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Congratulations to Dr. George Hill, of the Upper Montclair Fred Astaire Dance
Studio, for completing the Army Ten-Miler on October 8, 2006, with his daughter
Lana. It started at the Pentagon, goes to the Capitol, and then back to the
Pentagon. In addition to jogging every day, George and his wife Dr. Lanie
Hill have been ballroom dancing every Monday with Carrie and Kostadin for
over 9 years, and they have a near perfect attendance. Congratulations George
and Lanie!!!
 Georgi
Kanev and Adriana Bezmenova Upper Montclair's Bulgarian Latin Champions Baby
Shower December 30, 11:30 a.m.
Adriana and Georgi are having a baby in January. You're their family here
in the U.S. If you'd like to attend their baby shower, it will be held at
the Fred Astaire Dance Studio on Saturday, December 30 at 11:30 a.m.
You don't have to bring a gift, but they are registered at babiesrus.com (
i think!) email or call 973.783.8999 for more information. Feel free to bring
your favorite dish to pass.
We'll be serving some breakfast cake and champagne and orange juice (mimosa's!)
Please r.s.v.p. a.s.a.p, before I mail out invitations. Anyone who wants to
go in on big ticket items (car seats, college funds), please call me directly
and we'll arrange it together.
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A special congratulations go out to
Fred Astaire Dance Studios professional dancer, Tony Dovolani, for
his participation in Dancing
With The Stars. A 2005 World Rhythm Champion, US Open Champion,
and one of the most successful dance instructors in the country,
Tony Dovolani has had a long standing association with Fred Astaire
Dance Studios.
Tony Dovolani isn't new to Hollywood! Playing a Latin bad boy in
the hit film Shall We Dance?, he also coached Jennifer Lopez for
her role in that film.
But now he's captivated America with his role on Dancing With The
Stars. His partner, professional wrestler Stacey Keibler, lavishly
praised him after their elimination, saying: "He's the best
dance teacher."
Thank you, Tony, for your exhilarating performances each week!
You made Dancing With The Stars come alive and we're proud that
you're a part of our organization!
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Tony Dovolani and Stacey Keibler
Dancing
With The Stars |
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Ballroom Dancing for a Healthy Life |
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Have Fun, Get Healthy, and Stay Healthy Through Ballroom Dancing
By George J. Hill, M.D. - West Orange, N.J.
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Lanie and George Hill, dancing the Cha-Cha.
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My wife and I have studied at Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Upper
Montclair, N.J., for about eight years, having started taking lessons
with this studio in 1998 when it was located in Verona, N.J. We
usually take one 45-minute lesson per week, with either one instructor
(during which we practice dancing as a couple) or with two instructors
(at which time we are usually learning new routines and are being
critiqued on our existing knowledge). We also usually dance somewhere
else at least once a month, for an hour or so, at a social event,
or by ourselves. When we learn a new dance routine, we often practice
it at home, using a CD player in our kitchen.
Except when we are taking lessons, we often dance in formal clothing,
such as black tie or white tie, or in Latin dress which is an open-necked
black shirt for the gentleman and a short swishy skirt for the lady.
We also enjoy costume balls (e.g., Halloween and Mardi Gras), for
which we use either costumes that we own or rent.
We have now learned some steps in about fifteen different dances,
including the basic six that are the fundamental dances of all ballroom
dancing: Waltz, foxtrot, tango, swing, rumba, and cha-cha. We have
also learned some steps in the Viennese waltz, quickstep, bolero,
mambo, hustle, single swing, double swing, and pasa doble. We have
learned as many as ten short dance routines, known as “steps,”
each lasting for 10-12 measures of music, in some of these dance
styles.
Ballroom dancing is taught in many commercial studios, some of which
are franchises whereas others are independent. Some of the largest
commercial organizations are the Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire
Dance Studios.
Ballroom dancing is usually done with a partner, in contrast to
line dancing or square dancing. It could be said to be “touch
dancing,” in contrast to “non-touch” partnered
and group dances such as the Twist or the Electric Slide. Specialty
dances incorporated into ballroom routines may include elements
of the Charleston, polka, and salsa, although these are not taught
as classic ballroom dances.
Social benefits of ballroom dancing
It is good to make new friends and enjoy the company of others who
are also learning and having fun. With a bit of practice, even a
beginner is able to dance instead of being a wallflower or feeling
awkward at weddings, benefit balls, and parties. Ballroom dancing,
one can enjoy partnering with others, while accepting the paradox
of being physically close while also maintaining discreet distance.
A dancer practices being a good leader and also a good follower
by learning how to be a good partner. Ordinarily, the gentleman
is the leader, but in reverse steps lady is the leader, and the
gentleman must be the follower.
Physical benefits of dancing
Dance is good aerobic exercise. A dancer consumes calories at about
the rate of a brisk walk (4 miles per hour, utilizing 400 calories
per hour) during “smooth dancing” (such as waltz, fox
trot, and tango), and at the rate of a slow jog (6 miles per hour,
or 600 calories per hour) during continuous fast rhythm dancing
(e.g., swing, mambo, and samba). Other fast dances include the Viennese
waltz, quickstep, jitterbug, and hustle. Slower dances include bolero
and merengue.
Dance enhances flexibility, through continuous callisthenic-type
movements of the neck, back, legs, and arms. Dancers are encouraged
to do warm-up exercises, which help prevent injury and enhance performance
in all types of athletic activities.
Dance enhances strength, through isometric contractions of muscles
of back, legs, and arms. Dance enhances balance, by strengthening
the small muscles of lower leg and foot, and through practice in
balancing while performing dance steps. Posture and poise, and strength
and endurance will inevitably be improved by ballroom dancing on
a regular basis.
Mental benefits of dancing
Dance enhances memory, as the student advances through various basic
components of the dance. For example, “position 1” or
“position 2” for the feet, “natural underarm turn”
or “reverse underarm turn,” “promenade”
and “reverse promenade,” and “contra-body movement.”
Memory is also enhanced as the student develops a repertoire of
dances such as rumba, cha-cha, and pasa doble, and of specific dance
steps, such as the “Manhattan Rollout” in the swing
and the “Apache Throw Out” in the tango.
A dancer can forget the problems of yesterday, and the cares of
today and tomorrow, for a little while.
Ballroom dancers learn about music and dance, thus enhancing their
enjoyment of theatrical performances on stage and in motion pictures.
After instruction, dancers are able to critique and appreciate the
performance of others, as they plan to correct their own defects
and add new possibilities to their dance routines. For those who
know little about rhythm and music, dance also offers the opportunity
to learn how music is constructed (usually 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8),
about tempo, and about styles of performing artists.
If desired, ballroom dance competition offers rewards for success,
and the certain knowledge that you can do your best even when winning
less than a First Place award. Dedicated, successful amateur dancers
may also win scholarships as well as ribbons and trophies in intra-
and inter-studio events and in regional and national competition.
References: Music CDs from FADS and other sources such as Lester
Lanin and Frank Sinatra “oldies,” and Tito Puente, FADS
videos, and movies such as Shall We Dance. For information on aerobics,
see Kenneth Cooper, New Aerobics (Bantam Books, 1972).
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Ballroom Dancing Builds Self Esteem in Montclair Teens |
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| By Carrie Babcock |
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Elliott Pauson with Carrie competes at the Westwood Fred Astaire.
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Whoever thinks teens today are over-scheduled is probably right.
Our children today are far more active than in yesteryears. But
kids don’t always find the right activity, and can spend a
good part of their adolescence bouncing from lacrosse to tennis
to chorus to piano to football, soccer, and so on. If they don’t
show talent in these activities, they often drop out. These drop-outs
can help to lower your child’s self-esteem. Kids can spend
years accumulating feelings of solitude, not fitting in, geekiness
or clumsiness.
Well, not these kids, and not this sport. This is Dance Sport,
and these kids started it before the television show “Dancing
With the Stars” swept the nation and the nelson ratings. And
BALLROOM BOOTCAMP, DANCE WITH ME, SHALL WE DANCE (Japan), SHALL
WE DANCE (US), SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, AMERICA’S BALLROOM
CHALLENGE, MAD HOT BALLROOM.
Ballroom has never been bigger or more popular, and these kids know
it.
Meet Mark, Andrea, Elliott, Katie, Kestin, Danielle, Charlotte,
Dana, and Laura. They are just a few of the kids who have been hanging
around the Fred Astaire Dance Studio after school. Some of them
for years. Katie, a sixteen year-old honor student started taking
lessons when she was 12, and now holds several United States pro-am
titles. She plans on using ballroom as an extracurricular activity
on her applications for college. Katie’s hoping for Penn State,
but has also looked at Harvard.
Nineteen year-old Andrea began taking lessons the summer between
her junior and senior year in high school. She fell in love with
it, and found herself at the studio every day. She completed her
senior work-study program with the studio as a receptionist, and
after graduation was hired as a trainee. She is currently now teaching
beginning students and training to become certified.
Mark, a senior in Montclair, started taking lessons because he’s
been to Argentina on a study abroad program and wanted to learn
how to tango. He’s since performed an Argentine-tango inspired
showcase routine at the Fred Astaire Holiday Ball, and will be competing
with his teacher next week in the Metropolitan Dance Sport Championships,
in the Sheraton Meadowlands hotel.
Kestin aspires to be an actress. She started taking lessons after
her parents took the introductory program, and thought Kestin might
like to try. That was almost 4 years ago. Kestin is now a full bronze
dancer, and will receive a bronze trophy award before the end of
this year. Kestin competes regionally with her teacher and is a
favorite on the dance-floor.
Dana is a 10 year old who started taking lessons after her Mom and
Dad, sister and family friend. Her sister still comes occasionally,
but Dana comes every week and has 2 teachers. She’s got the
build and the desire to become a fabulous dancer.
Elliott, 12, is the newest edition to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio.
He saw MAD HOT BALLROOM and told his mother he’d like to try.
“Elliot led me on his first lesson. He learned the basics
of salsa, foxtrot and tango, and after 20 minutes was leading me
with great poise. I winked at his mother and whispered ‘he
is a natural – he was meant to do this” says his teacher.
Elliot began in October and has entered one competition, and is
currently working on a musical theatre style samba routine to dance
for the year end “recital”.
These are just some of the dozen or so children we have taking lessons
here at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. These kids may or may not
compete, may never be on television for their dancing, but they
ooze self-confidence. They KNOW when they’ve done a step correctly,
they BEAM when their teacher gives them a compliment, they PRACTICE
hard, are poised, elegant, well-mannered, respectful, timely. They’ve
developed coordination, balance, muscle control, and musicality.
Most of them shy, awkward kids when they started, they now walk
into the studio alone, without their parent, say hi to everyone,
change their shoes and clothes (or come dressed, in dress pants
and a polo shirt or a tie).
They are comfortable in their skin and their surroundings. They
practice hard at home in hopes to win the respect of their teacher,
yes, but more important, because they want to get it right.
Subliminally, subconsciously, these kids know they are building
their own self-esteem.
Sure, they’re still teenagers, and they still have to go through
the sometimes unbearable pains of being adolescence. Why can’t
we just skip those years???? But these kids, for 40 minutes, twice
a week, 3 times, 4 times a week, are the Richard Gere’s, the
Cheryl Burkes, the Charlotte Jorgenesens, the Fred’s and Ginger’s
of their own lives and their own destinies, and they know it. They
feel it. They’ll never drop out. They are ballroom dancers.
The author is a ballroom dancer, teacher, and holds 5 United States
Titles, in ballroom and theatrical ballroom. She’d like you
to take lessons at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Upper Montclair,
but if you can’t, you can email her at uppermontclair2@aol.com
and she’ll recommend a reputable and worthy studio in your
area. |
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Congratulations to Deborah "Gina" Gianelli and Kostadin
Bidjourov |
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Wednesday, October 5, 2005
Congratulations to Deborah Gianelli, who recently traveled to Jacksonville,
Florida with Kostadin , where she won her division of the U.S. National
Pro-Am Theatrical Ballroom Competition at the First Coast Classic.
Gina danced a waltz and won her division, and then the same waltz
2 days later where she came second over all, against all divisions
and all age categories. Theatrical ballroom is like partner ice-dancing,
with 50% aerial lifts and 50% floor dancing.
Gianelli also won the Open Pro-Am Standard Scholarship division
at the First Coast.
Way to go Gina!! |
Kostadin Bidjourov and Deborah Gianelli
The winners of the U.S. National Pro-Am Theatrical Ballroom Competition
at the First Coast Classic. |
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Congratulations to our National Champions |
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| Monday, September 12, 2005
This was a dynamite week for the Fred Astaire Dance Studios of
Upper Montclair.
Amateur dancer and Montclair Resident Marika Kurer placed 6th in
the World Pro-Am Smooth Finals, and also placed 1st in the Silver
Smooth and 1st in the Standard Scholarships divisions at the Embassy
Ball in California, with her teacher Kostadin Bidjourov.
Montclair resident Martin Ahrens with his professional partner
Gabriella Jileva won both the U.S. Bronze and Silver Smooth Scholarship
divisions at the United States Dance Sport Championships in Miami.
Also winning at the U.S. Dance Sport Championships are 2 time Undefeated
Theatrical Ballroom Champions Kostadin Bidjourov and Carrie Babcock.
This marks their 3rd win in this division.
Congratulations to all.
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Gabriella Jileva and Martin Ahrens
United States Dance Sport Championships in Miami
September, 2005 |
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Charity Ball For Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund |
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| Charity Ball
For Hurricane Katrina
Relief Fund
Sunday, September 25 from 5:00-7:30pm
All proceeds will go to the
American Red Cross and FEMA
Any Vendors who would like to donate
door prizes, gift certificates or
merchandise should contact
Kay Connors or Carrie Babcock
during the week of September 13-16
at 973-783-8999.
Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
All ballroom and latin dances will be represented.
Dress attire. No jeans, please.
Professional show featuring US Champions
Kostadin Bidjourov and Carrie Babcock.
With Jay Brancato and Janene Costello
Tickets are $50 per person
Available ONLY in advance at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio at 604
Valley Road in Upper Montclair. Open Monday-Friday from 1-10pm
All proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross and FEMA
Call 973-783-8999 for more information or email us at UpperMontclair1@aol.com
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