If you have never attended a dance convention before, here are a few suggestions to help make your event more enjoyable. These are just suggestions and items that I find helpful. First and foremost bring a smile, an open mind and a joyful attitude. There is much to see and do and so many directions that you will be pulled, that being adaptable will also help.
Bring extra clothing, as you are likely to become hot and sweaty…. often! Dancing day and night is a lot of work and frequent showers and a change of clothing refreshes you. I also like to have a cooler in my room. This is easier to achieve if you drive to the event, but can be accomplished with a quick taxi ride and a disposable cooler from a local market. Good things to have on hand are a loaf of bread, chicken salad, potato salad, hard boiled eggs, nuts, bagels, cream cheese, power bars, fruit and water. Of course beer, margaritas and power drinks are optional!
Having food available and in your room not only cuts down on the cost, but also allows you to have food available at any time. You will find that your eating schedule depends upon you dancing schedule. It is not uncommon to be eating a chicken salad sandwich at 3 am, just to get up enough energy to dance a few more hours!
Apologies to all for the lengthy hiatus….things are reasonably back to normal (whatever that means) and hopefully will remain that way!
One of the things I had previously wanted to talk about was the experience of realizing I may now be on a new dance level….FINALLY! At one of the usual dance venues I was coming off the floor after doing the Cha Cha and some really cute girl came up to me and said “You are such a sexy dancer”. Of course my response was “What! Are you talking to me?”. She said she was, and indicated that she had told the local dance instructor that she wanted to look like me when she learned to dance. Well…………that put a big smile on my face and wow………that’s a compliment even if it’s from a beginner. I remember myself saying that about someone who has been dancing for awhile. It’s so nice to have anyone recognize that your dancing has improved! I still have a long ways to go to be a good dancer and that end will probably always be pushed further and further out as my perception of ”good” escalates, but…….it sure felt good!
I can’t think of a better way to spend Memorial Holiday Weekend than at the Frezno Dance Classic. They will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary and it is sure to be a party! The theme this year is “The Wild, Wild West”, so Saloon Girl or Cowgirl? Hmmm, guess you’ll have to stay tuned to see!
One of the greatest things about attending a dance event like Frezno, is the vast variety of workshops, instructors, competitions, parties, shows and tons and tons of dancing!
As they put it:
Fabulous dance event.
Rich in Fun, frolic and good times.
Excellent dancing on many levels.
Zealous dancers who are passionate for “dance” and want to share their talents.
No better Master of Ceremonies than “STEVE ZENER”.
Others’ have tried to imitate, but Frezno Dance Convention is still the best.
Hope to see you there!
Even though I am now able to put one foot in front of the other, turn without wobbling and follow many different leaders, I still find the different theories and concepts of dancing quite challenging and often frustrating. It is amazing to me how many different ways one dance is interpreted and taught depending upon your instructor, and often even where you live.
My “theory” is to listen closely to the person that you are either learning from, or dancing with, and apply what he or she is teaching you at that particular moment. Attempt to retain as much information and technique that you can from each and every individual. You will find that you will become a more accomplished dancer by allowing the many different styles, characteristics and idiosyncrasies that you encounter to permeate your body and mind while learning and dancing.
I am certain that we all hear and feel music differently, but during a dance it should be both dancers’ goal to connect to each other and to dance as one. So bearing this in mind, apply what you have mastered through experience, be open to new philosophies and technique and try and have the best dance that you can at any particular moment.
Well, I finally bit the bullet and entered my very first dance competition. I was attending the Los Angeles Dance Premier, and entered the Contemporary Pro/Am dance competition and a Country Two Step Jack and Jill. All novice division for sure!
My main motivation was to have a bench mark of my current dance abilities and skills so that I can better evaluate and gauge my progress. My main goal was to not pass out or throw up! I am happy to say that I fared better than I had anticipated and it was not nearly as terrifying as I thought that it would be.
For those of you who do not know, a Pro/Am competition involves a student and their instructor. This allows you the support and confidence of knowing who you are dancing with. There is a bit of added comfort when dancing with someone you know and have danced with before, not to mention that they are the professional and know your limits! The downfall to this is that you may be the ONLY couple on the dance floor or maybe one of a few. A Jack and Jill competition pairs dancers of the same level, randomly. Really scary if it is the first time for the both of you, which of course, was just my luck. And no, I had never danced with my partner before, as a matter of fact, I had never even seen him before we met on the dance floor.
Somehow I managed to take 5th place in Night Club 2 Step and 2nd place in Country Two Step. I think I am still in shock and am looking forward to the next time I compete, so that hopefully I will see some improvement.
Dancers of any kind that dance in a public establishment need to beware or should I say aware. If you are fortunate enough to belong to local group or club that utilizes a public establishment such as a lounge, bar or restaurant that provides a wait staff, sound system or even a DJ at no charge then you need to keep in mind that it is a privilege to be there.
It is no secret that dancers are usually not big spenders. We often drink only water and rarely eat while we are dancing. Some places that I have been actually even provide pitchers of free water. I have often seen waitresses running back and forth all evening long, filling free pitchers of water without even being thanked or tipped. You need to bear in mind that it costs these establishments money to cater to our needs and being ungrateful and overly thrifty is a sure way to wear out your welcome.
I cannot imagine wanting to continually run myself ragged, clean up a huge mess of empty plastic cups, return chairs to where they belong and keep the dance floor clean, week after week, for less money than it cost me to drive to work, or to keep the lights on. Not to mention keep a smile on my face.
Being a gracious group that shows their gratitude will allow everyone to have a place to dance, week after week, instead of bouncing from one establishment to another until there are no longer any places left that you are welcome.
Have you ever felt that you just didn’t know, what you didn’t know, that you didn’t know? Well, as a beginning dancer that was exactly how I felt when I went to my very first dance convention. I actually stumbled upon it New Years of ‘07. I was visiting family in Palm Springs and had barely started dancing. I heard that there was a guy named Jay Byam and that he threw one heck of a New Years Dance Extravaganza. Now I certainly wasn’t a pro, but I had been bitten by the dance bug and was actually starting to identify my left foot from my right. Having no great plans for the countdown, I signed up, crossed my fingers and showed up at my very first dance event!
Wow! Does Jay ever know how to throw a party. My first thought was…………we don’t dance like this in Boise! My second thought was panic! My third thought was…. I so want to dance like that!
A dance convention is a dancers perfect dream, their perfect Wish List fulfilled. Not only will there be tons of professional dance instruction of all levels, you can watch or compete in competitions, attend performances and the very best part of all, you can literally dance All Night Long! The Dj’s play music until the last body drops, usually around 5 or 6 am. If you pair that with an abundant amount of dancers, from beginner to professional, I guarantee that you will have the time of your life. You will learn and grow as a dancer by leaps and bounds.
What you will also come to realize is that there is this terrific cult-ish movement of people that are just as passionate about dance as you are. You will begin to recognize people and begin to form friendships as you travel from place to place. It is an “underground” world of happy, passionate people exercising their bodies, minds and souls. I am here to tell you, that it doesn’t get any better than that!
For a list of events that we will be attending and others that we are not, just be sure to sign up for our free Newsletter. Jay will be holding a Summer Extravaganza as well.
Social dancing is a sport whose players come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention different levels of ability, experience and technique. Even if both partners are experienced dancers, the first few phrases of a song can clearly define the success and enjoyment of that particular dance. Consideration to both leader and follower needs to be implemented in order to familiarize yourselves with each other. It is wise to start slow, with just a few basic steps and underarm turns to “test the waters”, to become comfortable and familiar with each other.
Once you have established your connection you can then continue to explore each others abilities. Of course leaders, you are in control, so it is up to you to establish the connection and to allow you and your partner the time get to know each other. It can be very difficult to enjoy a dance if one partner out dances the other. Do not walk onto the dance floor and start leading your partner through one difficult move or pattern after another, without first establishing a clear connection and becoming familiar with one another. If you do this, you will likely become frustrated and your partner will be confused. Start slow and build, trying new dance moves as you go. If something doesn’t work the first time, you might try it again, but do not waste the entire dance focusing on just that one move. By the end of the dance, you will each have a better perspective of the other persons ability and of the way you dance with each other so that the next time you dance you can pick up where you left off and you will know just what to expect. Even if you have previously danced with someone, it is a good idea to dance a starter step or two, just to get in sync with the music and your partner.
While it is proper etiquette to dance to the level of your partner, I am not saying that you should never try out that new dance move that you have been working on. That is part of the fun and enjoyment of dancing. What I am saying is to be sure that you are both dancing the same dance, to the same music at the same time before throwing all caution to the wind! Taking just a little bit of time during the first few steps of your dance, to familiarize yourselves with each other can mean the difference of a beautifully executed dance or a complete train wreck. Take your time and enjoy!
