Ballroom Joe's Dance Links
Updated February, 2013.
The following links are all based on places/things/sites I've had a chance to check out and/or frequent,
so they are listed here by my personal recommendation, as opposed to just links I've copied from other pages. Enjoy...
Places to Dance Dance Networking Dance Video Downloads Buy Dance supplies Dance Article Links
Joe's recommendations for places to dance in the Hudson Valley:
***For Country and Line Dancing***Info coming soon!
http://www.hvdd.net***For Salsa and other Latin Dancing***
Info coming soon!
http://www.hvdd.net***For Swing:***
My first recommendation is the Hudson Valley Community Dances Fourth Friday Swing dance at the Poughkeepsie Tennis club. They are a non-profit organization with a devoted group of volunteers committed to bringing in great bands, great teachers, and a really user-friendly vibe for dancers of every skill level. They show no signs of slowing down. Julie and I are usually there. Come say hi. Details on the link.On Wednesday nights there is PoTown held at Vassar college. It's totally free. You literally walk into the room full of dancing people (you can clearly see them through the window from across the campus on most nights) and can just jump right in and join the party. There are lots of students from the college there, but there are also lots of adults all ages who come regularly of all skill levels. And yes, everybody dances with everyone! No age discrimination here! Make sure you bring water! (or food if you're hungry) If you are not familiar with the campus you'll need guidance. Sometimes they have to change the hall, or postpose due to college activities, but Glen does a great job of keeping everyone up to date with the changes via email. You can contact him for directions or join their facebook page, or search vassar campus maps for location.
I'm reluctant to tell you about this one, because I think it's a best kept secret, and I'm tempted to keep it all to myself. But since it's a two hour drive from Poughkeepsie, I'm not that worried. Every 1st Sunday of the Month, the Midnight Sun, a full Swing Ensemble plays all afternoon at Havana's in New Hope. A bunch of us recently checked it out. These guys were right up there with the City Rhythm and the Walt Wagner bands. There was no cover, and the food, drink and ambiance was top notch! And even though we took over the dance area, they were more than welcoming and loved playing for us.
http://www.havananewhope.com***For Ballroom and Ballroom related:***
First of all, every fourth Saturday of the month, there are my Ballroom By Request parties;
Officially a Hudson Valley Community Dances event, it is unmatched to any other in terms of musicality, user-friendly format, and quality of door prizes.
Details on the link.Did you know that you can practice in LaGrange at Ballroom By Request?
This is the original event that was the inspiration for the party mentioned above. It's two lessons in two different dances, but after 10:00,
it's social practice time for an hour for only $5. (Lessons are $15) Details on the link.And on the second Sunday afternoon of each month, there is a "Waltz and more" Dance.
Though it's mostly waltz, we mix in other traveling dances like country 2-steps, Viennese Waltzes, Foxtrots, and even a few Tangos.
Featuring live music with professional musicians and a repetroire specifically tailored for social dancing sensitivities like length and tempo.
http://www.HudsonValleyDanceDepot.com/
***And For a Great Diner experience after our dance***
In the areas of location, cleanliness, food quality, menu diversity, room ambiance, and customer service, I give this diner five stars in all areas.
We are blessed to have this diner 2 miles down the road from our studio, but also open until Midnight.
. It truly is unique: www.dailyplanetdiner.com/
Searching for a partner? There is only one site I know of dedicated to helping individuals find dance partners of all levels of comitment.
You can literally search the entire world for age, height, experience, comittment level, relationship status, etc. Dancepartner.comMy local internet provider has set up these two forums for all things Dance Related in the Delaware Valley:
PhiladelphiaDANCE.org & PhiladelphiaDanceDirectory. Similar, but not exactly the same. Check them out.more links on the way...
Ballroom Dance Videos you can download
There are lots of performers out there who don't like their dancing
videotaped or downloaded for fear that people will steal their moves.
Luckily, there are some excellent dancers out there who do not feel this way.
These are links of cool videos I've seen and respect, each for a different reason.This awesome video was the inspiration for our Wedding dance: (Starts off looking like a news report. That's by design! keep watching!
Jive Aces "Bring Me Sunshine"The Jitterbug of today wasn't your father's Jitterbug! Watch this really fun "instructional film" from yesteryear that really captures the spirit of the dance:
Groovie Movie from 1944Canadian Champions Vadim and Nadiya demostrate the Samba! http://www.onlinevadim.com/links/videos.html
An amazing Lindy Swing routine. The only word that comes to mind is "surreal" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvHhaxgSs1U
An excellent Demo of Cha Cha with great form and style www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I6R4CF5prc
Don't end up like either of these guys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMf7vA0tYuc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNgmore on the way...
SHOES: This is a great store in Manhattan where I bought my first two pairs of dance shoes two years ago.
At the time, they didn't even have a website. They've evolved since then. But I still recommend driving up on a Sunday
and personally choosing from their selection. I'm still wearing my first pair. They're that durable!
www.worldtonedance.comSWING DANCE ACCESSORIES,
Including how-to videos, skirts for women, ties and sunglasses for men, videos, and a great breakdown of the different types of dance shoes.
I'm buying my very first pair of dance sneakers from here.
www.dancestore.com
Great article about Dance Etiquette. I totally agree with everything on this page, and nice and succinct.
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