Gift of Dance

Do You Love Me?...Now That I Can Dance

This famous Contours song from the movie "Dirty Dancing" hits the nail on the head.

It's true isn't ladies? Women love men who like to dance. T.V. shows like "Dancing With the Stars" are sparking a new love of dance.

You don’t have to have perfect style, or enter a competition, just be someone who is willing to make the effort. Why do women like dancing so much? Because…

1. It is fun.

2. Women are smart and know the benefits.

Whether you are looking to spice up a friend's dull routine with a tango lesson, or are a man who needs a romantic gift to give - dance is it.

Top Ten Benefits

• helps women and men feel romantic and sexy
• creates confidence and poise
• is a way to lose weight
• contributes to high self-esteem and a positive outlook
• builds social skills
• reduces stress and tension
• promote body strength and flexibility
• improves posture and balance
• helps boost brain power to improve memory, multi-tasking, planning and attention skills
• helps the older brain to form new interconnections and work faster

Source: Mayoclinic.com, Seniorjournal.com - "Medical Studies Confirm Ballroom Dancing Keeps Elderly Fit, Alert and Happy"

Decide to Dance

You both will reap all the benefits, and you’ll be confident, and ready at weddings, social events, or maybe even a governor’s ball one day! You never know.

Which Dance Class is Right?

• Ballroom (made up of some of the Standard and Rhythm Dances named below)
• Smooth and Standard – Examples: Waltz, Foxtrot.
• Rhythm and Latin – Examples: Salsa, Cha-cha.
• Country Western – Example: Two-step.
• Specialty – Examples: Folk, polka, square dance.

As this is her gift, I recommend you let this be a “ladies choice”. Some traditional American men feel more comfortable with the ballroom, smooth or standard styles, as the Latin dances involve more hip movement.

To find a class near you consider going to an established dance studio. There are several nationwide chains in the United States, including Arthur Miller and Fred Astaire dance studios. These studios have gift certificates for purchase on their website and sponsor events so that you can have the opportunity to dance together beyond the class environment.

Creative Ways to Give the Gift of Dance

1. Buy a DVD of a famous movie with a couples dance theme, slip the gift certificate in the box, and wrap the box. Here is a list of popular dance themed movies and the dances featured.

• Any Fred Astaire/Ginger Roger or Gene Kelly dance film - Ballroom, Smooth, Standard
• Saturday Night Fever - Disco
• Shall We Dance? 1996, 2004 - Ballroom, Smooth and Standard
• Dance With Me - Latin and Rhythm
• Swing Kids - Lindy, Lindy Hop
• Dirty Dancing - Latin and Rhythm
• Salsa - Salsa and Latin
• Strictly Ballroom - Ballroom
• Take the Lead - Ballroom, Rhythm

Shall We Dance (1996) Original Japanese Film

Shall We Dance (2004) American Version - Remake

2. Search the web and find a picture of a famous couple dancing and print it out. Replace the faces of the dancers with your face and hers. Frame it, and then hide the gift certificate inside the frame.

3. (If you are married or live together) Find a pair of her shoes from her closet and put the gift certificate in the box. Wrap the box and put a clever card on the box that says something like, “Get your dancing shoes ready.”

4. Buy her a long stemmed red rose or a pretty flower for her hair. Wrap it in a large box, hide the certificate under it, and include a clever or funny note.

For the red rose, you could write, "Insert enclosed gift in teeth." The joke of course, is that flamenco dancers have traditionally danced with a rose in their mouth.

For the pretty flower you could write, "Something to keep me from looking at my feet."