Exploring American Culture

Rumer Willis is IN: INteresting, INtelligent, INsightful… and IN #DWTS Finale!

May 15, 2015 // 0 Comments

Great partnerships are gems to be treasured. Val Chmerkovskiy is an extraordinarily generous Pro partner who has facilitated and showcased Rumer's remarkable growth from innate, natural ability to stunning dancer. Dancing is just one of Rumer's strengths. This young woman of character motivates me to further support her quest for the (tackier than usual) golden Mirror Ball Trophy on Dancing With the Stars. This piece shares why, with details on how you can help make the dream a reality. Updated with latest news of their upcoming freestyle and finale performances. Enjoy and thank you for reading! [...]

‘SWAY: A Dance Trilogy’ Live in New York City, June 5 and 6

March 22, 2015 // 2 Comments

Headliners and Dance With Me USA partners Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Special Guest Meryl Davis, anchor the production, with many more favorites from Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Scroll down for: Who is is the cast. How to obtain your SWAY: A Dance Trilogy tickets. Benefits of VIP ticket tiers & Premium Orchestra seating. New, spectacular, official SWAY: A Dance Trilogy Trailer. Venue information [...]

SWAY: A Dance Trilogy Review

December 18, 2014 // 20 Comments

SWAY: A Dance Trilogy, is brilliant, seamlessly fusing the artistry and athleticism of dance movement within the diverse and uniquely American cultural and societal historical context, with secondary stories woven throughout the production. The audience was entranced by superb performances, quality production values, and dazzling, unspoken narrative choreographed by David Thomas Moore and Joao Tiago Fernandes. SWAY: A Dance Trilogy, rewards the audience from beginning to end, with ‘must see’ theater worthy of a residency or touring production. [...]

Evolution of American Popular Social Dance & Music: Salsa

April 11, 2015 // 0 Comments

If Salsa Music and Dance were languages, there are many different dialects, fueling the debate on what is or isn't Salsa. [...]

Steve, Val, and Rumer Dance “The Roach”: The Story Behind the Dance

March 27, 2015 // 0 Comments

This is the second in a series exploring popular American Culture and the influences on Social Dance in the US. This piece focuses on “The Roach” one of the [...]

Recap: Stars on Ice Performance, Featuring Meryl Davis and Charlie White

March 25, 2015 // 0 Comments

Guest recap of Olympic GM Meryl Davis' performance in the Chicago 2015 Stars on Ice program. Davis will also perform in SWAY: A Dance Trilogy in NYC in June. Everyone loves this SOI program. Only 4 shows left in the tour. Get your tickets! [...]

Rumer Willis – an Interesting, Intelligent Woman: Interview on Larry King Now

March 22, 2015 // 0 Comments

Beyond a vague awareness of Rumer Willis being one of three creatively named daughters of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, I knew nothing about her, prior to her appearance as [...]

Evolution of American Popular Dance & Music: Swing

March 20, 2015 // 0 Comments

Today’s focus touches on some of the music genres most often chosen to dance to Swing and the variants of Swing styles. Wiki’s page about Swing dance styles and [...]

What’s Next for SWAY: A Dance Trilogy in June 2015? My Modest Wish List

March 17, 2015 // 0 Comments

Originally published 26 January, 2015. Edited with new information about SWAY: A Dance Trilogy at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC in June 2015. SWAY had such a wonderful [...]

Response to @SWAYshow Question Regarding Individual Performances

January 14, 2015 // 2 Comments

2014.01.14 A question came in today at another site I run. A thoughtful response required more than a couple sentences, and thus, it is published here, as this WordPress site [...]

SWAY: Another Fantastic Performance

December 19, 2014 // 8 Comments

“Dancing has been in us, in people, since the Neanderthal age. There’s something about moving, something about interpreting yourself to the music, that’s attractive, that’s interesting, that’s intriguing, and everyone wishes they could do that.” ~ Maksim Chmerkovskiy [...]