The Dance Primer

This student is the kind who is quick to catch on, has had a little more dance experience than others in the room, and always one step ahead of me as a teacher… in a good way. He is a joy to have in the room, and it’s obvious dancing is fun for him.
Picture this: […]

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Last weekend, I posted my latest tutorial, “Zero to Rhythm in 12 Days,” for those who “ain’t got rhythm.” Reading through the tutorial, you can see how dependent on musical selection it is. Lyric suggested the tutorial include musical suggestions to help prevent any stumbling blocks, and I agree. However, I know it will take […]

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“People call him up just to put him down, ’cause he ain’t got rhythm!” Many people believe rhythm is something you are born with. You either have it, or you don’t. But I believe that rhythm CAN be learned, and you CAN get your body to move to it.
For those of you who believe you […]

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As a teacher, I often switch around what the first thing I expose new dancers to.
Sometimes, I teach the rhythm in the footwork. Sometimes I teach the feel in the body. Sometimes I teach partner connection. Sometimes, I don’t tell them anything about fundamentals at all and just get them moving; “do what I’m doing” […]

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In vernacular Jazz dance, including charleston and swing, I’ve had several instructors teach that you need to be “bent.” They tell you to bend a little at the knees and waist to get the right feel and be able to move your whole body with more freedom and balance.
I got the idea, but my […]

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Bernadette, blogging on “Just for the Halibut,” wrote a nice piece today about her Jack & Jill dance experience, as well as how she felt about getting critiqued.

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“People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals / that is, goals that do not inspire them.”
- Anthony Robbins
My husband and I felt inspired by some goals last night. The first of which is to actually catalog our HUGE music collection. It’s so large right now that neither of us feel like we […]

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Thanks for bearing with me through that last post. Some days are just like that.
So, I’m taking a moment to stop and look at where this blog has been and where it’s going. I’m still very happy with making this FOR beginners. I love working with beginners and helping them discover the love of dance […]

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I know you don’t want to hear it. You don’t read blogs to hear the authors whine and complain about how hard it is for them to keep up with giving you good posts to read and the rest of their lives… what with their own dancing to do, and families, friends, illnesses, funerals, etc.
You […]

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Alain, a fellow swing dancer, just posted an interview with Adam Boehmer. Go check it out!

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