Posts Tagged ‘learn to dance DVD’
East Coast Swing Dancing with your Baby
February 24th, 2010 | 
Author: I’m not sure you have noticed… but I’m a pregnant swing dancer.
Currently, I am 20-something weeks along and still dancing up a storm. Well, I’m dancing up as big a storm as my dance partners will allow. As my belly has gotten bigger, my ballroom dance connection improved for awhile. The curve of my belly fit the curve of my husband’s belly nicely. But now, the belly is starting to make Tango a little more interesting. Luckily, I am a swing dancer and the versatility (and distance) of open dance position keeps me smiling and in my favorite dance shoes rather than on the sidelines of the dance floor.
I have been told that “Baby Barnes” is going to come out spoiled. Baby Barnes will have spent 9 months in the womb being rocked for hours by all the East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing and Hustle dancing I do. After being born, the baby will still want to be rocked (or Swing) for hours on end.
I have noticed that the baby tends to wiggle and kick when I am still. Right now, I’m getting kicked because I’m sitting very still while writing this blog. But get me to the ballroom or dance studio and the kicking stops soon after my first dance. The swing dance steps and the movement of my body rocks the baby to sleep while I am working up a sweat to some very loud music.
This got me thinking about dancing with babies. I found this article and thought I would share it with you. Susan Peach has over 20 years experience as a Latin dance and fitness instructor. She is also the creator of Mambo Moms, a fun and gentle Latin dance based fitness program that helps new moms get back in shape while spending quality play time with their babies. http://www.mambomoms.com
Shared Dancing has Benefits for Babies and New Moms Alike
by PregnancyAdmin on May 5, 2009
“Shared Dancing has Benefits for Babies and New Moms Alike
Every parent knows the calming effects on their baby of rocking and gentle motion. After all, who among us has not paced the floor at 2 am trying to entice a little one back to sleep by rocking, bouncing or swaying?
While you may not be able to do much about those late night pacing sessions, you can capitalise on your baby’s love of rhythmical movement to benefit both of you in many other ways as well. Instead of saving your dance sessions for the wee hours, why not make music and dancing a regular part of your routine with your baby?
Babies begin to develop rhythm skills very early on when they are consistently exposed to music and movement. In fact, it’s probably more accurate to say that babies are born with natural rhythm and all we need to do is nurture it. If you exposure your baby to the joys of dance throughout his childhood, just think how much more confident he’ll feel as a teenager at his high school prom! In cultures where music and dance are a part of everyday life, no one grows up to be “rhythmically challenged!”
If rhythm and movement are a consistent part of your child’s life from an early age, the ability to express herself through creative movement will stay with her throughout her life. Many parents are concerned about the effects of inactivity on their children in this age of easy access to computers and video games. Cultivating a love of music and dance early in life provides an excellent introduction to other healthy physical activities.
Even when your baby is very young, dancing in your arms can be an exciting play and social time that he will look forward to. You will probably find that as your baby grows he will soon begin to eagerly anticipate his favourite dance moves like dips and spins. He’ll also tell you by his reactions what type of music and dancing he likes best.
For parents, sharing movement and music with your baby helps in creating a stronger parent child bond. Many parents find that the more time they spend in close contact with their baby, the more sensitive they become to their baby’s needs and signals, and the more easily they are able to decipher what their baby is telling them. Done regularly, shared dancing can become a wonderful way to communicate with your baby.
For new moms especially, moving to music with baby is a delightful way to get some gentle exercise and helps with getting back in shape after childbirth. Most new mothers are eager to lose those extra pregnancy pounds, yet it’s also important to eat well and not exert yourself too strenuously, especially in the early postpartum weeks when you may not be getting much sleep. Holding your baby in your arms while you both enjoy a waltz, a 2-step or even some good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, is a wonderful way to get some gentle exercise, and it’s fun too!
And finally, we all know that a stressed out mom equals a stressed out baby. But because dancing is such good exercise, it tends to produce endorphins, the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals. These are the same ones responsible for “runner’s high.” So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, try picking up baby and taking him for a spin around the living room to your favourite music. You might just find that you both become calmer as a result.
So why not make good use of your natural instincts to cuddle and rock your baby? Put on your favourite music and enjoy a few dances with your baby on a regular basis. You’ll get a much needed break and some fun exercise. And whether your baby falls asleep or dances right along with you, she’ll be enjoying this special bonding and playtime with you while developing an appreciation for music and movement that has the potential to stay with her throughout her life.”
Excerpt by Susan Peach found at http://www.firsttimepregnancy.com/30.html
Dancing Bellies and Dancing Babies
One of great things about dancing with a baby is that YOU choose how little or how much you do. Though East Coast Swing dancing may look exhausting to you, you really get out of it what you put into it. You choose how much you bounce. You choose how big your steps are. You choose to dance this one or sit this one out. You can request music to control the tempo and speed at which you swing dance. You even get to say ”yes” to this partner and ”no” to that partner. Unlike a fitness class controlled by an instructor, you have lots of control over what happens to you and your body at a swing party or ballroom dance. So you can East Coast Swing and your baby can rock (or Swing) all you want. Rest when you want. Then you can start again when you are ready.
Learning to swing dance with ZeDiamond Dance Method is a fun way for you to bond with your partner, get some exercise and rock your baby in your belly all at the same time. While in the belly, the baby learns the familiar rocking and swinging motions of East Coast Swing dancing and can even hear you sing along with the swing music. Once born, the baby will find comfort in the same rocking and swinging motions as you dance around the room to the music it heard in the womb. He or she will enjoy swinging in your arms as you “Boom a Boom Ta Te” around your house. Want to see how ZeDiamond Dance Method works? Click here to watch a video clip that will show how much fun it can be.
After the baby is born, dancing with your baby and with your partner can strengthen the relationships and bonds between you. ZeDiamond Dance Method focuses on building an energetic connection between you and your dance partner. Not only will you touch your partner while dancing, you will join together as one as you dance around the room. You have shared a joyful activity that everyone can be a part of. East Coast Swing dancing and ZeDiamond Dance Method do not require special equipment or lots of room. You can learn how to swing dance with your partner or baby in the comfort of your at home in your living room or kitchen then go out dancing at a local weekend ballroom dance or swing party. Just pop in your ZeDiamond Dance Method Learn the East Coast Swing 2 DVD set and dance along with the other students. You will be East Coast Swing dancing in less than an hour and have several more dance moves by the end of the 2nd DVD. Visit our website to learn more about the history of East Coast Swing dancing and the history of ZeDiamond Dance Method.
I look forward to seeing you out on the dance floor,
(When in Asheville, NC, please ask me to dance. I’m the pregnant one.)
Posted in East Coast Swing, Learn to dance, Swing Dance | 
Tags: Asheville, ballroom, ballroom dance, connection, Dance, dance partners, dancing, East Coast Swing, learn to dance DVD, learning to dance at home, Rhythm, Swing Dance, swing dance steps, swing dancer, swing dancing, swing music, Swing party, west coast swing | 
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The People You See on the Sideline – The Field Guide Continues…
“The Sideline – Where folks cluster to eat, drink and be merry”
“The sideline encompasses dance hall territory where folks congregate to eat, drink and visit. Although this turf includes dancers sitting out between dances, it also has its own special array of wildlife.
Many of these sideliners are evolving through the pre-dance phase of their development. They are watching the dancers, observing the dress, learning the protocol and acclimating to the environment. After a few visits and a period of observation, sideliners usually join the dance lessons.
Species you might find lurking on the sideline include:
- Cowboys – Choose to work on the look before moving to the dance, and got it right… have ready ripostes to avoid dancing should they actually get asked.
- Furballs – Conceal bald spot under an expensive hat; favor beards; wear flimsy, unbuttoned shirts; prefer shirt ripped off so their hair shoulders can be admired; ladies say they feel like warm loofahs.
- Groupies – Adore band members, or occasionally regular dancers, with obsessive intensity; rarely dance themselves; sit perfectly still staring at the band or dancers; nurse drinks.
- Lounge Lizards – Sport white shoes, assisted hair, polyester shirts and enough neck chains to compose a Mr. “T” starter kit; close personal friends with bartenders; surrounded by an alcoholic haze and cigarette smoke.
- Greenhorns- Read about dancing in the newspaper; sit alone looking dazed; suffering from a recent broken relationship… if you give them an advertising flyer about upcoming lessons, they will attend and never forget you.
- Stool Hounds – Get carded (asked for ID to prove they are of drinking age) by doorman; drink beer; wear baseball caps, T-shirts and tennis shoes; sit in groups, but very little conversation; learning the ropes of sociability; served free coffee by the end of the evening.
- Suits – In from out of town; on expense accounts; stay at airport hotels; arrive at the dance hall by taxi; remove coat and tie to look more country; may roll up shirtsleeves so French cuffs aren’t so apparent; hoping to get lucky; won’t.”
Excerpt from “Paul McClure’s Country Dance Etiquette” by Paul McClure
Why are the people on the sideline so important?
Because silly, we all used to be one.
These are the people on the edge.
They are the ”dying to dance, but hoping nobody will ask me,” people.
Perhaps they want to dance, but they don’t know how.
Maybe they are beginner dancers that just need a little confidence boost. Sometimes it takes all their courage to get in the door and there is little courage left for the dance floor.
We have all been there. The difference between the Sideliners and Regular Dancers are the amount of miles collected in trips around the dance floor.
We all have to get started dancing somewhere… why not here?
Though it is hard for some beginner dancers to believe, nobody has been dancing since birth. Not a single dancer got their start in the womb. I’ll let you know if that happens, but for now… my baby has yet to “Boom A Boom” correctly in my belly.
Many great social swing and ballroom dancers did not start dancing until they are adults. Not long ago, they were Sideliners too. But they found a way to learn how to dance, stuck with it and in time became the life of the party.
One way to help you get off the sideline and on to the dance floor is to learn at home with a “Learn how to dance” DVD. With ZeDiamond Dance Method – Learn the East Coast Swing DVD’s, you could be up and dancing in less than 90 minutes. Once you master the basics of rhythm, connection and a few simple dance moves in East Coast Swing, you will be out on that dance floor enjoying yourself, the music and your partner. After that, their is no turning back. You will have transformed from a Sideliner to a Regular Dancer and soon will be the envy of other Sideliners.
See you out on the dance floor,
Posted in Dance Etiquette, East Coast Swing, Learn to dance, Swing Dance |
Tags: ballroom dance, ballroom dancer, connection, Country Dance Etiquette, dance lesson, dance moves, East Coast Swing, Learn How to Dance, Learn How to East Coast Swing, Learn Swing dance, Learn to dance, learn to dance DVD, Paul McClure, Rhythm |
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Ten Reasons to Love Ballroom and Swing Dancing
We all have different reasons to learn how to dance…
When I started dancing, I was a single college student. I was stuck on campus taking summer school classes. Unlike other students, I wanted to do something other than hang out in a smokey bar and drink away brain cells. I wanted to make new friends. I wanted to express myself. I wanted to be a “regular” somewhere. I wanted to know that I could just show up (without a date) and see people I knew, have a good time and still get up and go to class in the morning without a headache.
What I never knew I always wanted, was to learn how to Swing Dance. I have gotten everything I wanted and so much more from swing dancing. It all started with a free East Coast Swing Dance lesson and skyrocketted from there.
Some people need a little more reason to try East Coast Swing Dancing for the first time. Before ordering your ZeDiamond Dance Method DVD, consider the following list of 10 reasons to love dancing.
Ten Reasons to Love Ballroom Dance
“You’ve probably seen the very popular BBC television program Strictly Come Dancing, in the USA it was called Dancing with the Stars. If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about look no further because here’s a beginners guide to the top ten reasons to love ballroom dancing.
One – The Music
Ballroom and Latin dance music is quite simply fabulous and it makes you want to dance. I defy anyone to listen to ‘Shout It Feel It’ by the Count Basie Orchestra and not want to at least tap their feet! Dancing aside there has been a resurgence in interest in jazz and swing music, Michael Buble and Jamie Cullum being two modern exponents of the genre, and this has only helped dance to once again capture the public imagination.
Two – It’s Up Close and Personal
Before the recent interest in ballroom dancing people used to laugh when I told them I danced. They saw it as a strange thing to do. I never quite understood this as in the words of George Bernard Shaw dancing is the “vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music”? Surely a reason to love ballroom dancing.
Three – Health Benefits
According to researchers social dancing provides the body with many health benefits. It may help reduce stress, increase energy, and improve strength, muscle tone, and co-ordination. Dancing can also burn as many calories as walking or riding a bike. One of the best aspects of ballroom dancing is the fun you can have while you’re doing something great for your body.
Four – The People You Meet
Like most walks of life dancing attracts all kinds of people but by far the majority of dancers are really nice people to know and great fun to be with.
Five – You Get to Dress Up
It’s fair to say that ballroom dancing went through a phase where the ladies wore some quite strange outfits. But today layers of petticoats and lace have given way to flowing gowns and glamorous figure hugging designer chic. Of course the men still wear their tail suits but even here heavy fabric has given way to much lighter and cooler alternatives. Socially of course tail suits are not worn but everybody loves the chance to dress up and wear nice clothes and what better occasion than a ballroom dance!
Six – You Can be Competitive
We humans are a competitive lot and dancing is no different. There is a vibrant and active competitive circuit at all levels of ballroom dancing from professional through to beginner. Even if stepping out with a number pinned to your back isn’t appealing you can still join in and shout your support from the wings. Contrary to popular belief competitive ballroom dancing isn’t a genteel pastime, quite the opposite and anyone attending a competition for the first time might be surprised by the experience. Competitions are definitely a reason to love ballroom dancing!
Seven – You Can Do It All Over The World
Ballroom dancing is popular the world over and if you travel you will find kindred spirits in all four corners of the globe. Some countries are more actively involved in dancing than others but you will seldom be far from a dance hall or studio wherever you may roam.
Eight – You Can Make People Envious
Nobody likes a show off but there’s a fine line between showing off and simply doing something you enjoy. There are many social situations where being able to dance is a positive boon and many people have taken up dancing after being at a wedding and watching people who can dance take to the floor wishing it was them. So another way of looking at this is if you dance at a social event you may well be encouraging others to take up dancing too!
Nine – It’s Hard
I play golf. Golf’s hard and week after week I go back to the course and week after week the course beats me. Dancing is hard too. Week after week I go to lessons and come away safe in the knowledge that there is still much to learn. But this isn’t a bad thing. Learning and perhaps mastering things that are hard is part of the human condition and dancing will present you with a lifetime of learning opportunities and the associated feeling you get when you master just one small part of it. Like golf, dancing is rewarding and fun because it’s hard.
Ten – It’s just fun!
What ever the level of dancing you achieve you will have fun. From the beginners taking to the floor for the first time, often with a terrified look on their face, through to seasoned professionals strutting their stuff at a dance demonstration dancing makes you feel alive and it makes you smile.”
Excerpt from Ten Reasons to Love Ballroom Dance by David A Robinson
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_A_Robinson
It has been more than 10 years since I took that East Coast Swing Dance lesson and I am still benefiting from it.
Now, I have hundreds of friends across the country (including new ones in Asheville, NC) that I met on the dance floor. I have the confidence to walk into a room of strangers and just start talking to people. Twice, I have moved to areas where I knew few people and didn’t have a job, but I found the dance community and started building a new life. I have greatly improved my mental and physical health from all the smiles and miles of dancing I have put on my feet. My brain enjoys the challenge of learning new dance steps and dance moves, styling and technique. Dancing is a whole body, whole mind, whole soul activity… an activity best shared with others.
Okay, I’m convinced. How do I get started dancing?
For many people, the first dance they learn is the East Coast Swing. Click here to learn a little about the history of East Coast Swing Dancing. The East Coast Swing is a fun and lively dance that can be danced to a variety of music. Click here to watch a performance of East Coast Swing Dancing.
You can start dancing, quickly and easily right in your own home. Just move the coffee table, grab a partner and pop in this DVD. Take your first dance lesson with ZeDiamond Dance Method – Learn the East Coast Swing. You will learn right along with a class of beginner dancers. They ask questions, they laugh, they learn more than dance steps, they learn to dance with each other… just like you will.
You need more reasons before you give East Coast Swing Dancing a try? Click here to see if ballroom and swing dancing are right for you.
Once you learn ZeDiamond Dance Method, you will be able to learn other dances and useother dance systems as well. Build up you confidence by learning at home with the DVD dance lessons. Then go out and dance in nightclubs, go to ballroom and swing dances and continue to take local dance lessons. You can always comeback and review what you have learned with ZeDiamond Dance Methodby popping in the DVD and dancing along at home.
See you out on the dance floor,
Posted in East Coast Swing, Learn to dance, Swing Dance |
Tags: Asheville, ballroom, ballroom dance, dance lesson, East Coast Swing, latin, Learn How to Dance, Learn How to East Coast Swing, Learn Swing dance, Learn to dance, learn to dance DVD, NC, nightclub dance, start dancing, Swing dance moves, swing dancing, swing music |
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