Two Left Feet Newsletter - September Issue

Back to School, Back to Dancing

September is here and it is time to put away the sun screen and start sharpening those pencils. As the kids prepare to go back to school why not join them in hitting those books by taking your dancing to the next level. A great way to do that is competing in The 22nd TRI-STAR Colonial Classic Championships. The dates are Friday and Saturday, November 11th and 12th. The place is The Marriot Hotel and Spa in Mystic, CT. The deadline to sign-up is Wednesday October 5th. Both Competitor and Spectator packages are available now! Ask your teacher or call 1-781-826-2500 for more details. Here is the Tentative Schedule (subject to change):
Session #1 - Friday 11/11/05 - 9:00 am
1. Pro/Am & Amateur Country Western
2. Solos, Novelty and Showcases
3. Pro/Am & Amateur American Smooth incl. Championships
Buffet Dinner
Session #2 - Friday 11/11/05 - 7:00 pm
1. Professional Competitions
2. Formation Teams
3. American Rhythm DanceSport
4. Pro/Am & Amateur International Latin incl. Championships
Session #3 - Saturday 11/12/05 - 9:00 am
1. Pro/Am & Amateur International Standard incl. Championships
2. Juvenile and Junior American Smooth
3. American Proficiency Rhythm
Session #4 - Saturday 11/12/05 - 12:00 am
1. Pro/Am & Amateur American Rhythm incl. Championships
Grand Ball & Banquet
11/12/05 - 8:00 pm
1. General Dancing, Top Student, Top Teacher and Top Studio Award
2. Professional New England Staff Showcases
3. Spectacular Professional Guest Performance by… TBA
Let's get ready for an exciting weekend of great dancing, exceptional entertainment and lots of fun, fun and more fun!!!

The Dancing Building

About three hundred feet downriver from the National Theatre, stands the best known - and the most controversial - modern building in Prague, the Dancing Building. Featuring two curved towers "waltzing” together, it is also referred to as the Fred and Ginger. It is a strange twisted building sitting on a corner and jutting out slightly. The curvy and unique looking building was built in the mid-1990's by American architect Frank O' Gehry and Czech designer Vladimir Milunic. It is now home to company offices and one of the city's leading restaurants - La Perle de Prague. Interesting, isn't it!

From Students to Students

“Hello my name is Victoria, and I am going to be your dance instructor”, then a firm handshake, and as we cross the open expanse of maple floor for an interview my teacher seems more to glide than walk.
Sitting as dancers do, relaxed but tall, she recorded my motive and ambition for learning to dance - curiosity about those fanciful steps I had been dazzled by at the open house, distant preparation in case a daughter decided to tie the knot and a wholesome, lively activity to pursue, but also because I want to be able to hold my own at a salsa club. If Cuba reopens, I will be in Havana, doing their dance.
Then came the moment hand in hand, arm on arm and face to face I took my first step forward. “I'm worried about stepping on your toes.” I said. Victoria responded “You risk what we call the John Wayne stance if you try to avoid me, so just maintain your frame and aim straight ahead!” I never looked back, or down.
That first day I couldn't have known that music would soon have a new dimension illuminated by patterns of movement, or that I would find myself practicing a mambo cross body lead down the grocery store isle!
So, I have learned to lesson regularly and take advice to the extent that I am able to satisfy my nascent addiction to the challenges, accomplishments, and sheer enjoyment of dance.

Dance Spot – The Samba

When the Samba was imported from Brazil into the United States in 1929, and was first introduced to the dance masters of New York, it became an overnight sensation! Like many other Brazilian dances, the music is an amalgamation of African and Latin American Rhythm that has come to be adorned with expressive melodic lines. In form, the Samba is a serenade; the repetition of its melody is continually interrupted by the strumming of a guitar or other stringed instruments. The dance first became famous in Rio De Janeiro, and later its' intoxicating rhythm was taken up by serious Latin American composers. The Samba is festive and lighthearted, as performed today in all parts of the world. It brings to mind pictures of a gala “Carnival in Rio”. In its native land the Samba is usually danced to a moderately slow tempo which contrasts vividly with the spirited version favored in this country. The Samba has endured the test of time and still ranks high among social as well as competitive dancers.
When dancing Samba progression will be made along the line of dance. Steps are generally quite compact, with the feet usually no more than 12 inches apart. At times slightly larger steps are taken when more progression is desired. The Samba is a dance with many contrasting movements. The basis of the dance is a controlled springy knee action, called the “Samba Pulse”. There is also forward and backward movement along with a circular motion of the upper body, which is called “pendulum motion”. In addition, the contrasting use of hip and rib-cage movement has developed the Samba into a dance with many varied forms of expression. The Samba Pulse is the basic characteristic of the dance and is the up and down feeling that is suggested in the music. The basic Samba Pulse is described as follows:
count & - lift heel off the floor with knees flexed
count A - straighten knees
count 1 - lower heel to the floor and flex knees slightly
count & - lift heel off the floor with knees flexed
count A - straighten knees
count 2 - lower heel to the floor and flex knees slightly.

Events This Month

National DanceSport Championship - Orlando, Florida October 12 - 16, 2005
Come enjoy a week of exhilarating dancing at the National DanceSport Championship 2005 held at the Hilton in Orlando Florida, an “official” hotel of Walt Disney World. This combination can't be beat - a thrilling competition set within the excitement and fun of Walt Disney World. Ask your teachers for more details on how you can sign up.
Friday, September 16th - Hanover & Belmont present Swing Night at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Belmont. Join us for a fun filled evening of dancing from 9 pm to 11 pm to live music. Swing the night away to the sounds from the Blue Train Band. Tickets are on sale now - $20 per person. Deadline is Friday, September 9th. Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Belmont is located on 448 Common Street, Cushing Square, Belmont, MA 02478. Call 1.781.826.2500 to reserve your tickets. We'll see you there!

Who Is James Hayward?

James S. Hayward was brought into dancing through the performing arts having started his training at the age of nine with the founding of the Laissez-Faire school of acting whose well rounded curriculum included education in jazz, tap and ballet. A graduate of the South Shore Conservatory of the Arts James has worked in some of the finest theatres throughout New England as a performer and in all technical aspects of stage craft. Prior to joining the team at Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Hanover James was the Choreographer and Assistant Director At Prime Time Theatre for Youth where he had the privilege of teaching the arts to children from the age of four and a half to eighteen. He looks forward to using the experience he's acquired to bringing the joy of dance to all his students, present and future.
On the picture - James and Victoria dancing the Foxtrot as part of their first professional competition together. They took fourth place in the Mixed Novice Division on Friday, August 12th at the Marriott Hotel in Cambridge, MA. More than twenty spectators from the studio cheered on their successful performance.

Competition Results

On the 12th and 13th of August we had the 40th Colonial Classic DanceSport Championships at the Marriott Hotel in Cambridge, MA. Gathering students and professionals from all Fred Astaire Dance Studios in New England, the regional competition was once again a success and a terrific accomplishment for the competitors from our studio.
Linda Auton competed on Saturday morning and was a finalist in the five dance Closed Gold and Open International Standard Championships. She also won first place with her showcase routine “You Raise Me Up” with a score of 94. Vicki Hess placed second in the Intermediate Bronze Cha-Cha and East Coast Swing heats after very tough semi-final rounds. She won many of her single dance heats in the Bronze Level American Rhythm Division. Julie Delong competed in the Intermediate and Full Bronze Divisions and was a finalist in the Three Dance American Smooth and Rhythm Championships.
Congratulations to all our competitors for a great performance and a very successful competition!

Dance Horoscope

Virgo, the virgins, like the Quickstep, the Waltz and the Foxtrot and love to take dance lessons. Their favorite music is light and romantic. They also love the sounds of medieval musical instruments