This is one note that needs no introduction. For all our well wishers
and potential students out there, here is a compiled list of what you
can learn and practice while at Tip Tap Toe. After all this is 'Where
The Arts Come Alive', eh?
All Under One Roof - At Tip Tap Toe
Latin Ballroom (Includes Salsa, Cha Cha, Jive & other forms)
BollyKids (Summer specials and classes through the year for our kiddie friends)
Bollywood Dhamaka (For our young and dynamic age group of 16 – 34)
Bollywood Jhatka (Exclusively for our lady friends – 35+)
Belly Dance (Exclusively for women – Age no bar)
Martial Arts (Get kickin – men & women)
B Boying (Perfect those moves with our in-house instructors)
Zumba Atomic (Another special for our kiddie friends)
Zumba (Latin-inspired Dance Party that helps you keep fit)
Yoga (For all those who are morning people and have embraced our age old form of meditation, breathing and exercising)
Bharatanatyam (One of the most popular Indian classical forms)
Ages back, a scared and nervous me entered a dance studio for the first time. It was my first dance class; and my first time learning anything Latin. As I stood on the wooden floor, staring hard at myself in the mirror, I willed my nerves to calm down; but apparently it wasn't working.
After having read what you just read, I won't be surprised if you
think that I had never danced before this day. Truth of the matter was that I'd been in love with the stage ever since I was about 6 years old. However,
this sort of dancing was outside my comfort zone. Up until then, a
Madhuri or Karisma song had suited me fine for my jhatkas-matkas and my
nakhras.
I'd signed up for the Latin Ballroom class
because I was ready to push myself and go outside my comfort zone; or so
it had seemed before my nerves had taken over. I had no clue how
(badly) this was going to go.
That's when he walked in;
the man who was going to change my life. Bosco Fernandes, at first
glance, is a man full of life. He is funny and smart. When you actually
get down to knowing him you'll realize that he is exactly all of that -
funny, smart and bursting with life.
Bosco announced
that we'd be beginning our session with a class on merengue. For all the
Latin dance impaired people out there (and for all those willing to learn),
here's how Wikipedia describes merengue -
Merengue is a style of dominican music and dance. Partners hold each other in a closed position.
The leader holds the follower's waist with the leader's right hand,
while holding the follower's right hand with the leader's left hand at
the follower's eye level. Partners bend their knees slightly left and
right, thus making the hips
move left and right. The hips of the leader and follower move in the
same direction throughout the song. Partners may walk sideways or circle
each other, in small steps. They can switch to an open position
and do separate turns without letting go each other's hands or
momentarily releasing one hand. During these turns they may twist and
tie their handhold into intricate pretzels. Other choreographies are possible.
One
session later, I found myself walking back to the railway station with a
bounce in my step.There was something about merengue that had me
smitten. I was in love with one of the most basic forms of Latin dancing
that there ever was. It seemed silly and juvenile; but I was in love.
Months
after my first session with Bosco, Ryan (my classmate from college) and
I went on to win a trophy in the merengue competition organized by the
studio.
Years later, as I stand at the threshold of beginning my own
dance school, I am reminded of how I began my first steps into the world
of competitive dancing and technical training. The memories are enough
to get me all teary eyed. Nostalgia sure is a powerful tool.
As usual, I shall leave all my readers with a little something. Here's one of my favorite merengue tracks -
(To learn merengue and other Latin Ballroom forms, contact us on tiptaptoemumbai@gmail.com)
For years now, people around the globe have pictured couples
dancing in one classic closed pose - the woman's left hand in a man's right
hand, her right hand on the man's shoulder and the his right hand placed on her
back. However, that wasn't always the case. The earliest forms of formal
dancing involved choreographed steps being performed by couples who were
allowed only minimum physical contact; perhaps in the form of holding hands. A
dance that went beyond holding hands had not existed until then.
So then which was the first ever dance-form to be done in
the classic closed pose with a man and woman facing each other? It was the
Viennese Waltz. When the Viennese Waltz first got accepted as a legitimate
dance form in the 1830s, it was a craze all across Europe. Slowly, but
steadily, its popularity grew and took over the globe.
Never seen the Viennese Waltz being performed? Fear not, for Tip Tap Toe is here. Here's a video that should solve the problem.
(If you'd like to learn the Viennese Waltz, get in touch with us at tiptaptoemumbai@gmail.com)
There are those days when you come across something exciting over the internet; and you know that it deserves to be shared with the world. Here's an interesting video I came across today, on a blog that I have been following lately.
It is rare to see such a video where the dancers are not only chosen for the way they dance, but also because they fit the bill. With similar facial and physical features; the dancers seem to have a done a great job of helping Will Young 'Lose Himself'. Every single time that I watch the video, it makes me think of how much effort must have gone into getting it right!
If you take the effort to watch most of Will Young's works, you will notice that the guy isn't too open about his dancing skills; but you have to give it to him - he's done a pretty neat job with the video.
Plus, listening to this particular song over and over again, I feel like the song's growing on me. I hope to utilize the song for a choreography some day. What do you think?
Well, I can’t speak for every other dancer when I say this; but I sure can
speak for myself. Of the successful and popular ‘Step Up’ movie franchise, StepUp 2 : The Streets was my favorite. From the choreographed dance routine that
they pull off in the train, to the finale in the rain (Yay, that rhymed!);
every single sequence in the movie was well executed. I was utterly disappointed
with Step Up (2006) and the subsequent Step Up 3D (2010); which were not as
impressive.
Come 2012, the Step Up Franchise is all set to keep growing.
With a teaser out early last week, Step Up 4Ever is all set to be the dance
movie of the year. While the short teaser provides insight into the cast chosen
this time around, it also throws light on an important fact – this time around
the story is set in MIAMI (unlike the Baltimore and New York settings in the
past).
Here’s a quick sneak peek at what the teaser looks like –
As per the IMDB page of the movie, Step Up 4 should hit theaters in July this year. This is definitely one movie I am going to keep my eyes out for.
Are there any such dance movies you'll be looking forward to to this year? Do let us know. May be we could do a little research for you and keep you posted.
Before we leave, here's a snapshot on the leading pairs of the Step Up franchise, with the addition of Step Up 4Ever.
Dancing has been a part of who I have been for a while now. My first performance on-stage was when I was all of 7.From then to now, it's been quite a journey.
Over the years, my love for Latin Ballroom Dancing has grown fourfold, thanks to Bosco (love ya!).
Here's a quick sneak-peek at some of my favorite images from around the world.
Welcome one and all, to the world of dance, music, theater
and more. Tip Tap Toe will be your gateway to a place ‘Where The Arts Come
Alive’. Over a journey that has spanned about 18 odd years, my constant
flirtation with art forms (especially the dances) has culminated in the
formation of Tip Tap Toe.
I hope that each and every one of you who joins me in the
journey of Tip Tap Toe have something to contribute and something to take back.
