This President can Dance!

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle dance
© AFP Timothy A. Clary

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - "First of all, how good looking is my wife?" Obama cooed to wild applause from the crowd gathered for the very first ball which began a long night of 10 special dances ushering in the Obama era .

Clearly enjoying their moment, the couple kicked off their first dance of the night to Beyonce singing "At Last," the signature song of blues singer Etta James, at what was dubbed "the neighborhood ball."

Billed as the ball for ordinary Americans, community activists and grass-roots organizers had come from far and wide to take part in history.

"You can tell that's a black president, by the way he was moving," joked actor Jamie Foxx as the couple finished after twirling and waltzing, while Beyonce serenaded them from one side of the stage.

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill dance at the Neighborhood Ball
© AFP Stan Honda

First Lady Michelle Obama also showed off her white, one-shouldered flowing gown, studded with applique embroidery and accessorized with thin diamond bracelets, a huge ring and dangling earrings, with peep-toe white shoes.

The dress was designed by young Taiwanese-born designer Jason Wu, who has been in the fashion business for just three years.

"We got the idea of the neighborhood ball, because we are neighborhood people. And I cut my teeth doing neighborhood work," Obama, looking dapper in a black tuxedo and white bow tie, told the crowd.

"If you think about the word, neighborhood starts with neighbor because it indicates a sense that Americans are bound together by what we have in common, much more than what drives us apart."

Some 2,000 people gathered in the ballroom were treated to a rare line-up of stars, including will.i.am, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5.

Ballroom Story- "Come Dance!"

Barb Kaitz

A wise teacher of mine once explained, that the desire or reason you are drawn to something often is not what keeps you with it.

Not long ago, I realized I wanted to learn to dance and had wanted to for a long time, yet never acted on my desire! I admitted (to myself) that if I didn’t do something about my interest in dance soon, it would simply never happen. It was a deep desire…I wanted to move to the music effortlessly and I realized that it took great effort, instruction and discipline to accomplish that! I listened to my heart and I began studying ballroom dance. The nuances, techniques, styles and dances were hypnotizing me and I was addicted. As I committed more time and brain power to my dancing, I finally had the epiphany that I was stepping out of my box, out of my safe-haven, out of my comfort zone and into a new world and a different box. A box that moved and had its own rhythm. Music held new meaning and new messages, as did “partnership” and many other familiar words like: “step”, “feel”, “listen”, “lift”…and of course – even “box!”

Every Child Has known God,
Not the God of names,
Not the God of don’ts,
Not the God who ever does
Anything weird,
But the God who only knows four words
And keeps repeating them, saying:
‘Come dance with me.’
Come Dance.

I accepted the invitation. I went and I danced…. I danced 12 different dances. I had newcomer entries, beginner entries and intermediate entries. All I could think of was that I was insane for any and all entries! And then I was escorted onto the dance floor for my first official dance! All doubt evaporated! I knew all along that I was blessed with a magnificent teacher. I was well prepared. I was ready! I was in a way, Liza Doolittle!

I had been groomed on everything…really, everything. I knew how to walk on to the dance floor and I knew how to exit the floor. I knew how to dress and “coif”. On the outside, well, it was a pleasant picture….but my dancing came from some where inside.

My teacher, a many time Ballroom Champion had drilled me with technique. I was even beginning to feel less mechanical and more expressive as a dancer. The greatest achievement for me was in trusting my teacher and myself. Forrest Vance and I were a dance team when we stepped on the floor together. Forrest had been patient and diligent, exact and repetitive with me. He was funny and kind and precise and patient. Forrest taught me the rules, and the do’s and the don’ts, the how to’s, and he was PATIENT!

Forrest is my CHAMPION. He teaches magically. Forrest Vance was there to showcase me and I was there to “listen” to and follow him! He always told me that he would be my music. Grace and partnership were sure to envelop us on the floor. And it was a royal experience.

I cherish the excellence, dedication, wisdom, spirit, energy and talent of my teacher….the way he teaches and his great patience. It is my courage and his example that keep me dancing, not just the fun of it! His gentle yet strong and clear “lead” has power and panache. It’s no ordinary “box” with Forrest! It’s an honor to study with Forrest and it is that great honor and my respect for Forrest Vance that keep me on the “wood”! Perhaps

it’s no surprise that a quote by Jane Austen expresses my feeling about what could lie ahead for me… “Fine dancing, I believe like virtue, must be its own reward."

My teacher recognized my fascination and commitment. He led me out of my gentle predictable world to a dream of excitement, glitter and greater passion for dance when he combined the words goals and competition in the same sentence. We were talking about dancesport….not simple or simply dance now. The passion for excellence, the willingness for a firm foundation and the community of dance were all appealing so I was OK with setting goals. The concept of competition was uncomfortable and unpleasant!

It was unfamiliar; it didn’t sit or dance well within me! Competition is not thrilling or inviting to me. What a spin when I found myself in Tampa, at the Florida Superstars Competition with my teacher and 5 other of his students. I was amazed! Before arriving in Florida I pondered and panicked thinking of the rites of passage to this brave new world. Would the “wood” feel more like quicksand devouring me, or could I actually slide and skim and float across the “wood”, smoothly and seamlessly, with composure and elegance…….like a dancer!

Barbara's Links

http://www.forrestvance.com

Getting Started with Ballroom Dance

You really don't need much to get started with Ballroom Dance. Whether you've decided to become a professional, been inspired by a movie, want to meet people or get in shape, are gearing up for a wedding, reunion or party, or just think it might be a fun thing to explore, here are the basics to get started. You need:

• A partner
• A place to dance
• Music
• Shoes
• Some sort of instruction

You can get into ballroom dancing for no money - literally! If you have a partner, have space to dance in your garage or basement, can use some old shoes, and get a video at the library or take a free class, you're dancing for free!

Most of us will decide to spend a little (or a lot) of money on one or more of these things.

A Partner

For me, this was obvious. I wanted to learn to dance with my finacee since we wanted to have dancing at our wedding. But if a partner doesn't come to mind, or if you want to learn to dance to meet people, you can join a class that accepts singles.

There are even classified ads for dance partners - On this site you can search by state or ZIP code - http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Classifieds/Partners/

A Place to Dance

We'd all love to have a great club that's open 24 hours a day, with food and drinks, great music, fabulous dancing couples to watch and scintillating table conversation between dances. If you find such a place (especially in my hometown of Tooele, Utah!) let me know.

In the meantime, anyplace with enough space to move around quite a bit is a good place to start. A concrete floor will do, a smooth floor (like epoxy or linoleum) is better, a wood floor is the best, and the easiest on knees, backs and ankles because it has some "give."

Music

Again, the library is a good place to start, or the Internet. Make sure you listen to music before you buy it. Share recordings with other couples in your class to get started inexpensively. Or start with a mixed CD that will let you explore a style before you move on.

Shoes

Shoes should be comfortable, but should definitely NOT be sneakers or trainers, which grip the floor. For most styles of dance, you will want to have a little bit of "slip" on the floor while still having good control. Choose shoes that are comfortable and have good arch support. It's good to practice in shoes you're going to "perform" in, or as close as you can get. I practiced for weeks in the shoes I was going to wear for the wedding, and was really happy that I did.

You might eventually want to look for costumes, since that's part of the fun, but I'll leave that to your instructor.

Some sort of Instruction

You may choose private lessons, a regular class, or just start with videos. I would recommend getting a video or two, or at least looking at some instructional materials on the Web. There are some really great visuals and definitions of concepts (Line of Dance, Foot Positions, Dance Positions, etc.) on the site below.

http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Default.asp

Many studios offer an introductory lesson. This is a great opportunity to see if the course is a good fit for you - to see if the starting place, pace of instruction, style of dance, and personality of the people involved are a good "fit" for your goals and objectives.

There are even vacation "dance camps" for those who have the time and want to combine learning to dance with a vacation.

Once you've located a partner, a place to dance, music, shoes and some sort of instruction; you're on your way! Some of these things will change as you advance with dancing, others might stay the same. You might graduate to a different class or instructor, splurge on some great dance shoes, or take off on a professional career! In any case, you're on your way.

Best wishes to you, and let us know how it works out!