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 andrew.regan.2006@googlemail.com asked: When it comes to cultural entertainment, London has few shortcomings – a fact that’s apparent in the city’s impressive calendar of theatre, music and dance performances, not to mention its spectacular host of concert halls and event venues – one of the most iconic and versatile of them being the Royal Albert Hall. Inspired by the success of Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition, the Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871 – ten years after the Prince’s death. Being largely influenced by ancient amphitheatres and notions of the arts, the oval structure’s terracotta walls are decorated on the outside with a frieze dedicated to “The Triumph of Arts and Sciences”. Today, the stunning venue stands as a testimony to the architectural and aesthetic achievements of the past, as well as the technological developments of the present; it even features the largest pipe organ in the British Isles. The Royal Albert Hall hosts a wide variety of entertainment events, including classical, rock, pop and jazz music, sporting events, galas, banquets and balls and the world-famous Proms series. It has a capacity of 8000, but is typically packed with crowds during the summer months when the Promenade concerts take over. Thus, visitors have to the option to queue up on the day of an event in order to get cheap, last-minute tickets for the seat-less “Gods” level (the highest level in the hall), or to book in advance for seats up front. The Royal Albert Hall has a year-round line-up of traditional and contemporary theatre, music and dance events. Upcoming performances include: the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on 15 March, the Classical Spectacular 2007 from 22 March – 25 March and the Cathcart Spring Prom concert on 17 May. There’s even a Ballroom Dancing Championships event being held in autumn! If you’re planning to attend an event at the Royal Albert Hall in London, make sure you book a hotel in South Kensington. That way, you’ll be close to the venue and you’ll still remain well connected to other top London attractions such as Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum. Moreover, South Kensington is located right next to Knightsbridge, which, being home to the exclusively famous Harrods and Harvey Nichols department stores is one of the prime shopping districts of London. So, during your next visit to London, book a hotel in South Kensington and attend a performance at one of the most iconic and atmospheric music venues in the world: the Royal Albert Hall. Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist. Create a video blog
 Rodney Rodchata Aquino asked: Just like salsa, Bachata Dance is becoming progressively popular not only in the United States, but in the world. But there are some dancers out there that instead of rejoicing over bachata’s popularity, they have become prejudiced to whomever is dancing bachata dissimilar to the way they dance. Perhaps I can partly elucidate in this article on why bachata is where it is supposed to be going. It’s called innovation. Innovation in Latin Dance is really not a modern phenomenon. In fact, dance innovation did not begin and end with Eddie Torres or Francisco Vasquez. Although Eddie was one of our foremost contemporary dance innovators, innovation is as old as the Cuban Son or traditional Bachata themselves. In fact, all of the Latin Dance is a product of innovation. The annals are full of examples: Cuban Son, Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, Cumbia, Bolero, Merengue and Mambo are just but a few. To define innovation, a device or process created by study and experimentation, the creation of something in the mind. Since constant innovations of street dance such as bachata is not new, there is a very troublesome trend developing among many of today’s bachata dancers. It is the tendency to launch cavalierly off to proclaim true style of bachata dancing, supposedly each better than the last. In fact, far too many of these so-called teachers and dancers are motivated for all the wrong reasons. Some seek ego gratification, money, or fame. Others simply lack the discipline to persevere in a particular dance style while some are just close minded, not to mention territorial, that they refuse to recognize (in a thinking term) other “colors’ except black or white. Many dance teachers are unaware of the inherent complexity, responsibility and sacrifice of valid dance innovation. They fail to realize that innovation is an evolutionary process of methodical modification and refinement, rather than a revolutionary product rendered out of whole cloth. It takes serious passion and countless experimentation. Motivation must come from deep within the soul, heart, and mind. I hope to give my readers an unbiased look into my own search for and acquisition at dance innovation. I will try to provide a logical overview of a Dance Infrastructure, Dance Thesis, and Dance Research necessary for a logical dance style innovation. I will also share a brief history of how I came to dance the style I dance with bachata. THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF A DANCE It is ridiculous to think of developing a new style of dancing without an extensive infrastructure or background in body movements. By infrastructure, I am not referring to superficial excursions into various dance styles. I am speaking about the foundation, core knowledge, and a cornerstone. A knowledgeable foundation can be built only on consistent training, theory and practice. All great innovators were obsessed with experimenting and constant practice, and each had an extensive foundation in the art before even considering innovation. International Latin Ballroom dancing has played a large part in my early dance history. During those years I have been perfecting the skills and techniques necessary for excellent dancing, and they have helped me understand the complexities of dancing in general. Prior to Ballroom, I’ve trained extensively in the Martial Arts, studied and familiarized myself with body dynamics and kinetics earning myself a 4th degree Black Belt and a certificate in Fitness Training. For many years, I have been teaching others these same techniques and principles, helping them reach their social or competitive goals. While I embarked myself to spread the bachata dance, I also specialize in other dances like salsa dance, I don’t practice ballroom no longer, since I prefer to dance free rather than in a structured manner. A strong foundation establishes the physical, mental, and creativity of a great dance style. Extensive dance training develops and refines the attributes of the dance (i.e., speed, power, timing, balance, accuracy, fluidity, grace, partner- ability, etc.). A broad intellectual grasp of various dance techniques are critical to any effort to modify and refine. Theoretical and conceptual analyses are touchstones of innovation. Finally, a strong foundation will begin to open the dancer’s inner self to the creative component of dancing. The innovator must become his art. Simply put, there are no shortcuts! Every dance innovator starts at the bottom and works his way up. The greatest were beginners. If you are unprepared to embrace the principles, forget rushing ahead to modify and create. A dance innovator can only succeed with a deep conception of the various movements, techniques, and related elements of dancing. Innovation requires that you learn to walk before you can run. THE THESIS OF A DANCE Innovation in every major field is based on a thesis. The thesis may be an aphorism, a concept, a rule, or any other valid reason to modify and go beyond that, which has already been established. Generally speaking, a valid thesis is the culmination of an analytical process. It is not something “thought up” or created on whim or fancy. Every foundational thesis for innovation has origination in what has gone before. For example, in science Einstein’s theory of relativity would not have come about without Newtonian physics and the significant prior discoveries in electromagnetic physics. In art, the cubists and abstract expressionists owed much to the discoveries of traditional realists. Bruce Lee wouldn’t have had developed his style, Jeet Kune Do, if he hadn’t extensively trained in the art of Wing Chun first. The same is true for dancing! Modifications and innovations in the sciences are based upon scientifically established thesis. Theses for dance innovation may be the result of cultural eccentricities or any number of other factors, including geography, culture and topography. For example, salsa historians attribute the development of mambo timing steps to the clave beat or tumbao. In the same manner, the rapid salsa shines are attributed to the bongos. Given the important role of the thesis for innovation, it is disturbing that far too many so-called “innovators” set out to create and promote new dance styles without the background, study, and analysis necessary to formulate a valid reason for modifications. I know for a fact that some of these self-proclaimed experts are motivated for all the wrong reasons. For example, the “so called innovator” would discard the origin of the dance because his knowledge of history, tradition and culture is minimal. He develops a modified dance style according to his limited knowledge. In my case, I have devoted more than 8 years to practicing, studying, researching, and analyzing bachata dance styles. I extensively studied the music, history and culture. My 15 years of experience in the Latin Dance (salsa on1, on2, timba, son, casino, merengue, paso doble, rumba, chachacha, samba, tango) helped a great deal since I came to know bachata dancing at a Dominican Restaurant in New York city. I have watched countless bachata dancers in the clubs and social parties. I have also carefully observed numerous Dominican dancers and even befriended some of them. These experiences led me to the awareness that many essential concepts, methods, and potential styles were NOT being taught or established in the so-called bachata dance classes and workshops. More and more it became alarmingly obvious to me that accurate information was being neglected. My primary concerns centered on the concept of hip movements, partner- ability and basic steps. Side steps became electric slides. Hip movements turned into grinding or humping. And dance partner-ability became stiffly robotic with no sensuality and passion. Originally, the concept of the bachata dance was formulated based on simplicity, sensuality, sexuality, romance, heartaches and was danced at house parties, backyard celebration, whorehouses and bars. Of course, eventually, bachata music evolved to a more acceptable romantic and passionate music. Thanks to innovators such as Anthony Santos, Juan Luis Guerra, Aventura, Frank Reyes and others. They helped innovate bachata music to what it is today. THE DANCE RESEARCH Research is a continuous and painstaking process of observing, analyzing, testing, and documenting information relevant to the innovator’s thesis. There are two broad categories of research that, in reality, overlap in very significant ways: academic and practical research. Academic research is a process requiring dedication, patience, and an insatiable desire to learn. The innovator truly must want to know all there is! Once again, his thesis enters the picture in the all-important role of a beacon, directing him to information that has some relevance and bearing on his ultimate goal. Without this direction he is likely to waste time sorting and separating valuable data from a tremendous amount of junk and misinformation. Research involves rapacious reading and observing all kinds of dancers. An important thing to note is that the body of printed materials on Latin dance, particularly; salsa dance has evolved geographically over the last 20 years. Instructional DVDs and the Internet have added a whole new and interesting database, and workshops are offered around the world. Bachata information on the Internet is catching up. But let me offer a word of caution: the innovator can’t just expose himself passively to these sources. Literature must be dissected and noted. Videos must be viewed over and over again. Music must be listened to and understood. Strategically sound and weak points should be recorded and analyzed in personal journals. And finally, workshops and training programs should be attended with an open mind, balanced with healthy skepticism. Realistic research thus begins. The innovator’s information has been analyzed, cross-referenced, and refined to theoretical applications. It’s time to break away from the black board and head for the lab. Obviously there are some difficulties in approaching simple and sound practical or experimental research. Somehow, somewhere, the innovator has to get it right. The dance club is the answer. The innovator will need innumerable social dancing, with all kinds of dancers to test the result of his new dance concept. This is the only way to test the innovator’s hypotheses. The bottom line is – the innovator must have the on-hands experience of dancing in the clubs with all kinds of dancers, if he is going to preach it! He must walk the talk! Finally, once the innovator’s academic and practical research have been compatibly merged and his hypothesis adequately tested and proven, he will be in a position to crystallize and articulate a dance truth, in this case, his own style of dancing bachata. Over time this process and the resulting truths will build and evolve. Eventually, if successful, the innovator’s research and experiments will lead to the structuring of a complex array of truths. This will be the innovator’s dance style and teachings. This may sound easy to some, but I can tell you that it isn’t. It didn’t come easy for the Mambo King, Eddie Torres to develop Modern Mambo. It wasn’t an overnight revelation for Frankie Martinez to develop Abakua style. And certainly, it didn’t come easy for Francisco Vasquez with his electrifying LA style of dancing on 1. Of course, last important factors with your innovation; did people like it? Did you like it? Did it make sense? Or to be more specific, did your partner like it? Website content
 John Smith asked: Dancing is romantic. It’s sensual, it has a vigour and a life all of its own. Whether you’re interested in sophisticated tango, glamorous salsa and ballroom or some down to earth street styles, it can take your breath away to watch it and to do it. Most girls love dancing, it’s the rhythm, the music, the magic. If you’re looking to get a gift for someone who loves to shake her thing, gifts for her should give her the opportunity to learn more about dancing and teach her some new techniques. There are far more gift options out there than a generic and boring old dancing video though… In fact, experience days can be a great way to let a girl loosen up and learn some new moves. Strictly Dancing for Two Gift Packs can be affordable enough to let you get a few additional gifts for her as well, to remind her of the special day you shared together on the dance floor. Prehistoric PassionDid you know that although dance itself hasn’t left us many artifacts throughout the ages, there are ancient paintings of people dancing all around the world? These images are usually painted on the inside of caves and rock shelters and are most common in India and Egypt. There are also dancing statuettes of glamorous ladies swathed in delicate veils which date from 150 -100 BC held in the Louvre Museum. Later, in ancient Greece, the Philosopher Aristotle was also a big fan of dance and he likened it to poetry. He said that many dancers, ‘with rhythm applied to gesture, could express manners, passions, and actions.’ If you decide to get your loved one, gifts for her such as dance experience days, you can also learn a few moves yourself and make it an even more romantic present. Those new moves could come in useful at weddings and formal work parties, as well as be an intimate and exciting way to spend her birthday with her. Classes are available to suit all kinds of people and experience levels; they can be great before or after a romantic meal and your lovely lady could choose the dance style. There are so many types of dance taught on experience days, there’s Tango, one of the world’s most passionate dance styles, Salsa which is **** and exciting and Le Roc which is a jazzy modern dance style. Then there’s good old Ballroom which would whisk her in to an imaginary world where princesses dance with princes in pristine ball gowns. Dancing has always been special. It’s believed that in the most early and basic human civilizations we would dance for fun, for special ceremonies and even for romance. Sri Lankan aboriginals even believed that dance could be used to break their mythical magic spells. These days, I’d say a dance is more likely to cast one. Historians also believe dance was used before written language had been invented. Ancient people used dance as a way to pass information down through generations and preserve it. So the power of dance is far greater and more ancient than most people might think. Great Dance Gifts For HerIf your girlfriend is a Dirty Dancing or Strictly Come Dancing fan, you could team an experience day where she’d get to really dance with much more than a candle-lit meal. There’s a great Dirty Dancing stage show in London’s West End and discount tickets are available from Leicester Square ticket booths. Affordable audience tickets are also available on various websites for Strictly Come Dancing and several spin off shows, so once she’s had her experience day and enjoyed dancing herself she could watch some professionals take to the floor. You could also get gifts for her which will help her to remember her dancing experience such as a shining star engraved with her name and a special message. It would be perfect for her to display at home and keep forever to remind her of fond Salsa memories. One other wonderful thing about dancing is that it’s a great way to celebrate, so it’s perfect for any occasion. Christmas is a time when there are many parties to attend, so in preparation, a dance experience day can make a great gift. Then again, birthdays can be romantic and dancing with someone you love can be incredibly special. Valentine’s Day is clearly a good day for dance lessons as well! You never know, you might find that a Strictly Dancing for Two experience day will awaken the dancer in you and be the birth of a new hobby which is healthy, age old and great fun. Did we mention it’s **** too? Website content
 Argentine Tango Lesson asked: Argentine Tango Lesson: An Argentine Tango Lesson Puts You To Dance!It turns out the Argentine tango is the easiest amongst ballroom dances to grasp and dance well from the start. Its main beat is the slow-slow, that is a stride, and its primary step is the walk itself. I got to my initial Argentine tango lesson praying not to make a fool out of myself and wishing I would not hurt the instructor. My only comfort was to see like concern on my fellow dancers’ faces. The instructor, trying to calm us down, began by saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, stop sweating, tango is simple”. She went on: “You have come for your initial Argentine tango lesson and I want to learn what you think of the tango”. A young girl replied, saying she thought tango was chic, and a great way to reveal yourself. The instructor concurred, but still clarified that it depended on the leader and in our ability to move. Addressing the gentlemen in the room, she said that the leader, supported by the partner, has to infer the music, if not, both would be walking like soldiers. “Relax sirs”, she told them, tango music is ennobling and communicative, and easy to comprehend. As we had signed up, she speculated we all held some classy moves. The tango demands smooth, flowing, kind of feline-like walk, however, it is on the leader to lead the way into a bittersweet, bright, serious or even sensual style. Also, we discovered, it possesses tons of ornamentation, and our level of ease with the music and dance partner would let us do more or less with these. As I observed the class, everybody exhibiting a blend of joy, anxiety and embarrassment, I could nothing but think that I was truly excited about this famed Argentine tango lesson I had thought about for almost a year. I was able to perceive it is a dance that allows you freedom to get proficient while you still enjoy dancing it in a plain fashion until you are capable of mastering the challenging moves, and as long as you have a good partner, you are certain to accomplish it. All of a sudden, the sublime music began. The instructor stated that the aim of this initial Argentine tango lesson was to immerse us in the tango world, not so much on the dance. Quite valid! Once we began to grasp the workings and value, it was decipherable what we were supposed to do as we danced. As we heard the blessed Gardel, she expressed every dance possesses its singular music, thus, every composition has to be felt intensely. Using her foot, she tapped on the floor the regular one- two- three- four series that conformed the music’s principal beats and proceeded to walk around the room to this rhythm. Call me crazy, but I joined her, and so did others. I was simply pacing, but I was dancing. It was wonderful! At first, when I said that I was interested in taking an Argentine tango lesson, my acquaintances joked about it. Today they see me walking back and forth, spin with class and precision, embrace with tons of emotion, smile and have so much fun and they are breathless… and covetous. Kansieo.com
 don robert asked: It is said that dance is one of the oldest art forms known to man, and that it not only hones the body, but it improves the mind as well. Being a rather vigorous form of movement, dancing is typically ideal for keeping the body toned, and is now even used as a means to lose excess and unwanted body weight. Many people find this quite preferable to actually sweating out the unwanted pounds exercising in the gym, since dancing also produces the same euphoric feeling in people as working out. Dancing, whereas once restricted to game shows, parties, and other social events, has even become an international competition where representatives of different countries can present their national pride on the dance floor, and the two most common types used for competition are ballroom dancing and hip hop dancing, a dance form that the Philippine All Stars singularly excels in. The Philippine All Stars also present a unique example to other members of their generation, since it is not often that youths of their age get to represent their countries in a venue that the entire world gets to see. Also quite unique is the fact that the Philippine All Stars is made up solely of a group of friends who were already together as a group even before they went to the competition, rather than just forming a group to participate in the international hip hop dance competition. The group was able to represent the Philippines and ear the country additional fame by winning the World Gold title in the 2006 International Hip Hop Open in Italy, the first ever Asian country to do so. The group also did the same in the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Los Angeles, California. 2008 also saw the group doing their brand of on-stage magic in Las Vegas, Nevada, bagging the Gold in the World Hip Hop Dance Championships. Other than national pride, the Philippine All Stars also seek to elevate the common notion often placed on dancers and dance groups, namely that of being second rate performers, by proving that what they do is only achieved by hard work, determination, team work, and true talent, something that is far from being second rate at all. Prominence never left the group after their hugely successful foray into the dancing limelight, as they had numerous appearances in various venues, events, and TV shows following their wins on the international stage. The Philippine All Stars were also largely successful in becoming positive role models for an untold number of aspiring youths all over Asia, inspiring numerous groups to actually try their mettle at forming an equally talented dance group and join popular dance competitions. Create a video blog…instantly.
 John Smith asked: People are very complex creatures; we all have different tastes, hobbies, aspirations and perspectives on life. Indeed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that, in spite of any apparent similarities that might exist between different individuals, no on is exactly the same. So, it’s a good job there are so many different types of Valentines Gifts available. However, in spite of these differences, there have been numerous attempts over the years to categories and group individuals according to types. Indeed, one such theory, known as the Four Temperaments, attempts to divide groups of people into fitting one of four distinct personality types. According to the theory, an individual can be characterised as Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic or Phlegmatic. While not as popular as it once was, the theory suggests that Sanguine individuals are usually of the fun-loving kind, Cholerics are ambitious individuals with a great deal of ambition – with a tendency towards a bad temper – and Melancholic people are usually creative, but with a tendency towards depression. Then, there are those individuals who are considered to be Phlegmatic; such people are believed to be both content and shy, but with the ability to make good diplomats and administrators. However, different theories exist, so it’s probably safe to say that the theories are as complex and indefinable as the people they’re trying to explain. This being the case, when picking Valentines Gifts, it’s a good idea to carefully consider the personality type of the person you’ve fallen head over heels for. Indeed, for those among us who are of a more idealistic and romantic persuasion, a Personalised Romance Calendar could be one of the best Valentines Gifts to go for. Featuring a new picture every month, personalised with a name of your choice, the Personalised Romance Calendar can let them see their name in the stars, lights, fireworks, or even written in chalk and encased in a dreamy love heart; it’s one of those Valentines Gifts that people can fall head over heels in love with. Alternatively, romantic types might prefer Valentines Gifts specifically for the bedroom. If this is the case, why not treat such individuals to a set of I Love You Pillowcases? Beautifully crafted from 73 per cent cotton and 27 per cent nylon, the I Love You Pillowcase Set is made up from two pillows, each of which feature one of the message; the all-important love heart is split in two, and can only be made whole by placing the two pillows together. Because after all, a whole can only be made by the coming together of two halves – definitely one of those Valentines Gifts to remember forever. The history of the pillow is a long one, and while used by most individuals in modern times, they were once used almost exclusively by wealthy individuals; they were maybe even given as Valentines Gifts, although that cannot be ascertained. Indeed, because of the complexity involved during the construction process, pillow creation actually developed into an art form; this first happened in China, but the practice later moved to Persia before coming to Medieval Europe. Interestingly, traditional Chinese pillows were created from materials such as porcelain, metal, stone or wood. Interestingly, traditional Japanese pillows are filled with buckwheat husks, known in Japanese as Soba. Although much harder than western pillows made from soft fibres, they are able to perfectly support the head and the neck, and are therefore surprisingly comfortable. They might make for surprisingly good Valentines Gifts, although it’s probably not a good idea to have a romantic pillow fight with them. However, if the object of your affections is somewhat action-orientated, one of the greatest Valentines Gifts to opt for could be a Strictly Ballroom Dancing for Two event. With absolutely no experience necessary, Strictly Ballroom Dancing for Two is the perfect opportunity to enjoy dancing in the style of Strictly Come Dancing. In total, the class usually runs or around one hour, although the memories from these types of Valentines Gifts usually last considerably longer. Alternatively, go-getters and lovers of adventure might consider Lunch in Paris for Two to be the ultimate in exciting Valentines Gifts. Set in a city that is arguably the most romantic in the world, the day starts with a train ride from Waterloo Station in London, from where Paris awaits. And as the journey takes less than three hours, you and your loved one can be there in no time at all! And because the lunch includes a cruise along the Seine, it’ll be one of the most memorable Valentines Gifts they’ll ever have. Create a video blog…instantly.
 Jess Harley asked: Copyright (c) 2007 Jess Harley Sometimes all you need to get motivated to start a fitness program is some new threads. There was a time when the only sorts of fitness clothes were leotards and spandex pants. Not to many women were comfortable in wearing something like this. Thankful though in our day and age there is a wide selection of clothes to fit anyone’s needs. For some people, especially once they start to lose weight, it becomes just as important to look good as it does to feel comfortable! The first things to consider when looking for workout clothes are are they comfortable and not restricting? If you are going to be doing a high impact cardio workout you want to make sure that your clothes will be easy to move around in. The material should be flexible and breathable. You don’t want to have soaking wet pants or a top after a good workout. Check out the material that the clothes are made of. Wicking-material clothes are a good choice for runners or speed walkers. This type of material helps the evaporation of sweat and is quick cooling. You can also wear it under warmer clothing for when you are outside during the colder months. Fleece is another excellent choice. It keeps you warm without being bulky and is also water resistant. There are also nylon and supplex clothes too. So how do you know which one is right for you? It all depends on your activity. If you are a runner, you might want to go with the wicking material to help keep you dry as you run. You can even look at clothes that are made with what is called 100% moisture transfer polyester. These clothes will take moisture away from skin and keep you dry and comfortable. You also want to make sure you do not get anything heavy to wear and it is a good rule of thumb to wear lighter clothes than temperatures might be. If you dress yourself to warmly you might find yourself sweating more than you should which will put you at a bigger risk of dehydration. So make sure your clothes have plenty of breathing room. In fact if it is very cold out, you should think about dressing in layers. That way if you get to warm you can simply remove a layer. In the warmer weather, you might want to wear light colored clothes to reflect the sun’s rays which will help you stay cooler. What you wear on your feet is just as important as what you wear on your body . There are many types of footwear out on the market today so it is very important to choose the right one. You want to make sure you have plenty of cushioning for high impact activities and most importantly make sure they are comfortable for you. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you want to be comfortable when you are working out. Make sure you are comfortable in your clothes, so that working out will be that much more comfortable for you. There might be some of you, who are looking for something a little more structured and instruction. Not to worry there is something for you also. Gyms all around the world are starting to offer dancing classes. Starting off there is Cardio Salsa. This class if offered at The Crunch gyms nationwide or you can look for it on DVD. It is a low impact high intensity workout that combines the hottest Latin dances such as the cha-cha, mambo, samba and more with traditional dance steps such as the grapevine, lunges and arm raises. What women are loving about this workout is that they can take what they learn on the videos or classes and take it to a night club if they want to! Cardio Capoeira is also becoming another popular dance workout. It was featured briefly on the cool down segments of the hit exercise video Turbo Jam, but has come out on its own as a great workout. In fact for fans of the hit Movie Ocean’s 12 might remember it being featured as the Night Fox dodges the lasers to get to the goods, or you might remember Catherine Zeta-Jones using a similar dance in the movie Entrapment. Cardio Capoeira is a basically a form of martial arts that is disguised as dancing. It was used to train Brazilian slaves martial arts without letting their captors know. It requires a lot of kicking, spinning and even cartwheels. What makes this workout so powerful especially on your buttocks and quads is the move the ginga which links one movement to the next so you will find yourself doing this often. Cardio Striptease is another dance workout that is sweeping the nation. There are a number of DVDs out that offer a cardio striptease workout. This routine is part burlesque, part yoga, and part gymnastics. There are no concise steps and the whole point of the routine is to allow you to move freely and beautifully and learn to express yourself. You never have to worry about holding any sort of poses but move from one move to another by using slow moving hip and **** circles. The aim of this workout is to tone the hips, buttocks, thighs calves and abs. OF course you can always go the more traditional route and sign up for ballroom dancing classes which will still give you a great workout. Which ever one of these you choose, you will burning fat and calories while having a great time. You won’t even know you are exercising, that’s how much fun you will have. Kansieo.com
 Steve Shaw asked: ‘re getting started submitting articles, you may feel a little overwhelmed at everything there is to learn. Learning a new skill is not easy in the beginning–when we’re first starting anything new, we tend to feel a bit awkward! This is a completely natural feeling, one that every one of us goes through. I’d like to save you some anxiety though, and help you focus on just the key ideas you need to get started. You don’t need to undertake every article marketing strategy all at once–you’ve got to walk before you can run. Focus on the basics first, and then as you get used to submitting articles you can advance at a pace that feels comfortable to you. If you’ll just follow these 3 simple guidelines, you’ll create results that astound you: 1) Write educational articles on the topic of your website. An educational article is free of any sales tactics or promotional, hyped up language. Your objective in the article body is to teach your readers, rather than get them to buy your products or visit your website. Yes, you started submitting articles with the intention of increasing sales and traffic to your website, but the article body should not be used to accomplish that goal. That’s what your resource box is for (more on this later). So, when you are thinking of article topics, ask yourself– “What kinds of things can I teach my readers?” I think the easiest types of articles to write are of the ‘how to’ variety, so it helps to focus your writing efforts around teaching your readers how to do something specific associated with your niche. By the way, ‘how to’ articles are extremely popular with readers, so you may wish to make them the bread and butter of your article marketing campaign. ‘How to’ articles aren’t the only types of articles–they’re just the easiest to write and the most popular, so why not start by writing a ‘how to’? Remember, all of your articles should be on the same general topic as the website you’re trying to drive traffic to. For example, if your website is about ballroom dancing, then you would submit articles about topics having to do with ballroom dancing. 2) Carefully construct your resource box. The resource box is the author bio that sits below your article. Each time your article is republished, your resource box is also republished. It is through the resource box that you will build backlinks to your site, but the resource box is about more than just your website link. Take your time constructing your resource box and be sure you’ve got these elements: *Your name *A little bio info *A reason for the reader to click the link to your website *Your website URL You usually have a limited amount of space in your resource box, so it’s a good idea to use all your effort convincing the reader to go to one particular website rather than several. 3) Submit articles consistently. You may be surprised that the #1 reason why people fail at article marketing has nothing to do with anything complicated or technical. Most people who aren’t satisfied with their results have simply not submitted enough articles. When you launch an article submission campaign, it will be a long term endeavor and you probably won’t start seeing major results for several months (probably 4-5 months). The reason for this is two fold– *Search engines re-evaluate rankings based on incoming links only every few months, so even though you’re building backlinks, you won’t see the benefits until months after your articles are submitted. *Article marketing gets its power from: a) the accumulation of an arsenal of articles circulating the internet, b) those articles continuing to build links and generate views over time, and c) a continuous and sustained link building campaign. So, it’s unlikely that submitting a handful of articles will create any great or lasting difference in your website traffic, BUT submitting a handful of articles every month for a year (or hopefully the lifetime of your website) WILL seriously impact your website rankings and traffic. It’s a bit like rolling a huge boulder from the top of a hill–at the beginning the thing may be hard to push and you may not think you’re making much headway, but as you get over the initial hump and get the thing moving, you start accelerating faster and faster even though the effort you’re exerting is decreasing. Using article submissions to drive traffic to your website is all about building MOMENTUM–submit articles consistently and you will be amazed at how your site takes off.
Kansieo.com
 Susan Bigmore asked: One of the things that tend to stick in cruisers’ minds is the onboard entertainment. Gone are the days of second-rate entertainers and the same old shows. Today, a lot of effort is put in to organising entertainment on cruise ships and the entertainers could well be stars of the future. Who remembers Jane McDonald appearing on the documentary The Cruise? Also, Claire Sweeney, who appeared in Brookside, started off her career singing on cruise ships. You could also be wowed by stars from the present and past – I was pleased to see that Kelly Monteith (the American equivalent of Dave Allen) is going strong and can be seen on some Royal Caribbean cruises. Inspired by my recent trip to see Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, I decided to find out more about the entertainment onboard having heard so much about it. Royal Caribbean prides itself on its entertainment programme. You could be forgiven for thinking you’re actually in the West End rather than in the Coral Theatre onboard Jewel of the Seas. Shows include “From West End to Broadway” featuring musical numbers from Cole Porter to Les Miserable, “City of Dreams” with music from artists such as Elton John and Celine Dion, and “Tango Buenos Aires” starring Argentine dancers and musicians. Shows are put on twice each night to tie in with the two dinner sittings, so you won’t miss out, and are not repeated during the cruise – just the thing for theatre lovers. As well as being wowed in the Coral Theatre onboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, you can take part in numerous activities throughout the day, including gaming lessons (perfect for trying to make your fortune in the casino), game shows and piano lessons. I went behind the scenes to ask Bobby Brown, the Cruise Director on Jewel of the Seas, a few questions about the entertainment onboard the ship. Born in Scotland, Bobby started his entertainment career at a very young 5 years old, competing in ballroom dancing competitions around the world. In 1998 he moved to London where he met his wife and together they competed professionally in ballroom dancing, reaching the rank of 19th in the world (a future dancer on Strictly Come Dancing perhaps). Bobby first started working in the cruise industry when he joined Sun Line Cruises in 1993 before moving to Royal Caribbean in 1995. How long have you been in charge of entertainment on Jewel of the Seas? Since November 2006, but I have been with Royal Caribbean International since 1995, when I started as cruise activities staff on Legend of the Seas. I moved to assistant cruise director in 1996 on Majesty of the Seas and was then promoted to Cruise Director in 1997. I have served on Legend of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas. How far ahead do you plan the entertainment itinerary? Guest entertainers can be booked as much as one year in advance, although we do have changes in the entertainment schedule sometimes just days before the start of the cruise. Guest activities are finalized only days before a cruise starts as we keep up to date with the final figures for guest demographics. What is your favourite part of being in charge of entertainment? Seeing smiles on the guests’ faces and hearing their comments about how much they enjoyed the entertainer. Which show has been your favourite so far? Ben Vereen (US star of stage and TV), Gordy Brown (singer impersonator who is big in Las Vegas) and Scott Record (US singing comedy impressionist). Who is the most famous person you have had onboard providing entertainment? Ben Vereen. Inside Cruise: For those of you haven’t heard of Ben Vereen, he started his career in Broadway during the 1960s and has also appeared on TV (including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Grey’s Anatomy) and in films (including Funny Lady and All That Jazz). Who would you like to have as part of the entertainment? Scott Record, an incredible act. His show is unbelievable and I have seen him get a standing ovation in the first 10 minutes of his show. He is the only act I know that sings New York, New York as if it was skipping on an old juke box! How many entertainment staff are onboard? In all there are 71 onboard made up of 4 singers, 8 dancers, 25 musicians,11 technicians, 10 youth staff, 2 sports staff and 11 activities staff. Phew! With such a range of quality entertainers and acts onboard you’ll be hard pushed to be bored on Jewel of the Seas. Caffeinated Content
 Devan Brie Green asked: CHAPTER ONE When I was a little girl, I loved to read. I liked the fairytales. People always found their match. There is always one true love, always a happy ending. Most of all I remember it was clear who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. One thing I can say about life. There aren’t any clear-cut good guys or bad guys. I always thought I was a good girl. Maybe I was. But I am not a girl anymore. As I look back though, I wonder what I could have done differently. I keep trying to pick a point and say, ‘that’s where I messed up’, or if only I had not have done that particular thing’. But I don’t really know if anything could have gone any other way but the way it went. I’m writing this because I want an account of my view and I must leave the truth somewhere. Now this may shock some people, especially my children and friends. But at least they’ll know why I did it. No matter how bad a thing is I always thought knowing exactly how it happened helped me accept it. Now I don’t know if those closest to me could accept the fact that I killed a man. But once you finish this you may agree that given the situation what else could I do? For a while I worried that I would get caught. I thought every moment after the affair was stolen, and that I should be in jail. These worries never drove me to confess. I will only confess here, and this only read after I am long gone. Where should I begin? I guess at the point where I met ‘him’. I know deep down that meeting him was the catalyst which made all this come to pass. I was at the Christmas party of Council Pro Tem, Phil Berghman. The party was held at Club Legacy in downtown, Detroit, not too far from the city county building where I interned. I was a production assistant for the media center. If not for the private party I would not have been there, I was not yet twenty-one. It was fun though, an older crowd. There were plenty of people ballroom dancing to the rhythm and blues. I wore a black crepe wool dress. It was fitted and had a plunging bodice. The club had three floors and the top two floors looked down over the main dance floor. My co-worker, Daniel had coaxed me to dance and I was glad he did. He taught ballroom dancing in the evenings at another club and looked very good that night. Daniel normally had a geeky look about him. I guess he could not help his height and lankiness. But no one could hold a candle to him on the dance floor. He was smooth and talented. He taught me the tango that night. I felt nervous at first; but once I caught on I was having a great time. We must have looked good because people began watching us. That was when he first noticed me, I think. After the song was over some people actually clapped. Daniel went to get me a drink. That’s when our eyes met. I felt him looking down at me. He was so handsome in his black suit. It was obviously a very expensive suit tailored to his magnificent physique. It made him look very powerful and fine. His hair was shiny, wavy and black. His skin was a flawless caramel complexion. What held my gaze were his eyes though. They were deep and mysterious to me. I swear my heartbeat quickened just looking into his eyes. Daniel brought my Bahaman mama and drew my attention away. For a moment I wondered if Daniel were trying to get with me even though he was ten years my elder. Later in the evening, I decided that wasn’t the case because Daniel was in high demand on the dance floor and I ended up watching from the railing upstairs. I liked the upper level of the club because there were small round tables and chairs and a great view of the Detroit River. I left the railing and went to look out the window. There was a light snow covering everything. Even the silver sculpture in the middle of Hart Plaza had a thin layer of snow covering it. “Hello,” I heard a smooth male voice beckon from behind me. I think I felt tingles before I even turned around. I turned around and must have looked nervous because he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Rigo”. I smiled demurely and told him my name. He complimented me on my dancing ability. I told him I had Daniel to make it look good. There was chemistry between us from the first moment I saw Rigo. I felt as if I knew him all ready. He told me he felt the same way. Actually he brought it up first and I revealed that I felt the same way. Being with him was like constant De Ja Vue. But I sensed even more about him that I didn’t know, couldn’t know. I wanted to know though. Rigo had an aire of mystique about him that intrigued me. Power, and mystery emanated from him but I did not know the danger that also lay beneath his smooth character. But wait I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Though he had been well dressed, I had no idea what kind of money he had at first. Now that I look back I think he must have wanted to know if I liked ‘him’ and not the money he had. Once he got to know me, he saw that I am not a gold digger. I never have been. It always occurred to me to get my own; and do my own thing. That night at the club I gave Rigo my correct phone number. He gave me a number, and even though I liked him I did not use it. He called about a week later. We spoke for hours, well into the early morning. I told him way too much information on me. I told him how I was going to school and interning at the media center. He learned of my love for film and my aspiration to be as big as Spielberg someday. He said maybe he could see my films one day. I thought to myself I don’t want to be alone with him on our first date so a private viewing of my demo reel would have to wait. I liked him well enough by the end of that conversation. However, I knew little about him. He was born in Toronto, didn’t have any family here in Michigan, and he had a love of film. His profession was still sketchy and most of the conversation steered toward my life and our similar philosophies on life. CHAPTER TWO I wanted to be cautious though. My last boyfriend had been a little psycho, I thought. He had been a total thug, who got high too often. I suspected him of cheating and was just tired of him so I dumped him. My phone rang off the hook for two weeks. He still called even a month later every now and then. At first he cussed me out for dumping him. Then he threatened to slash my tires. Finally he tried to be nice and get me to go back with him. So when I met Rigo, I was wary about jumping into a relationship. Especially since school was my path and not marriage. It was a month before we saw each other again. We had a few conversations on the phone, which were stimulating mentally. I could tell he was a very intelligent man. He was one of those people who liked learning just for learning sake. It was interesting to talk to him because he had something to contribute on every subject that came up. This quality was exciting because many men either do not want to engage in such conversation with an attractive woman or they do not think deeply and cannot hold such a conversation with anyone. I suppose it is not a gender thing, I have female friends that I grew up with whom I cannot talk to about certain subjects. They just do not think on such things. So when I called his cell phone that evening before I left the City County Bldg., I hoped to just engage in that stimulating conversation over dinner. He answered on the third ring, “Rigo.” He said. “Hi, Rigo this is Ashara. I was wondering if you wanted to meet for dinner, this evening.” I have always been assertive and so I said this matter of fact as if I would still have a great dinner without him. He seemed rather eager and was quite accommodating. “Hey, I see you are still at the office. How about we meet at Zeeks over on Madison St.?” I did not know what Zeeks was and he told me it’s an old jazz club that’s been in Detroit for 75 years. Until he said this I had no idea he was into jazz. “They serve great soul food.” I agreed and we were set to meet at 7pm. I was glad he introduced me to Zeeks. It was like a set of an old film. The lighting was dim and intimate. The whole place was like a big circle surrounding a small circle stage. There was a band playing old school jazz. That day I wore those shiny jeans that were in style back then, they were a metallic gray and I wore a thin clingy black sweater. There was a older gentleman in a gray suit at the door when I entered he said, “Good evening sister. Would you like the dining room?” I told him I was meeting someone there. He said, “Rigo?” Apparently he was a regular. He led me to a small circular booth in the middle of the restaurant near the stage. Rigo wasn’t there, but the gentleman assured me that is where he was sitting. I sat down and looked around. I like to observe people and locations. Zeeks is the kind of place that would make a great location for a film. I made a mental note of that. I wondered how much they would charge me to shoot there. A few moments passed and I became a little impatient. There was a small fake flower arrangement on the table, a candle that wasn’t lit, and a little caddy with salt, pepper and sugar packets. I first segregated the packets. Then I moved the flowers to the other side of the candle. A waiter wearing the standard black slacks, white dress shirt and black bow tie stopped at my table and took the candle from me. He smiled and lit it for me. “Good evening, sista” I smiled and said hi. Then he just left. I guessed he wasn’t my server. Just as I wondered where is Rigo? He appeared looking quite handsome in brown slacks and a brown and crème shirt. He always looked neat and smooth like he came out of a GQ magazine. “I see you found it. How do you like it?” He smiled and joined me in the booth. He had a smile that took ten years of his face. He looked his age, twenty-four, but when he smiled he looked boyish and very handsome. In the past month I had not remembered him so handsome. I must have been enthralled in work and school so much that he had slipped my mind. “It’s nice. It has a nice vibe.“ I replied. He told me how he loved to come there and listen to the old jazz and just chill. We sat and talked a lot about every thing. Rigo was passionate about everything. He talked a great deal; sometimes I could barely get a word in. I was enjoying myself though. We had been sitting there for about two hours when he asked me did I want to dance. I had been nursing my amaretto sour so long the ice was melted. There were only a few couples on the small dance floor. One couple was old and they looked very much in love. I guess he saw me smiling at them and figured I wanted to dance. But I was just thinking how they looked so content. I wondered how long had they been in love? Would I ever feel like that? “Do you wanna dance?” he asked. The tingles I felt when he took me in his arms surprised me. His hands splayed at the small of my back and his cheek was next to mine. My body responded to his strongly. I felt instantly aroused and I couldn’t believe my feelings. He whispered, “You smell good.” I could feel his breath on my ear. “So do you,” I replied. Then he moved so that he was looking in my eyes and his lips were inches from mine. “What do you call that?” he asked. “What,” I replied mesmerized. I did not know he was still referring to my perfume. “Your perfume,” “Oh, it’s French, it was a gift, I forget how you pronounce it C’est something,” he cut me off by kissing me then. His lips were soft and his kiss was passionate. I couldn’t believe we were having this moment in public. I had never been an exhibitionist. But even though I thought these things, I did not push him away. I kissed him back and surrendered to the moment, the jazz music, the candlelight, and my very first taste of Rigo. He walked me to my car and we did not want to part. He invited me to his apartment several times. He told me he lived in Ann Arbor and that I should come see his house. He explained that it was not that far, and I could get on 94 downtown and take it west. I could follow him, or he would drive and bring me back. It took all my will power that night not to go to his home. Rigo was so manipulative. He always had a way of explaining something that was not a good idea and yet make it seem rational. But I refused him that night. I could not drive thirty-five miles to and from his house and still go to class the next morning. So we kissed once more. This kiss was even more intimate and deep than the kiss at the club. It was like we didn’t want to end it, as if we were at the airport saying our goodbyes. I agreed to visit his condo the coming Friday. Next draft Previous draft Caffeinated Content
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