Two Step Tidewater News

Hello Everyone,

We almost had a mess in Tidewater which would have really slowed us down. Glad we all could get a break and get the chance to go out dancing last Sunday. On this Sunday, January 27th we will be teaching a beginner Salsa lesson before our Sunday Social dance. The dance is located at DanceSportVA on Arrowhead Drive in Virginia Beach.
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~~ Starting February  5th at RPM Dance:
Tuesdays 7-8pm - Beginner/Intermediate Cha-Cha
Tuesdays 8-9pm - Beginner/Intermediate Open Foxtrot

~~ Starting February  6th at DanceSportVA:
Wednesdays 7-8pm - Combined Beginner/Intermediate 2-step & Night Club 2-step
Wednesdays 8-9pm - Advanced American Style Waltz (next Level)

All February Classes Start during the 2nd week and will continue for 4 weeks.
 http://www.twosteptidewater.com/Monthly_Schedule.htm
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"I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine."
~~ Neil Armstrong ~~
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~~ Parties at DanceSportVA ~~
Friday, January 25th - 8 - 10 pm - Studio Practice Party $5.00 per person. Hosted by Clive Stevens.
Sunday, January 27th  - 6:30 - 10:00 pm - Sunday Social Dance with Walter & Judy - $6 per person (includes 30 minute Salsa lesson at 6:30 pm)
Tuesday, January 29th - 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm - Swing Practice Party with Michelle $5.00 per person

~~ Workshops at DanceSportVA ~~

SLAWOMIR SOCHACKI WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2008
SESSION ONE: 10:00 AMERICAN  RUMBA
SESSION TWO: 11:00 AM  INTERNATIONAL FOXTROT
 
PRICE: $20 IN ADVANCE, $25.00 AT THE DOOR
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"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect
when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. "
~~ John Wayne ~~
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A link to the photo albums from the Tidewater Chapter, USA New Year's Eve event are here -
http://artinspired.smugmug.com/  
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The best of West Coast Swing plus a pretty cool song "I Got the Blues" - Brother Yusef
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4abMKMKjZtg  
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The dance tip of the week: The Cha-Cha
Function: noun
Etymology: American Spanish cha-cha-cha
Date:1954
: a fast rhythmic ballroom dance of Latin-American origin with a basic pattern of three steps and a shuffle

The above is from the Merriam-Webster On-Line dictionary. If wanted to get a picture of the Cha-Cha in your mind would it be this? It sounds strange but we see the Cha-Cha danced so it looks like this all too often.

From the time Cha-Cha was imported to England from Cuba in the 1950's until today the dance gone through a few evolutions. Most of those are concerned with the music and the technique. The basic timing has not been altered. Unlike Salsa & WCS the Cha-Cha never really became a "Club" dance even though it was a very popular dance in the late 1950s into the early 1960s.

Many dancers seem lose the flavor of Cha-Cha is when they start to blur the distinction between the whole beats and half beats. If you are dancing to the music and are faced with stepping on a split beat your footwork needs to speed up and become very precise. In Cha-Cha this split beat is the 4&. The next step that immediately follows the 4& is a 5 but many teachers including us count it again as a 1. All three steps, 4&1 need to be much faster, more compact and danced with a very precise foot placement. In a side basic the steps are "side, together, side". The together can be feet together or just under the hips but the feet still need to move not "shuffle".

In addition to the quick foot placement on the 4&1 a good looking Latin dance should have the technique needed to produce the Latin motion. We try to emphasis the stong Latin motion on the whole beats 1, 2, 3. On thse beats the dancer has the time to make the Latin motion a contrast from the precsie footwork of the split beats.

Our students are taught to practice this technique ultra-slowly until it looks clean and under control. Once mastered they can get the tempo up to where it should be.
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"I must admit, maybe I am a piece of history after all."
~~ Alan Shepard ~~
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~~ Dance Opportunities at other venues ~~

Friday, January 25th  - Newport News Moose #1119
2307 60th Street, Hampton
~~ NO DANCE THIS FRIDAY DUE TO NO HEAT IN THE BALLROOM ~~
ontact Laura Sharp - moosedances@yahoo.com for information
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~~ This post is from memory as I lost the original email ~~
Friday, Janary 25th - Sam & Denise Social dance at "A Time To Dance"
8-11pm - Country, Swing, & Hustle Mix
$8.00 per person
Contact Denise through thier web site to verify - http://www.samdenisemiller.com/

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Saturday, January 26 - USA Dance - Tidewater Chapter 4th Saturday Social Dance
Knight's of Columbus Hall, 211 W. Government Ave., Norfolk, VA,
2300 Sq. Ft. of Wooden Dance Floor, (757)587-3548. For a map to Knights of Columbus Hall and more about the chapter click on http://www.USADanceTidewater.com/directions.html
Dance Lesson: 7:30 to 8:30 PM, Bolero - Instructor: Alan Hedgpeth from A Step Above.              
Dancing is from 8:30 to 11:00 PM with the Music by Roberto - El Romantico
Admission: $8 Members, $10 Non-Members, $5 Students, HS/College with School ID, Free to Dance Instructors
Information/Reservations:   
      Gay Octavo - (757)467-3601
      E-Mail - ballroomdancers@cox.net
      Reservations are NOT normally required - but if you wish to have your group seated together, let her know.
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Eastern North Carolina USA Chapter Forwarded from Michael Turner
Friday February 1st 2008  at The Pines Country Club. The lesson To Be announced. The lesson starts
at 7:30 PM. Social dancing to recorded music 8:30 - 11pm.
$5.00 - Members, $8.00 Non-Member, $3.00 Full time student with school ID
Food and drink is available at the Pines Bistro.
Reservations Are Required, 252-335-7029, for Dancer's Prime Rib Special ($9.95) Menu service is
also available.
Contact  - 252-207-6014 or email: dance6102@inteliport.com   for more information.
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Thanks again to all of you for supporting our classes and social dances.

Walter & Judy Schultz
Home - 483-9410
Dance Instructors fluent in:
Country-Western, Swing, Latin and Ballroom
Contact us for scheduling lessons, information or directions

Our Public Calendar Link is on our home page of our web site
http://twosteptidewater.com
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Note:
Additions to our emailed "other venue" dances will be included at our discretion.
Not included will be:

1 - Dances located in non-dance businesses (Bars, Night Clubs, etc.) They can afford their own
advertising and never promote our dances.
2 - Dances that conflict with our schedule
3 - Dances run by instructors and/or studios engaged in unethical lesson sales.
4 - Dances run by instructors/studios/individuals that do not promote our social dances as a return
favor.
5 - Dances that I do not know about. I can't include them if I don't know of them.

We promote venues that offer a clean, well run social dance atmosphere. As a rule, although we
promote dances at different venues, we do not promote studios or instructors other that those we
work with and trust.