This Friday, ballroom dancing in Macon finds a new home at Le Piada, an elegant and lively event venue located at 4295 Interstate Drive, Suite B. The dance begins at 8:00 with a complimentary lesson from Paula East. General dancing continues till 1:00 a.m. with music by DJ Pocholo. Admission is $10; light snacks are provided and a cash bar is available. Call 478-474-3566 for more information. We hope everyone will turn out and make this a successful event!
Last week, Daniel and I had our first formal experience as dance teachers. Monday and Wednesday we covered for Ms. Madison in her absence and taught the waltz to the “Pearls” class–10- to 12-year-olds. Monday night we also taught a private lesson to an engaged couple who want to learn a routine for their wedding reception. They also want to do the waltz, so we have done a LOT of waltz basics this week!
Teaching was exciting and surprising. I’ve been learning dance for so long that I’d forgotten how challenging it is to remember steps and positions when they’re new, before they become second nature. The “Pearls” had a hard time remembering how to do the closed dance position, especially because they are all girls and were trading off being leaders and followers, so they had to do it both ways. Finally, one of them pointed out that the leader’s left hand makes an L when she holds it up as part of the dance position: L for Leader. After that they were able to remind each other whose arm went on top on the other side. In a lot of ways they had the same challenges that I had when I started in ballroom. Learning the steps may have been tough, but learning to lead and follow was much tougher. But they got so excited every time they figured out how to do something, and I saw so much improvement in just 2 lessons. I hope we get to teach them again sometime. I’d like to give them a crack at the tango.
Our wedding couple is coming along wonderfully as well. They are smiling, having fun, and showing so much willingness to learn, and those are the most important qualities. Much like the “Pearls,” their biggest challenge is adapting to doing the steps while attached to another person. I will admit: that’s hard! Your body constantly responds to the other person’s movements while trying to do your own movements. Until a pair gets some degree of tone in their frames and consistency in their connection, their dancing won’t feel as smooth and enjoyable as it could. But if we had to work on posture till it was perfect, before we ever learned a step, we’d die of boredom and no one would ever enjoy ballroom. The wedding couple has the advantage of living together and being able to practice on their own. That will help their muscle memory and get their bodies adjusted to the posture they need, which is an effort till one gets used to it. But the effort is worth it: even the most basic steps look really impressive when performed with a nice big frame and a good connection. I hope we get to see their wedding video; I already know we’re going to be proud!
Yesterday afternoon at a press conference, the Peyton Anderson Foundation announced a $1.5 million one-year grant to promote Macon to the rest of Georgia and around the U.S. (Here’s the Macon Telegraph story.) The project, which is called the Gateway Initiative, includes a video featuring performing artists in iconic and beautiful Macon settings. Two of the performing artists in the video are Daniel and me! How cool is that?
Tuesday morning we got a call from Paula East with the news that Elliott Dunwody of Bright Blue Sky Productions had called her looking for dancers to appear in a video that would be shooting early Friday morning on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, and she had very generously recommended us. Fortunately, Daniel works at night and I am off most Fridays, so we were both available and very excited to be involved with the project. I called Elliott that morning to make the arrangements. One trip to Target for false eyelashes later, we were ready for video stardom.
Promptly at 8:15 Friday morning (we are not the kind of divas who turn up late to a shoot) we were waiting in the parking lot at the trail entrance, not quite knowing what to expect. Elliott D. drove up on his four-wheeler/golf cart and introduced himself by saying “Are you walking or dancing?” He picked out our outfits–white tie with black shirt, pants, and vest for Daniel and aqua practice dress for me–and we got in the cart to ride over to the location. Thus we learned that on a professional shoot, “the talent” (i.e., us) does not have to do anything except show up and perform their part. At a picturesque bend in the trail, two producers (Stephanie & Tabitha) were waiting for us along with Maryann Bates, a local photographer that we’d met a few times. She was taking still photos that will also be part of the Gateway Initiative projects.
When we got there, I was still in yoga pants and a tank top with no lipstick on. Granted, dancers are not modest, but stripping down and changing while walkers, joggers, dogs on leashes, and babies in strollers went by might have been a bit much. Elliott had found a tarp in his van which Daniel managed to rig into a curtain for me to stand behind and put my dress on. After some setup time during which we practiced and the producers made inscrutable adjustments to a pair of large square reflectors on stands (Daniel: “Can I help?” Stephanie: “No! The talent doesn’t have to help!”), it was time to dance for the cameras.
The strangest part of the process was dancing with no music. The production team will add the music separately, and Elliott didn’t have a power supply for a CD player or similar, so we just counted to ourselves and went without it. The second strangest part was dancing on concrete instead of a wood floor. Our technique probably would not have won us any ribbons. Nevertheless, it was exciting and we definitely felt like stars. We did our waltz routine at least a half-dozen times at different spots on the trail while the camera rolled and Maryann shot stills. Hearing her shutter clicking was like affirmation that we were looking good. The setting was gorgeous and everyone who went past during the shoot was very interested and complimentary. Elliott also showed us some of Maryann’s photos taken during other segments of the video and they were amazing. If our part looks as good as that, I will be totally blown away!
Everyone will have to be patient for a while until the finished video comes out. Because of copyright and so forth, we could not take any personal pictures or use our video camera. Producer Stephanie said the video would hopefully be done “by the end of the year” but the Telegraph article said November. Let’s hope for sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for our big debut. As soon as I get a copy or it’s up online, I’ll post it for all to see.
Daniel and I thank–belatedly but no less enthusiastically–Eddie Ares and Chasity Smith from Academy Ballroom Atlanta for coming to Macon this past Sunday to teach a workshop for us at the Howard Community Club. Last year at Stars Over Macon, Eddie offered to come and give us a workshop. The scheduling turned out to be the biggest challenge, but once we fixed on a date, it all ran like clockwork. Even the rain that fell steadily throughout Sunday afternoon and evening didn’t keep people away. Between 25 and 30 people attended and learned from Eddie about creating impact and visual interest in their dancing by making fairly simple changes: rotating when doing box steps in rumba, for instance, or alternating box steps with cross-body leads. As Eddie pointed out, even social dancers want to look great on the floor and attract people’s attention. The easiest way to do that is by staying in motion and showing spectators every angle of the body. He taught everyone a simple but impressive-looking routine with some elements of styling for extra polish and visual appeal. It was a great learning experience and a wonderful exposure to high-level instruction for those of us who would usually have to travel at least an hour up the highway to get it!
Best of all, Eddie suggested that he might be able to organize more workshops here in Macon with other instructors from Academy. These are still in the early planning stages, but we’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Longtime readers of my LiveJournal* will recognize “What have you done for your dancing today?” as an adaptation of “What have you done for your dissertation today?,” the mantra that got me through writing my doctoral dissertation five years ago. In the interest of refining our focus and the site’s focus, I’ve decided to use “What have you done for your dancing today?” as a reminder to myself to do something for my dancing every day and to post something on the site at least 3 times a week. I plan to continue recording our experiences on the dancefloor and promoting local events, but I’d like to add more reflective and informative posts as well: how to get started, how to train your body, how to prepare for competition, and whatever else I think of. I also have an overambitious plan to do a “competition diary” at the end of October when we travel to North Carolina for the Carolina Classic: either a series of short posts as we go through the competition weekend, or one long round-up afterwards. Hopefully the competition diary will be illustrated with photos.
Stay tuned…
*It’s friends-locked, but if you have an LJ account, comment (here or on LJ) and I’ll add you.
After a few weeks of not much dancing, we turn over a new leaf tomorrow and head into a week–actually, more like a month–of TONS of dancing. Hooray! Here we go:
Tomorrow: private lesson with Eddie and then workshop with Eddie right here in Macon at the Howard Community Club, with our 4th Sunday dance to follow at 7 p.m. as usual. We have had 30 RSVPs so far and could probably squeeze in a few more. Email me (laura at dldancers dot com), comment on the “Workshop with Eddie” post here on DLDancers.com, or RSVP to “Dance Workshop with Eddie Ares” on Facebook.
Monday & Wednesday: Jane Madison of Madison Studio is out of town visiting her daughter (the lovely & talented Faith Madison, recently promoted to the corps de ballet of Colorado Ballet) and has asked Daniel and me to substitute-teach the ballet class that I usually take. We’re going to start them off with the waltz on Monday. Who knows what could happen on Wednesday? Also on Monday, we are teaching our first private lesson to an engaged couple getting married in December. Soooooper excited about that.
Next Saturday (Oct. 2) we have another lesson with Eddie up at Academy Ballroom. They had to re-do the floor again (2nd time in less than a year, I think) at Academy after an unfortunate plumbing incident but it has all worked out for the best considering that they were able to add another 400 square feet to the studio when they did it.
October 4 begins our next series of ballroom classes. Click here and scroll down for details.
October 7-9 we’ll be in Missouri visiting my family. If we get a long enough break from eating (huge family dinner Friday; huge family dinner Saturday; buy new pants Sunday before leaving for airport), we are thinking about trying to catch a dance here. One of my favorite things about ballroom dancing is that you can almost always find a place to do it!
October 14-16 is the Hotlanta Dance Challenge. We are not dancing (er, that I know of) but might try to get up there to watch.
October 22-24 is the weekend we’d really like to clone ourselves. We had to choose between the Atlanta Dance Classic, Stars over Macon, and the Carolina Fall Classic. We’re going to North Carolina, but it was a tough call. Those of you that are local, please consider attending Stars over Macon if you’re not already going. I hear that nearly all the tables are already sold but individual tickets should still be available. It’s a fantastic event for a great cause. We just couldn’t pass up what looks to be one of the biggest amateur comps we’ve been to. The question is: can we learn enough Viennese waltz and Bolero steps tomorrow in our lesson with Eddie to get through a 1:30 competition round, thereby enabling us to enter Gold level events? Stay tuned!
While you’re busy staying tuned, please go back to this post and vote on the dress choices!
Our friend and role model Jim Riley recently appeared on Fox 5’s “Good Day Atlanta” in the “Road Warrior” segment promoting National Ballroom Dance Week. Watch the video below or check it out here!
Another friend and role model, the lovely JoyDawn, keeps reminding me that I’m supposed to be on the hunt for a new Smooth gown. Anybody want to help me pick out a dress? Comments welcome on these potential choices:
#1: Creamsicle! (but I would get a different color)
#2: Me Lucky Charms! (with godets in a different color and no floats)
#3: Red! (would get this one as written, but probably never wear the gauntlets)
#4: Ballerina Colors! (no gauntlets/no floats)
Getting a Chinese dress is a bit risky in terms of quality control, but Rainbowshiu is the best-known Chinese maker with the most extensive inventory & experience (as far as I know). The feedback I’ve read says that she’s good and reliable as long as the customer is particular about what’s needed. “Particular” is my specialty! I would rather have a made-to-measure gown, already stoned, and this is about the only way to do it for under $1000.
So…thoughts?
After a few weeks’ delay (they were busy; we understand 100%) we received via email a photo of me and some fellow competitors with the excellent women of Kappa Delta Sorority, Epsilon Tau Chapter at Clemson University. These young ladies were at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, SC for a Kappa Delta event while we were there for the Greenville Newcomers’ Challenge. Late in the evening, just when we needed some support and enthusiasm, they came into the ballroom to watch us dance and struck up a conversation with Daniel and me. After a little coaching they proved to be an excellent cheering section, not to mention enviably photogenic:
Thanks, Hannah and her sisters!
At last year’s Stars over Macon Ball, Eddie Ares generously offered to come to Macon to give a free dance workshop. It’s taken almost a year but the workshop date has finally been scheduled: Sunday, September 26, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Howard Community Club. After the workshop, our dance will start at 7 p.m. as usual.
If you plan to attend the workshop, please email me (laura at dldancers dot com), leave a comment on this post, or respond to the “Dance Workshop with Eddie Ares” event page on Facebook. That way, we’ll know how many people to expect. The workshop is free; we are asking only for the usual $5 admission to cover the cost of renting the facility. No partner is needed and the workshop is suitable for beginner to advanced dancers.
In addition, a limited number of private lessons with Eddie will be available for $77 per 45-minute lesson. Please contact Laura to schedule a private lesson.
Got video from Greenville uploaded a couple of nights ago; video from the Carlyle Place exhibition on August 9 is still waiting on permission from one of the participants. Enjoy some views of us and our fellow dancers already fully dressed, made up, and competing before 10 a.m. Competition days are loooooooooong sometimes!