Ballroom Dance Lessons

[smoothdancer]

oh-oh Hate 2...

We took our first lesson when we were going on our first cruise.... We booked 7 lessons and figured we could learn it all by then!!!

 

Some 10 years later we are still taking lessons and hooked!... Be careful here, it is habit forming... Still to this day I dont know how I talked my husband into it, and now really, it is a way of life for us...

 

Have great fun dancing and crusing.

 

BTY, We have sailed so many lines and I found Princess the best so far for dancing. Where are you going on the Sea Princess?

[tropicalsunset]

Chris: Thanks for the info...I'll pass it on... that looks like a beautiful ship!!

 

Janet.... That hubby would do anything for you!!! You two lovebirds!!! :)

 

Dancing is addictive and keeps the romance in our marriage for sure... that and cruising!! :D

 

GCurry: I think you have had a great year as Prez and I have been amazed at all the great activities you've had going on!!

Sure is time to take a rest and bask in some Hawaiian sunshine... let me know if your ballroom experience helps your technique at the luau!!! ;) :D

 

and I'm not gonna comment on that ABC show thats airing..WHAT A JOKE!!

 

Have a great weekend.. we are off to UCONN to see Colin Mochrie and get some laughs... too bad its a 2 hour drive for us and I'll have a carload of teens!! :eek:

 

 

soon I'll be packing!!!

 

Lorraine

[GCurry]

We are both fans of "Whose Line Anyway", so enjoyed Colin's Canadian humor. How did that go, was he appropriate for teens?

Our Two-Left-Feet was last night a good time was had by all, about 100 dancers. Horrors, one of our club members is pregnant, that might be a first in club history. Just an example of how ballroom is changing.

 

We have booked two Luaus, Germain's on Oahu, and the Old Lahaina on Maui. Two chances to get it right; just think me me doing the Samoan Fire Dance; that should impress our ballroom clubs!! Ole Lance would probably criticize my steps and ruminate as to how he did it with Earl Flynn! MSgCurry had better keep the fire extinguisher handy.

 

We danced a bunch on the Grand, Smooth, I think the space on ships like this help to give dancers more room and opportunities. It didn't hurt that two of the ship's bands played a lot of good dance music.

 

A soft winter morning in SE TX, sea fog and cool temperatures, so far the promised rain has not made it here. Dog and I went for walkie-sniffies, which made her very happy. I'm grilling steaks and Red Snapper for a Sunday in Texas.

[seadancer]

Hey Gcurry

 

I'm rigth there behind you with ribeyes and shrimp on the grill in about an hour. We just got back from our first class of the year and had a great time our private instructor has started instructing us on the movements i beleive she called the them. I find every lesson is getting to be more fun as i gain my confidence.

There was a Lady and a Man coming in as we were changing and he looked scared to death. He had saw us dance and was impressed:rolleyes: this after 3 lessons. I assured him he would look just as good after lessons from our instructor if they practiced at home a little. hopefully all went well for him. I rold mywife thats what i looked like not to long ago.She just smiled.

I hope everyonehad a great weekend

 

Seeeuuu

Jeff

[mummsie]

Thanks all. Went to the podiatrist. Basically there are 2 problems. Achilles and the Fascia plantar are both damaged. He said its basically a lot of inflamation and the only thing is rest and wearing supportive shoes whenever I am not in bed. I can't tell you how I hate it - its so hot here that I go barefoot all the time except when I am out so its been very uncomfortable having to wear closed in shoes all the time. I could go for the cortisone injection but I flatly refuse to go that path - I had tendonitis in my shoulder some years ago and tried the cortisone. I have never been in so much pain in my life and it didn't work anyway. Lucky I have a pair of low training shoes that I can wear for dancing - will just have to be careful and not do anything that will cause more damage. Probably just do new vogue for a while in our lessons - its less strenuous than the other styles.

Glad you had a good time GCurry with your last dance as pres. Hope you and seadancer enjoyed the barby (BBQ). Gayle

[GCurry]

Sympathy Mummsie, had a Heel spur problem myself, it slowly got better. My Primary Care Physician, (Dr. Torquemada) wanted weight loss, anti-inflammatory, and ugly lace up shoes. I do use heel inserts, and my dance shoes are lace ups, the weightloss thing is up and down.

 

I would say sorry for all the hot weather. Tropical and Smooth could probably stand a little, but, we live in Texas with 9 months of heat and humidity.

In fact, you could come enjoy our summer during your winter, and be miserable year round!!

[smoothdancer]

Your not kidding Gurry... Another snow storm today, and a bad scare...

 

Today I was driving to work in the snow, one exit away from work on a major highway and all of a sudden my car spun out of control... It spun through three lanes of traffic, heading right for the cemet barrier, and then just stopped about a hair away from the cememt barrier. I just did a U turn on the highway to get in the right direction, got off my exit... I got to work and just sat in my car for a good five minutes amazed I was alive. All day I just kept on thinking how did I come out of that alive??? I concluded it just was not my time(Thank God!!)

 

Man do I hate snow!!

[GCurry]

Smooth, "Thank you God, Thank you God"!!

 

Wow Smooth, boy does that get your blood pressure up. I know that feeling, utterly helpless spinning with no control. Here in the Southwest, we have snow and ice, spent a cold winter in Albuq. and about 3 in Borger North of Amarillo. There you get 4" on the lawn, and 4 ft. on the side of your house from the wind. I've seen better then 2 ft. in El Paso (pure desert) of all places. At least most of you know how to drive on snow and ice. Chains, snowtires, studs, salt the roads? Forget it for us.

 

Our thing is flooding, how much water depth can your car take. And they wonder why we drive the biggest thing produced?? Let's see, when your stormdrain goes to a bay, and the bay is above normal, how much drainage do you get? We always take the SUV on rain days. I've seen mullet swimming down my street when I lived on Galveston.

[mummsie]

Thank goodness you are ok Smooth. I have never driven through snow or worse so I have nothing to compare it with but we do get some very heavy rain here at times. Must be very scary. Wonder what the people in the cars thought as they saw you going all over the road.!!! You need to go and buy a lotto ticket..... Gayle

[tropicalsunset]

Smooth: What a fright!! so glad you are safe.... !!!!! I hate that feeling of losing control... like you hope you don't end up in the hospital or worse while time slowly plays out!!! :eek:

I sooo hate driving in the lousy weather... I don't have to go on any major highways but I do have to go on a windy road that circles the reservoir... ! Up here it doesn't seem like they maintain the roads like they used to ...

 

GCurry: I wondered why I was the only one when I visited there in a sedan?!! TOURISTS!!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Rbart]

I am shopping around for an Alaska cruise for my wife and I next September. This will be our first. I have heard that some ships have a lot of opportunities for ballroom dancing, other not so many. So far, I am considering the Oosterdam (HAL), Vision of the Seas (RCI), Sun Princess, Infinity (Celebrity), and Mercury (Celebrity). Does anyone have any experience with any of these ships? We hoping to get in several nights of dancing. Thanks for the help.

[smoothdancer]

Rbart,

Here is our experience....

 

We sailed last year on the Mercury(X), and did have opportunity to dance at night. There was one bar with a good size floor (as far as ships go), and they did play a variety of ballroom type music.

 

We have sailed the Dawn Princess,( I think the Sun is a sister ship.) This was a longer cruise, and the Wheelhouse bar had ballroom type dancing a few hours every night, before and after dinner that worked for us.... They also had some fun swing theme nights.

 

We have sailed RCCL twice, has in general a younger crowd, not geared towards ballroom at all and you may be hard pressed to anything but "drinking and disco dancing" except for the Captians party.

 

Cant help you with HAL!

 

Dancing is somewhat limited on all lines and I myself do not choose a line based on the dancing opportunity. All knows that Nick and I love to dance yet there are to many other "bigger" considerations for me.

 

Hope this helps...

[GCurry]

We've done two HAL cruises and loved them. Good food, great service and dancing every night. As they cater to an older crowd, there was a lot of good dance music. Their ships are smaller but beautifully done, with Indonesians in the service capacity. HAL and Celebrity are considered premium lines, which Princess is not if that helps. Price and itinerary would be important to me. Alaska is on our cruise list as well.

 

I have noted on this board, to a greater or lessor extent, dancing is something we do all the time. I would call it a hobby, but a lot of you are serious about it! But, for all of us, if it takes place on a Cruise ship, so much the better.

 

Tropical, we have a 24 mile commute (about 35 min) racing Bubba and Junior in their full size or dually pickups, a lot of 75 to 80 speed.

 

Ole Lance was feeling his age last night and was getting terse with the newbies. I think he taught Moses how to dance at Bar Mitzvahs. MS and I worked on Rumba, snap break, and double underarm turn with a forward rock step.

[smoothdancer]

AWWWW.. Thanks guys for your concern over my "spinning scare""... I think I am over it now!!

 

GCurry.. I have no idea what we would do here without your great humor... You make me chuckle each night!!

 

Alaska is just out of the question for me. As much as I know it would be incredible, you all know about now how I feel about snow!!.. If it is not at least 70 degrees, I just don't go....

 

This year I got wise and have scheduled all of our cruises around holidays, so I can get the most out of our vacation days.. We are sailing during Easter, (yea Italy here we come), our first try at a luxury line, then 4th of July on NCL to Bermuda, and just today booked for Thanksgiving... Our first Hal cruise on their brand new ship. (I hope it is all GC says it is) With the kids scattered around the US, we can't always get together for holdiays, so what the hell... Holidays just dont keep us home anymore. BTY GCurry, my oldest is in Dallas and has a few choice words for Texas'ins driving in snow!!

 

We are getting ready for our first Fred Astire comp in March and our new Russian instructor is killing us!!... Tropical, down 8 Ilbs, due 100% to torture!! Last night I told Nick we cant leave the studio yet... My short hair was just dripping with sweat and I had to dry off!!...... Feeling the big 50 I reached last month creepin up....

He insists that we dance the V Waltz, and we just cant do it.... I know it is only left and right boxes, but we cant get rid of the rise and fall, and sway out of it.... We are so bad at it!!. He says he has us looking good for 5 seconds right now, we need 120 seconds .... Never gonna happen....

 

....Plugging along here!! Happy this is not a dance lesson night!!

[GCurry]

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruiseships/Noordam

 

When we got home last night, there was a brochure on the Noordam, HALs newest ship, with cruises out of NYC. Is that the ship you booked Smooth? Beautiful ship and bigger then I thought, with 10 and 11 day cruises we would be interested in doing. Yeah and I would really have a hard time getting MSgCurry back to NYC. I had a meeting in the Waldorf, about four years ago, and took MS to see "THE CITY". Unfortunately, she loved it.

 

Your son is right, most Texans driving on snow and ice look like a hog on roller skates.

 

Thanks for the kind words about the humor Smooth, I'm known for that in my community. I just wish they'd stop playing "Send in the Clowns" every time I got up to speak!!

[smoothdancer]

YES!!!... THATS THE ONE!!

 

I got a brouchure from the travel agent yesterday myself, looks wonderful. I am quite anxious to try the cooking demonstations that they have. This cruise is a 10 day out of NYC, just a short drive for us... 10 day, and only have to use 5 vacation days!

 

We have not sailed a Aft balcony cabin in a long time.. I like the Afts, and I am looking forward to 10 days in an aft suite. I hear the Neptune lounge is nice.

[tropicalsunset]

Smooth: I am impressed!!! We LOVE to watch the people at our Dance studio do the VW!! so beautiful.... but we have our slate full trying to work on the basics!!! I know you will get it and I have my $$$ on you taking the trophy!!! I'm sure your instructor probably learned from the BEST... YEP.... a former student of that ol' boy LANCE!!!N HEHEHEHE!!

I have droppped a couple lbs also... thanks to a stomach bug last week and my back kicking out this week...I'm sure to gain it back on the great food on Zenith next week!!!

 

GCurry... if you end up coming up here to NYC... we have to plan a precruise get together!!!

 

We don't have an aft cabin on Zenith but I understand there is an aft deck no one finds right away on the Bahamas deck... so we all booked aft cabins on that deck and that is going to be our party place!! :D :D

 

Got the Manicure and pedicure today.... gotta prepack this weekend.. throw things in the bags tuesday nite and we are off to Miami on Weds... Just hope the big storm they are forecasting on Tuesday does not change our plans... Ship sails on Thursday...!!

[GCurry]

Good for you Tropical, happy you are taking off. It looks like you are going to Costa Maya? It is one of our favorite places, we love the village of Majahual. Have a Negra Modelo and a conch cocktail at one of the beach palapa bars. About 100 yd out and past the reef is some of the best snorkeling I've seen.

 

Cruising out of NYC would be interesting at some point in time, we can get some pretty good airfare out of Houston direct. MS has gotten out a cruise box as we have a month until Hawaii. We have another Cruise planning party tonight with our friends/dancers. There is also an Endocrinology party at the Galveston Yacht Club tomorrow night where she thinks we might dance. Sunday is our Two-Left-Feet club annual meeting where I shall gladly turn over the reins of leadership. So it's to be a busy weekend.

There seem to be a large number of Russian dance instructors these days, any reason for it? Lance's attitude would have to improve to be mistaken for a Russian.

[9ECANUCK]

They finally got rid of "Master P". I think he almost made a mockery of the dancing. But then again, made us beginners look that much better.

Just signed up for more dance for February. Will be taking West Coast Swing. After completion we will be able to join the Swing Dance Club.

[smoothdancer]

Storm on Tuesday....What??? I cant take another!!

 

Never sailed the Zentih, but have sailed on the Mercury. I just cant think of anywhere else I would rather be on my birthday than Celebrity... You are going to have a great time!! Sometimes I think the best time is about a week before a cruise... Having fun packing, manicures, ect and a ton of anticipation... You should be fine flying in a day early, even if delayed you will still get there!! Have a great time for me!

[GCurry]

Hey 9E, good to see you here. Swing will work, they will play a lot of it on board. Some of your fellow cruisers, the Blocks, are excellent swing dancers. Even G and MS Curry swing a little.

 

Thanks for the update, we missed DWTS last night as we were having a fajita party and showing Hawaii videos that MS had taped. We are beginning to get in the Cruise Mood, but there is so much planning for this one, as there is a lot to see and do.

 

60s here, as I took Samba for her walkie/sniffies this morning. We expect a lot of rain starting this afternoon, but, we are still 3" behind for the month.

[HappyDancer]

We are getting ready for our first Fred Astire comp in March and our new Russian instructor is killing us!!... Tropical, down 8 Ilbs, due 100% to torture!! Last night I told Nick we cant leave the studio yet... My short hair was just dripping with sweat and I had to dry off!!...... Feeling the big 50 I reached last month creepin up....

 

I just found this thread and I've been reading everyone's posts. I zoned right in one this one in particular, because I danced in my first comp in October and turned the big 50 a month later.......

 

My biggest challenge is the aches and pains that accompany the serious practice sessions. I can dance for 2-3 hours at a time, but I pay for it later!

 

Anyone else do Pilates? I do it at least twice a week and I think it makes a big difference in my dancing.

[GCurry]

Hell I had to Google em to see if I had done them or not. If I did, I didn't inhale!!

Had a great party last night Galveston Yacht Club, a three piece combo and a singer. We did a lot of dancing. Since our competition was the Endocrinology Department of UTMB, I think we did right well. A lot of free style rock and roll, and I feel it this morning. Think I was rode hard and put away wet.

Tropical love to meet you at a precruise if we are ever up that way. Had a voice mail from Maui when we got back, from the Pacific Whale Watch Foundation, we will see the Humpbacks on our upcoming cruise.

 

The curse of the morning person, reading the paper and entertaining the dog.

[tropicalsunset]

HappyDancer: welcome to our group and congrats on your comp....... I used to do Yoga and now I just do a short workout a few times a week just so I can have the endurance on the dance floor!!! :eek: :rolleyes: :D

 

No dancing this weekend for us.... still nursing my back ache though it is getting better and I'm hoping I will be on that dance floor on Zenith... in the packing mode today...:cool:

 

The owner of our dance studio had a "freestyle dance workshop" that we had hoped to attend,... hope they do it again in the future.... always good to have "the moves"!!

[smoothdancer]

HappyDancer, Welcome... So how did you like your first comp? Usually its either you love it or hate it type of thing!! (we love it!)

 

Well this is our first comp with a chain studio,(recently switching studios) but my husband and I compete, mostly regional and national USABDA competitioins about once every three months. We have done this for a good ten years now so I have the routine down pat!!

 

As far as the timing of lessons. 2 hours is the absolute maximum that we will take a lesson for, and that is pushing it sometimes. It is not that the body is not willing(most of the time), but there comes a point that you can only take in so much information, and after that it is a waste of time and money.

 

As far as exercise, usually about 2 months prior to a comp I go into high gear!. However most of my exercises are areobic in nature as I am trying to build up my stamnia to compete without loosing my frame, breath!! I do aroebic type exercises to DVD's in 15 mintues groups, usually twice a day. I go to the gym each AM for back and spine exercises using weights.

 

I know, a lot of work, but I consider it worth it. We are excited this year to qualify to dance at the Nationals, held in San Jose, CA. We are going to drive the coast after the comp.....

 

Anything I can help you with, please let me know.

Smooth