Make it a DANCING Snow Day!

If Facebook is any indicator, the students of DanceSport Carolina are going through serious weather-induced dance withdrawal! While a day off is nice- a lack of cha-cha, rumba, waltz or foxtrot is no laughing matter! Our students count on their time at DSC for a variety of reasons: to work-up a sweat and burn some calories, to meet new people, to grow as dancers, and to pursue life-long dreams. A snow-induced day off reeks havoc on all of these goals! While we don't have any solutions for the lack of social interaction, nor your craving to get inside our beautifully decorated, warm and vibrant walls... we do have a way to work up a sweat, burn some calories (you know, those you consumed curled up on the couch with a bag of chips and a movie!), and develop those dancing muscles!

GET OUT AND DANCE IN THE SNOW!!

Seriously, this workout is DanceSport Carolina's Elizabeth Malvasia tried and approved and recieved her glowing seal of approval!

First: Dress warmly, but in LAYERS. Something tight and light on the bottom, something loose and warm in the middle (fleece is perfect), and a waterproof layer on top. And even though we will be dancing outside, please, wear your boots and NOT your dance shoes!

Second: Grab your ipod and make a 30-45minute playlist of dance faves (rumba, chacha, swing, mambo, and foxtrot work best!)

Third: Get out and take deep breath of that beautiful air! Press play and run all your routines and all your technique drills IN THE SNOW! Yes, this sounds crazy, but keeping the ball of your foot on the ground in Rumba or tracking your stride in Foxtrot takes on a WHOLE new meaning! The resistance and weight of the snow will make each and every move more difficult, not to mention isolate and create extra work for the active muscles of a given step, helping you as the dancer focus on the proper muscle. The slippery surface (be careful!) will force you to tighten your core the way you are ALWAYS supposed to when dancing. And finally, all this resistance and extra work will give your endurace a real kick in the butt (assuming you complete all 30-45min!)

In the Rumba and Foxtrot, focus on tracking. This will work your quads. Mambo, ChaCha and Swing will be more endurace and balance focused as the slippery and heavy environment will force your core to work twice as hard and get winded in half the time. Keep your arms up in proper frame the entire time and the extra weight of all you are wearing will make your lats and shoulders ache! All in all, a well rounded and FUN workout!

Enjoy the workout! Post your experience with it! Be safe, and we will see you at DanceSport Carolina for your private dance lessons and group classes on Wednesday!

DSC Launches "Junior Competition Team"

Due to the high number of driven, talented, and passionate Juniors in DanceSport Carolina's studios, a Junior Competition Team is being launched in January of 2011! The first meeting of this team will be held at the Matthews studio, Saturday January 8th. The goal of this program is to cultivate a sense of "team" among our youth and offer more age appropriate training and inspiration both on the dance floor and in life. Thomas and Elizabeth are firm believers that ballroom dancing, if taught properly, has the ability to transform teens into not just beautiful dancers, but upstanding and disciplined young ladies and gentlemen. The very premise of DanceSport Carolina is top-notch dancing combined with the highest integrity and ethics. What better group to benefit from this philosophy than our youth?! Workshops will be taught by either Thomas or Elizabeth and will include fellowship and food as a team. We look forward to this exciting endeavor and opportunity to connect more intimately with the youth (and future!) of our studios!

Letter from a New Student...

While not a day goes by that we aren't aware and proud of our exceptional facilities, training, and Pro's, it is still SO NICE to hear from those who are experiencing the magic of DSC for the first time! Click on the link below to read the email that arrived the morning following a new student's very first lesson. They were looking for ballroom and latin dance lessons as a new hobby to pursue together and were fortunate enough to find DSC!

www.facebook.com/dancesportcarolina

Our New "Baby"...

With the commencement of 2011 comes many new and exciting experiences and ADDITIONS to our DSC family. We are so very excited to announce the arrival of a NEW DSC MATTHEWS LOCATION!! Due: May 2011!

Our DanceSport Carolina Matthews location will be expanding its way right into the heart of downtown Matthews! With a prominent location on Main St, the new studio offers TWO STORIES of dance floor (the upstairs was a genuine dance hall in the 40's), its own private "DanceSport After Dark" VIP entrance, and all the charm of a historic building in the heart of a community! The city of Matthews is excited to welcome DanceSport Carolina into its heart and to bring some of DSC's reknowned class, sophistication, energy, and fun to the growing uptown area. We look forward to becoming the corner-stone of nightlife and fun for the city.

As the Carolina's only exclusive ballroom and latin dance studio, and the benchmark of sophistication, glamour, and dancing for the city of Charlotte and surrounding areas, this move is both a natural progression and exciting embarkation for us all! We look forward to welcoming you into our new home this Spring!