Posts Tagged ‘swing dancing’

THE STAG LINE – Where the unattached cowboys hang out together talking, planning and spinning yarn.

“The stag line hangs out by the pool tables, the popcorn machine or the video games.  The stags tote long-necked beer bottles, lean against the posts, check out the ladies and pump up their courage to actually ask someone to dance.  These cowboys equate to bachelor moose in the forest who have yet to acquire a harem.

Types commonly found on the stag line include:

• Championship Dancers - Could have won every dance contest they ever saw; planning to enter one soon.
• Don Juans - Profess to have choice of any lady in the place; know (in a Biblical sense) or know someone who has been romantically involved with anyone you point out; waiting for the “right” lady to ask out; then waiting some more.
• Great Debaters – Will argue any side of any topic; can deliver colorful, impassioned and nearly-informed oration on important matters.
• Heavyweight Champs – Weigh over 250 pounds; sincerely pledge to defend anyone whose person or honor is in jeopardy; get wet eyes from even minor expressions of gratitude; fond of calling people, “little buddy”.
• Major Leaguers – Recount sports trivia expertly; willingly review their own heroic athletic achievements; can explain precisely how to pitch no-hitters, bowl 300 games and catch fifteen pound bass; considering the Iron Man competition.
• Millionaires-In-Training - Buy drinks for buddies until the bartender delivers a pot of coffee; listen to Zig Zigler tapes; have inside tips and hot ideas; work in insurance or investment sales; will be wealthy as soon as commissions multiply.
• Race Car Drivers - Relate exciting automotive exploits; have many tickets; insurance premiums reflect their prowess; do their own mechanical work; drive Camaros with primer spots, which means any Camaro, rather than pick-up trucks.
• SBDs (Silent But Deadly) - Can flatulate on cue, with or without the finger pull; able to control smell, sound and direction, they say; journeymen can toot a reasonable facsimile of “Three Blind Mice”.

Excerpt form “Paul McClure’s Country Dance Etiquette” by Paul McClure

Why is the Stag Line important?

To be honest, that all depends on you.  If you are looking for conversation about topics other than dancing, cruising the room for your next date, or you want to try to talk someone else into buying you a drink from the bar… then the stag line is for you.  The stag line is a collection of people who enjoy the atmosphere of the dance hall, but have other social agendas – a.k.a. not there to dance.  Many of the people on the stag line have never tried to learn how to dance or have only tried briefly and had a bad experience so they quit trying to learn. 

If you have come to the dance to DANCE, then you may wish to avoid the stag line.  The stag line may offer much entertainment to you if you are taking a break to rest your feet, but no amount attention you pay them will move them closer to the dance floor.

What’s a girl to do if her partner is really on the Stag Line?

Well, part of what keeps people on the stag line is fear… fear of the unknown, fear of trying something new, fear of failure and fear of looking unattractive in front of other people.  You may have noticed that many on the stag line consider themselves “experts” in their field.  They want to be the best at something – sports trivia, reckless driving, business, or just want to be the smartest person in the room.  Well, having to admit that you do not know how to dance and going through the growing pains of beginner dancers may just be too much for their egos to handle.

If someone on the stag line is ever going to make the transition to the dance floor, they will do it only if they feel that they are in a comfortable and no-threatening place.  The ballroom party, swing dance or night club may not be the best place to get started.  Learning to dance at home may be a more suitable venue to try out those first few dance steps.

A new and innovative way to learn to dance is with ZeDiamond Dance Method – Learn the East Coast Swing two DVD set.  This DVD set lays all the basics for learning to swing dance in the comfort of your own living room, kitchen or den.  This is great for the person who is too shy to learn to dance in front of other people.  You can even close your blinds and curtains so you neighbors don’t even see you dancing for the first time.

ZeDiamond Dance Method is also great for someone who has tried to learn to dance in the past, but gave up because they became frustrated.  The DVD’s  make it easy to learn to East Coast Swing Dance, because you can rewind them as many times as you like, play them as often as you need to and review what you have learned just before heading out the door to the next dance party. 

East Coast Swing is a great first dance to learn.  Swing is a very universally known dance and danced many places – country bars, ballroom dances, swing parties and night clubs all play music that is approprate for East Coast Swing dancing.  Once you have this dance under your belt, you will have many opportunities to show off your new found dance skills.

I hope to see you off the stag line and out on the dance floor,

Amy Barnes

ZeDiamond Dance Method

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,

Amy Barnes

ZeDiamond Dance Method

We all think that we have a great sense of humor and rhythm…

Well, not all of us have a great sense of rhythm.  Luckily, learning straight timing and simple rhythm patterns can be learned.  If you learned to count as a child and can still count as an adult, then a sense of “straight time” can be taught to you.  It happens everyday… all around the the world.  And it can happen to you too!

Straight time… “Hip to be Square!” – Huey Lewis and the News

If you clap on the 2 and the 4 to music on the radio (okay, sometimes you may slip and clap on the 1 and 3), then you are a victim of straight time.  Much of the pop music on the radio today is written with some common similarities.  Music written in common time, has 4 beats in a measure.  If we lined the beats up in a pretty little row, they would be evenly spaced and very regular, just like a child counting…

1   2   3   4

When you snap, clap or bob you head to the music, you tend to do it on the 2 and the 4 and pause on the 1 and 3.

Sometimes, musicians like to use more than just the basic 4 counts in a measure.  They like to use the space between the counts as well. In the spaces, we will put an “and”. The ”ands” tend to be noted with a “+”.  So now our little row of regular spaced numbers looks like this.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Now there is a little more variety for the musicians.  While we still clap on the 2 and the 4, the musicians are allowed to use any of the 4 counts and the spaces between counts to express themselves.  Everything is still very regularly spaced and even in time.

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” – Ivie Anderson

Swing timing does things a little differently than straight timing.  Swing and Jazz musicians like to use the space between the + and the count.  The space between the  + and the count is called “ah” or noted simply as “a”.  So now our pretty little row of numbers is not so balanced and square. 

 1  +a2  +a3  +a4

To really make it swing, the musicians take out the +’s and use the counts and the a’s.  Now things are really starting to swing.

1   a2   a3   a4

See how everything isn’t evenly spaced anymore.  With swing timing, musicians have even more interesting possibilities than in straight timing.  A popular swing or jazz rhythm you may have heard is “leg-a-lamb”.  You may hear this familiar pattern when a drummer taps a cymbal rhythmically through out a song.

1      a2           3      a4
leg-a-Lamb  leg-a-Lamb

What does this trip to “Mathmagic Land” have to do with dancing?

Music is very mathmatical.  It has order, time, patterns and a lot of fractions… 2 beats, 1 beat, half beats, quarter beats…. You may start to think that you need a degree in Applied Physics in order to ballroom dance or swing dance in time to the music.  Not so my friend.  There is an easier way than doing all this math in your head.

Boom-a-Boom  Boom-a-Boom Tah-Tee

If you have ever struggled to teach yourself to play a popular song on the piano, you know it is just easier to sing the words to the music on the radio.  So why worry about all the math and just sing this little song in your head instead? 

ZeDiamond Dance Method makes it easy to understand rhythm and timing for dances and music by doing what comes naturally.  You will forget about the math, and feel the music in your body while using Boom-a-Boom to help you keep time.  With ZeDiamond Dance Method you will learn how to  dance ballroom or swing steps, while learning proper rhythm and timing.  This will make you a better dancer, right from the start!

East Coast Swing is made up of triples and rock-steps.  “Boom-a-Boom” is the equivilant of “Leg-a-Lamb” and those are our triples.  “Tah-Tee” represents the rock steps.  To watch a video the shows the ZeDiamond Dance Method in action, click here.

ZeDiamond Dance Method is a revolutionary new way to learn to dance.  It was created by Deborah-Marie Diamond and Zeki Maviyildiz.  Both are drummers and dancers in Asheville, NC.  

Many drummers are taught rhythm patterns by using nonsense syllables to replace counts. Many times, these nonsense syllables are easier to say than the numbers and counts they represent.  Walk up to a drummer and say “leg-a-Lamb” and they will understand the rhythm pattern it represents. 

Deborah-Marie and Zeki are doing the same thing, but for East Coast Swing Dancers in the Asheville, NC area with Boom-a-Boom. Click here, and you will learn the history of ZeDiamond Dance Method and get the whole story.  Click here to watch Deborah-Marie and Zeki dance East Coast Swing together.

See you out on the dance floor,

Amy Barnes
ZeDiamond Dance Method

The countdown to Valentine’s Day has started!

That’s right boys and girls.  We have less than 30 days to figure out what we are going to do for this Valentine’s Day holiday.  Some of us will go out… Some of us will stay in… Some of us will be stuck working (just one of the perks of the service industry)… But all of us will be doing something to honor (or dishonor) this upcoming holiday.

My favorite way to celebrate any holiday is to go out and go dancing.  No big surprise there.  But what is surprising is the number of other people who celebrate through dance.  We dance at weddings.  We dance family reunions.  We dance at tailgate parties (don’t think for a second I didn’t see you be-bopping around to the radio with a chicken wing in one hand and a frosty beverage in the other).  We dance in our kitchens when no one is watching.  So why should Valentine’s Day be any different?  We are celebrating love… the hunt for love… the hope for love… and our desire to be loved.  We should be dancing with all the love and joy in our hearts.

Wait a second – Don’t tell me you don’t dance!

As children, we all dance.  I’ve got two nephews that can prove it.  At any given time, be it car, canoe or K-Mart, if they hear even the faintest music, they are dancing to it.  Mind you, they aren’t going to win “So You Think You Can Dance” anytime soon.  But they are having a great time and they don’t care who is watching them.

Something happens as we get older.  We get insecure and lose our confidence.  Rather than having fun and enjoying ourselves like children, we worry about looking silly and unattractive to others.  But some of us overcome this and still enjoy to dance.  Those who do not overcome these self-imposed setbacks, long to dance.

The perfect gift - A lifetime of dancing together.

Unlike a membership to the jelly of the month club, the gift of dance keeps on giving.  You get to spend the rest of your life enjoying the benefits of learning to dance…  Improved confidence, better connection with your partner, and the ability to make any night out, a romantic night out.  Plus, you get to really wow them at the next wedding or family reunion.  Click here to see if learning to ballroom or swing dance is right for you.

As always, I look forward to seeing you out on the dance floor,

Amy Barnes

ZeDiamond Dance Method

Amy and Jason Barnes cutting a rug

Home from a long weekend of swing dancing at “Worlds”.

 I was camped out at the Opryland Hotel from Thursday through Sunday.  I danced and danced and danced… and then danced some more.  Jason danced so much, his big toe became incredibly sore.  It was official, my swing was all swung out.  I left it all out there on the dance floor.

On Saturday night, I was getting lined-up with the rest of the competitors for the West Coast Swing Jack and Jill’s.  I was shocked at what I saw.  There was a complete lack of men a.k.a. LEADERS.

Where the ladies are…

So here I am in the line-up, 8 followers and 2 leaders.  I go into a group class, and I see 4 extra followers.  I know women who have learned to lead just because they are tired of sitting.  Men, if you can’t seem to find women at you local watering hole, try a local ballroom or swing dance.  You will meet all kinds of women!!!

One small dance step for man… one giant leap for mankind.

The first time trying something new is sometimes difficult.  The hardest part is getting started.  For would be dancers, it’s taking the first lesson.  My favorite dance students are beginners.  I love them and their energy.  But I am baffled by the amount of time that has passed between them wanting to learn to dance and making it to the first lesson.  It’s years!!!  It is not uncommon for someone to tell me they have wanted to learn to dance for 5, 10, or 15 years (or their wife or girlfriend has been talking about it for that long), but they never called a dance teacher or walked into a dance studio until just a few days ago. The first few steps just inside the dance hall’s door can be the hardest.  I understand, especially for men, just getting in the door is a giant leap.

What if you could walk into a ballroom or swing dance with a little more confidence in your step?

Sometimes, we fear only what we don’t know.  As a first time dancer, you may feel a little nervous because you think everyone at the dance knows more than you.  I get that, nobody like to be the low man on the totem poll.  So what if you could pick up a few moves before walking through the door?  What if you could dance your first dance in your kitchen or living room, rather than a dance studio.  What if you could learn enough East Coast Swing to dance all night long, without looking silly or unskilled to your partner? 

Check out how easy it can be to learn to learn how to East Coast Swing Dance!

Visit the ZeDiamond Dance Method website to see just how easy it can be.  There you can watch a video and check out how it works.  ZeDiamond Dance Method in a new way to learn to dance.  You will also find easy to follow instructional DVD’s for learning how to East Coast Swing Dance.  Give them a try.  You will be up and dancing and feeling more comfortable moving with the music by the end of this 2 DVD set.

Dancing with men.

I love dancing with men.  Skill level is not so important.  I love dancing with young men, old men, men in street shoes, men in jeans… I even once danced in a swing competition with a man who danced in black socks – NO SHOES!  Men, I know I’m not the only women who feels this way.  We need you men… at every dance, at every group dance class, at every swing dance party.  My tired, worn-out, danced himself into a limp, husband needs you too.  Please come take some of the followers off his hands so he can sit down once in awhile. Followers all over the world need you.  So please, take the first dance steps and learn how to dance with us.

Amy Barnes

ZeDiamond Dance Method 

Some of the best tips to improve your dancing, are not learned on the dance floor.

When I first started dancing, I had the pleasure of attending the Country Dance World Championships.  At my first “Worlds”, I did not know very much.  I could dance East Coast Swing, a little West Coast Swing, Waltz and Two-Step.  But I was very much still learning how to dance. I wanted to be a better dancer, so I took lots of workshops in swing dancing, country dancing and line dancing.  So many workshops in fact that my brain felt like it turned to mush, but I kept on dancing.  But, the lessons that have stayed with me all these years I did not learn out on the dance floor or in a learn how to dance workshop.

 At every dance event, whether it is swing, country, Latin or a ballroom dance event, there is a flyer table.  This table is full of business cards for dance instructors, fliers for upcoming dance events and dance workshops, and other information that promotes dancing to the community.  At this particular Worlds, there was something unusual on the flier table.  There was a small stack of paperback books.  “Paul McClure’s Country Dance Etiquette” was the title of book.  The lessons within this book have served me well over the years.  McClure’s wit is sharp, funny and honest while Craig George’s illustrations accent the points of etiquette perfectly.  Though the book was written with a country dance focus, much of it also is relevant in swing dancing and ballroom dancing and other social dancing venues.

 Over the years, I have changed and adapted these rules of etiquette to fit the dance and life situation I currently find myself in.  I have also taught these rules of etiquette in group lessons and private lessons with my dance students.  And now, lucky reader and ZeDiamond Dance Method dancer, I share them with you.

The Eight Dance Commandments – Originals by Paul McClure with revisions by Amy Barnes

1. Thou shalt dance at they partner’s level of comfort and ability.  Remember, dancing is about teamwork and partnership and nobody likes to be left in the dust or drug through the mud on or off the dance floor.
2. Thou shalt dance as if thou hast no thumbs.  Leaders, your thumbs hurt when they clamp down on the backs of your follower’s hands.  Followers, stop using lobster claws to hold on to your leaders.
3. Thou shalt leave the fast lane when moving slowly down the line of dance.  Slower dancers move to the inside track and let the faster dancers progress past you on the outside track.
4. Thou shalt always remember how it felt to be a beginner.  Remember, we were all beginner dancers at one time.  Always be kind, because we are all still learning and all of us can improve.
5. Thou shalt leave Four-Count Swing to Texas A & M alumni.  There is a time and a place for every dance.  Just because you know a dance, doesn’t mean you are going to dance it tonight.  Don’t get upset if the DJ at an “Any Swing Goes” party, doesn’t play your request for a Polka, stick to East Coast Swing.
6. Thou shalt not West Coast Swing in the midst of line dancers or East Coast Swing in the midst of Quick Step traffic.  If the DJ announces a particular dance at the beginning of a song, that dance has the right of way.  Respect the space and right of way of other dancers.  Every dancer likes a little bubble of space around them to prevent collision with other dancers.  If you are doing a stationary dance, take it to the center of the dance floor so more progressive dancers can go around the room without weaving around you.
7. Thou shalt ask at least one wallflower to dance each night.  Everyone likes to be asked to dance, but some people are uncomfortable asking others to dance.  I remember being a new dancer at a swing dance… dying to dance, praying someone would ask me.  Remember what it was like for you at your first few dances and ask a newbie to dance.
8. Thou shalt ask permission to polish thy partner’s belt buckle.  Face it, the person who is dancing with you, may not want to dance that close to you.  Give your partner the space they desire.  This also applies off the dance floor.

This list of dance commandments has helped me negotiate my way around many a dance floor successfully. 

I have taken them with me to swing dances, country-dances, ballroom dances and into a few bars and night clubs and delighted many a dance partner and onlooker.  Respect is a hard thing to earn back, once lost in the dance community. 

By following these dance commandments, you will be treating others they way they want to be treated and in return, they will treat you to many dances.

 See you out on the dance floor,

 Amy Barnes

ZeDiamond Dance Method