Dance Lovers

In the Islands of the West Indies, there are certain plants that produce seedpods known as cha-cha. These are used to make a small rattle also known as cha-cha. In Haiti the typical voodoo band consists of three drums, a bell, and a cha-cha. The cha-cha is used by the leader as a guide instrument or "metronome" to set the time in secular dancing as well as in religious music and singing. Thus the dance Cha Cha had its roots in the religious ritual dances of the West Indies.

Cha Cha is derived from two other dances, it is a derivative of the Mambo (Mambo is the name of a voodoo priestess) through its Latin music and it is also a stepchild of Swing (Lindy, as it is danced with a triple step and a break).

In 1953 the Cuban orchestra "America" started playing the time-honored "Danzon" with a new syncopated beat. This sounded like a slow Mambo, and Cuban dancers used a slight triple hip undulation on the slow count. Gradually this was changed to a triple step on the slow count and the Cha Cha was born. The Cha Cha was introduced to the United States in 1954, and by 1959 Americans were "gaga over Cha Cha", with dance studios reporting it to be their most popular dance. It is such an "on the beat" dance that you can't help inject your own feelings into it. Cha Cha is still the most popular of the Latin dances in the United States today.

It has also been suggested that the name Cha Cha is derived from the vocal imitation of the sound of the feet in the chasse, which included in many of the steps. This would account for it being called the "Cha Cha Cha" by some people whereas others call it the "Cha Cha". It is danced "Cha Cha" with the accent on the "1" beat. The tempo is fast, sassy and staccato.

Like most Latin dances, it is done with the feet remaining close to the floor (toe steps). The dancers hips are relaxed to allow free movement in the pelvic area as a result of the bending and straightening of the knees. The upper body shifts over the supporting foot as the steps are taken (foot moves, body follows). This hip action is called Latin or Cuban motion.

It is very important to understand the musical timing of Cha Cha to dance it correctly. If you don't, it will always have a "frantic feeling" and fast Cha Cha's will be very difficult to dance. Cha Cha music is usually played in 4/4 time generally at a speed of 28 to 31 mpm (measures per minute). Musically it is counted: 1, 2, 3, 4, & or an easy way to remember it is: 1,2,3, Cha, Cha (a Cha is 1/2 beat).

Reprinted with permission of Ron & Rebecca Kellen & Bogie of the Mile High Ballroom of Prescott, AZ

Bolero is an "American Style" Dance, which was introduced to United States in the mid-1930's. At that time, it was danced in its classical form, which was performed, to a constant beat of drums.

Originally a Spanish dance in 3/4 time, it was changed in Cuba initially into 2/4 time then eventually into 4/4. It is now danced as a very slow type of Rumba rhythm. The music is frequently arranged with Spanish vocals and a subtle percussion effect, played at a tempo of 20 to 25 mpm (measures per minute).

The Bolero is a modification of the Fandango, in which all the objectionable parts are omitted; but all the gracefulness is retained. It is has been said, that should the Bolero be played in the judicial halls or churches, the very judges and clergy could not refrain from joining in the general excitement of the dance.

This is a left turning dance based on a "slip pivot" (a slip pivot is a rotation of the body on the ball of the supporting foot creating a pivot either forward or backward). Bolero has body rise only (no foot rise). This coupled with the slip pivot and slow dreamy music gives Bolero a very slow, smooth, powerful, romantic look and feeling. The foot patterns are similar to Rumba but have a very different feeling.

The Bolero is often called the Cuban "Dance of Love", because of its slow and dreamy tempo, and it's beautiful melodies.

Although you may hear Rumba music which may seem slow enough to be a Bolero, the music is actually very different in tempo.

Reprinted with permission of Ron & Rebecca Kellen & Bogie of the Mile High Ballroom of Prescott, AZ

by Kitty Turner

The sound of feet on the tile floor is sampened by the music as 10 couples practice a "basket step" in the Killian Building student lounge on the Blue Ridge Community College campus.

"Invite the lady over," Foster Lampert intones, demonstrating with his wife Judi the swing dance move for the class.
"Send her back, invite her over again, and the third time pass her under and change sides."

The class watches the demonstration avidly, and everyone tries hard to duplicate the move, with varied success.

"The great thing about Foster and Judi is that no matter how bad you are they always make you feel good," says Mary Ann Cooper of Waynesville, who was watching the beginning class while she waited for the intermediate class to start. "If I can do it anybody can."

On the floor everyone has successfully completed the basket step, and Foster says, "Ladies, move one partner down."

"I'm single, so I don't have a partner," Cooper says. "But it doesn't matter because everyone changes partners. That way you learn to dance with all kinds of people."

The Lamperts also make sure there are enough men and women to make even numbers so no one is left out, often asking members of the advanced classes to come in and help out with the beginners.

"We come to be angels," says Olga Locicero, who has been taking classes with her husband Mike since 1995. "We help out by providing partners and some experience."

Dance Lovers USA

Foster and Judi Lampert have been teaching ballroom dancing in the Asheville and Hendersonville area for nine years as owners of Dance Lovers USA. They offer classes on Monday and Tuesday in St. Mark's Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Asheville and on Wednesday in the Killian Building student lounge at Blue Ridge Community College.

"If you have to miss a class you can just go to a different night," Cooper says. "I'm making up my Monday night class."

The Lamperts have 40 years combined teaching experience.

"My brother owned a ballroom in Bloomington, Ind.," Foster says. "I had a renovation and construction business, but I would help him out in my spare time. But every time a manager would get a little experience, they'd branch out on their own, so eventually I took over the ballroom."

Foster bought the ballroom from his brother and taught classes for more than 20 years.

"I'm just a shy farm boy," he says. His wife Judi rolls her eyes in denial. "But in high school I was dating a cheerleader, and when we went to dances I didn't feel I was good enough. I like to do things well." That feeling led him to take private lessons with an Arthur Murry Dance Studio, and a lifetime career.

Judi started out taking ballet and tap -- but it was disco lessons that brought her to Foster's ballroom.

"I'd drive by and see the sign and wonder what it was like," she says "He kept after me to try ballroom, but I was very resistant, said it was old-fashioned. But once I started I fell in love with it."

Her interest led to a job as office manager of the ballroom.

"We'd been friends for 10 years before we started dating," Judi says. "We were afraid of ruining our friendship." They've been married 11 years.

The delights of dance

The Lamperts are firm believers in the benefits of dance -- both social and physical.

"It's great exercise," Judi says. "And a wonderful way to meet new people. Our students become like a family, they develop deep friendships."

Chuck Morgan, a student in the intermediate class says that eight or 10 class members get together for dinner before every class.

The Lamperts also work as guest dance instructors at Scott's Oquaga Lake Resort in Deposit, N.Y., every other summer, and take as many as 40 members of their Asheville and Hendersonville classes along with them.

"We've gone three times," Locicero says. "The rates are very reasonable and cover everything -- from horseback riding to dance lessons. Judi organizes everything and makes sure everyone is very well looked after."

"We really had a ball last year," Cooper said.

In alternate years the Lamperts take a group to Europe. This summer they will be cruising in a river boat from Amsterdam to Budapest.

"We'll be stopping in all kinds of wonderful places, including Vienna," Judi says. "It'll be a great trip."

Continuing education

Once people overcome their resistance to dance lessons, they become hooked.

"We have students that have been with us for years," Foster says. "They often say they wish they'd started sooner. Some of the men are a little embarasses that they're so hooked on dancing. But I think everyone needs the challenge of learning something new and having something to look forward to."

The beginning class teaches five dances: foxtrot, swing, waltz, rumba and cha cha. The first intermediate class concentrates on just three dances: single swing, cha cha and waltz, while the second features
triple swing, rumba, polka and quickstep.

by Carolyn M. Ball

I was sitting over coffee with Foster and Judi Lampert talking about the benefits of dance. I personally had found it to be such a rewarding experience, that I rarely missed an opportunity to dance or take lessons.

Whenever I dance, people ask me why I have such a big smile on my face. "I don't know," I always answer, "I guess I just love what I'm doing." So I was excited when the Lamperts moved to Asheville, North Carolina and set up dance classes utilizing a group approach to teaching ballroom. It made lessons economically available to everyone, and it would surely help strengthen and build an already seriously committed dance community in town.

"What are some of the benefits you've seen in people's lives from attending your dance classes?" I asked.

"People seem to gain a greater interest in themselves, in taking care of themselves, such as losing weight, or developing a greater awareness of music and rhythm, or just having more fun," Foster explained. "With increased confidence, they feel more comfortable trying new things. Sometimes people are afraid to try dancing because they imagine they can't learn, so they are pleased to realize that everyone can learn to dance. We've even had professional atheletes tell us their sense of timing and coordination were greatly enhanced through dance."

"On a more psychological level," Judi added, "we see that people tend to cut back on drinking as a way to socialize; they find they don't need alcohol to 'loosen up' and feel confident. As far as the social aspects go, we have never said things like 'it's a great place to meet people,' because that's not the focus we want to promote. On the other hand, we've had numerous couples meet and marry at our studio back in Bloomington, Illinois. Dance always helps to open up a new scope of friendships and healthy relationships, for it draws nice people, ones who are interesting, fun-loving and open-minded.

"Thousands of students over our combined thirty-five years of teaching have told us that dance has changed their lives," Foster elaborated, "but you have to stick with it. Like any skill, the more you put into it, the more your ability and enjoyment increase."

"Yes," Judi added, "we love people, dance and teaching. I don't feel that I go to work; I go to fun."

by Karl Kehde

I was driving into Toledo, Ohio for the first time while on a tour to promote my book, and I didn't know a soul in town. The local newspaper mentioned a dance in a church with a twelve piece band. That sounded promising. So I bought a map and headed in that direction. The church was big with bright lights and good sounds coming from the community hall. I took a deep breath and walked in.

There, before me, were more than a hundred people who liked music, dancing, a clean environment, and a man who could dance! In almost all of the hundreds of dances I have attended around the country, there have been extra women waiting for a man to ask them to dance. Had I been married, I would have brought my wife and had a great time. I paid my seven dollars and began a very satisfying evening full of fun, conversation, making new friends and dancing.

Music with a beat has always made me want to dance. But I never followed up until three years ago when I began taking group lessons at a dance studio called Paradise Dance in Northampton, Massachusetts. Group lessons include an instructor and about a dozen men and women with similar dance knowledge working together on a specific dance. An hour lesson cost me $5 if I took enough of them each month--and I took a lot of lessons. I learned so much, so fast, about partner dancing--and about myself--that I took as many lessons as my 62 year old body could handle.

I had thought that I was too old to learn anything as complicated and physical as dancing. It was a bit of a shock when I began, but what a refreshing awakening.

My behavior around women also improved. I usually don't like small talk. But, here in this wholesome setting, the emphasis is on dancing which begins with the physical connection. That really eases conversation. Also, in group lessons dance partners change continuously; a big help in learning social and dance skills. I learned that the man's role is to lead the dance partnership, suggesting steps in a way that makes the dance an enjoyable experience for his partner. I was also nervous about looking ridiculous in front of men and women I didn't know. But they were in the same boat, and we could all look ridiculous together.

Most of us beginners stayed at it, and within one year we were reasonably accomplished in Swing dancing as well as Waltz, Texas two-step, Rumba and Cha Cha. Learning to dance also proved a relaxing and up-beat outlet for dealing with life's problems. Focusing on my partner's well being and on learning new skills helped lift me out of feeling frustrated and stuck. I also found a few married men and women, whose spouses were elsewhere, enjoying and improving their dancing--and maybe their marriages. Partner dancing was looking like a pretty healthy avocation. Yet, since men are still generally expected to lead in partner dancing, our stereotyped focus on winning can get us into trouble.

Strength and control must become balance and support in a dance partnership. Talk about two left feet, I was like a bull in a china shop. Learning the art of graceful invitation started to benefit my whole life. I was learning to redirect confrontational energy to produce harmonious, forward progress for a partnership--and do it to music, no less. The power methods that I had previously used to succeed, and which had become second nature to me, were being replaced by a better way.

When a man leads a dance partnership, he offers ideas to his partner rather than demanding specific behavior; gentle, confident guidance rather than pushing and pulling; patient and considerate support rather than criticism. Learning to dance, a man has the opportunity to learn how to create and maintain a harmonious partnership. And, at $5 a lesson surrounded by beautiful music and other men and women with similar goals, it's hard to beat. Plus, the skills are applicable at home and at work. Gracefully leading a partnership works better to increase my assets and peace of mind than winning an argument.

Because men who can dance are in short supply, I received lots of support and reassurance from my instructors and partners. Learning the dancing and leadership skills was easier than I expected because I was appreciated just for being there. Consistent encouragement made the learning almost enjoyable. And, I was feeling better and better emotionally as well as physically.

The physical nature of partner dancing makes for great exercise. Learning the leadership techniques energizes the mind, while repetitively moving through the dance steps stimulates the body through cardiovascular and muscle restoration and training. As a former Marine, I can say that partner dancing is the most pleasant and effective exercise program I have experienced. And I could exercise almost any day of the week at dances near where I live.

Dance clubs across the country are seeking more men. Country-western, Latin, swing, and ballroom lessons and dances are available. Dancing is, for men, one of the best places to learn how to lead a partnership. It's fun, you are appreciated, and it's never too late to begin. You will love it. To get started check with a friend who dances or look in the yellow pages or search the internet for ballroom or swing dancing near you. Give them a call about group lessons.

Karl Kehde is an amateur dancer who belongs to the Blue Springs USABDA chapter in Daytona, Florida. While his home address is in Northampton, Mass., he travels extensively and attends dances throughout the United States. Karl is the author of "Smarter Land Use," a conflict resolution guidebook for neighborhood groups, developers, environmental groups and planning boards. His cell phone is (908) 625-0638 and his website is www.landuse.org. You are welcome to make copies of this article and have them available at your dances.

West Coast Swing is a contemporary style of swing developed in the 1940s on the West Coast in California. It has spread throughout the United States and is now one of the most popular forms of swing dancing. West Coast Swing is danced to a wide range of tempos (anywhere from 15 to 45 mpm). It can be slow and elegant, silky and sensual, or fast and furious, depending on the music being played.. It is danced in the Ballroom, Swing, and Country Western communities.

West Coast Swing is a "slotted" dance. Some say that this "slot" was born in Hollywood because "wide angle lenses" had not yet been invented. The directors needed to put the dancers in straight lines to get them "on" camera. This "slot" idea was to get the profile of the dancers rather than the backs of the dancers to the camera. If the dancers rotated while dancing it would not have shown the audience much dancing. This "slotted" style eventually caught on as the norm and it has stayed strictly "slotted" when danced socially.

Strictly "slotted" means the lady travels forward and backward along a single straight line on the floor (the "slot"). The man stays pretty much in one place. He is normally either in the other end of the "slot" or immediately next to the "slot" (which allows the lady to pass). Although there are turning figures, the lady should never step outside her "slot".

West Coast Swing employs both six and eight count figures. The six count figures begin with two walking steps, followed by two triple steps. It's counted: 1, 2, 3, &, 4, 5, &, 6 (walk, walk, tri-ple, step, tri-ple, step) The eight count figures begin with two walking steps, followed by a triple step, two walks, and a triple step. It's counted: 1, 2, 3, &, 4, 5, 6, 7, &, 8 (walk, walk, tri-ple, step, walk, walk, tri-ple, step) The last triple step at the end of the figures is danced in place and is called the "anchor step.

In the early days a "coaster step" (back, together, forward) was used at the end of the figures. This caused problems because the lady started forward too soon. The lady should not move forward under her own power at the end of the figures. This is how the "anchor step" came about. Now, she stays in place using the "anchor step" until she is led to walk forward.

The "anchor step's" main purpose is to reestablish the connection between the partners at the end of the figure and keep the lady from moving forward too soon. The "coaster step's" purpose is to change directions. There is a "forward coaster step" (forward, together, backward) and a "backwards coaster step"(backward, together, forward).

West Coast Swing allows the dancers more freedom simply because they are in "open dance position" most of the time. They can be very improvisational with the use of "syncopations" (i.e. rhythm variations, footwork variations, body waves, etc.). Syncopations are usually performed while not traveling (at anchor step time, at the 1st triple step in the sugar push, etc.). Syncopations are solo movements initiated spontaneously by each dancer. Theoretically the other partner doesn't know they are happening. The syncopations should not make the figure feel any different than the normal pattern.

West Coast Swing should feel very smooth and continuous no matter what speed you are dancing. This is only accomplished by being continuously connected to your partner. If there is no connection the dance can feel very mechanical and robotic (and looks that way too).

Reprinted with permission of Ron & Rebecca Kellen & Bogie of the Mile High Ballroom of Prescott, AZ

I wanted to offer a suggestion on how to be practicing. Don't initially put any pressure on yourself to lead in the beginning. Discuss what step you're going to work on ... then just practice that step. Then discuss and put one step before or after ... so you're doing two together. Practice that combination before you add another. Then build to have several little combinations.

So, for example, in single swing: I'd recommend just practicing the basic first. (Also practice from several different directions so when you do go out to dance, it's not unfamiliar. We can get to use to only doing a pattern facing a certain way in a certain room ... then going to a new place seems challenging). Then perhaps do a basic and an underarm turn to the left and right then another basic.

Start and stop and start again until you're comfortable repeating things without stopping. Then perhaps work on sugar push building up to include the whole sugar push sequence; again start and stop until you're comfortable repeating the sequence without stopping. Then (first discuss things) lead a basic, the two underarms, a basic to catch the hands, sugar push with the ending ... and then be able to repeat the entire sequence without stopping.

Just ideas. It takes time, practice, and repetition to learn to dance. It's a great hobby, wonderful exercise, very worthwhile and something that you can feel an improvement in every year you continue. Be patient with yourself and your partner and have fun.

It takes a while to learn what dance to do to what music. Dancing is simple expressing yourself to the music. Often times you can do several different dances to the same tune. We use to do a dance demonstration to a Whitney Houston song where we did 10 different dances to the same tune: bolero, foxtrot, cha cha, rumba, east coast swing, samba, merengue, hustle, west coast swing, etc. Waltz is in 3; most other dances are in "2" or "4" so that can often times be interchangeable ... things depend on the "feel" of the beats and rhythm and the speed. You can do your waltz patterns to a waltz and slow waltz (it simply is slower; slow waltz is actually considered "International" style where waltz is usually "American" style; Viennese Waltz is much faster where one does a lot of spins and turns).

Learning to dance takes time, practice, and repetition. Don't initially put any pressure on yourself to lead in the beginning. Discuss what step you're going to work on ... then just practice that step. Then discuss and put one step before or after ... so you're doing two together. Practice that combination before you add another. Then build to have several little combinations. So, for example, in swing: I'd recommend just practicing the basic first. (Also practice from several different directions so when you do go out to dance, it's not unfamiliar. We can get to use to only doing a pattern facing a certain way in a certain room ... then going to a new place seems challenging). Then perhaps do a basic and an underarm turn to the left and right then another basic. Start and stop and start again until you're comfortable repeating things without stopping. Then perhaps work on sugar push building up to include the whole sugar push sequence; again start and stop until you're comfortable repeating the sequence without stopping. Then (first discuss things) lead a basic, the two underarms, a basic to catch the hands, sugar push with the ending ... and then be able to repeat the entire sequence without stopping.

Dancing is a great hobby, wonderful exercise, very worthwhile and something that you can feel an improvement in every year you continue. Be patient with yourself and your partner and have fun.