To Dance or Not To Dance - In Pointe Shoes Or....

Author: Dianne M. Buxton

Article:
Students often used to ask me "should I pursue dance as a
career?" My first thought was always - "if you can live without
dance, do something else. If you can't, then pursue it".

Sometimes Dance just doesn't let go! It may not be the practical
choice for you. Yet it just doesn't go away.

If you're young, I would say dance now, because it is a physical
training that needs to be done while you're young. Especially
ballet. That doesn't mean flunk high school or anything, but I
know that grades can be re-created at a community college, and
an academic career can ensue from there. However, the physical
ability that a younger person has is not there later.

What is your real goal? It is good to take time and define your
goals.

***To qualify for a 4 year dance department university that
could lead to a professional performance career?

***To "run away and join the dance circus"? Talk to your
teacher, or your parent, tell someone you can confide in, that
you are having a hard time living without dance. Maybe you can
take a class or two a week in your last year of high school and
still get fair grades. Maybe you can schedule it into an
education degree if you are in college.

Defining goals is not easy - adults have trouble with it all the
time. Try to ascertain what your true physical capacity is.
Dance is a muse and does not just go away. I know that sounds a
little spooky, but that is a fact.

Like, if you know anyone who is studying cello or piano, for a
career with a classical orchestra - it's the same thing. There
is no balance, as balance is usually defined in our culture
("some of this and some of that") That sounds scary to some
people. But it just is that way with the arts.

I hope this doesn't sound too abstract - it's just that dance is
one of the soul level "spirits" that calls some of us. It may
take you in any direction - it's hard to ignore. It will make
sense...one day...just explore all your options.

For more inspiration in books, DVDs, and articles, go href="http://www.theballetstore.com">here.

About the author:
Dianne M. Buxton is a graduate of the National Ballet School of
Canada. She taught at, and choreographed for The National Ballet
School, York University, and George Brown College, in Canada,
and taught at Harvard University in the U.S. HREF="http://www.theballetstore.com">Click here for ballet
shoes, pointe shoes, strengthening exercises, dance news, dance
books, diet and health for dancers,DVD's and more.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Author: Leanne Kemp

Article:
Move your body, move your feet. Sway and swing and samba. They
say to Tango, Salsa or Rumba is to escape the confines of the
chaotic world. Emerse yourself into the world of soul, romance,
emotion and drama. There's a dance type to suit all interests,
including swing, latin, tap, ballroom and belly dancing. Not
only is it fun and enjoyable, its great for your fitness levels
aswell.

It is not possible to say exactly when dance became a part of
our cultural history but it has definitely played a large role
in ceremonies, rituals and entertainment. Dance has been used
for centuries as a form of expression and story telling. Even
before the written language, dance was used to pass down myths
and stories through generations. Many people believe that dance
can only be achieved with a combination of music and movement.
Not all dance types require music as some people believe that
they "dance to their own rhythm".

There are many types of dance available. Lessons for many types
of dance styles are available. Some people even choose to learn
a certain dance type as a form of fitness and for social
interaction. It's a great way to meet others with similar
interest. There are no restrictions on who can join, if you can
walk and run, you can dance. Some of the more popular types of
dance are;

The history of swing dates back to the 1920's, where the black
community, while dancing to contemporary Jazz music, discovered
the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. In the late 1930's and through
the 1940's, the terms Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy, and Swing
were used interchangeably by the news media to describe the same
style of dancing taking place on the streets, in the night
clubs, in contests, and in the movies.There are many types of
swing dance available with each region or area boasting its own
type of Swing Dance. To name just a few types;

Ballroom West Coast Swing; A style of swing popular in the
ballroom dance school organizations and different from the style
performed in the California night clubs and Swing dance clubs.

Savoy Swing; A style of Swing popular in the New York Savoy
Ballroom in the 30's and 40's originally danced to Swing music.
The Savoy style of swing is a very fast, jumpy, casual-looking
style of dancing

West Coast Swing; A style of Swing emphasizing nimble feet
popular in California night clubs in the 30's and 40's and voted
the California State Dance in 1989.

The Mambo was born in 1943 after the fusion of Swing and Cuban
Music. The original Mambo dance was a lot different to what we
see today as it was toned down due to the violent acrobatics
that were performed. After its first birth onto the dance
floors, the Mambo craze did not last long and today the Mambo is
much limited to advanced dancers. Teachers agreed that this is
one of the most difficult of dances. One of the greatest
contributions of the Mambo is that it led to the development of
the Cha-Cha and the authentic night-club style of mambo dancing,
which in the 1990's is increasingly known as Salsa.

The Salsa is a mix of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances with
each playing a large role of the Salsa evolution. Salsa is
similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced
over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same
moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the
overall look and feel are quite different form those of Mambo.
Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has
more of a side to side feel.

The correct name for belly dancing is actually "Oriental Dance"?
The Arabic name for it is raqs sharqi, which means "dance of the
East/Orient", and the Turkish name is Oryantal. For centuries,
the role of Oriental dance in Middle Eastern society has been
that of a folk dance that people would do at joyous occasions
such as weddings, the birth of a child, community festivals, and
other events that bring people together to party. It was a dance
that men, women, and children did for fun, not a "performance"
done to entertain an audience.

There are many other types of dancing, such as, Break Dancing,
Disco, Hip Hop, Ballet, Ballroom, Tango, Flamenco, Foxtrot,
Jazz, Merenque, Polka, Rumba, Samba, Twist, Waltz, etc just to
name a few. Why not try one today, you never know, you may just
love it.

About the author:
Leanne Kemp is the Managing Director for href="http://www.wotaboutme.com.au/">Wotaboutme. Look online
to find a day spa, haircut, aromatherapy massage anywhere in
Australia. Perfect for gifts for him or gifts for her. For
updates, check out the href="http://www.wotaboutme.blogspot.com/">Wotaboutme Blog