Welcome to Dance Data ! Dance Tips and Resources

January 20, 2010: Volume 2, Issue 3

To view this Newsletter Online: Issue #3 Hi, I think that Murphy has moved on. While my blog is back up and running a years worth of info is floating in never, never cyber space land, so if anyone has a copy of any of my blogs from this past year, I would appreciate getting them from you. I know a lot of it was just yadda, yadda but there was some great info, too. Thanks in advance. My grand son Jack was glad that Murphy visited last week since he got a "Marble Madness" birthday cake out of the deal. He said that now that he is seven, it won't be long until he can be my "Ha-Cha-Cha" parnter. Gotta love that kid! I hope that wherever you are, the weather isn't keeping you from getting out and dancing.  Did you know that people that belong to a group or community are shown to lead happier lives and that they are four times as likely to feel good about themselves, than those who have no outside interests or hobbies? Being a part of a dance community can be a very special experience. Don't forget to check out the great prices on Evenin' Star Dance Boots    and Very Fine Dance Shoes for both men and women.  You haven't danced in boots, until you've danced in these! Happy Dancing, Michele Cruise Update: We STILL have 1 Balcony Cabin and 3 Inside Cabins  available. Once they are gone, we will be starting a waiting list. A $25 deposit reserves your cabin through January 31, 2010.  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! Joe and Michele                                                                                                   Marble Madness!

Tip Of The Week

	Dance Conventions If you are serious about wanting to become a better dancer, attend a Dance Convention or Dance Cruise. Dance Conventions and Dance Cruises are held all over the world. Dance Conventions are typically 3-5 days while a dance cruise can be anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. The benefits of spending that much time with like minded people is invaluable. You will be exposed to dancers of all levels, from beginners to champions. You will have the opportunity to attend hours and hours of workshops and social dancing. Your first dance experience will be truly eye opening. The most important thing to remember is that to improve your skills, you must participate. To find a Country Western Dance Event, Click here: UCWDC   There are events listed there that are all over the world. Dances include Country Two Step, Waltz, Cha Cha, Triple Two, Polka, East and West Coast Swing, Hustle, Night Club 2 Step. To find a Ballroom Dance Event, Click here: USA Dance smooth dances.   Dances at those event include all rhythm and American and International styles.

Recent Article

Dancers: Are You the Chicken or the Egg?                                                                     by Michele Rasmussen Often you hear the exact same comments and complaints from both sides of a dance partnership. "I do this, this way, because .....". It is easy to blame or justify your own actions and reactions on another other person. Whether you are a leader or follower you are responsible for your own movement and contribution to the dance. It can be very difficult to learn either the leader or followers "part" if neither person assumes personal responsibility. However, you must learn to allow both people to come together and form a partnership, equally responsible for their own role. You can easily become the chicken or the egg portion of this equation.While it is important for both sides of the partnership to learn their own part, it remains the leaders responsibility to lead and the followers responsibility to follow. In a classroom situation it is very easy to fall into the category of each person dancing their own specific part. In doing so, often a follower will dance their part before the leader actually "leads" them to do so. Yes, followers, you do need to know where your feet are going but you must also wait until led to go there. If you propel your body without being led, the leader will never learn what is required of them to establish a clear lead that anyone, in or out of the classroom, can follow. You must also experience what it "feels" like to be led, so that when you are dancing with unfamiliar people, outside the classroom,  in the "real world", you are able to follow.  In other words, your goal should be to dance together as one unit, as opposed to two people dancing their own separate parts.  Example: Leaders:  Shoving or pushing a follower around in order to get them to turn. That action accomplishes nothing other than to knock them off balance and prevent them from ever learning to turn on their own.   Followers: Dancing in a direction that you assume the leader wants you to go. If the lead is not clear, don't guess. Allow the leader the opportunity to perfect his lead so that it becomes clear. "Helping" them out will impede their progress. So whether you are the chicken or the egg, as a dancer you must allow the other person to be responsible for their own contribution while dancing. Don't fall into the trap of:  "I have to do this, in order to achieve that" because all that will do is continue to feed the vicious cycle of "He doesn't lead" or "She doesn't follow".

Upcoming Events

Capital Swing Dance - February 11-14, 2010 - Sacramento, CA Easter Swing - April 1-4, 2010 Seattle, Washington Reno Dance Sensation - April 15-18, 2010 Reno, Nevada LAPD Classic - April 8-11, 2010 Los Angele, Ca

Blog Re-Cap

The Blog is back, minus one year of information. Anyone that has copies of any of the article, please contact me! Looking for great Boots: Evenin' Stars Hackers : Take Up Dancing 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 interested. 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!