Dear Friends and Fellow Dancers:
After much discussion, we have reached the decision to discontinue the dance club due to some minor issues with the facilities. We do this with a lot of regret, but still have plans to try again at some future date. The support we received is really appreciated. Fortunately, we still get to see everyone on the dance floor and plan to keep in touch by email and our Queen City Dance blog.
Keep on dancing!
Chuck and Janie Maloney
Monday, November 10, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
DANCES HELD THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH!
NEXT DANCE, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, 7-10 PM.
PS...We will be having a very special Christmas dance! So keep watching. If you know others who would like to hear about our dances, please let me know or send this website to them with our thanks!
SEE YOU AT THE CLUB
PS...We will be having a very special Christmas dance! So keep watching. If you know others who would like to hear about our dances, please let me know or send this website to them with our thanks!
SEE YOU AT THE CLUB
Dancing The Night Away
Another great evening of dance was enjoyed Saturday night, October 11. We loved meeting the Byers Family and friends from Fordland and John Holcomb from Branson. Congratulations to our two drawing winners, Andrew Blackwell and Patty Pogue, who received a couple of pieces from my jewelry line, Jai'ne Jewelry. We appreciated everyone coming and the great snacks you brought. A special thanks to friend, Roger Mays, for showing us a few of his dance moves and a demo in West Coast. Everyone enjoyed it.
Plans are already in the works for the November Dance on Saturday, November 8th. We'll have a new drawing, but it won't be a turkey! There's a large dance floor with plenty of seating, so be sure to bring your friends. A variety of music is offered from the classic favorites to contempory, we have something for everyone. Scroll down for more pictures and other news. See you at The Club!
Plans are already in the works for the November Dance on Saturday, November 8th. We'll have a new drawing, but it won't be a turkey! There's a large dance floor with plenty of seating, so be sure to bring your friends. A variety of music is offered from the classic favorites to contempory, we have something for everyone. Scroll down for more pictures and other news. See you at The Club!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Health Benefits of Dancing
If you secretly sashay across your living room when you're home alone or long to cha-cha with your significant other, you're in luck. Not only is dancing an exceptional way to let loose and have fun, but it also provides some terrific benefits for your health.
In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps to:
Reduce stress
Increase energy
Improve strength
Increase muscle tone and coordination
Lower your risk of coronary heart diseas
Decrease blood pressure
Help manage your weight
Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips
Dancing is a unique form of exercise because it provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while also allowing you to engage in a social activity. This is especially stimulating to the mind, and one 21-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found dancing can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly.
Interestingly, dancing was the only physical activity out of 11 in a study that was associated with a lower risk of dementia. This is perhaps because dance music engages the dancer's mind. Dancing may be a triple benefit for the brain. Not only does the physical aspect of dancing increase blood flow to the brain, but also the social aspect of the activity leads to less stress, depression and loneliness. Further, dancing requires memorizing steps and working with a partner, both of which provide mental challenges that are crucial for brain health.
Plus, dancing requires using muscles that you may not even know you had.
If you're dancing the foxtrot, you're taking long, sweeping steps backwards. That's very different than walking forward on a treadmill or taking a jog around the neighborhood ... Ballroom dancing works the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles differently from many other types of exercise.
Specific Benefits of Dance
Physical benefits aside, dancing has a way of brightening up a person's day. A lot of times, when people come into the studio, it's because there's been a change in their life: a divorce or they've been through a period of depression. They (continue) coming in, and you see a big change. After a while, they're walking in with a sunny expression.
In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps to:
Reduce stress
Increase energy
Improve strength
Increase muscle tone and coordination
Lower your risk of coronary heart diseas
Decrease blood pressure
Help manage your weight
Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips
Dancing is a unique form of exercise because it provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while also allowing you to engage in a social activity. This is especially stimulating to the mind, and one 21-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found dancing can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly.
Interestingly, dancing was the only physical activity out of 11 in a study that was associated with a lower risk of dementia. This is perhaps because dance music engages the dancer's mind. Dancing may be a triple benefit for the brain. Not only does the physical aspect of dancing increase blood flow to the brain, but also the social aspect of the activity leads to less stress, depression and loneliness. Further, dancing requires memorizing steps and working with a partner, both of which provide mental challenges that are crucial for brain health.
Plus, dancing requires using muscles that you may not even know you had.
If you're dancing the foxtrot, you're taking long, sweeping steps backwards. That's very different than walking forward on a treadmill or taking a jog around the neighborhood ... Ballroom dancing works the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles differently from many other types of exercise.
Specific Benefits of Dance
Physical benefits aside, dancing has a way of brightening up a person's day. A lot of times, when people come into the studio, it's because there's been a change in their life: a divorce or they've been through a period of depression. They (continue) coming in, and you see a big change. After a while, they're walking in with a sunny expression.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
What Is Swing Dancing?
Article courtesy of Treva Bedinghaus, About.com
Swing is a lively style of social dancing in which a dancer often lifts, spins and flips his or her partner. Considered both hip and cool, swing dancing is a favorite among social dancers of all ages.
Swing Style:
It's not difficult to spot swing dancers...look for the couple with the biggest smiles having the most fun. Swing dance is characterized by lots of swinging, flipping and throwing of dancers. Because it is a non-progressive dance style because it is mostly performed in one spot, it is a popular dance for a crowded dance floor. Swing is a quick, fast-paced dance. Couples hold hands as opposed to placing hands on the shoulders or around the waist, as ballroom dancers do. Swing dancing takes a little practice, but once you learn the steps, you may never want to stop swinging.
Swing Dances:
The term "swing" refers to several unique partner dances. The following is a few well-known dances in the swing community.
Lindy Hop:
Perhaps the most popular swing dance, this dance originated in Harlem during the 1920's.
East Coast Swing:
A staple on the country dance floor, this dance was influenced by the Foxtrot.
Jitterbug:
An umbrella term generally referring to swing dancing.
Jive:
Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time. It is a fast-paced variation of the Jitterbug.
Boogie-woogie:
This dance is usually danced to rock music or blues, but rarely jazz music.
Carolina Shag:
A dance performed to beach music.
Swing Music:
Many musicians say that there is no such thing as swing music, there is only music that "swings." Swing dance music is as varied as the many styles of swing dance. The development of swing dance styles was heavily influenced by the popular music of the time. Swing music may include styles such as jazz, hip-hop, blues, rock-n-roll, ragtime, R&B, funk and pop. The chosen music style typically determines which swing dance should be danced. Swing dancers enjoy dancing to many different rhythms, as slower beats allow them to have a break from the fast-paced swinging.
Swingin' Fun:
Swing dancing is energetic and lots of fun, and a great way to meet people. One of the main reasons why swing dance is so much fun is because dancers have the chance to add their personal style and expression.
Swing is a lively style of social dancing in which a dancer often lifts, spins and flips his or her partner. Considered both hip and cool, swing dancing is a favorite among social dancers of all ages.
Swing Style:
It's not difficult to spot swing dancers...look for the couple with the biggest smiles having the most fun. Swing dance is characterized by lots of swinging, flipping and throwing of dancers. Because it is a non-progressive dance style because it is mostly performed in one spot, it is a popular dance for a crowded dance floor. Swing is a quick, fast-paced dance. Couples hold hands as opposed to placing hands on the shoulders or around the waist, as ballroom dancers do. Swing dancing takes a little practice, but once you learn the steps, you may never want to stop swinging.
Swing Dances:
The term "swing" refers to several unique partner dances. The following is a few well-known dances in the swing community.
Lindy Hop:
Perhaps the most popular swing dance, this dance originated in Harlem during the 1920's.
East Coast Swing:
A staple on the country dance floor, this dance was influenced by the Foxtrot.
Jitterbug:
An umbrella term generally referring to swing dancing.
Jive:
Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time. It is a fast-paced variation of the Jitterbug.
Boogie-woogie:
This dance is usually danced to rock music or blues, but rarely jazz music.
Carolina Shag:
A dance performed to beach music.
Swing Music:
Many musicians say that there is no such thing as swing music, there is only music that "swings." Swing dance music is as varied as the many styles of swing dance. The development of swing dance styles was heavily influenced by the popular music of the time. Swing music may include styles such as jazz, hip-hop, blues, rock-n-roll, ragtime, R&B, funk and pop. The chosen music style typically determines which swing dance should be danced. Swing dancers enjoy dancing to many different rhythms, as slower beats allow them to have a break from the fast-paced swinging.
Swingin' Fun:
Swing dancing is energetic and lots of fun, and a great way to meet people. One of the main reasons why swing dance is so much fun is because dancers have the chance to add their personal style and expression.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Can I Have This Dance?
The Club's first dance proved to be a success despite being on a holiday weekend! Only a minor glitch when we lost our music two hours into the dance, but we soon discovered it was only an operator error. I forgot to plug in the computer so the battery wouldn't die!
I think Chuck and Truman where having the most fun dancing with the ladies!
Several new and old friends were in attendance and have said they'd be back again on September 13. Chuck and I want to thank everyone for coming and supporting the dance. Please let others know if you had a good time. We expect to implement some new ideas as we grow, so we'll see you again at The Club!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Dance Etiquette
These tips are courtesy of Dancetv.com. For more helpful tips including some basic dance steps, see their website.
While traditional etiquette stipulates that the man asks the woman for a dance, it is becoming increasingly common for women to ask men. People who ballroom dance are there to do one thing: ballroom dance. In other words, you don’t need to feel pressured into doing anything more than dancing. Tired of those silly one-liners? Well, in ballroom dancing there’s only one one-liner, and it never gets old. The only pick-up line in ballroom dancing is “May I have this dance?” And ladies, you can ask the men to dance with this same one-liner. Pretty easy, isn’t it?
When you get more than two people out on the dance floor, collisions can become a problem. So here's another rule of etiquette. Ladies, if you see an oncoming couple about to collide into you and your partner, simply tap your partner gently on the shoulder. This is known as the “internationall dance panic signal.” Remain calm! Do not grab on for life. If you do, you will probably end up startling your partner and colliding into the oncoming dance team.
Another point of etiquette comes at the conclusion of the dance. Men, it is polite to walk your partner back to her seat. (Generally, it is the man who walks the woman back even if she asked him to dance.)
The last and most important point of etiquette is this: No matter what happens, have fun! Ballroom dancing is meant to be enjoyed - like a fine wine or an afternoon walk in the park. Mingle. Get to know other dancers. Watch the way they move and improve upon your own dancing. Enjoy yourself!
While traditional etiquette stipulates that the man asks the woman for a dance, it is becoming increasingly common for women to ask men. People who ballroom dance are there to do one thing: ballroom dance. In other words, you don’t need to feel pressured into doing anything more than dancing. Tired of those silly one-liners? Well, in ballroom dancing there’s only one one-liner, and it never gets old. The only pick-up line in ballroom dancing is “May I have this dance?” And ladies, you can ask the men to dance with this same one-liner. Pretty easy, isn’t it?
When you get more than two people out on the dance floor, collisions can become a problem. So here's another rule of etiquette. Ladies, if you see an oncoming couple about to collide into you and your partner, simply tap your partner gently on the shoulder. This is known as the “internationall dance panic signal.” Remain calm! Do not grab on for life. If you do, you will probably end up startling your partner and colliding into the oncoming dance team.
Another point of etiquette comes at the conclusion of the dance. Men, it is polite to walk your partner back to her seat. (Generally, it is the man who walks the woman back even if she asked him to dance.)
The last and most important point of etiquette is this: No matter what happens, have fun! Ballroom dancing is meant to be enjoyed - like a fine wine or an afternoon walk in the park. Mingle. Get to know other dancers. Watch the way they move and improve upon your own dancing. Enjoy yourself!
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