Verdi - La Traviata

Opera superstars Renée Fleming and Rolando Villazón star in the sumptuous 2006 Los Angeles production of Verdi's tragic masterpiece, La Traviata. This performance was the highlight of James Conlon's much-anticipated inaugural season as the music director of Los Angeles Opera, a post that followed his impressive tenure at the Paris National Opera. The lavish production was filmed in Hi-Definition Widescreen to capture all of the excitement and drama on stage. Veteran Verdi baritone Renato Bruson rounds out this dynamic ensemble. Renée Fleming's heart-breaking portrayal of Violetta, as captured on this extraordinary DVD, has earned her rave reviews from press and Rolando Villazón returns to the role that made him an international powerhouse after his critically-acclaimed, soldout performances at the 2005 Salzburg Festival.
Customer Review: Old style opera! In the bad sense.
Well, this is a good oportunity to watch and listen Fleming, Villazón, Bruson and Conlon together. But the mise en scene by Mrs. Placido Domingo is so bad. Looks like a poor old style in a little town! And Fleming, one of my favorites sopranos, is not Violetta.
Customer Review: I saw this live
and it was not remotely close to being a great Traviata. Fleming did not project well; Villazon seemed stiff and nervous; Conlon is clearly not an accomplished Verdian conductor; the sets were average at best. Too many USA people just give any Fleming performance an inflated rating because she is attractive and is from the USA.

There are a total of eight swing dance clubs located in and around the St. Louis area (including M.U.S.I.C. in Collinsville, Illinois) that are members of the Midwest Swing Dance Federation, and all of these clubs are descended from the St. Louis Imperial Dance Club that was founded in 1973. The largest of these sister clubs, the West County Swing Dance Club, has the distinction of being one of the largest swing clubs in the United States with an active membership that totals more than a thousand dancers.

Imperial Swing got its name from the Club Imperial located at Goodfellow Boulevard and West Florissant Avenue. The building, originally called Imperial Hall, was built in 1928 as a dance hall, bowling alley and restaurant/bar complex. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was the dance spot of Northwest St. Louis, just as Arcadia (later called Tune Town), the Admiral Showboat in Midtown, and the Casa Loma on the Southside, were the most popular dance halls in their respective areas. In 1952, George Edick Enterprises purchased Imperial Hall and George Edick renamed it the Club Imperial. During the early part of that decade, he operated the club as a ballroom with the theme of "a nice place for nice people." He played "big band" music and catered primarily to private parties. He was able to regularly book guest appearances with popular performers like Stan Kenton and Louis Prima because Robert Hyland, of CBS and KMOX radio, broadcast his weekly "Coast To Coast with Bob Hyland" program from the Imperial Ballroom.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Edick realized that the country's taste in music had shifted to "Rock 'n Roll" and he used his advertising-public relations firm, to aggressively promote the Club Imperial on KWK, KXOK, WIL and WGNU. The Joe Bozzi Quintet, Jimmie (Night Train) Forrest, Chuck Berry, Dolly Parton, the Monkeys, Glen Campbell, Ike and Tina Turner and a small vocal group now called the "Fifth Dimension" are among the many artists who began their careers at his club. He promoted a "Jitterbug" contest where a couple from the Club Imperial (Teddy Cole and Kathy Burke) won the National Jitterbug Championship. During the "Rock 'n Roll" craze, Edick held Tuesday "Teen Night" dances, and it was during these weekly dances that a jitterbug variation that became known as the "Imperial Style" of St. Louis swing was born. As the 60s progressed, music trends were changing again. The 'roll' started dropping out of "Rock 'n Roll," the 'rock' got harder, and the teenagers increasingly attended loud, psychedelic music concerts. Because the freak-out beats of their acid rock music was almost impossible to dance to, Edick gradually discontinued all public dances at his club.

In the 1970s, George Edick wanted to reintroduce more listenable and danceable music at Club Imperial and he found that hosting swing contests was just the ticket! He got together with Teddy Cole, the Jitterbug champion who was also a dance promoter in his own right, and they decided to sponsor a yearly St. Louis Jitterbug Contest "Imperial Style" to pick a "City Champion." These widely publicized contests prompted many of the older, experienced dancers to come around the club again, and Edick sponsored a number of "Salute Dances" to introduce these old timers to the newer dancers. As more and more people began learning the Imperial, they began organizing into small dance groups that met in apartment complexes around the St. Louis area, and George Edick kept in touch with many of their leaders.

In 1973 Al Morris conceived the idea of forming a club, and it was his group that first met at the San Miguel apartments in St. Charles which became the St. Louis Imperial Dance Club. The founders are: Dave Cheshire, Jan Cheshire, Rick McQueen, Joan Fritz, Debbie Dustman (Wheelis) and Veronica Lynch. The new club alternated their dances between Lynch's apartment complex in South County and the Wood Hollow apartments in West County. Edick contacted the Board and he told them that he was very interested in helping their club to fulfill their mission to keep swing dancing alive. The great promoter convinced them, with a persuasive new adaptation of his original 1950s theme, that their growing club should hold their future dances at his Club Imperial ballroom because it's "a nice place for nice people who like to swing dance!"

Good mottos never die but unfortunately people do, and on June 11, 2002 George Edick passed away. The building is silent now but it stands, not only as a landmark where Imperial Swing all began, but also as a tribute to a man who, over his colorful, eighty-six-year lifetime, was able to convert his dreams into reality . . . not a bad epitaph!

Copyright 2008 Skip Culver, Certified Swing Instructor. Member of the West County Swing Dance Club and author of the manual: "Imperial Swing Dancing" (visit: http://www.ImperialSwing.com)

Henry H. "Skip" Culver, Jr. is a member of the West County Swing Dance Club in St. Louis Missouri. He is a Gold Seal Instrument Flight Instructor and the author of the bestselling book on navigation titled: IFR 'Pocket Simulator' Procedures. In 2000 Skip turned his attention from aviation towards the dance floor. He became a Certified Swing Dance Instructor in 2004, and then with over seven years of detailed notes from various classes and workshops in hand, he began assembling the Imperial Swing Dancing manual which he published in June of 2007. Skip is a frequent contributor of articles on swing dancing to different club newsletters throughout the United States.

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"Coldplay" (Chord Songbook)

At some point of your guitar playing career, you will discover The Beatles, in fact some players never recover from this intoxicating musical experience.

It's hard to imagine the musical world without this famous group. Whether you are an ardent Beatles fan or a working musician in a cover band it's important to able to authentically play some tunes.

There has been hundreds of articles, books etc written about The Beatles telling the reader "what" the Beatles did, I'm going to approach The Beatles music from a different perspective and look at "why" they did it.

By understanding "why" a particular group chose certain musical resources the guitarist/musician moves from merely imitating a sound to being able to create his or her own sound based on proven time tested musical examples and formulas... and as we all know The Beatles formula certainly works!

As most guitarists own an acoustic guitar the following tips are offered primarily in mind, however these ideas can be applied to electric guitar as well.

Tip 1. Blues progressions ...

Often guitarists underestimate the importance of learning to recognizing blues chord progressions by ear, in fact the term 'Blues' often conjures up images of smokey jazz clubs etc., something that the rock or pop guitarist may have no particular interest in at present.

It's important to keep in mind how groups like the Beatles learnt their craft. Countless hours of jamming with a good dose of blues chord progressions resulting in songs such as ...

Boys/ Chains/ Dizzy Miss Lizzy and Money (That's What I Want)

In addition to these blues based original compositions The Beatles or individual members of The Beatles often recorded cover versions of well known blues based tunes such as Kansas City and Be Bop A Lula (By Paul McCartney -Unplugged Album).

Tip 2. Harmonized scale ...

The Beatles are a very interesting group to study because of their mixture of blues styled songs blended with traditional classical music principals.

Whereas the blues scale is one of the most unique and frequently used scale in pop/ rock music because of it's flexibility and feeling The Beatles were aware of the benefit of using contrasting musical material that stem from European musical culture i.e., the European diatonic scales.

Listen to the final set of chords in "Let It Be" and you will hear a good example of how Paul McCartney harmonized scale in the descending chord progression.

"Let It Be" is in the key of C Major which produces the following chords: C major / D minor/ E minor/ F major/ G major/ A minor/ B diminished

As example of how Paul applies the harmonized scale would be if the basic chord progression is F major to C major, Paul would often play: F major to E minor then D minor and finally arrive at C major.

As you can see he simply played the two minor chords that exist in between the F major chord and the C major.

Tip 3. Slash chords ...

This is a favorite of the Beatles, a slash chord is written in the following manner: A/B

In this example the chord is represented by the first letter whilst the second letter identifies the specific bass note the composer wants to hear.

Therefore our chord would be an "A" major chord with a "B" note in the bass.

Have a listen to "The Long And Winding Road" for a classic example of this ambiguous sounding chord.

After the lyrics ... "The Long And Winding Road", you will hear two chords, that's our slash chords.

There's a wealth of rich chord progressions and musical ideas in the music of The Beatles waiting to be discovered by the guitarist with an inquiring mind. Persistent, patient study will reveal many new sounds that can be applied to all styles of music.

Mike Hayes develops systems and products to help you succeed in your guitar playing. Find out more about how to learn guitar fast with his popular free ecourse, available at:=> http://www.guitarcoaching.com

ballroom dance music

Leadsinger LS-3C07 R&B, Motown, Latin Cartridge for LS-3000 Series Karaoke System (200 Songs)

200 songs for your Leadsinger LS-3000/LS-3700 portable All-In-The-Mic karaoke system / Contains songs from Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, Enrique Iglesias
Customer Review: Great Karaoke System
This cartridge adds 200 songs to the basic system. I has a good variety of music that I like. I highly recommend it.

There I was, knees quaking with anticipation, hardly noticing my partner, whose knees were equally quivering.

Just moments before, our category of the competition was called early; a well-planned surprise attack by the organizers, I'm sure. My partner, figuring he had a couple of hours before being called up onto the ballroom dance floor, had drifted out into the hallway of the classy hotel to drool over the concessionaires' many items for dance fanatics. "Novice Latin!" the announcer exclaimed. I whipped my head around to look at him in disbelief. Cold beads of perspiration dotted my forehead as I listened to the numbers of the couples being called up to the dance floor. "#143!" the announcer bellowed. In shock I sprang to my feet, my partner nowhere in site. Finally, after a few seconds which felt like centuries, my partner raced in to join me. I uttered a sigh of relief but that still didn't quell the flurry of butterfly wings in my stomach. I'm sure my eyes were as large as the taillights of the latest Alero! (as a matter-of-fact they wereshown in photos taken by a wandering photographer hoping to profit from the numerous couples dancing that day.)

And now, feeling like specimens beneath a magnifying glass under the scrutiny of the dance judges strategically positioned around the ballroom floor, here we were, about to embark upon our first ballroom dance competition experience, dazed and shocked at actually being on a competition floor. The myriad of watchful eyes surrounded us from the crowd of people consisting of family members of the competitors, friends, general public, the competitors themselves waiting to be called or just biding their time in hopes of a callback or a win.

"Cha Cha!" called the announcer. "Cha Cha? What's a Cha Cha???" the thought passed through my dazed brain. The beat of the Cha Cha permeated through the ballroom as my partner thankfully led me through the dance without a stumble or without me passing out from sheer terror. With cold, clammy hands we moved from one dance step to another, desperately scanning our memory banks for clues to the routines we had practiced for the last few months in preparation for our very first dance competition. "Oh God, please let this be over soon!" conveyed my subconscious. Finally, after about a minute and a half, the disk jockey ended the Cha Cha and the competitors scattered to find the perfect positioning on the ballroom floor for the next dance to be called.

"And now the Rumba - dancers please take your positions" bellowed the announcer. We waited tensely for that first beat; I glanced nervously around and couldn't help wondering if the other couples felt as stressed as we did. As my partner and I took our first Rumba step I had the strangest feeling come over me - a sense of pride at actually being a good-enough dancer to participate in a ballroom dance competition. We completed the Rumba and as we drifted off the dance floor to take our seats, my partner and I glanced at each other. In a fleeting moment I felt his elation; I knew that whether we won or not, we still had accomplished something that many dance couples never experience in their lifetimes, and from that moment on we would never again experience the fear of the unknown as we stepped out onto the competition dance floor.

Heather creates unique personalized cartoon pictures for dancers of all types, for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations. Fun & personalized with any name or message. Cartoons to fit any occasion, hobby, occupation or personality! Choose one of her designs and request personal changes such as hair color, glasses or even a moustache, or order a total custom personalized cartoon! Everyone loves a gift that's truly unique. Give them something they'll always remember! Free - Personalized gift with any purchase, and be sure to sign up for our free ezine, Dancing On Air for your free gift, The Dancer's Notebook! http://www.whimsies-online.com

music on so you think you can dance

Coldplay (Pulse, Original) Music Framed Poster Print - 18" X 22.5"

We bring you the best selection of Movie Posters, Music Posters, Sports Posters, Art Prints, Television Posters, College Humor, and more! This is the premier destination for finding entertainment posters. Find authentic movie advertisements, increase your celebrity photo and poster collection, locate that missing pop idol piece you need to complete your set, or discover rare concert sheets from your favorite musicians and bands. Whether its that one rare framed art print youve been looking for, or you need to wallpaper your dorm room with the hottest, sexiest posters, this is the place to find everything. Brand new, perfect condition, fast shipping! Buy from the best!!!

Marvel Studios has released their second film of 2008, and while not as highly anticipated as Iron Man, there is a lot of buzz surround The Incredible Hulk.

Marvel has decided to reboot the Hulk franchise, ignoring Ang Lee's Hulk movie which was not well received at all. This time around, Louis Leterrier (The Transporter 1 and 2) is at the helm, and there is much more action as a result.

This film is very much an homage to the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferigno TV series from the 1980s. Many images in the film are straight out of the show, as well as the Hulk's origin. Even the theme music makes an appearance. But there are also a lot of comic book references as well, including the Mr. Green/Mr. Blue exchange from Bruce Jones' "Return of the Monster" storyline, and cameos by some familiar comic characters.

Banner is in hiding after his first Hulk-out, where he nearly killed his girlfriend, Betty, and her father, General Thunderbolt Ross. But he's slipped up, and now the General is closing in, which gives the movie a Fugitive-type feel. To help hunt Banner down, General Ross assembles a team of specialists, including Emil Blonksy, a life-long soldier who loves a challenge. After Blonsky sees the Hulk first hand, he wants to do whatever it takes to bring him down, including being injected with the Super Soldier Serum (hinting at the upcoming Captain America film). This gives him enhanced strength and speed, but it's not enough for Blonsky. So he's infused with some of Banner's blood and becomes the Abomination, and monster bigger and badder than the Hulk. This sets up the film's final confrontation between the two monsters.

All of the roles from the first film have been recast, with Edward Norton playing Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, and William Hurt as General Thunderbolt Ross. Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) plays the Emil Blonsky/The Abomination. Marvel has done it again with the casting, and everyone plays their roles perfectly. Norton really shines as Banner, and it's great that he gets a chance to strut his stuff in an action/comic book movie.

The Hulk looks like he's supposed to this time - Nine feet tall, green and mean. The film makers were able to capture more emotion in this Hulk which should make him more acceptable as a CGI character. The CGI Hulk didn't bother me at all, but the Abomination was a bit much. He really looks nothing like his comic book counterpart, and more like a mini-Godzilla crossed with something out of a horror movie.

The best parts of the film are when Banner is on the run. That's not to say that the Hulk scenes were bad - most of them weren't - but one of the things that made the Hulk TV show work well was the Fugitive aspect of it, and it works well here, too.

The weakest part of the movie is the big Hulk/Abomination battle. Maybe it was the CGI, maybe it was that seeing two monsters beat the tar out of each other can only go so far, but it just didn't work for me. The final scene of the movie also seemed forced and out of place. I think that it would have worked better a little earlier than where it showed up. Despite that, it's a great scene for the fans.

Since I'm a movie score nut, I've got to deduct points again for the music in the film. Much like Iron Man, the music has no themes for any of the characters, nothing that you walk away from the film humming, (except a few bars from the Hulk TV show). It would be nice to see a recognizable name composing music for future Marvel films, because so far, they've been pretty lame.

Overall, The Incredible Hulk is far superior to the Ang Lee Hulk movie. It's faster paced, more engaging, and just plain fun. Fans of the TV show will like it, fans of the comic books will like it, and even casual fans should enjoy it.

I'm giving the Incredible Hulk a B rating.

Thanks for reading.

Marc Bowker
Sideshow Movie Collectibles

Hot Toys and Figures

latin music com

El Cantante

Though they don't look much alike, slight actor-singer Marc Anthony was born to play robust salsa sensation Héctor Lavoe. In addition to similar ancestry and vocal skills, Anthony has been building a respectable cinematic resume with roles in Big Night and Martin Scorsese's Bringing out the Dead. The title of El Cantante comes from a number Rubén Blades wrote for The Singer. Lavoe would make it his signature song. In the film, Anthony's wife, producer Jennifer Lopez, plays Puchi, the Nuyorican beauty who won Lavoe's heart. She narrates their story from the perspective of 2002 (the real-life Puchi passed away shortly afterwards). Leon Ichaso (Piñero) contrasts Lavoe's rise from Puerto Rican street singer to New York superstar with his fall from innocent immigrant to heroin-addicted ladies man. By the mid-1980s, Lavoe's popularity hit its peak, and Ichaso spends the rest of the time ticking off the tragedies of his final years: the break with trombonist Willie Colón (John Ortiz), stay in a mental ward, etc. It's a dynamic portrait, and Anthony and Lopez work well together, but despite the urban setting and Latin-flavored soundtrack, El Cantante follows virtually the same trajectory as Ray and Walk the Line (Ichaso has also directed biopics of Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali). His movie looks and sounds authentic, but Lavoe's story might've been better served as nonfiction. There's a sense that there was more to the man than what appears on screen. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Review: El cantante sings!
I loved this movie and I also love JLo and Marc Anthony! I think this movie was underrated. If you are truly interested in Hector Lavoe, you will love it. If you buy it just cause you want to see JLo and Marc, you probably won't like it. They are good in the movie but the story is what made it for me. Of course, it goes without saying, Marc Anthony's voice is supberb!
Customer Review: WONDERFUL....
I rented this film recently and was surprised at how good it was. The story depicts the stormy life and tragic end to the great salsa legend Hector Lavoe. This movie hits you in the heart from the start. It makes you care about the character and his music. I now own a cd of Hector Lavoe and I never knew I could like salsa. Who knew?? His music is amazing and the tragic events of his life makes you want to know the person behind the prose of his songs. My ears know good music when it hears it and this man was a icon. Hector Lavoe.......rest in peace! I'm not much of a fan of Jennifer Lopez but she played a good role. However, another actress (a more popular one) would have made this film more marketable to the non-Hispanic population ( mass audience).

The success of a wedding reception will depend on the entertainment. You may think that I am wrong at the point. However, the truth is that, according to a survey, most couples agree with the above idea. As a result, you should understand the importance of your entertainment and you should try your best to arrange the most perfect entertainment for your wedding.

When the entertainment is concerned, most couples will try to compare the prices. However, unless you are on a very tight budget, prices should never be your main consideration. On the contrary, the first thing you need to think about is the quality of the entertainment. Of course you will also need to think about your own needs. You will need to know what kind of entertainment you will need. Are you planning to ask your guests to stand up and dance? If this is the case, you may need to consider if the entertainer can help you to heat up the atmosphere.

It is also very important for you to know whether you will need a DJ or a live band. If you are planning to make your reception like a disco and have every guest stand up and dance, you may need to hire a wedding DJ. This will help to ensure that your guests can really enjoy the night. On the other hand, if you are going to have a beach wedding, what you need may probably be a live band in Filipino style. Music in Filipino style and the beach will just be a perfect match.

In fact, you should not limit yourself to think of music only. Your wedding entertainment can be more than that. Will you hire a magician to play some magic? As a matter of fact, hiring a magician can be a good option in order to draw the attention of the guests.

If you are a good singer yourself, you may consider singing in the reception. Your guests will be impressed if you can sing yourself in the reception. You may also sing with your spouse. Your guests will certainly remember this even after years. Of course you should try to make sure that your spouse can also sing well otherwise it will only be a mess. There are also couples who may consider dancing on the stage. This can also be a good performance as well as an entertainment for your guests.

When you are searching for the entertainer for your reception, you have to take the time to interview the potential candidates. It is very important for you to sit down and talk with them. You will need to know the strength and weakness of each entertainer so that you can make your decision. It is also very important for you to know their personalities. You may not want to hire someone who is of a very bad temper.

Jerry Leung has a site on HK Wedding Vendor Directory. You may also want to check Wedding Vendors in Singapore and India Wedding Vendor Directory.

ballroom dance music

A Taste of Salsa, Volume I

In Volume I, Lisa and Andres present the steps and turns at a pace you can keep up with. They share the "how to's" and "how not to's" for proper lead and follow technique and detail the connecting pieces that are too often left out. In addition, equal attention is paid to both the leads and follows so that you become a dynamic couple and a solid individual dancer. As a result, your Salsa steps will feel more natural and your confidence will grow. This is just the thing for a non-dancer ready to take on their burning dancing desire!

In this volume, the following steps are introduced: Basic step Hand positions - Palms Up and Palms Down Body positions - Open and Closed Side to side step Swing step Transitioning between the positions and variations Combining variations Basic turn combination. Numerous practice combinations

With a bit of practice, you will soon become a Salsero.

Instruction for all volumes in the A Taste of Salsa series is given in both English and Spanish.

The next tape in the series, Volume II, introduces more advanced turning combinations, new ways of moving across the floor and focuses more on styling.
Customer Review: Great basics
If you are a novice and looking to learn in a correct and structured way, these videos (Vol I & II) are very sound and easy to understand. The videos are introductory, so if you already know the basics, perhaps they are not for you. Don't pay attention to the criticism of those who weren't smart enough to read the description and look for more information about the videos from the internet or the instructors' website. The videos are clearly labeled basic. That's why they are titled "A Taste of...." I gave it four stars because even though the intent is to make the tapes universal by making them bilingual, it does tend to slow the lessons a bit. Why not use subtitles for the alternate language?
Customer Review: Save your money!
This has got to be one of the worst Salsa instructional videos I have purchased to date. For the price you get very little. It is repetative and annoying. You only learn 3 steps. I would definately not recommend this video to a beginner.

Planning your wedding music involves more than just "picking songs you like". Other things to think about include: What will your friends like? What will your parents and their friends like? And perhaps most importantly, what seems to work at the event as the DJ reads the crowd to keep your guests up and dancing on the dance floor. At most events, the best way to please everyone is by having the DJ play a good variety of music, something for everyone. A good mixture of fast and slow dance songs, Oldies, Pop, Rock, Top 40, just to name a few. As a bride and groom sit down to choose their music, there's a little math involved: A typical wedding reception lasts 6 hours. Most songs are between 3 and 4 minutes in length, so a DJ can play about 15-20 songs per hour. This means that he'll be playing approximately 110 songs at a 6 hour reception.

Before you sit down and choose 110 great dance hots to heat up that dance floor, one really important thing to keep in mind though is that much of the 6 hours of music is simply soft background or easy listening music while guests arrive, during cocktails and especially during dinner. Also your first dance, the bridal party dance, cutting the cake, garter and bouquet take up quite a bit of time. The bottom line is this: At a typical 6 hour reception, there are usually about 2 full hours left for "Party Time". Therefore there is time for about 35 dance songs, with 6-8 of those being slow dances to give the crowd a chance to catch their breath and get close to their loved ones. So after all is said and done, this leaves about 25 to 30 fast dance songs in the last few hours of a typical 6 hour reception.

So choose wisely! Also, don't forget a few guests requests (Most brides do allow the DJ to take requests.) and very very important: Please allow the DJ to "read the crowd" and be flexible enough to allow him to do his job in making sure that the party keeps going by adjusting the playlist as he sees what works and what doesn't. There are billions of combinations of songs that can be played at a reception. Trying too hard to pre program the evening instead of letting the DJ use his judgment can often result in a reception where the guests enjoy the music but really don't dance much. Final word: Choose some of your favorites, let the DJ take a few requests and then let him use his experience to keep your guests on the dance floor. This combination is your best bet for a fun, successful reception.

A Sensory Sound System Offers Our Customers Their Choice Of Music And Dj Personality, While Offering The Best Value In DJ And Wedding Videotaping Services. Contact Us At http://www.asensorysoundsystem.com

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Latin Percussion LPM196 Mini Tunable Djembe

This miniature drum is the exact replica of the full size LP Djembe, making it attractive to collectors and musical enthusiasts alike. Made from kiln-dried, environmentally-friendly Siam Oak, with a natural rawhide head, and chrome plated hardware it is also fully tunable. Its irresistible size, measuring in at 8-1/4" tall and 5-1/2" wide, makes it an ideal instrument for "drumming on the go!" Bring it anywhere you would like to add a bit of music therapy. Finished with a natural stain this charming miniature will instantly reach out to players of all ages. Sold with a tuning wrench.

"Whatever you are, be a good one", Abraham Lincoln America's 16th president reputedly said. So why not set out to make 2008 your best teaching year ever? How? Well, here are seven suggestions you might want to consider and implement.

The Seven

1. Subscribe to and Read a teaching Technical periodical publication

There are a number of TEFL related periodicals online and in print which can provide you a flow of new ideas, tips and techniques to get you out of your rut and keep you out of it.

2. Create and Post a Video Series

No question about it, video has exploded its online presence in a major way during the past several months. YouTube.com is no small contributor to this phenomenon and there's certainly no reason why you too shouldn't get on the bandwagon by creating and posting videos of your own.

3. Take or Teach an Extension Course

You're already a teacher so why teach during your time off? Simple, teach something other that your principle topics. Try teaching a hobby or other interest, a sport, a skill or other ability you might have and want to expand on.

4. Take a Short Seminar

Long a staple method for rapid improvement, take a short course or seminar evenings, weekends or during semester breaks. There are short and medium length courses from one-day to one month on a myriad of topics, so just take your pick, feed your inner soul and watch yourself grow.

5. Try Some New Didactics and Techniques in Your Classes

Talk with colleagues, former professors, go online, visit websites and chat rooms to get some extra tips and techniques to try out with your learners. Very likely, you'll be glad you did.

6. Go on a Teaching Vacation

What? You say? Take a teaching vacation during my vacation from teaching? Yes, that's right. But this time it'll be different. How? Well, you can teach a short course or summer course in another location. Live in the USA? Then teach a course abroad in Asia, Europe or Latin America. Live in a Latin American country? The go teach in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia or Africa. Are you in Europe? Go to Australia, Latin America, Asia or Africa. The change of venue will charge your batteries like nothing else you can imagine. You could also try changing the learner group you normally teach too. Teens to adults or business professionals, Technical English classes your forte? Swap for a children's summer camp.

7. Get Yourself a Raise

Prepare your accomplishments as a presentation for your administration. Detail your seminars, publications and seminar or short course attendance to boost your image. What do you think would happen if you sent a copy of an article or book you've published to your boss, the administration and the language department heads of every school, institute and related educational facility in your area complete with your contact information and a short introductory note? Nothing? Don't you believe it!

So using any, many, most or even all of these 7 suggestions, you can easily make this year one of your best teaching years ever. Remember Abe Lincoln's advice: "Whatever you are, be a good one". If you'd like even more suggestions for making this year one of your best ever, stay tuned for more coming soon.

For some great tips, tricks and techniques for quickly and easily learning virtually any of the world's 6912 living languages just click HERE or go to:

http://www.escapeartist.com/e_Books/Learn_a_Foreign_Language/Learn_a_Foreign_Language.html

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. For more information on entering into or advancing in the fascinating field of ELT send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know", send an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

ballroom dance music

Arroz con leche: canciones y ritmos populares de América Latina Popular Songs and Rhymes From Latin America

Customer Review: Songs I grew up with...
I was very happy to have found this book...I grew up with many of these rhymes and songs and I wanted to teach them to my class. The illustrations are really nice and the translations helpful in a bilingual class.
Customer Review: Buy it! Enjoy it!
I was looking for a Latino rhyme book in Amazon.com. When I read about this book I couldn't wait to buy it. The book itself is a piece of art! The illustrations and the chosen poems for this book, creates a piece of literature, every child must enjoy.

Cha-Cha music is 4/4 time, and also has 4 steps to a bar of music. The last bar screams for you to step to the left and close your feet so this step has the characteristics of moving the foot to the side and closing the feet, which in turn produces the "cha-cha" sound, which is the name of the dance.

If you are having trouble understanding the basic movement of Cha-Cha which is usually said to be slow, slow, quick-quick, slow, then rephrasing it to "rock, rock, side-close, side", makes it far easier to grasp.

Most Latino dances consist of moving your step on the second beat and change the weight from one lef to the other between beats, but in cha cha your feel always move only on the first, second and fourth beats of the music. This little switch of weight makes the look and feel of the dance occur on the first and second beats, then on the third and halway through the fourth and first beat.

Count from the second beat of music to make it simple. Count "Two-Three, Cha-Cha, One" - if you know the basic movements you'll soon see this becoming meaningful.

There are more than one part to timing, TWO. There is a static metronome beat that flows though the entire track, which in turn dictates when it's time to move your feet. Another one is the actual tempo of the song. The tempo is what makes you take a certain step, pause for a period of time or how fast you should spin and turn. Understanding this will make you a preferable cha cha dancer.

You can't mistake a Cha Cha beat in a song. You hear the two slow beats and the three quicker beats. Then when you hear the quick beats you move side and close, cha cha cha.

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