Fusion Tea Dance Benefit Dance for Dancing Classrooms New Mexico
Benefit Dance FlyerThe date and location is finally set.
The Fusion Tea Dance Dancing Classroom Benefit Dance will be on Saturday February 25, 2012 at 5pm at the MCM Elegante. We are very excited to pput this event together and donate the proceeds to Dancing Classrooms New Mexico for future schools and future Dancing Classrooms New Mexico programs. The MCM Elegante is under new management and I just went to a tasting there and it was scrumptuos. You will agree!
JOIN US
Saturday February 25th
AT 5:00 PM
At MCM Elegante
2020 Menaul NE
Albuquerque NM
For Dinner and Dancing
There Will Be
Chances to WIN Prizes and
There will be information about the
DANCING CLASSROOMS NM Program.
Limited Seating
Advance Ticket Sales Only:
Ticket Price: $50.00 per person
For registration call 505-332-0446 or download registration FTD Dancing Classrooms Benefit Dance
or email heartnsole3@yahoo.com
Please help support this wonderful evening but mostly this wonderful program, Dancing Classrooms New Mexico.
Fusion Tea Dance Club is beginning its Dancing Classrooms New Mexico Fundraiser
Fusion Tea Dance Club is beginning its Dancing Classrooms New Mexico Fundraiser and we are hoping you will consider contributing to the cause.
As you know, Nancy Arenas/Fusion Tea Dance Club Founder is entirely committed to this cause, and we take our charity efforts very seriously. We hope we can count on your support as we work to make our Fusion Tea Dance Fundraiser for Dancing Classrooms NM on Saturday February 25, 2012 at the MCM Elgante a big success. Advanced ticket sales only; tickets are $50.00 per person; Dinner, Dancing and a chance to win prizes all for a good cause, Dancing Classrooms NM. (http://dancingclassroomsnm.wordpress.com/)
About: Dancing Classrooms is a 10 week/20 session standards-based social development program for 5th & 8th graders that uses ballroom dancing to change the lives of children. A Steering Committee of passionate local residents will pilot this internationally recognized program for 5th graders in one Rio Rancho elementary school this coming Spring. The Pilot is Phase I of Dancing Classrooms New Mexico (December 2011-June 2012). We would like to include Albuquerque and Rio Rancho schools in this well respected program.
Through standards-based, in-school residencies, we use the vocabulary of ballroom dance to cultivate the positive feelings that are inherent in every child. The maturity necessary to dance together fosters respect, teamwork, confidence and a sense of joy and accomplishment, which we hope to bring to every child. Ballroom dance is the medium we use to nurture these qualities.
For more information about the National Network and the explosive growth of Dancing Classrooms worldwide, go to www.dancingclassrooms.com.
Mission: Our mission is to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance.
History: 1994 Pierre Dulaine volunteered to teach a dance class at the Professional Performing Arts School on West 48th Street in Manhattan. From this beginning, Pierre developed Dancing Classrooms a 10 week/20 session standards-based social development program for 5th & 8th grade children that utilizes ballroom dancing as a vehicle to change the lives of not only the children who participate in the program but also the lives of the teachers and parents who support these children.
In 2005 Mad Hot Ballroom, an award-winning documentary capturing the Dancing Classrooms journey from classroom experience to the culminating Colors of the Rainbow Team Match was released. Take the Lead (with Antonio Banderas) was released in 2006 and depicted Pierre’s efforts to utilize ballroom dancing to help NYC youth regain a sense of self-respect, pride, and elegance. Both of these movies greatly accelerated national, and international, interest in Dancing Classrooms.
In 2006, Dancing Classrooms New York City began developing Dancing Classrooms sites throughout the US and Internationally. During the 2010-11 school year Dancing Classrooms served 42,000 children in 509 schools in 24 cities: New York City, Newark, Omaha, Fort Worth/Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia, Suffolk County (NY), Fort Myers & Florida Keys (FL), Cleveland, Lake Charles (LA), Monterey & Santa Cruz (CA), Geneva (Switz), Pittsburgh, St. Louis, US Virgin Islands, Western Maryland, Winston-Salem, Seattle, Phoenix, Stamford (CT), and Zurich (Switz).
Ways you can help with the Fundraiser Dinner Dance:
Sponsorships
Raffle items for the Fundraiser Dinner Dance
Monetary Contributions
(To make monetary contribution please see the following instruction. Make the check out to Albuquerque Little Theatre*, make a note on the check the contribution is on behalf of Dancing Classrooms New Mexico. Mail the check to: Albuquerque Little Theatre, in care of Dancing Classrooms New Mexico: 224 San Pasquale Avenue Southwest, Albuquerque, NM 87104-1133. (Albuquerque Little Theatre will mail you a tax receipt for your charitable donation.)
(*Why Albuquerque Little Theatre: the Dancing Classrooms New Mexico Steering Committee has not yet filed for their 501 (c)3 non-profit status. ALT leadership has graciously agreed to serve as our non-profit fiscal authority until we can receive our IRS non-profit status.
Buy tickets to the Fusion Tea Dance Fundraiser for Dancing Classrooms NM and invite others to participate in this wonderful opportunity.
Thank you,
Nancy Arenas
Fusion Tea Dance, founder
Dancing Classroom Teaching Artist
Picture courtey of Lisa Barlow.
Find the Beat of Music
Don’t Get Caught Dancing Off Beat
By Treva Bedinghaus,:
Finding the beat of music is often one of the most difficult tasks facing new dancers. The ability to pick out the beat of a song is important when learning how to keep time to music. Timing in dance is a critical skill a successful dancer must learn through practice. Dance timing is especially critical for partner dances, as both you and your partner will depend on each other to hit certain moves at precisely the same point in the music.
Beats and Rhythm
As soon as you can pick out the beat of a particular song, you will be well on your way to becoming a great dancer. A beat is the basic time unit of a piece of music. A sequence of beats is referred to as the rhythm, or groove, of a song. Most often, music is characterized by both strong (stressed) and weak (unstressed) beats. The speed at which these beats occur is known as tempo.
Finding the Beat
The first step in finding the beat of music is to listen for the stronger beats. Perhaps you hear a group of four beats, with the first beat seeming a little “louder” or “stronger” than the next three. Look at the following set of beats:
ONE two three four
ONE two three four
Now try clapping your hands to the stronger, louder beat, and stomping your feet to the next three, weaker beats. You should be clapping once and stomping three times: this is the beat.
The best way to become good at finding the beat is to listen to lots of music. With time and practice, you will soon be keeping time to music without even trying.
Let’s Dance to Health
Getting Motivated (from: AARP)
Dancing can be magical and transforming. It can breathe new life into a tired soul; make a
spirit soar; unleash locked-away creativity; unite generations and cultures; inspire new romances
or rekindle old ones; trigger long-forgotten memories; and turn sadness into joy, if only during
the dance. On a more physical level, dancing can give you a great mind-body workout. Researchers
are learning that regular physical activity in general can help keep your body, including your brain,
healthy as you age. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow.
And dancing that requires you to remember dance steps and sequences boosts brain power by improving
memory skills.
There has been some promising research in this area, according to Rita Beckford, M.D., a
family doctor and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise. For instance, a 2003 study published
in the New England Journal of Medicine found that ballroom dancing at least twice a week made people less likely
to develop dementia. Research also has shown that some people with Alzheimer’s disease are able to recall forgotten
memories when they dance to music they used to know. Whether it’s ballet or ballroom, clogging or jazz, dance is
great for helping people of all ages and physical abilities get and stay in shape. There’s even chair dancing
for people with physical limitations. A 150-pound adult can burn about 150 calories doing 30 minutes of moderate
social dancing.
Benefits Abound
Like other moderate, low-impact, weight bearing activities, such as brisk walking, cycling
or aerobics, dancing can help:
- strengthen
bones and muscles without hurting your joints - tone your
entire body - improve
your posture and balance, which can prevent falls - increase
your stamina and flexibility - reduce
stress and tension - build
confidence - provide
opportunities to meet people, and - ward off
illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis,
and depression
So if you’re tired of the treadmill and looking for a fun way to stay fit and healthy, it
might be time to kick up your heels!
Dipping and Turning
Dancing is a great activity for people age 50 and older because you can vary the level of
physical exertion so easily, according to Marian Simpson, a retired dance instructor and
president of the National Dance Association.
For instance, people just getting back into dance or physical activity can start out more
slowly, then “step it up a notch” by adding things like dips and turns as they progress,
says Simpson. The more energy you put into a dance, the more vigorous your workout will be.
Although some dance forms are more rigorous than others – for instance, jazz as opposed to
the waltz – all beginners’ classes should start you out gradually. Ballroom dance, line dancing,
and other kinds of social dance are most popular among people 50 and older. That’s because
they allow people to get together and interact socially, while getting some exercise and having fun
at the same time. Dancers who have lost partners can come alone and meet new people, since many
classes don’t require that you attend as a couple. If your doctor hasn’t restricted your activity in any
way, you’re ready to rock, says Beckford. If you haven’t been active or seen the doctor in a while, ask
yourself the following questions:
- Has your doctor ever said you have a heart condition and that you should only do
physical activity recommended by a doctor? - Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
- In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical
activity? - Do you lose your balance because of dizziness, or do you ever lose consciousness?
- Do you have a bone or joint problem that could get worse from a change in your
physical activity? - Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for blood
pressure or a heart condition? - Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?
Source:
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), Canadian Society for
Exercise Physiology, Inc., 1994
You should make an appointment to see your doctor if you answer “yes” to any of the
questions above.
Choosing a Groove
If you don’t know what kind of dance you might like, the best thing to do is experiment. If
you used to dance and are getting back into it, you can pick up where you left off. Some adults
decide to resume ballet classes after years of having had them as children.
If you take a class, give it some time before deciding you don’t like it, recommends Colleen
Dean, program coordinator for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance. Try going with a friend and keep with it for at least a month.
You can find dance classes at a dance school, dance studio, health club, or community
recreation center. Some YMCAs, churches, or synagogues offer group dance classes followed
by a social hour.
Here are some forms of dance you might want to explore:
- Square dancing
- Swing (traditional or West Coast, which is more technical)
- Line dancing, which can be done to country, rock, pop, or salsa music
- Folk dancing, which can reconnect you to your ethnic roots or introduce you to
a whole new culture - Ballroom
- Belly dancing
- Salsa
- Flamenco
- Jazz
- Tap
- Modern
- Clogging (double-time stomping and tap steps)
- Contra (square dance moves in lines with men and women switching places)
Where to Boogie
Some dance schools or dance halls hold social dances that are open to the public on
certain nights of the week. Often, you can take a class before the dance begins. You also can
join a dance club that meets regularly at different places, or join an amateur or professional
dance troupe. Jim Maxwell, 61, helped form a dance troupe seven years ago that performs at local
retirement communities, nursing homes, and community events in the Northern Virginia area.
The 37 members, who perform clogging and Irish dance routines, range in age from 9 to 62.
The group gives Maxwell and his fellow cloggers an opportunity to perform a useful community
service while having fun and staying fit. “We get the benefits of physical activity, but we also serve
our community,” says Maxwell, who started dancing because he needed physical activity but hated to
exercise. To help recruit people for the troupe, Maxwell began teaching clogging, tap, and Irish dance
to all ages at local recreation centers. He now teaches six classes. “Dancing is a lot of fun,
and I like performing,” says Maxwell. “[Plus], we actually do things for people. It’s not just
exercising as an indulgence.”
Doing Your Own Thing
If you’re afraid you have two left feet or are short on time, you can do your own thing just
by turning on some music and dancing around the house. Or turn a night on the town into a dance
party by finding a hot spot with a good dance band. You also can “sweat to the oldies” or sashay
around your living room with dance videos that you can buy or rent from your local library or video
store (check to see if they’re available). So crank up the volume and shake a leg. Once you
start dancing, you might not want to stop!
Dancing Classrooms New Mexico
Dancing Classrooms
Please see the attached Pdf (link) to find out how you can help support this GREAT program, “Dancing Classrooms New Mexico”.
DCNM Spring Pilot Fundraising Letter
The Fusion Tea Dance group will be organizing a Fundraising Dinner Dance to support Dancing Classrooms soon (more info to follow). Save the date Saturday February 4th, 2012.
Keep your feet Happy…..Dance!
Nancy



