Stardance Studio Blog

Goodbye to our Old Studio

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:57:00 +0000

As most of you know, Dancer Avenue Studio has left its location on Narbonne Avenue in the city of Lomita. Anyone that has had to move after 15 years in one location (home or business) knows that there is a LOT OF STUFF to pack.

On one hand it is sad to be leaving our Lomita address, since it has been our home for so long. But on the other hand, I am eager to see what the future holds. As they say, “when one door closes, another one opens”. I am taking the recent events positively and believe that it was simply meant to be. There must be a reason that we’re moving and I believe in my heart that something good will happen in the future.

I must say, there sure was a lot of stuff in the studio. Some items were put into a storage space but there was just too much to save. Many items had to be tossed out. We filled up the trash bin almost every day for a week (and had daily trash pickups).

Veronica and I want to thank everyone that helped to pack, move or clean. Thank you to Les, Stan, Anne, Jim, Chris, Dave, Kali, Maribeth, Huishi, Dulce, Agnes, Jackie & Rob, Charles, Little Veronica, Sierra, Erika and Cody.

Now that we’ve completed the move out, we are able to focus on scheduling dance classes and finding a new location. We have received many emails asking for the January class schedule. Veronica and I will make a quick decision (by tomorrow) to let you know when we will begin teaching group classes (maybe in February or the end of January). Private lesson will start by the end of this week.

As for a new studio, we have found 3 locations that we think are suitable for our needs. They are all fairly close to the old Dancer Avenue (you won’t have to drive too far), they are in nice neighborhoods and all three are larger buildings (meaning a larger ballroom). We’ll inform everyone very soon of all new developments.

Sincerely,
Mark & Veronica

Our last Christmas Party in Lomita

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

This past Sunday we completed our last Showcase at the Dancer Avenue Studio to a sold-out audience. It was quite a treat to see all the Waltz's, Tangos, Rumbas and more. Pictures and videos will be posted as soon as possible. Thank you everyone for your support.

As most of you know, Dancer Avenue Studio is leaving it's current location at the end of December 2009. We are carefully looking for a new location to make sure we find just the right place and we'll inform you as soon as we find it.

This Friday is our final Christmas Party. Join us one last time at the studio and say farewell with all of us. We would love to see all our current and past friends with Dancer Avenue at the party. Let's go out with a BANG! Reserve space by calling 310-530-7511 (leave a message, how many guests), or email stardanz1@aol.com

Christmas Party - Friday, December 18, 2009,
8-9PM Tango Class, 9-11:15PM Party. (Dance Showcase at 10PM)
$10 per person, Semi-Formal attire requested.
We'll provide the beverages and all the holiday spirits and you provide the dish. Potluck style, please bring a dish to share with all your friends and fellow dancers.

Dancer Avenue is Moving

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:46:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

We have some important news that we would like to share with you.

We have been negotiating the renewal of our lease for another 5-year term. We expected a reasonable increase of 5% - 10% in these economically difficult times (where there are many vacancies in Lomita alone). We were offered a new lease with an increase of 41% for our monthly rent. This is more than our budget can handle and therefore we have decided NOT to renew our lease.

We our currently exploring many options for teaching our classes. Please stay in touch with your instructors (private and group) to see where they will teach their students after January 1st. Also, check for future emails from Dancer Avenue (StardanceStudio.com).

This December will be our last Winter Showcase and last Christmas Party at Dancer Avenue Studio. We would love to see all our current and past friends with Dancer Avenue at these two events. We invite everyone to visit us and wish our studio a happy farewell.

With each new year, there comes a new challenge. We look forward to meeting this challenge and to continuing our friendships. If you have questions, please write to us at stardanz1@aol.com

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, found dead

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:38:00 +0000

On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop was found dead in Bel Air, California. He was renting a Bel Air estate where he was rehearsing for his upcoming European tour “This Is It”, that was to begin in July 2009. He will be deeply missed by many.

As a child, I remember watching re-runs of the Jackson 5 cartoons on Saturday mornings. They played many of his well know tunes. As I grew up, Michael and his singing family, The Jackson 5, produced many famous hits. Michael eventually went solo and became one of the biggest stars in the music industry.

I remember when MTV first began playing his music video of Billie Jean. Michael Jackson was the first African-American singer to cross over racial lines into the Rock and Roll/Pop Music video station. His video showcased his unique style of dancing. It was fresh and energetic.

Many people are not aware of Michael Jackson’s humanitarian efforts. He made videos to save the rainforests in South America, the homeless people across the world, the drought in Africa and war torn areas in Eastern Europe (check out the “Earth” video on youtube.com). Michael Jackson has contributed to many charities.

Michael Jackson always seemed to be in the public eye. Much publicity (and speculation) was released regarding the plastic surgery he underwent and the whitening of his skin. Later in his life Michael received negative publicity in his personal life and was reported to be in financial distress.

I believe Michael Jackson was one of the greatest performers of all time. His music (and the Jackson 5) has been used in movies, re-recorded by other artists and of course used in dance studios. His dance moves and style have been copied by many Michael Jackson impersonators.

Whether or not you agree with his lifestyle, I don’t think anyone can dispute that Michael Jackson was one of the greatest entertainers of our time.

regards,
Mark Mendez

GO LAKERS!

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:22:00 +0000

The city of L.A. has won another basketball championship. It’s been a 7-year struggle for the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant to get back on top. I am extremely happy this Monday morning to know that the Lakers have clinched their 15th NBA championship.

I have always followed the Lakers from an early age and have enjoyed watching many of the basketball stars from past Lakers teams. From the old school, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain stand out, from the 80’s “Showtime” Lakers, there are many - Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and of course Superman, Kurt Rambis, to mention a few.

However, since last year’s embarrassing game 6 loss to their long time rivals, the Boston Celtics, I was eager to see this year’s team make it back to the NBA Finals. Some say the team was motivated by redemption, some say revenge, perhaps it was just a hunger to prove their place in history. I followed news about the Lakers and watched almost all the games this season.

There was so much hype during the playoffs. Would there be another Boston-L.A. matchup? Would there be a clash of titans, LeBron VS. Kobe? Could Kobe win a championship without Shaq? Would Phil Jackson surpass Red Auerbach as the winningest head coach of all time? We now know the answers to all these questions – No, No, Yes and Yes!

I’m happy to say, all is good is La-La Land, the Lakers are champs of the world again. Kobe has his 4th NBA title and Phil has his 10th coaching title. I’ll be watching the Lakers parade on television and if possible, I’ll be there. GO LAKERS!

See the online photo slide show, click the link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancer_avenue/sets/
72157619890879521/show/

Lakers fans,
Mark, Veronica & Charles

Mayan Salsa Competition

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:12:00 +0000

For the past few weeks, there has been an amazing Salsa dance competition at the Club Mayan in downtown Los Angeles. This historic club has been host to HBO concerts and comedy specials. The venue has a gothic look on the outside and an eclectic mix of rooms, bars and balconies on the inside.

The best Salsa dancers in L.A. were selected from 4 weeks of elimination. Two weeks ago were the semi-finals and this week is the professional finals. The competitors look good – the Salsa girls look sexy and provocative, the guys look macho and strong. There is energy in the club and the crowd is excited. And yours truly, Mark and Veronica, get a front row seat since we are judges at this event.

The level of the professional couples was very good to excellent. The top routines displayed a combination of speed, acrobatic tricks, fast footwork and sensual moves. However, as judges, we believe some of the couples need to work on improving their footwork (particularly the ladies), musicality and partnership.

These finals had an usual twist and received mixed feelings from Veronica and myself. It turned out that one of the couples participating was a gay couple (in other words, two guys dancing together). Some competitions specify that the couple must be man and a woman, apparently the Mayan Salsa contest does not. I felt the gay guy (dancing as a lady) had better and clearer footwork than several of the lady dancers and Veronica felt that a man cannot duplicate the shape, sensuality and femininity of a woman in Latin dancing.

The overall dancing from all the couples was excellent and it looked like it would come down to Liz & Christian and the gay couple. Liz and Christian had a slight costume malfunction in the beginning but finished flawlessly. The gay couple performed well with no mistakes. When the scores were tallied, the gay couple had swayed the judges in their favor by a slim margin. They were the winners.

This is truly an exciting event and showcases the best Salsa dancers around. Don’t miss it next year!

Sincerely,
Mark and Veronica

Youth Showcase A Big Success

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:17:00 +0000

Wow, what a busy week we had here at the studio. Our own Veronica Wagner and Dorothea Hockett, from the Academy of Dance, presented their 2nd Youth Showcase at Dancer Avenue Studio this past Saturday.

For several days prior to the Showcase, we had 28 young dancers from both studios practicing very diligently on their dance routines. They came in groups, duos, trios and soloists. Some tapped, some did jazz, others danced ballroom and some even had vocal numbers. There was a buzz of excitement felt inside both studios all week.

A quick recap - As Saturday evening finally arrived, parents, children and friends began to fill our studio. The kids went upstairs to change into their costumes and prepare for their performances. The audience was treated to a sumptuous pasta dinner while waiting for the show to begin.

Soon it was time, the show started and one by one they came out in spectacular fashion performing their numbers. We were entertained to Jazz, Ballet, Samba, Vocal and Lyrical numbers. Their hours of training & rehearsing were paying off. These young dancers showed a great deal of poise and maturity throughout the entire evening. What a show!

Veronica and Dorothea are very fortunate to have a large group of brilliant young dancers. Veronica rewarded them by presenting each dancer with a souvenir shoe bag and a participation trophy for their performances. Also, as a special Thank You, the dancers were invited to attend a “cast party” the following evening at our studio.

Sunday evening the kids reunited again for the fun filled "cast party". They played games, they danced, ate cotton candy & pizza, and simply spent timing socializing with each other

The Youth Showcase was well attended and is growing in popularity. It is almost as big as our adult Showcases. I hope you can come support these kids the next time we have a Youth Showcase. It really is a good show.
.
Sincerely,
Mark and Veronica

Do You Want to Compete In Ballroom Dancing?

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:51:00 +0000

This past weekend, we attended a ballroom dance competition, the California Open Dance Championships. This is a wonderful event and is a good example of how a competition should run.

The organizers provide a professional staff of helpers to meet your every need, the event has a fun and friendly atmosphere, the dance times run as scheduled, the dance floor is large (as far as competitions go) and spectators are entertained to a variety of levels of competition.

So what is it like competing at a dance competition? Many students will inquire, but only a handful will commit to the task, especially not knowing what lies ahead. When I suggest the idea to a potential competitor, they usually respond by saying, “it’s too hard, I’m not ready.” Then I usually say “they all say the same thing”.

Dance competitions are well categorized in Pro/Am divisions (Professional teacher with amateur student). Competitors are categorized by level (about every 5 steps of dancing), by age (approximately every 10 years of age) and gender (male or female). This way you can be certain that other competitors in your division know roughly the same steps, are within a few years of your own age and are the same gender. The organizers attempt to level the competitive “playing field” and ensure fairness for all divisions.

Now it’s up to the student and their teacher to make sure they are ready. Rehearsal time is extremely important. You should try to take at least 2 lessons per week, depending on your schedule and budget. Costuming and grooming also play a key part, as you want to present as “professional” an appearance as possible. Knowing your steps and looking well groomed go a long way. Arrive early and try to acclimate yourself to the environment. These are just a few key points to know.

I believe the benefits gained from participating in a dance competition are numerous and recommend it to anyone considering the idea. Once you have a goal in mind, you will find that your lessons are more focused (you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared!), your movements will become more graceful and well defined as your learn more technique, and you’ll become more confident in yourself while aspiring toward a higher level of dance.

There are many steps to prepare for your first dance competition. But with an experienced and knowledgeable instructor, you’ll get off to a good start. Make sure you are working with a Certified Professional Instructor and ask them how you can get involved in a dance competition. Good luck and we’ll see you on the dance floor.

Sincerely,
Mark and Veronica

Happy New Year 2009

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Hi everyone, Happy New Year. I hope 2009 is beginning well for all of you. In the second half of last year, we saw the economy take a turn for the worst. Many businesses had to close their doors - Mervyns and Circuit City, just to mention a few.

We know it was a difficult time for both our students and the studio. We hope the economy will stabilize by year's end and everyday life will settle down a bit. We at Dancer Avenue Studio would like to express our thanks to all the dancers that continued their support of our studio last year and into this year.

Now, onto happier topics - We decided to offer a price reduction in January (maybe February too) to encourage students to get back into their dancing. And it seems enrollment is better in January. Dance classes seem a little better than the past two months and people are slowly returning to their dance lessons. Thank You.

We’ve got some great events and parties planned for you this year. We started with a big kick-off and we look forward to ending with a big bang. We had a "Welcome Back" party on Friday, January 9th. We had exhibitions and extra treats at the party. It was nice to see many familiar faces.

Next month, in February, we have two great events we invite everyone to attend. It will be our Valentine Party on February 13th and the Youth Showcase on February 28th.

The Valentine Party is usually well attended as many ongoers seem to enjoy watching the Show, eating the pasta dinner and wearing the theme color RED for the evening. Come early, we expect a large crowd.

The upcoming Youth Showcase will be the 2nd production by Veronica Wagner, assisted by Dorothea Hockett, of the Academy of Dance (next door to our studio). These kids are working hard and I'm sure they're anxious to perform. If what I see during rehearsals is any indication of what lies ahead, then they’re definitely headed in the right direction. It will b a good show and we invite you to attend.

We have many parties and events planned for this year and we certainly hope you can attend as many as possible. We appreciate your support in the past and we ask that you continue to support Dancer Avenue Studio this year. We strive to provide a fun & friendly atmosphere to everyone and want to make our studio a source of learning and entertainment. We look forward to seeing all of you this year.

Sincerely,
Mark and Veronica

Halloween Party

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Wow, what a great evening we had for the Halloween Party. As you walked in you could tell that it was going to be a great night. The evening began with George teaching the group class, the dance was Swing. From the start of the class there were at least 50 people. They continued to arrive as the class went on.

I really enjoy the spirit of Halloween and have fun putting up the decorations. As those in attendance can verify, there were a lot of decorations. There was a mural that spanned the entire length of the mirrors and there were many suspended ghouls and witches.

The dance party began at 9:00pm as usual, thank goodness we had plenty of food and beverage on hand because everyone came with a big appetite. We weren’t serving a meal, but they all ate like they expected one. We had cheeses, fruits, veggies, chips, sandwiches, and desserts, as well as beverages.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the show. We encourage the performers at this party to wear Halloween costumes to help everyone feel the mood of the dance. We saw the “Spooky” Cha-Cha, Insane in the Brain dance and “Dracula” Tango. The group numbers were The Addams Family and Thriller. The solos were very good and the group numbers were great! Lighting effects and costuming really add something special to the show numbers.

After the show, everyone continued dancing all night long, literally. We let the dancers continue dancing until midnight. The fun just wouldn’t stop. Don’t miss next year’s Halloween party.

Sincerely,
Mark & Veronica

Montez, "Stars" and Sushi

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:10:00 +0000

This was a really exciting week. Monday and Tuesday, we had one of the best loved coaches visiting, Ron Montez; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we saw the beginning of the 7th season of “Dancing With The Stars” and Friday was a really fun Sushi party.

Ron Montez was the seven times U.S. Latin Champions and World Latin finalist. (See “Meet the Dancers” section of the website for more info on Ron Montez) Ron has a wealth of knowledge and was one of my favorite coaches when I was competing. He has a very relaxed demeanor and is always friendly to all professionals and students. The students appreciate the knowledge and coaching they receive from Ron.

“Dancing With The Stars” begin on a high note, in my opinion. There were several stars that seemed to have some talent for ballroom dancing. I enjoyed watching Lance Bass, Maurice Green and Brooke Burke, also Misty May. They are all rough around the edges, but then they usually are for the first three to four weeks and then begin to settle down and we see which ones begin to stand out. Only time will tell, stay tuned in.

Friday was a lot of fun! I hope you were able to attend the Sushi party. I’m telling you, when there is a theme party at the studio, you should make an effort to make them, they are more fun than regular parties anywhere in town. We had a long table full of sushi from Fusion Sushi of Torrance, complemented by a counter full of sake, in addition to our regular snacks, fruits & veggies, chips and beverages. The entertainment for the evening included a guest Kung Fu demonstration, three dance exhibitions featuring a Swing by Micky Catania, a Latin Medley by Salina Cheng and a Samba by Jennifer and Peter. The highlight of the evening was a sumo wrestling demonstration! Everyone at the party said they enjoyed themselves and were talking about the comedy sumo fighting with Mark and Brian.

Sincerely,
Mark & Veronica

An Olympic Year

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:43:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:21:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:54:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:37:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:55:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:53:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:12:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:42:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:50:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:11:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (mark.mendez) — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:00:00 +0000

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