In homes equipped with adt security, the most up to date gaming consoles, and high resolution HDTVs, it can be easy to learn this great dance by watching.  If you do not, however, have those tools at your disposal, enjoy the video below and you will soon be able to dance the Macarena as well as anyone else.  The next time you find yourself at a company party or a club where dancing sometimes happens, you won’t be caught off guard.  Enjoy.

So, what would a web of actors and actresses connected to the Footloose star look like, in 6 degrees, or less?  Here is an infographic showing how Kevin Bacon is connected to some of Hollywood’s other top stars.  It’s a fairly straightforward graphical image that connects people to one another through various associations.  Click to expand, and enjoy!

These choreographer is names Jasmine Meakin and she works with Mega Jam is Australia in teaching hip hop classes.  After watching one video I was hooked.  Her style is so amazing and I love that all of the songs are current.  My favorite one is to the Nicki Minaj song “Superbass,” and it’s below for you to have a watch.  If you have ever had any interest in hip hop, or if you just appreciate dance, then I’m sure you will like it.  And if you are easily addicted to spending all day on YouTube like I am, then you’ll probably find yourself watching all of her videos.  Enjoy!

If you are someone who is looking to start out en pointe, then you will of course need the proper tools and shoes.  I found this wonderful infographic the other day about pointe shoes that I thought could provide some interesting information.

Also, there is a video that I often recommend for those looking for even more tips and pointers, no pun intended, when buying pointe shoes.  On top of actually obtaining the perfect pair of shoes, you will also need to know how to best lace them.  Have a watch and see what you think.

If you dance or perform for a living, then you know that often you can find yourself in stressful situations and environments, but it is a job like any other that comes with stress and worry.  There are obviously some things that can cause serious distress that you have absolutely no control over, but there are also stresses that certainly come with the territory, and they can have some prevention.  Of course the first step is to be aware of these things, so that you can pinpoint them if one or more happen to you.  Here is a list of occupational pressures that many dancers and performers must face often, learn them so that you can conquer them before they get you down.

An Injury.  As a performer of any kind your body is your tool and instrument.  Injuries can cause you to feel broken and worried about being able to get back to work.  When your instrument can no longer perform, then you are forced to make some serious decisions.  Now, some injuries can heal overtime, but still it is stressful for you to have to go through an injury and lose out on performances and jobs because of it.

An Eating Disorder.  There is a tremendous amount of pressure for performers and dancers to be a certain weight.  Unfortunately this can lead to very negative body image issues that can cause a normal sized performer or dancer to feel overweight and fat.  That can lead to bad habits with eating, such as, eating disorders.  Bulimia is a common disorder where the individual will eat regularly but then proceed to vomit afterward or take a tremendous amount of laxatives.  This can damage the esophagus permanently and also lead to dehydration and death.  Anorexia is another common eating disorder where the individual limits his or her caloric intake to too little.  This too can lead to incredibly awful health conditions and also death.  It is important for you to have a trusted doctor, nutritionist, and trainer who all can help you to stay on the right track when it comes to your weight.

The Desire of Perfection.  The longing to always achieve perfection and to be perfect is something that can surely get a lot of performers down.  It is stressful to consistently feel like nothing is ever good enough.  Again, this is where having trusted trainers and such be there for you in support.  You must find the perfection in yourself in the fact that you are not perfect.

Lack of Joy.  Sometimes when you have been in the same occupation for quite awhile and stress consumes you, you may lose all joy that you once had in regard to your profession.  This can happen to many performers, and in fact it has.  Do not let this stress you out, as with any job it can happen.

Focus on the task at hand. If you keep your attention on other things, then you very well may get stage fright, but focus on your goal, and performance.  Once you start dancing, typically the fright will subside, so just keep that in mind.  Remember what you came to do, and it will help to relieve your stresses and fears.

Do not think hypothetically. Do not ask what if and do not think of maybes, you just might make those hypothetical happenings become realities by giving them too much thought.  Think about what it is that you are most likely fearful of, and address it.  Keep your head focused and ready on the performance not on things that maybe, possibly could happen.

Be positive and affirming. Remember the Little Engine That Could?  Steal a line from his outlook, and repeat positive statements to yourself that will give you assurance and make you feel better about everything overall.

Relax. While you cannot just lounge around until the show begins, you can find ways to relax so that you will not be as nervous and frightened when it is time to perform.  Listen on your headphones to a piece of music that really relaxes and calms you, watch clips of funny tv shows on direct tv, or you can turn to aromatherapy for some relaxing scents.  If you feel like you are in a frenzy and need to chill, lavender will work best to calm your nerves.  For a smell to help your concentration, opt for peppermint.

Make a routine to send the jitters packing. You may be able to ward off the stage fright with your own routine.  Some dancers feel more at ease going over the choreography prior to the show while others prefer not to, so you choose what works best for you.

Fit

Your tap shoes should comfortably fit, but should be snug also.  If your shoe is too big or too small, then when you are tapping it will not sound how it is supposed to sound.  You will not have to find a tap shoe that has extra space in it because overtime the leather will eventually stretch.  You don’t want a shoe that is already too big to stretch out and fling off of your foot.

Style

The style of the shoe is up to you, or if you are dancing in a studio, up to the studio.  There are heels and flats for women.  The heels may seem to require more work on balance, but they will keep you on your toes more so than flats, which is key in tap dancing.  So, if you’re flat footed, I would recommend the heels so that you will be able to have clearer sounding taps.

Price

If you are a beginner, then you probably should not shell out a ton of money for new tap shoes.  There are some pretty expensive shoes out there, but again, you’re just beginning, and you may not like it as much as you hoped.  No one wants to be stuck with an expensive pair of unwearable shoes.  If you decide to stick with it, you may change your mind about the style of shoe that you really like. Also, search the internet for coupon codes. A few weeks ago I found a great one. You just had to use the promo code: directtv150offer when checking out.

Where to Find

You can find tap shoes online, however, it is recommended that you go to a local dance accessories shop so that you are able to try them on and ask questions to someone who will be able to answer them properly and ensure that you have the appropriate fit.

• Do not self-promote.  When you are sending out a newsletter, remember that you all also sending it to your current students and/or their parents.  They already dance with you, so they do not need a sales pitch, and prospect dancers will not want that either.  So, talk about your studio’s involvement in the community, do some feature pieces on your dancers, or teachers.  A great idea one studio had was to do a feature piece on every graduating high school senior, this could end up being a great piece of memorabilia for the student.  Include in your newsletters a calendar of events to keep everyone well informed. I even saw one that listed the tv channels available on direct sat USA. What a great way to ensure your newsletter stay on the coffee table!
• Ask for permission.  When registration rolls around and you are acquiring email addresses, be sure that you specifically ask if it is okay to send emails to the address listed on the form.  Most likely you’ll get a yes because they know who you are, but in some rare instances if someone says no, then you know not to send them a newsletter and in turn possibly upset them.
• Keep it simple and easy to read.  A sloppy looking newsletter is not going to positively attract attention.  Make sure that it is easy to read with short features.  If you feel like you need more content, then link to your studio’s website.  Make sure you include your studio’s logo in the top too.

Science classes use things such as discover education which has a variety of factual video’s about scientific events. Many schools are getting away from working out of test books and assigning work pages to more modern teaching ways. Students seem to respond better to learning new things when it’s presented in a more interesting way, like a tv show. Watching a volcano erupt is more entertaining than listening to a teacher talk about the process. Seeing the visual of what their learning it’s better locked in their heads. Learning about the ocean creatures and their makeup can easily be pared with an episode about sharks, or deep sea creatures.

History classes also use tv shows to help in their curriculum. The history channel is great for watching reenactments the wars and learning about the way tools were made. The history channel has shows that demonstrate the process of how ancient tools and weapons were made. Also on the history channel shows that show how ancient people matched up against each other in battle. They create replica weapons, armor, and situations to see why certain people were more successful throughout history. When reading about a war it’s easy to get confused who is who and what’s really happening. While pictures do help students realize certain events the best way to understand something is to watch it happen. Both real events and reenactments are great ways to clarify the events in a war or battle.

The thought of having tv is schools seems crazy at first but with all direct tv packages D3Q streaming highly educational programs it’s something that should be considered among the school system. With technology improving so rapidly it’s important to keep the school system and ways of teaching up to date.