Ballrom Classes by Melody Cochran in Thousand Oaks
Zeanie Yoon, DancersDigest.com
Melody Cochran
Melody is a Champion Level Dancer, Judge, and a Master Dance Choreographer. She is a former United States Professional-Amateur Champion. Melody holds multiple World Titles for individual, partner and team choreography.
Her titles range from multiple dance genre including Country Western, Ballroom, Salsa & West Coast Swing.
She is also a member of the Hustle Dance Hall of Fame, as well as recently achieving finalist status at the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championship.
Melody has successfully trained and raised students to achieve their own Regional, National, World International titles.
She invites you to join her 6-week Summer Ballroom Series
Starting Tuesday June 10th, 2008
7:00 pm-Rumba * Cha-Cha * Hustle basics – explore your passionate side.
8:00 pm-Foxtrot * Waltz * Night Club 2-step basics. Learn 3 Slow fun romantic dances.
Description of the dances:
Night Club Two Step- This is a slow, very easy to learn dance for nightclubs as well as ballrooms and weddings. It's perfect for medium, med-tempo slow popular music. Similar to a salsa rhythm, Night Club Two Step is frequently danced to medium (med-tempo) ballads in 4/4 time that have a characteristic quick-quick-slow beat, like Lady In Red. The Nightclub Two Step basic step takes eight beats. Typically it's danced in American-style dance position with a more relaxed hold than typical ballroom dances.
Foxtrot is a ballroom dance which takes its name from its inventor, the Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. creating the basic Foxtrot rhythm of slow-slow-quick-quick. The dance was premiered in1914, quickly catching the eye of the talented husband and wife duo, Vernon & Irene Castle, who lent the dance its signature grace and style. It was later standardized by Arthur Murray and today is danced at all ballroom competitions. A great traveling dance for weddings and social events, and danced to the tunes of Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett.
Waltz is a more traditional ballroom dance dating to Vienna in the 1700’s. It is danced to ¾ music and travels around the room in a closed ballroom frame. It is a very elegant dance, fun to learn and is danced to slower music. Perfect for father-daughter dances, Quinceanera and the first dance as husband & wife.
Cha-cha-cha is a Latin American dance of Cubin origin. In 1952, United Kingdom dance instructors visited Cuba and discovered the mambo was danced with a triple step in place of the slow one. The idea was brought back to Europe and what is now known as ballroom Cha-cha-cha was created and is danced with hip movement which is achieved through alternate bending and streightening action of the knees. This is danced to fast music, but not as fast as salsa/mambo music. Cha-cha is fun, sexy and a great dance to learn for all occassions!
Rumba is a dance organically related to the Rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. Some considered rumba, characterized by its slow rhythmical rolling hip action, to be one of the most erotic and sensual Latin dances. Considered the “Dance of Love”, it is a hit at weddings and all social occassions.
Hustle is a popular couple street dance. “The Hustle” was a hit disco song by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. The song was a huge crossover hit and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and Soul Singles charts during the summer of 1975. Eventually it sold over one million copies, became one of the most popoular songs of the disco era and gave rise to the popular social hustle dance that has been refined with elegance and a ballroom flair. Hustle can be danced to samba tempos, hip hop or many swing songs. It is a great cross over dance. La Isla Bonita performed by Madonna or Ballimos by Enrique Iglesias are two perfect songs to dance hustle.