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March 8, 2016October 30, 2018

The Les Brown Approach To Your Dancing Dreams

When working on our dancing dreams, a time always comes - usually on a day when both body and mind are feeling bruised - when we wonder if we aren’t kidding ourselves. For many people, this is all it takes for them to give up and walk away. For Les Brown, that’s just another opportunity for growth.

Les Brown was born in an abandoned building in a low-income area of Miami, Florida. In school, he was classified as ‘educable mentally retarded’. And yet, he has since gone on to become a motivational speaker, author, radio DJ, television host, and politician. The following 5 principles he shared in countless speeches, as a way to find the strength to achieve your goals - no matter what. Continue reading "The Les Brown Approach To Your Dancing Dreams"

February 2, 2016October 31, 2018

6 Ways to Increase Your Hip Flexibility

Don’t get me wrong, proper technique is essential for Cuban motion. Once you have the basics down however, you might be asking yourself: How can I do more to capture the look of a Latin dancer? And a big part of that comes from increasing your hip flexibility, which gives you more range of motion on the dance floor. Here’s 6 ways to do that. Continue reading "6 Ways to Increase Your Hip Flexibility"

January 21, 2016October 31, 2018

5 Dance Moves for Sexy Hips

Whether you’re a man or a woman, your hips tell your dance partner a lot about you: how relaxed you are, how playful, how comfortable with your sexuality. So it should come as no surprise to know that, especially in the Latin clubs, one of the big indicators of your popularity as a dancer is how smoothly and sexily you can shake it down.

In previous articles on sexy hip movement, we explored the basic form of Latin hip movement, called Cuban motion, and I highly recommend ballroom beginners start there. For those of you a little more familiar with your body’s mid-section, here’s five more moves to develop some sexy hips! Continue reading "5 Dance Moves for Sexy Hips"

October 18, 2015October 31, 2018

The Anatomy of Ballroom Dance Songs

So far in section one and section two, we’ve focused on changes in energy in ballroom dance songs, and how we can use this to determine the pace and predict where the song is going. But some styles of music can prove much more complicated then the intro-verse-chorus pattern we discussed earlier. To better understand these, we must learn about musical form. Continue reading "The Anatomy of Ballroom Dance Songs"

September 13, 2015October 31, 2018

Guest Post: Dance Performances and Staying Positive

Many of us love to dance, and we often want to share that joy with others as well, whether it’s at a social, a group lesson, or one on one practice with a dance partner. Other times we want to share it with a wider audience by performing on a big stage. With that, however, come many mixed emotions. Some dance performances may result in a very rewarding feeling of accomplishment, and other times we are left disappointed in the outcome, whether it be a result of not enough practice, making mistakes on stage, or possibly an injury. If the outcome of performing has left you disappointed, or even afraid to step on stage again, how do you get back up in front of an audience after such an experience? Here are a few tips to keep a positive perspective on future dance performances, and build more positive experiences on stage. Continue reading "Guest Post: Dance Performances and Staying Positive"

July 4, 2015November 1, 2018

6 Secrets to Preparing for A Dance Performance

Some perform because it motivates them to improve, because they love the stage, or because they rarely get the space to dance with their whole heart. Sadly, many others are intimidated by the stage, and miss out on the the joy of performing for others. If you’ve decided to take the plunge however, here’s how to get ready your next dance performance. Continue reading "6 Secrets to Preparing for A Dance Performance"

May 31, 2015November 1, 2018

To Improve Posture, Watch Your Posture!

Are you an ‘armchair dancer’? It’s easy to learn how to improve posture, but do you actually work it into your routine? Like any changes we make in life, it often takes our brain some convincing - and even a little trickery - to build a new habit. The following is a list of possible places and ways you can improve posture without taking up too much mental space. Finally, we wrap up with some tips every upstanding dancer needs to improve posture, and everything connected with it. Continue reading "To Improve Posture, Watch Your Posture!"

November 16, 2014November 4, 2018

How to Improve Your Dancing Without Help

What if you didn’t have to have your instructor looking over your shoulder to improve your dancing? What if you could figure out what was holding you back and correct it all on your own?

Don’t get me wrong: virtually all of us need expert advice from time to time to avoid practicing bad technique.

But with a little body awareness and a lot of patience, we can make the lessons we’ve learned go a lot farther when we take it from the studio floor to the practice floor. Continue reading "How to Improve Your Dancing Without Help"