Dancing is an ancient tradition which has been used for thousands of years to celebrate happy events, and is rooted in expressing love. From antiquity up to the present, dancing has been a traditional part of wedding celebrations and celebrations of birth in many cultures. Both weddings and childbirth express the power of love – romantic love and love for a new baby.

In particular, belly dancing has ancient roots in weddings, fertility, and birth celebrations; love songs often accompany these dances. Some cultures still have a loving tradition of female friends dancing around a laboring woman to support her efforts during the birthing process. Not surprisingly, modern evidence shows that having supportive women friends present during labor helps a woman during the birthing process.

Love shows in a smile, in dance movements, lyrics, and in holding the arms out in a loving gesture-all part of dancing. Smiling is especially important in dancing; dance instructors often remind students to smile during performances. A smile communicates joy and love. “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing,” said Mother Teresa. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the beautiful aspects of ballroom dancing is the way the dancers follow the unwritten rules of etiquette. Maybe you already know them; just consider this a gentle reminder. If you’re brand new to ballroom dancing, you may not be aware they even exist. The rules are not hard to remember, and will soon become second nature as you practice following them. It’s partially because of these rules of etiquette that the ballroom dance floor is one of the few places left on earth where graciousness is almost always in evidence.

1. Dance travel around the floor always follows a counter-clockwise direction. This is to reduce, if not eliminate, your chances of colliding with another couple.

2. If you do happen to collide with another couple, offer a smile and a sincere apology. This is not a smash-car derby and no one intentionally runs into another couple, so there’s no need for anger. But even with everyone traveling in the same direction, collisions do happen from time to time. Make sure that your partner is alright, then shake it off, re-establish your frame and keep dancing!

3. The outermost edge of the dance floor is customarily traveled by more fast-paced dancers; slower dancers typically make their way around the floor in the inner lane. During a dance that travels, like the foxtrot, waltz or tango for example, the center of the floor is typically used for those not traveling or couples who wish to practice a particular movement.

4.It’s perfectly acceptable for a dance invitation to be given by either gender. A woman is not seen as a hoochie-mama if she asks a man to dance, neither is a man considered a letch if he approaches a woman to ask for a dance. Read the rest of this entry »