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On the Horizon
- Author:
- Phillip Stephens (philtex44@aol.com)
- Date Published:
- March 17, 2011
Dancing With The Stars Returns
As most of you know, Dancing With The Stars will start up again on Monday, March 21. As in the past, Championship Adjudicator and ISTD Fellow and Examiner Phillip Stephens (yours truly) will provide commentary on the show, the judges, the costumes, the performers and their performances. Watch your inbox for my always interesting and often quite inciteful commentary.
Medal Tests
During the weekend of July 8, 9 & 10 (possibly just 9 & 10), The Dance Place will hold an Examination and Medal Test session. We will bring in a US Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (USISTD) Examiner from California who will conduct progress checks, Dance Achievement evaluations and Medal Tests. Your test will be followed by a 15-minute coaching session with the Examiner, who will go over items that need attention prior to taking further tests. This is a superb manner in which to see how your dance skills are progressing and how they measure up to national averages established by the USISTD. Dance Achievement tests are not on any particular syllabus. Alternative Rhythm tests are available in Salsa, Argentine Tango, Mambo, Country Western dances, Samba, Merengue and West Coast Swing. Evaluations of showcase, competition or exhibition routines can be given. For tests on Bronze, Silver or Gold programs, all material displayed must be from the official syllabi of the USISTD. This would be American Ballroom, American Rhythm, International Ballroom or International Latin. For further details, please contact Phillip Stephens via 713-248-2299 or philtex44@aol.com.
Professional Degree Certification Examinations
Several teachers from The Dance Place and other studios are preparing for USISTD Examinations that will provide them with teaching degrees that they can register as judging credentials with the National Dance Council of America (NDCA). The professional academic degrees obtained via USISTD Examinations are widely recognized as being received from the world's leading dance examinations board. These degrees are highly respected among the coaches and judges in the dance business. If you are interested in becoming a Certified Dance Educator, please get in touch with USISTD Examiner Phillip Stephens at 713-248-2299 to discuss your options.
Friday Parties
The Dance Place hosts a Practice Party from 8-10pm every Friday evening. This week - March 18 - we'll be celebrating St Patrick's Day, so be sure and wear GREEN in order to get a ticket for the prize drawing. Michael Schedler has been busy creating new playlists of music, so come on down and join in on the fun.
Wedding Preparations
Many people who are preparing for a wedding tend to leave learning their "first dance" to the last moment. THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLAN! That first dance will be remembered for years to come and will probably live on forever in some form of motion picture media. Funny First Dances, Horrible First Dances and Truly Memorable First Dances tend to end up on Yutube these days. If it were me, I would rather be in the first or third category listed in that last sentence. Either one of those will bring joy to lots of people who see them while that middle category - "Horrible" - will probably bring nothing but ridicule and embarrassment.
Where am I going with this? Simple: Don't wait until the last minute to start learning your First Dance. Get in touch with the experts here at The Dance Place at least 10 weeks before the wedding and start taking lessons at least 8 weeks before the wedding. This will assure you of having time to fully prepare for a routine that will be a beautiful memory for the rest of your life and that, via Yutube, may be an inspiration to others. Send us an email to info@theplace2dance.com or call us at 713-266-0066.
Gulf Coast Stars / USDSF National Qualifiers
Be sure and highlight Saturday, April 16, 2011, on your calendars. That's the day we will host our Gulf Coast Stars Dance Tournament and the USDSF National Qualifying Events.
Gulf Coast Stars will start at 10am and run until approximately 6:30pm. Registration will take place on Friday evening and Saturday morning. There will be a full range of categories for all age divisions, including American Ballroom & Rhythm and International Ballroom (Standard) & Latin. We also offer a Showcase/Solo division, Country Western events, Multi-dance events and Scholarships. The Deadline for Entry is April 6, so you have plenty of time. For entry details, forms and rules, send an email to info@theplace2dance.com.
USDSF National Qualifying Events. Wow! That's a pretty impressive name. These events will qualify the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners to represent the USA in the International Dance Organization (IDO) World Championships to be held in Liberec, Czech Republic, in November. That's an awesome opportunity! Dances offered at this event are Salsa, Argentine Tango and Bachata. This is your chance to be a part of History in the Making because this is the first time the United States DanceSport Federation (USDSF) has offered these events. Wouldn't YOU like to be the FIRST EVER USDSF NATIONAL CHAMPION? Somebody will win those titles and that somebody COULD BE YOU. For details, contact us at 713-266-0066 or via info@theplace2dance.com.
Happy Dancing and visit us at either of our Web Sites:
www.the-dance-place.com or www.theplace2dance.com
