Ellen's Dancing on Cape Cod

Theatrical Clothing

2012-01-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

Going through the attic has turned up clothing that has to be decided on. I just think I am not that theatrical after all.
Should it be turned over to a theater, saved for the granddaughter? How much dress up can we keep?
Getting rid of more stuff.
Now back to putting VCR material on DVD.

Condensed TV

2012-01-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

This season of DWTS is compressed to 15 minutes, so far, with only the finals left to review and then the DVR can forget.
My party DVD has terrific Samba, Foxtrot, Waltz, Quickstep, Jive, and Tango.
I can transfer tapes of previous seasons for other dances - Giles Marini doing Argentine Tango and Nicole Scherzinger's Rumba.

By the third viewing, I watch the pros to see what I should aspire to.

I watch training sessions for gems, especially when another pro comes in.
Nick Kosovich demonstrated a posture tip, "I use my head to keep my body forward," he said, showing how balancing the top of the body changes a dancer's look.

Rolling along

2012-01-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

Winter is time to regroup and tune up, to organize the material saved throughout the year.
Videos to be copied onto DVD. Footage to be made into TV shows. Dance notes to be polished. (On the same theme, I am piecing a quilt.)

Starting next week, Falmouth Night School gives me two more nights a week to teach.
Will Ballroom III "Swing" fill? Time to recruit some teens!

Great Grump

2012-01-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

A snowy night, but the roads were done and safe by 9 PM when it was time to go see our pal, bluesman George Gritzbach in Falmouth. He has a new drummer, a friendly guy who knew Joe. The new keyboard guy adds a dimension. Nice show with lots of new songs.
Almost no one was there except a bunch of guys in for a Curling tournament. One from New Jersey dances West Coast 3 times a week at home. The style was a little different, but I had it by the second dance. Another in from Schenectady, NY, said they hadn't had snow there yet either.
For single ladies, only Moira who can walk there and whose boyfriend is out of town.
And it was so sweet - they painted the floor - green! They're trying. It's still better than carpet. I will suggest the next time they have a plan to improve, a skim coast of cement to get rid of the speed bumps.

FA Senior Class Swing

2012-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

With their Gala next week including a dance competition, these teens were motivated to spend some time at the Conservatory working out some moves.
We started as always with basics. "Stay on the balls of your feet!" "Connect!"
We even got to the Charleston step, a nice showy piece.
Terrific kids, and great exercise for all of us.

Winter tasks

2012-01-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

Going through my mother's closets is one task.
Going through my own stuff takes a similar determination to tackle collections such as a box of VCR tapes from Mary French. I found Ron Gursky's presentation to Dance Teachers Club of Boston from 1992. Ladies are wearing blousy jumpsuits. I have a royal blue one of those in my attic in another collection - Vintage Clothing.
Anyway, I'll wrap up the tape and give it to Ron. He may just want to destroy it - or keep it as a Vintage Demonstration. It will need to be transferred to another medium as VCR tape is now on the road to disintegration.

Teen Swing in the paper

2012-01-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

InsideOut listed the event as Swing Dance. Hopefully this won't dilute the lessons to be directed to the teens!

Quiet winter

2012-01-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

Except for the wind.
Like the old days.
Nothing to do on Cape Cod in the winter.
For many, today's recession is like it used to be.
I have begun a "Thousand Pyramid" quilt.
All the scraps I've saved, cut into triangles, just one of each material.
I have about 500 different patterned and plain pieces to fit together.
Then I'll get out to teach the wedding couple - he promised her.

Mean teacher/Nice teacher

2012-01-16T04:58:00.000-08:00

There's the teacher who encourages you, and the teacher who tells you how to improve.
Ron Gursky is not there to praise or raise false hope. "You know you look better than most of the people out there, and they will tell you how great you are. I will only tell you how to be better."
Trying to be both nice and mean, I first praise improvement and then look for faults and try to steer students to the preferred outcome without discouraging them.
Anyway, we had fun back after winter break. The new students got their "Tango ladder" knocked down, and glowed. I did my homework and got the underpinnings of Quickstep illuminated. Argentine Tango class got told they were like a bunch of mice running around and not interpreting the dark slow music. International Rhumba got to do "Spirals".

Live music

2012-01-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

Well, let's see
Jazz Jam at The Island Merchant in Hyannis 4-7 PM dance not expected but good music
I have booked myself for dance lessons at 3 and at 5 PM.
Baha Brothers at Beach House 5:00 nice floor for dancing, young crowd usually
Les Sampou at Woods Hole Community Hall 7:30 older crowd can dance in the back
and in the movies, Queen L. and Dolly P. made a gospel movie with a clunky story.

New Bedford Art Works

2012-01-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

A lovely spot, ArtWorks, 384 Acushnet Street, very similar to the Falmouth Artists Guild. I bet they get grants since New Bedford is a depressed area, and they do good work, offering classes and Thursday, a Salsa evening with percussion workshop.
Jesus Andujar taught drums at the Conservatory for a while, and had a great band for his Grupo Sazon at the Cuban Revolution bar and restaurant in Providence last spring. We're facebook friends, so I see his gigs and have been trying to get back to one with a dance floor.
In a percussion workshop, I joined ladies on drums given simple rhythms. Jesus gave me a tambourine. I should have brought maracas.
We had the wine left over from the printmakers opening there that afternoon. I met a Falmouth artist and her husband, friends with some of my students.
A cursory Salsa lesson for the nice kid and a couple of ladies.
Then we had to wait while the other musicians found their way - stuck in Boston traffic etc. I've heard this before with Latino bands. They were maybe a bit frazzled when they arrived, at least their music sounded frazzled.
I danced with a nice young man who tended to ignore the beat. I wished the song were shorter. A relief to go back to Joe.
The musicians started to hit their stride at about 10:00. Then they took a break, and we left for the 45 minute drive home.
Jesus was jamming last night with a group called Santa Mamba doing a rare acoustic set opening for another group at The Spot Undergound in Providence. I wonder how that was - a college crowd?

http://www.vermontdancesport.com/Etiquette.html

2012-01-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

Wordy, but heartfelt and thoughtful
Asking Someone to Dance
In a social dance situation it is appropriate to dance with a variety of people. It is generally less acceptable to partner up and dance with the same person all evening long. Naturally some people will prefer certain partners to others, but this should not prevent them from asking or accepting an offer to dance with a new person.
Who to Ask
Anyone can ask anyone else to dance. Leaders ask followers, followers ask leaders, experienced dancers ask beginners, beginners ask experienced dancers… you get the idea. If you end up sitting out more dances than you’d like it’s probably because you haven’t asked. Some people can find it challenging at first but pushing through the initial fear is so worth it! In a very short time you’ll become very good at asking which means you’ll dance more and have a great time!
Note: People have a tendency to dance more with people they already know; it’s easier and it reduces their fear of rejection. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re clique-ish, stuck-up, or that they don’t want to dance with you; often it means they’re a little shy or stuck in a rut. Remember – asking someone to dance is paying them a compliment.
How to Ask
"Would you like to dance?" is perfect, but anything similar is fine. When asking someone to dance, make eye contact, extend your hand invitingly, and ask in a clear voice. Be specific - always ask one particular person to dance. Do not go up to 2 people standing together and ask, "Would either of you care to dance?" The result will be that each of them will hesitate and defer politely to the other, but you'll experience it as rejection. If you partner says yes, extend your hand to them and lead (or follow) them onto the dance floor.
How many songs in a row?
Dance one song with someone, and then change partners. Two in a row is also fine, but more than that isn’t appropriate social dance behavior. Besides, the more people you dance with the better dancer you’ll become – and the more you’ll be asked!
Accepting a Dance (or not)
Say Yes!
If someone asks you to dance, it’s nearly always appropriate to say yes. In a social dance environment it’s expected that you’ll dance with a variety of people and to say “yes” when someone asks you. And remember – every time you agree to dance with someone else you help foster a friendly thriving dance community!
That said, social dances are not endurance events where you must dance until you drop. Nor must you dance if you are only interested in watching the other dancers. It’s important to take care of yourself and dance as much or as little as is appropriate for you.
Say No... (if you must)
There are several good reasons for saying no when asked to dance. It’s absolutely correct and appropriate to say no if you are physically exhausted, if you need to get water or use the restroom, if you are injured, or if you’ve already promised that dance to someone else. If you decline someone for one of these reasons you can seek that person out later and ask him/her to dance.
However, keep in mind that if you do turn someone down it's considered very rude to then accept an invitation to dance from someone else while that same song is playing. Not only is this poor dance etiquette, it is inconsiderate and cruel and will dampen the evening for the rejected partner.
It is never acceptable to say “no” because you don't think the partner is good enough for you, or because you are hoping someone “better” will ask you. In order for social dancing to be a fun and joyous activity dancers must be supportive of and kind to each other at all skill levels.
If anyone has a history of invading your personal space, dancing too forcefully, causing you pain, or monopolizing your time, you are not obligated to accept an invitation to dance with him / her. Etiquette strongly supports you in saying no if the person is dangerous, offensive or abusive (physically or verbally).
How to Say No
If you do say no, etiquette explicitly says that you do not have to give reasons. It is kind, however, to say something like "No thank you, not just now; perhaps later". Add a smile to mitigate the blow.
Saying Thank You
Everyone likes to be appreciated so don't forget to smile and thank your dance partner for a nice dance – after every dance. Technically speaking, the person who asked the other to dance should thank his or her partner for the pleasure – but it’s completely appropriate for the asked party to say "thank you," or "that was fun" or something similarly appreciative.
In addition, good manners indicates that the leader should always escort the follower off the floor. Never leave your partner standing in the middle of the floor alone.

Private dance lessons

2012-01-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

A private lesson is a way to find greater understanding of the body's potential. People pay for private lessons routinely in golf and tennis, for personal trainers and for physical therapists, all coaches in handling the body. In golf and tennis you get to win. Personal trainers keep you healthy. Physical therapists get you back to health.
In ballroom dancing, unless you indulge in competition, all you win is a good feeling. Perhaps you demonstrate a dedication to the art.
Social dancers on Cape taking group lessons, usually organized around dance steps, can't create a smooth dance style because each person's misunderstanding is not the same as that of the group.
As a teacher, I am happy some students have chosen to go with a series of private lessons, honing the steps they have and practicing them.
As a student, I do my homework to discover my understanding of the dances and then bring the action in for critique.
Now if only I were a Real Salesman, I'd convince people to spend that money, but that's not how I was raised. Sales lessons at the chain studios include finding out how much money people have to spend - find out what kind of car they drive or where they went to school. BU grad with a BMW? Great!

Quickstep

2012-01-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

Onestep, Foxtrot - get those steps going smoothly and then speed it up!
Happy music, Mary used to call it.

House of Buds Review

2012-01-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hey, the wood dance floor is decent for a small crowd, but Johnny Hoy drew a large crowd.
I enjoyed seeing some Hyannis characters who would have been at home in Florida: the beach bum type with long curly blond hair and the the aggressively red haired lady with the frilled lace blouse and the rhinestone belt who probably wishes it were still line dancing at Bud's Country Lounge.
People we knew were ballroom dancers, Johnny Hoy followers, and a guy we used to see at Harry's.
One young man's style used lots of foot action, great stuff, but his feet are going to hurt. That's the pain of being a dancer.
Joe says, "We've got to get Johnny Hoy back at the community Hall where there's some room."
I said, "WE?? Maybe Judy Laster."

Hoy at House of Buds

2012-01-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

Used to be Bud's Country Lounge and had line dancing.
I didn't alert InsideOut about the gig because Johnny Hoy can be very crowded anyway.
Then I get to start teaching Monday and Thursday will be a Salsa night at Art Works in New Bedford with Groupo Sazon, so things are looking up!
Spring weather out there.

havetodance.com

2012-01-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

Great website Benson does for the Boston area
For years he has had the most complete dance listings.
He also calls it dancenet, but that website is something else.
I have no trouble remembering havetodance.
Kudos! and my apologies for ever being vague.

Teen Swing

2012-01-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

I sent out a batch of emails to all the schools on Cape Cod, except Pope John Paul II because I couldn't find an email address. They'll get a piece of paper. Actually, I don't expect a lot of response, but I have a pilot program at Falmouth Academy and connections to Falmouth High School. Steve & DeeDee Burke are on board and they have done something at Sturgis. Go Youth Dancing!

Dreaming

2012-01-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

I just searched my website for Dream. Not that popular a word for me.
"Follow your dream" is one of those cliches they trot out for high school seniors, but I like better an idea that your dreams can follow you. You find yourself within society making a difference wherever you fit in, rather than looking to a phantasm for direction.

Youth Ballroom Programs?

2012-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Jump starting or "booting up" youth programs - Cape wide?
My plan includes getting dance teachers, dance schools, and public and private schools on board.
Send out a bunch of notices and see who bites. Draft of a letter follows:

Dear Sir/Madam

The ballroom dance community on Cape Cod is now supported by a
scholarship fund to promote the art among the youth.
We would like to offer reduced rate dance classes to teens.
As a corollary, we would then offer opportunities to progress beyond the
social level to ballroom dance as DanceSport , a competitive interest
pursued by teams in the colleges and beyond.
We have identified several qualified teachers on Cape who would
participate in this program.
If you believe you might have a group of teens who would benefit from
this, I would love to work with you.
Ellen Brodsky
Chairman
Mary French Scholarship Fund
508 548 0036
ellenbrodskydance@comcast.net

3 Stooges -12/31/11

2012-01-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

So, fresh out of jail, they had 'married' some society dames who decided to scare them off by making them take dance lessons (ha,ha).
The prissy instructor told them to do exactly as she did, (I laughed) then a bee found its way into her clothing (not as funny), but then she did terrific wiggling and handsprings.
Unfortunately that was it for the 'dancing'.The party they were preparing for deteriorated into a food fight.

Tablecloths

2012-01-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

One of my mother's favorite things is tablecloths - expanses of patterned cloth, finished and yet full of possibilities. Naturally she has piles and stacks and cabinets and boxes of choices that she never gets around to using. Cleaning up that big room before Christmas, I took three more.
The New Year's Eve dance needed decoration. Beautiful tablecloths draping round tables, long tables, the screen, the bulletin board, and the long bench that has seen better days. The big hall at St. Barnabas was festive and comfortable.
I look forward to a St. Patrick's Day dance there - with better publicity!

1966 songs

2011-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

WFPB Folk/Rock has a 45 year retrospective going - Bob Dylan, Donovan, Dusty Springfield, Byrds, Lovin' Spoonful, Mamas & Papas and there's the Beatles. None of it makes me want to dance. I guess the dance music was in other genres.

Sales

2011-12-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

I constantly do a reality check on what I hear. That's why I like jokes that start, "A ____ goes into a bar, and ...", so I can go into a willing suspension of disbelief.
Sales resistance stems from that same trait.
Making sales sometimes involves leading people on into their own fantasies.
Often, ballroom dancing depends on that fantasy aspect of the activity, but the way I teach and promote classes does not.
I see people who have come from the hard sell studios, and I pull back. They should fear that from me. In some ways I'm sorry because the approach can work, and I truly believe that dance can enrich any life.

Fitness resolutions vs Dance & Stretch

2011-12-29T07:37:00.000-08:00

The gyms get the women thinking of being fit. Machines and regimens, a class every morning and every night of the week, working in unison.
I conduct a playful class, not enough all on its own, but more self aware, and the music is good. The drop-in policy means I need a much larger set of possible students.
My New Year resolutions is to find that larger group.

Get Some Dancing In

2011-12-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness we went to see Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish at Grumpy's Friday night, since the dancing has been scarce.
Christmas was a lot of work for me. The turkey we raised and processed was wonderful, but I was in charge of the 7 hours of roasting, and the turkey soup the next day.
Then my granddaughter - after three days, playing with a three year old becomes work!
My official work as a dance teacher is much more like playing.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T04:29:00.000-08:00

The turkey is ready to be stuffed and roasted. Cookies are baked. Rooms are cleaned. Fancy treasures are displayed with an idea that they could find a new home. The gathering can begin!
As far as dancing goes, we went to Grumpy's for Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. Can that man sing! It was bumper car dancing, but everybody had a good time, and I got my fix since there will be no place or time with all the family to visit and take care of.

Finishing Up the Emu Oil

2011-12-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Emu oil sounds yucky but I got sold on it - hey, try a tiny bottle - at a craft fair a few years ago.
I used it a bit and saw no difference, but then it was almost gone, so I went on a tack to use it every day - Use It Up! I love finishing things. I read the latest brain science says this is an inherited characteristic that counteracts the procrastination tendency (also in your brain) that can be so prevalent and crippling.
As it happened, my new application method, drops on the back of my left hand before applying to my face, showed me the definite improvement where I could see it. I have ordered more.

Another room at our mother's house

2011-12-21T16:21:00.000-08:00

My sister and I were a great team, and surprisingly, our mother was happy to accept the help in her messy "studio".
She had been skeptical that we would respect her stuff, but maybe she's realized space is another luxury, better than any of the fancy treasures she has accumulated.

Transformation

2011-12-17T05:09:00.000-08:00

Thinking about how people want to be transformed, but maybe not actually change.
Pilates uses that word, transform, and I begin to see how it works, remembering how I used to look at myself in the mirror and try to stand naturally to see how fat I really was.
In fact, having developed my core muscles, I expect to see myself as pulled in. It's not fake any more to hold myself the best way.

Grand Jury is over

2011-12-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Three months of Fridays and I heard stories of the lowlife of Cape Cod - makes you wonder as you go about your business, what else is going on!

Christmas Baking

2011-12-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

I've given up having cookies around the house because nobody loves them more than I do.
For Christmas, I get to make up bunches and put them in tins to take to the family reunion at the big house in Stockbridge.
I made mocha Russian Teacakes, mini ginger scones, my grandmother's ginger cookie, almond macaroons with ganache filling, Joe's mother's mundelbread, almond twists, and mini turnovers. When I called up Joe's mother, she said, "Mundelbread? I want fruitcake!" So I made fruitcake.
Helen's Great Ginger Cookies!
3/4 c butter, 1 c sugar, 1/4 c molasses, 1 egg
2 1/2 c flour (Here the 1/2 is added in, penciled on top of the c for cup, so last time I made them without the 1/2 cup and got more of a ginger snap than the ball cookie)
2 t soda, 1 t cinnamon, 1 t ginger, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t cloves
Melt butter, cool and add to beaten sugar, egg and molasses. Sift dry ingredients and add sugar mixture. Mix well, form into ball and roll in granulated sugar.
Bake 8-10 minutes at 350-375 degrees. Makes 5 dozen.

Tango Steps

2011-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Our addition to the American Tango on Sunday was very interesting and will be useful once we get it incorporated into the dance. Often steps from a workshop just fall by the wayside, but this batch is going to work - even the names are cool - Media Luna and Flip. Thanks Ron!

Special Dance Party in Cataumet

2011-12-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

Cape Cod Dance Center just has these parties a few times a year. This one will feature Ron Gursky's take on American Tango. The guy who has been teaching Argentine Tango will step back from the dance that has everything, he says, to let us just work on the slice of it that some of us enjoy, beyond T-A-N-G-O, but still marching along.
Our holiday party before the winter break.

Great shoes

2011-12-09T11:44:00.001-08:00

Dancer's Place carries Bloch ballroom shoes now - a superior brand. I am very pleased with the little low heeled sandal - decent price, too!

Two Dimensional Dance Art - (looking for Christmas card)

2011-12-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

I mean paintings and cards depicting dance. So far for me, I just like that one artist with two pictures, one with a maid and an umbrella, one with the couple in a fog set of pictures.
Okay, found them. Jack Vettriano's work called "The Singing Butler" and "Dance me to the End of Love" Idealized - the ideal of ballroom dancing.
My sister just went to a studio in Philly owned by a Tango aficionado. (http://www.lesleymitchell.com/) who said you're so close you feel your partner's heartbeat while dancing. "A tour de force: racing around intimately." She sees the dancers as they are, not as I would like to imagine them to be.
Other painters show overexcited or oversexed dancers, not depicting the calm, clear center that stays focused while the limbs move to the music.

recording from DVR.....(DWTS over but not to be forgotten?)

2011-12-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

We're in a changeover zone.
Not going back to VHS.
DVD/R player just died.
Now, do I go for USB storage or DVD storage?
Do I trust either one to last? If so, how long?
The new TV has output to a computer - that's promising except that I don't need a laptop devoted to video recordings.
And will the picture get shrunk or stretched?
DWTS, I hope to make a "best of", but no promises.

solid activity

2011-12-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Two hours of stacking wood, an hour of a private lesson, an hour of a group lesson, teaching for an hour and a half. Feels great.

Big weekend in Falmouth

2011-12-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

With two church fairs and a Farmer's Market, you could hardly park downtown. I was decorating the Conservatory, so it was almost over by the time I got there, and I missed the Congo Church, looking in at St. Barnabas because I wanted to see how the hall was faring in the season. A nice decorated tree.
The Woods Hole Renaissance Fair seemed smaller, but then again, I was late. I saw the parade of the Santas form for a march on Water Street.
Holidays at Highfield. Pageant at Highfield Theater. Christmas Stroll on Main Street.
My dance was small change in the midst of all that, but new dancers came in for inoculation. Hope they catch the bug!
Today: Christmas Parade, Mostly Men's Chorus performance, Ron Gursky's lessons, then I have a teen party with a great bunch of kids.

Not a Pilates mat class, really

2011-12-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

I tried out a 9:00 class at Balanced Fitness because I like that time of day. We used the ball throughout. That was what I call a dull class. No individual attention, no core work that I could feel, no music. And yet it was crowded. Then I hear they're re-arranging the schedule.

Decorations

2011-12-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

This year, I am in charge of decorating the Conservatory hall. There will be no painted Nutcracker on the window. Paper cut snowflakes are good. I did those with my granddaughter. Lights are nice to have. A bit early for Christmas cookies. Hmmmm.

Reviewing the dances

2011-11-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

A nice idea my advanced class had for the last two months of the year. We have been doing a review of the dances, especially the ones they forgot - West Coast, Bolero, Quickstep, two weeks per dance - a breakneck speed.

Pilates Certification

2011-11-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

Choices to get certified:
Online test which I passed, not really valid, but sort of interesting and gives me something if I pay $99.
Courses near Boston up to $5,000. I'm looking into the possibility of a $300 course.

Swing for teens

2011-11-28T13:53:00.000-08:00

Teen classes - a push this winter has started already with the music department at the Conservatory adding another dimension to Swing in Falmouth.
Let's get it across the Cape!

Healthy Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T04:11:00.000-08:00

Really it can be a great holiday, especially if your sister-in-law who loves to cook decides to bring her in-laws next door and they all do a lot of the work, very well. We were apprehensive, but I loved just doing the pies. We provided home-grown super- fresh turkey, too, a 25 pound creature that was processed for a brine bath in a cooler on Sunday.
Add in a beautiful day and a walk to the cranberry bogs for no food hangover.

Last weekend

2011-11-24T04:32:00.000-08:00

One of my road trips was Saturday to Providence College Dance Concert where my daughter-in-law teaches and choreographs. Hers was the first one she ever composed, interesting and dark involving a couch and a bunch of people not communicating, a thoughtful piece reminding me of family tensions showing up with the holidays. I believe she's happier now.
Firestarter was inspiring, done to Duke Ellington's "Night Creatures". I can attempt to reproduce one of the costumes. After I wear it at Halloween, I'll share with my granddaughter.

Over for now

2011-11-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

It was a season with great dances, and I have it on DVR.
MAYBE, I could do my very own DVD of highlights. I would certainly keep Sir Tristan and Lady Nancy dancing on the bright side of life, Derek and Ricki's Psycho tango, Rob K's freestyle. I couldn't have JR's freestyle because ABC cheated me out of it with that football.
I think the judges underscored JR on Monday to rile up viewers and get more votes to come in. I knew he would win, and I was pleased Rob got second place. Making it to the finals is the real prize, and probably comes with more money.
So You Think You Can Dance should start up soon.

DWTS bumped by Football- sort of ran late

2011-11-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

And not LIVE! I hope the rest of the country, non-Patriot super fans got it on time.
My DVR found it after Jimmy Kimmel, but missed the last 10 minutes, so I have only seen JR's freestyle in a choppy version with digitized squares on abc.go.com.
That was super authentic salsa with the hip-hop flavor so popular in that dance world. No wonder his cha-cha was a little flat. It was a ballroom version of how Latinos dance.
I could hope the judges ask for it as a re-run, but the lifts were dangerous.
Rob K. had a fantastic freestyle, too, a 1920s New Jersey style "Minnie the Moocher" both smooth and smart.

Planning ahead

2011-11-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

Lake Pearl Ballroom $75 pp for DOCMA dance Sunday December 11.Hmmmmm - not for Joe Brodsky
Roy Scott Band there 2/12, dinner optional.
K&S Music sometime in April.
And that plus Halloween seems to be the extent of ballroom dancing at the beautiful venue in Wrentham.

Setting up Scholarship awards

2011-11-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

As I am now in charge of the Mary French Scholarship fund, I am setting up a means to award the money to local youth.
A first step is to send out guidelines to the schools and dance academies that money is available for youth to try social dance. A voucher would give a half price class to students.
After completing a session, promising students would submit a letter of interest for private lessons with a view to improving their dancing enough to perform in a showcase or join a ballroom dance team when they go to college.
Since the Cape is a large region, we would like to offer parents and youth choices of qualified teachers.
All this should happen with the new year.

Casual New Year's Eve

2011-11-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

All set with St Barnabas Church Parish Hall for a New Year's Eve casual dance -
like my monthly dances, but no lesson and a slightly different time, 8 to 11 PM.
The big hall includes round tables, so people are encouraged to contribute favorite finger food, and groups can chat while they take a break from dancing.
More details follow, but this, at $10, will be the best buy in Falmouth. If people want to spend money, the restaurants are planning special menus, and should be happy to take early seatings.

DWTS Finals November 2011

2011-11-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

JR hurt his ankle. Ricki Lake has chronic rib pain. Hope Solo, we only just heard, has massive shoulder reconstruction. Only Rob Kardashian, age 24, is able to just relax and enjoy the dance with Cheryl. When asked why he should go to the finals, he said, "Because I love to dance!" He was a joy to watch, and we get to watch him next week.
My choice: trophy to JR.
Beyond that, the other two had a great ride.
I hope they all continue to dance.

Injuries again

2011-11-15T05:16:00.000-08:00

The performance art that is DWTS seems to be demanding more tricks. Case in point - a cartwheel from Nancy Grace - and she lost anyway. Now the favorite, JR, has twisted his ankle.
Happily the version of ballroom dancing practiced on Cape Cod is a social art like conversation or board games, but more fun because there is the exhilaration of music and physical movement.
An occasional misstep or tension in the shoulders means it could be said to be more dangerous than sitting around, except that sitting around happens anyway in all our lives to an unhealthy extent.

Solear

2011-11-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Solear, a very difficult rhythm in Flamenco with accents on 3, 7, 10 and 12.
My teacher here gives a fairly simple rendition. If only my feet hadn't been hurting by the end, I might have been able to dance it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6NaQ1bzvKU&feature=email

All this and no mention of Harvard's Ballroom Dance program

2011-11-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

Jill Johnson, the new director of the dance program within Harvard’s Office for the Arts knows that many people are intimidated by dancing, which makes it hard to be comfortable as a beginner. She encourages nonprofessional dancers not to worry so much about how they look, but to concentrate on how they feel: dance is a way to explore what of ourselves gets expressed, and our relationship to others on the dance floor. “We worry about how we are perceived by others,” she adds. “People say, ‘I’m not a dancer’ and that shuts off curiosity about it. We were born with the capacity to dance! Children who see someone playing music on the street will move to connect with the beat. That instinct gets lost because of who we think we are supposed to be as adults.” Great dancing is not about satisfying the ego — it is “an offering” of your gifts, Johnson says.

There is no doubt of the positive effect, in general, of physical activity on the brain, on cognitive functioning, and on age-related problems, notes David Kahn, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “But dancing adds another aspect to exercise and its effect on our bodies and brains, because it is a joyous activity.” He is part of Dance New England that holds a Dance Freedom. “Every dance I find some joy in,” Kahn says, “but every once in a while, like the other night, there is a meshing with another dancer and there is a chemistry that is like chocolate melting in your mouth.”

Dancing Makes Us More Alive by Nell Porter Brown

2011-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

(From the Harvard alumni magazine thanks to a student. I have edited for this blog.)

In primitive cultures throughout the world, dance brought communities together in a common purpose, says jazz master Wynton Marsalis, Ar.D. ’09, Dances requested rain or a successful hunt or battle, opened paths to gods and other spirits, promoted fertility and gender identity. They taught “our young the meaning of sexuality as they entered adulthood,” he said. “Dancing sanctified our space. It could heighten our sense of being alive by making us one with the very ground we danced on, the air we breathed, and the seen and the unseen.”

Dance was, and is, a unique and essential human activity that connects us to the musical rhythms of life. “Unlike rowing a boat or chopping wood, in dancing you became more of yourself as you became one with others. You almost never got tired because your spirit soared the more you danced — because this was play.” Proving that point, his four-and-a-half hour presentation on the history of social dance and music in America was punctuated by dazzling performances, from the cakewalk, minuet, waltz, and fox trot to tap, tango, the Charleston, the lindy hop, the mashed potato, merengue, cha cha, and the twist.

Marsalis said social partner dancing allowed “a glimpse into another soul, if only for a moment, through the exuberance of motion.” He took a year to research the origins of popular dance, clarifying for him what social dancing has contributed to culture. “It was competition, cooperation, and consciousness,” he noted. Dance “is and was and will always be community in action. Although life is no cakewalk, people are going to dance no matter what, because it makes us more alive.”

Partner connection

2011-11-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

I checked my blog post to see how often I talk about connection. 20 posts only, over the years, and some of them were about the VCR/TV, so time to re-visit that most important aspect of partnered dancing.
For the man, I've stopped saying "Hold her" because then he thinks of using his fingers which is uncomfortable.
For the lady, the slight pull back into the man's hand is a feeling that can take a while to get, especially if he is deferential or gets lazy.
If there is distance between the two, as we commonly dance in social American style, this connection becomes crucial.
More distance, more important, such as in West Coast Swing, or any time dancers are at arms length in the open positions. The connection goes deep into the palm of the hands and thereby connects to the back.

Life's Little Truths (Orange Peel Gazette)

2011-11-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

"If at first you don't succeed, see if the loser gets anything."
DWTS is a great show because the loser gets plenty. We don't even know about the money.
Another good quote for the couple voted off, "Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today."

hope for Hope

2011-11-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

Great Show!
This week the costume designers seemed to be doing their best to make everyone look great. Earlier in the season, they let some ugly outfits go out there, but this time, they put a suit on Rob Kardashian that made his butt look sleek. Nancy Grace looked cute instead of lumpy. Rikki Lake's legs were on full display for the Jive.
I feel like I've been waiting a long time to see Hope Solo's dress, the kind that I always wanted to wear, garden party without being at all uptight. I wanted to be in that dress, dancing Quickstep like her, so strong and light.
Hope's Jive outfit was one I couldn't wear, but she looked great letting that fringe spin all up the pants, and her kicks and flicks were as high as Maks. She can't leave now. Especially now that she has got Maks to teach nicely. He said it takes more time, but if she doesn't learn, which she didn't before, it doesn't work, and you don't teach her, and all the time is wasted. Like the saying: if you buy something that's not right, the money is wasted.

Last of Mambo Dancer quotes

2011-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have an addictive personality and I've struggled with addiction. In my 30s, when I pulled myself together from the funk that I was in for about 15 years, I remembered that I loved dancing. I feel like God really wants me to do what I do best. My best expression of myself is to dance.
I've seen people have heart attacks on the dance floor. I've seen about three people dancing and falling backwards, never getting up. But you know what? If I were going to die, I'd want to die dancing with everybody around me dancing.

Saturday Night Hit at St. Barnabas Parish Hall

2011-11-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

Record attendance for me, and I didn't do anything different except change the place.
Early in November is a good timing.
Also, people came to see the venue which is easier to find, perhaps more inclusive than the lovely room on top of the hill.
The teaching was basic as usual, and very quick, just so they could get started and have a good time. They didn't leave right after the lesson, so it was a good time.
I'll have to see if I can get it more often.

Hustle with JP

2011-11-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

I liked the new step, but trouble can happen with fancy arm work that you never did before: tension in either of the cooperating dancers' arms.
Light arms don't automatically happen, and I got a twinge in my shoulder after trying the step on the wrong person. She had taken the class, so I assumed she was ready for the new move. (You know about 'assume'.)
Another lesson for me - not the step as much as choosing which step for which lady.

More Mambo Dancer

2011-11-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Candice Angelet goes on, " I try to say yes to everyone, I don't like to say no. But sometimes a man is very unkempt, you know, and he looks horrible and he's stinky and - sometimes a girl's got to do what she's got to do. And sometimes, you just have to say no!
"Mambo is the old term, now they call it salsa. I'm an 'on two' dancer. It's one, two, three, one, two. One, two, three, one, two, and I start on the second beat. A lot of people come in on the first beat. Dancing 'on one' is very easy. And usually clubs are sort of divided between the 'on one' and the 'on two' dancers. And the 'on two' dancers dance with the 'on two' dancer. It's like an unspoken understanding."

The Mambo Dancer

2011-11-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

In the New York Times a few years ago. I just found the clipping.
"I never take a date to a club. I don't believe in dancing with one person all night. How boring can that be?

"When I'm dancing, I feel young, vibrant, sexy, strong. I'm thinking, I don't want this music to stop. that this music is bringing out the primitive in me. I feel like it's safe sex on the dance floor. Because I can do whatever I want on the dance floor and no one's going to hurt me. I can get as close to my partner as I want, and as far from him as I want. It's all up to me, I'm really the one in control. The man usually thinks he's the one in control because he's the lead. But the woman really controls how close a man gets when they're dancing."

Entertainment

2011-11-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

Really top production quality on DWTS - such as the special effects tarantula filling the dance floor. Tom says "Oh, there you are!"
Loved the lightning that struck the floor in the middle of JR and Karina's dance. Karina's costume of fluttery ghost like feathers. They were robbed in judge's scores. I feel like the producers had their fingers in that pie. Give JR an impossible song and then underscore so people feel sorry for him. Plus he's the one calming Karina down. Usually the pros are the ones who have to be sane.
JR's main competition is Derek - who is so terrific and gives Ricki lots of great opportunity to show her strengths.
I'm ready to pick who else will be in the final - Rob Kardashian whose family 'isn't creepy, though they're kooky", he says since he has to dance to the Adams Family song.
We still have Nancy not-so-Grace-ful. Poor Tristan trying to talk about Fun, and Nancy repeatedly accused him of saying she was Not Fun, so he had to bow out of that discussion. We got to see his Irish Step Dance flavor in the bouncy Jive.
Meanwhile Maks hurt his toe, so Hope got a break and got to practice with someone else. Maks calls himself 'Bad Boy', but that sounds like he's just naughty, not an obnoxious overbearing prick.
David Arquette had to leave, and that is fine because there was always something off, and I'm going to say it was timing. He lacked the ability to connect to the rhythm in the heat of performance. Then he would giggle.
Just 3 weeks to go. Then what will I talk about?
Maybe SYTYCD will start. Derek's Flamenco/Argentine Tango performance with SYTYCD winner Allison Holker has to get some attention outside the ballroom world. DWTS still has better production values. The live Flamenco orchestra took it up another notch.

Promenade

2011-11-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Dance teachers speak of promenade as a very difficult step to do well.
Students happily do their Foxtrot double-wide and wonder what the big deal is.
Then we take it up a notch with styling through Waltz twinkles and Tango. The step begins to smooth it out.
Next, try going back to the old easy 6-count Foxtrot promenade - it goes the other way, off to the left, and then moves forward on the left foot! Shoehorning the new styling into the old step is not easy.

Best Cape Cod Party this side of P-Town

2011-10-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

Everything is this side of P-Town.
The cheerful, creative crowd voted Man in a Cage most original, though I cast him as scariest. I loved the organ grinder and his monkey, but they didn't stay together the whole evening to be the best duo like the Siamese twins did. I voted for me, Flowerpot lady who claims to be Mother Nature, as funniest, but I guess Zippy the Pinhead captured the cartoon shtick really well. They liked the headless man as scariest, and his costume was very good.
Dancing was good, too. The Cotuit Center for the Arts had taken down their huge stadium seating that can cover the whole floor.

"This American Life"

2011-10-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

An NPR episode about Middle School, including broadcasting from school dances.
All that embarrassed and uncomfortable chat.
Chaperones ready to break up whatever like the 'grinding' we've heard about, the type of dancing they do on MTV. The high schools don't even have dances any more since the students refuse to do any other type of dancing.

Halloween Circus or Sideshow?

2011-10-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Cotuit Center for the Arts has a sideshow theme this year, a darker slice of life. Will there a two-headed character, a costume that could win Halloween prizes at manys the event. I would rather be in a circus than a sideshow. Shades of the Midway at the Barnstable County Fair, a corridor I tried to keep my boys away from.
The Arts Foundation has set up a mask contest. Will the artists be inspired? Who will ante up the $100 to attend at the Wychmere Country Club? Doug and Kimberley will be on hand to promote ballroom dancing to those who can afford it, or anything else.

Steps for West Coast Swing

2011-10-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

There's a million steps in this dance because it allows for so much play time, once you get the basics down. Structure that you can build on. So I spent an hour writing up the basics for students.
Now I have to provide a playground. I can play more West Coast music at my dance, or people can dance West Coast to Foxtrot music like the real Westies do, just staying in the middle of the floor, so the Foxtrotters can dance circles around them. There's room for all. West Coast to Chacha music - happens all the time.

This week DWTS

2011-10-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

For great DWTS moments, I thought the first two dances, Rob K. and Nancy G., were delightful, showing improvement and humor, musicality and performance.
Rob's family is still awful. His mother coming into rehearsal and telling him he has grown up and starting to cry, so embarrassing. His sisters razzing the judges and texting madly throughout, as Tom told us.
Nancy was odd in rehearsal, asking for content and then accusing Tristan of giving her too much and planning for her to fail.
Definately stress is starting to show.
David Arquette looked better clean shaven and loved his dance, he said, but his innate goofiness rushed him out of sync no matter what Kym could do.
Ricki had a lovely dress finally, and Derek's choreography showed her off beautifully, making her look better than she is. I liked her response to Brooke's comment about losing weight. "I don't know. Maybe 20 pounds."
Chaz, well, today we can breathe a sigh of relief. I just kept thinking, "Go away, go away, go away."
Hope must have mixed feelings about staying. She is having such a hard time.
It was indeed her worst dance, clunky and haphazard. She said she felt relaxed, which she may have needed, but you need to be a bit keyed up for performance.
Maks is another story, and I wonder if he should take a break from the show. Often, I think they just keep him because he is tall enough for some of the celebrities. Is his brother the same height and a nicer person, less full of himself, less paranoid?
He apologized and I guess we are to remember that English is his second language. In some way, I think he meant it when he said, "It's my show." I loved it when Tom said, "I was going to ask him for a raise!"
Finally, JR looks like a winner all the way, and we don't see the face as horrifying as we did in the beginning. I wonder if more reconstruction can happen.

Will Power

2011-10-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

On my way back to the Cape, Bob Edwards Weekend had a story on Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strengthby John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister. Willpower as a 'muscle' in our brains that gets stronger through being exercised and needs glucose to work. Diets don't work because we need to eat to be able to resist overeating.
The same greedy part of the brain does decision making, so judges tend to give parole, a harder decision, earlier in the day. Quarterbacks get decision fatigue.
Personally, I had just gone through hours of decisions on the stuff my mother has been collecting for 50 years. Taking breaks was important.
I loved listening to the section about children who could resist eating a marshmallow, usually by distracting themselves, not by concentrating on defeating the marshmallow. Later studies showed willpower as a prime predictor of success in life, measured in ways like finishing school, marrying happily, and staying out of jail.

Not dancing on Cape Cod

2011-10-24T09:36:00.001-07:00

In fact, my weekend was quite active. My older sister and I cleaned out a few corners of my mother's house. Three stories, along with an attic and a basement means a box of rubbish might need to go down four flights of stairs.
Meanwhile, here in Falmouth, Joe said Sweet Melissa did one of her best sets ever at Grumpy's.

PR for the papers

2011-10-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Mary French Scholarship dance October 14 entertained ballroom dancers from all over Cape Cod. Music was played by Trilogy Band, a favorite of Mary French, the Cataumet teacher who died in 2008. Showcase dancers from the MIT Ballroom Team were superb. The committee reports a healthy fund to distribute for dance education.
The Mary French Scholarship Award 2011-2012 is open to youth between the ages of 12 and 21 who live on Cape Cod and are interested in ballroom dancing. No prior experience is necessary.
The recipient(s) will be eligible for private lessons and group classes with Ron Gursky, Mary French's teacher, at the Cape Cod Dance Center in Cataumet. Other teachers may be submitted for approval by the committee.
Depending on how many awards are given out, the number of classes may vary.
Applicants may send a letter of interest to Ellen Brodsky. ellenbrodskydance@comcast.net

DWTS Getting interesting!

2011-10-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Going last to first:
Last week Derek got music at a blistering speed for Tango. He did great choreography This week 80s punk for Foxtrot? Even Derek couldn't rise above that. Rikki Lake's outfit was not flattering; multiple tiers of ruffles seldom are.
David Arquette does well for a comedian. Comedians have a hard time taking themselves seriously.
Lacey's outfit looked like bad candy. Don't the costume designers like her? Chaz did better, but if they choose the 3 worst dancers for the end in the red light, he's there.
Rob Kardashian acts less like a spoiled brat every week. I think Cheryl is good for him. Concentrating on self improvement has to help a young man.
Jose Rene Martinez did fabulous Samba and I've gotten used to his scarred face enough to not have to look away. Karina has a manic look on her face that is almost as hard to watch.
Nancy Grace did very nicely, and Tristan is so cute - "Boy Toy" indeed.
Carson was icky, but I was so entranced by Anna's outfit, I hardly watched him except to laugh a bit.
Hope Solo doesn't quite dance and I keep wondering if it's because she doesn't like Maks. Seems like he maybe does better with his stars if they sleep together.

WHOI Harvest Ball

2011-10-17T06:05:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Andy at WHOI for getting a good band, After Hours Blues Band with Dave Richardson, as well as the best caterer, Roland (Yum). The Brodsky dance floor performed as well as the dancers on it - great!
Plenty of people came this year since they opened it to the entire scientific consortium - and friends. Hopefully they made good money for the Cape Cod Shelter. Raffle tickets may be the way to go.

Stunning

2011-10-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

I was right - the showcase dancers were superb on Friday. I spent the first set in awe, hardly clapping, as did most of the people, it seemed, so DeeDee Burke asked me to remind the audience that they do not mind and are not distracted by applause. Polite quiet is not the proper response.
Noelle Sun held herself with pride and grace that you know was supported by strong core muscles. Gowns are more beautiful than ever, and these weren't slathered with Sawarovski crystals either, just fitted and flowing. Even my husband was impressed by the flame colored scarves floating off her arms.
Meanwhile, Ben Moss, not a large man, commanded the space, using the length of Betsy's Ballroom, our largest on-Cape floor.
We see too much of the showy versions of ballroom dances, especially in the Latin division, but spilling over into the American Smooth, so these 5 International Standard dances, tradition honed to perfection, showed us how beautiful strict discipline can be.

Running an event

2011-10-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

For the Mary French Scholarship Dance, Janice Condron and I were essentially a committee of two. I missed having a group of ladies I could count on as I did when I ran the Masque Ball, though I do remember some tiffs. Probably Janice particularly wanted to avoid those. Volunteer help stood up, the day of the event, and I thank those stalwart folk. Thank you cards are in order.
Lovely showcase, pleasant band, great people, and an emotional evening since it was our farewell to Janice who is moving to Florida, to the condo she and Willie bought together.

Work

2011-10-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

Today:print gift certificates, make turnovers, check about lighting, check camera, print program, write speech, gather platters, pick dress,
Tomorrow: pack everything in the car, Grand Jury, buy fruit and cheese & crackers and arrange, set up tables and chairs and decorate.
Then the dance!

DWTS Chynna

2011-10-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

Interesting name. From reading Television Without Pity I see she suffers from panic attacks, so I figure the producers said they would let her go. She and Billy Baldwin can take classes together. See if their marriage survives.
No one seems as cynical as I am as to the eliminations. Is there complete transparency somewhere? Why wouldn't the producers hold veto power in a back room?
I hardly have time for this. Big event Friday, and Grand Jury, too.

No tables at the Conservatory

2011-10-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

The engine that drives the dances is fun music.
Without tables to sit at, dancers do more dancing I think. It's different - the studio dance atmosphere.
I also liked the lounge effect of some stadium seating that the Conservatory leaves in our ballroom, dancers kind of lumped together.
A large Mashpee location - how about the closed Star Market in the Commons? If I had million dollars.

Open Meeting/Members Dance

2011-10-08T05:11:00.000-07:00

Worth it to go to Betsy's Ballroom last night, especially as I was able to car pool. Thanks, Linda & Dawn!
Discussion at the board included trying to get some Falmouth/Bourne/Mashpee locations for dances. CCBD needs different locations. My dance (tonight) goes along just once a month. I get Ron to be part of a dance 4 times a year in Cataumet.
New members were elected to the board for next year, using the single unanimous vote system for a unopposed slate of five dancers who all spoke briefly and well.

Mary French Memorial Dance October 14

2011-10-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Coming up so soon - just next Friday, the terrific dance with Mary's favorite local band, Trilogy. Also, competition college dancers from MIT where Mary worked back when ballroom was just entering the competition phase that has become so popular.
With the closing of the Sons of Italy, we had to go downCape, to Betsy's Ballroom and I will figure out decorations tonight.
The food will be first rate, though not dinner. We subsist on our art! Or eat a hamburger before. But there will be fruit platters, cheese and crackers, my desserts and more.

Ballroom Hell

2011-10-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

I love this little graph. The guys get to be scientifically validated as to how hard it is. Ladies are told to go to styling class.
from dancerhangout.com
written by "staff"

Coaching

2011-10-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

The October 3 New Yorker has an article on coaching by Atul Gawande, a surgeon who can take criticism and write about it.
"Expertise, as the formula goes, requires going from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence to conscious competence and finally to unconscious competence." I love that.

Having reached the final stage, a success in one's field, a professional needs outside eyes and ears to improve. Gawande writes about musicians, athletes and teachers using coaches who can "break down performance into critical individual components." He doesn't mention dancers.

Once my students have the muscle memory for a step, I look at them and see how they could do it more easily.

Judging

2011-10-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

I watch the show, I listen to the judges, I even read Television Without Pity to get perspective. Still, I disagree with them all. Four couples got the same score, and I hated Hope Solo and David Arquette's dancing and loved Rob Kasdashian's Foxtrot and the Samba with little blond who is dancing with Mark Ballas.
Maybe the costumes put me in a bad mood. David Arquette did not need his new haircut, or his shirt open. Then, his arms were uncertain. Hope Solo had that horrid poofy skirt that showed the crotch with bare thighs and then garters and patterned stockings. Not a graceful look, and she isn't little and cute. Doesn't seem sure of what she's doing either.
Whereas Queer Eye Carson filled out his dinner jacket and attacked some Tango moves with great style. Chaz looked more comfortable than ever.
My leader board would have had Rob K. as #1 even with the huge Jesus Christ tattoo on his bicep. His deceased father (One of the lawyers who got OJ off)is on Rob's forearm. Rob: "He was a really good looking man." Cheryl: "You look like him." Rob: "Yeah." Maybe it's the whole Foxtrot smooth debonair stuff I go for.
I actually saw Hope and David live when I got home from teaching. I preferred watching my people to seeing those routines, so they went to the bottom.

Good enough

2011-10-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

We must be getting good. Ron said: First the steps, then technique, then partnering technique, then dance. So by the end of class, he told us to Dance!

quote from DEAR THEO

2011-10-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

"As to mediocre artists, to which you think I should not want to belong, what shall I say about it? I shall do what I can, but mediocrity in its simple signification I do not despise at all. And certainly one does not rise above that mark by despising what is mediocre. In my opinion, one must begin at least by having some respect for the mediocre and know that it means something, and that it is only reached with great difficulty."
Vincent Van Gogh
I love watching people dance, especially as I see the tiny steps they make to progress.

Turns

2011-10-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Practicing dance moves is a great idea.
Practicing turns makes you dizzy, so we have to make a little bit go a long way.
Neck long, head level, abs engaged, and soft arms before you even start.
Then, attention to the connection between the hip and the ball of the foot.

Light Refreshments

2011-09-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Coming up: more events without the benefit of a cash bar.
Could Joe's idea of the "Designated Drinker" give us the option?
Joe says, "Since the dancers don't drink enough to keep a place with a dance floor in business, we could go down to the local gin mill, and pick up a guy to sit at the bar all night. We would buy him drinks and drive him home afterward. Win/win!"
I'm not sure the alcoholic himself wins, but it makes a good story, so Stop Analyzing, Ellen!

Announcement! PR!

2011-09-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

This year, the Mary French Scholarship Fundraiser Dance will be held at Betsy's Ballroom, Forrest Road, Yarmouth on October 14 from 7 to10 PM. Most of the evening will feature open dancing to the excellent ballroom band, Trilogy, and ticket sales are limited to 100 to ensure an optimal dance experience for $25.
The feature showcase this year will be MIT Ballroom competition couple Ben Moss and Noelle Sun performing the Smooth dances, Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot Viennese Waltz, and Quickstep.
Noelle Sun and Ben Moss both joined the MIT Ballroom Dance Team in the fall of 2006 and have now been dance partners for two years. After a successful first year competing at the pre-championship level, in 2011 they won the amateur adult pre-championship standard division at USA Dance Nationals and currently compete at the championship level in competitions nationwide. Noelle graduated with a degree in English from Wellesley College in 2009 and is now a first-year student at the New England College of Optometry. Ben received his Master's from MIT in 2009 and is now a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Both of them are active leaders on the MIT team; Noelle coaches newcomer dancers and Ben is serving his fourth year as the team's captain.
Light Refreshments, a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and line dancing during the band's breaks will round out the evening.
Tickets are available for sale by mail.
Mary French Scholarship Fund
c/o Janice Condron
PO Box 1384
Mashpee, MA 02649
For reservations contact Ellen at 508 548-0036 ellenbrodskydance@comcast.net

The Mary French Scholarship Fund has been established as a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering ballroom dance in the youth of Cape Cod by awarding scholarships for dance lessons in the memory of Mary French who lived in Falmouth and taught dance at her studio in Cataumet for over thirty years.

ben_noelle_igb11.jpg

Fall Schedule

2011-09-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

I see people have pulled themselves together to take advantage of the fall season - a good showing at the studio, night school classes, and stretch classes.
I'm looking at conflicts - CCBD member dance the same Friday night as Rosh Hashanah, an opportunity to spend Fridays with my granddaughter, Mary French Memorial Dance Friday October 14, wedding preparation couples, possible tutoring, and
Grand Jury starting Monday. That last one is a big question mark. I made a couple of calls, but the word is, "You will find out your duty when you get here."
I'm loving the DVD/R that automatically records DWTS. (Bye, Elisabetta & Val)

Improving

2011-09-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

People love a story of improvement. Elisabetta and Rob acted less like spoiled stars in rehearsal, worked much harder and danced well. JR danced fantastically, and it has to be better than going to Iraq or sitting in surgery to get your face back. I prefer him with a hat because the scars still bother me.
The NY Times article about how the pros are becoming the stars is too right. I watch the show to see Cheryl and Maks dance as much as any other reason. The C grade 'stars' must know it, too. I hadn't even noticed Chastity Bono becoming Chaz, though I'm mildly interested.
Meanwhile, the overweight 'stars' are becoming more numerous, and we hope the show helps them become more healthy, though in Chaz's case, it seems like the knees will give out before he can take off the extra pounds that put the strain on them.
My favorite, Hope Solo, because my family are soccer fans, seemed to need a lot more work on the dance floor. I guess an award for her 100th game was important. BTW, Those were the lowest cut pants I've ever seen on the dance floor.

Still thrilled

2011-09-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

I took the feeling from the big dance into the next day.
Can't believe I couldn't give away a couple of tickets, even after 20 calls.
I'll have to talk it up even more next year.
And give feedback to Sgt. Kelly, as well as try to invite the young historical reenactor, Jason, to join us for more swing dancing. Last year, I hear, they had a choral group who sang for too long.

Camp Edwards Sock Hop

2011-09-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

Wow!
Decorations - an ice sculpture, hundred of crepe paper streamers, hundreds of balloons in a net! Halfway through the dance, they released the balloons, and we popped them for ten minutes! Then a lady with a dust mop cleared them off the floor for ten minutes so we could dance again.
Stage Door Canteen is a great band, but I wish they had stuck to the forties music because some of the fifties stuff got too loud, and the acoustics in the gym were not great.
Another highlight was dancing Swing with the young man in uniform who moved like a guy from 1944. No wonder the Brits fell in love with the dance. I should have gotten more than just his name, though he dances only Swing as they do in the Boston community. We went to one of the evenings where they danced only Swing all night, even when the song was much more of a Foxtrot or Chacha.
He pointed out some Germans who had come in their grey uniforms and the ladies wearing hats the whole evening, but unfortunately, they were just leaving.
A room of historical photos and artifacts was also interesting.
There were plenty of tasty little sandwiches, but the delicious cake went too fast.

Sweet Melissa at Grumpy's

2011-09-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

We hadn't been to Grumpys since the spring, so the down home atmosphere filled with rockin' guitar, great vocals and dancing people felt fine. Leaving after the first set was good too. The girls with drinks had begun to fill the "floor".
The owner told me Toni Lynn Washington will be there at the end of October, maybe to be a regular like Weepin' Willie? The new seating makes it nice for music lovers to just sit.
Still need earplugs.

Marley Flooring

2011-09-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

The roll up rubberized marley floor at the Conservatory, Falmouth, is great because it lets the beautiful maple floor underneath stay clean and smooth for Ballroom and for fancy events. Ballerinas don't slip in their toe shoes.
I even spent an hour re-rolling and cleaning it up. They are leaving half of it down for kids that will be easily rolled it out of the way at my next dance, October 8.
No guilt at talcum powder.

Ladies Styling

2011-09-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

As my Dance and Stretch class evolves, I see more ways it holds interest.
First, it is like Klara's Flexibility Class, a great mid-afternoon workout for Klara's Senior friends. I loved it, but Klara said I had to take the Modern Class at night.
Next, I want everyone to understand how important core muscles are. I couldn't enjoy Aerobics, Ballet or Yoga, but Pilates lets me concentrate on much of the same inner strength without loud music, strict rules, or silent spirituality.
Finally, my years of Ballroom let me lead the group in a warm-up as if it were a line dance and correct the little things that help my ladies look good while they are dancing.
And I still get to choose the music.

Mildly famous

2011-09-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

Rob Kardashian is icky. Poor Cheryl.
Maybe I could get just famous enough to be on DWTS if one of my relatives could do something. Come on, Sis!
Oh, but you're not supposed to be a dancer already. Another dream broken.
Anyway, I did identify that fun song (in my opinion a Hustle), "Dynamite" Taio Cruz. He's got his brands on.
First I googled "dayo" which got me to Harry Belafonte's "Day-O" but I didn't give up until I found the DWTS music website - Kristin and Mark's Cha-cha, 9/19/11. West Coast Swing dancers use it - they use anything.
I hear Shirley Ballas (Mark's mother)charges $385 per hour to teach children.

DVD/R=easy DTWS viewing

2011-09-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

Well, there we are. Comcast does it again - upgrades service.
Joe's sports mania put us in a category that now includes the DVD/R that I wasn't able to convince myself to get.
He says it's $5 cheaper per month - For now. The cheese in the trap.
DVD/R works very nicely. The picture was good. Fast forwarding ads worked.
The show was decent. No clear front runner yet.
I could switch back to the baseball game periodically to catch Jacoby Ellsbury's in-the-park home run. Go Sox.