All Ways Dance - Expert Dance Instruction & Gala Production in Austin

Fitness Bootcamp Austin. Fun Exercise!

2010-05-21T09:06:00.012-05:00

So much happening this year it's amazing! I look forward to having some time to fill you guys in on everything. But I did want to touch base to tell those of you in Austin about a Fitness Boot Camp you might be interested in.

If you are looking for a fun workout... something beyond exercise classes... that gives really amazing results and you live in Austin... Check out the Fitness Bootcamp at the Austin Martial Arts Academy.

A Fitness Boot Camp is a style of physical training program that has been increasing in popularity for the past few years. The term "boot camp" is used in the fitness industry to describe group fitness classes that focus on fat loss, lean muscle building, camaraderie and team effort. Seeing the benefit of the social support that goes on at the classes has been extremely gratifying. Providing an exciting, stimulating environment where everyone works at their own pace as they team up and work towards a common goal allows people to make friends and socialize as they exercise. That environment is a motivational catalyst for pushing people a little bit further than they would normally push themselves by working out alone.

And even though the boot camps are a lot of fun -- you know the best part? The results! You'll be able to track your results by doing a fitness examination at the start of the boot camp and then again at the end. You'll be able to see the amazing physical transformation, but you'll already know it's working by the positive change in the way you feel.

If you get a chance, stop by and check it out.

And so it begins for 2010

2010-01-04T14:29:00.005-06:00

At the beginning of the year it's only natural to look back to the beginning of last year and see what your life was like compared to what it's like now. And it's fun to find it's completely different than you would have predicted. At least as long as you dance through it and allow yourself to embrace it.

This year, in addition to dancing, I'm getting the opportunity to use some of my other training and stretch myself in new directions. One of the new muscles I'm flexing concerns, ironically enough, helping people to reach their fitness goals. I've joined the team at the Satori Method Academy as part of their Fitness Bootcamp Classes. It's a unique mind-body-spirit program that not only helps people achieve their fitness goals... but helps them retrain their subconscious identity and mental image of themselves so that they can maintain their results!

It's a lot of fun and we're getting a lot of great feedback. So, if you're in the mood for a new you in 2010, stop by and take a look around or call us for more information. The next bootcamp starts January 9th.

Dancing With the Stars Austin 2009: A Winning Evening!

2009-12-10T14:25:00.008-06:00

This year's Dancing With the Stars Austin 2009 event took place on Sunday night (Dec. 6) and it was, again, a huge success! I've heard unofficial estimates that the event raised upwards of $600K for the Center for Child Protection.

Other winners of the evening included Dave Steakley and Jolie Generalov, who won the Mirror Ball Trophy. 1st runners up Sheriff Greg Hamilton and Lindsay LeBlanc. 2nd runners up: Holly Mills-Gardner and Shaun Bruno.

These were the recognized winners of the evening but in my mind everyone was a winner. I can't tell you how proud I was of all of the contestants, STEPPING OUT of their comfort zone and STEPPING UP for a great cause. I saw the months of preparation that each contestant put into their performance and it totally paid off!! Thank you all for your hard work and big hearts!

(Here I am at the event in my dance with Richard Garriott)

If you were not able to attend the event this year, I'm told that the performances will be available exclusively on Time Warner Cable beginning on December 15th through the end of January. Look for it on Central Texas On Demand (cable channel 1400) and for each view, Time Warner will donate $1 (up to $5000) to the Center for Child Protection!

3rd Annual Dancing With the Stars Austin

2009-11-16T12:56:00.006-06:00

It's almost time! Dancing With The Stars Austin - 2009 is only a few weeks away. As most of you know, I'm the Director for the event and everything is shaping up so that it looks like it's going to be a great show again this year. I think most of the tables are sold out but if you want to be added to the waiting list or to find out about any remaining event sponsorships that might be available, please contact Emily Jansen Payne at (512) 472-1164 for information.

Date/Location for this year's event:
Sunday, Dec. 6 2009
Hilton Downtown
500 East 4th Street

Event Timeline
6:00 PM Cocktails and Silent Auction
7:00 PM Dinner and Performances
9:30 PM Live Music by Trish Murphy and Skyrocket

Dancing with the Stars Austin presented by Lexus of Austin features Austin celebrities paired with professional dancers for a ballroom dance performance and a unique evening of entertainment. Enjoy live, semi-live and silent auctions, a drawing for a luxury Lexus vehicle, and live music so that every guest has the chance to dance the night away! To see highlights and photos from previous events, click here. Video of the 2007 and 2008 performances are available through the Center for Child Protection's YouTube page.

2009 Celebrity Dancers
Joanie Bentzin, Energetic Austin Promoter and Social Networker
Gigi Bryant, 5th Generation Austinite, Community Volunteer & Businesswoman
Eloise DeJoria, Actress & Paul Mitchell Systems Spokesperson
Charles Duggan, Broadway and Greater Tuna Producer
Richard Garriott, 1^st Second Generation Astronaut / Computer Game Developer
Sheriff Greg Hamilton, Travis County Sheriff
Stacey Hammer, Local Business Owner & Community Volunteer
Susan Lubin, Austin Lyric Opera Supporter & Volunteer Extraordinaire
Holly Mills-Gardner, Miss Texas USA 1998 & TV Personality
Dan Neil, Former Denver Bronco & 2-Time Superbowl Champion
Dave Steakley, ZACH Theatre Producing Artistic Director
Michelle Valles, Local News Anchor & Community Volunteer
Mitchell Zoll, Lawyer with Strasburger & Price & Community Volunteer

Featuring a Special Performance By:
Chief Art Acevedo
Tammy Buckman
Katrine Formby
Linda McCaul
Laurée Moffett
Jeanne Parker
Ann Schneider
Robin Segesta
Deanna Serra

2009 Celebrity Judges
Ed Clements, Talk Show Host for KLBJ-AM
Carla McDonald, Founder & President of Dynabrand
Evan Smith, CEO & Editor of Texas Tribune

I can't wait to see you there!!!

Article on Dance Event at One World

2009-08-20T12:21:00.004-05:00

Remember that dance event I told you about at the One World theater? They just sent me this article that appeared in the Westlake Picayune about the event. Those of you that were there, know it was a lot of fun... such a great facility! Anyway, I thought I'd post the article for you in case you haven't seen it (you can click on the article if it's too small for you to read):

Two New Dance Shows to Check Out

2009-08-11T12:29:00.004-05:00

Lots of stuff going on that I'm excited to share with you... but no time right now. However, I wanted to let you know that if you are missing So You Think You Can Dance now that it's over (and congratulations to everyone on that show this season... truly beautiful routines) you can catch two new dance shows if you have cable:

Dance Your *ss Off on the Oxygen network
Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew on MTV

Dance Your *ss Off combines Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars for a dance/weight loss competition. It's nice to see a show where the joy of dance is celebrated by everyone of any shape or size!

Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew (what is UP with all these TV shows with their long long titles?!?!?) returns to let dance groups battle it out with original dance routines.

Whether you're dancing or watching... for the rest of the summer, enjoy the dance!

Salsa & Swing Event @ One World Theatre

2009-07-21T12:32:00.004-05:00

If you need a break from a full, busy summer, you're in luck...

Wednesday, Aug. 5th marks a big Salsa/Swing event at One World Theatre.

At 5:30, the evening begins with a complimentary wine tasting. Followed at 6:30 by an hour of Sals and Swing lessons.

Then, from 7:30 - 9:30, Charanga Cakewalk will perform with Big Band music spun by DJ Trey Lopez.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

The Official Trailer for Nine (The Movie)

2009-05-14T14:31:00.004-05:00

I have posted previously about movies coming out this year. Some trailers for them have been released now.

Nine:

Fame:

Every Little Step:

Surprise Terminal Dance in Belgium

2009-04-08T08:41:00.003-05:00

Last week VTM, a TV station in Belgium, started "Op Zoek Naar Maria" (The Search for Maria), a reality show to cast the next Maria in the next production of Sound of Music.

To promote the show, VTM scattered dance students among the travellers in the Central Station in Antwerp, a very normal busy Monday morning, and this happened...

Jewel and Nancy O'Dell Off DWTS

2009-03-05T10:41:00.007-06:00

The cast of this season's Dancing With the Stars has changed.

Jewel was originally reported to have tendinitis of the knee but now doctors say she has stress fractures in both knees. Either way, she will be replaced by Playboy bunny, Holly Madison.
Nancy O'Dell also has to withdraw because of an knee injury she sustained during practice. Update: Melissa Rycroft will take Nancy's place. Melissa is the girl that The Bachelor recently chose and then dumped.

Two dropouts from injuries before the season even starts? The good news is that it sounds like they should heal fine - given time. They will both appear on the premiere on Monday, March 9. And since Jewel's husband is a competitor on the show (Ty), we should see her throughout the season in the audience.

Smarty Pants Dance, Smarty Pants Dance!

2009-02-24T22:31:00.001-06:00

Just a quick post in case you haven't seen this video yet. This kid is adorable.

Westlake Picayune Article About DWTS-Austin

2009-02-23T22:47:00.008-06:00

In the Still Life section of the Westlake Picayune on Thursday, February 19, 2009, there was an article about our Dancing with the Stars - Austin event. The article doesn't appear on their website yet so I'm posting a scanned image of it for those of you who don't get that paper. (I had to make several images out of it since it's an oversized paper, but you can click on each image to see a larger version.)

Luca and Loraine Baricchi Coming to Austin

2009-02-20T16:42:00.000-06:00

Mark the date in your calendar. April 11th, 2009 Luca and Loraine Baricchi are coming to Austin!

They will be giving two workshops and a show at Dance Institute. This couple is amazing... Grand Slam Winners, United Kingdom Champions, British Open Champions, International Champions, European Champions, and World Champions.

This is probably going to sell out fast so call now or purchase your tickets online if you are interested in seeing them or taking the workshops.

Weekend of Tango Workshops!!

2009-02-20T16:01:00.005-06:00

This weekend, February 27th through March 1st, there is a weekend of Tango classes at Dance Institute. Here is the schedule:

Friday: February 27th
Rendezvous and Dance ($10/person)
7:30 - 8:30 PM Argentine Tango Sampler with Laura Pellegrino
8:30 - 10:00 PM Social and Dance

Saturday: February 28th

International Tango with Stephen Cullip ($20 each or $35 for both)
2:00 PM How to Dance Tango
3:00 PM Tango Choreography

Milonga Lo de Laura with Laura Pellegrino
Performance by Murat and Michelle ($10/person)
9:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Sunday: March 1st stars a 3 week series of classes
Introduction to Argentine Tango ($100/person for the 3 week series)
Laura Pelligrino will cover fundamental steps to get you out on the floor.
4:00 - 6:00 PM for three consecutive weeks

I co-taught classes with Stephen Cullip at several studios while he lived in Austin - most recently at Dance Institute. He's a terrific guy. He danced a Waltz in the Dancing With the Stars - Austin event in 2007 and is one of my recommended teachers at AllWaysDance.com. This is a rare chance to work with him since he lives in California now.

I will be traveling this weekend on business but I hope you can attend the workshops and give him a big hug from me. I was tempted to post photos from my wedding of Stephen and Curtis Prevost lip-syncing to We Are the Champions... but decided to spare him that. You'll love him.

He is also available to teach private classes while he is here but they are going fast so book your spot quickly if you're interested. You can schedule privates with him by calling 346-6612.

America's Ballroom Challenge 2009 on PBS

2009-02-19T08:41:00.007-06:00

This Wednesday, February 25, the fourth season of America's Ballroom Challenge premieres on PBS at 8:00 (central).

This two hour special was shot at a huge ballroom dance competition in Columbus, Ohio, and features 24 world-class couples competing across the four different ballroom dance styles: American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard and International Latin. The focus is a "show dance" where each couple takes the floor by themselves. The couples compete in front of a live audience and a panel of judges and the winning couple walks away with the title.

Ron Montez, seven-time U.S. National Latin Dance Champion, co-hosts the show with Jean Lousia Kelly, an actress/singer/dancer who you may recognize from shows like Yes, Dear or Mr Holland's Opus.

The dancers you will see throughout the evening are:

Mayo Alanen and Lisa Vogel (American Smooth)
John Selby and Irina Chalkevitch (American Smooth)
Mikhail Zharinov and Galina Detkina (American Smooth)
Tomas Mielnicki and J.T. Thomas (American Smooth)
Mazen Hamza and Magdalena Piekarz (American Smooth)
Jonathan Roberts and Valentina (American Smooth)
Michael Neil and Danielle Wilson (American Rhythm)
Felipe Telona and Carolina Orlovsky-Telona (American Rhythym)
Matthew Hauer and Karen Hauer (American Rhythym)
Jose Decamps and Joanna Zacharewicz (American Rhythym)
Steve Vasco and Joanna Siekierska (American Rhythym)
Decho Kraev and Bree Watson (American Rhythym)
Erminio Stefano and Luana Conte (International Standard)
Linas Koreiva and Liene Apale (International Standard)
Urs Geisenhainer and Agnes Kazmierczak (International Standard)
Mikhail Avdeev and Anastasia Muravyeva (International Standard)
Igor Litvinov and Yulia Iveleva (International Standard)
Gherman Mustuc and Iveta Lukosiute (International Standard)
Riccardo Cocchi and Yulia Zagoruychenko (International Latin)
Andre Paramonov and Natalie Paramonov (International Latin)
Vaidotas Skimelis and Jurga Pupelyte (International Latin)
Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova (International Latin)
Pavlo Barsuk and Anna Trebunskaya (International Latin)
Delyan Terziev and Boriana Deltcheva (International Latin)
Victor Russo and Elaine Sheresky (Exhibition Dancers)
Forrest Vance and Olivia Anderson (Exhibition Dancers)
Daniel Radler and Deirdre Radler (Exhibition Dancers)
Hunter Stephens and Inna Berlizyeva (Exhibition Dancers)
Daniel Shapiro and Katya Kovalyova (Exhibition Dancers)

You can check out their website for a description of the different dance styles you will be seeing. They also have a little "trailer" you can watch here. This could be a good opportunity to find a style that you like but may not have been exposed to until now.

As far as dance competitions go on television, you can't get more ballroom than this.

Hill Country Classic 2009 in Austin

2009-02-09T08:39:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note of congratulations to two of my students, Austin Meiteen (age 9) and Maggie Chambers (age 7) who competed in their first competition this weekend at the Hill Country Classic in Austin. They took home six first place and a second place win.

Congratulations Austin and Maggie!!

Dancing With the Stars Season 8 Returns March 9

2009-02-08T23:00:00.010-06:00

Here are the stars and their professional partners that will be dancing this season:

Belinda Carlisle - Singer (partner: Jonathan Roberts)
David Alan Grier - Actor / Comedian (partner: Kym Johnson)
Holly Madison - Playboy bunny (partner: Dmitry Chaplin)
Shawn Johnson - Olympic gymnast (partner: Mark Ballas)
Lil Kim - Grammy Award winning rapper (partner: Derek Hough)
Gilles Marini - Actor from the Sex and the City movie (partner: Cheryl Burke)
Ty Murray - Rodeo athlete (partner: Chelsie Hightower)
Steve-O - reality TV star (partner: Lacey Schwimmer)
Melissa Rycroft - reality TV contestant (partner: Tony Dovolani)
Denise Richards - TV and film actress (partner: Maksim Chmerkovskiy)
Lawrence Taylor - NFL Football Player (partner: Edyta Sliwinska)
Chuck Wicks - Country singer (partner: Julianne Hough)
Steve Wozniak - Apple co-founder & philanthropist (partner: Karina Smirnoff)

** Holly Madison replaces Jewel before the start of the season. Jewel had to withdraw due to injuries to both of her legs.
** Melissa Rycroft replaces Nancy O'Dell before the start of the season. Nancy had to withdraw due to a knee injury (meniscus tear).

Austin American Statesman Insert Today - DWTSA

2009-02-06T16:14:00.005-06:00

There is an insert today in the Austin'AmericanStatesman entitled Party People. The sub-title reads:

"In Central Texas, a world of venues for fetes big and small."

If you turn to page 20, there is a little blurb about the Dancing with the Stars-Austin event.

You can also click on these pictures to get a version large enough to read here.

Famous Dance Movies

2009-02-04T12:26:00.003-06:00

After the last post about the movies coming up in 2009, I thought I'd post a list of dance movies. This list is by no means the definitive list. Feel free to suggest any films that I left out. These are mainly films where dancing is a large part of the film:

A Chorus Line (1985): A Chorus Line is a musical about seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. With nineteen main characters, it is set on the bare stage of a Broadway theatre during an audition for a musical. The show provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. Rated PG-13
All That Jazz (1979): All That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of the dancer, choreographer, and director's life and career. The film was inspired by Fosse's manic effort to edit his film Lenny while simultaneously staging his 1975 Broadway musical Chicago. Rated R
Billy Elliot (2000): Set in the fictional town of 'Everington' in the real County Durham, UK, it stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, an aspiring dancer, Gary Lewis as his coal miner father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his ballet teacher. Rated PG-13
Body Rock (1984): Chilly (Lorenzo Lamas), a guy from the streets, has a talent for break-dancing. When his moves catch the attention of an industry professional, he finds his dreams of fame and riches coming true. Rated PG-13
Breakin’ (1984): A retelling of the 1957 musical West Side Story, which is based in turn on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Breakin' reverses the genders of the white/Puerto Rican couple. Rated PG
Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogoloo (1984): The sequel sees the return of the stars from the original as they try to stop a developer from tearing down a neighborhood recreation center to build on. Rated PG
Bring it On (2000): A champion high school cheerleading/dance squad discovers its prior captain stole all their top routines from an inner-city school and must scramble to battle at this year's championships. Rated PG-13
Burn the Floor (1999): An explosive voyage through dance featuring several of the world's champion ballroom and Latin dancers. Rated PG-13
Cabaret (1972): An American cabaret dancer, working at the downtown "Kit-Kat club" where anything goes on the stage, comes into contact with several characters that take her on a journey. Rated PG
Center Stage (2000): A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance. Rated PG-13
Center Stage: Turn It Up (2008): Dance romance sequel to the original. Rated PG-13
Damn Yankees! (1958): Broadway musical about a Washington Senators fan who makes a pact with the Devil to help his baseball team win the league pennant. Rated PG
Dance Academy (1988): Vince stumbles into a dance school, when he becomes entranced and joins. The school's manager, is about to throw him out for shenanigans when Moon, the school's unruly new jazz instructor, vouches for him. Rated PG
Dance With Me (1998): Young Cuban Rafael just buried his mother, and comes to Houston to meet his father John for the first time. The difficult part is that John doesn't know he is Rafael's father. John runs a dance studio, and everyone prepares for the World Open Dance championship in Las Vegas. It soon becomes clear Rafael is a very good dancer, and Ruby (Vanessa Williams) is the biggest hope for the studio at the championship. Rated PG
Dancemaker (1999): An Oscar-nominated documentary about dancing students that unravel the hardships of dance as a profession. Rated PG
Dancers (1987): Mikhail Baryshnikov and Allesandra Ferri star in this drama about the life of dancers as they embark on a romance. Rated PG
Danzòn (1991): Julia is a telephone operator who divides her time between her career, her daughter and the Danzòn: a Cuban dance that is very popular in Mexico and Central America. Rated PG-13
Dirty Dancing (1987): Spending the summer in camp with her family, Frances falls head over heels for the dancing instructor. A must see for all dance lovers. Rated PG-13
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004): An American girl and her parents arrive in Cuba right before the Revolution breaks out. She meets a local boy who instantly notices her dancing abilities and romances her. But as Castro's forces are forcing Americans to leave the country, will she stay or will she go? Rated PG-13
Do You Wanna Dance? (1999): A comedy about a poor boy who aims to win over a well-to-do girl despite her parents' opposition (in the background of modern and traditional Greek dancing). Rated PG-13
Fame (1980): At the New York City High School for the Performing Arts, students get expert training that often leads to success as dancers, singers, etc. This movie follows four students from the moment they audition to get into the school, through the time they graduate. Rated R
Fast Forward (1985): A musical about eight dancers from Ohio, who come to New York, to compete in a major talent competition. Rated PG
Flamenco (1975): A close-up look at the passionate and hard working life of Flamenco Dancers. Rated PG-13
Flashdance (1983): A struggling Pittsburgh woman with two occupations as a welder and an exotic dancer wants to get into ballet school. Rated R
Footloose (1984): A city boy comes to a small religious town where rock music and dancing have been forbidden and banned. Rated R
Hairspray (2007): Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show. Rated PG
Honey (2003): Honey is a sexy, tough music video choreographer who’s life is shaken up after her mentor gives her an ultimatum: sleep with him or be blacklisted in the dance industry. Rated PG-13
How She Move (2007): Following her sister's passing away from drugs, a high school student is forced to depart her private school to go back to her old, crime-filled neighborhood where she reawakens an dubious passion for step dancing. Rated PG-13
Lambada (1990): A Beverly Hills teacher by day and a mystery man by night uses Lambada dance moves to first earn the school kid's respect, in order to teach them academics. But when a jealous student exposes his dual life, his two worlds crash, threatening his employment and reputation. Rated PG-13
Mad Hot Ballroom (2005): A documentary about the students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition. Rated PG
Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005): A widowed man's life turns upside down when he embarks on a journey to find a dying man's long lost love. Rated PG-13.
Planet B-Boy (2008): A documentary looks at the history of break-dancing’s influencing urban cultures around the world. Unrated
Rize (2005): A documentary chronicling one of the newest forms of original dance that arises out of South Central Los Angeles with roots in clowning and street moves. Rated PG-13
Roll Bounce (2005): A film with the backdrop of the 1970s roller-skating rival kids at the local rink. Rated PG-13
Roseland (1977): Three intertwining stories, all set in the renowned New York dance palace with one thing in common: finding the right dance partner.
Salsa (1988): A movie about Salsa, passion and performing. Rated PG
Saturday Night Fever (1977): A young Brooklyn man feels his only opportunity to get somewhere is as king of the disco dance floor. Rated R
Save the Last Dance (2001): A white Mid-western girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past. She comes from a ballet background and dreams of getting into Julliard and he comes from a hip hop street style background, when their world’s collide so does their dancing. Rated PG-13
Shall We Dance? (2004 and 1997): A workaholic takes an unexpected turn when he follows a beautiful woman to a dance studio and becomes a ballroom dancer. The earlier one is the original Japanese film with English sub-titles. Rated PG-13
Showgirls (1995): A young girl pushes her way to the top of Vegas as a Vegas Showgirl despite the hardships thrown in her path. Rated R
Singin’ in the Rain (1952): The classical musical. Rated G
Stayin’ Alive (1983): A documentary: "Stayin' Alive" launched disco fever which endured through the last quarter of the 20th century and into the new millennium.
Step Up (2006): A troubled teen commits a crime and is sentenced to community service in a dance school where he falls in love with dance and a girl. Rated PG-13
Step Up 2: The Streets (2008): Romantic sparks occur between two dance students from different backgrounds at the Maryland School of the Arts. Rated PG-13
Stepping Out (1991): An incredibly entertaining “feel-good” dance film for the whole family to enjoy. Rated PG
Stomp the Yard (2007): A troubled street dancer from Los Angeles is able to avoid juvenile hall by enrolling in college. But his efforts are sidelined when he is courted by the top two fraternities, both of which want and need his street-style dance moves to win the national step show competition. Rated PG-13
Strictly Ballroom (1992): A comedy about competitive Ballroom Dancing in Australia between an unorthodox male ballroom dancer and a mousy girl that musters up enough courage to join him in his quest to blaze a trail into ballroom dancing despite the cynicism surrounding them.
Swing (2003): The story of a generational clash between a father and son about the conventional work life and following a dream. The music is hot, the dancing exciting, and the story lovely. Rated PG-13
Swing Kids (1993): The story of a group of youth in Nazi Germany who listen and dance to forbidden swing regardless of the consequences. Rated PG-13
Take the Lead (2006): The story of a dance teacher who believes in the talent of a group of problem kids he is required to teach. Rated PG-13
Tango (1998): Mario is a tango dancer in his forties, whose wife has left him. He becomes inspired to make a film about tango. Rated PG-13
Tap (1989): Just released from prison, Max Washington must decide which of his earlier professions to return to: burglary or tap dancing. Rated PG-13
That’s Dancing! (1985): The history of dance documented on film. Rated G
The Company (2003): A drama centered around ballet dancers, with a focus on one dancer who's poised to become a principal dancer. Rated PG-13
The Forbidden Dance (1990): LAMBADA...If it got any hotter, it wouldn't be dancing! PG-13
The In Crowd (1988): A young man of the rock and roll generation in his senior year of high school successfully gets on a popular teen dance television show and becomes a star. As he lives his new life, he finds adoring fans, jealous rivals, bitter friends left behind, and the girl of his dreams...his dance partner. Rated PG
The Red Shoes (1948): A musical ballet of a girl who can’t stop dancing and dances until she goes mad and drops! Rated G
The Tango Lesson (1997): A young girl meets a tango dancer on a trip to Paris, she meets him again in Buenos Aires some years later as they develop in love and in dance. Rated PG
The Turning Point (1977): When her daughter joins a ballet company, a former dancer is forced to confront her long-ago decision to give up the stage to have a family. Rated PG
White Nights (1985): An expatriate Russian dancer is on a plane forced to land on Soviet territory. He is faced with an opportunity to defect from Russia to the USA with the help of a US citizen he comes in contact with. He can become a dancer for the Bolshoi again back in Russia, but he chooses to escape to dance in America. Rated PG-13
You Got Served (2004): In order to achieve their dream of opening a recording studio, two friends must first win their city's dance contest: a street style competition that pits them against a group of tough street dancers. Rated PG-13

Rare Austin Magazine Article

2009-02-03T08:43:00.010-06:00

Rare Austin interviewed me recently and you can catch me in this month's issue, titled "Love." You can read it online or download a PDF version. My spread covers pages 116-117. Here are what the cover and my pages look like (you can click them to see bigger images):

Upcoming Dance Movies in 2009

2009-01-26T10:13:00.014-06:00

Here is a teaser for a number of dance films coming out this year:

Dance Flick
Release date: Feb. 9, 2009 (wide release)
I'm not sure this counts as a 'dance' movie. It's a parody of dance movies from the Wayans brothers. In the same way they parodied scary movies in Scary Movie, this film takes a shot at dance movies like Save the Last Dance and You Got Served. Even though it's a parody though, I expect that it will feature some nice dancing between laughs. (View Trailer)

Mao's Last Dancer
Release date: Sometime in 2009
Cast: Kyle McLachlan, Joan Chen / Director: Bruce Beresford
Based on the book, this story depicts Li Cunxin who, at the age of 11, was selected by Madame Mao's cultural delegates to be taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he falls in love and later defects. He goes on to perform in the US and Australia. It's a rags-to-riches story that's based on actual events.

Fame
Release date: Sept. 25, 2009
Cast: Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Thomas Dekker / Director: Kevin Tancharoen
A remake of the classic, this film follows the lives of students and teachers of the prestigious High School for the Performing Arts in NY. With Debbie Allen on board, you know the dancing will be worth watching. There are mixed expectations for this film but I think the mix of an older, more established cast with the young student hopefuls could be fascinating. No poster is available yet, and when one is I'm pretty sure it will feature Thomas Dekker (of Heroes and Sarah Connor fame) but until then, here is the fabulous Debbie Allen.

Every Little Step
Release date: Sometime in 2009
Cast: Bob Avian, Michael Bennett, Charlottee d'Amboise, Ramon Flowers, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Marvin Hamlisch / Director: Adam Del Deo, James Stern
This documentary follows real-life dancers struggling through auditions for "A Chorus Line" revival - giving us the performance numbers we know and love and a peek behind the curtain. Nice!

Nutcracker: The Untold Story
Release date: December 2009
Cast: John Turturro, Nathan Lane, Elle Fanning / Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
The classic story of a 9 year old girl who is given a wooden nutcracker doll which comes to life and takes her on a magical adventure. Based on the Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann, I'm not sure where the "untold story" comes in unless it's the fact that Tim Rice contributed lyrics to some new songs using Tchaikovsky's scores. The classical ballet, The Nutcracker, is usually performed close to the holidays, and this movie looks like it's following suit.

Nine
Release date: 9/9/2009 (get it?)
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cottilard, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren / Director: Rob Marshall (Chicago)
Based on the Broadway musical and inspired by Fellini's "8 1/2", this film follows a famous film director as he directs his latest film while balancing the women in his life: his wife, his mistress, his leading lady and muse, his confidante and costume designer, his mother and a journalist. With Rob Marshall helming the film, this is the year's biggest musical.

Austin's Free Day of Dance on January 31

2009-01-25T10:47:00.010-06:00

This Saturday, dance studios all over Austin are offering free dance classes. This is a great opportunity to check out a new studio, or a new dance style, or (if the studio posts who is teaching each class) a new instructor you've been curious about. Make it a whole day of dance and take all the classes you want. And all for free. It's a great opportunity.

Here is the schedule for Dance Institute:
(Located at 6612 Sito Del Rio, Austin, TX 78730)

10:30 am - Latin Technique (Jolie Generalov)
11:15 am - Samba (Jolie Generalov)
12:00 pm - International Tango 2 (Jolie Generalov)
12:45 pm - Cha Cha 2 (Mike Topel)
1:30 pm - Salsa 2 (Mike Topel)
2:15 pm - Bolero 1 (Randy Ferguson)
2:15 pm - Teen Salsa (Kat Parr)
3:00 pm - Waltz 1 (Randy Ferguson)
3:00 pm - Kid's Ballroom (7-11 yrs) (Kat Parr)
3:45 pm - Two Step 1 (Danny Davila)
3:45 pm - Kid's Latin (7-11 yrs) (Kat Parr)
4:30 pm - Salsa 1 (Danny Davila)

Here is the schedule for Uptown Dance:
(Located at 8868 Research Blvd #706, Austin, TX 78741)

10:00 am - Two Step 1, Two Step 2
11:00 am - Jitterbug Swing 1, Two Step 3
12:00 pm - Cha Cha 1, Cha Cha 2
1:00 pm - Jitterbug Swing 2, Salsa 2
2:00 pm - Salsa 1, Salsa 3
3:00 pm - West Coast Swing 1, West Coast Swing 3
4:00 pm - Night Club 1, West Coast Swing 2
5:00 pm - Tango 1, Tango 2
6:00 pm - Waltz 1, Quickstep 1

Here is the schedule for the Go Dance:
(Located at 2525 W. Anderson Ln in Northcross Mall)

10am - Salsa (beg)
10am - Two Step (int)
11am - Merengue & Bachata (beg)
11am - Swing (int)
12pm - Blues aka "slow dancing" (beg)
12pm - Two Step (beg)
1pm - West Coast Swing (beg)
1pm - Country Waltz (beg)
2pm - Bellying Dancing (beg)
2pm - Cha Cha & Merengue (beg)
3pm - Tango & Waltz (beg)
3pm - Salsa (beg)
4pm - Swing (beg)
4pm - Salsa (int)
5pm - Two Step (beg)
5pm - West Coast Swing (beg)
6pm - Country Waltz (beg)
6pm - Blues aka "slow dancing" (beg)
7pm - Line Dancing (beg)
7pm - Lindy Hop (beg)

Here is the schedule for the Hill's Fitness Center (Dance International):
(Located at 4615 Bee Caves Road, Austin, TX 78746)

12-1pm — Beginner Salsa for Adults
1-2pm — Intermediate Salsa for Adults
2-3pm — Beginner Cha Cha for Youth and Adults
3-4pm — Beginner Latin for Youth

Here is the schedule for the Dancer's Workshop (Dance International):
(Located at 11150 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78759)

2-3pm — Beginner International style Tango for Adults
3-4pm — Intermediate/Advanced International style Tango for Adults
4-5pm — Beginner Waltz for Youth and Adults
5-6pm — Beginner Ballroom Dance for Youth
8-10pm — Social Dance & practice, variety of music played

Here is the schedule for the Arthur Murray Dance Studio:
(Located at 13343 Hwy 183 North, Suite 285 - Anderson Arbor Shopping Center)

9:30am — Zumba Fitness Class
11:30am — Foxtrot (Beginners)
12:15pm — Kids' Dance Class
1:00pm — Open Practice
1:45pm — Hustle (Beginners)
2:30pm — Salsa (Beginners)
3:15pm — Swing (Beginners)
4:00pm — Tango (Beginners)

All Ways Dance Updated with New Look

2009-01-24T10:44:00.002-06:00

I just updated my AllWaysDance website. It hadn't been updated in a while so I wanted to put more information on there. And I was tired of the red/black style so I decided to give it a different look while I was updating it. See what you think.

Another Cinderella Story 2 airs this Sunday

2009-01-13T13:52:00.003-06:00

Another Cinderella Story 2 is a film that was released direct to DVD but ABC Family channel is airing it this Sunday. The film stars Selena Gomez (from Disney) and Drew Seeley (recently from the touring company of High School Musical.) It looks like a, well... a Cinderella story... but with a lot more dancing. Check out the YouTube video below.

Also, MTV's America's Best Dance Crew starts its new season on Thursday.

Superstars of Dance Premieres Sunday, Jan. 4

2008-12-31T11:17:00.008-06:00

NBC's press release bills this show as "poised to become the greatest spectacle of dancer performances ever seen on television." And it does sound good.

Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance") hosts this international dance competition, which will feature prominent dancers from 8 countries showcasing dance genres unique to their nation. Each team is comprised of two soloists, one duo and one group performance:

Argentina dancers: A sensual cabaret artiste, a contemporary Tango dancer, an Argentinian Tango duo and a group of Gaucho dancers (Gaucho's use their bolas to produce intricate dance movements)
Australian dancers: A tap dance soloist, a contemporary dancer, a Latin ballroom duo and a group of contemporary dancers.
China dancers: A traditional Chinese ribbon dancer, a double whip soloist, an acrobatic ballet duo and the Shaolin Monks Kung Fu group (taking a break from their world tour of "Shaolin: Wheel of Life", these dancers have been billed as the greatest performers of Kung Fu for over 15 years)
Ireland dancers: Irish step dancers, in teams assembled from various groups around the world.
India dancers: A Bharantanyam soloist, a Kathak soloist, a Bollywood duo and a group of Bhangra dancers.
Russia dancers: A Ballet soloist from the Bolshoi Ballet, a contemporary dancer from the Bolshoi Ballet, a ballroom duo and a group performing a Cossak-style dance.
South Africa dancers: A Hip/Hop dancer, an Afrofusion soloist, a World Champion jive-inspired dance duo and a group performing Gumboot - a dance born in the gold mines of South Africa.
United States dancers: A "Popping" soloist, a tap dancer soloist, a World Champion cabaret-style ballroom duo and a group of hip hop dancers.

This sounds like it could be a lot of fun and a great intro to a new year of dance.

Have a happy, healthy and wonderful New Year!

Dancing With the Stars - Austin 2008 Slideshow!

2008-12-15T23:01:00.016-06:00

The event on Sunday was fantastic -- in every way. I put together a slideshow of pictures and posted it on Slideshare.net. Click the link if you want to watch it there. The one from last year is also available. (Feel free to 'favorite' them or leave comments if you want.)

I've also embedded it below if you just want to watch it here. Find the menu bar at the bottom of the image. Click the "right arrow" button to get to the next slide. The button on the right side of the menu (that looks like a projection screen) is so you can expand it to fill your whole screen. It might be confusing at first, but just look at the menu on the bottom for options if you get stuck. And you can always press the Escape key to get out of it.

Hope you enjoy it!

2008 Dancing With The Stars - Austin

You can also check out the videos on YouTube that the Center for Child Protection posted.

Dancing with the Stars Austin 2008 was (again) a big hit!

2008-12-09T09:05:00.002-06:00

Whew! The event was Sunday night at the Hilton Austin and, as everyone there can attest, it was a huge success. A night filled with laughter and sparkle and dance... all in an effort to raise money for an extremely worthy cause. I'm sure I'll be posting more about it when I get a chance, but until then, you can check out what a few others are saying about it:

Arts and Entertainment editor, Michael Barnes, wrote about the evening on his Out and About blog
News reporter, Heidi Zhou, has a few snippets on News8Austin (here and here) that aired before the event on Sunday
MyFox Austin posted a sneak peek of Chief Acevedo practicing his dance moves

I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone that helped and supported this event again this year. The Center for Child Protection is providing an amazing (and much-needed) service and I'm very grateful for everyone that has shown their support. And on a more personal level, thank you to all of the Austin celebrity dancers for stepping outside your comfort zone, not just for that evening, but for the investment of time in preparation for the event.

And thank you to all of the professional partners to our celebrities. Your time and your contributions were an essential element to the success of the evening!

As far as I'm concerned, everyone was a winner on Sunday night. Thank you!!!!

Mia Michaels Speaks On Why We Dance

2008-12-04T09:20:00.004-06:00

Choreographer and dancer, Mia Michaels, expresses her thoughts on "Why we dance"

Why do we dance? Why does our body want to move and pulse with every rise and fall of the music that invades our ears? Are we a product of a the thousand and one classes and a lifetime of training, or is dance a purely instinctual and primal experience that happens internally only when we allow it? I would only hope that both reasons intertwined with respect and nurturing are the answer. Or is it a gift that's given by a much higher power than ourselves? That would be beautiful.

Allowing movement to come through us in the form of pure energy and onto a highly trained yet raw instrument is what defines the ultimate dancer. One that knows how to pull from technique and also when to leave technique alone and head straight to the heart of the matter. One that knows how to pull from the rawness and humanness that would drip from their own personal journey through this world and allows the real movement to come from the inside out.That is beautiful.
It is so easy to hide behind steps It's much deeper than that. Our goal should not just be to perfect what a choreographer gives us but also to allow our own unique voice as a dancer artist to come through and marry to the energy of the choreographer. That is beautiful.

Then again, let's think about some of the most simple and beautiful images of dance. A young child is jumping freely to music, laughing and giggling with such purity and with no fear of judgment. An older couple, fragile yet safe in each others arms, slowly try to keep up with their favorite song from a time earlier in their lives as they reminisce through all the years with each step. That is beautiful.

If everyone danced from their heart and purity of spirit, using free movement as a daily practice and meditation, there would be no more wars. I believe every breathing thing has been given the gift of dance and movement. So let go, take that deep breath and dance! That is beautiful!

Mia Michaels

Ah, how beautiful. A true dancer is aware that there is a dancer in each one of us. Dance is about the heart. In many ways, technique is there to guide you until you find the dance within yourself and can step out of the "expected" with your own dance. You can watch a dance (or a life) with a critical eye or with your heart. Guess which one will lead to a greater joy, a more fulfilling experience and, ultimately, a better dancer?

Don't worry about how others see your dance. Dance with your whole heart and you're a dancer. Dance with all the technique that exists and you can be a great technician but without the heart you'll never KNOW dance. To know dance, you must know your heart. To be a dancer, you must BE your heart.

Congratulations to Brooke and Derek!

2008-11-26T09:05:00.006-06:00

Brooke Burke and her dance partner, Derek Hough, won this season's Dancing with the Stars. Congratulations go out to them and all the other contestants that gave us a great season.

NBC is adding another dance-themed show to their roster for January when they launch, Superstars of Dance on Jan. 4. After this 2-hour Sunday premiere, the show will settle into its normal Monday timeslot. Another dance "reality" competition from the producers of American Idol, Superstars has the backing to be another fantastic show to follow!

Center Stage: Turn It Up Comes to Oxygen

2008-10-07T08:39:00.004-05:00

Remember when Cody Green from Step it Up and Dance mentioned that they were making a sequel to the movie Center Stage? Well, it's here. Actually, it's scheduled to play on the Oxygen channel at the beginning of November (Nov. 1) and then it'll be released on DVD in January. It is called Center Stage: Turn It Up and here is a poor quality teaser trailer for it:

The teachers from the original look the same and the plot sounds very similar but if the dancing is as fun, then it'll be a success in my book. Keep an eye out for it.

We're having a party!

2008-09-18T10:56:00.003-05:00

Friday, October 17th from 8:00-10:30PM. Mark it on your calendar!

There's a social dance party scheduled at Dance Institute. Admission is free and the evening will consist of mini-classes and friendly social dancing as well as a special offer for attendants. Dress is "comfortably cocktail." So bring your friends, your beverage of choice and your dancing shoes! It should be a lot of fun!

Dancing with the Stars Season 7

2008-08-29T08:53:00.004-05:00

On Monday, Sept. 22, Dancing with the Stars returns with the following celebrities and dancers paired up (listed alphabetically):

Lance Bass (from NSYNC) will dance with Lacey Schwimmer (finalist of So You Think You Can Dance 3).
Toni Braxton (singer/actress) will dance with Alec Mazo.
Brooke Burke (TV host) will dance with Derek Hough.
Rocco DiSpirito (celebrity chef) will dance with Karina Smirnoff.
Maurice Greene (Olympian) will dance with Cheryl Burke.
Kim Kardashian ("reality" star) will dance with Mark Ballas.
Cloris Leachman (82 year old EMMY winning actress) will dance with Corky Ballas (Mark's father).
Cody Linley (actor and the youngest contestant... ever) will dance with Julianne Hough.
Susan Lucci (actress from All My Children) will dance with Tony Dovolani.
Misty May-Treanor (Olympian) will dance with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Ted McGinley (well-known actor) will dance with Inna Brayer.
Jeffrey Ross (comedian) will dance with Edyta Sliwinska.
Warren Sapp (Superbowl Champion defensive tackle) will dance with Kym Johnson.

The season starts off with a 3 night event on Sept. 22. where two of the couples will go home. After that it settles into its 2 night (Monday/Tuesday) slot.

Who will be the break-out star this year? Let's find out...

The Grand Opening at Dance Institute

2008-08-25T13:27:00.003-05:00

With the Grand Opening Celebration behind us, we are officially open!

It was a wonderful day of packed classes with Edyta and Alec, and a full house of 250 people for the evening show. The room looked magnificent -- bordered with black and red tablecloths, candles and flowers. I was honored to MC the event and be given an opportunity to introduce each uniquely talented staff member to everyone -- giving you a peak “behind the curtain” for each of them. The kids from our Ballroom Bootcamp classes were adorable: choosing the raffle tickets; announcing the winners; and two even danced a spontaneous Cha-cha! You can check out a brief slideshow of the event here.

But now, as they say, it’s "on with the show."

We are excited to start the children’s fall ballet, ballroom and Latin programs on September 8th. We also plan to sync adult fitness class times to coordinate with the kid’s classes as well as continuing with our adult dance classes.

So enjoy the studio’s break Friday-Monday of Labor Day weekend because, after that,
we will be dancing our hearts out.

Winner of So You Think You Can Dance: Joshua!

2008-08-07T21:16:00.005-05:00

Joshua Allen wins So You Think You Can Dance 2008!

What an amazing season of this show! After we got to the top 10, all of the dances were magical. The talent we got to watch, along with the amazing choreography was phenomenal! And this was all on TV! Sitting on our sofa, being able to watch world-class talent in dancing and choreography.

Simply amazing.

It came down to the two street dancers for the final two (Twitch came in second place). That, in itself will be inspiring to many people that feel they have talent but that it's too late for them. No, it isn't! Just dance.

As I said, the final dancers were fantastic this year. And we got to see some of the great contestants from past seasons dancing in the finale. And some of the judges.

This season was a great success for the show and brought us truly spectacular entertainment.

The SYTYCD tour comes to Austin on October 12 at the Frank Erwin Center. You can buy your tickets online here.

Thank you FOX and So You Think You Can Dance, again, for bringing more popularity to dancing. And congratulations to Joshua and all of the other finalists for making this the best season yet!

Dance Institute Grand Opening with Edyta & Alec

2008-07-19T14:09:00.007-05:00

We are having the Grand Opening of Dance Institute of Austin on Aug. 9, 2008. We were fortunate to book Edyta Sliwinska & Alec Mazoto to perform at the celebration that evening. Before the show, we have scheduled workshops with them throughout the day:

10 - 11:00 Autograph Session
11 - 12:00 Latin Rhythms - Latin Dance Workout
12 - 1:00 Lunch Break
1 - 2:00 Cha-Cha Level 1
2 - 3:00 Latin Choreography - Samba Open Bronze
3 - 3:30 Autograph Session

***8:00 Doors open for the show

Since the Dancing with the Stars tour this year does not include Austin, we decided that this would be a great opportunity to bring in one of their most popular couples! And what better opportunity than our Grand Opening!

Prices for the show and the workshops are posted on Dance Institute's website.

If you haven't been by to check out the new school and facilities, now is a great time!

Hope to see you there!

Dance As If The World Is Watching...

2008-07-09T14:41:00.003-05:00

This is Matt's 2008 video - dancing around the world in various locations. Simple dance. Simple message. Am I the only one that tears up watching this?

Dance Institute Ballet Academy Registration Begins!

2008-07-02T11:38:00.003-05:00

Registration at Dance Institute's Ballet Academy has begun. Everything you need to register can be found on the Dance Institute website. Exciting times! And the summer is speeding by. (Can you believe it's already July?)

I happened to catch America's Got Talent last night. It's only the audition section (which I've already told you how I feel about that) but we're getting a peek at some really nice talent coming our way when they get to Vegas. The brother-sister Salsa dancers last night were really fun to watch. Also several dance teams made it through and dance teamwork is always great for watching synchronization. You might want to set your DVR to record it for you.

As always, enjoy the dance. And if I don't get back to you before the weekend... have a happy 4th of July!!!

Austin Ballroom Dance

2008-06-20T11:54:00.004-05:00

I've written a couple of "how-to" guides for beginning dancers that are trying to figure out where to begin. I posted them on a new website called Austin Ballroom Dance. The idea is to help someone new to ballroom figure out what they want and to recommend good instructors and studios in the Austin area. I wanted it to stay specific about that topic so I created a new website for it. When I get a chance, I may link to the articles on this blog as well.

Are you watching So You Think You Can Dance this season? The dancers are fantastic this year. There have been awesome dancers each year but this season it really is anybody's game to win. Everyone is so good that I hate seeing anyone get cut. And how fantastic is the host, Cat Deeley? She is beautiful and personable and seems to genuinely care about each of the contestants. I love this show.

Also, I'm watching MTV's Best Dance Crew and I'd suggest watching it. There is a synchronization in successful partnering that is difficult to explain but mesmerizing to watch. And some of these dance crews have it. The style is modern dance (as in Hip Hop, Krumping, Popping, Locking, etc.) but you can certainly learn elements of showcasing a dance from this show.

Life continues to be very busy and I treasure the moments I get to relax with Bentley.

Dancing with the Austin Stars 2007: A Look Back

2008-06-12T13:16:00.010-05:00

We just had a meeting about the Dancing with the Austin Stars event for 2008. It reminded me how much we all enjoyed it last year so I was looking at the Center for Child Protection website and it looks like there is a 3-minute "teaser". Check it out:

From 6 PM - 11 PM on Sunday, December 2, 2007 at The Hilton Austin, Austin celebrities were paired with professional dancers for a fund-raising ballroom dance performance. There is also a powerpoint presentation that shows the highlights of the evening.

Or, if you are interested in a certain dance, each celebrity's performance is now available as a windows media file:

Cecilia Abbott, Attorney General Greg Abbott’s wife (View performance);
Brent Buckman, Golf Pro and GM at the Spanish Oaks Country Club (View performance);
Julie Crenshaw, Golf Celebrity Ben Crenshaw’s wife (View performance);
Gerald Daugherty, Travis County Commissioner (View performance);
Larry Gatlin, Country Singer-Songwriter (View performance);
Christine Haas, KVUE Anchor (View performance);
Patty Huffines, Sales and Marketing Team with Public Strategies (View performance);
Bill Jones, law partner with Vinson & Elkins (View performance).
Margaret Krasovec, philanthropist and entrepreneur (View performance);
Ava Late, owner of the local BMW dealership (View performance);
Andrea McWilliams, lobbyist and owner of a government affairs consulting business (View performance); and
Lance Avery Morgan, publisher of Brilliant (View performance).

If this year is even half as fun as last year, we're due for a fantastic time!

There's a Center Stage 2?

2008-06-04T14:43:00.011-05:00

Life is busy and full getting everything up and running at Dance Institute. And I still love it. I hope to have more for you about this a little later this month. If you want, stop by and see for yourself though and sign up for a class or two!

Just a quick reminder that So You Think You Can Dance auditions wrap up tonight. I'm glad. As much as I love this show, I'm not a big fan of the auditions. Why? I think it's because I know that the producers put those people through intending for us to laugh at them. I know the auditions are where we get our first peek at the good dancers too, and that's exciting, but "the rest" aren't just the good dancers that don't make the cut. It's the ones that YOU KNOW everyone knows has no talent and they won't put through. It's not as bad as on American Idol, but it's still not as enjoyable to me as when they get that out of the way. Thursday starts the "real" beginning of the show for me - the callbacks. That's when the real magic starts.

Also on Thursday, the finale of Step it Up and Dance airs. This was the first season for this show and it's on Bravo, a "netlet" so it doesn't have the money of a huge network behind it. The first season of any competition show like this isn't as good as later seasons. Given that though, it was interesting. We are down to the final four - and I've enjoyed quite a few of their dances: Moshi, the older woman with a passion for dance. Nick, who is finding his heart through his dance as we watch.

And then there is Cody, who everyone assumed from the beginning had the whole thing in the bag. Cody has amazing technique - which is always sort of hypnotic to watch. The judges keep telling him he is missing something and I can see what they mean. At least in what we are shown in the episodes. His passion doesn't shine through and he seems more stoic than passionate in his dancing. That being said, I still think he is amazing. And he casually mentioned in the last episode that he was in Center Stage 2. What? I didn't know they were doing a sequel to that movie. I really liked the original. There doesn't seem to be any promo material out there for it yet, but I'm going to keep my eyes open and I'll let you know if I hear anything. But if you want to check out one of the dancers from the movie, turn in to Step It Up and Dance tomorrow night and watch Cody.

Dance Shows on TV in June

2008-05-27T23:09:00.006-05:00

In addition to season four of So You Think You Can Dance, this June also brings several other television shows:

Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods airs on Mondays from 9-10.

From the MTV website:
Have you ever wondered what it takes to see your name up on the marquee of one of Broadway's biggest hits? Well, Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods shows you all the hard work, dedication and determination that's needed to become a leading lady in a mega-musical. (Watch the trailer.)

After a nationwide casting call, thousands of girls auditioned for the chance to become Elle Woods. Now that the intensive search is over, 10 girls with larger-than-life dreams are going to be given the opportunity of a lifetime -- a shot at the starring role in the Broadway musical Legally Blonde. But only one of them will take center stage when the lights go up.

Filmed in New York City, the search will pull back the curtain on the audition process and show you exactly what it takes to become a Broadway star. The 10 lucky finalists will live together in a NYC loft while working their butts off with some of Broadway's biggest names, including choreographer Denis Jones, vocal coach Seth Rudetsky and some of the cast members of Legally Blonde. Plus, they'll be mentored by singer/actress Haylie Duff, who had her own starring role in the Broadway musical, Hairspray.

It's going to take a lot of hard work, dedication and determination to be the next blonde on Broadway, and the competing girls will be given a crash course in singing, dancing and acting. Each week, the Elle Woods wannabes will step onstage in front of a panel of judges... The last girl standing will land the starring role in the blockbuster Broadway musical!

Swingtown premieres on CBS on June 5th at 9. This show isn't really about dance, but I choreographed the dance sequence for them while they were in Austin and you can see me and some of my students in the scene.

Master of Dance is scheduled to premiere on June 9th and airs Mondays 7-8 on TLC.

From TLC press release:
Do you have the moves it takes to be TLC's MASTER OF DANCE? The new competition series – hosted by Joey Lawrence – tests the dancer's moves by changing the song mid-performance to see if they can really go with the flow. Only the dancers with a full repertoire and the flexibility to keep up with the beat will be able to claim the grand prize - $50,000.

Dance Machine is scheduled to air on ABC, Fridays from 7-8.

From ABC website:
Each episode features six real people from all walks of life who will face off against each other in a series of one-on-one dance-offs to the most popular songs of all time. Imagine a 70-year-old grandmother in a dance-off with a 25-year-old gravedigger to the tune of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Throughout the night contestants will be eliminated by voters in the studio audience. By the end of the evening, just two finalists will be left to challenge each other for the honor of being crowned that night's "Dance Machine" -- and to take home the $100,000 cash prize. Popular E! News correspondent Jason Kennedy is host.

Some of these shows seem like they'll be more fun than others but all of them sound like they will have something to offer the Dance Lover.

So You Think You Can Dance Begins Thursday

2008-05-21T17:34:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite TV dance shows is about to begin. Returning this summer for Season 4 is So You Think You Can Dance. Its normal timeslot is 7-9 Central on Thursdays. However, the schedule is always a little wonky during the "audition" process. The first episode of the audition process is scheduled for Thursday, May 22. The second episode is the following Wednesday. After that, I think it sticks to Thursdays (but check the link to TV Guide's episode page to make sure.)

For those who love dance, this is a phenomenal show. Those with training and those without all compete. The only thing they share is a love of dance. All forms of dance show up: Ballroom, Ballet, Jive, Latin, Hip-Hop, Krumping... and some that are so new there is no name for what they do.

This season, auditions were held in Milwaukee, Charleston, L.A., Washington D.C. and Dallas.

Be sure to set your DVR!

Ballroom Director at Dance Institute of Austin!

2008-05-20T12:33:00.007-05:00

The day has finally come when I can make the announcement...

I have accepted the position of Ballroom Director at Dance Institute. I'm so excited. This dance studio has been in the works for a while and has been a real labor of love (for a lot of people.) I'm so happy to be working with such a great group of people.

This past weekend was opening weekend and it was a blast. It looks like the studio is going to be a smashing success!

I'll have more information for you soon. There is so much to do with the studio opening but I want to post some pictures of the Ribbon Cutting and maybe I can do some interviews with Linda Holland (the heart and drive behind Dance Institute) and a few of our instructors. I'm working with a great group of people and I'm excited to introduce them to you!

Swingtown Update

2008-04-23T11:33:00.007-05:00

I just caught the commercial for CBS' Swingtown and it looks like it is due to premiere on 6/5/08. As I posted earlier, I worked as choreographer for them when they were in town. I also danced in the background for them. Imagine my surprise when I saw myself on the commercial!

My brother caught a couple of "stills" from the 30-second-spot, so I thought you might get a kick out of seeing them. They are kind of dark, but if you see the commercial, now you'll know you weren't crazy. It really was me.

Dancing with The (Austin) Stars!

2007-12-03T09:13:00.004-06:00

Last night's Dancing with the Austin Stars was a huge success! Everyone had a blast and a lot of money was raised for the Center for Child Protection.

Thank you to all the Sponsors, Supporters, and Contributors! Without you it would not have been possible.

Thank you to all of the Austin Stars who generously and courageously stepped outside of your comfort zone to help raise money for the Center.

And again, a personal thank you to everyone that helped with all the work that went on behind the scenes! It was a lot of work but it was a huge success!

I put together a slideshow of the event using some pictures I got from Eric Hegwer . (Please be patient as it tries to load -- it's a lot of photos. (For high quality copies of any photos from that evening, contact Eric at www.erichegwer.com)

Swingtown Pilot for CBS

2007-12-02T11:16:00.000-06:00

The pilot for a new show on CBS called "Swingtown" shot in Austin recently. As much as it might sound like it's about Swing dancing, it isn't. But there was a dance section in the pilot and they called me in to choreograph some dance moves. You might also see a few familiar faces in the background.

Swingtown's premiere date hasn't been announced yet but look for it sometime in the spring of 2008.

The show is directed by Alan Poul (who is probably best known for his work on Six Feet Under) and is described on cbs.com as a peek "into the shag-carpeted suburban homes of the 1970s to find couples reveling in the sexual and social revolution that introduced open marriages and women's liberation."

Sabrina Barker

2007-12-02T01:00:00.002-06:00

(Founder of All Ways Dance)
Sabrina's performance experiences started in Virginia with dance, theme park, and musical theater productions. She studied Performance Arts at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York where she worked on Broadway, in commercials, on soap operas and in films. She was invited to move to Los Angeles by ABC, where she began to focus on television, guest-starring in numerous TV sitcoms, dramatic series, and TV movies under the name "Debbie Barker."

When she moved to Austin, Sabrina brought her experience in film, television and stage to her current passion -- Ballroom. In Austin, Sabrina teaches, competes and performs full-time while furthering her extensive ballroom education with World Champions in both the Standard and Latin styles of dance. She is certified *highly commended* through ISTD in both Standard and Latin.

Sabrina teaches private lessons (competitive and social), group classes (both youth and adult), and performance groups. She also acts as an agent for many dancers to secure performance opportunities and to produce local shows and fund raisers. Recently, she choreographed the CBS TV pilot, "Swingtown" which aired in 2008.

Sabrina served as Dance Director of Dancing With the Austin Stars, a huge fund-raising event sponsored by Lexus for the Center for Child Protection in which 12 Austin celebrities perform with a professional dancer.

Stephen Cullip

2007-12-02T00:00:00.002-06:00

Stephen, a two-time US Ballroom Champion and current NDCA judge, has relocated out of the Austin area although you can still email him at his email listed below.

Professional Certifications:

WD&DSC and NDCA Certified Championship Adjudicator
Full Member US Terpsichore Association, all branches

Coach and Teacher:

US Champion USC Formation Dance Team
US Champion Youth Standard and Ten Dance Couples
US Open Amateur Ten Dance Champions
US Novice and Pre-Championship Winners

Professional Competitor:

Twice U.S. Professional International Standard Champion
Three Times Ohio Star Ball Professional Standard Champion
Twice World Professional Standard Semi-Finalist
7 Times U.S. Representative to World’s Professional Championships
Three times member of U.S. Professional Team in
Blackpool, England and Miami, Florida
Winner of almost every major Professional Championship in the US

Amateur and Junior Competitor:

6 times U.S. Amateur International Standard Champion
6 times U.S. Representative to the World’s Amateur Championships
Twice World Amateur Standard Semi-Finalist
Winner of almost every major Amateur Championship in the US
California Junior Champion for 3 years

You can email Stephen directly at stephencullip@gmail.com

Curtis Prevost

2007-12-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

Curtis Prevost has been dancing most of his adult life. He is known for his great wit and fun loving approach to dance.

Dancing and competing in Austin since 1999, he has studied with Ballroom Champions including John Wood, Stephen Hilliar, Stephen Cullip, Igor and Irina Suvorov, Glenn Weiss, and many others.

He currently competes with his amateur partner, Olga Curd, and his competes and performs Pro/Am with Sabrina Barker. Curtis also coaches the UT Ballroom Club students.

You can contact Curtis directly at: curtprevost@yahoo.com

Danny Davila

2007-12-01T22:00:00.002-06:00

Danny began dancing at the age five. From that early age he knew that dancing would be his life long profession. After many years of dedicated training Danny has become a dance coach, choreographer, judge, and an independent dance instructor.

Danny has chosen to specialize in the Latin styles of dance and is known for his passionate and spicy disposition on the dance floor. Dancing with Danny is always a blast!

He has taught at Austin's Arthur Murray dance school and the Fred Astaire dance school in San Antonio and Dallas. Additionally he taught Ballroom dance at Preston in Highland Park for ten years. Danny is now located out of Austin, TX. Danny and his partner, Ronda Grey were the 2008 champions of Dancing with the Stars - Austin.

Danny teaches children, couples, single men and women. He teaches group lessons, performance teams and performs at local charity functions. Danny's passion and love for dance has allowed him to compete all around the world.

You can contact Danny directly at: lenglishde@cs.com

Ballroom Dancing

2007-12-01T01:00:00.000-06:00

Ballroom dance, refers collectively to a set of partner dances, which originated in the Western world and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the globe. Its performance and entertainment aspects are also widely enjoyed on stage, in film, and on television.

While historically ballroom dance may refer to any form of formal social dancing as recreation, with the eminence of Dancesport in modern times the term has became much narrower in scope, usually referring specifically to the International Standard and International Latin style dances (see dance groupings below). In the United States, two additional variations—"American Smooth" and "American Rhythm"—have also been popularized and are commonly recognized as styles of "ballroom dance".

Please check our class schedule for upcoming classes in this dance style.

Latin Dancing

2007-12-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

Dances from Latin America

Typically these dances are Cha cha cha, Rumba, Samba, Salsa, Mambo, Merengue, Bachata, Cumbia, Bolero. Some dance instructors also include Tango and Argentine Tango in this list, although these differ from the rest in their style. In Argentina Tango is not considered folk dance as is the case with dances like Chacarera, Gato, Escondido and Zamba. Typical Bolivian folk dances are Morenada, Kullawada, Llamerada, Caporales and the recently created Tinku. In Colombia one of the typical dances is the Cumbia, not to be mistaken with Argentine Cumbia, a popular music genre influenced by Caribbean reggae and ska.

Latin Ballroom Dancing

The term Latin Ballroom Dancing is used to describe a category of International style ballroom dances, also called Latin American dances or International Latin. It consists of the following five dances: Cha cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, Jive. Notice that the last two dances are not in fact of Latin American origin. Compared to typical ballroom dance, Latin dances are generally faster-paced, more sensual, and have more rhythmic expression. Time is 4/4 straight rhythm or related. Couples in the basic position stand face-to-face. Music may be Latin American traditional or contemporary popular music.

In DanceSport competitions, with their formal classification of dance programs, the International Latin class is subdivided into Professional Latin and Amateur Latin categories, as may be seen in competition listings. This is because formal dance competitions are carried out separately for professionals and for amateurs. In United States, the Pro-Am category is also used, when competing couples consist of one professional and one amateur.

Please check our class schedule for upcoming classes in these dance styles.

Social Dancing

2007-11-30T22:00:00.000-06:00

Social dance is a major category or classification of dance styles, where sociability and socializing is the primary focus (in contrast to other styles that are primarily competitive or performance-oriented by nature.)

Many social dances are partner dances. In fact, quite often when social dances are spoken about, ballroom or other partner dances are kept in mind. However; any of the following dances might be considered for social dance opportunities:

* Ballroom dances
* Swing dances
* Circle dances
* Club dances (partner or solo)
* Contra dances
* Country and Western dances
* English country dances
* Folk dances (or Ethnic dances)
* Line dances
* Novelty dances
* Scottish country dances
* Square dances
* Street dances
* Tango

Please check our class schedule for upcoming classes in these dance styles.

Media Coverage

2007-11-29T14:25:00.000-06:00

Dance Instruction (video clip)

Dancing with the Austin Stars Interview on KUT (audio clip)

Locations

2007-11-21T01:00:00.005-06:00

The Dance Institute:

6612 Sito Del Rio Blvd
HWY 2222 @ Riverplace
Austin, TX 78731
512.343.1579

Google Map Directions

One World Theatre:

7701 Bee Caves Road
Austin, TX 78746
512.329.6753

Google Map Directions