Dirt from the Floor

Plagiarism of Anti Valentines

2011-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

"Don't talk to me about aesthetics or tradition. Talk to me about what sells and what's good right now. And what the American people like is to think the underdog still has a chance." George Steinbrenner

The Vulcan Performers of Rhythm N Motion dance officially state that their four year tradition of hosting an “Anti Valentines” dance related event was plagiarized by the Alabama Ballet for their after party and to be used in marketing to promote their “Giselle” ballet event.

The Vulcan Performers professional dance organization directors TJ and Wendy Zito state, “We are very shocked at the actions by the Alabama Ballet, but at the same time flattered that our marketing concepts have worked. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but at the same time we feel our creative niche is in question.

We have prided ourselves since our founding in 2007 to create unique concepts of dance entertainment for Birmingham and we feel that the Alabama Ballet’s use of our four year event name potentially damages our creativity, past works, and present works.

We in no way want any confusion between the products of the Alabama Ballet and the Vulcan Performers. They are two totally different brands, organizations, and we feel they are attempting to borrow our ideas for their gain.”

The Vulcan Performers were founded by TJ and Wendy Zito in 2007 out of their basement because they felt there could be a new direction of dance. Although TJ and Wendy Zito were active competitors in professional ballroom, west coast swing, hustle, and other forms of couples dancing, they felt other styles of dance lacked opportunity in Birmingham.

There were limited opportunities for dancers 18 and above for styles such as hip hop, lyrical, tap, jazz, and no shows that marketed to a mainstream audience. Shortly after their founding in April of 2007, they held their first show in August of 2007 at the Carver Theater and obtained their studio, Rhythm N Motion (now located in Hoover) in October of that same year.

One of the first things TJ and Wendy Zito did when founding their dance company was call the Alabama Ballet and other leaders in the dance community. Their voicemails were not returned…..after leaving multiple calls…….and the Zito’s realized they were not going to have the blessing or support of the local dance community. They even offered free tickets to Birmingham leaders of dance to their first three shows…..all of them unused.

TJ and Wendy Zito networked with other dance groups in Birmingham and quickly learned that they, too, had experienced multiple hardships from the Alabama Ballet and local dance politics. After many of these groups were left out of city wide events for dance in Birmingham, the
Vulcan Performers welcomed them onto their floor for free.

Over four years, the Vulcan Performers and their studio has grown, the concept and their shows have grown. They have produced 16 total shows to date with an average of four unique shows a year. They never repeat choreography and always feature new, original work. The Vulcan Performers have been featured often on FOX6, CBS, NBC, ABC, The Birmingham News, Birmingham Weekly, and many other local publications. They have volunteered/ appeared in over 100 charity events featuring names such as Ronald Mcdonald House, Susan G Komen, Magic Moments, Three Hots and a Cot, Kid One and more. They have also appeared in city wide events, local marketing promotions, and other entertainment needs.

The Vulcan Performers utilized a concept they call “Dance Entertainment” and gets inspiration from well marketed events like professional wrestling, circus, and other entertainment functions. Unique shows like “Anti Valentines” “Naughty or Nice Holiday” and “Go Hollywood” separate their product from the traditions of the “The Nutcracker” and other traditional dance works.

The Vulcan Performers ideas of Dance Entertainment took advantage of concepts like combining a social event with their dance show featuring silent auctions, cash bars, unique themes, contests, vendors, big screen projectors, disco style lighting, and other things to separate themselves from a traditional event.

Because the Vulcan Performers have their own performance floor, they are able to use event centers like the Alabama Theater Hill Center that offers a social atmosphere compared to a theater atmosphere. Guests are able to walk about during portions of the show as well as you the floor for social dancing.

The Zito’s state:
“We have worked very hard to creatively come up with angles to get people to attend our shows so we can entertain them. Our use of catchy phrases, party themes, and other gimmicks are part of what makes us unique. If you take our uniqueness from us, you are effectively attempting to weaken our brand.

We would not expect Reebok to start advertising “Just Do It” borrowing from Nike. The message we receive from this is that the Alabama Ballet feels they can borrow or take any idea that work and claim it as their own. This may have worked in the past, but the Vulcan Performers will not stand for it.

The Alabama Ballet does have more funding, political backing, and social status, but they will not directly hurt those in the dance industry working to promote all dance styles.

We do not feel the Alabama Ballet’s actions are in error, bad judgment, or a mistake, but rather an attack on a small business that has the means to grow their market share and challenge the Alabama Ballet’s status as the premiere dance company in Birmingham.

This is our living, what pays our bills, and what we have devoted our life…promoting dance. We cannot stand back and do nothing when an organization that receives public funding takes dollars out of small business’s pocket.

We are attempting to create dance jobs in Birmingham, Al. If we are squashed or demeaned in a way that hurts our business, it hurts job growth for entertainment in Birmingham for hip hoppers, ballroom, and other styles of dance.

This is an evil economy and we will defend our product, our concepts, and our business just as you would defend your home from an invader.

We were told on Facebook bys Alabama Ballet supporters that “It is just a party…just drinks…just Giselle.” To us, it should have been called Drinks and Giselle and not steal from our concepts.”

The Vulcan Performers have stated that no legal action will be pursued. They say it is not about the money but about the principle.

They are officially stating that they would like an apology from the Alabama Ballet, a promise to discontinue any future Anti Valentines event, and a promise to not copy any other works, ideas, or concepts from the Vulcan Performers.

The Vulcan Performers recommend for you to read the article by Birmingham Weekly outlining the Alabama Ballet’s event. We also recommend to view the multiple clips from 2008- 2011 of the Vulcan Performers Anti Valentine’s event.

The Vulcan Performers also state that they in no way blame the Birmingham Weekly for the article and do not feel the BW is in any way to blame. Director, TJ Zito, Jr contacted the author of the article to share the Vulcan Performers' concerns.

Added info 11:00 pm Friday. In response to Facebook...we in no way say we invented the "Anti Valentines concept." We are saying that we have spent four years promoting an "Anti Valentines" event with the theme of not having the traditional Valentines.

Any dance group in Birmingham using this theme after we have promoted it for four years, made media appearances, and held events...is using our theme for their gain after we have done the work.

Whether the event is "Anti Valentines" "I Hate Valentines"....the point is that we have spent four years doing non traditional Valentines...and the similarties have caused business confusion in the marketplace.

This was brought to our attention when we were asked why were posting pics and videos of an event we held...and we were asked if it was part of the event being held by the Alabama Ballet.

Past Birmingham News Articles and the present 2011 FOX6 clip Anti Valentines will be posted to http://www.bhamdance.com/ for comparison.

http://bhamweekly.com/birmingham/article-2136-dance-for-the-jilted.html

2011 Vulcan Performers promo Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXWZHBYLmg

Vulcan Performers Anti Valentines News Clips
2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwwPi4bchOA&feature=player_embedded

Vulcan Performers Anti Valentines News Clips 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCfpddzeNTw&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFXQ7zKJigU&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOWWpUhajUk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJwEboDQphc&feature=player_embedded

Vulcan Performers Anti Valentines News Clips 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0x4P_CHBfM&feature=player_embedded

2011 Feb 4 video FOX6 News Jeh Jeh Pruitt Coming soon!

Webisode 2 -VP Goes Reality

2009-11-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

The reality craze is everywhere! I can honestly say we have had a blast with our reality show and I hope you have enjoyed it. As we work with these shows, I can see how scripted "reality" television can be. We do not script and do not retake.....we show what we get.

So much of regular reality television has to be scripted......there are too many situations that follow a cohesive plot and storyline. Cohesive has been the key word with our show. "Cohesive" for us means that we are a dance group preparing for a show and we support different activities in each other's lives. We are a tight group that dance and we are friends. That is the only cohesion we can really have without scripting story lines.

Our conversations are real and we do not try to add characters to our existing personalities. I can see why reality shows fall into the category game of the "sweet girl" "bitchy girl" "overbearing jerk" "white knight".

If any of us appear in these roles, that is just because that is who we are. There are many outtakes and honestly many situations that we do not include. We have personal things in our lives and personal situations that we cannot and will not include in the show. Some things will stay within the VP family.

With that, we do hope you are enjoying the glimpse of our lives and we want you to feel like you are a part of the group! We you attend the December 18 show at the Mcwance Science Center (shameless plug) we hope you followed the show in a way to where you feel like you know where the ideas for the dances came from, know the people's inspirations, and know the laughter we had putting them together.

We would love to hear your feedback for what things you would like to be on the reality show!

Businesses! If you are interested in a sponsor package for the Dec 18 show, we will list you for free as a sponsor on the web show! We can even film on site at your location!

We hope to see you at class this week. This Thursday we are teaching Rumba and Samba, two of my favorites. We will hang out this weekend at the Birmingham Ballroom Dance Association's "A Dance to Remember" charity event and we hope to see you there. Visit www.bhamdance.com for details!

TJZjr

Vulcan Performers Go Reality!

2009-11-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

The original concept for the Vulcan Performers two years ago was not just to create dance, but to create “dance entertainment.” Part of our concept of entertainment originally was to include a reality TV or documentary film following the creation of the dance group and the success (or failure-Hey! We didn’t know!) of the entire process.

We decided against documenting the process because originally we were founded out of our basement. We found our first dancers much like our current dancers, on facebook and myspace. Our house was in a new neighborhood and the road was not paved, yet (in more ways than one).

I honestly have to say that I was worried about recruiting new people saying “We are creating a dance group out of our basement, down a dirt road in the country, and we are filming it for a reality web show/film documentary….oh and there’s candy!”

We would have come off like the biggest creepers in dance history! Well, we may still enjoy having that title, but we would have assumed it much sooner than we did. In the early days, we fought to be legitimate. Everything was about how many times we could be on the news, how we could gain a studio, how we could produce more shows, and be at more events.

Two and half years in, two studios later, and 10 shows deep including our last sell out (shameless plug!) I feel the timing is right to bring back our original idea.

This is fun for me because my background and undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama is in television/film production. I am very much honored to have been trained from former CBS national news executives and many very knowledgeable professors from UA. I also offer them my most sincere apologies for not recognizing their knowledge and not taking more advantage of asking questions when I had the opportunity.

I was very lucky to have hosted many television shows on campus and also learned to direct, edit, production, etc. I also owe my grad school professors so much for their knowledge of social psychology and a deeper meaning of communication studies.

With all of this, I hope everyone enjoys “VP goes Reality” We invite you into the lives of our group and the heart and soul of operations. There are some things that will always be "VP family only" and those matters will stay off the camera, but we will subject you to much humor, drama, and dance!

This is a work in progress and we are learning as we go. There is not a “script” or “outline” to follow and we are honestly shooting reality. We are not staging or scripting anything that we are producing. We really are this goofy, sarcastic, happy, sad, sadistic, angry, crazy, or however you want to take what we are.

We are a “dance clique” and we are proud of our closeness. We are a group of people that maybe would have never been a factor in each other’s lives, but now we are everything to each other’s lives. We invite you to join us each week with “The Performers” and we hope you will help spread the word about our reality webisodes, classes at Rhythm N Motion, and our future performance shows.

We love dancing and we love what we do. We want to share our fun with you through the internet and hope to share this fun with you in person as a future student or audience member.

Thank you for allowing us to entertain you. It has been a fun ride for the past two and half years with a lot of ups and downs. We look forward to having you view this roller coaster of a life we call Vulcan Performers.

Fasten your seat belts, keep all arms and legs inside, and get ready to go fast!

TJZjr

www.bhamdance.com

Rhythm N Motion

Home of the Vulcan Performers
Professional Dance Organization

Birmingham, Al

Dance Lingo- Swinging....Stoning.....Shagging...What gives?

2009-08-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have been locked into "the dance world" for well over 14 years now. Reflecting back has reminded me much of good Jimmy Buffet lyrics "Good times and riches and son of a bitches, I have seen more than I can recall."

Once you have been sucked in (bit by the bug) and buy into this dance world, the regular world will never make "normal" sense again.

Through fourteen years of traveling multiple competitive dance circuits, one thing I can say is that the dance world warps your sense of reality. At a recent event, some friends of mine and I sat down trading "war" stories of past dance events. We laughed at everything our lives have become since we took our first steps into the dance world. We laughed at the weird words and things that people in other parts of our lives would never understand.

I talked about a conversation I had several years ago when I was in graduate school with a fraternity brother. I was very excited to attend a dance event in Orlando and was attempting to tell him about it.

My friend was just a normal guy....probably a lot like your friends. He has never danced and probably never will. We all have "outside" friends like him that mean well with their attempt to discuss what it is you do....but they will never get it.

The conversation immediately started on the wrong foot the second I mentioned I was excited about this month's "swing" event with my "partner." Of course I am meaning swing dancing with my dance partner, but my friend is just an outsider....he didn't get it!

With any mention these days of a "partner," non dancers give you the "ohhhh" and you are immediately thought of as having an alternative lifestyle. Adding that you are going to a "swing" event in the same conversation as "partner" and you can cut the tension with a knife! I once mentioned a "swing competition" and was asked...."Not to get personal....but how do you compete in such things and how do they judge it???" I could not help but laugh.

The conversation didn't get much better. As I tried to explain swing dancing, I found myself saying "you know our costumes aren't completed and we still have a lot of stoning to do in the room. My partner thinks her costume covers too much and the judges said she needs higher heels and to show more skin."

"Costumes" certainly did not help convince my friend that this wasn't an "adult" convention you might see on a HBO special. Costumes are just part of any competitor's tools of the trade. They are flash and trash and something you would never wear in your normal life! It is not odd to make adjustments for a female to be in lower or higher styles of heels. Dance heels are specially designed shoes with suede soles.

Different heel styles are used for different dances such as a higher, more narrow heel for rhythm dances verses a short/wider heel for smooth dances such as waltz. Dance costumes tend to be flashy and skimpy---adjusting to show more midsection/skin is not uncommon. Of course to an outsider still thinking "swing" not as a dance but a lifestlye, higher heels and skimpier outfits did not help our conversation progress!

Any competitor knows that "stoning" means you are applying Swarovski Austrian Crystal Rhinestones to an outfit with E6000 specialty glue. It doesn't mean with are lighting up, Mary Jane, doin' the J, or whatever the popular pothead lingo is. It just means that we are trying to make our outfits outshine the other competitors on the floor. We use special glue that has it's own "unique" smell that honestly can give you a buzz if you are not careful!

While we are talking about outfits, dancers know too much about velour, lycra, and lamae. As a guy, this totally ruins our "normal" guy talks. When I was in college, I remember really confusing girls. Most guys compliment a girl's outfit with "Nice shirt." As a dancer that is used to making outfits, our compliments to "non dancer" girls can be more of "Nice Shirt--is that two way or four way stretch? I really like the flow from the chiffon in your dress!" It sure makes things somewhat creepy for the non dance girls when meeting the dance guys.

I am also reminded of my days competing in Country Western UCWDC. We wore special cowboy hats. It was a status symbol of how much "Beaver Fur" a hat had. The more "X's" listed in the hat description, the more resistant to water, loss of shape, and better the quality hat it was. Go have a conversation with anyone outside of UCWDC dancing and mention "Beaver Fur,"
you are likely to be slapped, looked at oddly, or both. Unfortunately we are not talking about taxidermy and most people's minds go in the gutter!

So back to my conversation with my friend..... The event was in Orlando. My friend had said, "You are kind of pale....you should bring some sunscreen for when you visit the parks. Don't forget about Sea World. Can you see all that in three days?"

As dancers, we know we will go from the airport to a hotel, to a ballroom, maybe a Waffle House across the street, but back to the hotel, and then back to the airport. Dancers are there for the convention and that is it. The outside world is frozen and nothing else surrounding matters. There are no outside excursions because you are there for the dancing....period. All wrapped into a Friday, Sat, and Sunday.

I have been to DC, L.A., NY, San Antonio, Vegas, You name it---I have seen hotels and airports. When I first met my wife she was amazed at how someone can go to DC five times in three years and never see the Smithsonian. Once we got her dancing....she understood. I have to give her credit....any event we attend she makes me do one non dance thing to see the town. We once rented a car in Kansas City and she managed to bust her chin on the Lewis and Clark statue.
She still has the scar.

At the events, we are in our own element. Competitors are practicing in the hallways. Lessons are being taught in every available open space. It is not uncommon to be waiting on the elevator while someone next to you is practicing their spins or new footwork. You can carry on a conversation with them and they will just keep dancing. Nowhere else in life is this acceptable.
I can never remember having conversations with people that act like they are throwing fake touchdown passes or fake shooting hoops.

We tend to forget that "regular" people are also staying at the hotel. As dancers, we just assume that everyone staying that weekend is with the dance event. Our norms are there for that weekend, and the other guests should just deal with it!

When teaching or taking a lesson, it is not uncommon for a guy to lead another guy or a girl to lead another girl. We think nothing of this or pushing on someone's chest or back to adjust posture. I have seen many funny looks as outsiders walk by the dancers that are in clear public view being very touchy feely. We are in lessons saying things like "watch your butt" and we are meaning adjust your posture.

Looking at this from an outsider...you may have two guys dancing together saying they need swing help and someone else yelling to watch your butt.......maybe they have a right to be confused!

It certainly doesn't help if we mention that the shaggers are going on the floor later. For you non dancers, we are referring to the "Carolina Shag Dancers" and not anything Austin Powers.....

Can we blame these non dancers or are we to blame? We are just warped by our norms of what we do. Many dancers that attend the dance events are not full time competitors or professionals. There are plumbers, doctors, accountants, teachers, lawyers, HR reps, sales people....you name it---people from all walks of life are involved. For that weekend...they are a dancer. They are there to escape their "regular" life and have fun.

I love the movie "Shall We Dance" with Richard Gere and Stanley Tucci. They deal with some of the same struggles. All dancers can relate to Stanley Tucci's character as he "hides" his dance life in his corporate job. I know I did for five years before I left to dance full time!

They had similar discussions in the movie about dance lingo. I think all sports have their own "world" and own "lingo."

I was a wrestler in high school before I danced....it had its quarks and lingo, too. I remember wearing spandex and needing work on my "high crotch" and "butt drag." As I type these words, I am shaking my head at these. Honestly, no wrestler is complete without a high crotch takedown and a butt drag while sprawling on a shooting opponent. They are both effective way to "score." I will leave that one be........

I think golf suffers as well. Old men dressed funny that walk around saying they need to loosen up the grip on their shaft.....well I will let them have that one.

Thankfully for dancers, the mainstream TV shows help our cause. The lingo is becoming mainstream because of Dancing with the Stars. I have seen former contestant, Kenny Mayne, joking about some similar concepts with his "DanceCenter" a take off of "Sports Center."

We all have outside friends like the ones I had in school. These conversation tid bits are likely to find you if you ever travel into the "Dance World" Your friends won't get it...unless they get involved. It's ok.....we can just explain it to them one step at a time!

Happy Dancing!

http://www.bhamdance.com/

TJ Zito Jr

Dancing with the Stars-positive or negative portrayal of the ballroom industry?

2009-03-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

There is a huge debate of whether Dancing with the Stars is a positive or negative representation of competitive ballroom dancing. Honestly, I love every bit of publicity that this and So You Think You Can Dance has brought to our industry. For too long, dancers have worked so hard to achieve so little.

Dancers have just as much or more commitment as professional football, basketball, actors, poker players, etc.I hope that one day this new publicity will lead to more televised competitions and create awareness to the reality of the dance industry. This has happened with things like poker....and call me biased......but watching ballroom dance is more exciting than watching a stagnent, strategy driven game of poker. I would even argue there is more action watching ballroom than golf....but we will save that for another blog.

The one issue with the television shows such as Dancing with the Stars is that it does not produce a total picture of how someone really learns to dance.The concept of the show is produce quality television which requires a very particular scripted format.Watching celebrities learn basic syllabus steps will not be as desirable for TV ratings as flashy routines.Regular beginner ballroom students do not have the benefit of working with the industry's top professions eight hours a day every day for weeks at a time. Most beginners attend weekly group classes, a few private lessons, and lots of social dance functions.

The celebrities are not really learning how to honestly do the dancing. They are learning flashy choreography that is put together especially for them to PROTECT their lack of training.Although many of the tricks and spins are hard, they are not getting to truly understand the basics of how to make the dances work. The routines are designed by top pros (in addition to their instructors) in a way that the celebs' strengths are showcased and their weaknesses are covered up. This is a great strategy and does produce a better show.

This is why we saw fan favorites Jerry Springer and Wayne Newton use their showbiz skills in routines that allowed them to act more than dance. They put on an excellent show and their performing was stronger than their dancing. Good pro's dance "Pro Am" in the ballroom world. This is a normal every weekend occurance and covers all age groups. Many times in the showdance catagories, the routines can be similar to those we see with Dancing with the Stars.

The pros on the show have experience getting Am's through routines.The only difference is that at a competition, many pro's dance more "silent" to show off their student. On Dancing with the Stars, many of the pros dance just as hard or harder than they do on the competition floor. They treat it more as a competitive partner than a Pro Am. It is fun watching the pro's really go for it.

That is why they get injured, angry, and have all the same struggles as their regular professional partnerships. These pros really give it 100 percent and more! One difference is that in "Pro Am" there are required figures and stricter judging on the dance content than on television.Very traditional dancing may not be as appealing to a mainstream audience. I do not know how entertaining it would be to see Joey Fatone struggle through left boxes or for Cloris Leachman to struggle through step locks.

I am not saying these celebs could not learn. They could! They are extremly talented. Given the right circumstances, these pro's could turn these celebs into the most amazing dancers. What they do produce is short of a miracle and I am in know way downplaying their accomplishments.

The pros and celebs have my respect. For the pros to teach those dances in one week with that much material and complexity.....it is extremely impressive. It completely shows their abilities as pro's to and the celebs talent to learn.Although the dances aren't technically sound on every step, you can see the pro's have made some influence on things such as footwork, motion, lines, etc. The pros are able to sneak in technical aspects when they can, but it is impossible for them to produce a true, technically sound dance in one week.

The bad side of this is that the show presents dancing in a false reality. Many regular people think because their favorite NFL player danced well on the show, they should be fine because they played high school football.Some of them get frustrated at their local studios because they are taught basics, syllabus steps, and focus on technical aspects. Many students come into a studio for the first time expecting big tricks, lifts, and impressive drops.The students also become frustrated because dancing, just like any other sport is a private lesson function. Just as people take privates in golf or tennis, there are fees for ballroom lessons.

The celebs are not worrying about costs for lessons, outfits, or studio time. Regular students have to keep their budget in mind and look for ways to learn to get their best bang for their buck.With this being said.....is the show a good thing?YES! this show provides great exposure to our sport and has made many professional dancers Hollywood celebrities. The rub from the celebrities has created awareness to an industry that has been ignored by the general public except for small explosions created through Dirty Dancing, Dance with Me, and Shall we Dance.I have the upmost respect for the pros and the celebs.

I enjoy what they put on the floor every week and I love the way it represents the sport.I could honestly do without Carry Ann and I prefer to listen to Lynne's conservative view of wanting "more traditional dancing." Lynne is an insider to the industry and is somewhat of a hero to those of us wanting to see less show and more dancing.

Lynne is right......a breakdancing "worm" and cheesy gimmicks are an insult to an industry and talented people that are capable of doing the steps. I think that more people will attend live dance functions (hence the Dancing with the Stars live tour) and there will be a surge of people trying dance for the first time.

I am glad this is the number one show in the Nielsons and I hope it remains that way. I am very proud to be part of this industry and I am glad that it has representation on network television.

What is Social Dancing and why social dance?

2009-01-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

Where can you go when you just want to dance in Birmingham?

Honestly, the club/bar scene can be sketchy. There is always "that guy" who is way too drunk. He is busy spilling his beer on the floor, hitting on your girlfriend, and trying to grind on her friends.

Who is that guy with the digital video camera on the pole and exactly where are those videos going? Isn't odd that he runs quick with the camera when two girls start to dance together?

The floor is either concrete/beat up hardwood that has broken glass, spilled drinks, and randoms standing in the way. It is too slick with the spilled drinks, too crowded to move, and has many dangers with the broken glass.

The music is over mixed, sped up, and has the same "thump, thump, thump" behind it. The local DJ's (minus Chris Sarris, Buddy Beck, and Chris Creel- they are good at what they do) can't read the floor, pace the music, or realize that not every song has to be tampered with. There is a reason some songs hit number one on the charts---they are that damn good without local deejay's tampering with them.

The dancing is well.....it is what it is.... There is usually random rave guy, scary old guy sweeping his butt side to side, and mini skirt girl that isn't wearing anything underneath that is way too desperate for attention.

When you care about really moving to the music, all of the factors above are just one big head ache. There is no style, no life, and no feel other than people that look like simulated Karma Sutra positions.

At Rhythm N Motion dance in Hoover, we are introducing the NY/LA Social Dance parties. We are working to include all forms of dance including hip hop, bboys/bgirls, West Coast Swing, Salsa, Hustle, Lindy, ballroom and more.

In areas like NY and LA, it is not uncommon for people to gather at a dance studio with the purpose of dancing their style. A DJ will play many different styles of dance to suite the crowd and give everyone an opportunity to dance. The music is arranged in sets that rotate style to style and move in a very formatted pace.

It is not a nightclub, so you don't have the worries of drunks getting in the way of your dancing. The other dancers are courteous and there is dance floor etiquette rules that ensure everyone can dance at the same time no matter what style. Past parties have included BBoy breakdancers, west coast swing, lindy, hustle, bellydancers, hip hoppers and more!

Our recent parties featured a free couples dance lesson featuring hustle, salsa, and west coast swing. These "Street" dances are danced with a partner and are executed through lead follow. Lead Follow means that you don't have a choreographed routine, but your knowledge of the dance style allows for you to execute patterns/movements associated with the dance.

As your experience in lead follow grows, your variety of movement grows. The fun thing is that it takes very little experience to get going and have a good time!

West coast swing is a popular social dance on the forefront of pop culture. It has its roots in LA and is just starting to hit mainstream thanks to numerous television appearances. West Coast Swing dancers have won and participated on shows such as Star Search, 30seconds of Fame, So You Think You can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars.

The dance is a "street" dance that is much like "Gumbo." Danced with a partner, it has borrowed a little here and a little there from multiple styles of ballroom, swing, hip hop, jazz, and other dance styles. Music styles can range from recent top 40s, funk, blues/jazz, and anything with a solid rhythm that makes you want to move.

Movements include fancy footwork, body rolls/ripples, spins, dips, tricks, and anything fun you can imagine! Dancers interpret the music with their bodies, feet, and patterns and create in lead follow what many people think are routines! It is the official state dance of California and is a major hit with their 18-45 crowd in major cities such as NY, LA, Atlanta, and even Nashville!

NY style Hustle and Salsa are two other popular "street" dances. Although Hustle has its roots in the seventies, the evolved version features fancy spins, turns, tricks, and a blast to dance lead follow. Because its footwork involves two walking steps and a rock step, new dancers have less to remember. The timing is simple with an "and 1" "two" "three" It is danced to many of the popular top 40 songs and other songs with a strong backbeat.

Salsa/Latin music is everywhere! The social dance salsa is very loose and can be enjoyed lead follow to many styles of music. Many popular songs have latin backbeats such as Black eyed Peas, Ricky Martin, and even some club/house music. Some of these pop rhythms also have Samba style backbeats, but beginner salsa dancers can get moving to these slower samba songs. Although true salsa is danced to faster mambo rhythms, there is nothing wrong with beginner dancers starting their quick quick slow beginning steps to any music that is Latin based. As they gain experience, they can break into dances such as samba, cha cha, mambo, and others.

What if you don't have a partner to come with? So what! Most people show up without a partner! You ask people to dance and get asked to dance all night! It is just dancing, you are not asking for a date or phone number. You can dance with one partner one song, another partner the next song, and so on.

It means nothing other than you enjoy the dancing! Even when you do show up with a partner, you are likely to only dance a few songs with them. Most people enjoy dancing with many different partners during the night.

This also allows for dancers to learn new moves, gain new lead/follow experience, and meet lots of new people! You may dance with people that are different ages, different dance styles, and different experience levels.

Birmingham is once again one of the last cities to catch on to national trends. It is not just New York and LA, but these style dance parties are in San Antonio, Detroit, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Portland....you name it!

Rhythm N Motion's next NY/LA Social Dance party is Saturday January 31, 2009. The cost is $5 per person and that includes a free lesson from 7-8pm in a style of couples social dancing.

This event is a kickoff for the Vulcan Performers Anti Valentines dance show on Saturday Feb 7, 2009 at 7pm $5 students $8 regular. After the show, there will be a free lesson and free social dance for the attendees.

We hope to see you out on the dance floor soon! Make sure to check out our free "Moves of the Week" to learn some good basics and moves for west coast swing, hustle, hip hop, salsa, and more!

Also, don't forget about our weekly "group ballroom intro" classes on Thursday night at 7pm. This is another good place to get going with your social dancing!

If you prefer to work one on one, schedule your next private, semi private, or small group lesson with your favorite Vulcan Performers professional dancer at Rhythm N Motion Dance!

http://www.bhamdance.com/

Dancing with the Stars thoughts and reviews

2008-10-09T14:38:00.001-07:00

There is a huge debate of whether Dancing with the Stars is a positive or negative representation of competitive ballroom dancing.

Honestly, I love every bit of publicity that this and So You Think You Can Dance has brought to our industry. For too long, dancers have worked so hard to achieve so little. Dancers have just as much or more commitment as professional football, basketball, actors, poker players, etc.

I hope that one day this new publicity will lead to more televised competitions and create awareness to the reality of the dance industry. This has happened with things like poker....and call me biased......but watching ballroom dance is more exciting than watching a stagnent, strategy driven game of poker. I would even argue there is more action watching ballroom than golf....but we will save that for another blog.

The one issue with the television shows such as Dancing with the Stars is that it does not produce a total picture of how someone really learns to dance.

The concept of the show is produce quality television which requires a very particular scripted format.

Watching celebrities learn basic syllabus steps will not be as desirable for TV ratings as flashy routines.

Regular beginner ballroom students do not have the benefit of working with the industry's top professions eight hours a day every day for weeks at a time. Most beginners attend weekly group classes, a few private lessons, and lots of social dance functions.

The celebrities are not really learning how to honestly do the dancing. They are learning flashy choreography that is put together especially for them to PROTECT their lack of training.

Although many of the tricks and spins are hard, they are not getting to truly understand the basics of how to make the dances work. The routines are designed by top pros (in addition to their instructors) in a way that the celebs' strengths are showcased and their weaknesses are covered up. This is a great strategy and does produce a better show.

This is why we saw fan favorites Jerry Springer and Wayne Newton use their showbiz skills in routines that allowed them to act more than dance. They put on an excellent show and their performing was stronger than their dancing.

Good pro's dance "Pro Am" in the ballroom world. This is a normal every weekend occurance and covers all age groups. Many times in the showdance catagories, the routines can be similar to those we see with Dancing with the Stars. The pros on the show have experience getting Am's through routines.

The only difference is that at a competition, many pro's dance more "silent" to show off their student. On Dancing with the Stars, many of the pros dance just as hard or harder than they do on the competition floor. They treat it more as a competitive partner than a Pro Am. It is fun watching the pro's really go for it. That is why they get injured, angry, and have all the same struggles as their regular professional partnerships. These pros really give it 100 percent and more!

One difference is that in "Pro Am" there are required figures and stricter judging on the dance content than on television.

Very traditional dancing may not be as appealing to a mainstream audience. I do not know how entertaining it would be to see Joey Fatone struggle through left boxes or for Cloris Leachman to struggle through step locks.

I am not saying these celebs could not learn. They could! They are extremly talented. Given the right circumstances, these pro's could turn these celebs into the most amazing dancers.
What they do produce is short of a miracle and I am in know way downplaying their accomplishments. The pros and celebs have my respect.

For the pros to teach those dances in one week with that much material and complexity.....it is extremely impressive. It completely shows their abilities as pro's to and the celebs talent to learn.

Although the dances aren't technically sound on every step, you can see the pro's have made some influence on things such as footwork, motion, lines, etc. The pros are able to sneak in technical aspects when they can, but it is impossible for them to produce a true, technically sound dance in one week.

The bad side of this is that the show presents dancing in a false reality. Many regular people think because their favorite NFL player danced well on the show, they should be fine because they played high school football.

Some of them get frustrated at their local studios because they are taught basics, syllabus steps, and focus on technical aspects. Many students come into a studio for the first time expecting big tricks, lifts, and impressive drops.

The students also become frustrated because dancing, just like any other sport is a private lesson function. Just as people take privates in golf or tennis, there are fees for ballroom lessons.

The celebs are not worrying about costs for lessons, outfits, or studio time. Regular students have to keep their budget in mind and look for ways to learn to get their best bang for their buck.

With this being said.....is the show a good thing?

YES! this show provides great exposure to our sport and has made many professional dancers Hollywood celebrities. The rub from the celebrities has created awareness to an industry that has been ignored by the general public except for small explosions created through Dirty Dancing, Dance with Me, and Shall we Dance.

I have the upmost respect for the pros and the celebs. I enjoy what they put on the floor every week and I love the way it represents the sport.

I could honestly do without Carry Ann and I prefer to listen to Lynne's conservative view of wanting "more traditional dancing." Lynne is an insider to the industry and is somewhat of a hero to those of us wanting to see less show and more dancing. He is right......a breakdancing worm and cheesy gimmicks are an insult to an industry and talented people that are capable of doing the steps.

I think that more people will attend live dance functions (hence the Dancing with the Stars live tour) and there will be a surge of people trying dance for the first time.

I am glad this is the number one show in the Nielsons and I hope it remains that way. I am very proud to be part of this industry and I am glad that it has representation on network television.

Introducing the "Dirt from the Floor" dance blog

2008-09-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you for viewing http://www.bhamdance.com/ and for learning about Birmingham's hottest dance studio Rhythm N Motion and the Vulcan Performers.

The "Dirt from the Floor" will be your insight on things happening dance related in Birmingham, the media, Alabama, and more! We will look at things from a humerous aspect, but we will have some solid content in there as well!

Feel free to leave your comments, your questions, and anything else.

we look forward to this blog and will update our first review of this season's Dancing with the Stars soon!