Workshop Announcement

As we come upon 2011 (can you believe ten percent of the century is already behind us?), it will soon be time to kick start your New Year's resolutions, and I have just the thing: a Tango Workshop. Mark this on your calendar:

• Saturday January 15, 2011
• 11AM-1PM
• Infinity Dance Center, 4428 Convoy Street, San Diego, 92111

This will be American Style Intermediate to Advanced level, so attendees must be experienced dancers. The Workshop is $10 if paid in advance, $12 at the door. You can register at Infinity, or anytime you see me. 

Balboa Park Dancers December Syllabus

I have posted the December syllabus in the Documents list at right, which you free to download and print at your convenience.

There is no class this Friday, as it is New Year's Eve. However, there will be a class on Sunday, which will be Waltz and West Coast Swing.

Thank you for attending this month.

Hustle Workshop-Post Game Wrap Up

Today I taught my long-awaited Hustle Workshop at Infinity Dance Center. For those of you who attended, thank you very much. Your support is greatly appreciated.

I have posted the syllabus of the material covered in the Workshop Syllabus Documents list on the right, which you can download and print. If you have one of the printed copies that I gave out at the studio, you will notice some differences (besides the faded ink). I always plan more material than I expect to cover, and this was no exception. Therefore, I only covered two of the three sections. I also made some clarifications and added more footnotes. I will teach the material that was missed sometime in the near future.

Balboa Park Dancers November Syllabus-Final; Coming in December

Hello everyone!


I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. I have completed and posted the November syllabus, which can be found by surfing over to the Documents list on the right.  Please feel free to download and print it for your use.

Coming in December 

Viennese Waltz and Niteclub Two-Step. Two really beautiful dances. We are dark most Fridays this month, but we will still cover a fair amount of material. See you this Sunday.

Saturday December 11, 2010. Hustle Workshop. Intermediate to Advanced level. 11AM-1PM. Infinity Dance Center.   Go ahead. Click on it. You know you want to.

How Is My Blog? 

I would like to get an idea as to how  effective my blog is. If you could leave a comment in the box below, I would greatly appreciate it. I read all comments, so if you want give feedback, I will consider it. If you cannot think of anything to say, just say "hello."

Thank you for your help.

Second Saturday at Synergy Dance Zone. I will be teaching the pre-party lesson to 7:30-8:00PM on Foxtrot. Yes, I will be there this time.

Workshop Announcement!!

Mark this on your calendar:

• Saturday December 11, 2010
• 11AM-1PM
• Infinity Dance Center

On this date I will be teaching a fun and fast-paced workshop on Hustle. The dance that began as a disco favorite from the 1970s, the Hustle has evolved to become a part of the canon of social dancing. Hustle borrows heavily from Mambo, Salsa, and Swing dancing, and can be danced to just about any popular music that has a reasonably fast beat such as Nightclub, Hip-Hop, R & B, Latin Fusion, Funk, and the list goes on.

The structure of the dance is fairly simple, but the possibilities for variations are endless. I will be teaching some new variations based on steps that will be familiar to anyone who has taken my classes at Balboa Park or SDSU, with particular emphasis placed on smooth execution.

Although I will cover some of the basics, this is an Intermediate to Advanced level workshop intended for experienced dancers.

Admission is $10 per person if registered and paid in advance, or $12 at the door. You can sign up at Infinity, 4428 Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa (San Diego 92111), or with me directly.

See you there.

Balboa Park Dancers November Syllabus-Update

Here is the material we have covered so far this month. I will post a complete and detailed syllabus in the documents list after the final class of the month.

Foxtrot

1. Open Right Turn
2. Open Left Turn
3. Weave
4. Progressive Spirals, Hesitation Developé, Continuity End
5. Open Left Turn

Samba

1. Basic
2. Reverse Turn
3. Travelling Bota Fogos
4. Basic (4 counts)
5. Whisks (4 cts)
6. Samba Walks (6 cts) Side Samba Walks (2cts)
7. Criss Cross Voltas
8. Shadow Bota Fogos
9. Whisks (4 cts)
10. Basic (4cts)
11. REPEAT FROM step 2

I will be out of town on Friday November 26, but will be back on Sunday November 28. My colleague Christian Wasinger will substitute for me on Friday.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

BLDC @ SDSU Session 2-Final

I have posted the final syllabus for Session 2 (both classes) of this semester in the "BLDC @ SDSU Documents" list at right. I had posted it a few days ago, but I discovered some errors, which I have since corrected.

Next week we start Session 3. The Tuesday Intermediate Class will be Quickstep & International Cha Cha. The Beginning Class will be Waltz & Hustle. Please note that there will not be a class Thursday November 11 in observance of Veteran's Day. The first Beginner's class will be on November 18.

Balboa Park Dancers October Syllabus-Final

October was quite a month for exciting new material at Balboa Park. I have posted the final version of this month's syllabus in "Balboa Park Dancers Syllabus Documents" list at the right. When you download it, you will notice that the layout is slightly different. That is because we covered so much material that I could not fit it all onto one two-column page. So you now have two pages to print. Hopefully, you will still find it to be well-organized and informative.

* * * CRASS COMMERCIAL MESSAGE* * *

If you are having any difficulty with any of the material or would like to further refine your dancing, please contact me to schedule a private lesson. You can call me at (619) 322-4670 or email me at sshowers@cox.net.

For the month of November, we are doing Foxtrot and Samba. Please note that we are dark this Friday, so our first meeting will be Sunday November 7.

Viennese Waltz Workshop-Post Game Wrap Up

I want to thank all of you who came out to my workshop today and made it such a success. I hope you enjoyed it and learned some new material to add to your repertoire. I have posted the syllabus in the Workshop Syllabus Documents list below.

Mark This Date: Saturday, December 11, 2010, 11AM-1PM

On this date I will be teaching (you guessed it) another workshop. The dance will be Intermediate to Advanced Hustle. Come on out and learn some new moves for the holiday season (or, for that matter, any other season). As usual, I will hold the workshop at Infinity Dance Center, 4428 Convoy Street, San Diego, 92111. Admission is $10 per person if paid in advance or $12 at the door.

Balboa Park Dancers September Syllabus-Update

So far this month we have done quite a lot of new steps at the Intermediate Class. Here is a list of what we have done so far:

Argentine Tango

1. 8 Count Basic
2. Ochos (from step 5 of Basic)
3. Back Ochos (from step 3)
4. Molinete

Cha Cha

1. Basic
2. Cross Body Spin, end in open position
3. Sliding Doors
4. Basic open to closed
5. Offset Breaks w/ Lady's Underarm Spin
6. Overhead Walkaround Turn
7. 3 Cha Chas

I will post the complete syllabus in the documents list at the end of the month. Thanks for attending my class and for visiting my site.

BLDC @ SDSU Update

I have posted the syllabi for Session 1, linked at right, for both the Beginning and Intermediate classes. Post a comment if you have any questions about the step list.

Balboa Park Dancers September Syllabus-Final; Argentine Tango in October

I have posted the complete September syllabus in a form that you can download and print.The link to it is found under "Balboa Park Dancers Syllabus Documents," on the right side of this page.


For the month of October, as you know, the dances are Tango and Cha Cha. However, in the Intermediate class only, I will be teaching Argentine Tango. If you attended my recent two-hour workshop on it, you will certainly enjoy this class, as I will include some of the same elements along with new material. If you have been attending either the Intermediate or Advanced classes recently, or are otherwise an experienced dancer, I encourage you to attend.

See you in class.

Workshop Announcement!!

Mark this on your calendar:

Saturday October 23, 2010
11AM-1PM
Infinity Dance Center


On this auspicious date I will be teaching a two-hour workshop on the oldest and most romantic Ballroom dance, the Viennese Waltz. Although I will be covering some basic steps, this is an Intermediate to Advanced level workshop intended for experienced dancers. I will conduct the workshop in two sections: in Part 1, I will concentrate on Closed Position material that maneuvers easily on a crowded floor, such as one might encounter at "A Night in Vienna." Part 2 will be devoted to Open Position and picture lines, material that requires more space.

Admission is $10 per person if registered and paid in advance or $12 at the door. You can sign up at Infinity, 4428 Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa (San Diego 92111), or with me directly. Also note that I am holding the workshop at 11AM.

See you there.

Mid Month Update at Balboa Park

Here is a list of what we have done so far this month. A detailed and printable syllabus will be published at the close of this month's session. See you Firday.

Waltz

1. Open Right Turn (ORT)
• Hover to Promenade Position
• Open Right Turn
• Open Impetus Turn
• Continuity Ending
2. Open Left Turn (OLT)
3. ORT w/ UA Pivots
• 1-6 ORT
• Outside UA Pivots (12&3)
• Hover LSd to PP
• Continuity Ending
4. OLT w/ UA Pivots
• 1-3 OLT
• Inside UA Pivot (not syncopated)
• 1-6 OLT

East Coast Swing

1. Basic (1&2 3&4 56)
2. The Walks (1&2 3&4 5678)
3. UA Turns R & L w/optional Hitch Kicks (1&2 3&4 [5] &6)
4. Lindy Turn Op-Cl-Op w/ Hitch Kick (1&2 34 5&6 [7] &8)
5. Basic Op-Cl
6. Throwout (1&2 3&4)
7. Sugar Foot (5678)
8. Basic

New Session at SDSU

Tonight the Ballroom and Latin Dance Club (BLDC) open the first class of the Fall 2010 semester. We have decided to try something a little different and your feedback would be greatly appreciated. The Intermediate classes will three four-week sessions instead of two six-week sessions so as to include more dances per semester. The Beginning classes will not change, as they have always run in this fashion.

For the first session, the Tuesday Intermediate class will be American Foxtrot and Samba, and the Thursday Beginning class will be American Tango and Salsa.

All classes will be held at Peterson Gym 241 (woohoo!). For further information on the club, follow the link at the right, under "Where to find Stephen Showers."

New Session at Balboa Park

This Friday I will begin teaching two new dances for the month of September: Waltz and East Coast Swing. Some of the steps that I will teach in Waltz are Open Left and Right Turns (OLT and ORT), Underarm Turns from OLT & ORT,  and syncopated grapevines.

For the Swing I will teach Quick Walks in Promenade, Sugar Foot, Lindy turns, and, for the first time ever, the Hitch Kick.

For both dances I will include transitional figures to use among the good stuff.

Balboa Park Dancers August Syllabus-Final

I have posted the final version of the Quickstep and Bolero syllabus, linked at the right, which you can download and print. If you have any difficulty accessing it, please post a comment below. If you do not see a comment box, click on the word "comment" immediately below this post. It will take you to a comment page.

Argentine Tango Workshop-Post Game Wrap Up

(Note to readers: I actually wrote this right after the Workshop last Saturday and I thought I posted it. Apparently, I forgot to hit the "publish" button. For that I apologize.)

For those of you who attended my workshop today, thank you. Since we strayed a little from the originally planned material, here is the new, revised step list.


1. 8 Count Basic w/ Lapiz immediately after step 1
2. Ochos Forward (following step 5)
3. Back Ochos (following step 3
4. Molinete w/ Lady's Grapevine, resolution
5. Ganchos

For more detailed description, see the Syllabus Documents list to the right.

Argentine Tango Workshop Syllabus

It is the afternoon before the Argentine Tango Workshop of the century, and I have gone ahead and posted the syllabus, which you can download and print. If you get the chance, feel free to print a copy and bring it to class. The link to the syllabus can be found by scrolling down to "Workshop Syllabus Documents" on the right of this page.

BLDC @ SDSU Session 3 Update-Final

Wow! Another semester has come and gone. I have made the final edition of the syllabus for Foxtrot and West Coast Swing, which you can download and print by clicking on the document list to the right. Thank you for attending, and I look forward to seeing you during the Fall semester.

Argentine Tango Workshop This Saturday

In just a few days I will be teaching the Argentine Tango Workshop of the Century. I refer you to an earlier entry for complete details on the workshop along with some gratuitous rambling. Here is the information you need:

Saturday August 21, 2010, 10:30AM to 12:30 PM
Infinity Dance Center, 4428 Convoy, San Diego, 92111
$10 if paid in advance; $12 at the door. Prices are per person.

Please be sure to read the entry dated Wednesday July 28, 2010 for a complete explanation of what to expect this Saturday. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below.

Balboa Park Dancers August Syllabus-Update #3

On Sunday August 15 we added one new piece to the Bolero, the Tummy Catch. This coming Friday we will add another section to the Quickstep and the Bolero, which should give us a plenty of material for the remainder of the month. Refer to Update #2 for the complete step list thus far.

BLDC @ SDSU Session 3 Update-Week 3

I have updated the Foxtrot and West Coast Swing syllabi. 

Foxtrot

1. Basic [LOD]
2. Promenade Basic [DC/LOD]
3. Rock Turn# [LOD/C]
4. Box Step (SQQ SQQ)# [C/W]
5. Promenade Pivots [DW (moving LOD)/DW]
6. Turning Basic
1. Fwd Basic (Lady Bk) turning R [DW/DC]
2. Bk Basic (Lady Fwd) turning L [DC/DW]
7. Rock Turn [DW/LOD]

 West Coast Swing

1. Sugar Push (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
2. Underarm Pass (1-2 3&4 5&6)
3. Sugar Push (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
4. Sugar Tuck (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
5. Underarm Pass (1-2 3&4 5&6)
6. Sugar Push (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
7. Two-Hand Tuck-In Pass (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
8. Underarm Pass (1-2 3&4 5&6)
9. Whip (1-2 3&4 5-6 7&8)
10. Whip w/ Inside UA Pass ending (1-2 3&4 5-6 7&8)

You can also download a printable version, which is linked in Syllabus Documents list. 

Balboa Park Dancers August Syllabus-Update #2

I made additions to the August Quickstep & Bolero syllabus, including changes, which are highlighted, made on Sunday August 8.


Quickstep

1. Prep step on 8
2. Quarter Turn (SQQS)
3. Progressive Chasse (SQQS)
4. Forward Lock Step (Lady Back) (SQQS)
5. Natural Spin Turn (SQQ SSS)
6. Progressive Chasse (moving DC) w/ linking step (SQQSS)
7. Quick Open Reverse Turn (SQQ)
8. Four Quick Run (SQQQQS)
9. Repeat from step 2

Bolero

1. Basic
2. Cross Over Swivels 2x
3. Walk Around Turn, end w/ Point Break
4. Inside Underarm Pass (Man's foot change ["fake"])
5. Fencing Checks 3x
6. Inside Underarm Pass (Man's foot change ["fake"])
7. End w/ Point Break
8. 1/2 Basic Op-Cl
9. Man's RF Fwd Lunge, LF Bk Rock; Lady's LF Bk Lunge, RF Fwd Rock
10. Turning Basic, Point Break
11. Tummy Catch, Point Break (S & QQ)

See you this Sunday.

Balboa Park Dancers August Syllabus-Update

I have updated the August 2 posting. New steps that have been added are listed in yellow letters. Scroll down, if you are on the main page, or click here.

BLDC @ SDSU Session 3 Update

I have gone ahead and linked the Foxtrot & West Coast Swing syllabus in document form (see "BLDC @ SDSU Syllabus Documents" on the right column), which you can download and print. If you have any questions or comments, please submit them below. I check regularly.

More Syllabus Posting

I have begun to organize the syllabi for all of my classes. Scroll down and look on the right side of the page for downloadable and printable versions of the step lists from my classes at Balboa Park and SDSU. I have been spending a fair amount of time converting documents on my computer, since they do not upload in their original form. Once I get the templates developed, I should be able to post them faster. Meanwhile, feel free to download and print them at your leisure, and let me know if you have any difficulty.

Syllabus Archive

I have figured out how to post class syallabi in document form complete with familiar formatting. So far , I have the July 2010 Balboa Park Dancers syllabus posted, which anyone can access. See how this works. Go ahead, test it!

THIS IS A TEST THIS IS A TEST THIS IS A TEST

Balboa Park Dancers August Syllabus

Here is what we covered on Sunday August 1, 2010. Be sure to check back after each session for updates. I will post a complete version with more detailed descriptions and explanations after the last session of the month.


Quickstep

1. Prep step on 8
2. Quarter Turn (SQQS)
3. Progressive Chasse (SQQS)
4. Forward Lock Step (Lady Back) (SQQS)
5. Natural Spin Turn (SQQ SSS)
6. Progressive Chasse (moving DC) w/ linking step (SQQSS)
7. Quick Open Reverse Turn (SQQ)
8. Four Quick Run (SQQQQS)
9. Repeat from step 2

Bolero

1. Basic
2. Cross Over Swivels 2x
3. Walk Around Turn, end w/ Point Break
4. Inside Underarm Pass (Man's foot change ["fake"])
5. Fencing Checks 3x
6. Inside Underarm Pass (Man's foot change ["fake"])
7. End w/ Point Break
8. 1/2 Basic Op-Cl
9. Man's RF Fwd Lunge, LF Bk Rock; Lady's LF Bk Lunge, RF Fwd Rock

BLDC @ SDSU Session 3

Here is a list of what we have done so far. Keep checking back after each session. I will post a more detailed description of the material taught after the fourth meeting of the session.

Foxtrot
Rhythm: SSQQ except where noted

Basic
Promenade Basic
Box Step (SQQ SQQ) 2x
Basic
Rock Turn
Basic
Promenade Pivots

West Coast Swing
Rhythm noted for each figure

Sugar Push (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
Sugar Tuck (1-2 [tap 3] 4 5&6)
Underarm Pass (1-2 3&4 5&6)

New Session at Balboa Park

Tomorrow I begin teaching a new pair of dances in the Intermediate class: Quickstep and Bolero. Some of the steps I will teach in Q-Step are Natural Spin Turn, Progressive and Tipple Chasses, Forward and Back Lock Steps, and, for the first time ever, the Fishtail and Quick Open Reverse Turn.

For the Bolero I will teach Cross Over Swivels, Tummy Catch, Lunge & Rock, and Spot Turn to Rope Spin. I will also include simpler figures to use as transitional movements among the good stuff.

See you there.

New Session at SDSU

Tonight I begin teaching Session 3 of the Summer Semester at SDSU, which will feature Foxtrot and West Coast Swing. Class starts a 7PM at Petersen's Gym, across the street from the Aztec Recreation Center. For further info, check out ballroom.sdsu.edu.

SDSU Ballroom & Latin Dance Club (BLDC) Summer Session 2 Syllabus

This is the syllabus from session 2. Keep checking back as I will be posting previous sessions here soon.

Nightclub Two Step

Step (Rhythm: SQQ throughout)

1) Basic

2) Underarm Turns

a) Outside

b) Inside

3) Traveling Cross Chassé

a) Basic in Cl or 2H

b) Cross Chassé CPP-PP-CPP

c) Inside UA Pivot

d) 2^nd 1/2 Basic

4) Outside UA Roll, Open Break

5) Back Spot Turn, 2^nd 1/2 Basic[1]

REPEAT

---

[1] Man’s footwork is virtually the same on both 4 & 5, although the amount of turn is slightly different.

Hustle

Step (Rhythm: QQSS )

1) Basic Op-Cl-Op

2) Basic w/ Outside UA Pass

3) Changes of Place

a) Lady’s Inside UA Pass

b) Back Pass

c) Lady’s Inside UA Pass

d) Overhead Pass

e) Lady’s Inside UA Pass, end 2H

f) Man’s UA Pass under RH

g) Lady’s Inside UA Pass

h) Basic Op-Cl

4) Traveler

a) Grapevine to Man’s L 2x

b) Closed Left Turn w/ Lady’s Inside UA Spin

c) Closed Left Turn

d) Basic w/ Outside UA Pass Cl-Op

REPEAT

Argentine Tango Workshop (from my Facebook page)

I will be teaching a two-hour workshop on Argentine Tango to be held at Infinity Dance 4428 Convoy Street, San Diego, CA 92111, on Saturday August 21, 2010 at 10:30AM. Argentine (not to be confused with American or International style) Tango is arguably the most sensual dance in the world, but one does not approach it like other Ballroom and Latin dances. The hold is compact, not unlike Rumba, but much more intimate. The rules for partnership that are so well established in Ballroom go out the window with this dance. Anyone who has had more than 20 minutes of dance instruction from any moderately experienced professional knows that virtually every dance has elements in common with nearly every other dance. Not so with Argentine Tango. There is really nothing like else like it. Furthermore, I found that there is a whole subculture within the dance world of people who do nothing else but Argentine Tango, and almost none of the standard teaching methods I knew appeared to be in use.

I saw Argentine for the first time in the late 1980s while watching the Tony awards on TV. Some of the cast members from the show "Tango Argentino" performed. I was intrigued, to say the least, but it did not not look like anything I was learning. At the time, I had been teaching for about five or six years, I was competing on the professional circuit, and training with the best coaches in the country. Even they could not help me.

In 1990 or 1991 I saw a live Tango floor show performed at Starlight Dance Studio by Danel and Maria Bastone, who taught it in New York City and were doing Tango shows all over the country. They taught workshops the next day, including one for professionals only. My hard-earned Ballroom technical knowledge was not very useful at this point, especially since the Lady's head was now resting on my shoulder instead of the comparatively upright and locked position that I was used to. Once I accepted that this is a completely different way of dancing, I found that it was not all that difficult.

After a fair amount of trial and error, more training, and simply more practice, I have devised a way of teaching Argentine Tango that makes sense to Ballroom (as compared to Argentine) dancers. In my workshop, as always, I will introduce a series of different steps to be arranged in a repeatable sequence. In addition, I will also show how to add flourishes, alter rhythms, and rearrange steps.

The workshop is Basic to Intermediate level and is open to anyone who is has had little or no exposure to Argentine Tango, although anyone attending should at least be a reasonably experienced social dancer. The cost is $12 per person if registering the day of the workshop, or $10 per person for PAID registrations on or before Friday August 20, 2010.

Balboa Park Dancers Syllabus July 2010

I have posted below the July syllabus. See how you like it and let me know what you think.

Foxtrot

Step [Starting/Ending alignment]

(Rhythm: SQQ except where noted)

1) Open Right Turn (ORT) [DC/DW]

a) Hover to PP

b) ORT from PP

c) Open Impetus Turn

d) Continuity End

2) Open Left Turn (OLT) [DC/DW]

3) Grapevine in PP & Pivots [DW/DC]

a) Hover to PP

b) Lady’s Grapevine in PP (Man’s Fwd Run) (QQQQ)

c) Pivots from PP

d) Continuity End

4) Back Progressive Spirals [DC/DW]

a) Open Left Turn

b) Bk Progressive Spirals (4 measures)

c) Continiuty End

Salsa

Step (Rhythm: 123 hold 4)

1) Basic, Cross Body Lead, end Op

2) UA Chase Turn

a) Man’s Turn (full turn R), Lady’s Bk Rock

b) Lady’s Turn ( “ ), Man’s Bk Rock, end RH-RH

c) Man’s Turn (1/2 turn)

d) Cross Body Spin[1]

3) Basic, X Body Lead

4) 5^th Position Break, Box Finish

5) Cucarachas w/ Turn

a) Cl-ROp, 1/4 turn away from partner

b) ROp-LOp, 1/2 turn

c) LOp- ROp, 1/2 turn

d) LOp-Cl, 1/4 turn to face partner

6) Hammerlock Swivels

a) Basic

b) XB Spin to HL

c) In-and-Out Swivels in Sh[2]

d) XB Spin L to Op

7) Basic

---

[1] Lady turns L; lead as either a free turn (release hold between 1 & 2) or RH-RH UA turn.

[2] Man may lead Lady to travel in the same path as 6b or redirect her path to his L up to 180º as conditions permit.

Welcome To My Blog

For years I have been trying to come up with a way to effectively use the internet for shameless, crass, commercial self-promotion, and now I think I have found it. My purpose in starting this blog is to provide a convenient way for you to keep up on what group classes (Balboa Park, SDSU, etc) I am teaching as well as any events that may be of interest to you. This will also be the place to download the step lists from my classes, and contact me for private dance instruction.

Stay tuned as I will be adding new items for your perusal. For the latest postings, just click on "Artistry & Motion" above.