Don't Forget: Kizomba Workshop On January 11th!

Nate's hosting a new workshop coming up in a couple of weeks (he's not teaching it, but he will be there)!  Check it out!  It looks like fun!

Kizomba Lessons And Sessions With #Dance2HeartbeatNYC

Sunday, January 11, 2015

11:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

$20 per class, Purchase tickets online or pay at the door.  Walk-ins welcome.

Lisa's Salsa Workshop

Saturday, February 7th "Cuban Salsa Time!"

Cuban salsa has rueda, and rueda is a whole lot of fun to do!  You dance salsa with a partner in a circle with other salsa dancers; a caller calls out a pattern, everyone dances it, and frequently that pattern involves changing partners!  It’s guaranteed a good time and a whole bunch of laughs!

Location: Hartford Ballroom Dance Studio

Cost: $12 for one class, $20 if you take both.

All forms of payment accepted!  Pay when you arrive.

Workshop #1: 2:30 p.m. "Beginner Cuban Salsa And Rueda"

In this workshop, we'll be learning the basic steps of Cuban Salsa and how you apply it to a Rueda circle.  We'll also learn easy turns and partner-changing patterns within the Rueda circle.  The workshop will run for 50 minutes, with a 10-minute practice.

Workshop #2: 3:30 p.m. "Rueda Fun!"

This goes beyond the basic Cuban salsa moves of the first class.  In this workshop, we'll learn some more intermediate-level Rueda patterns, all of which are loads of fun to do!  The workshop will be an hour long, at the end of which we'll do a few songs to practice

Requirements:

• Recommended for intermediate salsa students.  Beginner salsa dancers can take the first class, but would have a difficult time with the second class. 
• No partner is required, but we need an even number of leaders and followers, so coming with a partner is recommended.
• Please wear dance shoes, or shoes with slippery soles
• Please arrive at least 10 minutes early so you’ll have time to pay before the class begins, and we can start on time.

Please Register For The Classes Ahead Of Time!   

Because we need an even number of leaders and followers, you must register ahead of time.  Click on the red button below.  It’ll take you to a ticket page.  You can select more than one ticket.  Fill out the information (name and e-mail address) and print out the ticket.  On the day of the workshops, present the ticket and pay for the classes at the door!

Registration deadline is February 4th.

If you have any questions, either call/text Lisa Spiro (me!) at 860-655-5731, or e-mail her at lisamarie@hartfordballroom.com.

Pre-Silver Step For December: Charleston and East Coast Swing

Happy Holidays!

This month we're doing Charleston mostly, with maybe a little East Coast Swing.  I should warn you that this is going to be a tricky month, so if you're not too comfortable with the Charleston from last month, this is going to be a little overwhelming.  Also, remember that I do teach private lessons, which could help you a lot with this level.

Pre-Silver Charleston

1. Charleston Basic
2. Tandem Charleston
3. Overturn and Push-Out (to get in and out of Tandem Charleston)
4. Half-Moon a.k.a. "Rainbow"
5. Charleston Crossovers with Double-Kick apart turn
6. Half-Moon with kick choreography

Intermediate Step List For November: Foxtrot

Foxtrot Intermediate Step List

1.  Basic Routine: 3 basics, 3 promenade (with a turn on 2), 3 side rocks, hesitation to finish

2. Box step with 1/4 turn

3. Forward and back basic

4. 1/4 turn basic

5. Twinkle

6. Parallel Twinkle

7. Chasse

8. Grapevine From 1/4 Turn Basic

Hartford Ballroom's December Dance Events!

 

Says to you....

Happy Holidays everyone!

I'm a little late with this post, but hey, better late than never!  Because of the holidays, some lessons and some dances have been cancelled, but we also have our New Year's Eve party!  So here's the rundown of cancellations and dance socials:

Full Bronze Step List For December: Foxtrot

Happy Holidays!  This month we're doing Foxtrot!  Don't forget I teach private lessons on a lot of this stuff!

Full Bronze Foxtrot Step List:

1. 1/4 turn Basic

2. Grapevine From 1/4 Turn Basic

3. Left Turn

4. Twinkle, Twinkle With 1/4 Turn

5. Zigzag, Zigzag With Develope
6. Chasse With Twinkle Beginning and Ending

Intermediate Step List For December: Salsa

Happy Holidays!  This month we've got Salsa!  The turns might feel a little tricky at first, but they get easier with practice!

Intermediate Salsa Step List:

1. Cross Body Lead

2. Alternating Underarm Turn

3. Canopy

4. Shoulder Check

5. Routine #1: Alternating Underarm Turn, Shoulder Check, Canopy
6. Crossover With Underarm Turn
7. Crossover With Apart Turn
8. Cross Body Lead Into Crossover
9. Crossover swivels

Don't Forget This Weekend of Tango!

Hey folks!  Don't forget about this weekend's Tango events!  Tomorrow, December 6th Nate's hosting a milonga with a live band!  There's a lesson at 7:30 p.m. and the band comes on at 8:30 p.m.  You don't even have to know tango to join us here!  We'll have tables set out so you can just chill out with a glass of wine and enjoy the music.

For Facebook details, click here!


Also don't forget that there are tango workshops on Sunday from 1-4 p.m.!  These workshops will focus on tango techniques and ways to improve your skill!  One of these classes is free for followers, while a second is free for leaders!

For Facebook details, click here!


We hope to see you this weekend!

Absolute Beginner Step List For December: Tango And Hustle

Happy Holidays dancers!  This month: Tango and Hustle.  We're doing Tango for the first two weeks, and Hustle the next two week.

Merengue Warm-Up

1. outside/inside turn

2. double turns

3. guy's turn
4. cuddle
5. yo-yo from cuddle
6. backwrap
7. lasso from backwrap

Absolute Beginner Tango

1. basic

2. corte

3. forward rock

Hustle

1. basic

2. inside turn

3. pickpocket

Basics Step List For December: Waltz

Happy Holidays, everyone!  This month, we're focusing on slow waltz.  Keep in mind that this is a guide only, and cannot replace the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can!

Basic Waltz Step List

1. Basic Traveling Step

2. Box Step

3. Box Step With Underarm Turn

4. Balance Step

5. Hesitation

6. Zigzag

7. Twinkle
8. Parallel Twinkle

Lisa's January Workshops

New year, new workshops!  This month I am hosting a total of four classes. 

Each class costs $10 to attend, and doesn't require pre-registration or a partner.  

All workshops will take place at the Hartford Ballroom Dance Studio.

Saturday, January 3rd "A Day Of Line Dances"

1 p.m.: The Easy Ones

This is a beginner-friendly workshop, where we focus on line dances that are both fun and easy to do.  This class will be an hour long, with a chance to run through the songs again afterwards.

Line Dances We'll Cover: Cupid Shuffle, Samba Line Dance, Waltz Line Dance, Sex On The Beach, Kumbia Line Dance

2:30 p.m.: Getting Into The Harder Stuff

There are two line dances out there that I would consider to be a little difficult: the Shim-Sham and the Salsa Line Dance.  In this workshop, I plan on covering both of them.  The class will run for about an hour, with a chance to run through the songs again at the end.

Requirements? If you are a beginner, I wouldn't recommend this second class.  No partners are needed for line dances. 

Saturday, January 31st: "A Day Of Technique"

2 p.m.: "Basic Techniques For Leading And Following"

Learning the steps is tricky enough: learning how to lead the steps and follow the patterns is even harder.  This workshop is going to focus on those little techniques that we tend to overlook in a normal group class.  To keep things simple, we'll focus on techniques used in Swing, Waltz, and Rumba.  This is a class for Intermediate level students.  No partner or pre-registration is needed.

3:30 p.m.: "Reversing The Roles"

Yep!  That's right!  It's time to try swapping roles!  Leaders will try being a follower, and followers will try being a leader.  We're going to dive into the Rumba as if we're learning a totally new and different dance.  We'll start from the beginning and work our way up, and see how far we can go!

Knowing what your partner has to do helps a lot in improving your own ability to dance, so that's what this workshop is all about!  By the end of the lesson, you'll have a clearer understanding of what it's like to be on the other side, and therefore a clearer understanding of what your job is as a partner.  It'll be unusual, but fun! 

This is a workshop for Intermediate/Advanced students.  No need to bring in your own partner, nor do you need to pre-register.  The class will run for an hour, with some practice time afterwards.

Lisa's Monday Class Information

Here's your basic information for the Monday beginner classes.  These classes occur every week at the Hartford Ballroom Dance Studio, and the cost is $10 per person per class.  You also have the option of signing up for a package of lessons: 10 lessons for $80.

There's one additional special we offer: if you take the first class 12 times, you can take both classes for the price of one!

Class #1: Absolute Beginners

7:15-8:15 p.m.

The perfect class for those who have never danced before.  Every month, we cover the basic steps of two dance styles, and we also do a little Merengue as a warm-up.  We keep things very easy and very friendly, so that the learning experience remains fun and relaxing.  The class is 45 minutes long with an additional 15-minute practice.

The Class Schedule:

December- Tango/Hustle

January- Foxtrot/Swing

February- Salsa/Cha Cha

March- Waltz/Rumba

April- Tango/Hustle

May- Foxtrot/Swing

June- Salsa/Cha Cha

Class #2: Ballroom Basics

8:15-9 p.m.

This is a great class for anyone who feels like the basic step is easy enough, and want to learn a little more but still consider themselves to be a beginner.  In this class we do one dance style a month; I'll quickly review the basic step, and then I'll teach up to 5 other steps within that dance.  These steps are repeated throughout the month, so you'll get plenty of time to practice the moves. 

The Class Schedule:

December- Waltz

January- West Coast Swing

February- Cha Cha

March- Rumba

April- Foxtrot

May- Hustle

June- East Coast Swing

Hartford Ballroom Announcements and Cancellations

Hey folks!  A quick update regarding Thanksgiving weekend for Hartford Ballroom:

1. Thursday's Classes (Thanksgiving Day) are Cancelled
2. Friday's Salsa Night (day after Thanksgiving, 11/28) is Cancelled
3. Sunday's Classes (11/30) is Still Going On!

Don't forget Nate has a workshop on the 22nd (click here for the link)!  And don't forget there are private lessons available.  Click on the button to the left to book an appointment with me, or click on the Hartford Ballroom for contact information.

Finally, as some of you already know, I'm starting to try and branch out from Hartford Ballroom a little.  I love working with my mom, but there comes a time when you are trying to make a little extra money to set aside for the future and the availability of the studio for new classes is rather limited.  So I'm looking for hall space to rent at a reasonable price.  If anyone knows of a good dance space (ie, church or town hall, American Legion, VFW, etc.) in or near the Hartford/Newington area, that is particularly available on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, I'd love to hear about it!  Leave a comment below or send me an e-mail!

That's it for now!  Dance Away!
-Lisa Spiro

November Pre-Silver Step List: Bolero

Hello November!  Time to take Bolero to the next level!

This is the most difficult level of all, so be warned that you'll be expected to do full turns in this class.  Plus, you should be comfortable with all the steps from last month.  If you need to know what was covered in the previous level, click here.

Remember, this is a guide only.  It can't replace the actual lesson themselves, so come to class as often as possible.  And don't forget that there are always private lesson!

Pre-Silver Bolero

Note: The steps are titled by the name Michele uses, which are apparently the original names that you can find in any dance textbook.  I've added a short description as well, in order to help trigger your memory.

1. "Three-Threes": This is the Gold Level step where the ladies do a bunch of turns in front of the leaders.  She first does a half turn to the right, a full turn to the left, followed by a final right turn

2. "Cross Body Lead With Syncopated Turn": this is the one where you do a half moon, but with the ladies turning.  The ladies rhythm while turning is quick-and-quick-and-slow.

3. "Back-To-Back Line": This is the one where the leaders and followers quickly step back following the followers' underarm turn.  This is followed by a fencing line and a double turn for the ladies

4. "Opening Out": compared to the rest, this was an easy one!  It consisted of multiple back breaks for the followers, finishing with a spiral turn.
5. Open Hip Twist
6. Romantic Sway
7. The "Pizza Slide": the bit that usually followed the back-to-back line

8. Hip Rock (aka "Jim's step")

 

November Full Bronze Step List: East Coast Swing And Charleston

It's November!  And time for some Swing and Charleston!  Lots of fun but we're definitely going beyond basic turns now.  If you're not sure this is the level for you, then click here for the step list from last month.  Make sure you're familiar with the majority of steps from the Intermediate level before taking this class.

Keep in mind that this step list is only a complement to the class; it doesn't replace actually attending the lesson yourself, so come to class as often as you can so you can improve your skill!

Full Bronze East Coast Swing And Charleston

1. Basic Charleston

2. Toe-Heel Swivel

3. Inside Turn With Chasse (the skippy one)

4. Overturn With Swivels 
5.  Double Inside Turn (changes rhythm slightly)
6. Charleston Crossover
7. Kicks While Turning Right

Lisa's Technique Workshop November 8th!

Hey folks!  This Saturday, I'll be teaching a technique workshop before the 2nd Saturday social!  Here's the info:

Spins And Swivels--Tips And Tricks To Stay On Your Feet

A technique workshop with dance instructor Lisa Spiro

Saturday, November 8th at 6:15 p.m. 

Only $10!

Absolute Beginner Level For November 2014: Waltz and Rumba

Hello November!  Hello everyone!  It's time for Waltz and Rumba!


Keep in mind that this is a guide only, it doesn't replace the classes themselves, so come to class as often as possible!

Merengue Step List:

1. inside and outside turn

2. alternating underarm turn (she goes, he goes, she goes)

3. looping over the head ("combing the hair")

Waltz Step List:

1. Basic box step

2. Basic traveling step

Rumba Step List:

1. Box Step
2. Side-Together-Side
3. Underarm Turn

Basics Step List For November 2014: Salsa

Hey folks!  It's now November!  And this month we're covering Salsa!

Here's the step list for this month.  Keep in mind that it's only a guide; it can't replace actually attending the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can!

Salsa Step List

1. basic step

2. full solo turn

3. ladies underarm turn

4. alternating underarm turn (half version), ending with a loop 
5. Cross body lead
6. Alternating Underarm Turn (full version), ending with loop and cross body lead
7. side breaks

October Basics Step List: Foxtrot

It's time to Foxtrot into fall!  This post will be updated weekly, so keep checking back for the latest dance steps.

Remember, this list is a guide only.  It's hard to remember what was covered in class once you've gone back home, so I posted the steps here to help trigger your memory.  But this list cannot replace the benefits of going to the lessons themselves, so come to class as often as you can to improve your skill and practice what you learned.

Foxtrot:

1. Basic step

2. Hesitation (a.k.a. corner or trouble step)

3. Promenade

4. Promenade with underarm turn

5. Side Rocks

6. Routine #1: 3 basics (steer to the wall), 3 promenade with an underarm turn on the second one, hesitation to finish

7. Routine #2: 3 basics (steer to the wall), 3 side rocks, hesitation to finish 
8. Box Step 

October Absolute Beginner Step List: Foxtrot and Cha Cha

Happy October everyone!  This month in our absolute beginner class we're doing Foxtrot for the first half of the month, and cha cha for the second half.  I'll be updating this post each week, so keep checking back for the latest steps!

Keep in mind that this list is a guide only.  It cannot replace the lessons themselves, so come to the classes as often as you can, so you can practice and improve your skill

Merengue:

1. basic turns: outside and inside

2. how to do more than one turn

3. leader's turn

Foxtrot:

1. basic

2. hesitation