China Tops Figure Skating Medal Tally At Vancouver Olympics

The 21st Winter Olympic Games 2010 which was held in Vancouver, Canada beginning February 12, came to an official close on February 28. This Olympiad saw the participation of some 2600 athletes from 82 nations competing in 86 winter sports in 15 disciplines. Canada topped the medal tally with 14 golds, 7 silvers and 5 bronzes followed by Germany with 10 golds, 13 silvers & 7 bronzes and the United States of America with 9 golds, 15 silvers & 13 bronzes for the overall top 3 placings. It is the first time Canada have topped the medal standings at a Winter or Summer Olympic Games.

One of the most popular attractions at the Vancouver Olympics was figure skating, a sport known for its grace, elegance and athleticism - attributes quite similar to those of dancesport. In this event, China won first placing with 1 gold and 1 silver. The United States which also collected a gold and a silver was placed second whilst Canada came in third with 1 gold and 1 bronze. South Korea bagged the remaining gold to take fourth placing. The other medal winners were the Russian Federation and Japan with 1 silver and 1 bronze each, and Germany with a solitary bronze.

There are 4 disciplines in figure skating as explained in vancouver2010.com, the official website of the Games. They are singles (men and ladies), pairs and ice dance. In singles skating, skaters must complete both a short programme of required steps, jumps, spins and combinations and a longer free skating programme, both set to music. The pairs event follows the same format as the singles. In this event one male and one female skater work in unison incorporating lifts, throws and synchronized jumps, spins and spirals linked harmoniously by steps and other movements.

Ice dance is performed by a couple and is based on their rhythm, interpretation of music and precise steps. Unlike pairs skating, ice dance does not include overhead lifts and jumps. Ice dance is similar to ballroom dancing, as the skaters remain in contact throughout most of the programme. An ice dance competition is made up of three parts: one compulsory dance, an original dance and a free dance. Compulsory dance is the skating of prescribed patterns to music incorporating pre-determined rhythm and tempo. Original dance and free dance are created by each couple to music of their own choice.

For The Love Of Dance

If you are taking dance lessons, how far would you be willing to travel from your home to your dance studio for your weekly classes? I remembered when I was taking regular dance lessons in Kuala Lumpur many, many years ago I knew of several dance aficionados from the other states travelling to the capital city to pursue their love of dance. In my class I became acquainted with some students from Klang, Selangor which is about 40 km from Kuala Lumpur. I also got to know a few students from Seremban, Negri Sembilan and Melaka City, Melaka situated 64km and 144 km respectively from Kuala Lumpur who would drive up to Kuala Lumpur for their weekly lessons. The journeys would take them approximately 1 hour and 2 hours respectively.

Then there was this retired doctor from Ipoh, Perak who would come down to Kuala Lumpur every week almost without fail to attend classes. He would hire a taxi for the 205 km journey to KL and would take 3 different group classes at one stretch from 8.00 pm to 11.00 pm while the taxi driver waited for him outside the studio. After finishing his lessons he would then take the almost 3 hour journey back home to Ipoh. For his age he was sprightly and I could see that he really enjoyed dancing. He told me that he looked forward to coming down to KL to dance every week. It was like a weekly 'fix' for him! As a doctor he certainly must have known the health benefits of dancing!

The one who really takes the cake for the love of dance must be this young couple from Alor Setar in Kedah, a town located 462 km north of Kuala Lumpur. This couple would take the bus from Alor Setar every week for the more than 6 hour trek to KL. Arriving at the Puduraya Bus Station in KL at about 7.00 pm they would hop on a cab to get them to one dance studio in Cheras to take their Latin American dance lesson. After the lesson was over they would proceed to another studio in Pudu to learn ballroom. When the class was over, they would rush to Puduraya Bus Station to take the bus for the long haul back home, arriving in Alor Setar at about 5.00 am the next morning!

Alex Lim Shines At Gatsby Styling Dance Contest Finals

Alex Lim (pic), also known as Poppin' Rex was adjudged the winner of the Gatsby Styling Dance Contest Malaysia Finals in Kuala Lumpur on January 27 2010. At the event held in Mist Club, Bangsar; Alex put up a solid performance that combined street dance with out-of-the-box moves to impress the judges and beat four other finalists for the crown. The five finalists were chosen through online voting from fifteen shortlisted entries. The judges for the competition were Karisma Kantaro of Anomaly Japan, Fellest Yan of Royal Phantom Crew and Bojae of Floor Fever. Guest performers KoRock from Japan; the winners of the Gatsby Styling Dance Contest Asia Finals in 2009 thrilled the crowd with their beautiful and adrenaline-pumping routine.

Besides winning a trophy and a cash prize of RM2000, Alex also grabbed a chance to represent Malaysia in the Asia Finals which will be held in Tokyo on February 27. Runners-up Chris Ooi, Dennis Yin and Billy Yap of Elecoldxhot walked away with a trophy and RM1000 while Chua Jack Son of Max Identity who came in third, bagged a trophy and RM500. At the finals in Tokyo, Alex will battle it out with the winners from six other countries/regions namely Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore. The champion will receive a 300,000 Yen (RM11,400) prize money and an all-expense-paid trip to participate in the Asian Dance Interchange Tour to any two of the seven Gatsby Styling Dance Contest participating Asian countries/regions.

The Gatsby Styling Dance Contest is organized by Mandom Corporation of Japan, the manufacturer and distributor of Gatsby personal care and hair styling products. This contest is specially for high school, college or university students who love to dance. The official theme of this competition is 'styling' and contestants are required to define 'styling' in their performances. Style dancing, a new genre created by Gatsby is based on street dance like hip hop, breaking and free style that incorporates styling moves in their routines. Elecoldxhot, who were the winners of the inaugural Gatsby Styling Dance Contest Malaysia Finals last year went on to compete in the Asia Finals in Tokyo where they managed to win a "Grooving Award".

KLDA To Organize "Rising Star Championship 2010"

The Kuala Lumpur Dancers' Association (KLDA) of Level 2, Indoor Sports Complex, Wisma OCM, Jalan Hang Jebat, 50150 Kuala Lumpur is organizing the KLDA Rising Star Championship 2010. Further information regarding this competition is as follows:-

Date: April 11 2009 (Sunday)

Venue: Level 3, Indoor Sports Complex, Wisma OCM, Jalan Hang Jebat, 50150 Kuala Lumpur

Events: Ballroom ~ Standard & Latin - Amateur, Rising Star Under 21, Pre-Amateur, Novice, Senior Over 40, Senior Over 50, Grand Senior Over 60, Junior Under 16, Juvenile Under 12, Ladies Under 16, Beginners 1 Dance

Participation: Open To All Malaysians

Closing Date For Entries: March 11 2010

Tickets: RM130 and RM100 per person (inclusive of dinner) for evening events. RM30 for day events

This is the first time the Kuala Lumpur Dancers' Association is organizing a dancesport competition since its inception in 1982. The KLDA is sparing no efforts to ensure that this inaugural championship will be a success. Alan Liew, the organizing chairman, as well as the Vice President of the KLDA said in an interview - "The objective of this competition is to foster friendship, peace and harmony among dancers through dancesport, and promote unity in the ballroom dance community. I extend my invitations to and encourage all aspiring dancers to participate in this competition". For more information regarding this event, kindly contact Alan Liew at 017-2829321, email: alanpritanis@yahoo.com; Kelly Cheah at 016-2319998, email: kelly_cheahss@yahoo.com or Chew Su Fen at 012-9116682, email: sufen_sufen_sufen_@hotmail.com.

The Kuala Lumpur Dancers' Association was founded in 1982 by a group of dance enthusiasts in 1982 and had its initial headquarters at the Eastern Hotel & Nite Club in Jalan Ampang (where Capital Square is now). Over the years, the KLDA has shifted several times: to Jalan Galloway, Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Sungai Besi and Cheras Utama before relocating to its present premises in Wisma OCM in 2008. The KLDA is situated directly behind the YWCA, adjacent to the Olympic Sports Hotel and is about 600 metres or a 10-minute stroll from the Hang Tuah LRT and monorail stations. It is also a stone's throw away from Petaling Street and Chinatown. The KLDA is open for dance practices from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm every Sundays and from 8.00 pm to 10.30 pm every Mondays to Fridays. It is closed on Saturdays and certain public holidays.

Amalgamations And Their Nicknames

In ballroom dancing, a brief term or nickname is often used for a certain popular sequence of dance figures or what is known as an amalgamation. The nicknames are quite useful in a way because, instead of naming all the figures in the amalgamation, a few words would convey the message just as well. Brevity is the soul of wit, so they say. Recently I happened to read an interesting forum discussion regarding a foxtrot amalgamation known as the Prince of Wales in dance-forums.com. Unfortunately there was no discussion on how this amalgamation came to be known as the Prince of Wales. I also could not find any information regarding this amalgamation in the internet.

According to what was discussed in the forum, the Prince of Wales is a Curved Feather to a Back Feather followed by a Feather Finish. This is a beautiful routine and is one of my favourites but the footwork can be a bit tricky and has to be properly executed. Another popular Foxtrot amalgamation which was discussed in the forum was a Feather Step to a Reverse Turn (incorporating Feather Finish) followed by a Three Step. One observant forum participant mentioned that he has seen this combination used often by beginners as well as by professionals. He has even christened this amalgamation The Three Impossibles. Another participant calls it the Golden Variation.

Two Walks And A Link is a well known amalgamation used in the Tango. The amalgamation consists of 1) Walk on LF, 2) Walk On RF, and 3) Progressive Link. In the Waltz there is an amalgamation known as the Eighteen Steps. As the name suggests, the amalgamation consists of eighteen steps and is made up of 1) LF Closed Change [three steps], 2) Natural Turn [six steps], 3) Reverse Turn [six steps], and 4) RF Closed Change [three steps]. The term Eighteen Steps is popularly used in Malaysia and this amalgamation is great for practising the fundamental steps of the Waltz. I do not know whether this amalgamation is similarly named as such in other countries.

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> Dancing the Foxtrot - Mastering The Feather Step And Three Step

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