• Community Building - Dance Discussions

    Should you date that dancer?

    November 14, 2016 - By 

    It’s extremely likely that you will develop feelings for another dancer. It’s also quite possible that you will meet someone who has mutual interest. This leads to the inevitable question: should you date that dancer? The answer? It depends.  Some people swear that they will never date another dancer. Others claim they could only date a dancer. Whether you’re on one of these extremes or fall somewhere in the middle, there are important questions you should answer before getting involved. 1. How jealous are you? Jealous people typically have more problems dating dancers. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of your partner dancing with other…

  • Community Building - Social Dancing

    The girl who thought she danced better than she actually could

    October 14, 2016 - By 

    I was once the girl who though I danced better than I actually could. And you know what? Most of you probably were, too. Several of you probably still are. Yes, there are a few people who are (sometimes too) humble. I’ve had students where I just wish they could get a shred of self-confidence to go with their dancing. But, I’d say it’s not the majority. Most students go through a period of know-it-all-ness. It’s just the way things work. (I like to refer to this as the ‘teenager’ dance period.) So, let’s go through a personal case-study of me, who thought she could…

  • Community Building - Fun Stuff

    How to pick a video that gets people into dancing

    October 13, 2016 - By 

    The very first video you show a non-dancer can make or break their decision to give your dance a try. If they like it, they may gamble and come out to a social or class. If they don’t, they may write it off as something they don’t want to do. So, how do you pick the perfect video to show to newbies? Ask yourself five questions: Do the dancers look good doing it? Will the person enjoy the music? Is the videography attractive? Are the movements accessible and attainable to the person? Can the person relate to the dancers in…

  • Community Building

    The Hidden Middle Ground: Why are we so polarized in important discussions?

    August 15, 2016 - By 

    The dance community has been having some very important discussions lately. We’ve been having discussions around consent and assault. Taking about sexism and sexual aggression. Having conversations on homophobia and racism. Debating about cultural appropriation and honoring the roots of dances. Invariably, there are a couple types of overreactions.

  • Community Building - Etiquette - Social Dancing

    When the ‘Bad’ partners outnumber the ‘Good’

    July 27, 2016 - By 

    I want you to imagine an absolute beginners walking into their first dance social. They see all these people moving together on the floor – nothing like what they’ve seen at a dance club. Their first impulse? “Wow! Everyone here is an amazing dancer!” Meanwhile, their advanced dancer buddy may look at the room and think how wrong that beginner is. To them, out of the 40 dancers in the room, at least 20 of them aren’t good partners.

  • Community Building - Fun Stuff - Inspirational - Social Dancing

    How to be a Dance Evangelist

    March 18, 2015 - By 

    You know the person. Magically, they seem to find a continuous flow of new dancers for the scene… and many of those people actually stick around. They are what I like to call a ‘Dance Evangelist’.  I self-identify as a Dance Evangelist. Since I started dance, I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten at least 50 people into various forms of dance – and that’s probably on the conservative end. Salsa, West Coast, Zouk. Even Lindy and Blues at a time. So, I feel pretty well qualified to write this, but I am always open to new ways to improve my own Dance Evangelism.

  • Community Building - Dance Discussions - Social Dancing

    6 Reasons People Don’t Dance

    August 14, 2013 - By 

    I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the reasons people dance. I have spent far less time thinking about the reasons people don’t – or won’t – dance. Today, in my mindless internet forays, I came across an article about a fitness expert who decided to gain and lose 70 lbs just to see what it felt like and relate to his clients here. What does gaining/losing weight have to do with this article? Not much. But his musings on why people don’t successfully lose weight got me thinking. The following is a hypothesis, and is certainly not backed…