It’s common for new ballroom dancers to think that they have to learn many difficult ballroom dance techniques to look smooth when they’re dancing. Yes, there are a few rules, but nothing too difficult if you keep an open mind. Let’s start with some simple tips for the number one ballroom technique that you need…
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Ragtime Music and Leon Redbone Made a Great Team
Leon Redbone was a singer, songwriter, and voice-over actor. He played and sang ragtime music and early 20th century standards. Born on August 26, 1949, in Nicosia, Cyprus, he died on May 30, 2019, at the age of 69 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Leon Redbone fiercely protected his privacy and personal life. We do know…
Electro Swing…Funky Feel-Good Music
Electro Swing…wow, love this music. It’s so jazzy and it takes you back to the 1930s and 1940s. You can’t help but move to that heavy beat. Particularly delicious are the groove and musical breaks. It’s easy to become a moving participant with the music as opposed to a listener on the sidelines. Exactly what…
Salsa Dance Flash Mob September 2019
National Ballroom Dance Week is September 20-29, 2019. If you’re following Dance Safari you’re either a dancer now or thinking about becoming a dancer. Why don’t we celebrate ballroom dancing with a Salsa Dance flash mob? It could start small with one or two couples dancing. Soon, other dancers join as it snowballs into a…
Do the Hustle for Friendship, Fun, and Festivity
In the early 1970s, I was a new ballroom dance instructor in NYC. Even though I was totally in love with ballroom dancing, not everyone shared my passion. Because the country was just coming out of the 1960s hippie era, ballroom dancing seemed kind of old fashioned. That is until people started doing the Hustle…
What to Do When You’re Waiting for a Hurricane
What’s it like to wait for a hurricane? Above all, it’s like being a sitting duck. Of course, you would think that after spending half my life in Florida that it would get easier. In certain ways, it is because Floridians take hurricanes seriously. This is what to do when you’re waiting for a hurricane. You’ll…
Peabody: A Simple Introduction to a Jazzy Dance
What do we know about the Peabody? The dance called the Peabody is a throwback to a really jazzy period in America. It started in the 1910s and held on strong through the 1920s and far beyond. It’s essentially a fast (really fast) Foxtrot. The Peabody is danced to Ragtime music at a tempo of…
Dance Studio Problems? Owners, Don’t Give Up!
Dance studio problems can get you down. Dance professionals have lots of desirable traits. In fact, they’re kind, caring, giving, lovable, and sincere people. Their lives are devoted to spreading the love of dance to anyone with the slightest bit of interest. They need to be in a position to touch others and dance is…
Partner Dancing in 1776 – The Allemande
Take a look at how people were partner dancing in 1776. Yup, this was around the time our founding fathers were signing the Declaration of Independence. What do you think? Who knew the Allemande would be so saucy! The partners in this performance appear to be using good dance etiquette but look closely for…
Spice Up Your Love Life with Ballroom Dancing
To dance with your partner is a sure-fire way to spice up your love life. In fact, taking ballroom dance lessons is a good first step. Ladies, take a moment to tell your man about how much dancing means to you. Let him know how good you feel in his arms. When he holds you close…