"Tango lets you forget your worries and remember what it's like to let the music take over"

Tango: 

         One of the most fascinating of all dances, the tango is a sensual ballroom dance that originated in South America in the early twentieth century. Tango is usually performed by a man and a woman, expressing an element of romance in their synchronized movements. Originally, the tango was performed only by women, but once it spread into Argentina, it developed into a dance for couples. The popularity of the tango has greatly increased over the years.

Argentine Tango is much more intimate than Modern Tango, and is well-suited to dancing in small settings. Argentine Tango retains the intimacy of the original dance.

Tango Styles:

Several different styles of tango exist, each with its own individual flair. Most of the styles are danced in either open embrace, with the couple having space between their bodies, or in close embrace, where the couple is closely connected at either the chest or the hip area.

Many people are familiar with "ballroom tango," characterized by strong, dramatic head snaps.

Tango Techniques:

Tango is danced to a repetitive style of music. The count of the music is either 16 or 32 beats. While dancing the tango, the lady is held in the crook of the man’s arm. She holds her head back and rests her right hand on the man's lower hip. The man must allow the lady to rest in this position while leading her around the floor in a curving pattern. Tango dancers must strive to make a strong connection with the music as well as their audience.

Learning How to Tango:

If you are interested in learning how to tango, look for a class in dance studios in your area. Tango classes are lots of fun, and newcomers tend to pick up the dance quickly.

If you would rather learn at home, several videos are available for purchase online. If you decide to learn by video, try to take at least a few classes when you feel confident enough...nothing can take the place of live, hands-on instruction.

Tango History:

Early tango styles greatly influenced the ways in which we dance today.

Tango music has become one of the greatest of all music genres throughout the world. Spanish settlers were the first to introduce the tango to the New World. Ballroom tango originated in working-class Buenos Aires. The dance spread quickly through Europe during the 1900's, then moved on into the United States.

Tango Popularity:

Tango has become very popular in recent years, as evident by the various movies developed around the dance. 

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.

There are people looking for a fitness workout most often with the objective of losing weight and sometimes for the purpose of generally staying fit or to dance vigorously.

You've probably heard of the fitness workouts like Zumba and aerobics. Zumba Fitness is a Latin-inspired cardio-dance workout that uses music and choreographed steps to form a fitness dance workout.

Zumba and aerobics are truly for anyone who can stand up and walk. Steps are easy and repetitive. At 60 year old can follow along a 12 year old and no dance experience or skills are necessary. People of all ages, shapes and sizes are welcome and encouraged to attend classes.

Typically in a gym, the cardiovascular exercises can be boring. That’s why many people look for fitness  workouts outside of the gym. Aerobics and Zumba are right up there when it comes to people’s choice for weight loss. A 1 hour Zumba session involves continuously moving your body in dance movements that makes you sweat, exhausts and helps you to burn fat. What’s most amazing it that you enjoy it because you’re dancing throughout.

Both zumba and aerobics have similarities but some differences are also there.

Aerobic dance can include traditional dance movements, such as box steps or even line movements; however, dance aerobics can offer some non-traditional movements such as belly dancing, scarf dancing or hip-hop dance. Movements are choreographed in sync to music, which can include disco, techno, big band or Bollywood. Zumba consists of several choreographed Latin dance aerobic routines within a class.

With the popular motto “ditch the workout, join the party,” the class is geared for a fun and high energy workout while dancing to Latin music. 

India's Kathak Dance....

Kathak is the major classical dance form of northern India.  The word kathak means "to tell a story".  It is derived from the dance dramas of ancient India.  When the patronage shifted from the temples to the royal court, there was a change in the overall emphasis.  The emphasis shifted from the telling of religious stories to one of entertainment.  Today, the story-telling aspect has been downgraded and the dance is primarily an abstract exploration of rhythm and movement.

Kathak was primarily associated with an institution known as the tawaif.  This is a much misunderstood institution of female entertainers, very much like the geisha tradition of Japan.  It was a profession which demanded the highest standards of training, intelligence, and most important, civility.  It is said that it was common for royalty to send their children to the tawaifs for instruction in etiquette. 

Unfortunately, when the British consolidated their hold over India during the Victorian era, this great institution was branded as mere prostitution and was outlawed.  This set the artform of kathak into a downward spiral that was not reversed until Independence when there was a reawakening in interest in traditional Indian artforms.

What is Aerobic Dancing?

From humble beginnings in the late 1960s, aerobic dance has become a major symbol of the fitness craze that exploded into American culture in the 1980s. It's still one of the most popular ways to get fit and stay fit around the world. While recently the aerobics craze has had its ups and downs, in 2002 Gym memberships were reportedly up 7% and aerobics is having a return to its dance roots.

More than 24 million people participate in aerobics. Aerobic dance has blossomed into a sport for all to have fun while losing weight and keeping in shape. There are varied forms of aerobics including low-impact, swim and other water aerobics is popular. Dance is still the predominant form and may be inspired by ballet, country line dancing, salsa or even hip-hop.

Essentially an hour's workout set to music, a typical aerobics program begins with 5-10 minutes of warm-ups and stretching, peaks with 20-30 minutes of target heart range dance, can include 20 minutes of a muscle stretching floor program known as body sculpting, and ends with 5-10 minutes of cool-down and more stretching. Programs typically run three to four times a week.

The benefits of aerobics include increased cardiopulmonary efficiency, strengthened heart and lungs, improved circulation, lowered cholesterol levels, and stress and anxiety reduction. But it is a strenuous form of exercise, and thorough preparation, wise choice of routines, proper equipment, and consideration of floor surfaces are essential to avoid injury.

It's a good idea to see a doctor of podiatric medicine specializing in sports medicine before beginning an aerobics regimen. The podiatrist will perform a biomechanical or gait analysis to assess your risk of injury.

Don't Forget the Feet

Because aerobic dancing involves quick lateral movements, jumping, and leaping for extended periods of time, proper care of the foot plays a crucial part in keeping the entire body fit to endure the "pain" that precedes the "gain" of a more fit physique and efficient heart and respiratory system.

If your feet suffer from excess pronation or supination (your ankles tend to turn inward or outward too much), it's especially important to see a podiatric physician, who may recommend controlling the sometimes harmful motions with an orthotic shoe insert.

Proper shoes are crucial to successful, injury-free aerobics. Shoes should provide sufficient cushioning and shock absorption to compensate for pressure on the foot many times greater than found in walking. They must also have good medial-lateral (side-to-side) stability. Impact forces from aerobics can reach up to six times the force of gravity, which is transmitted to each of the 26 bones in the foot.

Because of the many side-to-side motions, shoes need an arch design that will compensate for these forces, and sufficiently thick upper leather or strap support to provide forefoot stability and prevent slippage of the foot and lateral shoe "breakup." Make sure shoes have a toe box that is high enough to prevent irritation of toes and nails.

The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine has long held the position that sports specific shoes are the best. The requirements of aerobics are for shoes that provide stability for side to side motion and are also supportive while permitting both twisting and turning.

Running shoes lack the necessary lateral stability and lift the heel too high to be considered acceptable for aerobics. Running shoes are not recommended by podiatric physicians for aerobics.

Once you've found the proper shoes, tie them securely, but not too tightly. Make sure there is sufficient room in the toe box. Double-tie the laces to prevent accidental slippage in mid-routine.

Purchase shoes in the afternoon, when the feet swell slightly. Wear the same socks that you will wear in training.

Zumba – The Optimal Fitness Choice

These are some of the many questions that one can think of when you chose dance as a form of exercise. In a real case scenario for a fitness activity would one join a dance class or a gym?

An activity that can be continued over a period of time that gives you happiness and motivates you to keep going back to class and perform better all for the reason of good health should be considered as the best form of exercise for you.

Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s. Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included. Zumba Fitness, the owner of the Zumba program, does not charge licensing fees to gyms or fitness centers. Approximately 15 million people take weekly Zumba classes in over 140,000 locations across more than 185 countries.

Let’s understand the benefits over traditional fitness methods.

Music: Firstly dance involves music, good music, fun music, music of your choice that brings out an element of you. Music plays an important role to eliminate you from thinking and worrying and channelizing your negative energies through a positive medium. Music has a great psychological impact on individuals; it helps you traverse into another world, leaving all your worries and problems, and sometimes even helps you get better solutions to them.

Rhythm: Everything in our body works in rhythm. Your heart beats in rhythm, we have a sleep rhythm, and we have a food rhythm. Dance gives you a psychological rhythmic balance, through body and mind, movement and music. Grove to one of your favorite tracks you will know exactly what it means.

Expression: Dance they say is best form of self expression. When we have bottled up emotions within us, we are filled with energies, but of a negative kind. We need a way to channelize these energies in a way it benefits us. Then what better way than dance. It takes away your negative emotions, transfers them into energies, and utilizes it for improvement of health and mental stability. Dancers are said to be happier and rather stable people.

Fitness: Dance, firstly, is a great form of cardiovascular or as we say endurance training. It takes your heart rate high and makes your heart stronger. Hence helping you remain active through the day, without feeling too tired or lethargic.

Most importantly people love going to a dance class, there are higher chances for it to be a form of a regular activity rather than just a recreational activity. Every individual in a dance class is smiling and release their stress in a much positive way, benefiting their mind and body. Try out a Zumba Fitness class and feel the difference, Feel the fitness high that you would never feel in traditional forms of exercising. Do something that makes you happy. Let’s do some Zumba!!!

How to Dance Salsa

The Salsa dance originated in the 1970s in New York City, with strong Latin American influences (Cuba and Puerto Rico) and is a lively, sensual dance with basic steps that make it easy for beginners to pick up. Read on for some tips that will keep you moving on the dance floor.

Mastering the Basics

Start in the closed dance position. The leader takes his partner's right hand in his left and places his right hand on her left shoulder blade. The follower should keep her left hand on his right shoulder, with her arm over his.

• Or start in the hand-in-hand position. The leader has his palms facing upwards, and the follower takes his hands with her palms down. This allows for more freedom of movement.

Have good posture. When dancing, you should always keep your spine straight, your chin up and your shoulders back. Your chest should naturally then puff out a bit. Your body should be held with strength at all points.

      o   Always look up. Keep your head held up or tilted to look at your partner. Do not look at your feet or your partner's. Looking at your feet is a dead giveaway that you're nervous and not sure what you're doing.

      

      o   Keep your arms bent at a 90 degree angle from the elbows. In this position, your hands are most easily accessible to your partner. Your arm should rest on horizontal plane.

Move your hips. Most of the movement in the Salsa comes from the hips, so you will want to keep your hips loose. Don't be afraid to sway your hips. Even if you're just moving your foot, know that a slight hip movement goes along with it. If you move your right foot out, your right hip juts out a bit, too.

Choose a salsa song that has a 4/4 beat (four beats to the bar) and a fast tempo. You'll want music that lies somewhere between 160-220 beat per minute. Before you start a song, make sure that you can keep up with the speed and identify the beats for your steps.

·         Count as you listen to the song. If you count out the beats in the music, you will be able to find the Salsa beat and identify which steps go with which beat. If you can't keep count while you're listening to the song, it's best to choose a different one.

·         4/4 time is counted in 8-counts. You'll be doing one standard Salsa step in 8 beats. so what will happen is on the count 4 and 8 there will be a pause. If you are having trouble hearing where the pause is you can try counting out loud but saying the 4 and 8 inside your head.

Easy songs to try this is cha cha music rather than salsa as it is similar rhythms but much slower.

Let’s Begin with Freestyle Foundation

      1.      

      Get comfortable with yourself. Get in front of a full length mirror. It's important that you see your whole body. Then, put on your most comfortable clothes (don't worry about what people would think if they saw you in them) and turn the music on. Pick a song that:

     ·        you like

     ·        you can dance to easily

     ·        is at least somewhat popular

      2.

          This is, believe it or not, the hardest part- dance. Just move your body to the music, however it feels right. Don't worry if it looks absolutely ridiculous, which it very well might. Do what you want to the move your entire body to compliment the music. Your moves don't have to be coordinated, match, or make sense, just dance. Jump around to that cool song in your PJ's for hours if you have to. Just get comfortable with dancing.

      3.      

     Get to know the song if you don't already. Try to have a pretty good idea of the beat and lyrics of the song so you know when it gets slower, faster or when to come in or fade out, or do something crazy. Listen to the song a few times and get familiar with it. Dance some more.

      4.

         Put together a few moves. You can have three or four or maybe just one move that's totally yours. They should go with the music and feel natural when you're dancing to them. For beginners, consider making your first few moves include snaps and/or claps. This can help you stay steady and on beat- it's an established fact. You can throw in these moves once in a while when they fit in and when you're stuck.

      5.      

     Make big transitions during a freestyle dance. Like one minute you've got your hands doing some cool thing above your head, then you swing them around and you're moving your hips. Use different levels of dancing and make it interesting.

6.

      Have inspiration. Watch dance shows or professional dancers. Do not copy their dance moves, but they should give you ideas on how to come up with your own and move to the music.

7.

         Have fun with it! Wherever you are and you're expected to dance, go back to Step 2 and remember: make it feel natural and with the music. Connect with the music. Connect with the crowd. Have confidence and just move your body.