If you’re a passionate and excited dancer who wants to learn some stellar new moves, then you have come to the right place. We will help you find the best dance lesson possible… The thing to know when it comes to a dance lesson is that there are many different ways to actually learn and practice. The phrase “dance lesson” can be misleading sometimes.

People are constantly learning, not only from their own experiences and choices, but also from other peoples’. A dance lesson isn’t just one thing… You dont always have to be in a dance class to learn how to dance, although it surely helps. You can go to the clubs and partner up with someone who knows the moves. Better partners make great teachers! Don’t be shy either, just ask. Dance clubs and social dancing can absolutely be a dance lesson in disguise.

Also, try to find an instructional video. They’re great if you want to learn at your own pace. Practice at home… repetition and practice wlll get you where you want to go. But you probably knew that already. The bottom line is… get out and dance, dig the music, and have fun. You can’t go wrong if you do that. Here are some helpful starting points for instructional videos: DanceCrazy, SalsaDanceDVD, or The Dance Store

Technorati Tags: Dance, dance class, dance classes, dance instruction, dance instructions, dance lesson, dance lessons, dance video, dance videos, dancing, dancing class, dancing classes, dancing lesson, dancing lessons, learn to dance

Dear Diary,

I haven’t written to you in years, and I miss talken to ya.

So what’s new with me? Let me tell ya…

It’s been a while that I had the most fun dancing and partying in a dance congress, but last weekend at the Reno Bachata Convention, I was reborn. It was not a congress, mind you, it was just a bachata convention…I mean whodathought, right?

Oh trust me, dear diary, there were some doubters there floating around. Come to think of it, they have been doubting Thomases since I started promoting bachata dance 8 years ago anyways. It is such a simple dance with lots of twings and twangs of the guitar, yeah, I know, it’s not that alluring to hardcore salseros that love xylophones and all, but it has evolved and fast evolving.

But past is PAST and moving forward is always the wise choice…burning bridges is not my cup of tea, after all, I know that sooner or later I’ll be crossing lots of bridges, so yeah, my motto; don’t mess with bridges because it more important to be nice than being important.

I have to admit, Reno Bachata Convention wasn’t part of the plan. The real plan was just to concentrate on planning the 1st San Francisco Bachata Festival. Of course, realistically, all things don’t exactly go perfectly according to plan.

November of 2008, I got a FB message from Juan I. Ruiz, one of the founding fathers of successful Sydney Bachata Festival, saying, “Hey Rodney, I’ll be vacationing in Chicago and I’d like to drop by San Francisco to hang out, bachata and then some, will you be in town?”

You see Sydney Bachata Festival is pretty much the event that made me “international” – you could say that I was baptized there as an international dance teacher. And I will never forget the hospitality of Australian bachateros. Their attitude and friendship is still immensely felt here in my heart a year later- little good things that done to me will be appreciated and never be forgotten.

“Juan, let me see what I can do, brotha. Bay Area ain’t that really fanatic for bachata compared to Sydney, but let me ponder and think of something.”

And so I pondered, indeed…

Hmmm, maybe a bootcamp…

Maybe, a series of workshops in SF, San Jose and Sac…

Hmmm…

I called Jorge Elizondo, “Bro, Juan is coming to SF and he wants to hang out, you in?”

“Tell me more, when and what do you have in mind…” Jorge was curious

Jorge loves SF and everytime he was here, he stayed at my place. We develop a friendship over the years because of bachata. I love bachata instructors that love the dance and promote it at the same time. I could care less which bachata style they teach or dance as long they have passion and really believe in what they’re doing. I dislike haters who are up to no good and just talk shit about each other, it’s a lose-lose situation and they sound like losers.

Since Jorge is a savvy businessman, I had to make sure he knows my intention and reaffirm my vision. So I said, “Bro, I’m thinking of bachata bootcamp with you, Juan and Camille in San Fran. Juan treated me well when I was in Sydney, so let’s give him a good time here in SF. I need your help in this.”

Jorge was in…

Last time I hosted a bootcamp here in the Bay Area, although well attended, I didn’t like it and it didn’t feel like an accomplishment for me. I was secretly disappointed that it didn’t make a dent in my vision – for bachata to be respected and recognized, not only by salsa dancers but salsa Djs as well as Latin dance enthusiasts.

Last question in my mind was, “Do I continue hosting little workshops here and there or do something really big before the SF fest?”

So the pondering ended with the question above, on which, I never pondered again, not until I taught a bachata workshop in Reno…

I love Reno people, you know why? Because they love to party and they don’t give a shit whether you are Cuban stylist or Mambo stylists or OutOfTiming stylist. They dance for fun and they learn to dance for fun. I especially love them when they always ask when I’m coming back to Reno after the end of teaching a workshop.

I have been sponsored by BB of Salsa Reno and Reno Dance Sensation numerous times there and everytime I went and taught the community there loves me. So for a Halloween night, I had no plans and really didn’t feel like partying in San Francisco, yes, I was bored. And dear diary, you and I both know that I am not the most productive or even creative when I’m bored. I was seeking an adrenaline rush, a fix, if you will.

I got a call from BB…with fees and little negotiations; I was slated for Halloween at Pearl’s Reno’s Latin Thursday. BB is a cool guy. I call him the Godfather of Reno Salsa and rightfully so. We instantly connected when I met him 4 years ago. With lessons and workshops later, I endorsed him to teach bachata in the Reno/Tahoe area. We became friends eventually, and I always admired his go-getter personality.

After teaching an enthusiastic crowd of 400 people, I thought to myself, “Hmmm, I think I just found my answer here.”

Back to the Bay Area, I needed to confirm to Juan and Jorge about the proposed SF Bootcamp. I wasn’t 100% about the bootcamp idea. I needed to make a decision fast. There was no time to lose and January was just around the corner.

I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered my fave; Pan Fried Eggs with oysters. Oysters are filled with zinc and of course eggs are filled with B vitamins, in other words, it keeps your testosterone level high You know what they say, you think faster and smarter when your testosterone levels are high.

In the middle of my meal, I texted BB of Salsa Reno, “Bro, I am gonna do a bachata event in Reno and I would love you to be a part of it.”

1, 2, 3, 4, 5….phone rings…

“Hello BB…”

BB was in…

After talking to BB, I called Jorge,

“Jorge, change of plan…we’re going to Reno and we’re gonna do a prelude Bachata event for SF Bachata Festival. I think 400 people would suffice.”

til next time,
Rodchata

Rodney Rodchata Aquino
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/diary-of-an-ambitious-bachatero-734532.html

There is no person who does not love to dance. Dancing is a specialized skill that is an art of expressing one’s feelings and emotions. There are various dance forms out of which tap dance is the popular dance forms these days. Tap dance is one of the well-liked dance forms in which there is a tapping sound made. These tapping sounds are made when the dancer’s shoes that have metal plates touch some hard surface. The dancers produce musical sounds and are popularly known as percussive musicians.

There are various dance academies that are providing training to the people and making them proficient in various dance forms. There are varied options for people who wish to exercise and keep their body in shape. The dance academies also provide the people with tap dance lessons and make them familiar with all the possible aspects of tap dancing that includes improvisation, creativeness as well as step timings.

It is very easy to learn the basic steps of tap dancing and one can further add flair and touch to the basic steps. The tap dance lessons are proved beneficial for the people even if they are not so good at dancing or for those who know nothing about tap dancing. There are professional dancers that are there in the various dance schools and are giving the aspiring dancers the tap dance classes. In most of the tap dance classes there are tap dance videos of the trained dancers that help the people in hearing the beats and dancing with rhythm. Furthermore, they train the dancers with some warm up techniques that is followed by dance routines. With the progression of the tap dance classes, the dancers are taught other new moves to make them proficient in the tap dance steps.

With these tap dancing professionals that train the dancers and help them how to tap dance, the aspiring dancers can become one of the renowned tap dancers that can be featured in the popular dance videos. For the one who wishes to learn to tap dance, they must have the idea clear in their mind that tap dancing is more than knowing the way in which the dance moves are made. It might extend to the styling of those moves so that the dancer looks as well as feels good. It not only makes the person dance but they also have an exercise at the same time.

There are many of the people who feel shy to enrol themselves in the tap dance classes and learn to tap dance as they don’t have the confidence to face the audience. For the people who are unable to get along with the dance schools but wish to get the training of how to tap dance, tap dance videos are the best solution for them. There are tap dance DVDs that are available in various series that have different teaching levels that includes the basic dancing steps, intermediate and the difficult level dancing.  The cardio dance DVD has a complete range of dance steps and gives a complete guidance on how to start. Tap dance is basically the cardio dance that enables the work out of the whole body. The cardio dance DVD is made available to the people who are willing to work hard to exercise and loose weight.

Eli Newsom
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/tap-dancing-sessions-for-rhythmic-and-healthy-life-1147183.html

This article is a quick overview of the City of London. It’s also a glimpse at the population, a small portion of recent history, and how that has affected the views of its citizens. Lastly, it’s a quick overview of some landmarks and activities available to London’s residents and visitors. All which will be covered in greater detail in this series of articles.

Any conversation of the five or so greatest cities in the world automatically includes London. Whether you are talking about leading financial centres, cultural, educational, political, or entertainment centres, doesn’t really matter. London will be mentioned as a leader in these and many more categories.

The population of London is quite diverse, and an estimated 300 different languages are spoken by its inhabitants. Those inhabitants number about 7.5 million, in the city and boroughs, and a total of 12 to 14 million in the metropolitan area combined. This ranks the London metro area at 18th in the list of the largest world metropolitan areas.
London was the largest metropolitan area in the world by population from 1825 to 1925, but has been overtaken by many cities around the world, and probably just as well. The diverse population is a lesson in tolerance, with 30 % of the population being born outside the U.K. Perhaps it’s not so much tolerance as apathy. Londoners are not known for their warmth towards foreigners, but London is a place of business and it is necessary to get along to do business.

Certainly no one could blame Londoners for feeling a little distain towards its immigrant population, but they really don’t. London has long been a target of terrorist attacks of one kind or another. Without going too far back into history you can try imagining what it would have been like to be raising children during the early part of the 20th Century when World War I had Zeppelins overhead dropping incendiary bombs on the city. This was one of the earliest aerial bombings ever, and it took a while before defences were developed to combat the bombing.

World War II was even worse, when the German Blitz had the population in constant fear, bombing the city day and night. In both situations, much of the population headed for the countryside, or at least sent their children there. Several decades later car bombs were detonated and pubs were targeted. Other attacks took place in the city by Provisional IRA and other groups sympathetic to their cause over the last four decades. The newest, most recent attacks by Muslim Extremists on public transportation systems would cause many countries to close their borders, and take an isolationist stance, but Londoners seem to know the difference between Muslims and Muslim extremists, and don’t show fear or distain for any of these groups, or others who have attacked them over the years. They don’t roll out the red carpet, but they show a genuine open mindedness toward most people. They also show a logical approach to dealing with terrorism.

It may be that dealing with harsh reality gets easier over time. London has endured Plague, Civil War, Devastating Fires, along with bombardment and attacks over the past two thousand years, and seems to come back stronger from each event.

Throughout all of this London has remained one of the most diverse cities in the world.
London has also remained a vibrant city and a leader in all of the categories of any importance that makeup a key global city.

London has thirty two boroughs, and the city of Westminster included within its loosely organized boundaries. Over time boroughs have been grouped into districts, cities, and other authorities in many different and sometimes confusing ways. Talking about Central London, Inner London, Greater London, The City of London, Metropolitan London, Municipal London, or Outer London is quite confusing to anyone who hasn’t spent a lot of time there.

Having a map on hand may be a requirement for not only tourists, but residents as well.
The actual City of London is a small city within Greater London. It is the core of London and not much bigger than a square mile. This area of the city is the major financial centre, and is Europe’s second largest central business district.

Besides being a powerful financial community, London is also a great transportation hub. London has five international airports, and is a large port. Heathrow International Airport alone carries more passengers than other airport in the world.

Also a great tourist destination, London offers entertainment with theatre, music, dance, and films. Shopping is a big draw to people visiting London with many famous shopping venues. From small markets to huge department stores many people are attracted to London by the shopping opportunities.

Clubs and live music venues bring in another crowd, albeit a little different crowd, but again London is all about diversity. Sports, attractions, cultural spots, and historic locations also bring in tourists by the car load. Buses are a primary method of touring London, but a ride on British Airway’s London Eye gives you a good look at the city from the banks of The River Thames and on a clear day you can take in 55 of the most famous landmarks in London in a half hour ride on the Eye. This can be combined with a river cruise that departs from LondonEye Pier to get an even more detailed look at the sights. It’s a good idea to do this at the beginning of a sightseeing journey because seeing the sights from the Eye may help you decide which ones you want to see in person and give you an idea of their location from where you are staying.

London has some great museums, and you can gain access to many of them without breaking your budget. The National Gallery displays many classic paintings, while The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of many of history’s most famous people. The National Portrait Gallery also has a rooftop restaurant with great views. The Tate Britain, and Tate Modern Galleries are excellent, and The Royal Academy of the Arts has been putting on a great summer exhibition since 1768.

The Tower of London where The Crown Jewels are kept, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and Royal Albert Hall are other must see landmarks that will help you gain an understanding and an appreciation of London’s history.

Susan Ashby

In this installment of the award-winning Temple of Witchcraft series, popular author Christopher Penczak explores the quest of the God. In this volume, the twelve signs of the zodiac represent the God`s symbolic journey through the sky. Each archetypal astrological force offers readers unique insight into the mysteries and the role of a high priest or high priestess. This manual of practical exercise, witchcraft theology, and ministerial advice also explores witchcraft and the modern world, discussing how contemporary issues can be approached from the perspective of witchcraft spirituality. Some of the highlights consist of: -A magickal education through the zodiac signs. -Learning tools for pagan ministers Earth stewardship and working with ley lines. -Ancestor work -Trance work through dance and plant substances -Mediumship within witchcraft -Communing with your own personal twelvefold pantheon With so many lessons already provided, this advanced magickal book culminates in a powerful self-initiation ritual that combines the lessons of the Goddess`s descent and the God`s journey, to bring awareness, understanding, and personal power. This is a 462 page soft-cover book.

powered by Yahoo shopping

Who on the planet earth exists that doesn’t love dancing? Whether humans, animals or birds, you will see everyone dancing in their moods. Dancing, though a specialized skill, is no doubt an art of expression. There are some who love to express their joy by dancing to their own rhythm while there are also few who in the low mood, also dance so as to express their pain in their dancing steps, which somehow they can’t express in their words. Hence, everyone on the planet earth has been acquainted with the art of dance performance. In today’s times, it has become a part of profession for many as well as there are so many young ones and adults who are joining dance classes to excel in this body art.

Amongst so many dancing forms, the most popular dance these days is the tap dance. One doesn’t need to be a professional dancer to learn to tap dance. Whether amateur or learned, all can learn to tap dance through a series of dancing videos that specialized in making people learn to tap dance.

It is DVD series which instructs and teaches tap dance lessons to dance from the very comfort of your home. This series is for both non-dancers/amateurs as well as dancers/professionals. The instructions on tap dance lessons are very clear and easy-to-use that you will feel that you have never been learnt in this way ever before.

The best feature of learning this way dancing is that you don’t have to attend any tap dance classes or tap dance schools. By just putting the tap dance video, you can learn the dance. The dance video has dancing steps which covers split-screen camera angles as well as offers musical counts also.

There are many of us who feel shy to join tap dance classes or tap dance schools because we don’t have that confidence to face audience and other batch-mates of the group, whom we think excel than us. So, if you are also one of those who can’t join a live class because of your lack of confidence and shy nature, then fitness video option is best for you.

Apart from joining it in order to learn tap dancing, it can be also be used by those who wish to lose their weight. Tap dance requires high energy and involves movement of all body parts, especially legs and thighs. Hence, it is a great form of exercise. So, one has an option to join these tap dance classes as a form of fitness regime. So, you have option to use them as dance video or fitness video. It is the best medium to lose weight while having fun and enjoyment. You can also call your friends or neighbors and fix a time together, and can learn dancing in the group by putting the dance video.

So, take out the notion from your minds that you can’t dance, we have made it very simple for you. So, just remove that fear and join fitness video classes today. For more information about tap dancing, learning tap dancing or tap dancing classes, log on to tapdancemadeeasy.com

Eli Newsom
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/say-yes-to-tap-dancing-728108.html

This article is a quick overview of the City of London. It’s also a glimpse at the population, a small portion of recent history, and how that has affected the views of its citizens. Lastly, it’s a quick overview of some landmarks and activities available to London’s residents and visitors. All which will be covered in greater detail in this series of articles.

Any conversation of the five or so greatest cities in the world automatically includes London. Whether you are talking about leading financial centres, cultural, educational, political, or entertainment centres, doesn’t really matter. London will be mentioned as a leader in these and many more categories.

The population of London is quite diverse, and an estimated 300 different languages are spoken by its inhabitants. Those inhabitants number about 7.5 million, in the city and boroughs, and a total of 12 to 14 million in the metropolitan area combined. This ranks the London metro area at 18th in the list of the largest world metropolitan areas.
London was the largest metropolitan area in the world by population from 1825 to 1925, but has been overtaken by many cities around the world, and probably just as well. The diverse population is a lesson in tolerance, with 30 % of the population being born outside the U.K. Perhaps it’s not so much tolerance as apathy. Londoners are not known for their warmth towards foreigners, but London is a place of business and it is necessary to get along to do business.

Certainly no one could blame Londoners for feeling a little distain towards its immigrant population, but they really don’t. London has long been a target of terrorist attacks of one kind or another. Without going too far back into history you can try imagining what it would have been like to be raising children during the early part of the 20th Century when World War I had Zeppelins overhead dropping incendiary bombs on the city. This was one of the earliest aerial bombings ever, and it took a while before defences were developed to combat the bombing.

World War II was even worse, when the German Blitz had the population in constant fear, bombing the city day and night. In both situations, much of the population headed for the countryside, or at least sent their children there. Several decades later car bombs were detonated and pubs were targeted. Other attacks took place in the city by Provisional IRA and other groups sympathetic to their cause over the last four decades. The newest, most recent attacks by Muslim Extremists on public transportation systems would cause many countries to close their borders, and take an isolationist stance, but Londoners seem to know the difference between Muslims and Muslim extremists, and don’t show fear or distain for any of these groups, or others who have attacked them over the years. They don’t roll out the red carpet, but they show a genuine open mindedness toward most people. They also show a logical approach to dealing with terrorism.

It may be that dealing with harsh reality gets easier over time. London has endured Plague, Civil War, Devastating Fires, along with bombardment and attacks over the past two thousand years, and seems to come back stronger from each event.

Throughout all of this London has remained one of the most diverse cities in the world.
London has also remained a vibrant city and a leader in all of the categories of any importance that makeup a key global city.

London has thirty two boroughs, and the city of Westminster included within its loosely organized boundaries. Over time boroughs have been grouped into districts, cities, and other authorities in many different and sometimes confusing ways. Talking about Central London, Inner London, Greater London, The City of London, Metropolitan London, Municipal London, or Outer London is quite confusing to anyone who hasn’t spent a lot of time there.

Having a map on hand may be a requirement for not only tourists, but residents as well.
The actual City of London is a small city within Greater London. It is the core of London and not much bigger than a square mile. This area of the city is the major financial centre, and is Europe’s second largest central business district.

Besides being a powerful financial community, London is also a great transportation hub. London has five international airports, and is a large port. Heathrow International Airport alone carries more passengers than other airport in the world.

Also a great tourist destination, London offers entertainment with theatre, music, dance, and films. Shopping is a big draw to people visiting London with many famous shopping venues. From small markets to huge department stores many people are attracted to London by the shopping opportunities.

Clubs and live music venues bring in another crowd, albeit a little different crowd, but again London is all about diversity. Sports, attractions, cultural spots, and historic locations also bring in tourists by the car load. Buses are a primary method of touring London, but a ride on British Airway’s London Eye gives you a good look at the city from the banks of The River Thames and on a clear day you can take in 55 of the most famous landmarks in London in a half hour ride on the Eye. This can be combined with a river cruise that departs from LondonEye Pier to get an even more detailed look at the sights. It’s a good idea to do this at the beginning of a sightseeing journey because seeing the sights from the Eye may help you decide which ones you want to see in person and give you an idea of their location from where you are staying.

London has some great museums, and you can gain access to many of them without breaking your budget. The National Gallery displays many classic paintings, while The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of many of history’s most famous people. The National Portrait Gallery also has a rooftop restaurant with great views. The Tate Britain, and Tate Modern Galleries are excellent, and The Royal Academy of the Arts has been putting on a great summer exhibition since 1768.

The Tower of London where The Crown Jewels are kept, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and Royal Albert Hall are other must see landmarks that will help you gain an understanding and an appreciation of London’s history.

Susan Ashby

The rhythm and beat of foot-tapping music appeals to every child. Children love to sway their bodies to the music played as a part of their course curriculum. Keeping this in mind, specific dance music for kids has got underway. When kids personalized music comes to the fore, children leverage the maximum benefit from it.

The love for dance music by kids has prompted the evolution of personalized kids CDs. Hearing their names being called out many times by their favorite cartoon characters is a big boost to the kids. They feel confident and important to be recognized by their lovable characters. Be it Mickey, Minnie or Goofy, the children feel delighted to be a part of the CDs.

Start from an Early Stage

Children love to dance from the time that they can stand on their own two feet. Whenever you play a tune on the radio or TV, you can see them getting totally engrossed in the melody and swaying their bodies to and fro with it. Some children learn dancing and some improvise on their own. But dance music for kids is a must to help them become complete individuals. Kids personalized music also plays a great role in drawing the attention of the young kids and helping them dance a jig. The personalized kids CDs help the children to focus on their own names and feel excited to dance along with it.

Make Kids React to Movements

Dance music for kids inculcates a trained ear for different types of sounds and how to react to it. It fortifies a child’s artistic expression and coordinates rhythm and movement along with sound. Dancing comes easy to children especially when exposed to kids personalized music. They start mimicking the dance steps right from the very beginning. They will do exactly as you will teach them to do. In fact, you can teach them to move their body along to the songs in personalized kids CDs. Teachers and instructors lay stress on starting dancing lessons for kids right from the very early years of their childhood.

Begin With Simple Steps

It is important to start with simple movements first. Parents can teach their kids to hop, jump, skip, tap their toes and snap their fingers along to dance music for kids. It is easy for kids to simulate their own normal body movements first. Even shaking hands with children, smiling and laughing with them and stimulating their senses will help them to learn to emote while dancing. Emotion can be more cleverly portrayed by making use of kids personalized music.

A Note of Caution for Parents

When you help your children perform with dance music for kids, you should put some restraint on them. They should learn to cope with parental discretion. You have to keep an eye open and gauge what your kids are listening and dancing to. Sometimes, kids may be misguided and get into bad company. You have to regulate this and make sure that children listen to pure music and nothing more. By taking active part in their interest for music, you will also nurture a feeling of belonging with your kids and also pique their curiosity and creativity to learn new things through personalized kids CDs.

Dance and Be Merry

So, participate with your children when they play dance music for kids. Take them to live concerts and expose them to a wide variety of dance forms like hip-hop, salsa, tap and many others from a host of countries. Find out their interests and educate them accordingly. Buy kids personalized music and prepare to further the art of dancing in your kids. Your interest is bound to take your kids to the next level. It is sure to boost their cheerful time.

Site Booster
http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/arrange-dance-music-for-kids-to-boost-their-cheerful-time-1179652.html

This article is a quick overview of the City of London. It’s also a glimpse at the population, a small portion of recent history, and how that has affected the views of its citizens. Lastly, it’s a quick overview of some landmarks and activities available to London’s residents and visitors. All which will be covered in greater detail in this series of articles.

Any conversation of the five or so greatest cities in the world automatically includes London. Whether you are talking about leading financial centres, cultural, educational, political, or entertainment centres, doesn’t really matter. London will be mentioned as a leader in these and many more categories.

The population of London is quite diverse, and an estimated 300 different languages are spoken by its inhabitants. Those inhabitants number about 7.5 million, in the city and boroughs, and a total of 12 to 14 million in the metropolitan area combined. This ranks the London metro area at 18th in the list of the largest world metropolitan areas.
London was the largest metropolitan area in the world by population from 1825 to 1925, but has been overtaken by many cities around the world, and probably just as well. The diverse population is a lesson in tolerance, with 30 % of the population being born outside the U.K. Perhaps it’s not so much tolerance as apathy. Londoners are not known for their warmth towards foreigners, but London is a place of business and it is necessary to get along to do business.

Certainly no one could blame Londoners for feeling a little distain towards its immigrant population, but they really don’t. London has long been a target of terrorist attacks of one kind or another. Without going too far back into history you can try imagining what it would have been like to be raising children during the early part of the 20th Century when World War I had Zeppelins overhead dropping incendiary bombs on the city. This was one of the earliest aerial bombings ever, and it took a while before defences were developed to combat the bombing.

World War II was even worse, when the German Blitz had the population in constant fear, bombing the city day and night. In both situations, much of the population headed for the countryside, or at least sent their children there. Several decades later car bombs were detonated and pubs were targeted. Other attacks took place in the city by Provisional IRA and other groups sympathetic to their cause over the last four decades. The newest, most recent attacks by Muslim Extremists on public transportation systems would cause many countries to close their borders, and take an isolationist stance, but Londoners seem to know the difference between Muslims and Muslim extremists, and don’t show fear or distain for any of these groups, or others who have attacked them over the years. They don’t roll out the red carpet, but they show a genuine open mindedness toward most people. They also show a logical approach to dealing with terrorism.

It may be that dealing with harsh reality gets easier over time. London has endured Plague, Civil War, Devastating Fires, along with bombardment and attacks over the past two thousand years, and seems to come back stronger from each event.

Throughout all of this London has remained one of the most diverse cities in the world.
London has also remained a vibrant city and a leader in all of the categories of any importance that makeup a key global city.

London has thirty two boroughs, and the city of Westminster included within its loosely organized boundaries. Over time boroughs have been grouped into districts, cities, and other authorities in many different and sometimes confusing ways. Talking about Central London, Inner London, Greater London, The City of London, Metropolitan London, Municipal London, or Outer London is quite confusing to anyone who hasn’t spent a lot of time there.

Having a map on hand may be a requirement for not only tourists, but residents as well.
The actual City of London is a small city within Greater London. It is the core of London and not much bigger than a square mile. This area of the city is the major financial centre, and is Europe’s second largest central business district.

Besides being a powerful financial community, London is also a great transportation hub. London has five international airports, and is a large port. Heathrow International Airport alone carries more passengers than other airport in the world.

Also a great tourist destination, London offers entertainment with theatre, music, dance, and films. Shopping is a big draw to people visiting London with many famous shopping venues. From small markets to huge department stores many people are attracted to London by the shopping opportunities.

Clubs and live music venues bring in another crowd, albeit a little different crowd, but again London is all about diversity. Sports, attractions, cultural spots, and historic locations also bring in tourists by the car load. Buses are a primary method of touring London, but a ride on British Airway’s London Eye gives you a good look at the city from the banks of The River Thames and on a clear day you can take in 55 of the most famous landmarks in London in a half hour ride on the Eye. This can be combined with a river cruise that departs from LondonEye Pier to get an even more detailed look at the sights. It’s a good idea to do this at the beginning of a sightseeing journey because seeing the sights from the Eye may help you decide which ones you want to see in person and give you an idea of their location from where you are staying.

London has some great museums, and you can gain access to many of them without breaking your budget. The National Gallery displays many classic paintings, while The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of many of history’s most famous people. The National Portrait Gallery also has a rooftop restaurant with great views. The Tate Britain, and Tate Modern Galleries are excellent, and The Royal Academy of the Arts has been putting on a great summer exhibition since 1768.

The Tower of London where The Crown Jewels are kept, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and Royal Albert Hall are other must see landmarks that will help you gain an understanding and an appreciation of London’s history.

Susan Ashby

When Ann Jenkins was told that her daughter Amy was having trouble interacting with the other kids in her kindergarten class, she was at a loss for words. You see, Amy had always been a little shy around other kids, but after she "warmed up" she was usually fine. Why was kindergarten class any different? Amy’s teacher told Ann that she felt Amy lacked self-confidence and that the other kids recognized this and picked on her. When Ann asked the teacher what to do, she was surprised at her response: "Enroll Amy in dance lessons".

Initially shocked that dance could help her daughter psychologically, Ann started to do some research. Here’s what she found out about the benefits of dance for children: 

• Teaches kids an exciting new way to move their bodies in entertaining and creative ways.
• Introduces kids to exercise that is fun to do, early in life, promoting a life-long commitment to fitness. 
• Promotes self-discipline.
• Improves self-esteem and builds self-confidence.
• Improves flexibility, coordination and memory.
• Builds strength and stamina.
• Gives children a sense of grace.
• Helps children succeed in other sports and in the classroom.

There are almost as many kinds of dance classes out there are there are kids. Like adults, kids just have to find their niche. The Bea Hive Dance Studio in Garden Grove, California, caters to children of all ages, from toddlers to teens. Their unique Kid’s Program has classes available after school, in the evenings, and on weekends with classes in many different genres, including Hip Hop, Salsa, Funk Style Street Dancing, Ballet, Jazz, Polynesian Dancing and Aerial and Dance Fitness Training. Classes are starting now, so enroll quickly to make sure that your child will be assured a spot. Remember, dance is one of the greatest gifts that you can ever give your child. It is the gift that keeps on giving, for many years to come.  

For more information about dance classes for kids and adults, or to rent the studio for your own dance event or party, contact Beatrix, Queen of the Bea Hive, at 800-883-2109. www.beahiveballroom.com

Beatrix Dozier
http://www.articlesbase.com/k-12-education-articles/dance-classes-for-kids-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-1108922.html