FitSugar

Where Do You Stand: Taking Dance Lessons Before Your Wedding?

DearSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:00:00 PDT

The first dance as husband and wife is an exciting moment for all newlyweds. Even though all eyes are on them, it's their chance to be close, tell secrets, and just have fun together before mingling with all their guests. As you know, the songs to most first dances are either romantic or they hold a special meaning to the couple, but some opt for a fun twist on the first dance, choreography and all. But even if you don't have some elaborate routine, many couples, especially those with two left feet, need a little help in the dance department. While I think the first dance should come from the heart, tell me where you stand on dance lessons before weddings. Do you think it looks good to have every step mapped out beforehand, or do you think spontaneity is best?

Source

Get Physical: Salsa Dance Lessons

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:30:00 PDT

Looking for a fun way to exercise and connect with your friend or lover? Why not sign up for Salsa Dance lessons? I recently took a lesson with my hubby, and I swear it was the most fun I've had in a long time. Plus it's always so exciting to learn something new. Salsa dancing makes you feel beautiful and sexy, and the next morning my hips were sorer than when I do a 3-hour hike!

Depending on the studio, classes are offered during the day, in the evenings, during the week and on the weekends. You can sign up for private or group Salsa lessons. Private lessons are a little bit more expensive, but you'll get some major one on one time. You'll be able to go at your own pace, which means you'll probably perfect your moves faster. If you feel self-conscious or nervous, a group lesson might work better for you, so you can blend in with the crowd. Plus the energy of the group can be very inspirational.

In your first lesson, you'll most likely learn basic front, back and side steps. You'll learn these alone and with a partner. You'll also learn how to do turns and maybe some other fancier steps.

Some places offer a Salsa dance package where you pay a fee for a bunch of lessons. This is a great deal, since it motivates you to go once a week consistently. That way you're guaranteed to have a special date with your favorite person, and it's a great way to get you both moving.

Source

Fitness Lessons From My Dancing Days

Susi May — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:30:33 PST

Like almost every young girl, I loved ballet class. Unlike the majority of my peers, I didn't quit ballet in junior high but added the sparkle fingers of jazz and the barefoot freedom of modern to my class load. And I kept on dancing through college and my 20s - I earned money for rehearsing and performing and got to tour abroad - not a full-fledged professional, but sweet perks for doing what I loved. I learned some things on the way, too; unsurprisingly, many transfer to my fitness life today. Here's just a handful of life lessons from my dancing days.

Stand tall: After countless hours spent at the ballet barre followed by a decade of teaching Pilates, good posture has been drilled into me. My elongated spine keeps my back happy sitting or standing, and posture is one less technical detail to worry about when running. I think good posture is a confidence booster in any situation.
A good warmup is a good thing: Before you leap you have to plié, if you don't want to tear any muscles or freak out your tendons. Dance classes begin by warming up the body to prime muscles and joints for bigger, bolder movements later in class. This lesson applies to all my workouts - I even like to warm up before yoga. Appropriate warmups are the foundation of a good workout.

I learned a few more things, so keep on reading.

Group Therapy: My Fiancé Kicked Me Out For Starting My Period

Tres Community — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I had sex with my fiancé and I got my period smack in the middle of it. It was heavy! It stained his sheets, his mattress and it was all over us. This is the first time this has ever happened and he kicked me out of his apartment. I offered to buy a new mattress and clean his sheets. I apologized repeatedly and he kept rolling his eyes and making the "ugh" sound. My period was four days early and I had no symptoms but now he won't talk to me.

He ignored my two text messages and my phone call. We are suppose to take dance lessons on Saturday for the wedding and he needed to tell me what time would work best so I can call the instructor and I'm still being ignored. I'm at my wits end here. We are both in our early 30s. What should I do?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Mash Off"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:48:51 PST

What goes around comes around, and Santana learns her lesson the hard way on this week's episode of Glee. When Mr. Schue and Shelby decide to put their respective singing groups head-to-head for a little friendly competition, things spiral out of control and get ugly. Very ugly.

While Finn and Santana are busy trash talking, the presidential election heats up between Kurt, Brittany, and Rachel - with one key player dropping out of the competition. There's a lot of foul play going on, so let's break it down when you

Celebaby Roundup!

LilSugar — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:45:59 PST

Stars were busy with their babies this weekend! Jennifer Garner took Seraphina and Violet for a dance lesson, while David Beckham gave pointers to Romeo and Cruz from the soccer-field sidelines. Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied got Aleph a leg up on reading with a library visit, and Miranda Kerr showed Flynn Bloom the sights of NYC - click through to see what they were all up to!

Pippa Takes a Page From Sienna's Partying Handbook and Hits the Dance Floor!

Allie Merriam — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:41:40 PDT

Sienna Miller and Pippa Middleton kept the good times going at last night's All Saints and Too Many Women charity dinner at London's Petersham Nurseries. Pippa was decked out in a long-sleeved, floral gown from Danni Minogue's Project D line to lead everyone out onto the dance floor with her friend, Katie Readman, who works for one of the Middleton's favorite labels, Issa. Sienna managed to have lots of fun while hanging out at her table with model Lily Donaldson, her mom Jo Miller, and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. It was Jo's birthday, and she got a big kiss from Ronnie as a present. Sienna, wearing a dress from Matthew Williamson, also cozied up to China Tang owner David Tang and was seen laughing and throwing her hands in the air throughout the meal. The event brought out luminaries like Sarah Ferguson; Prince Harry's ex, Florence Brudenell-Bruce; and actress Gemma Arterton. A great deal of money was raised for the Breakthrough breast cancer charity after items, like private cooking lessons at Gwyneth Paltrow's home, were auctioned off for the cause. Guitar lessons with Ronnie went for $30,000, and a dinner date with Scarlett Johansson was a bidder's for about $20,000!

Celebaby Roundup!

LilSugar — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:15:52 PDT

Celebrities took a break from their busy schedules to spend quality time with their babies this weekend! Angelina Jolie and Maddox whirled through a private flying lesson, while Kate Hudson and Matthew Bellamy gave their new baby a spot of fresh air on a walk. Sarah Jessica Parker braved the rain with her twins, Marion and Tabitha, and Jennifer Garner and Violet accompanied Jen's baby bump to a dance class - click through to see what they were all up to!

Work-Life Balance Tips For Newbies

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:05:38 PDT

When you are new to the workforce, you will quickly learn that entry-level positions do require you to prove your worth and dedication to the company. Aka, working a lot of overtime. You want to be sure that you are taking care of yourself and your life outside of work, so that you remain energized, happy, and motivated. Implement our savvy tips so that you can feel your best self in and outside of the office.

Stay focused while at work. Use the Pomodoro Technique to time your productivity. It's so easy to migrate away from your work to check your email or browse the web, which just drains you of your energy and time. If you concentrate only on one task for 25 minutes, you're more likely to complete your work in an eight-hour day rather than take it home with you.
Complete a daily achievement and something pleasurable. Jim Bird, the publisher of WorkLifeBalance.com recommends that every day you should be saying, "I just want to achieve something today and I want to enjoy something today. And if I do both of those things today, I'm going to have a pretty good day. And if I do both of those things every day for the rest of my life, I'm going to have a pretty good life."

The Difference Between a Good and Bad Burn

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:52:12 PDT

In Something Borrowed, Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is constantly competing with her best friend, Darcy (Kate Hudson). Remember the embarrassing club scene when Rachel tries to do a sensual dance move that she knows she isn't trained to do and pulls her adductor muscle (aka the inner thigh muscle near her hooha)?

A similar lesson applies when you attend group classes - it's a fine line between pushing yourself to work harder and unintentionally injuring yourself. It can be intimidating when an instructor calls you out for slacking, and you feel obligated to work as hard and as fast as the rest of the class. If might be difficult for you to distinguish what type of pain is good to build strength versus pain that will lead to debilitating injuries. Protect your body during group classes with these tips.