fbpx

I Love Bachata… now

Miriam Combs on August 10, 2015

I Love Bachata… now

Bachata is not a new dance, but it is definitely spreading its wings and becoming increasingly popular all over the globe. It’s been a hit for a while really so we have been slow jumping on with this one and I want to be honest here- I really couldn’t see much to like about it. All that sweating and grinding is fine for the club but I want a dance with rhythm and connection and musicality and a little something different that sets it a part from the other dances we do. The dance world has fads that change as quickly as celebs change their diets, so we are always choosy about what we offer, we are not the ones to show you twerking for your wedding dance just because it’s trending. We’re looking for authentic dances.

I have recently changed my mind about Bachata, I love it! It is sensual and rhythmical and intuitive, everything you’d expect from a great latin dance style. The more I dance Bachata the more I discover how much it stands apart from Salsa and other street dance styles and really compliments the dances we already teach. I want to share this YouTube clip with you, because when I came across it I realised I wasn’t the only one with hesitations about new wave Bachata… that said it is a great dance so don’t be put off by some of the “dog at a tree” versions of this dance, and give it a go.

Fundamentals Salsa and Bachata dance class 5.30 pm every Friday night at Phoenix

 

What a night!

Miriam Combs on August 10, 2015

What a night!

That’s the Phoenix Dance Studio, World of Dance Championship done and dusted for another year and what a fantastic night it was! Thank you and a huge congratulations to everyone who participated. The dancing, the costumes, the choreography, the music were all fabulous. Most people entered, I have seen dance before, and everyone put on a performance that exceeded my expectations. This is certainly a competition that pushes people to dance their best. For the few newbies whose dancing I was not familiar with, I have to say, I was impressed and on the night I wasn’t sure who would be taking home the dance title and $1000 cash prize.

As it was, one of our most seasoned dancers won with a combination of exceptional technique and real showmanship. Congratulations Cassandra!

Click here to check out all the great routines from the event!

Group Classes for August 2015

Miriam Combs on July 31, 2015

Group Classes for August 2015

What’s happening in the Phoenix Dance Studio Group Classes for August 2015? Click on the class that you are interested in for a quick preview and practice video.

Tuesday 7pm is Salsa with Adriano.

He will be looking at the wrap and roll (single and continuous), neck roll, pick off and hand to hand.

Wednesday 7pm is Quickstep with Tom.

He will be looking at locksteps, V6’s and fishtails.

Thursday 7pm is Jive with Maryna.

She will be looking at travelling basics, american spins, stop & go and change of places.

Friday 5:30pm is Beginners Salsa and Bachata with Miriam.

Get along to cover all the things that you need to know to be able to get on the dance floor with these two dance styles.

Saturday 11:30am is Mambo with Tom.

He will be looking at cucaracha variations including contra, open out and rolling.

Click here to book in for your favourite dance classes at Phoenix Dance Studio

Group Classes for May 2015

Miriam Combs on April 24, 2015

Group Classes for May 2015

As always, we’ve got lots of different dance styles for you to learn. Don’t limit yourself to a single dance, get along to as many classes as you can to learn a range of them that will allow you to dance all night, wherever you are.

Tuesday Group Class

Tuesday at 7pm is always Salsa with Adriano. Come along and put together a sweet little combo of moves while learning how to lead and follow properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnZbVYd4Dmk

Wednesday Group Class

On Wednesday at 7pm Tom will be working on Viennese Waltz. Just a few, fairly simple foot patterns, but prepare to get very, very dizzy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9mWmSKPDwo

Thursday Group Class

Thursday at 7pm you will be developing your Jive technique with Maryna by learning some simple patterns that will allow you to work on you movement and styling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qxRy5M9K0s

Friday Group Class

We’ve got a new Salsa & Bachata class running on Friday evenings at 5:30pm. It’s a FREE class special designed for beginners. Everybody is welcome to come in and have a dance straight after work to kick start the weekend.

Saturday Group Class

On Saturday morning at 11:30 Tom will be teaching Salsa. This month he will be focusing on using some Cross Body variations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROL-8YvJGjM

 

Wedding Music

Miriam Combs on April 12, 2015

Wedding Music

At Phoenix Dance Studio we have quite a lot of people come in for lessons especially for their wedding dance. That first special twirl around the floor as husband and wife is something that they want to be remembered for all the right reasons (they looked fantastic) as opposed to all the wrong reasons (they both ended up flat on their backs on the dance floor). From the feedback we get and the recommendations we receive, I think that we’ve done a good job of helping them to look their best as they dance on such a special day.

As couples come in, they are often concerned about their choice of music.

“Is this too weird?”, “Is everyone else using this one?”, “Is this what you’re meant to have at a wedding?” and “Can you dance to this?”

We always say to choose the music that they like and that means something to them, not to worry about other peoples musical tastes and, as we are experienced dance instructors, there isn’t much that you can’t dance to. Some tracks might be more challenging than others, but we can get you dancing to pretty much anything.

I’m sure that I’m not shocking anyone by saying that, usually, the big romantic song of the moment will be chosen by every second couple coming in to the studio for a month or so, until the next big one. For example, when Tom started teaching it was almost always Celine Dion with “My Heart Will Go On” and on, and on, and on. The lady that taught him to dance remembered with a shudder how many times she had heard “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston.

There are some great songs that are brought in by couples maybe once or twice a year though, that never go out of style. Here are a few of them.

“Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhujM7T1_fQ

“Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COiIC3A0ROM

“Feelin’ Good” by Nina Simone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfJRX-8SXOs

“It Had To Be You” by Harry Conick Jnr.

So, what was your choice of wedding music? Did everything go according to plan with your dance? Did someone from Phoenix Dance Studio help you with it? Let us know in comments below.

If you’re looking for more information about a wedding dance and what Phoenix Dance Studio can do to help you with it, just click here.

 

Group Classes for April 2015

Miriam Combs on March 29, 2015

Group Classes for April 2015

As always, we’ve got lots of different dance styles for you to learn. Don’t limit yourself to a single dance, get along to as many classes as you can to learn a range of them that will allow you to dance all night, wherever you are.

Don’t forget about our new Latin Shines group class every Tuesday at 7:45pm with Maryna.

Tuesday Group Class

Tuesday at 7pm is always Salsa with Adriano. Come along and put together a sweet little combo of moves while learning how to lead and follow properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnZbVYd4Dmk

Wednesday Group Class

On Wednesday at 7pm Tom will be working on Quickstep. Focusing on the the V6 and the Fishtail and how to move around the floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7PJPMLWN3M

Thursday Group Class

Thursday at 7pm you will be developing your Rumba technique with Maryna by learning some simple patterns that will allow you to work on you movement and styling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWvOh5VR_a8

Saturday Group Class

On Saturday morning at 11:30 Tom will be teaching Argentine Tango. This month he will be focusing on using the Ocho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWRsXD36rLI

Flashmob

Miriam Combs on March 23, 2015

Flashmob

It took a wee while but here it is at last. Footage from the first of the two flashmobs performed on Bridge Road on Sunday 1st March.

Thanks to everyone who came to practice on the Saturday mornings throughout February and then got up and danced their way down the street! You were all awesome guys!

Showcases Medals on Open Day

Miriam Combs on March 6, 2015

Showcases Medals on Open Day

As well as everything else we had happening on 1st March (flashmob, open day, free group classes, dance party, latin music DJ and live drumming, I’m knackered just writing about the lot of it!) there were also a couple of performances of Bronze Showcases Medals on Open Day at the latin dance party.

Chanel danced an Argentine Tango to “Hey Gypsy Boy” by Jimi Hendrix. The unusual choice of music made for a very different style of movement and choreography than you would normally see in this style of dance. The idea to try it came from Chanel and we think that she danced brilliantly.

Lucy danced a Swing routine to “Hey Pachuco” by  The Royal Crown Revue. It’s fast and fun and is over much too quickly. Lucy really attacked this one with enthusiasm and energy and it’s great to see her dancing and performance skills getting better and better every time she gets up on the dance floor

Group Classes for March 2015

Miriam Combs on February 27, 2015

Group Classes for March 2015

As always, we’ve got lots of different dance styles for you to learn. Don’t limit yourself to a single dance, get along to as many classes as you can to learn a range of them that will allow you to dance all night, wherever you are.

Tuesday Group

Tuesday at 7pm is always Salsa. Come along and put together a sweet little combo of moves while learning how to lead and follow properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnZbVYd4Dmk

 

Wednesday Group

On Wednesday at 7pm will be working on Slow Foxtrot. Focusing on the Feather Step and 3 Step and how to get around the floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuIImPvdb2g

Thursday Group

Thursday at 7pm you will be developing your Rumba technique by learning some simple patterns that will allow you to work on you movement and styling.

 

Saturday Group

On Saturday morning at 11:30 we will teach a couple of different rhythms for your Swing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F9-GKAhAnk

Flashmob!

Miriam Combs on February 11, 2015

Flashmob!

On Sunday 1st March Bridge Rd. will be hosting the Global Gathering event with great food and all kinds of other cool stuff happening.

As well as hosting an open day at the studio and having our first dance party of the year, Phoenix Dance Studio is organising a flashmob.

It will be performed twice at two different parts of Bridge Rd, once at 12:30pm and then at 3:30pm.

It’s based on Samba, but don’t panic, you don’t have to be a samba expert to be involved. This is open to everyone, whether taking lessons at Phoenix or not, whether you’ve ever danced before or not. You just have to be excited about dancing in the flashmob.

Throughout February, the Saturday morning 11:30 class is FREE and will be used to practice for the flashmob. Even if you can’t make it to all the sessions, you can still be a part of the dance.

Use the video clips to help with your practice and share them with anyone that you think might be keen to join in. Your dentist, your classmates, your sister, your nanny or your parole officer. Get them all along, the more bodies we have on the day, the better it will be.

I’m interested