Veni, vidi, saltaverunt. 'I came, I saw, I danced.' If dance is a language, I was an immigrant from a far away planet, speaking an unrecognizable language, in drastic need of an interpreter and ESOL lessons. I received everything I needed and more from the incredible people at DanceWithMeSoHo. This 'immigrant' had a long journey to even arrive at DWM SoHo, much less dance in any recognizable form.
Two health issues over the past five years resulted in a transformation from an active individual to one fifty pounds overweight with such low energy that a year ago, I couldn't walk up a flight of steps in my home, or lift my arms to shampoo my hair without becoming dizzy and needing to rest. The health issues were finally addressed and stamina improved a bit, but trying to dig oneself out of such a poor physical state was impossible to do on my own. An external motivator was needed. Over the past nine months, I'd abandoned my usual political and economic reading and looking for a distraction, ended up watching past Dancing With the Stars youtube videos. I was especially taken with the physical transformation of actress Kirstie Alley during her first season on the show, partnered w/ DWM co-founder, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. At the start of her season, she would collapse on the floor 'in a puddle of sweat, exhausted,' and ended up not only physically transformed, but dancing quite well. Hey, she was me! Maybe there was hope, after all! Watching DWTS this past season with the most amazing partnership of Maks and Olympic Gold Medalist Ice Dance champion, Meryl Davis, completely sucked me in and provided the final impetus to get off my keister and get moving.
In the same way total immersion can be a boon for learning a language, I knew I needed to have a period of time with dance as my sole focus to jump start a moribund metabolism. The grand plan began by traveling from my home outside Washington, DC, to NYC. First up, was seeing both SWAY productions, danced entirely with DWM professionals and headlined by Maks, Tony, and Val, DWM partners and featuring Zendaya. Review is here: http://tinyurl.com/nqjzscc SWAY set the mood and I and my adult daughter were ready to begin on Monday. Our Instructor Steve is incredibly competent, highly patient, and with an abundant sense of humor- a perfect fit for our needs. The goals were simple: get moving, have fun, learn something new... and not collapse in a puddle of sweat on the floor. Along the way, both I and my daughter discovered we have a genuine passion for dance. It is the absolute best way to get into and remain in shape. I still have a long way to go, but made a better start than I imagined.
DanceWithMeSoHo was selected for several reasons: ambiance, caliber of instruction, and 'vibe' of the staff. The studio is beautiful, the owners put the effort into creating a visually appealing space which sets the mood for all. All of the instructors are highly skilled dancers, with a superb ability to teach students at all levels. From pre-embryonic beginners, like me to a fellow who is one of the best amateur dancers in the US. The vibe? We were greeted and treated like old friends from the very start by everyone at DWMSoHo. In particular, Manager/Instructors Kosta and Leanne were so welcoming, we were immediately put at ease. All of the instructors we met were warm and made us feel happy to be there. Whatever ones motivation for taking dance lessons, it must be fun. If not, it simply is a chore, a burden and one people will avoid. Instead, this student eagerly looked forward to each days lesson. Even more remarkable was my adult daughters statement after day two: 'I'm having fun and I really like dancing!'
Learning in an immersion setting meant we were exposed to basics of many dances and were able to retain what we learned from day to day. This was a plus, because we identified which dances we preferred and which were best for us. Rumba, Salsa, Cha Cha, Tango, Foxtrot, Waltz, Swing, Hustle were among the basics we covered, providing a solid foundation for our growth. Additionally, I've more energy now than at the start of the week. The metabolic jump-start plan clearly is working. Seeing results in such a short period of time is a real motivator. If I can do it, anyone can.
One last point: DWM clearly understands the social aspect of dance and hosts periodic events, such as the lovely evening this past Friday. It was a delightful way to cap off our week of lessons. We enjoyed chatting with other students, instructors and our instructors in an informal, relaxed setting with good food, drinks, and music.
The absolute worst part of the week was that it ended. We'll seek out a studio in our area to continue to improve our skills, but plan on another 'road trip' to DanceWithMeSoHo. Not yet fluent in the 'language' of dance, I can communicate the basics and am motivated toward greater proficiency. DWMSoHo, is THE go-to resource. Just do it. read more
