of how to do them, ask you dance instructor and we are happy to help you!

Did you see that?!

Culturally speaking, dance has had a huge impact. It has offended conservatives and religious sects from it's inception. It has influenced virtually every aspect of our modern-day lives. Dancing, especially partner dancing, has shocked and appalled for centuries. Waltz, one of the most beautiful lyrical slow dances, one that has charmed many while danced or viewed, was considered to be one of the single most scandalous activities you could embark on. I mean really! Just imagine, 2 people in an embrace, moving rhythmically! In public! That was just the beginning and dancing with a partner is still able to raise an eyebrow or two as couples professional and amateur raise the bar on technique, push the envelope with new inventive steps, minimal costuming, and music mixing/selection.

Social dancing has evolved, there is no doubt about that. From the group celebrations to a night out on the town, dancing is common place and is definitely a social skill you can use your entire life. Knowing how to dance is one of the single best ways to ensure you will enjoy any holiday party, wedding reception, charity event or a night out with your sweetheart.
Learn how to dance and open up a whole new set of social options!

And for an entertaining read on the social dancing, check out Mark Knowles book.

Musicology

I am often asked what is this song or what can I dance to this? There are specific styles of music that lend themselves to particular dances and yes, there are "undance-able" tunes. Some music is for the mind not the body, it was designed for the imagination and creative mind not necessarily dancing. When selecting songs for special events and specifically for wedding receptions; music for the first dance, father/daughter dance, mother/son dance many questions arise and the most common is "what can we dance to this______________ song?"
The general rule is slow love songs (ballads) are a Foxy (also Foxxy) or slow dance. The music is a slow steady beat of 4 counts and is a favorite for first dances. At Last by Etta James is a perfect example of a slow dance/Foxy. Other love songs are a little more complicated with their time signature being 3 strong beats and those are waltzes. There is a general misunderstanding that if it's slow and pretty it must be a waltz, that is untrue. Moreover, waltz has a distinctive sound to it but it may take some practice to hear the strong down beat (boom) and the following beats (chick, chick). Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's is an example of a waltz. Very fast to moderate tempo waltzes are Viennese Waltz, which are rather complicated but are gorgeous to watch. An excellent contemporary song is You and Me by Lifehouse. Rumba is another dance that lends itself nicely to slower songs that are romantic. Everything by Michael Buble and Sway by anyone who recorded it, are great examples of rhythmic Rumba. Fox Trot (or Foxtrot) is a faster slow dance, one of my personal favorites, artists like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble produced many great Foxtrot songs.
There are many, many other dances- cha cha, salsa, merengue, quickstep, night club swing, east coast swing (single double triple), west coast swing, tango, argentine tango, bolero, bachata, polka, county dances, line dances, traditional dances, the list literally goes on and on. That's where your dance professional is indispensable! Learning the song genre and how to dance to it is when the fun begins.

The New First Dance

Once upon a time, wedding couples would dance together for their first time as a married couple to a slow love song, swaying side to side with the glow of love radiating from their faces. Not any more! More and more couples are taking the opportunity to learn how to dance together, choosing to create a more memorable moment injecting this "mandatory" reception requirement with their own personalities, tastes, and fun. Since the YouTube video of the crazy wedding couple and their dance montage, wedding couples have a new perspective on their first dance. Now not all want to put on a show but they do want to have a fun dance that really reflects who they are individually and as a couple. Many couples are opting to combine a favorite slow song with a more up beat song and do more than sway to the music for 3 and a half minutes. Learning some basic patterns along with a few "star" moments, couples are creating with the assistance of their dance instructor/choreographer a fun dance that is what they like and enjoying the process as well. Other couples are more ambitious and select more complicated dances or several songs for their compilation to embrace their vision of their perfect first dance. This is a great new trend and the keys to it are simple - select songs that you enjoy, that reflect your personalities, find a good DJ to mix your songs into a compilation, find a fun dance instructor that you can connect with and finally give yourself time to learn and put it all together for a fun and enjoyable experience.

WING Bridal Show at The Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence KS

On November 13, from 10:00AM until 2:00 PM in the lovely Crystal Ballroom, one of the best Bridal Shows you can attend will be taking place.  The admission is complimentary but it gets better!  For all that pre-register online at WING Bridal Show you are entered into a drawing for $100 of BRIDAL BUCKS which can be used at any vendor at the Bridal Show.  This is very exciting for me, as this is my first Bridal Show and I am thrilled to be in such great company of fantastic wedding professionals.  There will be about 30 vendors with a wide array of services and products, wedding planners, photographers, make-up artists, caterers, DJs, dance instruction :-) and more!!  Everything you need to transform your vision into a perfected reality.