Stardance Studio Blog

An Olympic Year

2008-08-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching the Olympics? Did you see the opening ceremonies? Something seems a little different about this year’s Olympics. For the most part, I’ve missed the Olympics the last 3 or 4 times around, but this year there has been more hype surrounding the Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps, the U.S. gymnastic and basketball teams and volleyballers Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor (who will appear on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars).

NBC did a good job marketing the Olympics and it was accessible on TV several times a day for several hours at a time. Several people I talked to said they were tired during the two and a half week period of the Olympics because they were watching the Olympics late at night. So was I. As of matter of fact, I still haven’t caught up on my sleep.

One of the breaking stories many people were talking about was the allegations of the underage athletes from China. There were questions about the validity of their passports and documentation of their ages. We’ll see what develops in the near future.

China made a big impact on this year’s Olympics. The opening ceremonies were magnificent and the Chinese athletes won more Gold medals than any other country (the U.S.A. won more total medals). But at what cost?

There were questions about the ages of the Chinese gymnasts, there were comments about the grueling hours of training, and stories about young athletes being separated from their parents and families. Maybe they met their Olympic goals, but what about the long term effects. The past has proven that gold medals don’t make a country a super power.

Maybe the American way of life isn’t as bad as some critics would have you believe. Our athletes are given more freedom to choose (sometimes too much), freedom to act as they want (within reason) and the freedom to interact with their family and friends. It’s not always a perfect system, but I think we’ve proven that it works.

The U.S.A. is still the land of opportunity and so many athletes and families want to make their home here. Go Olympians! Go U.S.A.!

Sincerely,
Mark & Veronica

Appreciating the Help

2008-08-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it certainly has been a busy two weeks at the studio. We had our Summer Showcase on July 27th, Mark’s Birthday Bash on August 8th and then the Youth Showcase on August 9, 2008. It’s been over four weeks without a day off, that’s quite a while to go without a break. But now I get to slow down a little before we begin to gear up for the end of the year.

It takes a lot of work and coordinating to produce a Showcase or a Friday night theme party with dance exhibitions. We must coordinate the decorations, catered food, set up of chairs and tables, ticket and program printing, music editing and more. Veronica and Charles are always by my side and they are very helpful to me and the studio. However, as organized as I may seem (some of you know otherwise!) I often need help to complete the showcases and events that are held at the studio.

I would like to thank some of the helpers at our recent events. Thanks to Andrea Haase (front desk), Huishi Yen (front desk), Dave Suess (programs), Eddie Ngo (camera), Jennifer & Jenelyn Ngo (food setup), and others. Special thanks go out to Anne Herron and Chris Hutson who really went above and beyond the call of duty to help with both showcases and the birthday party.

Both Anne and Chris did so much, they cleaned upstairs, they cleaned downstairs, they replaced the linoleum in the kitchen and have done much more. They don’t ask for any compensation, they just do it because they love the studio and in these economically difficult times, they’re just trying to help the studio succeed however they can. These comments are not just to “toot their horns” but to let everyone know that I can’t produce a showcase by myself and that I really appreciate everybody’s help.

Moral of the story: It’s a team effort to produce our showcase and special events. Your help is welcome and is greatly appreciated. If anyone is interested in helping at our future events, please ask me.

Sincerely,
Mark & Veronica

Summer Showcase 2008

2008-07-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

The morning starts out like almost any other morning. But we know in the back of our mind that today is a special day. As we get ready for the event later that evening we walk through important steps and details in our mind. We take a little more care than usual to dress ourselves, prepare our hair and make-up (not me, the women), and then go to the studio.

There is a gentle buzz of activity at the studio when we arrive. People are bringing in their costumes, some are mingling and others are finishing last minute preparations at the studio. The Finale rehearsal is called for all performers and nerves begin to awaken. We go through the steps as we were shown, one last time. We go upstairs for our final make-up and costume preparation, as the spectators are let in and begin to fill the ballroom.

The adrenaline is beginning to flow through our bodies and the hype is filling the air. We now position ourselves behind the curtain as our “run-on” music plays. The curtain flies open and the moment has finally arrived – it’s Showtime!

Another successful show! As usual, the Showcase was very entertaining. We had Latin routines in Cha-Cha and Bolero and Ballroom numbers in Waltz and Fox Trot; we enjoyed the specialty dance like the Argentine Tango and group numbers from Koko’s Flamenco Group and Passport to Dance, a youth ballroom group, coordinated by Veronica Wagner.

One of the greatest things about ballroom dancing is that all ages can dance and perform. We had young kids from the youth ballroom group and mature adults performing at the Summer Showcae. Congratulations on a job well job.

To see the online photo slideshow, click the link below
(OR copy/paste into your browser):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancer_avenue/sets/
72157606560311382/show/

Sinerely,
Mark Mendez

P.S. It's my birthday today!

How to Dance if You're Inhibited

2008-07-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Sometimes students say they are a little embarrassed to dance while people are watching or just to dance at all. I came across this article and thought I would share this with you. It sounds mostly like social club dancing, but it can apply to ballroom dancing as well.
Enjoy - Mark
* [comments added by Mark]

So, you are out dancing...and you want to dance, but you are a little too shy, or don't really like the thought of everyone else watching you. If this is your problem, then this article is for you!

Steps

At home, stand in front of your mirror and turn on some of your favorite songs. Try out a few dance moves of your own, and see how it looks. Become familiar with your dancing style, and come to feel comfortable with yourself. Note what you enjoyed and what you did not enjoy while practicing this, and match them accordingly while you are out dancing.
Find a friend Find a friend to go out dancing [or practice at the studio]* who isn't inhibited at all about dancing. This may just be the kind of friend who would drag you out there and make you do it whether you like it or not!Tell them beforehand not to listen to you, as you protest loudly or pretend not to hear you over the music - but do tell them to stop if you are about to cry.
Learn how Have your friend teach you how to dance [or take lessons]* so you know what to do when you are out there on the dance floor.
Just do it Now go out with your friend and dance [try studio parties]* -make sure to take lots of breaks and don't care if people are looking at you - and if they are, just dance more! Just do it!! This is your time to dance!!
Try something basic If this is your first attempt to get out there and dance, perhaps you would prefer to try something more basic. Feeling the tune of the music, sway back and forth ["rock step" for ballroom dancers]* in a speed that feels comfortable to you. During faster songs, try a step together and clapping move. This would help you enjoy yourself without feeling uncomfortable standing out in the crowd.

Tips

Try taking dance lessons [at Stardance Studio]* to start get the feel of the art of dance. This would assist greatly on the dance floor.
Dance as though there is nobody around. Think of how you would dance if you had the music turned up in your bedroom, and you were the only one in the room. Try to visualize this concept and follow through by dancing in the way that shows your individuality.
Avoid trying to copy the dance moves of people around you. Remember to be yourself.
Feel the music. Make the most out of your favorite songs. Grasp the meaning of the words and allow your dancing to speak those words. Pay attention to the beat. Notice how fast or slow it is, and follow it accordingly in your movement.
Breathe. If you truly feel anxious, try to take a minute to breathe, relax, and get a drink of water [or something stronger!]*. Calm your mind, and free it of any worries.
Realize, that people are not going to be watching your dancing in particular. Think to yourself: "I came here to have fun! I am going to enjoy myself here no matter what, and I will dance however I wish to do so!" Avoid allowing the thoughts of others to interfere with your enjoyment.
Feel free. Plant a smile on your face and tell yourself that it is going to be okay.
Make the most of your moments. Look into people's eyes a little deeper, notice the beat or tune of the music more closely, and dance with all the energy and emotion you have.

Warnings

Take breaks and drink plenty of water-your body will thank you! Dancing is one way to get dehydrated quick and you won't notice because you are having so much fun!

Courtesy of wikiHow

Theme Parties

2008-07-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I must say that I personally had a good time the past few weeks. Friday parties are always a blast but it’s just a little more special when we have Theme parties. So…if you haven’t been attending the Theme parties, you’re missing out.

We recently had three Friday night Theme parties – Sports Night, Western Party and the Hawaiian Luau Party and an afternoon BBQ on the 4th of July. Below is a recap of the last two events we had.

Hawaiian Luau Party – The room was filled with colorful Hawaiian decorations. The evening began with an exhilarating Swing group class and then followed by a light buffet that included teriyaki chicken, gourmet fried rice, salad, Hawaiian rolls and Mark’s tropical Mai Tai punch. Everyone celebrated the evening by wearing Hawaiian attire and dancing the night away. The ladies were invited to participate in a sexy Luau contest and the men performed a hip-shaking Tahitian dance. Prizes were awarded to the best dancers and everyone had a great time.

4th of July BBQ & Party – Since it was a holiday, there seemed to be a relaxed atmosphere in the studio. Everyone was introduced to the Sally Ann Cha-Cha (a sequence dance) and had a great time. We took a break to barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs, and others brought salads, desserts, chicken, chili, drinks and more to share with the group. We had a feast! Everyone danced the afternoon away and was still left with enough time to go out and watch the evening fireworks.

Theme parties usually pack more energy and excitement, and we get more people attending these events. They truly are a lot of fun. My suggestion is if you have a choice to go a regular Friday party somewhere or one of our Theme parties, go for the Theme party. See you soon.

Sincerely,
Mark Mendez

Showcase Material

2008-06-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

The curtain opens,
You are the spotlight,
Passion is in motion,
the Dancer is you.

A Showcase is an event or occasion for dance students to display their abilities and talents. It is a chance to perform and be in the spotlight. Some performers are younger and just beginning their dance career; others are older and never had the chance to dance in their younger years. But when the Showcase begins everyone is equal - everyone is a performer. Out there on the dance floor, with your passion and love of dance driving you to perform and be in the spotlight for just a couple minutes, you are the entertainer.

Although some of these dance students have had lessons and danced for years, it is not necessary to have danced very long in order to do a showcase, just a willingness to learn and work hard. Some students like to compete, but others prefer to showcase what they have accomplished. Students will take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, taking lessons and practicing, to get their dance routines ready. Preparing for a Showcase gives the student a goal and when the show is over there is a great feeling of accomplishment.

The instructors work very hard too, spending extra hours preparing music, choreographing and teaching to make their students look their very best. Some students will do just one dance, others will want to dance several times. Costumes and make-up are part of the fun involved. Picking a theme or particular idea to build the dance around helps to make the performance creative and entertaining. Some of the dance numbers are more of the serious nature - very beautiful, very technical, and classical. Others are more lighthearted and fun, even comical. Either way the routines are very enjoyable to watch and the audience always has a good time.

The Showcase usually consists of 25-30 numbers and is divided into two acts. It runs smoothly from routine to routine and there is a 15-minute intermission between the acts. There is always good food, snacks and drinks. The staff spends several weeks organizing and preparing the Showcase in order for it to be a beautiful, well organized, memorable event and the admission is very reasonable for an evening of entertainment, dinner and dancing.

Hope to see you at the next Showcase.

Sincerely,
Veronica Wagner

How About Those Lakers?

2008-06-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Being a big Lakers fan, this week’s blog is dedicated to LA’s fallen heroes. Despite all those sports analysts and news announcers favoring the Lakers, they did not win the NBA Championship. We all thought this was going to be their year.

The year started out slow for the Lakers, with Kobe asking to be traded to another team. As the season developed, the players seemed to gel with each other and trades for new teammates were paying off. With the acquisition of Pau Gasol, the team seemed to flourish. It was all coming together and the Lakers were on a roll.

The Lakers ended up finishing first in the Western Conference and had home court advantage. In the playoffs, they breezed by Denver (4-0), worked up a little sweat against Utah (4-2), and handily beat last year’s champs the San Antonio Spurs (4-1). But the Boston Celtics were a different nut to crack. Despite the Celtics struggling with Atlanta and Cleveland (both 7-game series), they beat Detroit in 6 games and won the right to play the Lakers for the championship.

I thought the officiating in game 2 was ridiculous and in game 4 we saw an amazing comeback by Boston. Both games should have had a different outcome. The Lakers seemed a little tired by the time the Finals came around and Boston just seemed to blow right by them on many plays.

Although I obviously wanted the Lakers to win, I must say I was happy for Kevin Garnett finally getting a chance to win the “big dance” and Paul Pierce who has been a Celtic for his career thus far. Hats off to them, they played a great series and deserved to win.

Boo Hoo - Just wait until next year in the Finals!

Lakers fan,
Mark Mendez

Best Places in Europe

2008-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to Europe - Wow! We had such a great time, this was an amazing trip overall. This past week we visited Vienna and Rome.

Vienna, Austria is an amazing city. Great musicians like Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven, and others developed their musical talents in this country and its obvious why Vienna is often referred to as the “home of music”.

Vienna has the 3rd highest standard of living among the European Union nations and is culturally rich in art, history and music. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how many people in Vienna spoke English and how well they spoke it. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.

During our visit we saw the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), the Burg Theatre, Stephansdom (St. Stephan’s Cathedral), the Clock Museum, Spanish Riding School, Danube River and Tower, the Imperial Palace and more.

Rome, Italy was very charming and romantic. This is one of the oldest cities in Europe. When I first arrived, I thought to myself some of these buildings look like they may crumble any moment. Well, after seeing the Pantheon and the Colosseum still standing 2000 years later it was clear that it would take a devastating earthquake to bring down this city. The Trevi Fountain was romantic and the Spanish Steps was an engaging meeting place. Rome was a city to remember forever.

We visited the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel (with Michelangelo’s paintings), ancient Rome and the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and more.

Our group had the most amazing time in Europe. If you’ve been to Europe, let us know about your favorite city to visit. What’s the most memorable site you’ve seen?

To see the online photo slide show, click the link below
(OR copy/paste into your browser, with NO SPACES): http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancer_avenue/sets/
72157605690949697/show/

Sincerely,
Mark & Veronica

Go Americans

2008-06-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

This week at the Blackpool Dance Festival was fabulous. We saw the U.S.A. team win the team match for the first time in history and Americans place in the finals of the 2008 British Open in the Professional Latin and Professional Ballroom.

In a team match, usually four teams are invited to participate and each team selects two Professional Latin couples and two Professional Ballroom (Standard) couples to dance. The Latin and Ballroom couples dance in a “round robin” sort of format until all ten International dances have been performed. After totaling the scores for all dances, the U.S.A. team emerged victorious! Yeah, U.S.A!

In the Professional Latin division, Michael Malitowski and Joanna Leunis from Poland won this event. The good news for Americans is we had three couples reach the finals. Riccardo Cocchi and Yulia Zagoruychenko placed 2nd overall and both Andrei Gavriline & Elena Kryuchkova and Eugene Katsevman & Maria Manusova made the finals in one dance. Congrats to the American Couples! (See overall placement below)

Professional Latin – Overall placement
1. Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis, Poland
2. Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko, USA
3. Peter Stokkebroe & Kristina Stokkebroe,Denmark
4. Sergey Sourkov & Agnieszka Melnicka, Poland
5. Franco Formica & Oksana Lebedewa, Germany
6. Maurizio Vescovo & Melinda TöRöKgyöRgy, Hungary
7. Andrei Gavriline & Elena Kryuchkova, USA
8. Eugene Katsevman & Maria Manusova, USA

In the Professional Ballroom division, Mirko Gozzoli and Alessia Betti from Italy won this event. And again, the good news for Americans is that we had two couples in the finals. Arunas Bizokas and Katusha Demidova placed 2nd overall and Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed placed 4th overall. Congrats to these couples too! (See overall placement below)

Professional Ballroom – Overall placement
1. Mirko Gozzoli & Alessia Betti, Italy
2. Arunas Bizokas & Katusha Demidova, USA
3. Jonathan Wilkins & Hazel Newbury, England
4. Victor Fung & Anna Mikhed, USA
5. Domenico Soale & Gioia Cerasoli, Italy
6. Jonathan Crossley & Lyn Marriner, England
7. Roberto Villa & Morena Colagreco, Italy

Good luck to all couples in the future and we look forward to seeing them on the dance floor.

Regards,
Mark Mendez

Champions of Dance

2008-05-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Two exciting events happened this week “Dancing With The Stars” crowned a new champion and Charles and Alexis competed at the Blackpool Dance Festival in England. In a roundabout way these events are connected, I’ll explain.

It was good to see Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas win the Finals of “Dancing With the Stars”. I thought this couple was most deserving of the championship. Kristi and Mark, from week one of the dance contest, looked poised and prepared each week to knock out the competition.

They had a few hurdles to overcome, small ones, but still they had to be on their game to win in the end. Kristi and Mark looked great from week one and sometimes when you come out so strong, it is difficult to maintain momentum and be the crowd favorite for 10 consecutive weeks. With several of the couples improving each week and gaining momentum, it was a challenge to see if they could stay ahead of the pack.

Also, people asked me in the beginning, “Do you think it’s fair that Kristi Yamaguchi, who was an Olympic ice skating champion, should be in this competition?” (This could weigh in the minds of voters.) Well, my basic answer is yes. Two reasons: 1. I was always told by my coaches that you have to beat whoever shows up for the competition. Don’t worry about this or that, just dance. 2. Many of the Stars have had some type of dance experience, but I don’t feel many have had much experience in ballroom dancing. The lines and connections are different and they still have to learn new choreography.

The final decision is left up to the audience who can often be unpredictable. If they don’t like your attitude, your costuming or reaction to the judges, they may not vote for the best dance couple. But in the end, Kristi and Mark won out. Congrats to them!

Now we move on to Blackpool, England. Two of the current professional dancers on DWTS competed at Blackpool in the Amateur Under 21 division and won. That was Mark Ballas and fellow dancer, Derek Hough. This is a prestigious event which starts with around 250 couples, in one division alone, and most go through several rounds of elimination. This year our very own Charles and Alexis competed at this amazing event. They went out and danced their little hearts out. They did a fantastic job among all this international dancers from Russia, Italy, England, Denmark and more. They didn’t win this time out, but perhaps they will in the future.

Later, Charles said to me, “If I win at Blackpool can I be on Dancing With the Stars?” I said, “Probably yes, look at Mark and Derek and some of the other professional dancers”. It’s a good goal to shoot for!

cheers,
Mark Mendez

Welcome to New Website

2008-05-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I just finished the re-design of the Stardance Studio website and I am excited about it. I hope everyone enjoys the new design and will look forward to revisiting the site every week. There will be articles on health and nutrition (usually relating to dance), pictures and comments from recent events and Free online videos. That's right, Free......for now. Enjoy the videos of professional dancers, showcase routines and dance lessons.

There is much more that I want to add to the website, but it will take some time. Other information will include: Places to go Dancing, Music Cd's and Instructional DVD's, Instructor Profiles, etc. Therefore, with so much ahead, this blog will start out being published weekly, every Monday. As time permits, the blog posts may be more often. We'll see?

I was very busy this weekend preparing for our trip to England for the Blackpool Dance Festival. The is probably the most prestigious competition in the World, aside from the World Championship title. Veronica and I are very proud to have our son, Charles, competing with his lovely partner, Alexis, at this event. It will be very exciting and I hope this will be a moment to remember for the rest of their lives. Please wish them the best of luck.

I hope everyone has some free time to start reading this weekly blog and please feel free to add your comments. It will be fun to have all of you participating in this blog. Thanks all.

Yours truly,
Mark Mendez