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Join us at our Monthly Dance |
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JOIN US AT OUR SEPTEMBER DANCE
Saturday, September 4, 2010
7:00-10:00
Music by Fred Gipson
East Coast Swing with Fred Astaire Studios
Swing Jack & Jill contest with Curt Johnson
Members $7, guests
$10,
students with ID $5
Dancers of all ages are welcome.
Dress Code:
Nov-Mar: dressy (coat and tie, dress or dressy pants.
Apr-Nov: dressy casual
Dancers of All Ages are Welcome.
LOCATION
Homewood Senior Center, 816 Oak Grove
Rd., Homewood, AL
205-943-0018.
For information Priscilla Collums
205-873-1064
or priss522@aol.com
or visit
www.renez.com/birminghamballroom
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Dance News |
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BENEFITS OF USA DANCE MEMBERSHIP
BBDA is much more than simply
a social Dance Club. It is a Chapter of USA Dance, Inc., which along
with all the other chapters works toward bringing more dancing to
people and more people to dancing to share all its fun and joy and
the friendships to be made.
How does a USA Dance chapter stand out - what else does a chapter do
beyond just social dances?
1. For only $25.00 national annual dues, you are part of the
premiere national dance association. As a member you have an open
invitation to the activities of any local chapter. In fact the
schedule of most chapters is posted on the USA Dance national
website. (www.USABDA.org) USADance has over 200 active chapters.
When you travel you have instant dance friends and contacts in
nearly every major city. Simply contact the Chapter at your
destination and find out where you can go dancing. When you get
there you get to attend the chapter functions at the lower member
rate.
2. Members receive 6 issues of "Amateur Dancer" per year. With this
magazine you can be informed about the world of amateur ballroom
dance, dance products, and dance events.
3. You are invited to join dance cruises offered and organized
exclusively for USADance members and guests.
4. There are large, statewide and regional social dances and dance
weekends sponsored by larger Chapters for USA Dance members.
5. By providing dance exhibitions and lessons to all age groups we
spread the joy of dancing.
6. Our chapters encourage skill improvement, and donate our time to
encourage non-dancers to get involved in dancing. We encourage
particular attention to students in schools and colleges.
7. Members may attend and enter USADance competitions as a social or
competitive dancer.
8. USADance has been selected by the U. S. Olympic Committee to be
the governing board for ballroom dance competition (known as
Dancesport) in the USA. The goal is for dance competition will be
included in future Olympic Games.
In doing all these things we and our fellow USA Dance members help
to spread the awareness of how much dancing can enrich a person's
life. Ballroom Dance helps people find new social contacts, better
health, more fun, increased physical activity, and a more positive
mental outlook. … Come join us!
For information about chapters in Area IV where BBDA is located, go
to www.usadance6.org.
Shannon Ritchie |
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Chapter News
October Elections
The nominating committee comprised of Ron Stutts,
chair, Susan Ellis and Marc Lerner are presenting a
list of prospective board members for the October
election. Members who are willing to serve on the
board are Priscilla Collums, Jackie Tally, Madrene
Roberts, Ceal Ebert, Al Finley, Stan Digerness,
Susan Sparkman, Pat Blum and Jimmy Welborn. If any
member desires to be considered for a board
position, please contact Ron at
jronstutts@bellsouth.net.
Outreach
Thanks to the BBDA members who went to Cook Springs
to entertain the residents. Those who went were:
Joe Wesley, Madrene Roberts, Mona Hammock, Carol
Shubert, Jackie Tally and the members of the Fast
Track Dance Group.
Susan Stofel of Galleria Woods Retirement Village
has invited BBDA members to attend two Sunday
dances. An Oktoberfest themed dance on October 24
will feature the Classics playing from 3-5. On
December 12, the Tradewinds Band will be playing for
their Christmas Dance.
All BBDA members are invited, there is no admission
charge. We desperately need men to attend and dance
with the residents. Galleria Woods pays BBDA a
stipend to attend the dances.
A Dance to
Remember – A Benefit for Alzheimer’s of
Central Alabama
Birmingham
Ballroom Dance Association, a local chapter
of USA Dance, and Concordia Beneficial
Society will present an evening of General
Dancing and Spotlight Dancing at the
Concordia Beneficial Society (3400 First
Avenue North, Birmingham) on October 8,
2010, from 7:00 to 10:30 PM. The Tradwinds
band will provide the dance music. Local
professional dancers will be performing with
their students as well as local amateur
couples.
Hors d’oeuvres
will be served.
After Five
attire.
All profit goes
to Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama.
Tickets are
$25.00 each or a table for 8 for $200 and
tickets may be purchased in advance.
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Dance like nobody’s watching
By Shelley Stewart Photography by Meg McKinney
Here’s great news for would-be dancers: Birmingham almost leads the nation in having the most dance clubs, and there’s a vibrant dance scene here. So where can you find ballroom or boogie in this town? Hint … It won’t be in the nightclubs.
As filmmaker Woody Allen once said, “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” Like birds of a feather, dancers fond of one genre or another get together regularly to pursue their passion, becoming more expert each time. Ballroom, contra, swing, bop, shag, cajun … whatever… there’s a group. “You could dance every night of the week, and never do the same kind twice,” says Murray Echols, who is known for spreading the word about Birmingham’s many dance opportunities.
With such an enjoyable common interest, there’s a lot of overlap. Swing-dancers often flock to ballroom or cajun functions, and the boppers and shaggers share a love of similar music. Some couples, such as Art and Margarita Gracianette, have been dancing together for almost 50 years. Others may have met only that night, drifting together as a new song starts. That’s key to the experience—the more dance partners you have, the better you learn—and longtime dancers know it. Read on for an overview of some of the more popular clubs.
http://www.b-metro.com/dance-like-nobodys-watching
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USA Dance News
USA Dance National is organizing its first National Ballroom
Dancing Cruise, scheduled for November 28-December5, 2010. This
is a one-week cruise in the western Caribbean with daily
non-stop dancing and workshops. Click
HERE for more details
A new chapter
of USA Dance, Inc., has been accredited in Alabama. The North
Alabama Chapter 6114 in Huntsville is up and running.
Congratulations and good wishes to Douglas Montanus an its first
President, Jeeti Austin. The website is
www.huntsvilleballroom.org .
Congratulations
also to Bob & Sylvia Hubbard for successfully obtaining certification for a new chapter of USA Dance in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. We wish you luck and success.
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Directions to Homewood Senior Center
From I-65 South
- Going south toward Montgomery: Take the first
West Oxmoor exit, Exit 256, about 2.5 or 3 miles past
downtown Birmingham. Turn right and merge into the
center lane and then the left lane. Take the
strange left fork at first traffic light, just
past
Country Hearth
Inn & Suites (Old Holiday
Inn) on right. At 2nd light, turn left onto Oak
Grove Road. Go to first building on right. At
this light Weygand Surveyors is on left. New
Bogues Restaurant No. 2 (old Florida Grill) and
old ice skating rink are on
right.
From I-65 North
- Going north toward Birmingham: Take Oxmoor Road
exit, Exit 256. Turn left. Go under I-65
Interstate, and thru 2 lights. Take the strange
left fork at the first traffic light just past Country
Hearth Inn & Suites (Old
Holiday Inn) on
right. At third light, turn left onto Oak
Grove Road. Go to first building on right. At
this light Weygand Surveyors is on left. New
Bogues Restaurant No. 2 (old Florida Grill) and
old ice skating rink are on
right.
Going South On Greensprings Highway - Pass
Valley Avenue, then Oxmoor Road, then Lovoy's, Mazer's,
McDonald's, KFC. Turn right onto Raleigh Avenue.
Go until it deadends at Oak Grove Road. Turn left
and then turn into first driveway on right.
On 280 Going Toward Downtown Birmingham -
Take Hollywood exit just past Hamilton Inn and Wendys on
right. Turn left onto Oxmoor Road. Go
several miles. Go under I-65 Interstate, and thru
2 lights. Take the strange left fork at the first
traffic light just past Country Hearth Inn & Suites (Old
Holiday Inn) on right. At third
light, turn left onto Oak Grove Road. Go to first
building on right. At this light Weygand Surveyors
is on left. New Bogues Restaurant No. 2 (old
Florida Grill) and
old ice skating rink are on right.
Map
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Samford Ballrom Dance Student's
impressions about attend Social Dance Events
I did not expect the seniors to be good dancers,
so I was extremely surprised when we met in the
chair dance mixer and my partner swept me off
knowing all of the steps to the foxtrot.
This event made me realize that people do really
love ballroom dancing as a hobby. I realized
how special this was for them when one gentleman
I danced with told me that he "comes around to
dance with the young people because it makes me
feel like I'll live another week." I told him I
was glad I could help.
I noticed the live band. It was far more fun to
dance with a live band than a DJ, and it made me
want to dance more than if a CD had been
playing.
During one of the band breaks, there was a
Foxtrot exhibition, which was fun to see. It
was a bit odd, because the couple doing the
exhibition seemed a bit older but were wearing
young clothes (the dress was a very fun dress);
however, the dance routine was good, but I could
not see any familiar steps.
The quality of dancing at this event was very
high. You could tell that our class was amongst
some of the best ballroom dancers in
Birmingham.
Overall, I think this dance was a success. It
was made even better by a trip to the nearby
Whataburger afterwards!
Having to ask the girls to dance was an
interesting experience. You have to be fast, or
another guy will ask them before you can.
I enjoyed watching the older men on the dances
that I didn't know or just sat out. Those guys
were awesome, and a little bit crazy--in the
best possible sense. They were out there
kicking and spinning and generally being
amazing. They had great moves and looked like
they were having a great time.
I believe that going to these types of events is
one of the best things a young dancer can do.
It gives us the opportunity to see things we may
not have seen and also the encouragement from
those that were in our shoes one day.
The exhibition dancers were very good. The lady
had on a crazy bluish dress on, which was a
little garish at the black and white ball, but
being an exhibition dancer, it was probably a
good thing. The dress also had a lot of
streamers and things coming off the arms, and it
looked like it would be hard to dance with so
many things coming off your outfit, but she
managed it quite nicely. There dance was very
smooth and ornamented--I couldn't see any basic
steps at all. It was awesome, because it looked
like her partner and she were basically the same
person with the same mind, because they always
seemed to know what the other was doing,
swirling around the floor in a foxtrot.
It is one thing learning the dance steps in a
classroom setting and it is an entirely
different thing taking what you have learned and
dancing with people you have never met in an
unfamiliar setting. Also, as a class, I think
we got so much closer after going to these
events and sharing a common experience.
I think like any class, dancing or history
class, it is easy to get a lot of head knowledge
but it is a whole other thing when you actually
go out into the real world and actually use what
you have learned. That is exactly how I felt
about the outside dances.
Santa for Soldiers Drive
This year's Santa for Soldiers
drive will be held at our November 22, 2009 dance. Please
bring small toiletries, Chistmas cards and other
personal items to make their lives more comfortable.
Gold Bond talc
powder, small shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes,
small bottles of hand sanitizers, stick deodorant,
Blistix or Chapstick, individual dried fruit
packages, peanut butter in plastic jars, and
electrolyte water additives such as Gatorade
are perfect. Also
needed are paper back books, DVD’s, small magazines
such as Readers Digest. Don’t forget filter pack
coffee and batteries such as AA, AAA, C, 9
volts.Those small personal items we get in
hotel/motel rooms are a perfect size to send.
Come on folks; let’s open up our hearts and
pockets for these men and women. They are putting
their lives on the line for us.
New Mississippi
Chapter of USA Dance
Congratulations to Bob & Sylvia Hubbard for
successfully obtaining certification for a new
chapter 6116 of USA Dance in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi. We wish you luck and success.
20th Anniversary
of National Ballroom Dance Week
Twenty years
ago, Mary Helen Mc Sweeney, a member of the
Greater New York Chapter of USABDA (now USA
Dance), started a weeklong celbration of
Ballroom Dancing in New York City. Soon, this
idea of a "Ballroom Dance Week" took off outside
of New York City, and the third week of
September officially became
National Ballroom Dance Week.
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Confessions
of a Dance Junkie
By
Wanda Fulton
National Dance Association Zone S Director
From National Teacher’s Association Newsletter
September-October 2008
“I
am a dancer”…so goes the first verse of the song
from Chorus Line.
Like many of you, dancing is not just what I do it’s
about what I am. Most people occasionally think
about dancing and if the situation presents itself
will take to the social floor and spend an evening
moving to the music. My life centers on dance. I
search for places and activities that offer a chance
to dance.
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Whenever I hear the numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, I think
dance. When I walk down a long hall I practice
waltz rise and fall, heel toe, toe, toe heel. A
tile or wooden floor invites a spiral turn
attempt. I stand in third position while in
line at the store.
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Rock, dip, tuck to me are dance terms as well as
hammerlock, sweetheart, and barrel roll.
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When I go into a new club or dance venue, the
first thing I do is check out the floor, then
look around for other amenities.
-
I drink bottled water or soda, not because of
any concern about consuming alcohol. I want to
keep my dance skills as sharp as possible.
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I always carry a pair of dance shoes with me,
just in case there might be a dance.
-
I plan vacations by going online to find a place
to dance near our destination.
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I walk in time to the rhythm of the music being
played in the grocery store and occasionally
break into a step pattern. I sway to the Muzak
in elevators.
-
I have spent time and money traveling to dance
events in other states and never ventured out of
the hotel to see the sights.
-
I think of songs playing on the radio in terms
of tempo and beat, what style dance.
-
When I watch a movie about dancing or where
there is a dance scene, I get upset when the
camera leaves the dancers to focus on the
actors.
-
I would rather dance than eat, sleep, or watch
TV.
When not dancing, I talk about dance. Comparing
steps and moves with other dance junkies, I have
spent hours in Waffle House restaurants after a
dance. To show a direction or pattern we used our
fingers on the table to represent feet and have on
occasion danced down the isle to the amusement of
the other diners and staff. I recall waking up at
three in the morning trying to remember a particular
Tango pattern. I picked up the phone and called a
fellow instructor and asked, “What is the foot
position for the man in such and such number Bronze
Tango pattern? Being another Dance Junkie, my
friend immediately responded with the step
sequence. Neither one of us thought that type of
phone call was unusual. Saying” thank you” I hung
up.
I
have participated in an activity I love, met the
nicest people, and had some wonderful experiences.
As my body ages, the muscles and bones betray me and
my dancing isn’t what it used to be. I count my
blessings that at least I may not always be on the
floor but I AM A DANCER!
Wanda Fulton is a BBDA member who dances and teaches
ballroom and country western style dance. Wanda
suffers from Parkinson’s disease. She says that
dancing has kept her mobile and moving. Along with
her medicine, dance is essential in the treatment of
her condition.
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Outreach Programs
Cook Springs
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