| Subject: Re: come dancing is back - more news coverage |
Author:
Shell
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Date Posted: 18:55:04 10/29/03 Wed
In reply to:
Caroline
's message, "come dancing is back.." on 18:16:35 10/16/03 Thu
Cambridge Evening News had an article about ballroom dancing on 24th Oct. Article below:
Having a ball
IF you were trying to predict the next fitness fad, ballroom dancing would probably never enter your mind, with its old-fashioned image of sequinned frocks, fixed smiles and even more rigid hairdos.
Yet bosses at the BBC appear to be so sure of a revival that they have commissioned a new series of the televised ballroom competition Come Dancing due on our screens some time next year.
But anyone hoping for a mean snigger at middle-aged women in hairspray helmets, ostrich feathers and tan tights will be disappointed, because these days ballroom dancing is a much more glamorous and racy affair.
Eva Allen, creative director of Dancesport UK, says: "The make-up is more contemporary and much lighter. The dresses are decorated with rhinestones rather than sequins, and they are long and light, instead of short and wide as they used to be.
"The look used to be quite 1960s/70s, but now it is much more elegant and 1930s."
Chris Newton, 26-year-old president of Cambridge Dancers agreed that ballroom dancing has come a long way from this outdated and rather unfortunate image.
"It used to be ball gowns and tails, but in most of our classes people are wearing jeans and T-shirts. Ballroom dancing was seen as camp and cheesy, now it's elegant and dramatic."
The club, which also teaches Latin, salsa and swing, now boasts 2,000 members and is open to anyone wanting to dance themselves fit whilst having a good time.
And ballroom is not the only dance that appears to be finding a new niche in the fitness market, as people have begun looking for alternatives to going to the gym.
Bored with the treadmill and intimidated by the weight training, a growing number of young people have been taking up salsa, belly dancing and even pole dancing in recent months.
And every week, more than half a million people from toddlers to pensioners have a ball learning to step in time to music.
Liz Murphy, administration manager of the International Dance Teachers Association, says the sport's fuddy duddy image has been overhauled, thanks to music, TV and movies.
"Dancing is now seen as a much more glamorous activity. I think its profile has been helped by stars like Ricky Martin, programmes like Fame Academy and films like Evita."
She added: "You increase your stamina and improve your posture and co-ordination. It also uses muscular strength and endurance and is good for flexibility. And, in addition to that, you develop an appreciation of musical timing and rhythm."
And exercise is not the only benefit to be gained from dancing - it is much more sociable than pumping iron at the gym, and the music can give participants a real buzz.
Liz said: "It combines your exercise class with a social night out. Because it all seems like a good laugh, then people seem more likely to keep going.
"You can avoid that New Year syndrome where you join a gym, go along for a while and then give up. If your choice of exercise is fun, then you will be more likely to keep it up when other factors, like time, get in the way."
One surprising new craze is pole dancing. Although the activity originated in strip joints, it is fast losing its sleazy image and becoming the exercise of choice for many women.
This shift has no doubt been helped by the endorsement of stars such as Kate Moss, who writhes around a pole in the new White Stripes video, and Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, who are reportedly devotees.
Pole-dancing schools are now popping up across the country, and one metal company, Metalfast, has even started a sideline in making poles for dancers.
Hannah Dring, course co-ordinator for London pole-dancing school Polestars, says that since the business opened six months ago, interest has rocketed.
"When we started, we had one weekly class of about 10 girls, and now we have five classes. There is even more interest, but we haven't got enough venues to keep up with it - we are booked up until January.
"Girls just seem to love it because it is the ultimate girly session, with a lot of laughing, cheering and constant encouragement. It is as much a social event as an exercise class.
"They can also achieve a lot quite quickly - at the end of our six weeks' beginners course, most girls can hitch themselves up and hang upside down."
Belly dancing is also experiencing a surge in interest. At the Zehara School of Belly Dance in Manchester, they teach more than 300 women each week and are having to expand to cope with the demand.
Founder Nikki Franklin says: "A lot of the ladies say they feel much better, happier in themselves and more alive. Some with joint and back problems have also found improvement.
"People like the aerobic element of it and the fact it keeps them toned and fit.
"We have up to 60 in a class and, when the whole group does the same movement, there is very tribal feel to it and you get a real buzz."
* For more information about Cambridge Dancers visit their website at http://www.cam.ac.uk/ societies/cdc/
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