Interview With Monica Shifflet from Virginia Beach VA

Todd & Taras chat with a student from Virginia Beach VA about her journey in dancing.

This is out first student to be on the show. Monica is an amazing student and just great woman to get to know. Learn more about Monica and how/why she got into0 ballroom dancing. From her 'day-job' in the cockpit of a fighter jet to going Mach 3 on the dance-floor. We loved chatting with Monica Shifflet.

We're also sorry that we've been slack on getting out content. We're back in the studio to record some more All About Ballroom Dancing for you :)

Are YOU Holding Yourself Back?

“Are YOU Holding Yourself Back?”

Todd Combs & Taras Denysenko

episode 006

What does holding back mean to you?

• Are you your own worst enemy?
• Are you engaging in all-or-nothing thinking?
• Are you afraid of failure? Sometimes failure means different things: Rejection - disapproval - The Unknown
• Don’t like getting out of your comfort zone. Be brave & get out of your comfort zone. Outside your comfort zone will quickly become inside your comfort zone = more confidence - (Use growing muscles analogy)

New Dancers:

• Looking Stupid
• Not being talented enough, coordinated enough,
• The perfectionist - Self Criticism - You excel in your profession and other hobbies that starting something new like dancing will make you see all the flaws
• No Partner
• Distance from Studio - (more of an excuse)

Intermediate Dancers:

• Wanting to learn too fast is actually holding yourself back: Talk about people wanting to go up the levels too quickly
• Wanting to learn too slow...over analyzing every step. Paralysis Thru Analysis

Advanced Dancers:

• Afraid to go all out, pull the trigger and go for it. When you over train and are afraid of making a mistake.
• Want to perfect things before the next routine or event -
• You expect perfection from yourself -

Quotes:

• “I don’t believe in holding back...you know, life isn’t a dress rehearsal!” - Kate Winslet
• “Courage comes by being brave; fear comes by holding back” - Publious Syrus

What areas are you holding back? Now that you realize where you are holding yourself back what are the next steps you plan on taking?

Please write in and let us know. It helps other dancers to know the struggles others go through because sometimes they think “It’s just my problem”...not realizing thousands of people have had the same issue.

We look forward to our next episode of AABD.

And until then...we’ll see YOU on the dance floor

Bob Powers On Standardizing Professional American Rhythm

Bob Powers

Standardizing Professional American Rhythm

Todd Combs & Taras Denysenko

episode 005

• 12 Times United States Rhythm Champions
• 3 Times World Professional Mambo Champion
• Bob & Julia are recipients of the 2012 DanceSport Hall of Fame Award
• Finalist in the World Showdance Championships
• Member of the World Dance Arts Foundation
• Certified adjudicator with the National Dance Council of America * Certified with the World Dance Council
• Arthur Murray Dance Studio, Owner in Mesa Arizona
• Julia & Bob are creators & owners of the Latin Dance Fitness Program “Core Rhythms”

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• What exactly is this project you are doing? Is it like a “rule book”, or a guideline manual? Please let us know what it is.

Bob Powers: The group is called Rhythm Champions and our mission is to promote American Style Rhythm dancing worldwide. The American Smooth has had great success lately and we have discovered that the reason the Rhythm has lagged behind is the fact that there’s a belief that there are too many differences in the techniques. So one of the goals of the group is to come to a consensus on each dance. We are in the process of developing a technique book, not a syllabus but strictly body, hip, leg and foot action description. So if you can imagine 15 former US Champions coming together to agree on a specific technique and how it should be expressed verbally.

• Who is involved? Is there a person or persons in charge of organizing this? What are different persons' roles?

Bob Powers: Every US Champion since the inception of the Pro Rhythm division. I can list them if you want.

1984 Charles & Jean Penatello

1985-1987 Joe Lozano & Jan Mattingly

1988-1992 Forrest Vance & Susie Thompson

1991-2003 Bob Powers & Julia Gorchakova

2004 Tony Dovolani & Inna Ivanenko

2005-2006 Tony Dovolani & Elena Grinenko

2007-2010 Jose DeCamps & Joanna Zacharewicz

2011-2013 Decho Kraev & Bree Watson

2014-2015 Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine & Liana Churilova

2016-2018 Nazar Norov & Irina Kudryashova

2019 Andre Paramonov & Natalie Paramonov

• What is your role?

Bob Powers: We are all equally involved and contribute to the technique as well as promotion and online classes to promote it.

1. How did this come about?

Bob Powers: During the Coronavirus stay at home order one of the guys came up with the idea and asked who would be interested. We all responded.

1. What stage is this currently in?

Bob Powers: Definitely developmental. It's taken us 9 weeks to do the Rumba Box. But the great thing is it just keeps getting better. We have such an amazing group of great dancers, teachers and musically gifted individuals that it can’t help but be a success.

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Julia Gorchakova On Dance Dresses - Clothing - Dance Exercise Core Rhythms - How To Become A Better Dancer

Julia Gorchakova

Todd Combs & Taras Denysenko

episode 004

• 12 Times United States Rhythm Champions
• 3 Times World Professional Mambo Champion
• Creator of the Fitness Exercise Program called Core Rhythms
• Owner of Artistry In Motion - DanceSport Clothing

Ballroom Dance Questions:

• What dance do you think challenges most students (as a whole or fem/male/cpl) and Pro competitors?
• What dance do you think has evolved the most since you’ve been dancing?
• What can any student do right now to improve their dancing? (Develop stronger foot/ankle usage, general balance, stronger core, or specific muscle group awareness...are some examples)

Artistry In Motion Questions:

• How did you get started?
• Who needs “Dance Cloths”? (Everyone...every sport has their own “gear”)
• What should Men get, & when?
• What Should Women have, & when?
• What or who is your biggest design influence?

Core Rhythm Questions:

• How did Core Rhythms come about?

Listener Questions:

• Trishia Weger: What kind of diet do you have? Are you really strict about it? How do you stay in shape?
• You once shared with Tricia ie Todd. How you first started making your beautiful competition dance costumes with your mom, and that in the early years you had to make the flashy embellishments from raw materials. Can you tell us more about that, and how that differs today?
• She and her mom used to hammer out homemade sequins from small discs in Her home country in the early days. I was fascinated by that. I am sure there is much more to the story!
• How does a short dancer adjust dance style to get favorable attention from judges?

Amber:

• What is something you think students 1) Overthink, and 2) under-prepare for in getting ready for comps, or even while at comps
• Is there any “OMG, not again” errors that you see people make? Dancing and Costume

Beatriz Holan:

• I have one struggle (out of 150) I learn the school figures, I can follow with a partner but later, when I have to do it on my own, my brain goes blank! I don't remember much of the names. I feel like I've wasted a lesson and you know that is a limited supply

Miscellaneous Questions:

• So tell us about your dogs
• Any crazy four wheeling stories
• Share with the listeners the time you and Bob went running with your friends dog (they had to carry the dog back)
• If you were judging a couple dancing a side x side competition...AND that couple was Bob Powers & Julia Gorchakova. Who would you mark 1st?

Why Do People Like Ballroom Dancing

So Why Do People Like Ballroom Dancing You Ask? Today Todd Combs and Taras Denysenko we'll be discussing why people love ballroom dancing so much, and why ballroom dancing could improve your life in ways you couldn't imagine. Ballroom dancing could benefit you in ways so many ways you probably don't think need improvement. Who doesn't want to improve their life? Who doesn't want more self confidence, stress relief, or just to improve their relationship with their significant other or spouse? Who out there thinks everything in their life is so perfect that nothing can be done to enhance what they have right now? I hope none of our listeners out there have this mentality because we can always, always improve ourselves and our environment!
In this episode we get to the core reasons why you should start either taking ballroom dance lessons or why you should continue taking your ballroom dance lessons.