Queen City Dancing Queen: Angie's September 2008 Tidbits

Angie’s September 2008 Tidbits

Hello everyone!!!!

I hope this little email finds everyone in good health and good spirits, and finally cooling off from the heat of August. As always, I'd like to start off by saying thank you to all of you that have been coming to class and jamming with me. Your energy and enthusiasm are what makes my classes more fun. I honestly cannot express often enough how much your presence in class means to me and to the success of my classes. Those of you that haven't been able to make it to class because of unusual and/or unfortunate circumstances, know that we miss you and are thinking about you. This month, I hope I've got some interesting thoughts for you and some announcements and updates to follow. Enjoy!

"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed- easy to get in to, hard to get out of"- Proverb

I chose this quote for this particular newsletter because I find it fitting for myself since the last newsletter, and since we are all human, I'm assuming we all have bad habits at one point or another in our lives. Personally, I have fallen into a bad habit that has become tremendously hard to break out of- that is, my scratching. I am a skin-scratching machine. Not only do I feel the utmost NECESSITY to scratch, the immediate gratification from it is so rewarding. But, the bad thing about scratching is that the more I scratch my skin, the worse it itches later on, and ultimately, the more I suffer. Oh, but it does feel good to scratch that itch....

This is the problem with most bad habits, isn't it? There is always something intrinsically and immediately rewarding about the bad habit, even though the long term consequences are usually very undesirable. For example, it might taste so good to eat the whole plate of hot wings, but you know you'll be suffering from heart burn later that night. Or, it might be so nice to come home and watch tv every night instead of coming to class, but you know in the long run you are not doing your body right. Whatever your "bad habit', there usually does come a time that you decide you are going to do something about it. For me and my scratching, the key has been small changes. I've tried the following:

· Tell others about your desire to change and give them permission to help remind you to stay on track.

· Prevent yourself from creating situations where you might be more tempted to fall into your old ways and instead create situations that will lead you to follow your new behavior.

· When the urge strikes, be prepared to substitute the old behavior for something else. Again, this something else will likely be less satisfying in the short run and be aware- this could be where most of the initial suffering takes place.

· Use your mind as a tool to focus on something other than the urge.

Remember; don't ever underestimate the power of small positive changes in your life to help you change an undesirable behavior in your life. Believe me, I know it is hard and at the risk of sounding clichéd, I have to believe that anything I put my mind to is possible.

Well, now, let's move on with this month's announcements, updates and shout-outs:

1. I am now 7 months pregnant!!! I want to give a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of you that have been so supportive of me in my pregnancy. Thank you to those of you that help me before and after class- carrying things, bringing fans, checking people in, getting me water, etc- especially Jennifer B, Althea W, Maria L, Demetria B, Dave S, Marianne V (my mom), Daniel A (my hubby) and Lisa B (my sissy). I am so grateful to have your help. Thank you to all of my Jam Crew and instructor assistants that keep the class energy high even when I'm prancing around with my mobile fan, getting water or going to the ladies room :). Thank you also to everyone for your kind words of support and concern. You all have made my first pregnancy thus far so enjoyable.... Which brings me to my next point....

2. I will keep jammin' as long as I can into my pregnancy: Many of you have been wondering both out loud and I'm sure to yourself, "How much longer is Angie going to keep up her classes?" Well, the answer is: as long as I can healthily and safely do so. My doctor has given me his blessing to keep on dancing, and my health situation in no way indicates that dancing will put me or the baby at risk. So the plan is to teach class as long as I can. Rest assured that I feel great in general, and I always feel even better after class. (Those of you that are still worried, check out this link on exercise during pregancy from the Mayo Clinic.) Plus, I truly believe that all this will help me be ready for the task of labor. Which brings me to my next point....

3. Plans are underway for continuing my classes during my maternity leave: Obviously, there will come a time when I will be out of commission for a little while, taking care of little Dahlia and recuperating from childbirth. During this time, I would like to be able to provide you with the option of coming to class even if I am not there. As it turns out, this period actually falls during the holidays, and so I planning on offering "Holiday Sessions" at each location with other instructors that I trained and have been training- Lisa Burke (my sister), Gina Moody, Demetria Brittingham and Sara Bremer. I am still working out the details and I will give you more information as soon as I have it.

4. We want you back!!!!: Per my class package policy, all classes purchased are technically subject to expire 3 months after the date of the first redeemed class. However, even if your classes were purchased more than 3 months ago, I'd like to offer you the opportunity to return to class and use the remainder of your class package until 11/15/2008. Please come back and jam with us. We miss you!!! Those of you who used up your class package and haven't yet come back for more, we miss you too!!! We'd love to have all of you back.

5. Class Packages: Class packages are available for purchase in class and online. The 10 class package is still $50 and now the 5 class package for $25 is available for the Charlotte locations as well. However, all class packages purchased in September and October will be subject to expire on 11/15/08. Remember, you can use your class package at all locations except the ARC in Gastonia. Click here to go to my online store to get your class package today.

6. Are tight finances keeping you from class? If so and you have a little extra time on your hands, I am looking for a few volunteers to help me with some administrative tasks involving typing and alphabetizing. In exchange for your help, I'll give you some free classes. I know we are all feeling the strain of the slowing economy, but I would hate that that should keep you from being healthy and feeling great. Send me an email if you are interested.

7. DanceOut and Jam Crew Shirts: The latest order of "I don't workout, I DanceOut" and Jam Crew Shirts has been mostly delivered; however, there are still a few of you that haven't picked up your shirts yet. Also, those of you that didn't get to order a shirt, but wanted one, come see me... I have some extra aqua and black tanks ($18), and some grey t-shirts ($16). I also have one extra pink Jam Crew shirt. It is a small tank top. If you are interested in becoming part of the Jam Crew, then this shirt could be yours. Or you might already be Jam Crew and just in need of another tank. In either case, come see me before or after class.

8. Need new shoes for class?: You might want to consider a pair of dance sneakers. I get a lot of questions about the shoes I wear in class, so I thought I'd give you the run-down on dance sneakers.

¨ Why wear them? For me I find that they allow me to be a lot lighter on my feet. Because I actually am very clumsy, I feel that since they are less clunky than regular athletic shoes, I have more mobility and trip less. I personally find them to be very comfortable and my feet never hurt after class.

¨ What kind should you get? There are two main brands of dance sneakers- Capezios and Blochs. Blochs are a little more expensive then Capezios, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily better. I would recommend trying on both brands to see which fit your feet better. It seems to me that the Capezios tend to work better if you have narrow feet and the Blochs if you have wider feet. Within each brand there are lots of styles too and this also affects the fit. Finally, the sizes are different from your street size. Typically you have to get at least 1/2-1 size bigger that you normally would. Try them on in the stores and do a few salsa or samba steps to see how they feel :)

¨ How much do they cost? Capezios are around $55 and Blochs are around $75 in the stores. They are a little bit cheaper online like at zappos.com, but if this is your first time buying and you are unsure of the brand, style and size, I would definitely recommend going in to the stores to try some on.

¨ Where do I get them? You can get these shoes from several stores- Lebo's, Morris Costumes, but again also online.

9. New Songs: We've busted out some new choreography since the last newsletter... You should come to class to check it out. Thank you to those of you have suggested songs and helped choreograph too...

¨ Smooth by Santana and Rob Thomos- Suggested by Carrie B and choreographed by me

¨ Get Buck in here by DJ Felli Fel- Choreographed by me and Lisa

¨ Beware of the Boys by Panjabi MC- Suggested by Renee S and choreographed by me

¨ See you again by Miley Cyrus- Suggested by Jessica and choreographed by me and Lisa

¨ Do you love me by the Contours- Choreographed by Caroline D

¨ Mercy by Duffy- Suggested by Mandy L and Caroline D, Choreographed by me

¨ Get Low by Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz- Choreographed by me

¨ In the Ayer by Flo-Rida ft. Will.i.am- Choreographed by Sara B.

¨ Love in this club by Usher for cool-down- Suggested by Karie G

¨ No Air by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown for cool-down- Choreographed by Lisa

And if you would like to suggest a song for me to choreograph in the future, click here.

10. YouTube Video worth watching: This is a belly dance video from a gal named Sadie. I could just watch and watch her dance. I love how every single drum beat gets a little move. You'll see... Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YamDoDK71Ds

11. Men in class!!???!!!: As it turns out, men in the QC can dance too. It has been so great to have some guys join us for class at numerous locations. Keep it up guys and for the rest of the males out there, I'm sure these guys would love some company! Check out the latest testimonial from one of my faithful guy participants Dave S... And just in case anyone asks, "Can guys do belly dancing?" The answer is "Yes". I actually got a belly dance demo from a married male bartender from Lebanon who told me he missed the bars in Lebanon where everyone belly-danced (guys and girls alike).

12. Baby Gifts and Baby Shower Thank You!!!!: Thank you to all of you that came to the baby shower on Sept. 8 at New Hope. Especially a HUGE Thank you to Staci H for putting together such a fabulous little party complete with baby booty cupcakes, yummy dips and chips, games and decorations!!! Thank you to all of you that have brought gifts to welcome liittle Dahlia Valentina into this world. I so much appreciate everything and I feel so grateful to have so many wonderful people to share the birth of my first child with. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

13. Jam Status Reports:

· Monday night Zumba @ New Hope: This class has reached major jamming proportions, with a record number of 64 participants at this location on August 25!!! Woohoo!!! Thank you to Lisa, Allison E, Gina Moody and Sara B who have helped me teach this class.

· Wednesday night Zumba @ Hickory Grove: We've had a steady group at this class, and we've had an awesome time, but we'd love to have more to come and join us. We have a whole big gym to jam in, so there is plenty of room and the temp is always decent. Come and join us!!! Thank you to Allison E, Demetria B and Sara B who have helped me teach this class.

· Thursday night DanceOut! @ ARC: This class keeps on rockin' and getting crazy with the disco ball to match. We've had nice big crowds for this class and I do so appreciate it because I know it is a late class. Lisa has been helping me teach this class and she's gotten help from Caroline D, Allison E, Gina Moody, Diane R, Arleen S and the "mini Jam Crew".

· Friday night DanceOut! @ Tom Sykes: This has become the Friday night request class. All you, all your requests- so if you come, be prepared to ask for your favorite song, move or lyric!!! Thank you to Lisa, Allison E, Sara B and Demetria B who have helped me teach this class.

· Saturday morning Zumba @ Kelly O'Sheas: This class went from tiny to dynamite during these summer months. Can we please keep it up??? There is nothing better than an energizing Zumba workout to get your Saturday off to the right start. Thanks to Dave S and Jennifer B for hooking us up with the big fans to help us keep cool. Thanks to Allison E, Sara B, Sherry P and Demetria B who have helped to teach this class.

My oh my, I guess this long email is the result of having been too preoccupied with scratching and not having written last month :) Anyway, if you have made it to the end....Thank you for taking the time to read it and as always, I'm all ears- Let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns that I can help you with. I look forward to continued jamming with all of you!!! Remember that no change towards a better you is too small-- even if you just make it to one class a week!!!!

Big hugs to all,
Angie

d health and good spirits, and finally cooling off from the heat of August. As always, I'd like to start off by saying thank you to all of you

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