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DEFY AGING: FIND A LOCAL BALLROOM DANCE CLASS

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7 reasons Ballroom Dancing helps defy the aging process.

Did you know that participating in a ballroom dance class can actually retard the aging process?  Here are 7 reasons that Ballroom Dancing helps defy the aging process.

 

1. HEART HEALTHY

It strengthens not only the heart, but the whole cardiovascular system and increases lung capacity. What a great way to get that ticker into shape… much better than running on a treadmill!

“Folks with heart failure who waltzed for 21 min., 3 times a week, increased their cardio-circulatory fitness more than those on cycles and treadmills.” (AARP Magazine May/Jun 2007)

 

2. PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS & ARTHRITIS

As women age, a drop in estrogen causes a drop in the amount of calcium absorbed into bones. Women who dance maintain higher estrogen levels keeping therefore absorbing more calcium and keeping bones strong. Dance also keeps joints lubricated, which helps prevent arthritis.

 

3. BURN FAT.

Dance equals increased circulation, which burns calories while improving stamina. Ballroom dancing dance burns from 5 to 10 calories per minute depending on speed and intensity. For example, swing and mambo burn more calories than a slow waltz.

 

4. LOWER CHOLESTEROL.

It is important to measure both good and bad cholesterol levels to measure good health. Dancing aids in lipid control, which raises our HDL (good cholesterol), and lowers our LDL (bad cholesterol). Dancing also aids in blood sugar control, making it a great choice for diabetics.

 

5. FEND OFF ALZHEIMERS.

Stay fit AND improve memory. Ballroom dancing requires that the brain recall steps, routines and dance patterns which means it’s a great mental exercise. The big benefit is that increasing mental exercise keeps the mind young, quick, alert and open.

 

6. IMPROVE BALANCE & COORDINATION.

Ballroom dancing requires balancing in a number of positions. This strengthens the stabilizer muscles, while protecting the core and preventing injury in everyday activities. Dancing also aids in coordination and helps strengthen reflexes. It is a great way to keep the central nervous system in tip-top shape by improving the body-mind connection.

 

7. MAKE ENDORPHINS.

Dance elevates endorphin levels, which creates a good mood. This heals both stress and depression — two of the immune system’s biggest enemies! It also helps establish self-confidence and self-discipline AND improves the harmony between mind and body. End result: well-being.

 

Filed Under: Ballroom, Facts, Fitness, For Adults, Guide, Information, Resources, Salsa, Styles, Swing, Waltz

Is your ballroom dance instructor certified?

By thedanceinstructor Leave a Comment

Ballroom Dance is sweeping this country. It’s on TV, on Broadway and in Hollywood. American’s can’t seem to get enough of it! Television, movies and theater have brought ballroom back to American mainstream, but, the question is, who is teaching America how to dance?

It turns out, there’s a shortage of qualified ballroom dance teachers.


No Regulation in Ballroom Instruction

Did you know that there is NO governing or regulatory body that oversees the certification of teachers in the Ballroom Dance industry? This has given the industry a bad name for years.

Picture this: you’re inspired by the shows and head off to your local Park District to take a class – the instructor there has watched a few YouTube videos and is now a self-proclaimed ‘instructor’. You have a hard time with the steps and decide dancing is not for you and give up.

This happens EVERYDAY. But the issue is NOT with you, the client, the problem is that you had an untrained teacher that didn’t know how to break it down and make it easy!

“We struggle to find enough credentialed teachers” says Alex Wilhelm, studio manager for a prominent studio in Chicago’s south suburbs. “Anyone can claim they’re an instructor, but we only hire teachers who have passed their exams. It’s important to us to offer quality instruction.”

 

Ballroom Teachers: One Step Ahead

Many of the larger, chain studios even place ads for instructors that say ‘no experience necessary’. This means that those instructors are learning on the job and are usually only one or two lessons ahead of their clientele. An unsuspecting customer pays for a teacher and gets someone that knows just enough to teach a lesson. PLUS, newly hired teachers spend years feeling stressed and overwhelmed with a ‘fear’ that they’ll be asked something they don’t yet know and their cover will be blown! It’s outrageous.

 

The Ballroom Teacher College

As the popularity of ballroom has increased, so has the determination to reform the industry. Diane Jarmolow, founder of the Ballroom Teacher’s College in California, developed a core curriculum that covers all aspects of teaching 17 different dances over a period of 16 months.

She worked with top instructors across the country and used it to train hundreds of successful teachers in her own studio. She then made the course available to other ballrooms that were interested in having trained, credentialed staff instead of trying to teach their teachers ‘on the fly’ and hope for the best.

 

Find a Certified Ballroom Dance Instructor

To find a good instructor near you, read the article, “Are All Ballroom Instructors The Same?  A Quick Guide to Finding a Qualified Instructor“.  It covers the misconceptions and solutions and provides specific questions to ask instructors in your area.

“the Ballroom Teacher Certification course is one of the best things that has happened to the ballroom dance industry,” says Maren Oslac, owner of the Illinois Ballroom Teacher College  (www.ILBTC.com)  “Teachers need to be required to pass exams and get certified, bad teachers give our entire industry a horrible reputation.”

 

 

Filed Under: Facts, Featured Articles, For Adults, For Beginners, For Children, For Dance Instructors, For Men, For Women, Guide, Instructor's Voice

Are All Ballroom Instructors The Same?

By thedanceinstructor Leave a Comment

The Quick Guide to Finding a Qualified Instructor

 

You’ve got the ballroom dance bug and want to take a few classes so that you look good at the next wedding or function you attend, but you don’t know where to start… we’ll here’s the quick and easy guide to choosing the best ballroom instructor or studio for you.

Sadly, without this information, many people wind up choosing a poorly qualified ballroom dance teacher (or school); and, sometimes, even worse, have such a negative experience, decide that dancing is something they’ll never try again.

We’ll cover a few misconceptions that people have about choosing a dance instructor and then get into specific questions YOU can ask to when you’re looking around.

 

Misconception ONE:

The term ‘Ballroom Dance’ refers to the smooth floating dances.

That’s only part of the story. It’s true, AND ballroom dancing is a term that really encompasses the smooth dances, the latin and rhythm dances, the swing dances, Salsa, Tango and so much more.

 

Solution/Question(s) to ask:

If there is a dance you want to learn, or several that interest you, look for a well rounded instructor, or a studio with multiple instructors and be sure to ask about those specific dances.

Do you/does your studio teach ______ (swing, salsa, tango, etc.)

 

Misconception TWO:

Ballroom/Swing/Salsa Teachers go to school to learn to teach ballroom/swing/salsa dancing.

NO! This couldn’t be further from the truth. It makes sense, they are teachers – other teachers have to graduate and have credentials. But there is no regulation in the ballroom dance industry.

This means anyone can call themselves a Ballroom Dance Instructor, a Swing Dance Instructor, etc. There are people that have taken a few classes, watched a few YouTube Videos, or even won a few contests, and they are teaching.

You may have taken a class and gotten turned off. It happens ALL THE TIME and it gives the industry a bad name.

 

Solution/Question(s) to ask:

There are actual ballroom dance teacher colleges, professional exams and professional certifications. There ARE qualified teachers. And you can ask questions to help you find them.

The most widely recognized accrediting agency is ‘Dance Vision International Dance Association’ (DVIDA), which is recognized by the National Dance Council of America (NDCA).

Teachers get certified in EACH dance they learn, and there are levels of certification. So if you want to learn Waltz, be sure your instructor has, at minimum, his or her Bronze Waltz Certification.

Ask what credentials s/he has and where and when s/he got them. If you get a story about why ‘there’s no need, or no schools for his/her dance’, etc, beware.

Are you a certified instructor?

In what dances?

From what accrediting agency?

What school did you attend?

 

Misconception THREE:

A great dancer makes a great teacher.

I wish this were true – then it would be easy to find a teacher – just look for the number of awards. However, the problem is that most great dancers don’t learn how to EXPLAIN what they do so naturally.

Have you ever noticed that most of the Olympic gymnastic and skating coaches are not great gymnasts or skaters?

Dancing and teaching dance involve two different sets of skills. The highly trained dancer has usually spent years and years developing only ONE of those sets of skills (clue: teaching is not the set they’ve developed). So often they make TERRIBLE teachers. (This is not always the case.)

 

Solution/Question(s) to ask:

Some great dancers retire and focus their attention on becoming great teachers. This becomes a terrific combination. You can ask about their certification (above) and you can also ask about how they’ve worked on their teaching skills.

What training have you had to develop your teaching skills?

 

Overall, your experience is the best judge of your instructor. Armed with these three essential pieces of knowledge:

  1. the term Ballroom encompasses most ‘couples’ dances
  2. there is no regulation in the ballroom dance industry
  3. a great dancer does not equal a great teacher

you will be a savvy consumer. Ask lots of questions and don’t be afraid to look a bit further if you’re not getting the answers you want!

 

Filed Under: Facts, Featured Articles, For Adults, For Beginners, For Children, For Dance Instructors, For Men, For Women, Guide, Information, Instructor's Voice, Resources

The FUN way to Burn Calories – and other Benefits

By thedanceinstructor Leave a Comment

Meg McConahey of the Press Democrat recently wrote an article called “Dancing the Pounds Away”  featuring the fitness benefits of Ballroom Dancing. While this is something we’ve known for years, it seems as though studies are now proving the ‘theory’!

“Whether it’s the rumba, tango or waltz, participants say the time flies”

Here’s a quick recap!

Ballroom Dancing Burns Calories and Improves Cardiovascular Health

Have you heard to the Mayo Clinic? Their respected newsletter encourages readers “to try ballroom dancing as a way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health”.

Have you heard of California State University at Long Beach? They are also conducting studies on the benefits of ballroom dance. They have found that “beginning students can get their heart rates up to near-maximum training rates with a five minute warm-up and 20 minutes of cha-cha or swing dancing. Moderate ballroom dancing can burn up to 300 calories an hour.”

Ballroom Dancing Decreases the Risk of Dementia

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York also studied ballroom dancing. Their focus was on the elderly and dementia. Their study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ballroom Dancing was the only physical activity they found that decreased risk for dementia. This is great news for anyone who engages in social dancing (or who might want to start!)

Become a Ballroom Dance Instructor

Meg also interviewed a few instructors that did some experiments of their own. On teacher attached a pedometer to himself and found that he was traveling 8½ miles across the dance floor in a day and burning 600 calories an hour!

Keys to a Great Class: Accessible and Non-Judgemental

One of the Dance Fitness instructors that Meg interviewed says “if you make the movements fun and simple and repeat them with transitions, toward the end of a song they can start playing with it,” she said. “And when play happens is when they want to repeat it and hear that song again.”

And that means they’re more likely to come back — again and again.

To read Meg’s entire article: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110121/LIFESTYLE13/110129886?p=1&tc=pg

Filed Under: Ballroom, Facts, Fitness, Information, Resources

The Key to Cha Cha Cha: the Split Fourth Beat

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Cha Cha Cha: Cuban Origins

Cha Cha, a Latin American dance of Cuban origins is often considered a descendant of Mambo.  Both dances evolved from Danzon – once called the official dance of Cuba – which incorporated rhythms from African folk music.

The Split Fourth Beat Creates Cha Cha Cha

The Cha Cha developed in the early 50’s when a syncopation of the 4th beat of music started being heard and the dancers matched what they were hearing.  A London dancer, Pierre Zurcher-Margolle, visited Cuba and found they were dancing to music with a split 4th beat and took the idea back to England with him.

This was the beginning of what is now known as ballroom Cha Cha (or Cha Cha Cha).

Matching the Cha Cha Step to Cha Cha Music

This syncopated fourth beat is the very reason many people have difficulty learning Cha Cha.  The syncopation means that fourth beat is blended into the first beat – where dancers normally start dancing!

If a dancer starts on the first beat, he or she must start at the end of the syncopations – both in the music AND in the footwork/pattern!  This can be tricky for beginners.

Many beginners will start on one of the music, but on two of the pattern.  This means that the syncopation in the footwork will not match the syncopation in the music.  The music splits the fourth beat.  Dancers that start on one of the music, but two of their pattern are syncopating the third beat.

Cha Cha Music Splitting the Fourth Beat:

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Cha Cha Music

Cha Cha Music: Splitting Beat Four

Cha Cha Danced Beginning on Two of the Pattern:

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It’s possible to begin your pattern on two – as long as you begin on two of the music.  The characteristic Cha Cha Cha needs to happen where the music calls for it… over the 4 and 1 in the music!

Cha Cha Cha in Different Places

There are now several other styles of ‘cha-cha-cha’ that differ in the placement of the chasse – the dance version of the split beat.  The original Cuban and the ballroom cha-cha-cha both split the fourth beat, putting the chasse between the four and one in the music. (“Two-three-chachacha” – syncopated fourth beat.)

There is Help!

Need some help deciphering Cha Cha?  Contact your local ballroom dance studio and talk to them about learning to Cha Cha Cha!

Filed Under: Ballroom, Cha Cha Cha, Facts, For Beginners, For Dance Instructors, Information, Uncategorized

KIDS LOOSING SOCIAL SKILLS: TRY BALLROOM

By thedanceinstructor Leave a Comment

Child At ComputerIn our fast paced, computer-dominant world, something has gotten lost – that something is connecting to the people around us.  What happened to chatting on the phone or stopping by?

Video games, tv screens and computer monitors dominate our world.  Interpersonal skills are being lost – with great consequences – as kids learn at their computers, text their friends and then retreat to tv at the end of the day.

Where do our young people learn interactive social skills and gain self-esteem in groups in today’s world?  A ballroom dance studio may hold the key.

“Ballroom dancing is all about connections,” says instructor, Lynzi Scholz “teaching youth ballroom inspires those very connections that are so endangered – along with an extensive list of other benefits like – learning to focus attention, improved confidence, physical fitness and more….”

Kids Learning Ballroom Dance

Kids Learning Ballroom Dance

Mad Hot Ballroom has inspired many youth ballroom programs across the country for those exact reasons – kids are craving an atmosphere that allows them, even encourages them, as well as teaches them – to step out and shine.

Dance is one of the most expressive ways we celebrate and communicate.  Losing basic relationship skills means we will lose an essential element of our culture.  Social dancing directly addresses the fundamental issues of mutual respect and self-esteem by putting them into practice. Our kids learn by doing.

Teaching dance is more than teaching dance steps.

The benefits of dance are endless – from physical health and wellbeing (kids learn to focus physical energy and increases health through the joy of movement) to building self-esteem and interactive social skills.

It’s obvious that due to the interactive nature of ballroom, it improves children’s confidence and ability to relate to others.  It inspires children to do well, to respect one another, to be proud.

Want to try it out for your kids?

Ballroom Dance for Kids:  Check your area for ballroom dance studios that offer youth programs, call your park district and request a program or even talk to your child’s school.  Programs such as ‘Dancing Classrooms’ are spreading across the country and a phone call from you might be what it needs to get started in your community.

Filed Under: Ballroom, Classes, Facts, For Children, Guide, Information, Instructor's Voice, Resources, Styles, Uncategorized

What are the Ballroom Dances?

By thedanceinstructor Leave a Comment

Whenever I tell anyone that I teach Ballroom Dance I get the question, do you teach Salsa, or Swing or (insert name of dance).  The words ‘Ballroom Dance’ seem to be used generically and indiscriminately, so no one is really sure what dances are actually covered!

According to Wikipedia, “Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest, to almost any type of social dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of  DanceSport (term for competitive ballroom dancing) in modern times, the term has become narrower in scope.”

So let’s look at it from both perspectives – the narrower ‘DanceSport’ and the wider perspective of ‘Social Ballroom Dancing’.

Ballroom Dancing As Defined By Dancesport

There are two main arenas in competitive ballroom dancing: International and American. Dancesport technically refers to the ‘International’ Standard and Latin dances.  Dance teachers sometimes use it more generically to also encompass the ‘American’ competition ballroom Smooth and Rhythm dances.  Below is a chart of all the competition dances and where they fall.

Ballroom Competition Dance Chart

The technique used in the Smooth and Standard dances is similar, although Standard is done ONLY in closed position while Smooth allows both closed and open positions.  The patterns that are taught also vary between the two styles.

Rhythm and Latin have very different techniques and while they do share some styling and patterns between the dances, many of those are different as well.

There are several dances that are unique to their sector like Paso Doble, Quickstep, Bolero and Mambo.  Swing and Jive are cousins that are now quite different in their look and feel.

Each of the dances has its’ own character and you can find that information by looking up an particular dance by name.

Ballroom Dancing As Defined For the Social Dancer

The term ‘ballroom’ dancing is often used as an umbrella for a multitude of dances including all the dances mentioned above as well as ‘club’ dances that are not competed on the Ballroom Dance circuit.  Dances such as: Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Nightclub Two Step, Hustle, Salsa, and Merengue fall into this category.

New dances or folk dances are added to/removed from to the ballroom ‘repertoire’ from time to time, so no list of subcategories or dances is truly complete.

Reality of ‘Ballroom Dance’

My own personal informal study has led me to believe that most people think of the Smooth & Standard dances (chart above) when they hear ‘ballroom dance’.  The term Latin Dance usually will evoke the images of the Latin & Rhythm dances (chart above) – as well as Salsa, Merengue & Batchata.

Swing dancing seems to be in its own category.

Hopefully this helps and the next time you hear the term ‘Ballroom Dance’ you’ll be able to ask the person to be more specific!

Filed Under: Ballroom, Cha Cha Cha, Facts, FAQs, Information, Resources, rhumba, Salsa, Styles, Swing, Tango, Uncategorized, Waltz
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