We Want You!

   Men, would you like to be popular and have women fawning over you? I am recruiting all men in the proximity of Lincoln, Nebraska, to come to our Basically Ballroom Friday-night dance parties!

Last night, we had our Masquerade Ball, in costume, with great music, free food and wine, and lots of fun. About 30 people attended, and everybody had a great time. The only problem was that most dancers came with a partner. Oh, we passed the men around, but we need more men without steady partners. According to studio-owner, Kim, the shortage of male dancers without partners is “an industry-wide problem.”

The Basically Ballroom Studio website lists some of the benefits of ballroom dancing:

Some of the Benefits
of Learning to Dance

Getting more fun and enjoyment out of life Gaining increased confidence Meeting people and making new friends The many health and physical benefits An improved social life Relaxation and exercise Improved appearance Self improvement Acquiring grace, poise and posture Overcoming shyness Release of tensions and stress A hobby Increased popularity For recreation and entertainment Gain the admiration of others Self expression Social ease and assurance A sense of achievement

So don’t be shy. Nobody will scrutinize your dancing or laugh at mistakes. We’re all too busy trying to look suave and debonaire ourselves!

You can go to http://BasicallyBallroomStudio.com and print out a Gift Certificate for a Free Introductory Lesson.

The same offer holds for unattached women and for couples who would like to begin dancing! All are welcome, so come on down! 

Sway Me Now

I’ve been faithfully attending my ballroom dancing lessons, preparing for our 1st Annual Dance Showcase on June 9, 2007. And no, it’s not too soon to begin preparing. I’m going to need all the practice I can get!

So it’s time for an update on my Showcase rumba, “Sway Me Now.” When my instructor, Sean, first “helped” . . . err, make that “coerced” . . . me into choosing this song, I was leery. (See my post “Out to Sea.”) Since then, I still giggle about the song, but I’ve come full circle and decided I really like it.

We’re using the version sung by the Pussycat Dolls in the movie Shall We Dance:

When marimba rhythms start to play

      Dance with me, make me sway

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

     Hold me close, sway me more.

Like a flower bending in the breeze

     Bend with me, sway with ease

When we dance you have a way with me

     Stay with me, sway with me.

Other dancers may be on the floor

     Dear, but my eyes will see only you

Only you have the magic technique

     When we sway I go weak.

So far, Sean and I have choreographed and practiced the Introduction. It’s going to be quite spectacular (if I don’t fall down).

I haven’t seen the movie yet, so I must go get it for inspiration.  Dance on!

Out to Sea

I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep a straight face!

Basically Ballroom, the studio where I take lessons, is starting to get ready for its 1st Annual Recital, where all students will dance a 2-minute showcase dance. At lesson today, I chose to dance a Rumba. It’s a slow, sexy Latin dance with lots of hip action. I could get a red dress and look very sensual. All well and good.

The next step was choosing the music, so my teacher, Sean, and I sat down to pick out a tune. We listened to lots of rumbas, and we kept coming across different versions of “Sway Me Now.” Each time, I broke into laughter about this song. If you’ve ever seen the movie Out to Sea, you know why. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon play two aging lotharios who pretend to be “dance hosts” so they can get a free cruise. In reality, they can hardly dance and they keep getting into trouble. Brent Spiner, aka Data from StarTrek, is the boss who keeps spying on them and trying to keep them in line. At one point, Data sings and dances to “Sway Me Now.” He’s being perfectly serious, but it’s played strictly for laughs. One of the song’s lines is “My eyes will see only you,” as he stares with a menacing glare to threaten the two miscreants on the dance floor. It’s so comical.

I knew I could never dance to this song; but slowly, it began to dawn on me that Sean kept returning to it. And he was answering every objection I came up with! 

“Why not ‘Light My Fire’? I love that one.”

“Nah, that one has a rhythm variation that makes it hard to dance to. Now this one . . . “

“But I’ll just laugh out there.”

“That’s good. Then you’ll be smiling on the dance floor.”

Blah, blah, blah.

Finally, I said it as an accusation – ”I think you like this song! Don’t you?!?”

“Yes. We’re doing this one.”

Try to talk a Leo out of running the show! (You Leos out there know who you are, and you know what I mean!)

So, come the dance recital, I’ll be out to sea. Sean even looks a little like Brent Spiner — tall, thin, and dark-haired. OMG, I just hope I can keep a straight face.

Dancing with the Stars

What a spectacular evening! Ten of us from Basically Ballroom went to “Dancing with the Stars – The Live Tour” at the Quest Center in Omaha, then out to dinner. We were high up in the nosebleed section. As we climbed stairs, I began to feel like I’d switched TV shows from “Dancing with the Stars” to “Everest: Beyond the Limit.” But as the show was about to begin, we spotted a group of lower seats, moved down, and all was well.

Once the show began, everything was forgotten as the dancers mesmerized us with their elegance, athleticism, gorgeous costumes, and fancy choreography. It was unbelievable. The bright colors, music, and light show added to the exuberance. They did a waltz and foxtrot, but mostly focused on high-energy, flashy dances like the Cha Cha, Rumba, and Tango. One set was a reprise of 70’s Disco Inferno.

Between sets, the dancers talked about how dancing has impacted their lives, how their bodies constantly hurt and thank goodness for Epsom salts and Advil, how confidence builds, and how we should never be afraid to get out there and dance.

This was a night of inspiration and fun that began the New Year right! Dance on!

Basically Ballroom Posture

I made major progress at my ballroom dancing lesson this week. Well, I always learn something exciting. Among other things, the lessons are built around a curriculum of foot patterns, kind of like ice skating “school figures.” You practice what you’ve learned and build on it with new steps. This week, we were working on the Foxtrot. My teacher, Sean, is consummately elegant, patient, professional, and fun; and I try to remember what I’ve learned from one week to the next. 

But you have to understand — it’s a presentation from the moment you step onto the edge of the floor, all through the dance, to the moment you step off the floor or sit down. Up to now, I’ve felt like I was clumping out onto the floor, where Sean then pushed, pulled, and dragged me around. Something was missing — I knew I just didn’t look like those professional ballroom dancers. Duh!

This week, I found out why. I got my dancing shoes! Lovely tan satin, open-toed, 2 1/2″ heels with suede soles. They made an immediate difference, as my feet now looked lifted and pretty. Then Sean taught me posture. This is how he explained it — you have to tense and hold back your shoulder blades as if you’re lifting weights. Then, you raise your arms with no tension, as if you’re sprawling back onto a sofa. You also try to touch the back of your collar with your neck. Try it! Suddenly, magically, everything falls into line, and you look elegant. I felt light as a feather, I could feel Sean’s leads better, and he didn’t have to drag me around.

But here’s the catch. It’s hard to keep doing it! When I watch the “Ballroom Bootcamp” show on tv, the beginning students are always complaining that their bodies hurt. Now I know why.

I think everybody should learn ballroom dancing. It’s good physical exercise. It’s intellectually engaging. It’s fun. It’s social. It’s artistic. Dance on!

Halloween Dance

 Oh, the Halloween Dance at Basically Ballroom was so fun. Everybody showed up in costume. I went as Vampira with a black dress and collar that turned up in points around my face. At first, they played Halloween music, and at the end. In the middle, they played standard dance tunes. We had lots of food and wine. They turned all the lights down low, except the little sparkly ones lining the walls.

This Friday night, we’re going to talk about a new program called “Hobby Club.” They said we all dance, but we don’t get to know each other. So we’re going to make suggestions about getting together for other things, such as dinner, movies, dancing at other places around town, etc.

I ordered dancing shoes, which should be in by then. They’re special 2 1/2″ heels, and the soles are suede. You have to brush the bottoms of your shoes. That’s so you slide across the floor better.

Ballroom dancing rocks! Have you tried Basically Ballroom?