January 28, 2007

"Sutra Dance Theatre overcame long, tedious train journeys, rickety makeshift stages and even threats to win the hearts of Indian audiences across the sub-continent with their performances of the odissi and the bharatanatyam"

.Sutra2

Dancing through India

January 27, 2007

"Dance in church? It can be a moving religious experience!"

.

Dancing in church isn't such a bad idea

January 26, 2007

"Five dancers are profiled here, sharing how they became interested, where they learned and the pleasures that dancing brings them"

.Edwards1

Step by step: Dancing to their own beat

"Richard asks if dancers are born with an ability to twirl their way to the top or if, by putting in some serious practice, anyone can learn to dance; discovers the importance of rhythm and discipline and if his gangly legs are elegant or an impediment"

.

A toe-tapping Quest for dance

"Miami people are more motivated to go beyond training, they want to build relationships," ... "Fitness is about enjoying the activity and connecting with others."

.

Staying fit in Miami

January 25, 2007

"An English country dance consists of about 15 or 16 people weaving through a series of movements with rotating partners"

.

Country dancing boast urban appeal

January 24, 2007

"men's dances were flashy rhythmic routines of virtuosic stamping and clapping... couples' dances had a new liveliness. The men turned their female partners through whirling patterns, bodies uplifted while their black boots determinedly hit the ground"

.Folk1

Dancing for the people

January 23, 2007

“When I dance with my wife, she says, ‘What are you doing?’ ”

.

Tango talk

January 22, 2007

"It's a great feeling to realize you can dance when you thought you had two left feet"

.

Former wallflowers venturing onto the dance floor for a spin

January 21, 2007

"At almost 70 years of age, Ruth Kanaris can wiggle like a 20-year-old. She can shimmy. She can flirt. She can shake her booty."

.

You're never too old to belly dance

January 20, 2007

"Wednesdays are free for the ladies but the cover is steep for the guys: about $20"

.

Need help looking into the nightlife of Taiwan?

January 19, 2007

"When they say "allemande left" in Germany or Japan, it's in English and it means the same move we learned back home, ... You name a country, and you can square dance there."

.Sd1

Local square dance club always up for a hoedown

January 18, 2007

"It's interesting that as a licensed marriage and family counselor, I see couples dancing the way they communicate"

.

Shakin' the Tail Feathers at South County Dance Club

January 17, 2007

"the United States doesn't yet have a hotel dedicated to dancing, it does have a number of ballroom dance getaways, places where, for at least a short while, you can spin, dip, pivot and sidestep the nights — and days — away"

.Roof1

Hit the road for some ballroom dancing

January 16, 2007

"tango is often called 'war of the legs' by beginning dancers whose legs are slashed and bruised by sharp kicks and high heels,... is no other dance in which dancers touch as much, apply as much pressure or cross feet as often as in the Argentine tango"

.Tango3

Club enjoys taste of tango

January 15, 2007

"spent a few years at home with her daughters; ... re-entered the workplace as a writer, doing stories about ... for her neighborhood newspaper ... She met some fifth-graders taking ballroom dancing classes and preparing for a competition ..."

.Amy1

Amy Sewell 'Takes Five'

'Mad Hot Ballroom' writer wanted to put positive spin on life

January 14, 2007

"I guess it’s only fair that I should step on stage and attempt to trip the light fantastic myself. So when they asked me to take part in their ... dance challenge, it sounded like a lot of fun"

.

Last tango in Victoria

January 13, 2007

"To b-boys and b-girls, these are a few of the energizing moves that flow together to create jaw-dropping break-dance performances"

.

Breakdancing Community Growing In Madison

January 12, 2007

"To those who have yet to fulfill their dream of dancing with the stars, the next best thing is available: dancing with the star's mom"

.Swayze1

'Dirty Dancing' and so much more taught at Swayze dance studio

January 11, 2007

"My classmates and my administrators brought it to my attention that we need to clean up the dance floor,'' said Alesia Bradford, 17, senior class president. ''I think the students paid attention. A lot of people wanted to learn"

.Chacha1

Cha-cha changes afoot

January 10, 2007

"Cotillion is a ballroom dancing social that became defunct more than 30 years ago because of organizational and participation issues"

.Cotillion1

Breathing new life into Smyrna's Cotillion

“Girls are telling us it is so cool and so much fun, and even after just four weeks they are amazed by the toning and strength in their upper bodies"

.Pole1

Pole dancing for fun, fitness

January 09, 2007

"If you ask a couple if they know a dance called the shag, their faces might turn blank. But once they get the groove of the dance moves, there may be no stopping them"

.

Little-known 'shag' dance attracts loyal following

January 08, 2007

"swears up and down that ballroom dancing is tougher and more fun than any gym workout"

.

Out (and up) in the air

If fun to you doesn't mean trying to outsweat a bunch of guys in a stuffy gym, here are some other ways to melt off those pounds

January 07, 2007

"While there are countless dance clubs ..., it's slim pickin's for those of us boomers or even some Gen-Xers (read: too old for MTV but way too young for the AARP discount at Denny's)"

.Boomer1

Dancing with the baby boomers

"I was afraid of dance because all the girls would come running after me calling `come Marcel, lets dance'. I would run away in embarrassment. You know how it is -- boys think dance is stupid"

.Lombok1

Tripping Lombok's light fantastic

January 06, 2007

"In addition to the pink tractor, the lady tractors in the group are yellow, orange and red"

.

Square-dancing tractors to do-si-do at Farm Show

January 05, 2007

"under Iran's Islamic laws men are not allowed to watch women dance"

.

Iranian VP in 'dancing women' controversy

Iran arrests employees of news site which showed vice president applauding dancing women in Turkey

"the grand finale of the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s series of “traditional” dancing exhibitions will be the grandest of finales"

.Tractors1

Tractor dancers land Farm Show gig

January 04, 2007

"It is amazing to see how people getting together to dance can change their whole picture of life"

.

Salsa and merengue enliven some cold winter nights in Portland

"seventh in the World IDO Salsa Championships in Austria last year, 13th in the European IDO Salsa Championship in Italy, and sixth in the UK Salsa Open Championships"

Lea1 .

Salsa pair hope moves inspire youngsters

January 03, 2007

"I do all sorts of stuff. I go to the gym. I jog. I rollerblade. I ski, ... but I find that music and dancing is something that nothing beats"

.Ormston1

Uptown dance studio offers students a taste of the ballroom blitz

January 02, 2007

“This is healthier; the negative toxins go away"

.

Dancing for health

"I had to order Peter to get closer to me and be more sexy on the dance floor"

.

Come Dancing star reveals Schmeichel passion secrets

January 01, 2007

"Over-indulgence wasn't a problem, with not one but two bands to help the crowd work up a sweat as they bid farewell to an old year and welcomed a new"

.Molik1

Jammin' in the Jungle at the Hopman Cup Ball

December 31, 2006

"the Habaneros dance in back-room bars to the beat of the Afro-Cuban All Stars and overdubbed salsa pop, clothing only accentuates the most flamboyant dancers, the good dancers let their skin and their moves produce the show"

.

Getting to know Cuba

December 30, 2006

"The ballroom was a hot spot for New York society from 1930 until it closed in 1970"

.Pierre1 Pierre2

$90m cash for New York 'sky chateau'

For sale: New York's château in the sky. All you need is $70m cash (and the right face)

December 29, 2006

"They say you can tell a man's lovemaking skills by the way that he dances"

.

Salsa Dancing

December 28, 2006

"the magic and elegance of a Viennese ballroom is to be re-created"

.

Enjoy a ballroom dance

“When I talked to people who were interested in coming to these events, ballroom dancing was a common thread"

.

Big Band ballroom bash planned for New Year's Eve

The 20-piece Todd Sullivan Orchestra, led by the Reading Symphony Orchestra's first violinist, will bring in the new year at the Olympian Ballroom.

December 27, 2006

"they asked if we could bring back more dancing, so we’re giving them more dancing"

.

Dancers Welcome at First Night This Year

"Tractor drivers will complete the moves of their boot-stomping counterparts, complete with music and callers"

.

TRACTORS TO ‘DANCE’ AT PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW

"many of those same people are smiling after a few of the beginner lessons that are offered at the start of each evening of dance"

.Bluemoon1

Blue Moon Ballroom holding grand opening

"In the setting at the Blue Moon you can feel comfortable just hanging out with a good cup of cappuccino and socializing."

“Dance is a lifesaver for us"

.

Dance fever swings into Weston

December 26, 2006

"Clogging really lifts your spirits and it's been a great exercise"

.

Sierra Vista woman crazy about clogging

December 25, 2006

"movie about a hyper-rhythmic penguin who saves his flock with his dancing feet is the best thing to happen to tap since Fred Astaire"

.

Happy Feet's tappy feat

Dance form gives flick a boost and vice versa

December 24, 2006

"nothing is as captivating as color and movement on the dance floor"

.

Put on your dancing shoes

You're out to kick up your heels and have a good time, so let your clothing reflect it.

"it will open up a whole new dimension in our programming"

.

Anime Boston to host formal ball

the largest anime convention in the Northeast and ranked among the top 10 in the country, today announced a new event, the Cherry Blossom Ball

December 23, 2006

"We try to tell them that it's something fun, that they actually get to hold a girl without getting in trouble"

.

Students enjoy ballroom cha-cha challenge

December 22, 2006

"men had an issue with ballroom dancing -- they thought it was for sissies -- but this season, with Mario, Joey and especially Emmitt, ... really changed those people's minds."

.

'Dancing' will waltz into the Key

"investors spent $3-million to refurbish it and reopen it as a ballroom in the old glamorous style, with red-and-gold décor"

Dancing the dreary decades awayShanghai1

Shanghai's prerevolutionary ballroom is again the venue for light-footed old-timers keen on ...

December 21, 2006

"after initial feigned befuddlement, he breaks into full-on Bollywood dance moves, in sync with the others"

Gods and Lovers

During their massive, five-day Indian wedding, a local couple was worshipped

December 20, 2006

"a gift certificate to an Arthur Murray Dance Studio"

Camille Wojtasiak: Dancing Queen

"intentions to remodel itself into a more intimate, lounge-type joint"

Ringing it backwards

December 19, 2006

"I think bringing the hockey, the athleticism and the agility ... to ballroom give us a new and a different kind of ballroom."

Dancing, Hockey StyleHockey1

.

"combine travel with dance wherever I could"

Passion for dance is a huge step for travel pair

"Nightlife, then as now, was losing out to bankers and millionaires and bottles"

Kristinnadia Put a Cork in It

"It's good exercise — mentally, spiritually and physically"

Seniors cut a rug

December 18, 2006

"Wheelchair ballroom dance classes aren’t just for the disabled"

The dancing chair

a sprung floor system which transforms dancing into electricity

The dancefloor that generates power

About Why Dance

  • The underlying theme here is 'why dance'. It is focused on participation instead of spectating. In this blog we seek to cover the very broad range and scope of social-recreational dance (SRD). The sources are news articles, blogs and other periodic media rather than websites. Some forms of SRD are found in the media much more frequently than others; and some forms are not found there. "Why Dance" offers an opportunity for you to explore an awesome variety of ways of participating in social-recreational dancing.

TV & Movies

  • There are many excellent SRD stories that I just don't have time to add to "Why Dance". These include stories on television shows, both popular and not-well-known (on WE and other channels), and on movies, and on stage-theater shows. I keep thinking that I will run across one or more excellent blogs focused on the SRD television shows, and the SRD movies and stage shows; but so far I have not (I love the DWTS articles of Linda Holmes of MSNBC, but I'm not finding a blog); when I do I'll start a blogroll.

Michael Hanrahan

  • "I love dancing! ... but that doesn't mean I'm any good." ;-) And I love promoting social-recreational dancing; especially the people and businesses providing the wonderful opportunity to participate. In my opinion social-recreational dancing is one of the best possible ways that people can address and satisfy many of their desires, goals, and aspirations, particularly in regard to their physical, social, emotional, attitudinal, spiritual and mental well-being. "Go Dance!!"

Links

  • Broken links: Links are tested when posted and randomly later; you can report broken links most easily by Comment (unposted) or email. We greatly appreciate bringing it to our attention since some pages are moved by their hosts.

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