Give a Valentine’s Day Gift that Says “I Love You”

Valentine’s Day is a day meant for celebrating love. Every year couples want to show their appreciation for each other through gifts or special gestures. Although we want to show our love, we can have a difficult time trying to figure out what to get for our significant other. I have this problem every year when I try to find a gift for my husband. What does he really want? I assume men have the same question when it comes to women. So for all you guys who don’t know what to get their lovely lady for Valentine’s Day look no further. Latin Dancing with Pedro is one perfect way to say I love you.

What this says to a woman:

1.  You actually want to spend quality time with them.
2.  You enjoy learning new things with them.
3.  You took the time to be creative with your gift choice, which leaves us feeling even more special.
4.  Because Latin dancing is very sensual in nature, it shows that you desire passion in your relationship.
5.  Numbers 1-4 equal “I Love You”

These topics should be big point earners. Women want to feel special, and giving a gift that can say all these things will definitely make this an amazing Valentine’s Day for you both! Give the gift of love by learning to dance with your loved one. We also have a variety of other great valentines day options like Sherlock’s Mystery Dinner Theatre on February 16th. Be sure to take a look at our web site.

If you are interested in going the creative/unpredictable route this Valentine’s make sure to visit www.ColumbusState.edu/CE, or call 706.507.8070 for class registration.

The Columbus Ballet Delivers an Outstanding Nutcracker Performance

If you went to see the Nutcracker at the RiverCenter,  you already know how amazing this performance was. Since this was my first time going to a ballet performance, I didn’t really know what to expect. Although I did expect there to be beautiful ballerinas, the grandeur of the show caught me off guard. The stage was lavishly decorated with perfect lighting, and the performers were extravagantly dressed giving the show a magical Christmas ambiance. I think everyone had to have left with a warm fuzzy feeling that night.

In the beginning of the performance, I was initially pleased with the obvious effort to make this a magical moment for the audience because of the superior quality of everything involved. From time to time you’ll see ballet on TV or maybe online, but for me I never took the time to appreciate ballerinas’ talent until I watched them in person. It’s very cool to see how they can make ballet look so fluid and effortless. As I was watching them dance, all I could do was imagine myself trying to do the same moves and realizing how hard it would be. I definitely have to give them props for being able to keep the pace, balance and strength to perform like that.

My favorite part was the sugar plum fairy’s dance which happened to be portrayed by Anna Rodriquez. She was absolutely flawless in her performance. The perfect touch was added when the light hit her jeweled outfit and tiara making her glimmer from head to toe. It was such an awesome performance. Bravo to the Columbus Ballet for working so hard!

If your little one was swept away by the magic of the ballet you may want to consider registering them for upcoming ballet classes. They’ll have a chance to learn from other experienced ballerinas such as Anna Rodriquez, who happens to be an instructor at the CSU Dance Conservatory, official school of the Columbus Ballet. For more information, visit http://ballet.columbusstate.edu/ or call 706.507.8070.

-Kindra Hunter

Rediscover the Magic of the Nutcracker

Throughout the Holidays there are many activities and performances that set a dreamlike tone. The ballet may be one of them, in particular, the Nutcracker. Every Christmas season ballet companies all over the country perform the Nutcracker, bringing back memories of Christmases past. The Nutcracker Ballet originated from E.T.A Hoffman’s story, “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” in the 19^th century. Marius Petipa, a dancer from France, created the ballet choreography for the original performance of the Nutcracker in St. Petersburg, Russia. Interestingly, when this ballet debuted it wasn’t very popular. Today, the Nutcracker is considered one of the world’s most renowned ballets.

On December 10^th- 11^th the Columbus Ballet Company will perform the Nutcracker at the RiverCenter. Click here for ticket information. This is a fantastic opportunity to boost the warm fuzzy feeling that Christmas gives you. It’s also a perfect night out for the family, or you and a special loved one. Let yourself get swept away in the enchanting story of the Nutcracker. Preview the storyline with this brief summary:

The Stahlbaum’s are hosting a party on Christmas Eve. When Drosselmeyer arrives at the party, he gives Clara and Fitz gifts. Fitz immediately becomes jealous of Clara’s Nutcracker doll and breaks it. After Drosselmeyer repairs the doll, the night eventually comes to an end. Clara sneaks out of bed to cuddle with her Nutcracker doll under the Christmas tree and falls asleep. At midnight, the doll comes to life and has to defend Clara and himself in a battle against the Mouse King.

Luckily, the Nutcracker, his army of toy soldiers, and Clara won the battle against the Mouse King. The Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes Clara to the Land of Snow, and then on to the Land of Sweets where they meet the Sugar Plum fairy. They tell the fairy of their victory against the Mouse King and she rewards them with a variety of captivating dances. At the end of the story, Clara wakes up underneath the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker doll.

Take some time out to delight in the holiday season this year.  For tickets and pricing information visit the RiverCenter.org. It’s only natural to be mesmerized by the beauty and grace of ballerina after you watch them perform. If you or your children are inspired to learn more about the art of ballet, visit ColumbusState.edu/Ballet for registration information.

-Kindra Hunter

“Prominent Russians: Marius Petipa.” Get Russianalized – Russiapedia. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/opera-and-ballet/marius-petipa/>.

“The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet.” Nutcracker Ballet – Performance Directory and Nutcracker Ballet Information from Ballet Buzz. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nutcrackerballet.net/html/nutcracker_story.html>.

The Waltz: A Forbidden Dance

Did you know at one time in history the Waltz was considered scandalous? Today, our view of this dance is far from scandalous. MTV and other music video stations have surely outdone the waltz. It’s funny to think that there was a time when the Waltz was considered vulgar to people. After doing some research on this dance style, I discovered where the dance originated and why it was technically the first dance to be termed the “forbidden dance.”

The most familiar form of today’s Waltz dates back to 18^th century Austria, called the Viennese Waltz, which was influenced from other forms of “twirling” dances from neighboring countries such as Germany and Italy. However, the development of Waltz type dances dates back even further. The Waltz was highly criticized as being sinful and immoral because people were required to dance in a close position. Before the Waltz, people danced around each other, but never touched.  The dance was originally performed by lower class citizens and eventually made its way up the societal ladder. Once it appeared in England at the Prince Regent’s grand ball in 1816, The Times of London had this to say:

We remarked with pain that the indecent foreign dance called the Waltz was introduced (we believe for the first time) at the English court on Friday last … it is quite sufficient to cast one’s eyes on the voluptuous intertwining of the limbs and close compressor on the bodies in their dance, to see that it is indeed far removed from the modest reserve which has hitherto been considered distinctive of English females. So long as this obscene display was confined to prostitutes and adulteresses, we did not think it deserving of notice; but now that it is attempted to be forced on the respectable classes of society by the civil examples of their superiors, we feel it a duty to warn every parent against exposing his daughter to so fatal a contagion. (rounddancing.net)

Herold and Meredith Sears quoted the interpretation of this statement from Jeff Allen’s An Idiot’s guide to Ballroom Dancing, “Interestingly, “voluptuous intertwining of the limbs,” simply referred to the close dance position of the day. The gloved hand of the gentleman was placed gently on the waist of his partner at virtually full arm’s length. The lady’s left-gloved hand quite possibly was delicately placed on her gentleman’s shoulder, and she likely held a fan in that same hand. The left hand of the gentleman remained open and acted as the shelf for his partner’s right-gloved hand. The really scandalous point of that reporter’s observation was that the gentleman’s foot disappeared from time to time under the lady’s gown in the midst of the dance. The bodies of the dancers were never in contact!”

It’s quite interesting to see how society’s views have changed over hundreds of years! If you are interested in an 18^th century scandal, Lee Brigg’s ballroom dance class is where you need to be. You’ll learn to Waltz, Rumba, Foxtrot, Swing and Cha Cha. Ballroom 101 is coming up this November, so make sure to call 706.507.8070 or visit ColumbusState.edu/CE for registration information.

-Kindra Hunter

REFERENCES:

January, Bob. “THE WALTZ, History of and Beauty of the Waltz.” The NEW YORK DANCE BAND ORCHESTRA, Ballroom, Jazz, Swing, Traditional. 08 Apr. 2005. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://bobjanuary.com/waltz.htm>.

Sears, Herold, and Meredith Sears. “Some Waltz History.” Harold Sears, Dance and Nature Writing. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.rounddancing.net/dance/articles/waltzhist.html>.

“Dances – WALTZ DANCE – History of the Waltz.” Learn to Dance with DanceCrazy, the Definitive   Collection of Dance Videos. Learn Ballroom Dancing, Learn Salsa Dancing, and Any Other Latin Dance. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.dancecrazy.com/history-of-the-waltz.htm>.

Exploring Salsa: Where Did the Movement Start?

The word Salsa probably causes you to imagine people dancing and twirling in brightly colored attire to a fast Latin beat. Everyone seems to be familiar of Salsa dancing, but what do we really know about it? From where does this staple of Latin dance originate? Since I was curious, I decided to do a little research on my own.

After browsing through a couple of websites, it appears that there isn’t one single place that Salsa was developed, but that Cuba played the major role in what Salsa is today. It was developed from African, Spanish, and French influences. According to Salsa-Dancing-Addict.com, “The French who fled from Haiti brought the Danzón or the country-dance of England/France to Cuba. This dance began to mix with the African rumbas such as Guaguanco, Colombia and Yambú. Added to this is the Són of the Cuban people, which was a mixture of the Spanish troubadour (sonero) and the African drumbeats. This type of syncretism occurred in other places like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Puerto Rico, albeit not at the same grand level and manner as in Cuba.”

Why exactly is this dance called Salsa? Isn’t that what you put your chips in? Over the years the meaning of the term has become interchangeable, and can refer to adding flavor to music. The music with this particular “flavor”, “spice”, “kick” or what ever you’d like to call it was coined as Salsa music. Salsaroots.com mentions, “The popular usage of the word “salsa” for danceable Latin music began in 1933 when Cuban song composer Ignacio Piñerio wrote the song Échale Salsita.” Échale Salsita means to “spice it up a little.” It’s funny because the song is about American food.

Salsa-Dancing-Addict.com also describes how this “spiced up” type of dance works, “Salsa is danced on music with a recurring eight-beat pattern, i.e. two bars of four beats. Salsa patterns typically use three steps during each four beats, one beat being skipped. However, this skipped beat is often marked by a tap, a kick, a flick, etc. Typically the music involves complicated percussion rhythms and is fast with around 180 beats per minute.”

If you would like to learn more about the Salsa, Pedro Rodriguez is here to help. Our class, Latin Dancing with Pedro, will teach you everything you need to know about Salsa and other popular Latin dances too! For more information visit us at ColumbusStateUniversity.edu/CE or call 706.507.8070.

–Kindra Hunter

Bartch, Cathy. “History of Salsa Dancing – The Origins of Salsa Dancing.” Salsa Dancing – The Dance of Intimate Passion and Addiction. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://www.salsa-dancing-addict.com/history-of-salsa.html>.

Salazar, Max. “Salsa Origins.” SalsaRoots.com – The Essential Guide to the History of Salsa Music and Dance. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://salsaroots.com/salsaorigins.htm>.

Dancing Feet are Happy Feet

Do you remember the old movies with tap dancing scenes? I use to love watching Shirley Temple tap dance. There was something so interesting about watching her curls bounce around while she energetically tapped to the beat of the song. It made me want to get up and dance too. Unfortunately, I wasn’t nearly as good as Shirley. If you’ve ever felt this way, you now have the chance to learn to tap dance.

Jordan McDonald is our tap dance instructor at the Rankin Arts Center for Continuing Education, and she has a class coming up soon. Jordan has tap been dancing since the age of 3, and is still tapping away today. According to Jordan, “Tap dance is a great work out for mind and body.” It is true that, on average, you can burn you can burn 315 calories from 1 hour of tap dancing. This varies depending on your weight, gender, and the intensity of your movement. Then, once you learn the basics, you get to add to the music with supplemental rhythms. “Although, it is more sound heavy versus visual, it’s still an amazing art to watch” says Jordan.

Be able to re-enact the tap dancing scenes from your favorite oldie flick. Come visit Jordan as she teaches Adult Tap, and learn some cool steps to show your loved ones. How many people can say that they actually know how to tap dance? I don’t know that many people who do, so give your feet something to be proud of. For more information visit us at ColumbusState.edu/CE or call 706.507.8070.

Impress Your Lady by Suggesting Dance Classes

Women have always been known to rave about romance, and dancing is one of the most romantic things a guy can do. Why do you think women love to watch the movie Dirty Dancing? Dancing creates an environment where you can let loose, move your body to the rhythm and let the passion flow. We have all seen it on movies and on TV, but I believe that secretly all women wish they could be that woman dancing the night away with the one we love.

The real issue is a lot of men avoid activities like this. Maybe it’s because they want to be viewed as a man’s man. I wish I could figure that one out because I just don’t get it. A guy can still take a woman out dancing and then go home and eat his beef jerky. There is nothing wrong with showing the soft side every now and then. Guy’s friends can be a bummer too especially when they are too critical about romance. They are probably upset because they don’t have anyone to go out with. Even if they did have someone, they might be upset because that idea was way better than what they could have come up with.

The truth is there is nothing more amazing than a man that can come up with his own romantic gestures. Men, this is just my opinion, but if you have someone special in your life, maybe you should think about taking them out to learn how to dance. Not sure if she will think it’s a good idea? Well, more than likely you should still offer it. I’m certain that she’ll love the idea more than you think! It’s like thinking that you shouldn’t give her flowers because it’s cliché; women absolutely love getting flowers no matter how cliché it may seem.  For more information on dance classes call 706.507.8070 or visit www.ColumbusState.edu/CE.

-Kindra Hunter

So what is the “Hotlanta Dance Challenge”?

Ballroom dancing can be captivating to watch and exhilarating too. If you have attended Lee Brigg’s Ballroom dancing class you know exactly what I’m talking about. Once you have fallen in love with the art of dance there is no falling out, and if you have fallen in love, you will probably be interested in hearing more about the Hotlanta Dance Challenge: Mount Olympus and the Legend of the Greek Gods in Atlanta, Ga. The competition will last for 3 days during October 13-15, 2011. To learn more, visit their website: www.HotlantaDance.com

If you’ve gained some serious dancing moves in our Ballroom dancing classes, you should think about competing. Don’t keep all that passionate rhythm inside you, put on a show! Check out the entry forms on the main page of the website. There are varying dance levels in this competition, so depending on your skill you can determine which category you will want to register for.

If you are learning to dance or are only interested in watching the competition, you can purchase admission tickets. There are package deals available as well, which include admission, dinner and special gifts. You can choose to go for the entire 3 days or just for one night. This also happens to be a great idea for a romantic getaway, it’s less money than a full blown vacation and it is much closer to home.

After attending an event like this, I would imagine that you might be inspired to take up dancing, and if you dance already, you’ll probably be motivated to take your dancing to the next level. If so, Ballroom 101 and Ballroom, Beyond the Basics is starting this September. Visit www.ColumbusState.edu/CE to register.

-Kindra Hunter

A Peek into the Life of a Professional Ballerina

Ballet is a graceful art which is beautified by the ballerina’s seemingly effortless moves. Many people have been captivated by the agility and skill that ballerinas possess, and so much so that they are inspired to become ballerinas themselves. This is exactly what happened to Maria Hirsch when she was 7 years old. “My aunt took me to watch a ballet performance because she had a friend dancing in the production. I was mesmerized with the lights, make up, costumes and most importantly the pointe shoes.  After the performance, she took me backstage and that completed my fascination. The dressing rooms, hair spray, showers, all the energy backstage and the entire world that opened before me was a revelation. I knew immediately what I wanted do for the rest of my life. My mother and father enrolled me a month later in the same company, and to this day I have never quit.”

Maria instantly fell in love with the world of ballet, but in order to become a part of it she had to contribute a lot of hard work and dedication. “I was a very shy little girl but for some reason, I found “me” in the ballet studio at the barre, sweating and spending endless hours of hard work. I loved the challenge immediately.”  Fortunately, for Maria the challenge of ballet encouraged her and gave her something to work hard for.  It’s important to know that the competition is intense and that people can succumb to the pressure. She mentioned that a dancer needs to have strong self-confidence; if not the competition in this industry will bring a dancer to quit. However, once a dancer can overcome the challenges presented to them, they gain high self-esteem and become an amazing ballerina.

She also described her daughter’s interest in ballet and how she sees the same passion for ballet as she has. “She started taking ballet at the age of 5, with me.  At that early age I saw the same drive and spirit I discovered that day when I was 7. To make a long story short, in January 2011 she joined the Atlanta Ballet. She just turned 19 years old and is on her way to the beginning of a very beautiful professional career. “

Dancing professionally as a ballerina can provide you with remarkable experiences such as traveling to places you would never go otherwise and dancing with other incredibly talented ballerinas. The pay range depends on the type of dancer you are, the company you belong to and your position in the company. You can certainly make a living as a ballerina, but this career is short and therefore a dancer must have an education to fall back into when you reach that “pointe.”

If you or someone you know has been inspired to pursue professional ballerina status, Maria Hirsch is the one to talk to.  Visit her at the CSU Dance Conservatory at the Rankin Arts Center or view the programs offered at www.columbusstate.edu/ballet.

-Kindra Hunter

Keep Your Dancing Feet Happy

If you are currently taking a dance class here at Continuing Education or if you just have a love for high heels, your feet are probably hurting at the end of the night. Although having fun dancing the night away makes the pain worth it, wouldn’t it be great to know a couple of ways to prevent and treat sore feet? I’ll go over a few tips of my own, from friends and online!

Prevention is the best way to keep your feet feeling fine. Typically, different heels have different problem areas, anywhere from rubbing your heel to squishing your toes. My favorite pair of heels rub against my toes, so what I tend to do is put my shoe on, pin point the spot where it rubs my skin and place a band-aid there. These are open toe heels and the rest of my foot is covered, so I am able to hide my goofy band-aid. The same can be done when your high heels rub the back of your heels. It’s also nice to have a variety of band-aid shapes and sizes so you can easily hide it depending on the shoes you wear that day.

High heel inserts are another great way to help alleviate the pain. These are some I’ve found online:

Insolia from Amazon $16.97

Back of heel cushions and tip toe cushions by Foot Petals from $6.95

If avoiding the pain isn’t working then there are ways to help ease it once the day is over. Think about taking the time to treat yourself by buying foot lotion and giving your feet a nice massage. Also, I discovered on ehow.com’s health section that alternating your feet every couple of seconds between a hot and cold foot bath for 15 minutes will help take away foot pain. Wearing high heels with more of a platform will help keep your feet and ankles stable, compared to skinnier heels with less material. The height of the heel makes a huge difference as well, so you might want to find something with a shorter heel for more comfort. I wonder if some of this stuff helps to alleviate the pain of toe shoes too.

ehow.com

Hope these simple tips will help you pick up the pace in Pedro’s Hot Latin Nights in Dance class or just around town!

-Kindra Hunter