What to Pack for Your Next Ballroom Dance Competition – Part 2!

Tags

ballroom dance classes, ballroom dance lessons, ballroom dancing, ballroom dancing competition, ballroom studio bellevue, ballroom studio redmond

Here is our next installment in this series – What to pack for men!

• Costumes ( suit, jacket, cuff links, pants, tie, pocket square)
• Suit/Tux if you are staying for dinner aside from dancing
• Performance Shoes, socks
• Practice Wear, if desired
• Practice and/or Backup Shoes
• Shoe Brush
• Music for solo performances if applicable
• Daytime clothing. Dressy casual/business casual is recommended
• Hair supplies (gel, hairspray, comb, etc.)
• Razor and Shaving Cream
• Toiletries and other personal items
• Bandaids, shoe glue, safety pins, and $50 cash for emergencies
• Snacks for in between heats

What to Pack for Your Next Ballroom Dance Competition!

Tags

ballroom dance bellevue, ballroom dance classes, ballroom dance competition, ballroom dance lessons, ballroom dance redmond, ballroom dance studio, ballroom dancing

Be prepared and you won’t have to worry! All of the items may not apply to you, this is just a general list.

Today’s theme is costumes and accessories for women!

• Ballgowns, and/or Latin Dresses
• Nylons or fishnet stockings – bring an extra pair, just in case!
• Performance Shoes
• Practice and/or Backup Shoes
• Shoe Brush
• Heel Protectors, Shoe Elastics, Shoe Brush, and other Shoe Accessories (if applicable)
• Makeup
• Jewelry: Earrings, Bracelets, Necklaces, Hair Accessories, etc.
• Toiletries and other personal items
• Practice wear
• Daytime clothing. Dressy casual/business casual is recommended
• Band-Aids
• Safety pins or sewing kit
• Make sure you have your teacher’s phone number in case of emergencies
• Snacks for in between heats

Stay tuned for our next installment in this series – What to pack for men!

How to Become a Confident Social Dancer

Social dancing is a great way to meet new people, get exercise, and have fun!

Getting Started

The best approach to beginning social dancing is to join a group class in your style of interest. Check out Briora’s events calendar for a list of the classes we offer.

It is a good idea to start with our Introduction to Ballroom Dance Series, or a any class in the American style at the beginning level. This will give you a basic foundation for social dancing.

Group Classes versus Private Lessons

Learning to dance as a group can be stimulating, challenging, and lots of fun! Group lessons are inexpensive and a great way to try out a variety of dances and meet new people.

If you wish to learn a few basic steps before joining a group class, private lessons are the best way to see the studio, learn about our programs, and decide which classes are right for you. It is a good idea to supplement group lessons with regular private lessons, since private lessons are tailored to you and your learning style and make the process of becoming a confident social dancer faster and easier.

Partner versus No Partner

Having a practice partner is helpful – and if you do not already have a regular partner, attending group classes and parties is the best way to meet one.  If you do have a regular partner, we recommend that you take a combination of group classes and private lessons–both together as a couple, and one-on-one with your instructor.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more regularly you attend our classes and parties, the more practice you will get, and the more people you will meet. Soon you’ll be twirling around the floor like a pro!

Social dancing is a great way to get exercise, have fun, and meet new people!

Health Benefits of Ballroom Dancing

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ballroom dancing, Briora Ballroom, fitness, health

Did you know…
Not only is ballroom dancing lots of fun, but it is also great for your health!

Mental Benefits:

Any style of dancing can help to improve your mental acuity by requiring you to make split-second rapid-fire decisions. When moving from one step to the next, or recovering from an unfortunate mis-step, your brain must make an instant decision to keep your movement fluid. With this action, dancing is stimulating the connectivity of your brain by generating the need for new neural pathways.  Challenging or advanced classes are even better for you, as they will create a greater need for new neural pathways.

Physical Benefits:

Flexibility! Most forms of dance require dancers to perform moves that require bending and stretching, so dancers naturally become more flexible simply by dancing. If that isn’t enough of a stretch for you, Briora Ballroom also offers several fitness classes, such as yoga and Essentrics, design to increase strength and flexibility.

Regular dancing is also great for improving endurance and overall health. Elevating the heart rate through vigorous ballroom dancing can increase stamina. Just as in any form of exercise, regular dancing will build endurance. Briora’s hour-long dance classes will be sure to increase your mobility and keep your heart pumping!

Improved Sense of Well Being

In addition to its many mental and physical benefits, ballroom group classes are a great way to meet other people. Joining a dance class can increase self-confidence and build social skills. Because physical activity reduces stress and tension, regular dancing gives an overall sense of well-being.

Best of all, dancing burns calories and can assist in weight loss!

Ready to dance your way to fitness? Please visit www.Briora.com for more information on our studio and class offerings!

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Resources:
http://dance.about.com/od/danceandyourhealth/tp/Health-Benefits.htm

http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm

http://www.dancescape.org/ezine/articles/8/1/Benefits-of-Dancing–Quick-Tips-for-Staying-Healthy/Page1.html

 

Briora’s New Logo

Slava and I are excited to share Briora^TM Ballroom Dance Studio’s new logo! A modern take on a classic motif, two dancers’ bodies form the shape of the Briora “B”. The design was hand drawn and is completely unique. The graceful script that follows was handwritten with a feather. The logo was designed by Slava’s cousin, Aleksandrina Stefanova, a talented Bulgarian artist and designer. I fell in love with the design at first sight – for me, the logo has a pizzazz that perfectly captures the Briora brand: fun, unique & elegant. We hope you will love it too! Stay tuned for more updates as we countdown to the opening of Briora Ballroom Dance Studio!

Briora Ballroom Dance Studio’s Logo

Artist & Designer Aleksandrina Stefanova sketched the Briora “B” by hand.

For more images of the design process see Aleksandrina’s gallery at http://www.behance.net/gallery/Briora-Ballroom-Dance-Studio/3933053.

Introducing Briora Ballroom’s Design Inspiration

A Ballroom Dance Studio should be an escape from daily life – elegant, spacious, light-filled, and full of fun and friends. We are excited to introduce the design concept for Briora™ Ballroom Dance Studio. Briora’s interior design and décor are inspired by our Cultural Memories of Ballroom Dance.

Our cultural memories of ballroom dance include Fred and Ginger dancing the night away in an elegant Art Deco ballroom, Prince Charming sweeping Cinderella off her feet, the glitz and glamour of Dancing with the Stars, and perhaps our parents and grandparents dancing at happy gatherings of family and friends.

To reflect this inspiration, we have chosen Art Deco inspired tile in homage to the era of great Hollywood dancers; elegant chandeliers recall the grand ballrooms of Europe; and warm, spicy colors echo the fun and passion of tango, cha cha and the other Latin-American dances.  We can’t wait to share it with you, and hope you will feel welcomed and inspired each time you walk into our beautiful ballroom dance studio!

Samples of tile, paint colors, and wall coverings for Briora Ballroom Dance Studio

Briora Ballroom Dance Studio provides dance instruction tailored to you so you can have fun dancing!  Opening Summer 2012 in Redmond.

What’s In A Name?

Shakespeare famously said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  Even so, we wanted to make sure we chose just the right name for our new ballroom dance studio.  We are excited to introduce our new name, Briora™.  Briora is inspired by the Italian word “brio”, meaning vigor, vivacity, energy, and enthusiasm.   We believe it encapsulates the fun, confidence, joy and togetherness of ballroom dancing. 

Now we are working on designing a fabulous logo and website to match.  Stay tuned for more updates as we countdown to our studio opening in Redmond, WA this summer!

Welcome to Briora Ballroom!

Welcome to Briora™ Ballroom Dance Studio’s Blog.  Briora Ballroom provides dance instruction tailored to you so you can have fun dancing!  We are excited to announce that we will be opening our very own studio at a convenient location in Redmond in summer 2012!  Follow our blog for exciting news and updates as we build our elegant, spacious ballroom.