Higher Standards in Dance Education

By James Robey

In order to run a day care or nursery school, one needs to be certified. To teach in the public schools, one needs at least a bachelor's degree, preferably a master's degree. College dance programs require their faculty to have college degrees in addition to professional experience. So, what do you need to teach at a private dance studio: nothing. Anyone can throw up a shingle that says "Dolly Dinkle's Studio of Dance" and be in business.

Is there a need for standards in dance education?

Dance is a physically demanding activity. Taught incorrectly, it can lead to injury. Improper training causes long-term damage to the ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. In addition to the damage it can cause physically, poor standards in dance education lead to low expectations and even lower opinions of dance in the eye of the public. Exposed regularly to low quality dance, students and their parents grow to see dance as something trivial and frivolous. This trivializing of dance is dangerously subversive to the profession. After sitting through never-ending recitals of fringe and sequins, parents are unlikely to voluntarily see a live professional dance concert.

Even on the occasion that they do venture to a professional performance, they are often disappointed. After being accustomed to frilly recitals, a professional dance performance can seem mentally challenging, intense, and even dull. Every dance studio, show, or organization that adheres to poor standards diminishes the larger dance community by turning potential audience members, supporters, and emerging dancers away from dance.

So, why not create national standards for private dance schools?

The American psyche is still very much a cowboy (or cowgirl) at heart. We do not want rules and regulations encroaching on our precious freedoms. Many dance studio owners' and teachers' jobs would be threatened if they were required to meet national standards. To their credit, they point out outstanding individual teachers who had amazing performance careers, then became excellent teachers, but never received degrees. The fear is that standards would not only regulate poor teachers, but also punish good teachers. While a legitimate concern, I believe that teachers who are truly passionate about dance education would, or already do, embrace standards as a chance for self-improvement and not as an obstacle.

Where the United States fears to regulate itself, a higher percentage of private dance school educators in England and Canada have adopted professional standards and established curriculums in their practices. From my experience working in Canada, I found the dance education in the country to be more consistent from studio to studio than in America. They do not have the plethora of poor quality dance studios that I have found throughout the United States. The acceptance of professional standards and established curriculum has raised the bar of the average small-town dance studio above that currently practiced in America.

However, there is another side. Canada does not have as many exceptional, innovative dance education organizations as the United States. It would seem that standardization runs the risk of stifling creativity. Dance in the United States continues to be the leading innovator for the world. The concept of national standards in dance threatens innovation, our cowboy/cowgirl spirit, and our qualified, yet non-degreed, teachers. These factors lead to a resistance to accept standardization in the United States.

We need standards but we're too stubborn to accept them...what now?

While the American spirit is unlikely to bend to national standards created by a governing board, there is a group of individuals that already unknowingly sets the standards for dance schools: the parents. Parents drive the level of quality in our market-driven society. However, it is difficult for a parent, uneducated in the field of dance, to make an informed choice.

Unfortunately, many parents view the dance teacher's role on par with the baseball coach or the cheerleading coach. Most coaches for youth baseball, soccer, and cheerleading were not professionals or professionally educated. And even fewer have been educated in how to teach. This is fine for youth sports. What they are not taking into serious consideration is the fact that the demands of dance training on the body, at even the youngest level, can create great growth or great damage. The seemingly harmless decision of finding a dance studio for your child can be harmful to their young bodies. It takes time and energy to research which dance schools live up to high standards.

If you pick up your local phone book and flip to the dance school section, you will find ads for a number of dance studios. Chances are, the majority of those ads claim to provide "quality" or "professional" instruction. Who is going to be honest enough to admit "below average" or "highly amateur" instruction? The term "professional teachers" is loosely tossed about in these advertisements. The average parent assumes that "professional teachers" are ones who danced professionally or were at least educated at a professional level. But often, the justification for the term is nothing more than claiming that the teacher is paid for teaching. Using that definition of "professional teachers", I would like to the see the studio with "non-professional teachers" who work for free. I doubt they exist. As a parent searching for a dance school, you want the best for your child. Nevertheless, how can you decipher one school from another when they all claim to be "exceptional?"

What can we do?

I believe the education of the public is the dance community's top priority. We must teach students and their parents the importance of proper dance education:

1) Teach them about proper fundamentals that 'do no harm.' 'Knees over toes' is the most fundamental safe practice in dance education, yet many uninformed teachers force turn-out on dancers who are either too young to properly execute it or physically unequipped to handle the demands. If parents know what practices are safe and which are not, they can make better decisions in choosing a dance school

2) Teach them the value of a progressive, structured curriculum. 'Slow and steady wins the race.' There is a place and time--a sequence--to learning dance. Rushing children to do pointe work or to try technical tricks before they are ready is detrimental to their education as well as dangerous to their bodies. If parents know how a properly structured curriculum works, they can find a dance school where correct education is the focus.

3) Teach them respect for themselves and for the art of dance. Age-appropriate themes, choreography, and costumes not only teach students self-respect, but also helps them learn the vocabulary of dance in the proper order. Inappropriate choreography applies equally to the jazz teacher showing young students suggestive movements as to the ballet teacher showing professional variations to students who are not prepared. If parents know what is age-appropriate, they can better choose a dance school that adheres to higher standards.

Educating students and parents on what proper standards are in dance education is the only way to ensure a future of healthy dancers, create informed audience members, and promote a new generation of qualified teachers. The responsibility for standards in private dance school education will not fall on some national governing board. Rather, it spreads out from each of us to our students and their parents. The responsibility is ours.


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Belly Dance in Barcelona, Spain

By Paul Symonds

The Middle Eastern dance - raqs sharqi or raqs baladi - in which the dancer makes sensuous movements of the hips and abdomen - is called belly dance or belly dancing in the western countries. It is sometimes called 'oriental dance' or 'Egyptian dance' in Europe.

The dancers in belly dancing use the movements of every muscle group of their bodies. The dance starts with slow beat music but it become fast and goes to climax before ringing the final curtain down. So the dancers in belly dancing are required to energetic and flexible.

Traditionally, belly dancing is the dance for both the sexes, but the dance is growing extremely popular among women of the western countries. The dance offers the dancers complete opportunity to revel their muscle movements. It's getting popular among women because the dance helps spotlighting the feminine sensuality. The dance is more appreciated when it is performed by mature curvaceous women.

Belly Dancing has grown extremely popular in the Australia, Europe, United Kingdom, and United States. The western women are making therapeutic use of belly dancing. As belly dancing require a lot of muscle power, most of the western women approach belly dance for exercising, strengthening body-mind-soul, building fine figures, etc.

The therapeutic use of dance movements for the social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development of dancers is termed as "dance therapy." Dance therapy began as a profession in the 1940s with the work of Marian Chace. Dance therapy is a psychotherapy that dance therapists use to treat many kinds of emotional problems, intellectual deficits, and life-threatening illnesses. Dance therapy is growing popular at psychiatric hospitals, day care centers, mental health centers, prisons, special schools, etc.

Belly dancing is one the best dance forms that is often used as dance therapy. Belly dancing is usually preferred by dance therapists because the dance literally makes dancers exercising thru its tough muscle movements.

Belly dancing has grown as highly popular dance in Spain. There have come up a number belly dancing schools in the cities like Barcelona and Madrid. There are number of professional women belly dancers organizing classes for Spanish women in the city of Barcelona. Some of the dancers offering belly dancing include Devorah Korek - Escuela Sarabi (Phone: (34) 934 10 11 12), Lesya Starr - Estudio Lesya (Phone: 0034 630 972679), Aida, Hanan (Phone: (34) 933100732), and Valentina (Phone: 0034 647241595).

Belly dancing has grown fanatically popular as dance therapy in Barcelona, Spain. There are a number of Barcelona belly dancers using belly dancing as dance therapy to treat several psychological and health problems. Belly dancing dance therapy is helpful to a wide range of patients-from psychiatric patients to those with cancer to lonely elderly people. The dance therapy is often used by dancers used express emotions regarding their traumatic experiences that they traumatic literally talk about.



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Dance Videos are Educational, Fun, and Great Exercise

By Chris Robertson

The world seems to be divided into dancers and non-dancers. To the chagrin of women everywhere, men often simply declare that they don't dance. These guys don't understand that men who do dance have a secret weapon in their dating arsenal. Let's face it: women are enamored with men who enjoy dancing.

Aside from the gender divide, there are people who seem to have a natural sense of rhythm and people who don't. We've all witnessed people on the dance floor who can't seem to keep time with the music, or who cause us to look away when they begin their "signature move." Shudder.

There are any number of reasons why people can't or don't dance. Many times, they're just not used to expressing themselves through movement. They may be disconnected with their bodies, and have never experienced the joy and satisfaction of feeling the beat and moving to its rhythm. They might be self-conscious and want to avoid drawing attention to themselves because they fear being ridiculed. Or perhaps they simply don't know how to dance.

Learn to Dance without Fear

For those who can't or don't dance, dance videos can open up a wonderful new universe of self-expression - without the fear. For example, a person can buy a dance DVD and learn to dance in the comfort of his or her own home, away from prying eyes. A couple can practice together in the living room, either in conjunction with lessons or instead of lessons. Over time, non-dancers will realize that dancing is nothing to be feared; the only objective is to enjoy themselves.

There are an amazing number of dance videos available on the market today. Whether you're looking for a hip hop dance video, a ballet video, a line dance video, or a ballroom dance DVD, you'll find a variety of dance videos to suit your taste.

Expand Your Horizons

For those who already love to dance, dance videos can serve as an introduction to a greater variety of dances. For example, maybe you've always harbored a secret desire to learn clogging, or want to express your sensuality through belly dancing. Perhaps you want to feel the Latin heat, and are ready to learn flamenco or salsa. Or you may want to go retro and learn to swing dance or to do the Lindy hop.

If you love dancing, you'll find that dance videos open up a whole new universe of delight. You don't have to wait for a class, or if you're in a class, dance videos can help you practice between classes.

Dancing is Great Exercise

If you want to get into or stay in shape, dancing can provide cardio benefits, as well as improve your balance and increase your stamina. Who wants to log in time on a treadmill when you can move your body to the beat? Learning to hula dance will provide a workout to muscles you never knew you had, while hip hop will get your heart rate up. In addition to dance videos, you can also find videos and DVDs that use dance as a mechanism to achieve fitness. For example, there are dance videos that use Motown moves or rock tunes as part of a specific fitness routine.

Whatever your relationship to dance, there's no doubt that dance videos can kick it up a notch. Just remember that dance is all about expressing yourself through movement and that the bottom line is to enjoy yourself.



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Belly Dance and Dancing

A Beginner's Introduction
By Paul Symonds

The term "belly dance" is the brain child of Orientalism. The term has its roots in the Middle Eastern. Belly Dance is a Middle Eastern dance in which the dancer makes sensuous movements of the hips and abdomen.

Actually, 'belly dance' is the western name for an Arabic style of dance developed in the Middle East. It is sometimes also termed as belly dancing in the West. Belly Dance is called Raqs Sharqi or sometimes Raqs Baladi (national or folk dance) in Arabic language.

Belly Dance is sometimes called oriental dance in Europe. The dance is referred to as Oryantal Dansi (Dance of the East) in Turkish. It is called 'Danse du ventre' in French. The Americans simply refer to the dance as belly dance or "Middle Eastern Dance."

In the Middle East, Raqs Baladi (belly dance) is a social dance that is performed on all festive occasions such as weddings and other social gatherings for fun and celebration. The dance is performed by people of all ages and both sexes. Raqs Sharqi, the dramatized version of Raqs Baladi, is performed by professional dancers. It is the traditional dance of the Arabs who learn the dance from an early age.

In belly dance, a dancer uses movements in every muscle group of his/her body. A dancer visually communicates the emotion and rhythm of the music to the audience.
Belly Dance is the solo dance with its own unique dance vocabulary that is fluidly integrated with the music's rhythm.

Though the dance is performed by men also, belly dance is mainly viewed as a woman's dance. Belly dance is appreciated more when it is performed by a mature voluptuous woman. It is actually the dance celebrating the feminine sensuality.

Belly Dance is one of the most popular dances in the Australia, Europe, United Kingdom, and United States. Belly Dance is highly popular in Australia. Australia hosts the annual Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival.

There are several dance schools in the Europe, and the United States offering belly dance classes. Belly dance classes are flourishing Greece, France, UK, etc. The UK will host the first Annual International Bellydance Congress in September 2007. As belly dance require a lot of muscle power, most of the western women approach belly dance for exercising, strengthening body-mind-soul, building fine figures, etc.

Belly Dance is extremely popular in the U.S. It is very popular dance at a number of ethnic nightclubs owned by operated and patronized by members of the ethnic communities of Mediterranean countries like Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. The American celebrities, such as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira have featured belly dance in their videos. The dance has been filmed in a number of popular Hollywood movies.

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Good Dance Shoes Are A Necessity For Good Dancing

By Gregg Hall

What would dancing be without dance shoes? For most men, choosing the right men's dance shoes can be a burden. What most men do not know is that there are various types of men's dancing shoes. Some dances even have their own type of dancing shoes. Remember guys, sneakers, or shoes with rubber soles, sandals or any open-toe footwear just won't do. A soled leather shoe like loafers will do nicely. The most essential aspect is that proper men's dance shoes must be comfortable and fits nicely on your feet. You will not be able to focus on dancing if your feet are sore.

The dance floor also plays an important role in the fundamentals of the comfort of your feet. Dance studios are typically cushioned and have a spring like underflooring. These are the type of flooring that is right for dancing. It allows the dancer to dance longer with the aid of proper men's dance shoes. However some dance studios have concrete flooring with hardwood over it. Avoid dancing in this kind of flooring or your feet will be sore in no time.

When buying the right kind of men's dance shoes that suits you, you must think of it as an investment. Shop around a little bit. Prices, styles and selection of men's dance shoes are never ending. Men's dance shoes are engineered for dancing and some men's dance shoes improve your image on the dance floor. You want to look good on the dance floor would you?

Some features of men's dance shoes have their own purposes. Like for example the ankle straps of a ballet shoe, it provides not just the appealing look but also aids in setting your feet firmly on the shoes. Some men's dancing shoes have pumps that make the shoes hug your feet. The heels of men's dancing shoes have different heights and widths. This depends on what style of dance the shoe was designed for. Regular men's dance shoes have suede soles that make the dancer glide across the dance floor. This kind of men's dance shoes are good for doing turns and spins. Just a reminder, don't wear dance shoes outside. You must always put them on a carrying case whenever you are traveling. Also, brush the nap of the suede every once in a while. By doing these it will extend the wear of the dance shoes.

Remember that your dance shoes should depend on the type of dance that you will perform. Always wear your dance shoes on rehearsals, wearing dance shoes for the first time will be uncomfortable, wear them to break them in. The benefit of wearing dance shoes on rehearsals is that you will be more comfortable with it during the actual performance. What's the hold up? Grab your dance shoes and let's do some serious dancing.


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Rules of En-Tangoment

Dance Floor Etiquette
By Richard Hall


All social activities have rules of etiquette and social dancing is no different. There are general rules of etiquette that apply to all forms of dancing–smooth, Latin, Texas Two-step, even disco line dance. Knowing these rules will make the dance floor experience enjoyable for everyone.

Before the Dance

There is no delicate way to put this: Please practice good hygiene. Offensive body odors and bad breath are frowned upon on the dance floor. Many dance aficionados will go so far as to avoid eating certain strong foods on the days they are planning to dance. At the very least, a good shower, deodorant, and a swig of mouthwash will ensure that you dance the night away without offending your partner.

Clothing will vary by the type of event – formal, semi-formal, dressy casual, even shorts— but can also vary by the type of dance. You may choose to wear western wear for country line dancing, or dark themed clothing for Tango. This is not required but if you are a novice it is great way to get accepted into a new dance community. There are a few general rules that apply to all dances:

• Avoid big accessories that can get caught in your partner’s clothing or, worse, scratch or bruise someone.

• It is advisable to avoid tennis shoes or any rubber soled, spongy type shoe. These shoes tend to stick to the floor (as they are intended to); if you are executing spins and turns, you can injure an ankle or knee.

• Remember that dancing will require a partner. It is not pleasant to touch someone’s damp, sticky skin so avoid sleeveless shirts and dresses.

• Women with long hair should consider wearing it up or in a ponytail to avoid hitting a partner in the face during a spin or having your partner’s hand get caught in it.

• Men should carry keys and loose change in their left pants pocket making it less likely to bruise their partner.

At the Dance

Before you hit the dance floor, you will need a partner. It is considered rude to dance with the same partner all night, even if it happens to be your spouse! If you came with a partner it is generally accepted that they shall have the first and last dance. It is also considered rude to dance more than two songs in a row with the same person.

When asking someone to dance, you should do so politely and accept a refusal just as politely. These days it is acceptable for men and women to ask someone to dance. If you are on the receiving end of an invitation, remember that it is rude to turn down a dance with someone and then accept an invitation from another partner during the same song.

Once a song is over, men should escort women back to their seats or to wherever they were standing prior to the dance. If someone has just finished dancing, wait until they are completely off the dance floor before inviting them back out again. Do not pounce on someone as they are leaving the dance floor.

Do not block access to the dance floor by standing and talking or moving chairs into pathways. Dance spaces are usually crowded so be considerate of others’ space.

Social dances are categorized into two types – progressive and spot dances. Progressive dances travel the floor like the Polka, Foxtrot, and Waltz. Spot dances are typically danced in one spot and include Salsa, Rumba and East Coast Swing. Dancers move counterclockwise around the floor in progressive dances. This is known as the line of dance and is like an imaginary circle going counterclockwise. In addition to the line of dance there are two lanes, the outside or fast lane and the inside or slow lane. Dances such as the Tango, Waltz, and Foxtrot are danced in the two outer lanes. Spot dances such as the Cha Cha, Swing or slow dancing are danced in the inside lanes.

Newbie dancers should move toward the center or outer edges, depending on the style of dance. While newbies should concede more space to more experienced dancers, it is equally rude for experienced dancers to hog floor space with fancy moves which force other dancers out of the way.

By following these simple rules of dance etiquette, you are sure to have a great time dancing the night away!



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The Health Benefits of Dancing

Including Specific Benefits of Different Dances
By Brian Vaszily


If you secretly sashay across your living room when you're home alone or long to cha-cha with your significant other, you're in luck. Not only is dancing an exceptional way to let loose and have fun, but it also provides some terrific benefits for your health.

In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps to:

* Reduce stress
* Increase energy
* Improve strength
* Increase muscle tone and coordination

And whether you like to kick up your heals to hip hop, classical or country, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says that dancing can:

* Lower your risk of coronary heart disease
* Decrease blood pressure
* Help you manage your weight
* Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips

Dancing is a unique form of exercise because it provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while also allowing you to engage in a social activity. This is especially stimulating to the mind, and one 21-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found dancing can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly.

In the study, participants over the age of 75 who engaged in reading, dancing and playing musical instruments and board games once a week had a 7 percent lower risk of dementia compared to those who did not. Those who engaged in these activities at least 11 days a month had a 63 percent lower risk!

Interestingly, dancing was the only physical activity out of 11 in the study that was associated with a lower risk of dementia. Said Joe Verghese, a neurologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a lead researcher of the study, "This is perhaps because dance music engages the dancer's mind."

Verghese says dancing may be a triple benefit for the brain. Not only does the physical aspect of dancing increase blood flow to the brain, but also the social aspect of the activity leads to less stress, depression and loneliness. Further, dancing requires memorizing steps and working with a partner, both of which provide mental challenges that are crucial for brain health.

How Good of a Workout is Dancing, Really?

The amount of benefit you get from dancing depends on, like most exercises, the type of dancing you're doing, how strenuous it is, the duration and your skill level.

Says exercise physiologist Catherine Cram, MS, of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting in Middleton, Wisconsin, "Once someone gets to the point where they're getting their heart rate up, they're actually getting a terrific workout. Dance is a weight-bearing activity, which builds bones. It's also "wonderful" for your upper body and strength."

Plus, dancing requires using muscles that you may not even know you had.

"If you're dancing the foxtrot, you're taking long, sweeping steps backwards. That's very different than walking forward on a treadmill or taking a jog around the neighborhood ... Ballroom dancing works the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles differently from many other types of exercise," says Ken Richards, professional dancer and spokesman for USA Dance, the national governing body of DanceSport (competitive ballroom dancing).

Specific Benefits of Different Dances

If you're looking for specific health results, here's a breakdown of the benefits of some popular dances. Just remember that any type of dancing is better than no dancing at all!

Belly Dancing

* Improved posture and muscle toning
* Maintains flexibility
* Helps prevent lower back problems
* Tones and firms arms and shoulders
* Helps with weight loss
* Helps prepare women for childbirth
* Reduces stress


Dancing Off Those Calories

How many calories will you burn while dancing? That depends on the type of dancing. Here's a range of some of the most popular varieties, based on a 150-pound person, per hour:

* Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour
* Ballroom dancing: 265
* Square dancing: 280
* Ballet: 300
* Belly dancing: 380
* Salsa dancing: 420+
* Aerobic dancing: 540+


Ballroom Dancing

* Conditions the body
* Helps keep the heart in shape
* Builds and increases stamina
* Develops the circulatory system
* Strengthens and tones legs and body
* Increases flexibility and balance
* Helps with weight loss
* Relieves stress


Salsa Dancing

* Builds endurance and stamina
* Helps with weight loss
* Relieves stress
* Helps you release toxins via sweating
* May help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels
* Can lead to a reduced heart rate over time


Square Dancing

* Provides cardiovascular conditioning
* May lead to a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure and an improved cholesterol profile
* Strengthens bones
* Helps you develop strong social ties
* Loosens and tones muscles

Physical benefits aside, dancing has a way of brightening up a person's day, says ballroom owner and operator Karen Tebeau.

"A lot of times, when people come into the studio, it's because there's been a change in their life: a divorce or they've been through a period of depression. They (continue) coming in, and you see a big change. After a while, they're walking in with a sunny expression. You know it's the dancing that's doing that," she says.




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