It’s not difficult to fall in love with Auckland, New Zealand. This stunning piece of land situated on the North Island is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean’s pristine waters. Auckland is the country’s largest and most populated urban area. It is also a place of ironies, because Auckland is where nature thrives in the form of rich rainforests and breathtaking islands and where modern city living is also at its finest. Auckland is a place to explore and escape to. Shopping and dining destinations are found in the city’s center, while beaches and forests are always ready to welcome eager adventurers.

This bustling city – which is also called the City of Sails – is located between two harbors –Manukau and Waitemata. The fascinating features of Auckland have made it a frontrunner in the rankings of the world’s foremost destinations. Moreover, Auckland is a melting pot of European, South Pacific and Asian cultural backgrounds. This interesting diversity has indeed attracted tourists and migrants alike.

As with most top cities of the world, Auckland offers a variety of activities so that locals and tourists alike can live up to the Auckland experience. One of the many interesting activities that one can do while in Auckland is to attend dance and fitness classes.

Dance and fitness classes are enjoying increased popularity in recent years because they are not like your ordinary workout. While ordinary gym workouts have proven to be boring and strenuous, dance and fitness classes prove to be more enjoyable.

Dance and fitness classes combine the benefits of gym workouts without sacrificing the fun and artistry found in dancing, so that are more carefree and can also become avenues for self-expression while one stays fit.
Auckland has countless dance schools which offer classes in salsa, hip-hop, zumba, Latin dance and belly dance. These dance schools also have more adventurous classes in the sensual styles of burlesque and zouk. Classes are available for beginners, intermediate and advanced-level dancers. Some dance classes are also held casually so that students can dance for fun even if they are not yet ready to commit to classes. This, then, becomes an effective way to try the classes before enrolling, and if you’re a little shy, then there is no need to worry. Most dance schools offer one-on-one lessons so you can still shake that groove even if you’re uncomfortable dancing in front of other people. Socializing with other dancing friends also wouldn’t hurt, would it?

The International Association of Middle Eastern Dance’s (IAMED) latest video release Thrillin’ Drillin’ is all that it purports to be and more. The world renown and most sought after U.S. born belly dancer Sadie shares the intricacies of her stylized technique in this fabulous instructional DVD. IAMED is known to be the purveyor of the finest DVD’s on the belly dance market and Thrillin’ Drillin’ parallels the quality of their stock – and sets a new bar.

The first segment of this DVD features Sadie dissecting each movement in an easy to follow dialogue that is accessible to dancers of any level. Since I have been dancing for thirteen years, I found the review helpful for several reasons. Firstly, it reminded me of the finer points of the dance and secondly, it gave me lingo to help my students who have been struggling with certain movements I have been teaching in class. Sadie then progresses to more challenging and faster paced drills.

The drills are fantastic and take the movements just reviewed into sequences that will engage beginners and cause seasoned dancers to rise to new levels. Sadie recently held workshops at the Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association’s (MECDA) annual Belly Dance Festival and revealed one of the secrets of her physical interpretations of Danse Oriental. She takes very basic movements and does them fast – that is to say VERY fast. It results in a stylistic appeal that wows audiences and fellow dancers alike. To have access to the means to achieve this “wow” factor is worth its weight in gold.

The components of her drill segment and the unique manner in which she weaves together movement are priceless. Utilizing Thrillin’ Drillin’ properly will enable dancers mastering her moves to integrate a higher level of choreography into their own work. Instead of ye old chest lift, Sadie suggests new forms of presentation that provide dancers with ideas of how to blend a novel air of creativity into their dance.

You may already have a wealth of wonderful memories when it comes to tap dancing. There’s something about watching the magic that happens when those feet start to tap that literally takes your breath away. From the moment an audience is drawn to the floor where some of the most amazing melodies of the feet are created to the very last tap or stomp of the performance, many times we are riveted to the screen or the individual on the stage.

Tap dance has been an enjoyable pastime for many people for years. Children who admire tap have often creative attempted to emulate tap shoes with their own homemade versions with thumb tacks inserted into the bottom of the toes of their shoes. Although this is not a safe practice for many types of shoes, for thicker soled types, it has given children the opportunity to create their own tap magic on the sidewalks, in the basement and sometimes to the chagrin of their parents, nicely finished wood floors in their homes.

Tap dancing greats like Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly have given us performances time after time that we have applauded with standing ovations. In movie theaters we’ve gone back again and again to see their feats and watch in near unbelief as they have defied what seems to be the logic of gravity with their moves.

Do you remember the first time you saw an excellent tap dancing performance? Perhaps you were a child and found yourself riveted to the performance. If so, then you most likely stared with starry eyes and wondered how they made it seem as if they were dancing on air. It was a wonder to behold just to see them dance from one side of the stage to the other and back again without ever missing a beat. And if you were lucky, the audience rose to their feet, clapped and cheered so long that the dancer would return to the stage and perform again. That’s if you were lucky.

Tap dancing today is regarded as one of the most interesting forms of dance in existence. People of all ages and sizes can participate in this form of dance that lets you start with the simplest of moves of the feet. A toe tapping delight for those who like to get into it, tap dancing can take it to the next level with feats that require significant practice to accomplish.

There is no question that there’s something about the professional dancer who comes out in front of a crowd to perform that he or she is enjoying what they do. From the young, talented artists today like singer/performer Mya to the greats of days gone by, the smile on their face and the beat in their feet makes you want to get into the act and enjoy yourself.

The dance syllabus figures are used in two fundamental ways. First, they provide a learning framework for the student of dancing. One learns Bronze, then Silver, then Gold and then non-syllabus figures. The syllabus is also used to define competition proficiency levels. For example, a Gold Syllabus competition event will have more advanced dancers than a Silver Syllabus event.

*Please note that while the International Standard and Latin styles have relatively consistent syllabus lists throughout the world, the American Smooth and Rhythm syllabus lists can differ significantly depending on the organization which provides them. Because of the differences between various syllabi, syllabus events in the American styles at USA Dance competitions will require that the competitors stay within the technical difficulty of the proficiency level in which they are dancing (Bronze, Silver, Gold) but not necessarily within a specific set of steps. The American syllabi provided should be used as a measure of the difficulty of each proficiency level for the Rhythm and Smooth styles. See current syllabus lists in the USA Dance Rule Book available for review or download under forms and resources in the DanceSport section of our website.