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Ballroom Dance Resource - Articles on Dancing Dr. Wong goes into great detail with this article on posture, footwork and more. A must read for all ballroom/Latin dancers.~ by Dr SH Wong www.rpmerleon.com Trying on a Sport by Carolynne Scott My dog walks me twice a day. My aqua aerobics class meets three times each week. The last thing I thought I needed was another "sport." But ballroom dancing slipped up on me. I didn't expect to have one bit of fun when I went to my first party at a Fred Astaire studio. In fact, I did it to please my cousin. When the music began in the beautiful mirrored studio, and the lithe young misters in their very black tuxedos began to glide me around the room, I changed my tune. Sure, other sports release those endorphins, but there is something about learning to step backward smoothly through a waltz progression, to keep count during a Cuban walk, to turn on time in the cha cha chase that challenges one both mentally and physically. Perhaps it is the sense of pageantry. In the studio, the fun of dressing up and dancing your best is paramount. And there are exhibitions put on by the silver level dancers in gorgeous gowns and tuxedos that leave you wondering: How long, oh Lord, how long? At the dance clubs and BBDA monthly soirees, just being with others who dance gracefully and will gladly show you new steps is heartening. That and the music provided which appeals to the inner soul, the part that makes you tap your feet. And age, which dogs us all, matters not a jot. People of all sizes and ages merge on the dance floor in "social discourse" as the late Jimmy Beard called it. Most of the real activity I have noticed is with dancers over 30. Some in their 90's can dance better than they can walk according to Dr. Roswell Pfister, local Tanguero. It gives one hope, it really does. Besides the fact that dancing helps our heart rate, lowers blood pressure, contributes to weight loss and improves our posture, it also is a pleasant way to meet other sin~gles. At practice parties at Dr. Dance, the advanced men students patiently demonstrate the intricacies of spin and win in the swing or peek- a-boo in the rumba. That hour and a half on Thursday night has come to be the highlight of my week. Why, I asked myself, is this so appealing? (It's a given that I'll be breathing heavily and will have danced the equivalent of a four-to five-mile walk.) Finally, the answer dawned. It's play, pure and simple. Something work-oriented adults are not always permitted. Luckily, most dancing activities take place after five or on the weekends. My dancing could become competitive as any sport does. There are opportunities to compete against others your age and level in both studio-driven and open competitions. This has gotten so big that Dancesport (was) a demonstration sport at the 2002 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. So far, this is not my cup of tea. I dance for the pleasure of it, and it leaves me ecstatic. I'm actually glad my cousin never told me the best-kept secret about ballroom dancing--it's bloody addictive! |
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