NEW LOCATION!

Hey Everybody!  We are now teaching classes at the Maitland Civic Center on Tuesdays.  How fun is that?  Here's the schedule:

Maitland at Maitland Civic Center

Starting on Tuesday 7/17/2012

7:00 BEGINNERS SWING

8:00 BEGINNERS WALTZ

MAITLAND CIVIC CENTER

641 S Maitland Ave

 

Maitland, FL    32751

Come on out and join us for the Swing Class!

Nannette

Don't miss Dale and I dancing our Waltz this Saturday everybody!  We've grabbed some time wherever we can to practice so come out and cheer us on.  We're dancing to Aretha Franklin - a bluesy Waltz.  You'll like it.

See you there!
Nannette

SOCIAL DANCE CLUB OUTING

Nannette's Social Dance Club
Friday May 18th
At City Walk

Here's the info:

Lets meet up this Friday, May 18. There are several new people on the list so all the details are below.

Let's plan on meeting outside Starbuck's in CItyWalk around 8:30p. This way we will be early enough to avoid any cover charges to the clubs even if some people run late. To get to Starbuck's, take the "Up" escalator that is across from the Movie Theater. Once you are on the second level make a right and the Starbuck's will be on your right.

Remember to show you Florida ID to get free parking if you don't have an annual pass.

Please email Michael if you plan on coming so we can be on the look out for you - MichaelQuick@aol.com  
If you are running late no worries. We will most likely be at the Red Coconut Club directly across from Starbuck's. If you come later just text me and let me know so you know where the group is located.  407-970-8093
Thanks everyone for making these outings so much fun."

April 28^th Mad Hatter Tea Party

“But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

        We will be graced with the presence of The Queen of Hearts, The Mad Hatter and Alice.  We hope to also receive The Cheshire Cat, Playing Cards, The White Rabbit, The White Queen and many others.  There are some costume suggestions below.  Keep reading… 

8:00 to 11:00 PM

$12 per person

$50 Cash Prize for

First Place

Best Hat!

Unique Second and

Third Place

Prizes.

Costumes!  Prizes!  Fun Decorations!

“Curiouser and curiouser.”

FREE Soda, Water and Light but Mad Tea Party Fare! 

 “Read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.”

First Christian Church

2565 East Kaley Ave.

Orlando, FL  32806

“Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'
I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

GREAT COSTUME IDEAS

Alice in Wonderland costume ideas:

A basic blue (or yellow) dress with short sleeves will do nicely. Wear a white pinafore over it that you tie in the back. An apron can easily be sewn by yourself, or buy a cheap white kitchen apron.

Your dress will stand out nicely if you wear a petticoat underneath it

If you don't have the correct hair color or length by yourself, you can die it or wear a wig

Tie a black, white or blue bow in your hair, or wear a black diademe, with or without a sewn-on bow made of lace

Wear white or black-and-white striped tights or stockings, and striped arm warmers

Wear a pair of black Mary-Jane shoes. You can create them yourself by buying cheap black ballerina shoes and attaching a black ribbon or elastic band across the top

Carry around a flamingo plush, like you're about to play croquet. Or a white rabbit plush.

Alice in Wonderland costumes and accessories

Mad Hatter costume ideas:

Wide, baggy pants and a checked jacket are the best basics for the costume. You can find an old-fashioned jacket, vest and/or tuxedo at a second-hand store for low prices. Go for loud colors and/or non-matching patterns.

Wear an oversized, loud bow-tie and colorful socks.

Get a large top hat, tie a ribbon around it and stick a card in it with the text "In this style: 10/6"

Large clown shoes will look great!

If you're going for Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter look, use white facepaint, pink eyeshadow, and an orange wig. View this detailed tutorial about how to apply the Mad Hatter's make-up. Tie a red piece of cloth around the top hat. Sew bobbins of multicolored threads on a band of fabric and drape it across one shoulder.

Attach a piece of rope to the ear of a teacup and wear it around your neck or on your belt

Mad Hatter costumes and accessories

White Rabbit costume ideas:

If it's not too hot, you could get a full-body rabbit jumpsuit

Alternatively, sew (knee-length) pants from white furry cloth and add a round stuffed tail on the back. You can also create the tail from cotton balls. Wear it with a checkered jacket and/or a vest on top. You can find old-fashioned jackets and vests for low prices in a second-hand store.

Wear a white hose underneath the pants.

A herald costume can easily be made by sewing a large red heart onto a shirt

Cover your shoes with furry white fabric

It is easy to find a headband with rabbit ears and a rabbit nose. You can also buy a top hat with rabbit ears attached to it, and use grease paint for your face

Wear fake plastic front teeth

White gloves or mittens, and pince-nez glasses complete the costume

Carry an umbrella with you, or a trumpet (depending on whether you go for its initial outfit or its herald outfit)

Don't forget the pocket watch! To combine fun with usefullness, get one of these crazy pocket watch bags!

Make a scoll that lists the charges against Alice

White Rabbit costumes and accessories

Cheshire Cat costume ideas:

Get a cat jumpsuit costume and sew alternate layers of cloth on it yourself, to created the striped effect

In normal clothing stores you'll often be able to find a pink/purple striped dress, shirt, or pajama's. If not, you can also go for pink-and-white stripes, or pink-and-black. Combine the shirt with striped stockings or tights in the same colors.

If you don't have striped clothes, wear a basic black or pink outfit and add striped details with leg and arm warmers, or add details using pieces or fur (available at a crafts store) at the ankles, writst, rim of your skirt, etc. You can also paint stripes on your basic clothes using fabric paint, or stick layers of colored (duct)tape on them.

If you wear a striped hooded shirt, you can use the hood to cover your hair and attach the ears to. Or wear a furry wig.

A long, small rectangle of furry cloth can be made into a tail if you sew together the sides (with the furry parts facing eachother), leaving one of the small side open, and then turning the fabric inside out. Use a safety-pin to attach it to your trousers.

It will be easy to find a headband with cat ears and a cat nose with whiskers. Or grease-paint your face.

Cheshire Cat costumes and accessories

Queen of Hearts costume ideas:

Start with a long basic red or black dress. You can also go for a black/red/white renaissance costume dress. Add a stand-up collar.

Sew heart motives to all parts of the dress. Cut them out of felt or other fabric.

Wear a petticoat underneath the dress to make it stand out nicely.

If you have a short dress or skirt, go for tights or stockings with heart motive.

Find high heeled shoes with hearts

Wear a crown or tiara with hearts and carry a scepter. A crown can be bought very cheaply, or constructed from cardboard paper covered with aluminum foil or gold paper

Carry around a stuffed flamingo, like you're about to play croquet. Girls will need a bag, so you may want to go for a flamingo-shaped purse!

Queen of Hearts costumes and accessories

Playing Card costume ideas:

Create a sandwich board: cut two large pieces or cardboard or poster board in the shape of playing cards. Paint them, or cut-and-paste colored paper to make one the front side and the other one the back side. Drill two holes on top. Attach them to eachother with two strips of fabric or pieces of rope, that will be supported by your shoulders

Wear a simple black longsleeve and black tights or hose underneath it, or stockings with card motive

If you want to be a card soldier, get a broomstick and attach a spade-shaped piece of cardboard on top, to create a spear. Die everything black.

If you want to be one of the cards that painted the roses red, carry some paint brushes with you, and some white and/or red roses. You could also 'spill' some red paint on your outfit.

Wear glasses in the shape of hearts, clubs, diamonds or spades, and shoes with card suit decorations

Playing card costumes and accessories

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum costume ideas:

Get two matching oversized overalls or jumpers. Stuff up the shirt you wear underneath it to create a big belly

Sew pants and a shirt in different bright colors (for example yellow for the shirt and red for the trousers). Make sure they have a huge waistline. Sew in a hoop where they come together, so it will look like a large round belly

Wear propellor hats!

Make collars of white fabric and sew (or write) the names 'Tweedle Dum' and 'Tweedle Dee' on them, so people can tell you apart.

Get two colored bow-ties

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum costumes and accessories

See all you “mad” people at the dance.  I mean tea party!!

Why Should You Come to a Practice Dance?

Why should you come to a dance? 

Maybe you've only had a class or two.  Or perhaps you think you won't get to dance anyway so why bother.  Maybe you think you can't remember anything and don't want to embarrass yourself and others.  Well, let me explain a few things about social dances......

First, everyone started exactly where you are.  EVERYONE was a beginner; even your teachers.  There is not a dancer on the planet that didn't start as a beginner.  Some now have years of experience but they didn't get that experience by staying home. 

If you're sure you can't remember anything that's the best reason to come.  You will see others dancing and it will remind you of some of the steps you know.  Your teachers will be in the room and are happy to help you if you get stuck.  Your classmates will be happy to help you.  Fellow students are the most gracious, forgiving and encouraging people on the planet. 

These dances are a learning experience.  Not just because you get to practice your dancing, although that is no small thing.  While you're at the dance you will see students of many different levels dancing.  So you'll get to see brand new beginners all the way through very advanced dancers.  Seeing the progression in front of you is encouraging.

You also get to see all of the different dances.  Each dance is announced as to what it is.  For example "Take a partner for a Swing" or "This next song is a great Rumba".  You'll learn which music is appropriate for which dance.  I play a huge variety of music so that you learn to dance to many different kinds.

Watching others dance is very beneficial.  You will pick out dancers that you want to emulate.  You'll get to see a large variety of patterns danced at a wide variety of levels. 

Finally, these dances embody the very nature of dancing.  It's a social sport.  The only one I can think of that you must engage another human rather than an inanimate object.  It pulls you out of yourself and encourages you to, at the very least, be in a room full of happy people.

So come have some fun with us on the dance floor!

We’re saving you a spot………………

Girls Night Out was a blast!

Girls Night Out was such a riot!  You can tell by looking at the pictures here on the website.  We had so much fun that we will most definitely do it again.  I'll be sure to keep you posted.
Nannette

GIRLS NIGHT OUT!

This is easily the most outrageous thing Nannette's Inc has ever done.  Cathy and I went to a class at Vixen Fitness and it was a blast.  So of course my first thought was to share it with you guys.  I promise you will have a blast too.

See you on the pole!!

New Year - New Stuff!

Happy New Year Everyone!  Last year was a good one.  2012 is going to be a GREAT one! 

We're revamping the classes to make them .....well... better.  You may have notice that we've eliminated all of the Intro to Ballroom classes.  That's because there are only so many teachers and we want to teach as many people as possible.  Eliminating the Intro classes frees up a really desirable time slot in which we can teach a Beginners Class.  Yeah!!  I decided that it also serves the brand new students much better to be in a class with those of you who have been around for a little while.  You help them with your knowledge.  When we change partners they benefit from your experience.  They have more fun because they're more likely to relax and laugh when you do.  It makes them more comfortable attending practice dances.  They learn by your loyalty that Nannette's Inc. must be a pretty cool place.

We're also going to have some theme dances this year.  I'll send out the dance schedule soon.  But you can look forward to some fun stuff.  More on that later.  Hey, I have to have something to write about next week.

Nannette