The Reason Why We Need Ballet: Video Games

As a ballet teacher both my wife and I have noticed a sharp drop off in the basic level of physical ability among our students and in particular among the 10 year old and younger segment. What we have come to realize is that in the rush of daily life a great many parents are both attempting to limit the use of babysitters or daycare if they can (no doubt a good thing) but in order to keep their children occupied the use of today's electronic devices from iPads to PS3 to Wii and so on have become extensively used. The outcome of this is a lot of sedentary behavior by children right at the age when they need to be spending a lot of time developing their general physical coordination and abilities. Ballet lessons are an excellent way to counteract this because children are four-dimensional beings whereas video games and electronic devices are all at best two-dimensional things.

What I mean by that is children exist in three dimensional space and have a complex body designed to deal with a three dimensional universe. There is no owner's manual or quick start guide or Google-available cheat sheet of any kind to tell them how their body works. Add in to this the fourth dimension of time passing by and it quickly becomes apparent that it takes a bit of focus time to really learn how to deal with both the universe we live in and how the body moves through that universe. In the absence of being able to spend hours outside roaming around the farm or even playing outside in the neighborhood due to safety concerns, many children have definitely lost a lot of ground over their predecessors due to a lack of just general physical play time and activity. The average farm boy or farm girl "back in the day" spent much more time doing all types of physically complicated things whether doing work or occupying their time in a world without electronic immersion.

Video games and electronic immersion in general is at best a two-dimensional thing - all electronic images are totally flat and are really only a combination of pixels on a screen being lit, there is no real object there. Video games do take place with time so that adds a second dimension to them but even then, many games have slow down or speed up features altering the speed of time within the game which in my mind renders video game play completely useless to the development of a child outside of thumb/finger coordination. But there is far more to the body than the hands, far far more. The number of 6-10 year olds who are seriously challenged at skipping or skip traveling backwards, for example, is at least twice as high today as it was in the 1990's. To say nothing of the lack of imagination of children nowadays due to a high level of electronic immersion stunting the need to have a vivid imagination for the sake of creative play.

Ballet is a supremely four-dimensional activity. The Ballet student is on a quest to master three dimensional space with their body but added to this is the extra challenge of doing that on a tempo set to the time scale of the music the ballet is being done to, and over which you cannot have any control like you can on a video game. You simply must be able to control your body well enough in three dimensional space that you can accomplish the movements based on a time dimension. This is far, far more challenging and therefore far, far more beneficial than any video game or electronic device will ever be for childhood development. And, this is exactly what makes Ballet an absolute necessity in the 21st century world of iPads, PlayStation, smartphones and nearly 100% electronic immersion of children. The human body will not condition itself, it will not acquire stamina or flexibility or power nor will it maintain any of those once gotten without regular use in the real world under real conditions. With the heavy emphasis of creativity and imagination that also goes into it, Ballet is a perfect antidote for the highly interconnected sedation most children now live in.

Matthew Reinschmidt
Ballet Master,
Ballet North Inc
On the web: http://www.balletnorth.com/

Original article

Salsa Dance: Find That Latin Beat Everywhere

Now that you have the confidence and know the core principles and fundamentals of Salsa dance, don't restrict that knowledge to just the Salsa dance scene. Share that soul warming experience you have with the power of Latin dance and the fun of dancing everywhere you go. Variety is the spice of life, and with the addition of Latin dance to your repertoire of dance skills, show off your awesome glow and confidence. Anytime you hear any style of music that taps into that Latin soul inside of you, get up and dance it! Don't hold it back!

No matter what level you are at in your Latin dance skill, there are two points to recognize. One is the visual outer presentation of your ability. Second, and more important, is the personal and powerful inner passion that comes with Latin dance. There is no doubt that even though your skill level may be basic, it's that inner passion that raises any dancer's aptitude. Your inner passion is the fuel that takes you to that 'moment of Zen' when it seems that time stands still, and also puts that shine on your outer visual self. Everyone will want to share in your inner passion and glow no matter what your skill level.

As the saying goes, we only live once, and you should not pass up the opportunity to take that happy dance soul and apply the full liberating advantage at any given moment. DO IT! Dance to any live music show anywhere when the moment arises. You will be part of creating positive energy in every room and convert your personal soulful dance moment into everyone's personal moment. You will create a super 'domino effect' by one simple action in sharing your knowledge of the core principles and fundamentals of Latin dance. It's automatic that you will get a satisfied feeling knowing that you took advantage of that instance, that moment in time, that your 'Latin Dance Soul' called out and gifted you.

With Latin Jazz you will hear 'The Clave' and a percussion rhythm that, although it may not have vocals and the hot brass of Salsa, is very much danceable! So apply your skills to any and all music events you visit, not just Salsa events! Anyone who makes the initial commitment to Latin dance realizes at one point that it becomes a part of your being, part of your soul and has a positive impact in lifting self-esteem and confidence to shine in any room you enter. So don't fight your feeling, dance to that Latin Jazz beat that's calling out to you. You already have the confidence and excitement inside your soul that you want to be the first on any dance floor, and you know you are not alone.

It's very helpful being comfortable with your level of dance abilities and not to worry that you are not 'Dancing with the Stars' quality. However, if you watch the show, you see that they're not so great themselves. So get out there and dance whenever you hear that Latin beat and spread that inner glow. Keep Smiling...Keep Dancing!

Miguel "Mambo" DeLeon has been a Latin music entertainer for over 30 years. He is known in the Midwest Salsa and Latin Jazz scene as "The Pioneer" - "El Pionero" since the mid 80's. From the mid 70's he worked alongside Orchestra Charambo and backed up various vocalists from the Fania All Stars. Other artists include such legends as Larry Harlow, Ismael Miranda, Willie Colon, Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Tito Puente and many more.

Motivated by his fans with questions about dancing and what shoes to wear or not to wear, he has opened an online store which specializes in comfort fitting dance shoes with style. Visit Classy Dance Footwear today to find your desired dance shoes.

Original article

Ballet Workouts on DVD

When considering taking up ballet as a form of exercise, sometimes taking classes is not an option. Perhaps no adult ballet classes are offered in the area where you live, or your schedule simply cannot commit to specified class times. Whatever the reason, there is still the option of using ballet as a workout in the comfort of your own home by means of ballet workout DVDs.

The aim of such DVDs is not to train you in ballet technique, rather, to use certain features of ballet and dance in general to provide a fun, yet physically beneficial product. Most of such products on the market are affiliated with dance companies or choreographers, who tailor these workouts specifically for people with no technical training. Moreover, most feature established professional dancers demonstrating the exercises.

My personal favorite of such products are the New York City Ballet Workout DVD's. Although an established and world renowned ballet company produces these videos, the workouts are easy to follow, even for people with no background in dance, without being over-simplified, as some other DVDs tend to do. That way, the practitioner is busy thinking on the sequence and form of the steps, and not on the fact that they are actually exercising. This is a good form of distraction for those who dislike the repetivity of gym exercise, as you do not focus on what you feel, because your mind is too busy thinking on what your body should be doing in the first place.

There are two existing DVD's produced by New York City Ballet, Workout 1 and 2. Workout 1 introduces several ballet exercises, 17 to be exact. These exercises range from warm-up exercises, to footwork, abdominal exercises, and stretches. although there are no Barre exercises, as is usual in Ballet classes, this is made up for in their floor barre exercises, which is essentially doing barre work on the floor. It is arguable that floor barre achieves better muscular results that regular barre work as one is working more against the weight of their own body than when standing up.

The second Workout DVD is similar to the first in structure, but a little more faced paced than the first. It contains new exercises and combinations, as well as a glossary of ballet terminology. It is recommended to start with the first DVD, and move unto the second after you feel confident enough with the first DVD. You could then possibly alternate between the two choosing what pace would be most suitable for that particular day.

Both products are professional, user friendly, and the DVD's are easy to navigate. Good music accompanies both DVDs, which is a lovely change from the generic music that some dance workout DVDs use.

Weather you choose to join a Ballet class or workout at home, a workout DVD is always a good product to have at hand, perhaps for the days when you cannot make it to class or as additional training.

Valentina, dancer, fitness enthusiast and long term ballet practitioner. I believe that dance is an art form that can be enjoyed by anyone, and therefore encourage people to practice dance for different reasons.

Original article