Ballroom Newsletter, Siskiyou County & Northern California – February 8th 2022
Dear All,
The Tlhingan word for dance is literally defined as “movement for no other purpose than itself”. Which may or may not apply to our word for dance (which is “dance” – for those of you who are not paying attention). Indeed, many may ask: why would two otherwise sane individuals plaster themselves belly to belly and then gallop around an expanse of floor narrowly avoiding collisions with other couples of otherwise sane individuals doing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time? And why would they ever classify this as “fun”?
Cultural anthropologists are quick to suggest that human beings (throughout the long history of human beingness) have been (and still are) on the constant lookout for any excuse to plaster themselves belly to belly with as many people as possible, and social dance makes that a legitimate and socially acceptable practice. But that would not explain the sheer number of dance figures (steps) that currently exist and constantly continue to be created.
The retort of the cultural anthropologists would be that simply plastering oneself belly to belly to another human being is not interesting enough in itself to sustain the practice and so intriguing and complex variations are required to motivate us to continual engagement in the practice (to which we respond “yeah, right!”).
In the first place, we are not, as the heathens (a group including cultural anthropologists) so crassly put it, “plastered together belly to belly”. We are “lightly engaged ribcage to ribcage” and any belly contact is strictly coincidental and a vestigial hold-over from the early days of Ballroom Dance, before the more dynamic and complex steps rendered such practice, well, impractical.
No, the urge to dance goes way beyond any biological or socio-economic needs. There is a deep, inner spiritual need to dance, and those who engage in the practice are, perhaps without realizing it, announcing to the world (but more likely to themselves) that they do have a deep inner spirit. Even primitive solo dancing has been long seen as a need to express something beyond the mundane, to express something that comes from the deepest recesses of who we are.
That applies to all of you who come to our classes. You may consider yourselves numbered among the Deep Inner Spirited and the more you come to class, the more you will learn how to express it (but more importantly, you are developing and deepening your own ability to experience it). And, of course, you will be differentiating yourselves from the shallow inner spiritless hordes (referred to, throughout the ages, as the Great Unwashed).
Or, perhaps it’s just fun, after all.
Come to class and probe how this deep inner mystery can express itself in your life. Or just come to have fun. You’ll never find out which is which unless you join us.
See you there, for whatever reason.
Cheers,
Rick and Peggy Nixon
530) 853-4147 / 415)215-2652 (cell)
p.s. We are still respecting the mask protocols established by the state (masks not required if vaccinated, if not: masks. (We constantly monitor many other studios in California and Oregon {and a rare few across the country}. This seems to be the standard unanimous protocol. We will keep checking and modifying as per industry standards, medical understandings and simple, classical logic – as needed.)
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THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
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The Mountain Fitness Center (South):
1630 South Mt. Shasta Blvd, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067 (back parking lot is best, as the dance studio is a mere two steps from the back door)
Wed. Feb. 9th: Foxtrot 6:45 – 7:45pm
Thur. Feb. 10th: Samba 6:45 – 7:45pm
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CURRENT RATES Group Class Rates $8 Single Class ($8.00/class) $25 Four class Card ($6.25/class) $50 Eight Class Card ($6.25/class) $60 Ten Class Card ($6.00/class)
Private Lesson(s) Rates
$30 Half-hour Private Lesson ($25 at four per month or more) $60 One Hour Private Lesson (one per month or less) $50 One Hour Private Lesson (two per month or more) Hour Lessons may be divided into two ½ hour sessions at half the hourly rate each.
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