Welcome to Dance Data ! Dance Tips and Resources

December 20, 2009: Volume 1, Issue 19

To view this Newsletter Online: Issue #19 Hi, I hope that this holiday season allows you to spend time with your friends and family and that you do not allow the craziness to bring out the "Grinch" in you.  Make sure to allow some time to kick up your heels, as dancing always helps to relieve stress! It's not too late to Join us at the  Palm Springs New Years' Swing Dance Dec. 31, 2009 - Jan. 3,2010 Looking for a last minute extravagant gift?? We have 2 Balcony Cabins and 3 Inside Cabins still available. Once they are gone, that is it! A $25 deposit reserves your cabin through Dec. 24th, 2009.  The ship leaves Ft. Lauderdale on October 18, 2010 and will be visiting 4 Islands. Prices start at only $859.42 per person, this includes all taxes and fees, plus all the workshops, dancing and activities. The ship is the Carnival Miracle. For full details, Click here: http://tinyurl.com/ycsqg54 Join us for a great time! Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy  Chanakuh, Kwanza or what ever your holiday peference is and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year, Joe and Michele

Tip Of The Week

	Carbonite: Never Worry About Backing Up Again! Have you ever had your computer crash, stolen or destroyed? Have you considered just how much of your life is on your computer? Photos, emails, music, financial records, documents, and so much more. How would you feel if you woke up tomorrow and everything was gone? Now imagine all of the time and effort it would take to replace and duplicate it all. I have the perfect solution: Carbonite Carbonite backs up everything in your Documents and Settings folder (called Users in Windows Vista), including documents, photos, email and data files from applications, such as Quicken, Money, etc. Once a subscription is purchased, music is also added to the list. I am so busy that I never remember to actually backup and store my files. I love the fact that I never have to think or worry about what is stored on my computer. Anyway, just a quick tip to make your life easier in the event of a computer mishap.

Recent Article

Want to Become a Better Dancer?                                                                     by Michele Rasmussen If it is your wish or desire to become a better dancer than you are now, it is my opinion that one of the most important factors is to be trainable. To be "trainable" you must be willing to receive information and apply it. You must check your ego at the door and pick up your stiff upper lip. You must be willing to allow your instructor to critique your dancing, expose your weaknesses and make suggestions. After all, that is what you are compensating them for. Their experience and their knowledge.  Sometimes there may be very simple suggestions that are easily applied to your dancing. Other times it may take weeks, or even months to break old habits and retrain muscle memory that you have already established. To prevent becoming stagnant, or at  your current level of dance, you must always be working on yourself. I know that  there are many things that I wish to improve. My turn technique, foot positions, connection,  timing or even just the way I hold my hand, my dancing is always a work in progress. Last night I danced a Country Two Step with a gentleman that I have never danced with before. While leaving the dance floor, he thanked me, asked me where I got the ball bearings installed on my shoes, said that I had the best connection he had felt in a really long time and that it was the best dance he had had in years. I thanked him for being so kind and for such a great dance. His compliments  reassured me that all of the hard work, practice, effort and willingness to take constructive criticism , apply it and come back for more was worth its weight in gold. It made me want to improve even more. I know that I am trainable! I know that with good instruction, an open mind, hard work, practice and a willingness to be critiqued I can continue to improve my dancing.  So, if it is your goal to become a better dancer, be trainable. Whether you are taking a group class or receiving private instruction, listen, be willing to make changes and apply what you learn. To improve your dancing you must take what you learn during class, practice on your own and bring it to the social dance floor. If you only utilize the information you learn in class, during class, you will be the same dancer you were when you walked through the door. Remember that dancing is supposed to be FUN! Enjoy the journey and celebrate each new step, we are ALL a work in progress!

Upcoming Events

Palm Springs New Years' Swing Dance - Dec. 31, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010 Monterey Swingfest, Monterey, Ca - Jan. 14-18, 2010

Blog Re-Cap

Heading out to a Dance Convention? Check out: What to Bring to a Dance Convention. Stop by and share your dancing stories with me. I'd love to hear about your trials and triumphs! http://www.ras-this.com/

Resources

Online Dance Instruction: www.learntoballroomdanceonline.com Ballroom Dance Association: www.USAdance.org National Association of Swing Dance Events: http://www.nasde.net/ USA Swing Dance Network: http://www.usaswingnet.com/

Keeping Up with the Ras-Girls Our Blog: www.Ras-This.com Be our friend on MySpace Add Michele as a friend on Facebook Twitter Follow Michele at http://twitter.com/MicheleRasmusen Twitter Follow Cindy at http://twitter.com/threerivers33 Email address: ras.this@gmail.com About Me I am Michele Rasmussen. It is my wish to share my love of dance with anyone inerested. I am sure that I share many of the same hopes and dreams as many of you, and I hope to share the joy that I have found by "Learning to Dance in the Rain". Thank-You!