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 25^th

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

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 5^th 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.

Bones

• Dancing can help strengthen bones.

Blood Pressure

• Regular dancing, like any form of cardiovascular exercise, can lower blood pressure.

Oxygen

• Dancing helps your body utilize oxygen more efficiently.

Weight Loss

• Depending on the type of dancing, you can burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories per half hour.

Social

• Dancing with others can be much more motivational than working out on your own. For seniors, dancing can help keep the brain and body active, reducing the risk of dementia.

Right on Time!

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.

Did you know stepping onto the dance floor is a great mental workout, too? by: Phil Scott

When she was just 13 or 14 years old philanthropist Hillie Mahoney learned the waltz from her father. She’s been ballroom dancing socially ever since, but Mahoney says she’s still learning the nuances—posture, for instance—especially since she recently began dancing competitively. “I thought I knew how to dance until I took classes,” she says. “It’s more than dragging the feet around. There’s coordination between the brain and the feet.”

Ballroom dancing attracts a wide variety of participants, although, like Mahoney, 73, the majority is older than the tattoo-and-nose-ring set. It’s easy to figure out why dancing makes great exercise—just go dancing. For hard scientific proof, in a study presented at last November’s annual meeting of the American Heart Association, a group of 110 individuals who had suffered chronic heart failure were randomly assigned traditional aerobic exercise (such as cycling or walking on a treadmill), waltzing, or no exercise. After performing their assigned tasks 3 times a week for 8 weeks, the exercise group showed an oxygen consumption increase of 16 percent versus 18 percent for the waltzers, and an 18 percent increase in cardiovascular fitness, compared to 19 percent among the dancers. While the percentages between the groups are close, the dancers also reported an improvement in their emotions, compared with no improvement for the non-exercisers. And they were more likely to stick with dancing after the test. Really, how much fun is riding a stationary bike?

What Scientists Have Learned

As for a mental workout, a study published in 2003 in The New England Journal of Medicine analyzed 469 people at least 75 years old who answered a questionnaire about physical and mental activities, ranging from crossword puzzles to dancing. Within a median timeframe of 5 years, 124 had developed dementia, though the frequent dancers showed a reduced incidence. According to the study’s lead, Joe Verghese, MD, assistant neurology professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, dancing was the only physical activity tied to a lower risk of dementia.

The physical exercise increases blood flow to the brain, but dancing has a social aspect, too: Fewer dancers felt depressed and lonely. In addition, dancers must memorize intricate steps and movements, master timing, and coordinate movements with a partner—the type of mental acrobatics that hold off memory loss and dementia. According to William Greenough, professor of psychology, cell and developmental biology at the University of Illinois, “Learning intricate physical skills improves subsequent learning of other skills.” Greenough adds that his significant other, Nancy Blake, is an accomplished tango dancer, and he’s been trying to follow in her footsteps (or rather lead her) the last four or five years. “Very definitely the package as a whole enhances my motor skills and mental skills as well,” he says. But still, he says, Blake dances much better.

Doing the Tango, Looking Gorgeous

In another study, presented at the 2005 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience by Patricia McKinley of Montreal’s McGill University, 30 people between ages 62 and 90 were chosen. Half were assigned to tango classes, while the other half walked twice a week for two hours. After 10 weeks both groups scored better on cognitive tests, yet only the tango dancers did better on a multitasking test. They also displayed improvement in balance and coordination.

Larissa Velez, who, since 1999, has been teaching ballroom dancing to a range of ages, says she notices a boost in her students’ energy levels. “I see folks walk in with a slow gait,” she says. “But when swing music comes on, they dance a fast swing. It’s almost like their memory gets into that rhythm.” Also, she says, ballroom dancing gives people an opportunity to feel sexy-especially the Latin dances. Greenough agrees: “There is a real grace to tango—it just looks gorgeous.” The McKinley study backs up Greenough and Velez. According to McKinley, when dance classes began the students showed up in sweats and jeans, but by the third or fourth class they were wearing makeup and jewelry.

For Hillie Mahoney, dance classes have turned out to have benefits beyond exercise and memory improvement. After leaving the studio one night she ran into friends. “They said to me, ‘Where have you been? You look wonderful,’” she recalls. “Then I realized it was because of the waltzing.”

Phil Scott is the author of “Hemingway’s Hurricane.”

Dancing - an energizing, captivating experience

Dancing provides many great benefits and, while it’s not possible to list them all, some of the greater benefits are listed below:

1. Dancing allows one to express oneself.
2. A sense of unity is found within the dance.
3. Dancing provides physical/mental refreshment and relaxation.
4. Laughter and fun – dancing can provide a lot of entertainment.
5. Dancing is a form of exercise.
6. Dancers find inspiration and motivation as they become lost in the dance.
7. Dancing allows professional dancers to form affiliations.

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:

1. Has your  doctor ever said you have a heart condition and that you should only do
   physical activity recommended by a doctor?
2. Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
3. In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical
   activity?
4. Do you lose your balance because of dizziness, or do you ever lose consciousness?
5. Do you have a bone or joint problem that could get worse from a change in your
   physical activity?
6. Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for blood
   pressure or a heart condition?
7. 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!

Going by the numbers, America is gaga about ballroom dancing. The nonprofit USA Dance, Inc., reports a 35 percent spike in the number of people taking lessons and attending ballroom events over the past 10 years. People of all ages are trying it out. Teens like the pace—the faster the better—and older folks point to research that shows dancing keeps the body agile and reduces chances of dementia.

Dancing is also just plain fun. “It’s the most joyful way for me to get my exercise, get my heart rate up, and get the endorphins I crave,” says actress Jennifer Grey, who has done as much for dancing as it has done for her. As costar of the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing, she motivated millions to head for the ballroom. Last year she had a similar impact when she earned top honors on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) and proved, at age 50, that it’s never too late to strap on 4-inch heels and out-perform competitors 20 years her junior.

“Dancing takes me out of my busy monkey mind and dumps me in a physical space where I can be free from thinking,” says the actress. “It’s the best way for me to feel connected and alive. I take one dance class every week, but it’s not enough. I want to be able to do it every day.”

Although ballroom dancing has never lacked for fans, its soaring popularity has certainly been boosted by shows like DWTS and its FOX counterpart, So You Think You Can Dance. Statistics confirm that Americans are giving ballroom dancing another whirl.

“People are definitely getting off their sofas and starting to dance again,” emphasizes Carrie Ann Inaba, one ofDWTS’s three professional judges. “During our first season on television people would come up to me on the street and say, ‘I watch the show every week.’ By the time the second season rolled around they were saying, ‘I’m talking my husband into getting into a dance class.’ Now they’re telling me, ‘We’re taking lessons and having a ball!’”

The least likely folks are taking up dance these days. Donna Thomas, 65, was raised in a conservative church and graduated from a college that frowned on anything that resembled what it categorized as “rhythmic activity.” Yet two years after becoming a widow, Donna summoned her courage, walked into a studio near her Springboro, Ohio, home, and announced, “I want to dance.”

It changed her life. “I needed to be with people,” she recalls. “I figured I had a choice: either withdraw and stay in my shell or step out and try something new.” The “something new” included mastering the waltz, samba, cha-cha-cha, and jive. Her timing—on the dance floor and off—was perfect. At home, she was learning to operate solo and make all the decisions that she and her husband used to make jointly. In the studio, she felt the pressure ease and the responsibility shift as she became part of a team again. “I didn’t have to be in charge,” she says. “All I had to do was follow my partner’s cues and react to the music. That lifted my spirits.”

People are also dancing in the least likely places. One of the most colorful offshoots of the trend is the “flash mob,” best described as a spontaneous outbreak of dancing in very public settings such as shopping malls, school cafeterias, hotel lobbies, food courts, and train stations.

Participants, alerted to a planned flash mob through social media, congregate and wait for their cue. “People are just milling around when all of a sudden one or two start dancing,” explains Angela Prince, a spokesperson for USA Dance. Others join in and before long—in a flash, you might say—everyone’s toes are tapping, hips are swiveling, and bodies are gyrating. It’s as if one were in the center of a Broadway musical. “I remember being on a Caribbean cruise when a couple of passengers started a flash mob while we were eating dinner,” recalls Prince. “Everyone, including waiters and crew, caught the spirit and formed a conga line of about 300 people that snaked its way around the entire dining room.”

Although Prince agrees that shows such as DWTS have encouraged the ballroom craze, she credits other factors as well. “Dancing seems to experience a bump in popularity after events that change our lives,” she says, using the years following World War I and II, Vietnam, and 9/11 as examples. “Music is great therapy, and dancing gives people the opportunity to come together.”

Technology also may have a hand in the revival. Mary Murphy, a studio owner and frequent choreographer and judge on So You Think You Can Dance, says dancing provides a degree of human contact that is sorely missing since people have come to rely on the Internet as their primary mode of interaction. She works with elementary and middle school students to introduce them to what she calls the language of dance. “Some of the kids come kicking and screaming into the classes, but teachers tell me that they see positive changes within a few weeks.”

The idea of a young couple joining hands as the boy guides his partner and the girl follows his lead, is certainly part of the appeal. Dancing allows young people to communicate without the pressure of finding the right words. “Kids who have behavior problems naturally calm down and find new ways to express themselves,” says Murphy.

When it comes to the therapeutic benefits of dancing, Murphy can speak from first-hand experience. She underwent treatment for thyroid cancer a year ago and faced the possibility of losing her ability to talk. Today she is cancer-free and as exuberant as ever. She used dancing to help prepare for surgery, and she integrated it into her recuperation regimen. “Getting that diagnosis and hearing the word cancer was the one time in my life I just wanted to shut down and have a major pity party, which I did for a couple of days,” she admits. “Then I decided I absolutely had to keep my body moving. So I added a lot of activities to my pre-surgery program to increase my lung capacity. I did yoga, pilates, and dance exercises every day. I wanted to be in the healthiest condition possible.”

Her plan worked. She sailed through the operation and the recovery that followed. The reason? “I absolutely believe it was because of dance.”

Fans of the two hit TV dance shows can attest to similar dramatic effects that dancing has had on several of the competitors. “Kirstie Alley immediately comes to mind,” says Inaba. Dubbed “the incredible shrinking Kirstie” because of the weight she lost during Season 10 of DWTS, Alley decided to wear the same costume on the show’s finale as she wore for the initial competitive round. This proved to be a challenge for the wardrobe staff because the dress had to be downsized by 38 inches. The combination of a healthy diet and rigorous dancing had caused her to lose almost 100 pounds.

“A lot of times our self esteem is determined by the shape we’re in and how good we feel about ourselves,” says Inaba. “Dancing brings you back to a place where you feel physically confident about your body because you’re strong again. Your core muscles are working; you’re in shape; and you’re in tune with your body. I watched Kirstie rediscover her confidence last season.”

Dancing also can replenish a zest for life. Donna Thomas, the conservative-turned-dance-enthusiast, certainly discovered this when she was still newly widowed and stepped out of her comfort zone to sign up for ballroom lessons back in Ohio. Over a period of time, she became so engaged in dancing that she was a regular at Friday night dance parties, and her skill level rose to the point where her instructors encouraged her to enter competitions. Although she no longer competes, she still has the sassy black dress and high heels that she wore when performing, and somewhere there’s a scrapbook of photos, certificates, and ribbons. Her favorite memory, though, doesn’t involve winning prizes or gaining recognition. It’s more personal. “I remember the night I invited my kids to attend a dance with me,” she recalls, with a laugh. “You should have seen their faces! They were just so surprised at how good I was!”