On2 Salsa Classes with Jazzy Dance Co New Website & more.

Go Dance Studio Update: January 2010

By Mylie Arnold

We’re kicking off 2010 with some great new classes and changes to make your Go Dance experience even better! 

Go Dance & Jazzy Dance Co. Partner for Salsa On2 Program

Expand your Salsa repertoire into the world of dancing On2 with the new class Salsa Intro to On2 taught by Azucena Perez of Jazzy Dance Co, Sundays at 2pm. (4 months of Salsa level 2 is a prerequisite for this class.) Azucena will also be teaching a Ladies Salsa Styling Class (On1) Wednesdays at 6p in January, and Intermediate On2 will join our lineup in the near future.

New Website & Discontinuation of Paper Newsletter

Look for a new website to be launched in late January featuring all the fun stuff you currently find in our print newsletter, plus more.  This January issue is the last edition of the print newsletter, if you’d like to be added to our email newsletter list contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

New Class Session Format Begins in February

It’s hard to remember which days there aren’t regular group classes, and frustrating to show up on one of the odd nights off.   Starting in February our group class sessions will no longer coincide with a calendar month, and instead will be 4-week sessions (same as what we now offer) always starting on a Monday, without a break in between. No random days without classes!  (January classes begin Sunday, January 3rd.)

Baby Onboard

As is becoming more obvious daily my husband Mason and I will be welcoming a little one around the end of April.  Daily studio operations are now being lead by Shaidri Alrich and Richard Duggar.  Richard is leading the dance team, and Shaidri is heading up the admin side.  I am fortunate to have two fantastic people in charge and will be able to rest easy in those first weeks at home with the new addition, knowing that the studio is in the very capable hands of our fantastic staff.

 

Finding a Dance Partner

By Taletha Jouzdani

 

Many of you have already been convinced of the benefits of having a dance partner, but the how-to’s of finding one have eluded you thus far. One of the most important things to ask yourself before pursuing a dance partner is: 
“Am I an appealing candidate for a dance partnership?”

It’s a very simple recipe believe it or not: Any dancer with olfactory glands will tell you that personal hygiene is definitely at the top of the list when seeking out a potential dance partner. So, create a dance kit filled with essential personal hygiene tools such as body spray, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and an extra shirt in case things get a little hot and sweaty. Bathing is also a required part of every dancer’s daily ritual. Body spray and deodorant are intended to keep you smelling clean; they are not meant to act as substitutes for bathing. Remember, you can never make another first impression.

Take advantage of the unlimited group classes - not to learn new moves, but to learn what it feels like to step into your partner’s shoes. Learning the other side of the coin (lead or follow) can help you to be a more understanding and compassionate partner and, as a result, you will climb to the top of the list as a coveted dance partner.

It is also important to decide what you are looking for in a partner before you start the interview process.  Realistic priorities might be that your partner be a few inches taller or shorter than you or that they are in reasonable cardiovascular shape. Does their schedule, social lifestyle, and financial situation coincide with yours enough to facilitate your aspiring dance goals? It may also be important to decide how often you would like to practice, take lessons and social dance so that you can better assess their compatibility. Remember what I mentioned in last month’s newsletter about diversification? You may not find an all-in-one dance partner. Instead, you may find one for practicing, one for lessons, and another for social dance occasions. What a modern world we live in!  Everything that I have mentioned thus far has been essential, but not nearly as what I am about to say. Personality is key! Not only do you need to be aware of how your personalities mesh, but you may also take into account a few general personality traits to be avoided. 1.) Is this potential candidate relatively open to criticism or do they deflect everything back your way? 2.) A good partner should take their dancing seriously, but it should still be obvious that they are having a good time doing it. 3.) Pessimism can be hard to spot because it can be masked initially as shyness or insecurity, which can both be overcome with support and encouragement, but if someone appears to favor the negative every time rather than sometimes, you may want to reevaluate.

So now that you have decided what you are looking for in a partner and you have groomed yourself into being a hot commodity in the dance community, you are finally ready for the search.  As such, you may not have to search at all. Your future dance partner may in fact find you, but just in case here are a few tips. Attend your group classes and dances religiously so that you may become approachable. If your attendance is infrequent and sporadic then your prospects may peg you as the flaky, unreliable type.  Expand your search to weekend workshops as well. If someone is taking a workshop, the odds are that they will have an even stronger level of interest and commitment than some of your fellow group class companions. Once again, your goals determine where your search will lead. Never rule out the most beginner dancers that may only have a minimal understanding of the dance. It is important to remember that we were all beginners once and you never know how fast that particular beginner learns. So observe how quickly they pick up new moves before scratching them off of your list.

Once you have exhausted the group classes, workshops, dances, and local venues, you may be ready to ask for help. Check with your private lesson or group instructor to see if they have a recommendation. Oftentimes, your instructor may have just had a lesson with your dance soul mate or they may be willing to keep their eyes open. However, if you like to be more in control of your dance universe, there are a few online options to explore. There are several e-groups that you can subscribe to depending on your dance foci. I suggest doing a search under yahoo.com, google.com or meetup.com for dance e-groups in Austin. As many of you already know from experience, these groups are relatively safe and convenient ways to connect with like-minded folk. Once you have found a group of your liking, subscribe and send a post with your interest in finding a dance partner.

So you have finally found a plausible candidate - what now? A safe initial approach could be to invite them to join you on one of your private lessons or ask them to be your partner for the duration of a particular group class. Once the dance chemistry has been established, schedule some times to practice. Go Dance is a safe, comfortable place for you and your new dance partner to schedule your practice times and the floor fees are quite reasonable. Be sure to ask our front desk staff for the best times to schedule your practices. They will know when you will have the most access to the music and floor space.

Good luck with your search!

 

What It’s Like Being on a Showcase Performance Team

By Rima Star

 

Being on Rima’s Birthday Two Step team was an experience I will never forget,” said Teri Plemmons. “I loved our actual performance. It was great to see what all our hard work and efforts had achieved!”

Why, you may ask, would someone want to be on a “team” of dancers when dancing with one other person can be hard enough? If you remember all the great things Mylie talked about in her article on the role of the follower, you may certainly wonder why any sane person would want to expand that to include fourteen people.

Well, as the organizer of this group, I actually chose dancing with a group of people as part of the celebration of my June birthday—I thought it would be fun! I remember telling Rowdy and Mylie, “low on stress, high on fun!”  How silly of me!  I did, after all, ask Rowdy Dufrene to be the choreographer/instructor and I also asked a group of people who were hot to Two Step. So, I now know what I really meant was “high on stress ( i.e., challenge), high on fun!”

Each person related to our choreography differently. For some, it was an easy stretch and for others it was a big stretch. To top it all off, we had to actually dance TOGETHER, harmoniously, to the same music, starting and ending at the same time. Rusty Williams said, “I became well-versed with the feeling of panic. From learning a new routine, to recovering when I messed up, to appearing in front of an audience. I overcame so many challenges and had fun doing it. I now have a view on what competition might be like!”

I asked the members of our team to comment on the top three things that made the biggest impression on them from the whole eight week experience. There is a high consensus on three elements:

1. Dance Improvement—“Becoming a better dancer was very noticeable for me.” (Mila Cameron)  “The opportunity to learn new choreography and work with someone I’d never worked with before (Rowdy) was great!” (Joann Hutchinson)  “I got to do what I love most—dance, dance, dance!” (Teri Plemmons)
2. Camaraderie/friendships—“Being part of this group was one of the coolest things I’ve done because I got to know so many new people and made friends I will enjoy dancing with from now on.” (David Gold)  “The followers had a great time pooling our talents to make our costumes and get to know each other as friends. We laughed so much!” (Mila Cameron)
3. Teamwork—“I loved how all the leaders would step right in and dance with all the followers.” (Sue Hardy) “I was most impressed with how every member of the team was so willing to help each other learn and improve on the routine.” (Jack Campbell) With Mila’s help, the DVD from Rowdy and each person on the team, I was able to stay on the team. I feel so good about our accomplishment at the showcase and thank each person for including me.” (Jim Burris)

My suggestion to Go Dance students is to step up to the dance team challenge! Find your own reason to invite your dance friends to join you in a group performance for the winter showcase. After finding the ability to dance in unison with a group, one-on-one dancing will be a breeze! You’ll have fun. You really will!

The Art of Leading: Part 1

By David Abril

If you’ve ever been out social dancing and noticed how some leaders seem to effortlessly lead different partners, you may have wondered how they are able to get such consistent results. Leading, after all, does not seem effortless, especially when you are just getting started or learning a new pattern. And even when you know the mechanics of a certain move or pattern, results can vary partner to partner, leading you to wonder "was that my fault or was she just not following?" So how does one become the cool and confident leader who can gracefully lead novice and seasoned followers alike?

The truth is that a good leader has invested a lot of time and practice in learning and developing his skills. Instruction and experience teaches him how to adjust to each partner and find a balance between a light and heavy lead. The good news is that by developing some core skills and learning a few tricks of the trade, you may find yourself on your way to a breakthrough in your leading.

There are certain skills that need to be high priorities for leaders, skills that are the foundation for leading a good social dance. Timing, for one, is essential. Leaders set the rhythm and tempo for the dance, as followers are trained to dance to a leaders timing even if he is off time. Imagine the frustration for a follower who must dance off time! If timing is an issue for you, ask your instructor in your private lessons to help you find the counts in the music and other tips on how to improve your timing.   Then, practice your footwork with counts and music. This will not only improve your timing, but it will also instill the steps in your muscle memory, allowing you to focus on your partner and more subtle aspects of the lead. Proper footwork is vital, since foot placement often determines your position in relation to your partner, as does the proper transfer of weight from one foot to the other. Even the direction in which your foot is pointed can have an impact on the move, so have your instructor evaluate your footwork and give you tips on how to improve it.

Practicing footwork is probably the most effective technique in improving your lead since it is the foundation of the dance. What’s more, you don’t even need a partner to practice. Just take your invisible partner in hand and start going through your patterns step-by-step, gradually increasing your speed until they are firmly in your muscle memory and you can do them comfortably with music.

Dance frame and hand connection are important aspects as well. While in frame, you do not want to clench your partner, nor do you want to let it go weak and floppy. Your frame forms the connection to your partner and you will find in many dances that the movement you are seeking to cause in the follow is initiated through your frame, not your arms. Although the arms are involved in initiating and completing turns, too much reliance on them will result in the "cranking and yanking" of your partner, which is quite uncomfortable for them. Hand connections should be firm and pliable, and while connections vary upon the dance and the figure, you don’t want to clench with the hand or apply pressure with the thumbs. A good frame and connection allow you to take advantage of her momentum, resulting in a smooth, rather than jerky lead.

Focusing on these elements will get them into the muscle memory, allowing you to pay more attention to your partner and her dance. With your timing, footwork, frame and connection solid, you are better prepared to adjust to the follow and focus your attention on the things that make a great social dance. The next article in this series will talk more about things you can do in your social dance to take you to the next level.