Why Some Dance Studios Prosper

Posted on June 2, 2013 by WildBill

Wilddancer’s research into the social couples dancing industry so far suggests that the overall demand for dance lessons is either declining or not growing enough to say so. We spent a couple of days visiting studios in Las Vegas, and came away with some impressions. Dance studios are small organizations and the owners are usually busy teaching, so there wasn’t time for lengthy, in-depth discussions. But a few things stood out. First, like any other business, the better the quality and quantity of effort and thought you put in, the better the results you get. Second, as the nature of the demand changes you have to change with the times and make your offerings match the demand. (The best example here may be Hip Hop. There isn’t any standard version of this. But likely some of the pieces will end up coalescing into a meaningful whole or changing the look of some of the other “street dances”. In any case, it seemed that the more successful studios all offered Hip Hop; we didn’t have time to sample their offerings, but we suspect that they were quite dissimilar.) Third, with all the other things competing for the mindshare of dancers (and prospective future dancers), you have to be opportunistic. (We were particularly impressed with the “Wine, Dine & Dance” event held subsequently by DanceCenter on May 25 that “did well by doing good”, raising over $1,200 for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.)

2013 Stanford Big Dance Allnighters

Posted on May 13, 2013 by WildBill

At least 125 enthusiastic dancers danced until 6 am at the 20th annual Stanford Big Dance May 10/11. Naturally Richard Powers had attended all 20 years, but the list also included folks who had been there 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 years, as well as numerous (and mysterious) Triple Crown and Gang of 13 attendees.

New Waltzing Book by Powers & Enge

Posted on May 10, 2013 by WildBill

Teaming up with Nick Enge, Stanford’s Richard Powers has extended his already wide-ranging coverage of new and old variations on the waltz to extol the benefits to one’s living style in “Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living”. All ballroom dancers are familiar with the slow waltz, and more advanced ones with the fast Viennese waltz, but far fewer with the new cross-step waltz, and likely fewer with the older mazurka and hambo. And the truly adventuresome waltz geeks will want to try the five-step waltz and seven-step waltz, naturally in 5/4 time and 7/4 time respectively. Likewise, the authors have broadened the list the usual benefits of music, physical activity, and touch to include such aspects of living itself as social relationships, smiling/laughing, and giving. In keeping with the times, the publication of the book was crowd-funded. Sign up for a pre-publication copy ($20) here. Copies should be available in early June.

Retirees Burn Up Dance Floor in Florida

Posted on April 16, 2013 by WildBill

According to E. S. Browning in the April 16 edition of the Wall Street Journal, lots of folks in their 60’s and 70’s who have retired to Florida aren’t just playing golf or watching the ocean waves; they are jamming the South Florida bars and dancing. “Some are singles doing things they haven’t done since high school, this time without parental guidance.” To read the article please click on this link to the Wall Street Journal

Wilddancer Helps Survey Debonair Dancers Dinner-Dance Group Members

Posted on April 10, 2013 by WildBill

Couples dancing is social dancing. Even for long-married couples, romance is in the air. And the opportunity to enjoy a nice meal (and drinks) while talking with old friends or making new ones is a wonderful prelude to an evening of dancing. But it takes some effort to keep a dinner-dance group intact and lively. One such group is Debonair Dancers, located in Silicon Valley (where there are lots of other things to do). We at Wilddancer served as their consultant to survey their members during the first calendar quarter of 2013. You can see the results at survey.

Good Tempos for Exercising, Dancing

Posted on April 5, 2013 by WildBill

Quoting Costas Karageorghis, deputy head of research at the School of Sport and Education at London’s Brunel University, the April 2, 2013 Wall Street Journal says workout music between 125 and 140 beats per minute is best to boost stamina and motivation. Of the 17 couples dances that Wilddancer covers today, for which the standards federations or experienced teachers give tempo ranges, 7 of them are in this range, 6 are slower, and 4 are faster. Given our focus, we’d say that all 17 are fine for motivation because they are fun. Officially slower ones such as the (slow) waltz and the bolero are more romantic than fitness-producing, but samba, hustle, and polka are energetic … at least as measured by the sweating and shortness of breath they produce. And the faster ones–quick step, Viennese waltz, salsa/mambo, and country two-step generally use songs of shorter duration (except many salsas are long … maybe a measure of macho for male dancers).

Germans Protest Good Friday Dance Ban

Posted on March 31, 2013 by WildBill

Although the role of religion continues to diminish in Germany, strict rules against dancing on religious holidays are still in place. But according to the March 29, 2013 Wall Street Journal, these rules are increasingly being challenged. Traditionalists say that the dancers can dance 364 days a year, while reformers say “I’ll let you play, you let me dance”. We are betting on the reformers, though we doubt that there is much couples (touch) dancing of the sort this blog focuses on. But any dancing is better than none.

Politics, Other Trends Hurt Swing Dancing

Posted on March 27, 2013 by WildBill

The popularity of couples dancing rises and falls over time, affected by lots of causes and other trends, as chronicled by a Wall Street Journal article on March 18, 2013 and a subsequent letter to the editor on March 25. (East Coast) Swing music played by touring big bands such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman attracted a lot of dancers during the 1930’s and first half of the 1940’s, but it declined following the end of World War II, apparently a victim of several factors, including (1) the 1942-44 musicians’ union strike against the record companies, (2) the 1944 “cabaret tax” on venues that combined food, drink, and dancing, (3) wartime shortages of commodities that curtailed the amount of traveling that could be done by the bands, (4) loss of musicians to the military, (5) formation of BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) that collected royalties from businesses who played music and distributed them to composers and publishers, enabling new forms of music such as R&B (rhythm and blues) and country to receive funding, combined with migration from the south of listeners and dancers who preferred this music over swing. This didn’t destroy couples dancing, but it changed the music that people listened to while dancing. For the most part Baby Boomers (born 1946-1963) grew up on rock & roll, and don’t identify closely with the older swing music. And in about 1963, it is said, the Twist destroyed touch dancing.

Dancing: Better than your Mobile Device

Posted on March 26, 2013 by WildBill

A human being’s “vagal tone” keeps you healthy by regulating your critical internal systems such as your cardiovascular, glucose, and immune response. According to the March 24, 2013 New York Times, Barbara L. Fredrickson, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and her research team, conducted a study showing that vagal tone is improved by your spending face-to-face time with other people. While there are lots of other opportunities for this people interaction, dancing is an ideal one.

Dancing Improves Your Balance and Vice Versa

Posted on March 19, 2013 by WildBill

The March 12, 2013 Wall Street Journal, reminds us that good balance for surfboarding, like dancing, requires vision inner ear, and proprioception. That balance can be improved by using balance equipment to challenge the proprioception system, and by closing your eyes or nodding your head up and down to make the vestibular system of your inner ear work and adapt.