A movie that takes place in Iceland and involves dance lessons, could there be a more perfect storyline for a dancetravelnews.com review? With high expectations of being transported to another land, while watching a story familiar to many a dance student in the U.S., and apparently Iceland too, Virgin Mountain delivers on the theme and delivers a movie sure to be the audience favorite for Best Feature Narrative. By familiar story, I am referring to dance lessons leading to an improved social life, not the story line of bullying, manic depression and living at home at age 43 with mom and her boyfriend. By improved social life I mean simply your life after dance lessons is never the same, not necessarily boy meets girl and keeps her. A sweet and moving film, Virgin Mountain follows Fusi, (Gunnar Jonsson) an airport baggage handler who is shy, socially awkward and has the hobbies and breakfast of an 11-year old boy. After he receives a birthday gift certificate for line dance lessons and eventually shows up to a class he meets Sjofn (Ilmur Kristjansdottir), and they eventually eventually end up in bed. Is there a dance studio in America that doesn’t sell this promise, though never explicitly? True, most of the movie transpires before that takes place and a beautiful and touching journey it is. Writer-director Dagur Kári, said, at a post screening Q&A at the Tribeca Film Festival, he wanted to make a love story that’s not a love story, that the couple doesn’t end up together but their lives are richer for it. I asked him, How did he come to choose dance lessons to be part of this story? He said it could have been anything, he was just trying to think of something that Fusi wouldn’t want to do. Many a transformed person will tell you it’s the dance lessons that make our lives richer. Virgin Mountain would belong on an Oscar list for Best Foreign Language Film. Continue reading →

This year Dance Themed Films include:

On Wednesday, March 11, 2015 Dancing Classrooms (DC) will celebrate its annual Gala evening at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.  This event celebrates the work of Dancing Classrooms.  The Humanitarian Honoree is Jephtha Tausig, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist licensed in New York and Massachusetts, a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. The Social, Emotional and Learning Champion Honoree is Roger P. Weissberg, Ph.D., NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning, University of Illinois at Chicago Chief Knowledge Officer, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

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VISIT PHILADELPHIA®, invites its visitors to try Latin dancing at the city’s clubs and classes. In Brasil’s Nightclub and Restaurant in Old City, every Wednesday, the visitors can learn salsa moves taught by the pros from La Luna Dance Studio. On Fridays, beginners can work on basic moves and on Saturday evenings dancers of all levels can hit the floor for a dance party. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is like stepping into 1950s Havana, especially during the weekend dance parties when the restaurant transforms into a dance club every Friday and Saturday night, with special themed events and DJs spinning Latin fuzion, salsa, merengue and bachata. On the weekends, El Centro de Oro’s Isla Verde turns into a hip nightspot with Friday night’s action hosted by a DJ spinning dance tunes and a live house band pounds out the sounds of the Cuban guaguanco and mosambique or salsa on Saturday evenings. Lucha Cartel has Tuesday night salsa parties for the dancers and Nacional 56 has live bands and Djs. Weekends are the time to hit the dance floor at Tierra Colombiana, a North Philadelphia favorite. For those who want to start the week off in style, the Latin dance party at Vango Sky Bar & Lounge is the way to go. In Philadelphia Argentine Tango School the staff and internationally renowned guest instructors can transform confused beginners into sought-after partners, and with weekly practices and special events at this Fishtown dance studio, dancers of all levels can mix, mingle and dance with confidence. The Society Hill Dance Academy offers cha-cha, tango, salsa and other group and private lessons. For more information, visit visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com.

For the first time ever at Radio City Music Hall, MSG Entertainment and Weinstein Live Entertainment jointly produce a brand-new New York Spring Spectacularstarring the legendary Rockettes. Debuting in March, the New York Spring Spectacular was created by an unprecedented Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning team for Radio City Music Hall. The show, which has been boldly re-imagined from the originally conceived Heart and Lights, features one of a kind puppetry, state-of-the-art technology and dynamic dance numbers performed by the legendary Rockettes. This all-new show at Radio City Music Hall takes audiences on a whirlwind adventure across New York City while telling an inspiring and hopeful narrative about three New Yorkers who change each other’s lives in unexpectedly wonderful ways. Bursting with invigorating new Rockettes dance numbers, incredible 3D special effects and an exciting soundtrack of original songs, classics and pop hits, the Spectacular features Oscar and Tony Award-Winner Whoopi Goldberg as the voice of the Statue of Liberty and Nashville star and Tony Award-winning actress, Laura Benanti as the lead female character, Jenna. Mia Michaels, celebrated choreographer well-known for her work on the Fox Television Show, SoYouThink You Can Dance,will be choreographing the Rockettes in the dynamic opening number.The limited seven-week engagement begins previews March 12, opens on March 26 and runs through May 3. For more information visit www.rockettes.com/spring.

Featuring – Joe Battaglia and The New York Big Band

Wednesday, December 31st, 2014 From 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM

This New Years Eve, the Edison Ballroom is proud to host the legendary big band leader, Joe Battaglia and the New York Big Band at our not-to-be-missed Annual New Years Eve Gala! Having traveled the world performing with icons like Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, and Tony Bennett, Joe’s brilliant big band sound is considered among the best ever. He has performed for such dignitaries as Hilary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, and Barbara Walters. For the past 15 years, Joe and his orchestra have performed regularly at The Rainbow Room, Tavern on the Green, Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing, and for the fifth straight year, right here at the Edison Ballroom. Joe’s New York Big Band is composed of a 16 piece orchestra as well as accompanying vocalists. Continue reading →

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On Friday Sept. 12, 2014 the Edison Ballroom will once again host its “SEPTEMBER SWING” Event, featuring Joe Battaglia and the New York Big Band. For the past 20 years, Joe and his orchestra have performed regularly at The Rainbow Room, Tavern on the Green, Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing, and most recently at the Edison Ballroom. Joe’s New York Big Band is composed of a 16- piece orchestra as well as accompanying vocalists. Also featured at this event will be Latin sounds of Direct Latin Influence, known as DLI. Renowned Chef Mina Newman will provide a meal for this special event. For more information, please contact the Edison Ballroom at (212) 201-7650 or visit http://www.telecharge.com.