Achieve Health Through Dance And Have Fun With Ceroc Dancing

Have you ever heard of Ceroc? Well if you have the success and popularity has obviously reached your senses! Ceroc it has to be said has over the last few years achieved remarkable success and the dance style has franchises all over the world from the United States to the UK to Australia. Dance sure has been championed by Ceroc and Ceroc has become very popular in the UK and is found in every major town throughout the land.

So what is Ceroc dancing exactly I hear you say? Well Ceroc is best described as blend of various dance styles, specifically Salsa, Jive, Ballroom and Rock & Roll but unlike Salsa and other Latin dance styles does not contain the complex footwork which means it is easier to focus on the rest of your body. Ceroc is also sometimes dubbed "Modern Jive" due to its mixing of Jive tempos in conjunction with other Latin based tempos and movements.

Ceroc was first seen as a dance format in London around 1980 and is attributed to the work of James Cronin who held the first Ceroc event in the Porchester Hall in London in 1980. It must be said that the roots of what was to become Ceroc are found in post WW2 France, while the modern form of Ceroc lies more within the 1980's. By the late 1980's and early 1990's Cronin and a Sylvia Colmen had set up Ceroc Enterprises and Ceroc was then made a trademark. By 1994 Ceroc teachers were starting to be taught and subsequently licenced and by about 1994 "Taxi Dancers" were introduced into events to assist beginner dancers. In 2004 Ceroc Enterprises were running over 100 different venues and in 2006 started to run "weekender" events. So you will not be surprised to hear that Ceroc Enterprises has franchises in France, Italy, Canada, USA, Ireland and Hong Kong, there are also related Ceroc organisations in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Dubai.

Anyway that is the brief history lesson, Ceroc is one of the newer dance forms like Zumba and akin to Zumba has spread dramatically in a short space of time and has become a very popular way to dance, achieve fitness, have fun and meet new people.

So heh I guess you're wondering what this Ceroc dance is all about! You have had the brief history and an the introduction and if your still reading (of course you are) you must be wondering how this Ceroc dance stuff works right. Just so you know I personally do Ceroc myself from time to time so have some direct experience. Ceroc is as mentioned earlier a blend of Salsa, Jive, swing and even some would say dirty dancing and like many Latin based dance styles is a male lead dance which can be danced to music as wide ranging as 50's swing, 80's pop, Blues, to modern pop music. The tempo can vary considerably to be honest speaking from experience; you can be dancing to some slow 80's love ballad, then dancing to some funky salsa tune and within the next song be dancing to Lady Gaga! For those of you who have tried Salsa then you will know that within Salsa footwork is seen as a core component of the dance style. Footwork takes a backseat in Ceroc and unlike Salsa footwork is simpler and not as ridged. That said Ceroc has footwork and steps like any other Latin based dance style, the footwork is based on an in-and-out style with either foot stepping back and the weight being transferred onto that foot before either the same foot returning to the original stance or the other foot moving to complete a move.

You can be forgiven for feeling that due to Ceroc being a partner dance that you need to bring along a partner or friend, well rest assured this is not the case as you can simply turn up! A regular Ceroc night works by people rotating along during lessons so everyone gets the chance to dance and during freestyles the floor is yours, freestyles work by either asking other people to dance or being asked to dance yourself. Ceroc is a very social and fun dance and is a great way to meet new people and achieve dance fitness at the same time, believe me it will get you in shape and also keep your joints in tip-top condition.

How easy is it to learn and pick-up Ceroc dancing I hear you cry! Well that depends on you, having other dance experience can help but it is not a requirement as when you start Ceroc you can learn at your own pace and begin with beginner moves before you learn the more harder moves. I would say that the moves generally have similarities with other Latin based dances notably Salsa and Jive and vary from being one handed to double handed moves. What is great about taking part in Ceroc as a beginner is that you are given a special extra helping hand in the form of "Taxi Dancers". Taxi Dancers are instructors that specifically teach new dancers and teach them in smaller groups away from more experienced dancers and are able to offer advice and guidance in a more relaxed setting. Taxi Dancers during freestyle segments on regular dance nights also are solely available for new dancers so if you're a newbie seek them out, if you don't they will find you so do not be shy and go for it!

I would say that getting fit and improving your dance abilities is a real distinct possibility with Ceroc as the moves can be learnt by anyone as Ceroc is highly accessible as a dance form and its popularity and success is evidence of this!

So what are you waiting for give Ceroc a go, you will not regret it trust me!

I am speaking from experience here too! I have every confidence that you will enjoy yourself and achieve dance success.

I am the website manager of healththroughdance.com I have set this site up due to my passion and interest in dance and its many physical and social benefits. I dance the Salsa and Ceroc personally and am keen to share my experiences and promote dance where I can as it has changed my life and most certainly for the better! For information on Zumba, Salsa, general dance, modern Jive look no further!

http://www.healththroughdance.com/

Original article

Ballet Dancer Health, Blood Sugar Balance, Depression And Hypoglycemia

Young ballet dancers often drop comments in a casual way, referring to their self esteem problems. Whether it is a body image issue, a perfection issue, a weight control problem, or a slightly depressed lack of energy issue, they either don't come out and say it, or they really cannot articulate what the problem is. Recently when I started reading about hypoglycemia, and blood sugar balance, I began to relate its symptoms to many of the statements I have heard.

I became more interested in hypoglycemia and its sometimes subtle symptoms, due to a conversation I had with a non-dancer, a talented performer, in another field. This person has performed in many countries, is pushed forward by all her teachers, and yet cannot accept the accolades from teachers or peers, or the enthusiasm of fans, because - she just can't.

The lack of self-esteem in this person confuses me. A person who won the number one state award for acting while still in high school? That's like winning the ballet competition performing the Blue Bird or Swan Lake pas de deux.

Disorder eating is most broadly defined as, the behavior that results in an emotional outcome by controlling what you eat. This does not necessarily mean anorexia or bulimia, but may refer to a practice of self control or self approval in regards to the food you eat, the caloric content, and this does not only apply to dancers.

It may involve an extreme situation like a teenager who insists on being a vegan, in which I have personally witnessed the result causing stress fractures in this dancer who still thought that she was going to be able to get stronger on pointe and have a professional career in ballet, while she looked at her x-rays.

Recently I took a look at hypoglycemia and its symptoms. Now this is tricky. Symptoms are almost unique to the individual. But the dominating symptoms, according to what I have read, are:
sadnessself criticismhopelessnessfeelings of absolutely no self worthperiodic complete failure of energy, dizziness, mental confusionthoughts of suicide, though not enough energy to think further than that

Hypoglycemia is...drum roll...too low blood sugar!

It is caused by a nutritional deficiency of protein, or just lack of food.

Hypoglycemia does not mean you are diabetic, or almost diabetic. More concisely called Reactive Hypoglycemia, this is a condition that results from a poor diet, or not eating often enough for whatever reason. Or eating too many carbohydrates with not enough protein.

The most common recommendation for hypoglycemics, is to eat some protein every two hours.

Also, I would like to mention the rule of nutritionists, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why? Proteins set your brain chemicals for the day. Skip those, and your brain chemicals will not be properly functioning until the next day IF you happen to eat protein for breakfast.

Dance parents reading this - how often does your dancing daughter or dancing son run out of the house and skip breakfast because they slept late?

And what will they eat when they get to the food dispensers at school? Or will they go hungry until they get to the school cafeteria for lunch? This is a miserable situation for a non-athlete student, not to mention a ballet dancer or any other athlete.

And later when they run off to their ballet academy? Are you one of those ballet parents who have to suffer hearing "I'm not that good"..."I'm not good enough"... and worse? While the ballet teacher is telling you your child should be aiming higher - auditioning for professional summer intensives?

Confused yet? Let me give you some relief. Hypoglycemia-without-Diabetes at http://benjimester.hubpages.com is an eye-opening discussion. It is worth reading the entire thread.

Personally, I believe that hypoglycemia is caused by:
lack of education about nutritionprocessed, fast-food, frozen food productsnot enough time to serve fresh food indicating what nutritious food isaddiction to sugar (nutritional ignorance)ignorance about grains, GMO grains, glutin and GMO sugars

And, sadly much more I cannot cover here. BUT please, if your dancing child or anyone in your family has any energy or depression issues - but not severe enough to consult your physician (who probably will not have any nutritional education) or therapist, please investigate hypoglycemia. It is an insidious condition - but can be reversed with a good diet!

It is not that difficult. I would love to never hear from again, a ballet dancer, or any other kind of performing artist, who feels morose, depressed, sad, or hopeless about their talent or potential, when they have no idea where all this negativity comes from. And they skip meals, eat nutrition-free snacks, and have low blood sugar...

I would love to never hear from again, a sad, depressed ballet parent, whose amazing talented child is failing, sinking, not even treading water, suffering from body image problems, or self esteem problems, and contemplating quitting ballet, or even suicide. For the want of nutritional balance.

This may take a lot of extra food preparation for ballet parents! If you're still reading this post, I bet you're O.K. with that.

I do not believe that nutrition is superior to the human spirit. But I do believe that the aspirations of the human spirit are so much more easily achieved if we know about and support our bodies' needs, every day. This may take a little extra study. Visit my nutrition blog to learn more about natural muscle building and blood sugar balance.

Original article

Health Through Dance, Dance Fitness and Establishing New Social Opportunities

I like many people found my initial experience of dancing and any form thereof to be both embarrassing and uncomfortable; you know the drill you're at your first school dance when you're 8 years old and you find this strange but moving emotion of awkwardness and excitement rush over you. You feel the compulsion to join in with everyone and dance to the usual cheesy disco tunes of the 70's and 80's but for some reason find it difficult to join in. Sometimes you pluck up the courage by your friends grabbing your arm; or you suddenly in the corner of your eye notice the girl you secretly like and observe her taking fleeting glances in your direction, motivated by her glances and your own as yet undeveloped emotional desires take that first brave step onto the dance floor towards her.

Your own experience may or may not have been like this example, perhaps you always found it easy to get up and dance and shake your body in sometimes what is best described as "daddy dancing". We know that some of us have a natural affinity to dancing be it limbo dancing, salsa, samba or belly dancing, you just have the ability to do it without the usual social anxieties and deterrents most of us experience around dance. If you were like me back in the day the only way you would see me shake or otherwise move my body on the dance floor was through the use of emboldening agents like alcohol!! I however more recently was motivated by other factors to get up and start dancing and enjoy myself unabated by social awkwardness and poor confidence that had previously blighted my experience of dance and have learnt to establish new social opportunities and improve my health through dance.

At the time I first started to become interested in dance I was looking for several things, first to improve my health through dance and to establish new social opportunities. I was advised that dancing is a great way to improve your fitness and also a good way to fight stress and tension and this struck a rather strong cord with me as I was unfit, lacking physical exercise and feeling the physical effects of a busy work life and having a poor social life. I also considered myself to be overweight and lacking any tangible muscle tone and thought "weight loss through dance" yeah that must be possible! I remember watching a documentary about dancing and you know what I noticed? That the people taking part were so fit and in shape and that all the dancers were toned and the juxtaposition of them and myself was stark and I wanted what they had and moreover what they had achieved, fitness through dance.

Another aspect of dancing that appealed was the social component, that making friends through dance was yet another possible consequence of dancing. One thing that was noticeable from the dance documentary was that the dancers were all good close friends and there was a strong sense of social connection amongst them, they were clearly enjoying the shared passion of dance. Have you ever noticed this about dance? That it is actually very social and people do enjoy themselves immensely and you can indeed improve your health by dancing, by this I mean not just physically but also emotionally.

After battling my own social worries and low motivation I decided to take that jump off the cliff and into the ever flowing tides of change, as sometimes you just have to make that change in your life! I started my path of discovery by joining a local Salsa group and boy how nervous was I? Yeah it was tough going for the first time believe me but I just kept thinking "Do you want to improve your health through dancing?", "Do you want to make friends by dancing?". The answer to these thoughts was a big and emphatic YES!! I found the first couple of sessions both enjoyable and very social and discovered I was able to make friends by dancing on a weekly basis and found my fitness improved too, plus I noticed that as the weeks went by my dance fitness improved incrementally which helped me keep up in the sessions.

Naturally I had to overcome some embarrassment and shyness to begin with and found some old bad memories of dancing at the school disco occasionally slipped in and out of my head but I was determined to make it work and quickly sort to quell such negative thoughts. Making new friends was great and having a solid social platform was definitely what I needed at the time and guess what? I also began to lose weight and I also found this encouraged me to diet better and eat more healthily and my overall sense of well-being improved too which was fantastic.

Health through dance? Dance fitness? Making friends by dance? The answer to these is a resounding and heartfelt yes and it has changed my life beyond what I ever thought possible at the time and I am more than ok with that.

Original article