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STUDIO
DANCE
CLASSES
 The
Heritage Dance Center has partnered up with the Pro-Fit Center
(Professionals in Fitness) to conduct effective dance courses for both
beginners and advanced ballroom dancers. Our first cooperative classes
conducted in April have turned-out to be very productive for both new
dancers as well as those who have been dancing for at least three years.
Several of the students have already taken
beginner dance lessons with other dance teachers, but still find our
classes replete with valuable techniques and loads of nuggets. Some of
their comments include:
"Why didn't my DIs tell me that
lifting the diaphragm was necessary to help me maintain my
frame?"
"I never realized that Latin techniques could be so
precise."
"When I look at myself now in the mirror, I see a
professional-looking dancer."
All our courses stress dance principles and
techniques, not memorized step patterns or figures. We help each student
acquire the tools they need to dance with full confidence, because they
know why, how and when each body movement is made.
For example, one lesson explains and helps
atune the dancer to his own Center of Balance -- the diaphragm or solar
plexus -- necessary for all steps, creation of body frame, proper
posture, endurance on the dance floor, and overall image. Another lesson
details the use of force points to lift the arm and direct the hands and
fingers to the most visually appealing and effective poses. Still
another basic lesson tackles the precise foot positions and placements.
There are only 3 directions for any step -- forward, backward and side.
There definitely is no such thing as a diagonal step.
One lesson where our students were amazed
about covers the characteristic leg action for Latin dancing. For the
first time, they realize that the dancer uses the flexing and
straightening of the legs to create the hip movement, and not vice
versa.
Other lessons cover musical count, dance
rhythm, and musicality, leading with the frame, following by feeling,
footwork as characteristic of various dances, step patterns broken down
to their barest units, facial expressions and simple drama, and much
much more.
As new principles and techniques are
introduced, they are immediately applied to specific dances. Thus the
student immediately associates the principles with the dances, and with
constant practice are able to help their muscles retain the memory of
the moves. During these sessions, our teachers help the students execute
various step patterns through leading and following, not by memorizing
steps.
As a result, even beginner dancers are able
to create their own individual sequences and execute these with finesse.
A classic example is the wedding couple who wanted a Tango for their
wedding dance. After only 18 hours of training, they were able to create
a spine-tingling interpretation which lasted 3 minutes. When the lady's
shoe got caught on her long skirt, the man paused for two beats, led her
into a corte, and dramatically onto a promenade walk. Very very simply,
but superbly executed.
Now, not every student will be able to
achieve all these in one course, but it sure is possible if
they are decidedly persistent on on learning and practicing their
lessons outside of studio class hours. That is beyond our control. Only
the persistent student wins.
We, Vikky and
Smile, conduct our classes as friends of our students, treating them
as intelligent adults, and approaching our lessons from their point of
view and general experience. The classes are always fun experiences,
because we believe that learning new things should always be fun. For
social dancing is meant to be just that ... fun.
To share our dance secrets with more local
dancers, we have partnered up with several organizations such as
Professionals in Fitness Center, Riverbanks Center, and the Iron Clinic
Fitness Gym.
Check out our class
schedule in Metro Manila, to see which ones fit your time best.
The Heritage Dance Center also handles
private instructional lessons for office and association groupings,
specialized training for exhibitions and demonstrations, training and
program handling for cotillion, and provides dance partners for special
dance events and several dance outlets. Feel free to consult us for your
various dance needs.
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Side Steps
