I’ve blogged in the past about tap dancers, and I’ve also written about dancing on skates, but a recent facebook post of Gene Kelly tap dancing on skates inspired me to write this post. I’ve also written about fusion, the blending of two dance styles. This has got to be the mother of all fusion. […]
Continue readingconnection in dance , dance videos , dancing for joy , leading and following , Learning dance , social dancing , teaching dance
My friend Stu Sweetow, videographer extraordinaire, sent me the picture at the right with the excellent phrase, “Real men take dance lessons, because you can’t learn connection on youtube!” This inspired me to once again take up my blog, which my many fans have no doubt noticed I have let slip for several months due […]
Continue readingConnecting Socially , dancing for joy , social dancing
Oxytocin is the hormone our bodies make that makes us feel sociable. It’s what gives us the desire to collaborate with each other and to help other people out. It’s what makes mothers feel connected to their babies and what bonds lovers to each other. It’s one of the all time great feel good […]
Continue readingabout LaurieAnn , Dance History , dance videos , dancing for joy , dancing in the golden years , inspirational dancing , Learning dance , Lindy Hop , teaching dance
This is the week Frankie Manning would have turned 101 had he lived and I always like to leave a tribute for him every year. I was privileged to have been friends with this wonderfully positive and highly charismatic man for the last fifteen years of his life. Frankie was one of the people […]
Continue readingConnecting Socially , dancing for joy , dancing in the golden years , leading and following , Learning dance , social dancing
If you’re a man who enjoys the company of senior women, can dance, and likes to be of service to others, you’re in luck! Older women vastly outnumber their male counterparts on the dance floor, and people who organize cruises and parties for seniors are on the lookout for dance partners for their guests. […]
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A dancing interpreter for the deaf is winning hearts across the internet with his heartfelt signing of musicians. It’s a great example of how to interpret music for those who can’t hear it. He is so fun to watch because he dances as he signs, his body movements feeling the music as his hands interpret […]
Continue readingabout LaurieAnn , Connecting Socially , dancing for joy , social dancing , teaching dance
I recently blogged about a science experiment that explained why teaching dance is so important to me. It was about our natural proclivity towards being of service to others. I’ve always been fascinated by the science of the brain and I use that science in the way that I work with my students. Today is […]
Continue readingdancing animals , dancing for joy , rhythm
[embedplusvideo height=”390″ width=”640″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/2f5qIEn” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/RKcks_4uLmA?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=RKcks_4uLmA&width=640&height=390&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=” id=”ep3328″ /] I’ve written on this subject before, the answer being that some animals really do dance in response to music (birds) and others are simply trained to go through the motions (dogs). Whenever I see a new example of musical intelligence in an animal, I’m inspired to […]
Continue readingchildren dancing , Classical Dance , dance videos , dancing with physical challenges , inspirational dancing , performance dance
Dance has all kinds of functions, from exercise to art, to connection, to just plain fun. As an art form, it’s one of the best ways to express emotion. My sister, whom I love more than just about anyone else in my life, sent me this beautiful video of another set of sisters […]
Continue readingabout LaurieAnn , competitive dance , Connecting Socially , Country Western dance , Dance History , Miscellaneous , same sex dancing , social dancing , teaching dance
Jack and Jack Dancers During the Peach State Country Western Dance Festival in Atlanta, there was a Jack and Jack competition in which men partnered with other men in texas two-step, waltz, west coast swing, and night club two step. These guys were all excellent dancers and many of them were teachers. They were also […]
Continue readingabout LaurieAnn , competitive dance , Country Western dance , Dance History , music for dance , same sex dancing , teaching dance
A couple of decades or so ago I taught a series of monthly country western workshops with a close friend. I usually teach alone because a teaching partner automatically cuts the take in half, but I loved teaching with Jose so I mostly did it for fun. There was an expensive Japanese restaurant in the […]
Continue readingdance videos , dancing for joy , dancing in the streets , dancing with physical challenges , inspirational dancing
Dance as a cure Dance has been used as a valuable tool to cure various brain disorders. When we are passionate about something, often our brain skips over the part that’s not working right and focuses. Music, when it is music we love, can have a healing effect of it’s own. When music and […]
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