We have long wanted to talk about this rather trending topic.

Have you ever noticed that in network dance schools people are being trained for many years with little progress?

What does a network dance school mean? A network dance school is a franchise business, just like McDonald’s. Each school has its own owner, but all of them have the same or similar structure that they follow. The general policy of such schools is focused on keeping the students as long as possible; hence, they slow down the learning progress, so their clients keep coming back for lessons.

The questions is how to find out if you are being held back from progressing? Here is what you might want to pay attention to:

1. In one lesson, you are taught 3 or more dances at once.

On an average, the duration of one lesson is 45 minutes, 10 minutes of which is a mandatory conversation. Give yourself another 5 to 10 minutes for a warmup, and you are left with 25 minutes to learn three new dances. It's only 8 minutes per dance, which is less than the conversation or warmup time.

Dancing can be compared to a body language. In each lesson you learn to speak as if every dance is like a new language. There are related languages, as well as there are similar dances. For example, Waltz and Foxtrot; each has a completely different dialect that requires time to be learned. On the other hand, there are completely different languages as well as dances such as East Coast Swing and Tango.

What would you say if you wanted to learn a new language and you were taught three languages at once in one lesson: 8 minutes German, 8 minutes Italian, and 8 minutes Chinese? How much would you remember? You would have everything mixed up in your head, right? But that's what happens when Rumba, Foxtrot, and Tango are being taught all at once. You will keep taking lessons and stay at the bronze level for years. Some do that for decades.

This is a specific approach that gives the impression that you are learning many different dances, but, in fact, you are not learning nearly as much as you think.

2. Furthermore, you are being taught just the steps but nothing about the dance itself is being explained.

You don't know what type of dance it is and what is the difference between them, where it is from, or why it is danced this way. You are being taught just a set of movements that are not related to each other without explanation on how they can be developed. It's like learning a language from a dictionary by just memorizing individual words, and not knowing how to put them in sentences. Yes, you can learn a certain amount of words, but words are not a language. Eventually, you will be able to explain what you need, but you will never be able to communicate freely with others.

So, a set of steps is not a dance!

The instructor’s responsibility is to first give a general idea, an understanding of  the dance as a whole system.

Why is it important? Because understanding the whole gives you perspective and escalated progress in the dance.

3. You are being “sugar coated”.

Your dance instructor makes you feel like you are the best dancer if not in the world then at least in the studio. They compliment you all the time, showing their interest in your dog’s daily routine… If you make a mistake, they prefer not to focus on it, or will apply the normalization method without explaining why it’s happening and what would be the process to fix the problem.

What is the normalization method?

During special trainings, dance teachers are taught how to enter into emotional contact with their students and most importantly create a feeling in them that they are the coolest and everything works out for them. If a student makes a mistake, tell them that it's okay and don’t concentrate the attention on that. It is important to create the feeling that the student is making great progress with little effort!

How do you know if this method is being applied to you?

Your instructor praises you and says that everything is working out great for you, but  your questions are left unanswered, and deep down you feel that you’re not being told the full truth; however, you like hearing that. Be careful not to become addicted to compliments.

With that being said, sugar coating slows down any learning progress, including dancing, since nobody pays attention to your mistakes and helps you to fix them. Instead, you become addicted to “feeling good” and loose your focus on the progress.

Now, knowing the secrets of slowing down the learning progress that many dance schools use, you can determine for yourself if this is something you’re willing to pay for with your time and wallet.

In the US, most dance schools do not provide dance instructions but only commercial services.

Dance Amadis Ballroom is proud of its unique way of teaching that allows our students to progress in their skills faster and truly look beautiful on the dance floor.

Have you heard that our student, Ruzanna Tarannik, took most of the first places in her division at the annual Palm Beach Classic Ballroom Competition.

Last weekend Palm Beach hosted an open ballroom dancing competition.

Traditionally, not only the majority of Florida ballroom dance schools participate in it, but also schools from other states across the country.

The Palm Beach Classic was a full day of friendly competitive dancing, followed by dinner and general dancing. This incredible ballroom dance competition was held at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

The Palm Beach Classic, presented by Colleen Christman is an exciting dance competition in West Palm Beach, Florida that is sanctioned by the NDCA (National Dance Council of America, Inc.).

Our student Ruzanna Tarannik has recently started dancing at our school.

Only two years ago she took her first steps on our dance floor.

She didn't go to win, she just went to dance and have fun. But, when you are so good at something, you often want to see how you compare to others. That is what Ruzanna did in this competition.

Our unique teaching method allows rapid progress in dancing, even for people who have never danced before.

An obvious piece of evidence of Ruzanna's success was her first place in the nomination for smooth style in the following:

Three 2-dance challenges - 1st place

Two 3-dance challenges - 1st place

One scholarship - 1st place

 

This is not only a reflection of her incredible success in the corresponding competition categories, but also the success of our dance school as a whole.

In addition, she received the following placements in Rhythm:

Three 2-dance challenges - 1st place

One 3-dance challenge -1st place

One 3-dance challenge - 2nd place 

One scholarship - 2nd place

 

Results published and available for review at https://ndcapremier.com/results/?cyi=1101

We heartily congratulate the winner of the Palm Beach Classic Ballroom Competition, Ruzanna Tarannik, and wish her continued success.

We want dance to inspire and be a source of joy and energy.

 

What about you? Are you ready to let joy into your life?

Most dance studios offer two ways of learning to dance: in a group and individually. How do you know which one is right for you?

When you decide to do something different in your life, it is likely that you spend some time considering how to go about it. The same applies for learning to dance.

Someone thinks that when they come to a dance studio, there will be people who dance better than them. For many people, this is a frustrating situation. For such people, we would recommend private classes with a teacher in an individual format.

Of course, individual dance lessons are much more effective than group lessons, because they provide a different quality of dance and allow the instructor to provide you with more attentive advice.

Now we can talk about when it is beneficial to choose private over group lessons

1) If you want more attention to be paid to you and have the teacher work only with you, then the individual format of dance classes is exactly right for you

2) As we said, if you don't want to be left behind in a group, if you feel like you have "two left feet" and can't learn as fast as everyone else

3) If you are planning to get married and want to prepare a wedding dance, then this option is 100% suitable for you

4) If you want to get a completely different quality of dance

5) If you want to participate in dance competitions and win

6)  You need a flexible schedule and cannot attend classes in the evening when the groups are running

What does another quality of dance mean?

WHAT IS THE MAIN THING IN DANCE?
DO NOT STEP ON YOUR PARTNER'S FEET!

You may think that you are not a bad dancer.
But at the same time you sometimes stumble, step on your partner’s feet or pull on their hands, then the dance is not at its best potential quality.

A high-quality dance is a pure dance, without twitching and stumbling, and individual lessons can provide you with such a result.

When should you attend to group classes?

1) If you want to make new friends

2) Get more communication and socialize

3) Save money

While private lessons are the best way to quickly and efficiently learn to dance, they are not the cheapest way. Because of this, if you wish to spend less money and learn to dance with different people, group lessons are the best choice for you.

Learning to dance can be compared to learning a new spoken language. Only in this case, you are learning a new body language.

Therefore, you must understand that you will not be a professional dancer after just a couple months, it takes time and money and your desire to get to that level.

So, what's the best way to learn?

I would say the best option is to combine private lessons with group lessons. This is the way that gives you the best result.
You get the best of both worlds because you get to socialize in group lessons and still get the best quality of dance by studying individually with your instructor.

By the way, Dance Amadis is the only dance school in Palm Coast where you can sign up for group classes even if you don't take private lessons because we want as many people as possible to learn how to dance.

Dance and have fun, doctors point out that people who dance, on average, live 3-5 years longer than those who don't dance.

Dance Amadis Ballroom Instructor - Alex Pavlov.

As is the case for most people, December was a very busy and eventful month for Dance Amadis Ballroom and its members. On December 13th and 14th, dance coach Babette returned to the studio. For those of you who do not remember, Babette provided professional coaching and one-on-one lessons for our students back in September.  She could not have come at a better time, as our students were able to receive coaching right before they headed to the last competition of the year.

 

We attended The City’s Dancesport Challenge hosted by Igor Litvinov at the TWA Hotel. A black-tie gala was hosted on the 16th. The gala included dinner, social dancing, a live performance by Daniel Tackett, and a Samurai performance by Zen Takai. On the 17th, students from studios all over the states performed in the Dancesport Challenge. As always, professional dancers Dmity and Olena Nikishkin, Valerio Colantoni and Anna Demidova, and Jessa Mae Briones and Francesco Arietta showcased beautiful choreographies throughout the event.

 

It is clear that the lessons with Babette paid off, because all three competitors from Dance Amadis Ballroom placed in their respective categories. Sandie, one of our first students, placed first in 3 different dance challenges, and second in one. She also received first place in both smooth and rhythm scholarships. Ruzanna secured four first places and two second places, as well as second place in smooth and rhythm scholarships. Lilliana placed first four times, got one second place, and one third place. She also received third place in the rhythm and second in the smooth scholarship. But our dancers didn’t stop there! Lilliana won the Top Bronze Student Award, and Ruzanna was the Top Overall Student. Due to the hard work of our students and instructors, Germine Amadis received the Top Teacher award yet again.

On the 21st, Dance Amadis members ventured to Ponte Vedra to attend the grand opening of our friend’s dance studio, Arthur Murray Ponte Vedra Beach. The event was filled with prize contests, salsa lessons, dance games, and performances. Germine and Ruzanna were asked to perform the East Coast Swing with no prior warning, which they danced beautifully. The dance community would not be what it is today without the support that dancers provide each other. If you live in the Ponte Vedra area, we encourage you to stop by Arthur Murray Ponte Vedra Beach.

On the 26th, we hosted a VIP Christmas Party. This event was open only to those that attend private lessons. Guests got to walk a red carpet to get into the studio, so they had to dress accordingly. Owners Mila and Germine provided the guests with hor d’oeuvres and wine to celebrate the holiday season and an amazing year of dance. The attendees participated in charades, white elephant, and, of course, dancing.

The last event of the year was an open-to-the-public dance social on December 28th. The event had a great turnout and was filled with lots of dancing. Additionally, there were many performances from our owners, instructors, and students, along with a wedding dance. Guests were served champagne, chocolate, and strawberries to usher in the New Year.

Before we go, we would also like to make an announcement that we have added a new group dance class to our schedule. We now teach Caribbean Dance and Rueda de Casino on Mondays at 6pm and 6:45pm respectively. We hope to see you there!

This month, the Dance Amadis Ballroom Studio had the privilege of attending the Boca Ballroom Dancesport Competition. The event was hosted by Mark Nocera and Helle Rusholt-Yl at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa from August 18th – 20th. Owner and instructor, Mila Loguntsova, danced with her student, Gregory Clements. Dancing the waltz, tango, and foxtrot at the Bronze level, Gregory secured first place for all three. Together, Mila and Gregory also participated in three dance challenges where they were evaluated as dance partners, winning first place twice and second place once. Clearly, the hours of hard work and practice in the studio paid off!

Owners and instructors Mila Loguntsova and Germine Amadis invited Babette Brown to the studio to teach an upper body styling workshop and host private coaching lessons. The open-to-the-public workshop took place on August 24th, and the coaching lessons were on August 24th and 25th. Babette has been in the ballroom industry for over thirty years, holding titles such as Scottish Professional Latin Champion, Scottish Professional 10 Dance Representative, FADS National Latin Champion, FADS National Smooth Finalist, NDCA and WDC Adjudicator, and Dance Vision Examiner. Based in Los Angeles, California, Babette Brown took time out of her busy schedule to travel to Florida and work with aspiring dancers.

Babette Brown also offered private coaching lessons for students on August 24th and 25th. Here students were provided a one-on-one hour and a half long lesson where they were able to focus on and improve the areas of dance and movement that they were most unsure of. After attending the workshop, private lesson, or both, the students were stunned with how much they had learned about movement and dance in such a short amount of time. Babette’s decades of experience were not lost on the students, who shared their dashing reviews with the studio:

Lilianna Tarannik (dancing for 1.5 years): “After the coaching I felt a lot more confident in myself in terms of my skills and dancing overall. I felt more grounded, too, and from her input I understand dancing in a much different perspective now.” Lilianna expressed how Babette’s coaching showed her how to truly express herself when she dances, without holding back. “…the way she explained gaining confidence and creating a character also made me feel better about myself and I feel like I don’t have to be a certain way, I can just be myself and bring that out to the fullest extent.”

Ruzanna Tarannik (dancing for 1.5 years): “I loved how precise and confident she [Babette] was when she spoke and explained things. She really knows how to make you believe in their capabilities.” Ruzanna explained how she not only learned more about dance, but also about her own body. “I have a much better understanding of my body and how I can make it move to the maximum of its abilities.”

Delia Iris (dancing for 1 year): “I SO enjoyed the workshop last night. It was a great physical and mental challenge, yet Babette presented everything SO well and in such an understandable, relatable way!!” Delia went on to say that it was unlike any other workshop that has ever been brought to the Flagler County area, saying that it had “completely transformed the way I understand and look at bodywork, body control, and expression in dance.”