Dancing On Air - February 2008 http://ezezine.com ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- Dancing On Air - February 2008 ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- This Ezine has been e-mailed to you because you signed up for it on one of our websites: http://www.whimsies-online.com or http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com. If you feel you've received this Ezine in er~ror or wish to leave us, please find out how to leave this list at the end of this ezine. Please note that I respect your privacy. Your e-mail address will never be distributed. I guarantee your confidentiality - promise - they can string me up by my toes and feed me liver! Important Note: No trees were killed in the sending of this ezine...however, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced... ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- IN THIS ISSUE 1. Welcome from Heather! 2. Article: "Se~xier, Sportier and More Popular Than Ever" 3 Riddle of the Month 4. Article: "Dip into Salsa for Fun and Fitness" 5. Cool Sites and Interesting Tidbits 6. Subscription Info & the usual end-of-ezine stuff! ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- 1. WELCOME FROM HEATHER! Happy February - wooohoooooo...next month is SPRING!!!! Check out our Valentine's day page for some fun ideas: http://www.whimsies-online.com/valentine.htm and some more great ideas for St. Pattie's Day: http://www.whimsies-online.com/stpattysday.htm By-the-way, I just got into this new aerobic class called Zumba Fitness. Don't know if any of you have done this but it's latin music as a background and basic steps of salsa, merengue, cumbia and more, done aerobically - what a great workout! I am so enjoying this. It's once a week for an hour and wish it was 5 days a week. Actually this fitness class prompted me to make a tape of all my favorite fast latin dance music and I've been basically 'going nutso' dancing about half an hour a day in the basement to my new tape. Hopefully I'll lose some of the pounds I gained over the holidays :-) You can check out Zumba fitness on their website: http://www.zumba.com Be sure to mark your calendar for the next season of Dancing with the Stars which is scheduled for March 17! Don't forget to watch AMERICA'S BALLROOM CHALLENGE' which airs Wednesdays, Jan. 30 through Feb. 27 from 8 to 9 p.m. ET on PBS and "Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann" on Mondays. You can still order the Dancing With the Stars 2008 calendar from the good people at calendars.com - I ordered mine and it's gorgeous! They're pretty impressive and very fast with their deliveries. The link is: http://tinyurl.com/yvrguo. Speaking of deliveries, don't forget to put in your order if you want a unique personalized cartoon gift for that special friend, relative, dance partner, dance teacher, or your significant other! If you need something that you don't see on our website, give us a shout at info@whimsies-online.com and we'll be more than happy to help... Let me know what you think about Dancing On Air and if you have any suggestions for ballroom dance topics you'd like to see addressed; or you'd like to submit clean jokes, comical anecdotes, stress reliever ideas for dance competitions and/or shows, your most embarrassing and comical experiences (we'll laugh with you!), fun ideas, dance hints, how you started dancing, your news (any dance news, competitions, announcements), etc., Comments? Questions? Just need to vent about the coffee you spilled all over yourself this morning? I'd love to hear from you. Give me a shout at info@whimsies-online.com. Have a great month and don't forget, keep in touch...May you always have Love to Share, Health to Spare and Friends that care. Dancing On Air is for you - we want to bring a little sunshine and laughter into your life! Keep dancin'! or as a fellow dancer once told me: Carpe Dancem (seize the dance) Whimsically yours, ~ Heather ~ (meet the artist: http://www.whimsies-online.com/theartist.htm) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Come visit with us on Facebook (we'll announce specials now and then!) * WHIMSIES PERSONALIZED CARTOONS * http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6637242466 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ NEW SUBSCRIBERS:Here's your Fr~ee Gift, The Dancer's Notebook! Here's the link to access the download page for the fr~ee gifts I promised you when you signed up for Dancing On Air Ezine. They are all Word files - hope you find them as useful as I do! http://www.whimsies-online.com/dancingonairgifts.htm or you can download the files here: http://tinyurl.com/6zbcs Scroll down to where it says "Sign up and receive a Fr~ee Gift, The Dancer's Notebook" ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 2. Article: "Se~xier, Sportier and More Popular Than Ever" by Lindsay Satterthwaite For many people, ballroom dancing conjures up images of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers gliding across a dance floor in a tuxedo and a lavish ballgown. But times are changing, and as a new addition to the Olympic Games roster of sports, ballroom dancing is sexier, sportier, and more popular than ever. From a recreational level all the way to the Olympics, ballroom dancing is making a comeback, with younger dancers falling in love with it. In the last five years, the trend has become younger people dancing. Especially in the age range of five to 16," said Sandy Brittain, president of the Ontario Amateur Dancesport Association, adding that there has been a large increase in the number of dancers overall. Brittain attributes this steep incline to the increase in recent years of families immigrating from countries like Poland and Russia - places where competitive ballroom dancing is extremely popular. "This has made quite a difference in the scene," she said, explaining that it is very common for these families to put their children in ballroom dancing because it is social and a great way to meet people when they are new to the country. The OADA, Brittain explained, is the association that deals with and focuses on competitive ballroom dancing in Ontario, adding that if you were just dancing socially, you wouldn’t need to become a member. "Dancing is something that is for life. You can do it anywhere, anytime, singly or together with someone." Anywhere from one-third to one-half of the memberships at the OADA are of people under 16, she said. "These young dancers come in with hopes of becoming the Canadian champion one day, and younger adults go into as a way of staying active," she explained. In Dancesport, the dancers are competing at a championship level and have to be extremely fit, Brittain explained. "Studies have shown that dancing is comparable to running a middle-distance," she said. "A couple can dance five consecutive dances each for a minimum of one-and-a-half minutes. It is very demanding." Please read the rest of the article on http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com/sexier.htm For more great articles on ballroom dancing, please check out: http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- 3. RIDDLE OF THE MONTH This months' riddle (Thanks to http://www.riddlenut.com, http://www.allriddles.com or http://www.justriddlesandmore.com): What Christmas message is written here? (sorry - a little late - hehehehehe!) A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Take a guess, then scroll down for the answer link! ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- 4. Article: "Dip into Salsa for Fun and Fitness" ~ by William Sukala, MS, CSCS Having fun learning salsa while keeping fit! Of course...all forms of dancing are wonderful for the mind, body and spirit! When you hear the Spanish word salsa, does it stir up a craving for tacos and margaritas at your favorite Mexican restaurant? Well, get up and swivel your hips because we're talking about salsa dancing. Salsa dancing is fun, extremely social, and above all, a superb workout! A three-hour salsa outing can burn approximately 1000 calories*. "Salsa is a great exercise for losing weight. It works the lower body muscles, the heart, and the collective cardiovascular system," says Pablo Romo, salsa instructor in San Diego and Tijuana. And it's so much fun that you forget you're getting a workout! Wallflower No More If you're just getting started, you may want to take a few beginner level classes. Find a dance studio in the yellow pages, or through an internet search. Most major cities have dance schools with salsa classes on the menu. Give a call and find out days, times, and prices. Classes provide a safe, supportive environment where it's ok to make mistakes, step on your partner's feet, or bump into the couple next to you. This is completely natural, so don't let it discourage you. Group salsa classes are often structured so that if you show up alone, you will merely partner up with whoever's next to you. After a few minutes, the instructor signals you to change partners. In essence, you're guaranteed to meet everyone in the class the first night. Even if you showed up with a partner, most instructors prefer that you rotate partners. More advanced classmates help you progress more rapidly than dancing with the same partner who's also a newbie. Please read the rest here: http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com/salsaforfunandfitness.htm Also, in keeping with the dance fitness theme, please check out http://www.zumba.com to find a Zumba Fitness class near you (I mentioned Zumba Fitness in my "Welcome from Heather" section at the beginning of this ezine). For more interesting articles on ballroom dancing, please check out: http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com/dancearticles.htm ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- 6. COOL SITES AND NEWS TIDBITS ** STUMPED AGAIN FOR THAT SPECIAL GIFT? ** Looking for a fun gift for that hard-to-buy-for dancer or dance teacher? Never fear...Whimsies Personalized Cartoons are Here! Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations; any reason! Personalized with any name or message. Cartoons for any hobby, occupation, sport, or occasion. including TONS of personalized cartoons for dancers, dance teachers, dance partners, and more! We can change any Whimsies Personalized Cartoon character's hair color, skin tone, add glasses or a moustache and more... Always at ~ no extra charge ~ http://www.whimsies-online.com Can't find what you want? Check out our Custom Cartoons. We can create any cartoon you'd like! http://www.whimsies-online.com/designyourown.htm ***************************************************************** Fr~ee hearing test: http://www1.freehearingtest.ca/ What this test IS going to do is show you whether or not you should go and have a hearing professional do a complete hearing evaluation sooner rather than later (cause we should all have a complete evaluation before we reach 60). ***************************************************************** Do you want a smart, affordable way to learn more Hustle, Mambo, West Coast Swing & Cha Cha Steps? Visit Dancestudent.com & start dancing by your own design. http://www.dancestudent.com ***************************************************************** Latin Dance Routines: http://www.danceway.com/r.html Ballroom Dance Routines: http://www.danceway.com/ballroom.html ***************************************************************** Dancing With the Stars Calendar 2008 is here and it's available at Calendars.com! http://tinyurl.com/yvrguo ***************************************************************** Dance Associations International Dance Sport Federation (IDSF) Represents more than four million dancers in 84 National Member Federations on five continents http://www.idsf.net International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) Provides examination services for the public, professional performers, and teachers http://www.idta.co.uk National Dance Council of America (NDCA) Represents the interests of those in the dance profession and other dance-related organizations http://www.ndca.org USA Dance (formerly USABDA) Contains information about independent dance studios, dance merchants and dance vendors http://www.usabda.org ***************************************************************** Ballroom-Dance-Resource is your one-stop ballroom dance online info resource. Sign up for Dancing On Air, our fr~ee ballroom/Latin dance ezine...Welcome and Happy Dancing! http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com ***************************************************************** Major Competitions DancesportInfo Results and photos from most major competitions http://www.dancesportinfo.net The Ohio Star Ball Where America's Ballroom Challenge is taped http://www.ohiostarball.com Blackpool Dance Festival in England One of the oldest and most prestigious competitions in the world http://www.blackpooldancefestival.net World Pro-Am DanceSport Series Holds over 70 dance competitions across the United States http://www.dancesportsuperbowl.com ***************************************************************** http://www.anrdoezrs.net/q0115wktqks7ADAFGBG798CEBFCD - Need a different kind of gift idea for your favorite dancer? CafePress has so many fun gift items to choose from, you're sure to find something special... all kinds of fun ballroom items such as T- shirts, Bags, Hats, Mugs, Notebooks, Clothing, Clocks and much more, and all for dancing enthusiasts! CafePress offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on everything they sell, I've bought from them and I've always been pleased with the products they offer and their service. ***************************************************************** International Dance Directory: Directory of dancers, with sections for locating teachers, studios and merchandise http://www.dancedirectory.com ***************************************************************** Exciting gifts for ballroom and Latin dancers! Mugs, T-shirts, wall clocks, tote bags and more! http://www.whimsies-online.com/whimsieswear.htm Save on selected items! ***************************************************************** Dance Directory, with sections for locating dance teachers, studios and merchandise for dancers: http://www.dancedirectory.com/index.html ***************************************************************** Dance fre~ebies: http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com/freebies.htm ***************************************************************** Here's a HUGE amount of wonderful links to do with dancing: http://dancevision.com/links/ ***************************************************************** The folding ballroom shoe brush...the shoe brush with style! Makes a change from the old-style dance shoe brush - it folds and will protect hands and things from scrapes and scratches! Great idea and a must for your dance bag!! Check them out here: http://tinyurl.com/6zbcs ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- ***** ANSWER TO THIS MONTH'S RIDDLE ***** Think you've figured it out? Click on this link to see if you're right! http://www.whimsies-online.com/riddle2.htm ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- 7. SUBSCRIPTION INFO AND THE USUAL END-OF-EZINE STUFF! Dancing On Air is published monthly by Heather Diodati (c) Copyright 2008 All rights reserved worldwide. Any articles are the property of the original author and can be used only with the author's permission. Disclaimer: The ads for products other than Whimsies Wear, Whimsies Personalized Cartoons, and The Pet Computer Virus in the Sponsor Ad Section are a service to subscribers and we do not specifically endorse these products or services. Visit our site: Whimsies! Personalized Cartoons and the adorable Pet Computer Virus at http://www.whimsies-online.com Shop on-line with us anytime! (clothes optional) Check out our newest site chock-full of useful info for ballroom dancers: http://www.ballroom-dance-resource.com ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- To recommend this Ezine, or subscribe: How's about spreading this issue around. Encourage your friends to subscribe! If you're reading someone else's copy, why don't you subscribe right now for fr~ee and we'll e-mail you the link to your gift of The Ballroom Dancer's Notebook, a great new system with printable forms created to facilitate recording your dance steps and routines; and you can keep track of those all-important dance notes, phone numbers and dates. Please subscribe to Dancing On Air on our site: http://www.whimsies-online.com/danceezine.htm Don't forget to send in your suggestions so we can include you in Dancing On Air! (see "Welcome from Heather" ) So...you publish an Ezine too? Would you like to swap ads? Just give me a shout at info@whimsies-online.com and tell me the name of your Ezine; whether it's weekly, biweekly or monthly, or ???; how many subscribers you have and the ad you'd like to have published in Dancing On Air. To leave this list, please e-mail us at info@whimsies-online.com or use the link at the end of this ezine. If you're e-mailing us from another address other than the one you use to receive our ezine, please make sure you indicate the correct e-mail address. We'll be sorry to see you go! To subscribe to On A Whim... ezine also, please read all about it on http://www.whimsies-online.com/ezineform.htm email: info@whimsies-online.com mailing address: 3516-126th rue, St. Anicet, Quebec, J0S 1M0 Canada ----------<<>>---------<<>>----------<<>>----------<<>>---------- This ezine is carefully created in compliance with the Can-Spam Act of the FCC. This ezine contains commercial messages as an advertisement or solicitation. The subscriber agrees, by accepting this email newsletter subscription, to indemnify the publisher against false accusations of spam to include, but not limited to, payment of all damages, loss of web hosting fees and services, all damages for loss of business and goodwill, and any and all fees or fines that may be imposed against the publisher by any federal, state, local authority or civilian business entity as a result of the false spam accusation.