Ballroom dance’s grace
attracts many students
By Laura Baker
■ The UCSD Guardian
U of California. San Diego
“One, two, three. One. two. three,’’ my
partner hisses through clenched teeth,
a grim, determined look on his face.
“One. two, three, one, two
Then he starts to smile and relaxes the
vice-like grip he has on my hand. He’s
stopped thinking the rhythm and begun
to simply feel it
We whirl around the dance floor,
secure in each other’s arms, moving
together effortlessly like Ginger Rogers
and Fred Astaire Alright, maybe I’m
getting carried away Actually, it’s a
Monday night and we’re both in jeans
and tennis shoes Although lie's still
counting, we are dancing and it's won
derful.
If you'd ask me what my favorite class
was last winter, 1 would have told you
ballroom dance. Taught through U. of
California, San Diego’s physical educa
tion department, the classes are popular
and till quickly
In fact, ballroom dance is making
something of a comeback in the United
States. An article in The Smithsonian's
April 1989 issue states the membership
of the U S Amateur Ballroom Dancers
Association, which has chapters in 24
states, has doubled in the last five years.
And more than 10,000 student dancers
nationwide are involved in the Ballroom
Dance Society
"I would much rather go out with a
man that 1 know is going to hold me in
his arms and we're going to dance
together," said Andrea Marshall, who
helped establish a Ballroom Dance
Society chapter at the U. of Kentucky
For many, the appeal of ballroom
dance is in the pleasure of moving with
someone Daniel Garnett, who also
helped establish UK’s Ballroom Dance
Society said, “It's more romantic to bo
able to hold somebody and dance with
them than it is to go out and jump up
and down.” he said
But I admit nostalgia has a lot to do
with it as well. Although he was scornful
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Continued from page 9
he said. "But people forget things
change and go back to the way they
were."
Penn State administrative fellow
Terrell Jones agreed. "Prejudice is rein
forced m children from five different
areas: parents, siblings, peers, formal
institutions and the mass media '
The mass media, of course, includes
the record industry "The record compa
nies need to have some type of program
for addressing these issues with their
artists,” Bigelow said
Louderback also feels the message
can have an affect on listeners "People
who don’t know that much about Jews
and then hear these negative things
could be influenced to believe they are
true,” she said
Bigelow, Jones and Louderback all
agree freedom of speech is of great
importance, but they also feel prejudiced
statements should not be viewed as
acceptable “There's taking license, but
there’s also a responsibility." Smith said
Soundbites
Queen Latifah
All Hail the Queen
In Muslim, her name means “del
icate.” But what’s in a name? At the
young age of 22, Queen Latifah
demonstrates an authority and
vengefulness some rap artists never
acquire. All Hail The Queen, her
debut album, displays a profound
cultural awareness, a wide spec
trum of musical influence and killer
samples and dance grooves. The
album opens with an incredible hip
hop number called “Dance for Me,”
which is also her first single from the
album. Her style is aggressive,
tough and upfront. And she can sing
as well. Quite a few of the songs on
the album showcase her formidable
pipes, especially the reggae-influ
enced tunes that are Latifah’s per
sonal favorites. If you've never tried
rap before, this is a good place to
start. ■ Daniel Washco, The Daily
Northwestern, Northwestern U.
Camouflage
Methods of Silence
On their newest album, the West
German-based syntho-pop band
Camouflage keeps the same digital
dance sound that has made them so
popular. The album’s first single,
“Love is a Shield," is a new digital
mix of the emotionally-textured
dance tune. Other songs that really
grab attention are the psychedelic
sounding “One Fine Day," *A Picture
of Life," a study of the AIDS epidem
ic, and a remake of the 1980 New
Music hit “On Islands." The lyrics to
“Les Reus" are sung in French.
Methods of Silence is a much
smoother sounding album than its
predecessor and is outstanding on a
lyrical scale. Those of you who love
the Depeche Mode sound should buy
this album; you won’t be disappoint
ed. ■ Ricky Swain, The Daily
Helmsman, Memphis State U.
of the era, F. Scott Fitzgerald has
instilled in me a longing to dance away
under the stars, Marshall Stern's
description of Sunday nights at the
Savoy Dance Hall in Harlem in “Jazz
Dance” makes me yearn for a similar ere
ative outlet. I listen to old Duke Ellington
records and dance out in front of the nnr
ror, my bathroom robe a ball gown.
There are more practical reasons for
the increased interest in ballroom dance
than my own nostalagia.
"An entire generation grew up in the
rock era, storting in the ’60s and ’70s
and they never ever danced together.'
said Larry Schulz, co-owner of a local
dance center “Now that they’re at an
age where they find themselves in pro
fessional situations — company func
tions, galas, balls that require a cer
tain sophistication. You can’t just get up
and disco all night.”
Regina Swift, Kentucky Kernel, U. of
Kentucky contributed to this report
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