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1. Nobody asked for my LGBT opinion...BUT...
As one who has always had opinions on most topics and likewise has never felt
comfortable keeping them to myself, I have decided to include one of my favorite
("and most opinionated") sections of the "Lambda DanceSport News"
as a separate page on this website entitled "Nobody asked for
my LGBT opinion...BUT..." and so express my sometimes twisted
opinions around the world. I can do that in America... The first few articles
are out and I'd LLOOOVVVE to have YOUR opinion...I might even post it on the
following section that I call ....Nobody asked for their opinions either...BUT...
A . "Discrimination
Within the LGBT Community"...Regretably it's becoming even more prevalent
than ever within our own limited Washington DC LGBT "Dance" community.
I've often said that for a group of people who are always so concerned
about beng discriminated against, as a community, we certainly do our own fair
share of discriminating against each other...
B. The world-wide war on drugs...as much as we hate to admit the real truth, the fault and the problem belongs to no one but "US" (U.S.)....
C. To Teach Well or Not To Teach well...That is the Question...(A three-part article by Terry "Shakespeare" Chasteen and published in the bi-monthly American Ballroom Dancers' Association Magazine in 2002).
D. "Same-sex couples" vs. "Same-gender couples"...are we promoting our image or detracting from it?...
E. 
In the Ballroom, a Redefinition of 'Couple'
A July 14th article in the NewYork Times on competitive Ballroom dancing
written after the succesful performance of U. S. Latin Male Champions during
the 2004 MIT Open Ballroom Dance Competition on April 24th & 25th.
F. In response to The London Times debate: "Is this simply not Ballroom Dancing?", which is the debate question after the London Time's follow-up on the New York Times article, 'A Redifinition of 'Couple'. The London Times article is entitled 'It takes two to tango, but does it step on anyone's toes if both are men?'. Which ended in the previous debate question. Send your e-mails to debate@thetimes.co.uk. The link to read this London Times online article is http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-3-1181592,00.html and requires a registration fee to log in.
G. Effective grass roots gay activism...not in the courts; not at the end of a picket sign, but rather "Out on the Dance Floor"! I've experienced the phenomenon of Gay Dancing as a same-gender couple in the non-LGBT dance world on numerous occasions and you'd be amazed at the response.
H. Grass Roots Gay Activism...are we missing the boat?
I. Finding that perfect dance partner, whether for competition or just fun social dancing...
J.
In response to "Ballroom Dancing Is Not a Sport"
(So why is it in the Gay Games?)"
By Jonathan M. Bell For Outsports.com
K. 
The Reverend Ted Haggard...don't forgive him - accept him for what he is.....
L. "Who's blaming whom for the problems of the 'Games'?"
N.
A tribute to Steve
Irwin:
O. Re: An email from Mein.
Q. Black History Month, 2007, featuring my favorites of any race...the incredible Nicholas Brothers and Frankie Manning.
R. ...Nobody asked for my opinion...BUT...
If you're not a
Harry Potter/Daniel Radcliffe fan 
,
this link at www.Playbill.com
may definitely change your mind....
...But then that's just my opinion....
S.
...And
once again a public figure, John Amaechi,
has come out in a new book; this time in the NBA and accompanied
by a barage of insults.
T. The discriminatory remarks by the Chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace are not only unquestionably inappropriate but also damaging to the morale and productivity of the thousands of gay and lesbian service members who are both presently in or are planning to join the armed forces....
U. A Sharp Drop in Gays
Discharged From Military Tied to War Need
By Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post Staff Writer
The number of homosexuals discharged from the U.S. military under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy dropped significantly in 2006, according to Pentagon figures released yesterday -- continuing a sharp decline since the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts began and leading critics to charge that the military is retaining gay men and lesbians because it needs them in a time of war.
V. A salute to the
Tuskegee Air Men...even
though it's 6 decades too late....
W.
July 4th, 2007...WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE...FOR ALL?...
X. Dance partner search...sorry I can't be more helpful but "If it is to be, it is up to thee". We all have to make ourselves look worth someone's efforts to train with us.
Y.
(1) It's
All Because (The Gays Are Getting Married)
(1) http://youtube.com/watch?v=rixkck8QnjY
2. Also,...Nobody asked for their opinions either...BUT...
A. A complement from The Netherlands...
D. A complement from the Miss Adams Morgan Pageant...
E. Quotes regarding discrimination by John F. Kennedy
F. Certain black clergy belive that some discrimination is acceptable...and if the KKK were against gay marraige, they'd ride with them?!...how soon some of us forget...
G. 
'We could dance together at gay bars, but taking lessons?
Ballroom lessons? Impossible'.
H. 
Gay Ballroom Dancing on ABC TV
I. 
Ballroom Dancing Swings Back into Style
- By Jack Nichols
J. Dutch Equal
Rights Committee ruling:
Homosexual and lesbian couples should be allowed to compete in regular dance
contests
K. Dutch
Equal Rights Committee Ruling Condensed Press release:
Homosexual and lesbian couples should be allowed to compete in regular dance
contests
M. 
The MIRAMAX synopsis of "Shall We Dance?".
N. For an array of interesting opinions on numerous
important LGBT topics, visit the site of Wayne Besen - Author, Activist,
Columnist, Public Speaker.
O. A disgusting creation from one of my readers, which I don't at all agree with, mind you, but am displaying it here to show how heartless some people can be (...thanks, Ralph!...).
P. Homosexuals -- Are they the ones
who are destroying the institution of marriage?
Click
here
for a one-page flyer of
Terry's complete dance class schedule
Click
here
to learn more about classes for the
"1st World OUTgames and Gay Games®
Dances"
Click
here
for a one-page flyer of Terry's complete list of
Ballroom & Swing classes
Click
here
for a one-page flyer of Terry's complete list of
Salsa classes
For some great practice opportunities in your dancing:
Click
here
for detailed information on the Sunday evening
"Lambda DanceSPORT Sundays"
including classes and dancing at the Chevy Chase Ballroom.
Click
here
to print or send a one-page flyer of the Sunday evening
"Lambda DanceSPORT Sundays"
including classes and dancing at the Chevy Chase Ballroom.
Click
here
to download a Lambda DanceSPORT Sundays
"2-for-the-price-of-1 pass"
when one of those attending is for their first time...
Click
here
to print or send a one-page flyer on the Friday or Saturday evening
Salsa, Ballroom, Tango, Hustle, & Swing
"Dance-&-Learn Parties"
including mini-classes and dancing at the Chevy Chase Ballroom
Click here
to download a Dance-&-Learn Party
"2-for-the-price-of-1 pass"
when one of those attending is for their first time...
Click
here
to print or send a one-page flyer on the Sunday afternoon beginner & intermediate
"Salsa on 1 classes"
with Terry & a second teacher at the Chevy Chase Ballroom
Click
here
to print or send a one-page flyer on the early Sunday evening
"Sunday Salsa Social classes & dancing"
with Terry & Abdul Al-Ali at the Chevy Chase Ballroom
Click
here
to download a Sunday Salsa Social
"2-for-the-price-of-1 pass"
when one of those attending is for their first time...
Click
here
to print or send a one-page flyer for the next
"Chevy Chase Ballroom Showcase"
including professional & amateur performances, refreshments, plenty of general
dancing and a free beginner mini-lesson in Salsa & Swing.
("Gay Games® is a registered trademark of the Federation of Gay Games")
*************************************************************
*************************************************************
A. My
honest opinion is that there has always been much too much discrimination within
our own LGBT Community...and regretably it is becoming even more prevalent than
ever within our own limited LGBT "dance" community, both in Metropolitan
Washington DC and in other specific cities in America such as San Francisco.
This article has been temporarily retracted simply because it
cut to the chase (something which I have never been reluctant about doing....and
which I have to admit isn't always be the best way to "Make Friends and
Influence people". But then I'm not vyimg for any popularity contest and
I never have, nor ever will I aspire to becoming a true politician since I can't
resist calling a spade a spade as opposed to dancing around the honest facts).
MY OPINION on this topic has in some cases offended some in America's LGBT dance
community, possibly alienating them from the much more important goal of encouraging
as many of us as is humanly possible to attend the DanceSport competitions of
Gay Games and World Outgames, 2006. That is over now, so with some editing the
article is coming back along with some additions after some of what I've heard
has gone on in the meantime. So please stay tuned and check back.....
***********************************************
B. The world-wide war on drugs...as much as we hate to admit the real truth, the fault and the problem belongs to no one but "US" (U.S.)....
Nobody asked for My Opinion...BUT...
Benjamin Arellano Felix, Mexico’s most ruthless of drug king pins claims after being incarcerated that the drug war is the problem of US (U.S.)......"Helllloooo, America!!....How long is it going to take for us (U.S.) to acknowledge the obvious?!!!
Do we really need the ruthless leader of a drug cartel to tell us something that we have known for years, but that we refuse to admit?
As my good friend, Dr Phil McGraw would say, "You cannot solve a problem if you refuse to acknowledge it". That is exactly why we have failed miserably and will continue to fail in this drug war, because WE (U.S.) refuse to acknowledge that the drug problem is OURS; Not Columbia’s or Mexico’s or Chili’s or the problems of any of the other poor little 3rd world countries that we try to justify running around blaming for this debilitating problem. “WE” (U.S.) are solely responsible for the drug problem, as is England, France, Germany and every other so- called "DEVELOPED" country on earth. Every country whose residents continue to dump billions and billions of dollars into the drug trade while we do little more than slap the purchasers, who are the real violators, on the wrist.
Do we think that the endless lines of automobiles attempting to bring drugs into this country every single day would bother to do so at the high risk of being caught if we weren't buying them for a LOT of money? And do we think that Americans would continue to spend the billions upon billions of dollars on drugs if we had laws that have some real teeth in them? If we would fine drug-users of “ALL” types; not just those who are penniless addicts on the street, who are using street quality "crack" cocaine and not just the "non-white-collar" users but instead “ALL” users and dealers, and especially those in high places with the high-paying jobs, Mercedes and million-dollar homes. And we need to penalize them so heavily that they would quickly be out on the street and at the bottom of the financial barrel years before they have a chance to squander everything they own to the foreign drug industry? These are the people who are supporting the drug trade in a big, big way and these are the ones who more often than not getting away with it. I'm confident that if the approach was changed, the end of the story would be a whole lot different.
As it is, after our American users have re-enforced the drug producers by giving them everything they own, WE (U.S.) have to spend our tax dollars to feed and house and support them and their rehabilitation for decades later. This is truly Bass Ackwards (at least in my opinion). I personally am tired of everyone running around feeling sorry for the Robert Downey, Jrs, the Winona Ryders, the Adam Rich’s, the Whitney Houstons and the Bobby Browns for their drug problems as they and thousands of Americans like them all over this country continue to pour billions and billions of dollars into the pockets of those who we're supposedly trying to combat, while at the same time, very little is done in this country to stop the users years in advance of their final plummet into submission. Submission which comes only after they’ve finally reached the bottom of the barrel in their individual lives. And that bottom of the barrel is usually highly associated with reaching the bottom of the financial barrel. With more money available where that came from there's little reason to bite the bullet and make any kind of change.
It's a known fact that addicts have to individually WANT to kick the habit before any proposed treatment is ever going to be effective. And what more often than not makes them WANT to kick the habit is being at the bottom of their existence before that desire ever kicks in. I can't think of anything that would speed that process up more than their being made dirt poor, nearly out on the streets years before it would happen naturally under today’s laws and circumstances.
If the possession laws were made to be serious and if the courts would take a major portion of everything a drug-user owns every time they're caught (except for maybe the first-time offenders) we might have something left over after all is said and done to support and rehabilitate them once they hit rock bottom. Instead we let them send most of the money from everything they've ever owned; from selling their swimming pools and Mercedes and million dollar homes right into the hands of the drug dealers after which we (the tax payers) have to come up with more money to fight those same drug lords. This all happens as we eventually spend still even MORE money for the users' rehabilitation and care. Is it any wonder why we haven't made and never will make any progress concerning this problem?
I guarantee there would be a lot of us (U.S.) who would think twice about our actions if we might be stripped of much of what we own upon conviction of drug possession and use. And if we didn't change our ways, at least the government could use what used to be our belongings to pay for the ultimate drug treatment and room & board down the road before they have a chance to dump it into the hands of the drug lords.
But then that would be politically incorrect and much more demanding of us (U.S.) than the present practice of standing by and watching millions of dollars being spent and millions of pounds of drugs being brought into this country every year while we blame those who produce them instead of those are really responsible. Namely us (U.S.) who buy and use them. It's easier to spend billions and billions of dollars running around fighting the Columbians and Brazilians and Mexicans as opposed to leaving that money right here in this country and using it to crack down on the real culprits, namely us (U.S.), for our involvement in what could easily someday destroy this wonderful country of ours. For politicians to get serious in this dilemma, for instance, they may have to confront the possibility that many of those drug users vote....in which case it may be better to think of someone else to blame than to possibly alienate part of their own voting constituency.
Another problem in America is that too many of us (in the U.S.) would be determining the fate of too many of us (in the U.S.) whom we know to be drug-users and who we don't have the intestinal fortitude (in other words, the guts) to address the problem to. It's so much easier to just keep spending the tax money and keeping the drug wars "Over there" so we won't have to face the real problem head-on. We'll supply the money and let the Columbian drug squads get shot and killed over the problem. That way our little once-in-awhile use of drugs or those of our cocaine-sniffing friends can go unnoticed and we (U.S.) can live happily-ever-after. Regardless of the fact that every ounce purchased by us (U.S.) and our drug-using friends continues to fill the coffers of "those who are supposedly to blame"...Which is certainly not US (U.S.)!
To be honest, we really don't have to be users to be susceptible to blame. We're just as guilty when we sit on our hands and know friends and relatives who openly use drugs in front of us as we look the other way, instead of doing what SHOULD be done. Namely, making it instantly known that we either expect such actions to stop and they will get help or the authorities will be involved much sooner than anyone ever thought possible. That is referred to as "Tough Love", and sometimes it has to be shown, regardless of how difficult it might be. How many of us have sat and heard people bragging about how high they got on cocaine the other night, only to look the other way and ignore the remark. Or worse yet, laugh at their actions as though it was cool and totally acceptable even when we feel undoubtedly that it is wrong? I guarantee you...none of those who really know me personally and my feelings on this matter ever gloats about drug use in my presence. And if they ever do, it only happens once. I'm not bragging about that, it's just a fact. I have never been shy about offering my opinion on such matters. Especially when I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my opinion is right, fair and just. And that such actions will eventually be devastating to the well-being of all of us in this country. I wish more people in America, including and especially our politicians, would accept such a responsibility on a much more regular basis.
I know what you're thinking..."It's really none of your business. We don't have the right to depict to other people what they can and cannot do".......wrong!... We "DO" have the right "AND" the responsibility to show our disapproval. Especially when it involves people breaking the laws and doing what we know will accomplish the eventual demise of this magnificent country that we are so fortunate to live in. A demise which is imminent if such a this problem continues at the rate that it now is. If someone is committing pedophilia or extortion or domestic abuse, we DO have the responsibility to do something about it. If not, we're just as guilty as the perpetrators. Drug use is no different.
Sooner or later each one of us is going to have to take more responsibility and demonstrate some effort in the rampant problem of drug use in this country before it's too late. But if we aren't going to accept that responsibility then we need to at least quit sending all of the money that we send to other countries and quit pretending like it's ever going to do anyone but the hard-core drug world any good. Because it isn't going to do anyone else any good until we get our heads out of......the sand.
The sad truth is that too much of that anti-drug money ends up in the hands of corrupt politicians in the receiving countries who play the anti-drug role, but who are just as involved in the incredibly lucrative drug trade as those on the street. (Again...incredibly lucrative only because of us [U.S.]).
In her book "Until Death do us Part" Once Columbian Senator and Presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt was living in fear and constant danger because she persisted in revealing that too many in the Columbian government were also involved in the drug trade; thus making it impossible to prevent much of the American assistance from going right into the coffers of the enemy. In an interview with Matt Lauer much earlier this year, Mrs Betancourt openly pleaded with the U.S. to continue sending financial assistance to curtail the drug industry in Columbia. I couldn't help thinking as I sat there watching the interview how she must've been fighting within herself not to make the politically incorrect, but obvious plea "And just as importantly, could you please take some responsibility in this country to stop the damned selfish American drug use that is destroying many of the less fortunate countries on this earth?". That would have truly alienated those whose assistance she was begging for, but at the same time would have hit the nail of reality right on the head.
Let's face it; there's so much money in this (thanks to who?...us...U.S., no less) that in these countries, you're either going to be involved "or else". Contracts are easy to take out on people in Columbia and Brazil and Mexico when you have that much money and power. Contracts which they often did take out on Ingrid Betancourt quite often. The courageous woman actually sent her children to New Zealand with her husband’s family to prevent their possible assassination over 6 years ago because of her constantly exposing the corrupt Columbian government in it's involvement in the drug trade. And once again, so that we don't forget, whose fault is that?...The real fault that they have all of that money and power belongs to no one but the ones who buy the drugs in the first place. Not those who produce the drugs, but the ones who buy them....us (U.S.).
All of those poppy fields in Columbia and Brazil used to be family farms once upon a time; raising grain and chickens and pigs and milk for family use. No longer...thanks to us (U.S.). Family farmers can no longer afford to keep such property even if they did want to farm it because the drug cartels can make so much more money in the drug trade. And once again, whose fault is that? Not the once-upon-a-time family farmers whose land was stripped from them; not the general population of Columbia, many of whom are all but destitute and couldn't afford to buy drugs even if they wanted to. No the blame for all of this belongs to no one but us (U.S.). But those in control in this country continue to point the finger to everyone else in other countries all over the world while we continue to completely shirk our responsibilities in dealing with the matter right here at home the way we should.
If we stopped pretending that everyone else is to blame for this problem and if we decided to put some teeth in our American drug laws by stripping those who are abusers until they do something about it, and keep that money here in the United States to fight the problem at its core, we would not only save enough money to be able to pay for aggressive actions against drug use in this country (once we have the guts to pass the necessary laws), as well as rehabilitation of abusers, but we could also save enough money to pay for the much needed prescription drug relief for senior citizens, social security for the next ten generations, education in ALL of our public schools, health care for the poor and any number of other programs with the incredible amount of money that we throw away on the drug wars elsewhere.
I cannot help bringing up a classic statement made by retiring Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tenn) as he played the character of Arthur Branch on a "Law and Order" episode. In response to the suggestion of ending the drug wars Senator Thompson stated "Without a war on something, people wouldn't get elected". How true that is. But still we continue to fall for that same tactic by our politicians generation after generation, instead of demanding that they do what is necessary to eliminate some of these obvious problems. Which in this case are to admit that the drug war is here at home and that this is where we need to address it. Instead, however, of addressing the one real issue that may very well cause the demise of this whole country, we're too busy fighting over who can and can't get married to each other, what sexual practices they're allowed and whether the cultivation and use of amoeba-like stem cells (which are no closer to being human beings at this stage in their development than the man-in-the-moon) are more important than the hundreds and thousands of people who might ultimately be cured of their debilitating diseases from stem cell research. These are the rediculous things that we spend our time on in the courts, in spite of the fact that they're all no-brainers in the first place. This country needs to get away from the problem of certain groups and individuals trying to control everybody else and what they do in their own lives and start dealing with the real issues that we're too conveniently ignoring. Issues that require nothing less than good common sense to resolve. Those are the practices that will affect us all, over time. And they're ignoring them because it's easier to ignore them and not have to point the finger and risk making enemies of those right here at home who are often the very wealthy abusers who fill our re-election coffers (another major problem in this country which I don't even have the time to address) and give us power and keep us in office.
Again, addressing the situation is not an easy task. WE (U.S.) would have to make an honest effort to step on certain people's toes and do the things that must be done right here on our own turf to put an end to this incredible problem. Not just insisting on spending a bunch of money for what is nothing more than a front for avoiding the real situation in this country. WE (US) are the problem and WE (US) know it...and someday if it is ever going to be brought under control, WE (US) will need to face the facts and deal with them. In the meantime, we refuse to even acknowledge ourselves as the actual cause of the problem...and under such circumstances I am convinced that it will NEVER change. Again as my good friend, Dr Phil McGraw would say, "You cannot solve a problem if you refuse to acknowledge it". So far, America and all of the "developed and supposedly progressive countries" which have the money in the first place to buy these drugs, continue to do an incredible job of refusing to acknowledge the real problem of where the drug wars should be conducted.
...But then that's just my opinion...
Terry Chasteen
TerryChasteen@hotmail.com
202-462-0870
www.GayDanceSPORT.com (www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org)
www.DanceTeamDC.us (www.OUTonTheDanceFloor.net)
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
***********************************************
C. To
Teach Well or Not To Teach Well...That is the question...By Terry "Shakespeare"
Chasteen.
(The following is a three-part article in it's entirety, written by Terry Chasteen
and published in the Amateur Ballroom Dancers Magazine, The official publication
of the Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, in 2002).
Nobody asked for My Opinion...BUT...
Part I of III: Finding a Compatible Teacher
As we travel throughout this "Wonderful World of Dance", that we have all gotten ourselves so deeply involved in, one commonality that we all realize very early in the process is that we all need and require training. Training that ultimately will enable us to do the many fun and wonderful things that we have made up our minds that we want to do. This brings up the complication right from the beginning of where and from whom should we get that training.
Choosing the right teacher, for most of us who are really serious about this magnificent sport, is initially an important dilemma, just as choosing the right doctors or dentists or other professionals who affect our lives. It involves a whole lot more than just reading a list of accomplishments in an ad or seeing someone perform in a competition or exhibition. The doctor who may have graduated summa cum laude may not necessarily be the compassionate, empathetic person who is going to take the necessary measures to listen to and understand our medical needs. Likewise, the accomplished performers may know how to perform, but may not have the knowledge or ability to project that ability to their students. You want an individual who will take the time and make the effort to really click with your individual needs. The choice of a dance coach requires that same level of attention if one really wants to continue to be inspired and motivated to continue the often hard work that dancing really is.
The positive motivations that a person has to teach dance (or to teach anything for that matter) is often an important consideration in how good a coach really is. These motivations can be very important in choosing a teacher and likewise, such motivations can be as varied as the types of subjects that are available to be taught.
For some people, teaching is an art. These people are not much different than the artists who take a rough, insignificant lump of clay or a piece of canvas and with time and concentration are able to gradually take that rough, unbalanced, insignificant and not so extraordinary piece of dirt or canvas and mold or transform them into masterpieces with balance and timing and animation and an over-all beauty that could hardly in the slightest degree be seen in the original product. Much of this motivation is that of successful mutual achievement.
These transformations take time and concentration in relaying minute technique and styling procedures again and again. Many good teachers take great pleasure in taking brand new students who are originally very insecure and unsure of why they are even attempting this intimidating dance thing in the first place and transforming them into highly confident and passionate beings. Beings who are particularly passionate when it comes to their newly discovered talent for interpreting and responding in a brand new way to the music that they have loved for so many years.
This, in addition to witnessing the incredible increase in enjoyment of life
in general for those students who have taken the dance plunge, is in itself
quite a pay-back for whatever time such teachers have spent in the process.
It's quite a determining factor regardless of the financial return in all cases,
of whether one is a true professional in this field or one who merely teaches
for the money. There are many motivations in most occupations other than instant
financial gratification, which by itself is a pretty shallow means of judging
someone's success or personal satisfaction in any profession.
--------------------------------------
Next issue, Part II of III, "Other Motivations to Teach."
To Teach Well or Not To Teach Well...That is the question....by Terry
Shakespeare Chasteen (A three-part article published in the bi-monthly Amateur
Ballroom Dancers' Association Magazine in 2002. For issue #141 of The Amateur
Ballroom Association Magazine).
Terry Chasteen
TerryChasteen@hotmail.com
202-462-0870
www.GayDanceSPORT.com (www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org)
www.DanceTeamDC.us (www.OUTonTheDanceFloor.net)
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
Part II of III: "Other Motivations to Teach."
In the last issue, the benefits and some of the positive motivations of an attentive, professionally competent teacher were discussed. However, there are other motivations for wanting to teach.
Some people just like the idea of the personal control that goes along with teaching. It's an ego trip and it gives the one in charge the opportunity to demand everyone's attention, even if for only a short period of time. For some people, they just need that boost to their personal sense of well-being. We've all had them at one time or another in classes. They speak way above the necessary volume needed for anyone to hear, they talk down to everyone like they're a bunch of rowdy kids or misbehaving pets and they remind you of an out-of-control drill sergeant who has just finished 3 months of boot camp. You usually don't find such a motivation to teach in small classes, however, because small classes don't provide the sense of power and controlling people that such a motivation for bothering to teach requires.
Another all-too-common motivation for becoming a dance teacher is that it gives one a chance to "Grand-stand" and show off in a personally controlled environment at least once or twice a week. Again we've seen this phenomenon in certain dance classes. It's most obvious when you hear the statement "look at me", "look at me", "watch me" far too often during the short span of the class period. Or the teacher who not only demonstrates the material being taught (which can definitely be effective in getting the amalgamation across), but who goes way overboard demonstrating drops, aerials, lifts and other figures that are much more difficult than the present group of students are ever going to attempt for at least the next decade. Such activities may provide a short-term feeling of amazement, but they also make the brand new beginners want to run in the other direction at full speed for fear that someone will expect them to attempt such a thing if they stick around. Or worse yet, condemn them for rightfully "not" attempting it.
The above two examples are obviously not indications of a true professional in the field of teaching, but rather of someone who really has controlling, egocentric and attention-getting ulterior motives for taking on this endeavor in the first place. Consequently when we run across individuals who display such characteristics, it is probably best to keep looking.
Lastly we need to discuss one of the most important aspects of teaching and that is whether teaching is a profession or a hobby.
Far too often those who claim to have all the answers in this world of dance
are not at all professional in the field, but rather have their 9 to 5 jobs
elsewhere. Their car payments and living expenses are covered whether they insult
or disenfranchise or offend or scare half to death those who attend their classes
or not. They are often only out for the big once-a-week events that take advantage
of the dance community that's already out there. They have little interest in
going beyond the call of duty to make some of the less lucrative, but necessary
efforts to help "create" a dance community. Such "teachers"
don't realize (or care) that some students don't always want a larger more social
event. They are not concerned that many brand new students are often intimidated
by such an environment for awhile and need the smaller, more intimate studio
environment before they would ever get involved in dancing to begin with.
---------------------------------------
Next issue, Part III of III, "Part-time or Hobby Teachers."
To Teach Well or Not To Teach Well...That is the question....by Terry "Shakespeare" Chasteen (for issue #142 of The Amateur Ballroom Association Magazine).
Terry Chasteen
TerryChasteen@hotmail.com
202-462-0870
www.GayDanceSPORT.com (www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org)
www.DanceTeamDC.us (www.OUTonTheDanceFloor.net)
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
Part III of III: "Part-time or Hobby Teachers."
In the last issue, we considered several different motivations for anyone wanting to become a teacher in the first place, as well as some problems concerned with teaching on a part-time, non-professional basis.
Students definitely have a need for both an intimate studio environment as well as a more lively social environment, ultimately. Those teachers who have never really taught professionally, however, have a more difficult time understanding this. Again, they're all-too-often more concerned about milking the larger crowd that's already there and picking up and moving on to "greener pastures" (my farm background is beginning to show) once the original crowd becomes tired of their tactics and disappears back down to nothing.
Of those students who want the extra attention of a small class and not necessarily the larger, louder, less intimate night club environment; for many of them the objectives in all of this (believe it or not) is to actually LEARN as much as they can about their new sport before actually going out and using it in public. Such learning does not necessarily require a large number of others in the class. In fact, the smaller, more intimate classes afford those present a lot more individual attention. Individual attention which for brand new beginners can mean the difference between night and day as to whether the first experience is a positive one.
Too many of the "once-a-week wonders", however, have a hard time understanding this. Their objective, once again, is to cash in on the big social events and not necessarily to provide the optimal learning experience that is often needed to truly promote the dance industry.
Let me interject one thing, however, before I give the wrong impression. And that is that there are also a number of very good teachers out there who do make the bulk of their living outside of the teaching industry and may only teach on a part-time basis. That in itself is not necessarily an indication of the professionalism of the person involved. I, myself have been teaching since I began with the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Columbus, Ohio back in 1974 (before many of you were born, I might add) and have taught for a major part of that 28 years on a part-time basis. I feel that I have conducted myself in as much of a professional manner as I was trained for during that time.
Likewise I have also known numerous other part-time instructors who continually show a tremendous amount of professionalism and passion about this art of teaching. For this reason I don't mean to indicate that those who teach part-time necessarily conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner. Regrettably, however, some of them do (as do some of the full-timers).
Knowing and realizing the many different reasons that people teach in the first place, as well as understanding that the best "Dancers" don't necessarily make the best "Teachers" can possibly make this process of who to train with a little easier. My suggestion, more than anything else is to keep your eyes open and be aware of whose students are continually motivated and challenged in their progress. Choose the teacher who really puts out a consistently superior product.
And don't necessarily be influenced to stick to only one. Sometimes we have to try several, just as we try several doctors, to determine which one (or ones) might be right for us.
...But then that's just my opinion....
Terry Chasteen
TerryChasteen@hotmail.com
202-462-0870
www.GayDanceSPORT.com (www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org)
www.DanceTeamDC.us (www.OUTonTheDanceFloor.net)
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
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D. "Same-sex couples" vs. "Same-gender couples"...are we promoting our image or detracting from it?...
...Nobody asked for My Opinion...BUT...
Whenever I hear the media, as well as those within our own community, refer to a couple in the LGBT community as a "same-sex" couple, I can’t help but think that the use of the term "same-sex" was probably originated by (or at the very least is continually being encouraged by) the right wing zealots who would love to witness the demise of those same-sex couples about which we speak. The word gender is defined as "the fact of being a male or female, esp, as it affects a persons self-image, social relationships, etc." Sex, however, has more than one possible meaning: (1) the above definition plus (2) "sexual intercourse".
I have little doubt that the right wing-nuts are ecstatic as the latter use of "same-sex" as opposed to "same-gender" is being encouraged and promoted in describing our relationships in the media. This description continually gives the image of our community as being about nothing more than rampant, out-of-control, over-sexed beings who are more interested in "sex and sexual intercourse" than anything else. As opposed to a community composed of the loving, caring, emotional adults that many of us (notice that I said "many of us"...that doesn’t mean "ALL" of us...) are. In other words, same-gender is nothing more than a description of our physical make-up, whereas same-sex could be interpreted as alluding to the "act" of having sex. An act which our enemies love to promote wherever we’re concerned.
After all, it’s the verses from The Bible that refer to those of the same gender "having sex" out of their worship of paganism (as opposed to showing the actual love and affection for each other) which they treasure reminding everyone about, over and over again (which brings to my mind...where are our LGBT clergy when we need them? Why have MCC, Dignity, etc, and other gay-friendly clergy not been out there over the past few years of conflict concerning Gay marriage arguing the interpretation of the Bible in OUR favor as the right wing-nuts have continued to argue against us? Even to empower the LGBT public with the gay-friendly interpretations of those verses through our press would be a plus, but we have not heard from them. Those who are experts on the Bible and such trains of thought need to inform the public, and especially those of us who are not experts on such topics of the Biblical facts in this matter. There should have been article after article available to us on a continuing basis in our gay publications refuting and contradicting the claims of the right wing. Claims that EVERYONE who has a sexual and emotional relationship with someone of the same gender is just as guilty of the sins that the pagans, idolators and heathens of the Old Testament committed in their practice of having sex with someone of the same gender either as a form of idolatry to cause a greater harvest or as rape to show their disfavor toward strangers. There is nothing stated in the Bible about these people loving and caring for each other as we are fighting for the right to do. And our gay-friendly clergy should be attempting to send these differences home on a continuing basis, thus separating our practices from those described and condemned in the Bible. We all need to be better-informed to argue our point and through the very Bible that they hold against us, defend our gay rights, gay marraige, ability to adopt, etc. The late Larry Uhrigh, former MCC DC paster and one of the best on earth always claimed that the truthful interpretation of the Bible itself, without all of the prejudice against the LGBT community that the right wing loves to glorify for the sake of their own "divide-and-conquer" power, is the best defense that we have to support our cause. Sorry...to be running off on an unrelated tangent, but this could be one of the strongest arguments that we have for our defense and a whole new topic of future discussion that really needs to be addressed).
My personal feeling is that the more we stay away from the word "SEX" where our community is concerned, the better. The religious far right can't hear enough of such an association, which helps them to align us with more than just our physical make-up and our committed relationships with each other. An association which will merely help them continue to remind the voting public of that ever present thought to be held against us. Whenever the word sex is used in describing our relationships as couples, those who despise us gain one more feather in their cap to encourage our negative portrayal.
In essence, the use of "same-gender couples" implies nothing about the 'act' of having sex, whereas the use of "same-sex" when describing us as couples can definitely be a means of keeping that image of being "sexually overactive" alive. This may all sound insignificant in the over-all scheme of things, but every time this combination of words is used within the massive amount of text printed each week about us, the better is the possibility of encouraging the association of our community with the sex act and playing right into the hands of the right wing nuts. Such is especially true with all of the attention being given as of late to the marriage of same-gender couples.
If we spoke about a traditional couple, we wouldn't say that they're a "two-sex couple". Instead we would probably call them a 'two-gender couple' or a 'mixed-gender' couple. We don't emphasize the image of "Sex" between them, but rather their differences in gender. We should portray the same respect and positive image when we speak about partnerships within our own community. Just because the alliteration of "same-sex" might be easier to roll off the tongie, what we have to think about in the long run are the disadvantages that it's use to the masses may have when applied to male couples and female couples within the LGBT community. Those disadvantages include repeatedly reminding the straight community of what the far right loves to send home about us. Namely our continued association with sex.
In fact, I have always felt the same about the term "homosexual" in it's use within our community. Again, sex is just a small part of the whole picture of the relationships between gay & lesbian couples. Anyone can have sex with anyone or any thing. But that really isn't the basis of this whole conflict, as much as the right-wingers like to portray. It's more about our "affections" for each other, which is why I would also like to eliminate the term "homosexual" in our community to be replaced by "homoaffectionate". Can you imagine the uproar that such a concept would cause? That we're trying to portray ourselves as "affectionate human beings" as opposed to the out-of-control "sexual baffoons" that our enemies love to portray us to be?
If we begin to stay away from the use of "same-sex couples", as opposed
to "same-gender couples", chances are very good that the media and
mainstream America will also begin to use this much more positive and respectable
portrayal of us, as well. And in addition to the widespread coverage of same-gender
marraige in our community today, as a Ballroom, Latin, Country/Western and Swing
dancer myself, this would also apply to the upcoming major dance contests to
be held in 2006 in North America during Gay Games VII Chicago and the 1st World
OUTgames Montreal. Both of which may only be entered by "same-sex"
couples. (My apologies...I've just been informed that
World OutGames Montreal, 2006 has already changed their entry forms and web
site to include "same gender couples, mixed couples and male or female
couples". No "same-sex couples"...sorry...AND THANKS!) These
are two contests which will get an incredible amount of media coverage over
the next year (at least if certain of us have anything to say about it), and
even moreso while the events are taking place. The Ballroom & Latin dancing
events, from the time they were first introduced into Gay Games in Amsterdam
in 1998 have been and will probably continue to be one of the most sold out
events during the 8 days of competition (I was there and danced in Gay Games
Amsterdam, ’98. I know how hard it was for people to get tickets).
Also, in Amsterdam as we gathered for breakfast every morning, nothing dominated
the TV news channels more than the Ballroom and Latin dancing events every single
morning. Eventually all of the sports received coverage, but it always came
back to the dancing male and female couples that were seen again and again and
again. The predominantly straight viewing public in Amsterdam obviously showed
more interest in this sport or they wouldn't have covered it so well. Which
was not much different than the recent success of "Dancing with the Stars",
that was watched by more people in America recently than any other program.
In addition, the Gay Games committee for Chicago has already worked out arrangements
with Q Television, a pay cable station which will be unscrambled during the
8 day sports and cultural festival so that everyone can view the coverage whether
they've paid for Q Television or not. Such broad television coverage
has never been available in the history of the Gay Games. Q Television
will be available in 150 markets by July of 2006 and I'm confident that from
past experience, the dancing performed by same-gender couples will get more
than it's fair share of face-time during Gay Games and probably for months beyond.
I use the Gay Games danceSport events as an example, simply because such events
have already taken place and the results are available, as to the tremendous
amount of coverage that the DanceSport events have demanded. I am perfectly
confident that the 1st World Outgames Montreal, 2006 will also find the same
to be true.
This all means that if we as a community begin now to change the way we describe
ourselves on the dance floor in these events, as well as the way we describe
ourselves in reference to marriage and our relationships as couples, the media
may very well eventually follow suit. Which would be a better option than playing
into the hands of those who like nothing more than to continue associating us
with having and promoting sex. And if we continue to use the terminology "same-sex"
as opposed to "same-gender", the media will likewise continue to do
the same without considering what some of us feel to be a much more positive
means of portraying ourselves in society.
As insignificant as all of this may seem, the fact is that every tiny advancement
that we make at disassociating ourselves from the sexual image that the right
wing loves to promote for us helps us to gain just that much more success in
redefining our image in the eyes of mainstream society. We still have a lot
of grass roots "politicing" to do to get the fairness that we deserve
through the legal system of today. We can go into courts and stand in picket
lines and do many other activities to help better our positions in the over-all
scheme of things, but without the individual support of a majority of those
who will ultimately make their ways into the voting booths on these matters,
all of that is in vain. The sooner we can convince mainstream America that we
are about a whole lot more than rampant, out-of-control "sex", which
is what many of them still believe about us and what the right wing nuts continue
to promote and WANT everyone to believe, the easier this struggle might become.
...But then that's just my opinion...
...and I would LOVE to hear yours...
Terry Chasteen
TerryChasteen@hotmail.com
202-462-0870
www.GayDanceSPORT.com (www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org)
www.DanceTeamDC.us (www.OUTonTheDanceFloor.net)
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
It is my hope that GLAAD, The Human Rights Campaign, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, The International Lesbian and Gay Association, Lambda Legal and literally every other LGBT organization and press around the globe will also begin to change their use of the term "same-sex couples" to "same-gender couples". A change which may hopefully influence all of the media in general to do the same over time. And additionally may remove one more feather from the caps of those who would like to keep our reputation negative in the eyes of society for their own personal gain.
(And if you find this article interesting, whether or
not you agree, you'll probably also enjoy my latest...
"Effective grass roots gay activism At
It's Finest"...not in the Courts or at the end of a picket sign,
but rather "Out
On The
Dance Floor"").
(...But once again...that's just my opinion...)
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E. In the Ballroom,
a Redefinition of 'Couple'
By ERIC MARX
Published: July 14, 2004 Correction Appended
As the ballroom dancers glided in unison, mirroring each other's pulsating movements to a midtempo Latin beat, a couple in black body-hugging costumes caught the audience's attention.
Screaming "Go 201, go 201," the onlookers cheered the pair on as they whirled across the room in an athletically sensuous display of high leg kicks, grinding hip turns and pirouettes. The couple, one of 24 teams dancing in the preliminary round of a ballroom dancing contest at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, captured second place in the Latin division.
Only the couple's sex — both are men — hinted at controversy. In letting the dancers, Russell Halley and Jorge Guzman, participate in the competition in April, the organizers of the M.I.T. event for the first time permitted two men to dance together at a championship level. Mr. Halley and Mr. Guzman are also pushing against limits set by the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, which requires that a competing couple consist of a man and a woman.
The two dancers say that the rules are archaic and that they have proved that two men can dance powerfully and still be artistic. Moreover, they ask, if questions of gay identity and inclusion are being engaged in the workplace and in the bonds of marriage, then why not in professional and amateur sport?
"Did you see the people at M.I.T.?" asked Mr. Guzman, 41, a stock trader who has been dancing with Mr. Halley for three years and who both leads and follows. "They were screaming and jumping. They were happy — straight and gay people — because they understood everything that we were doing."
Competitive ballroom dancing is growing in popularity and is even being considered for inclusion as a medal sport at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Among the arguments advocates have used in pushing for its inclusion is that, like ice dancing or paired skating, dance is one of the rare sports where male and female athletes compete together and on equal terms.
For two years Mr. Guzman and Mr. Halley have competed internationally in gay ballroom dance tournaments in Europe. But such competition is virtually nonexistent in the United States, and the two dancers, who live in New York City, say they have neither the time nor the money to keep flying to competitions in Hanover, Munich and London.
"I'd like to have the opportunity to compete," said Mr. Halley, 40, who runs a talent agency that books stylists and makeup artists.
The International DanceSport Federation, which oversees competitive ballroom dancing worldwide, says that allowing all-male couples alters the fundamental nature of the sport.
"Just as the Hopak dancers do not have to start adding other ethnic groups' elements to their dances because to do so would fundamentally contradict what the dance is about, DanceSport does not have to start adding dances about some other relationship," Jim Frasier, who heads the legal commission of the Europe-based federation, wrote in an e-mail message, referring to the Ukrainian folk dance to explain why his organization has sought to restrict same-sex couples.
Citing as an example the pasodoble, a dance based on movements performed during a bullfight with the man in the central matador role, Mr. Frasier added: "It is performed by a man and woman because it is about the relationship between a man and a woman, using the metaphor of the matador and the cape to express one more aspect of the man/woman relationship."
To many Americans, ballroom is still principally a sexually expressive dance hardly associated with the athletic agility and stamina required of sport. It has failed to gain wide media exposure and sponsorship in the United States but nevertheless has increased in popularity over the past 30 years, both at the grass-roots level in communities, colleges and secondary schools and at private dance studios.
The United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, based in Virginia, has been pivotal to that growth, notably through investment in its Youth and College Network. But many of its college groups are in open revolt against the association's interpretation of the International DanceSport Federation's ruling, although primarily because it would leave scores of women on the sidelines, unable to compete at two of the association's national competitions. (In ballroom dancing, women outnumber men three to one, according to some estimates.)
Nevertheless, many of those interviewed at the collegiate level say they see this as an equal rights issue for gay men and women: thus the invitation to Mr. Halley and Mr. Guzman.
Published: July 14, 2004 (Page 2 of 2)
"If we don't start working with our affiliates, they are going to lose all trust in U.S.A.B.D.A. and Y.C.N. and will leave the organization altogether and find another one to join or none at all," Garry Morris, the Youth and College Network coordinator, warned in October in an e-mail message to the association's secretary and president.
Mr. Morris, representing dancers on more than 300 college campuses, proposed allowing same-sex couples to participate in the more prominent nationwide competitions. The association responded by formally changing its policy to allow same-sex entries in national competitions, but only at low levels.
"We don't try to dictate to the colleges," said Archie C. Hazelwood, the association's president, noting that the group had not prohibited same-sex dancing at the regional level, where women frequently dance with other women in what are called "fun" dances.
"They have their own rules and we try to support them," Mr. Hazelwood said. "But when it comes out into the public arena, it's a different matter."
Helen Carroll, coordinator of the Homophobia in Sports Project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a San Francisco-based advocacy group, said she believed that the association's stance was colored by the International Olympic Committee's pending review of the sport.
"They've reacted strongly because they don't want anybody to think there could be gay people participating, going into a traditional sport area such as the Olympics," Ms. Carroll said.
"Unless their organization is flourishing and making so much money, they're going to fight it with every ounce of strength with the argument that it will hurt our audience, it's going to hurt marketing," Ms. Carroll added.
Mr. Hazelwood said his organization's hands were tied because of the rules of the international federation. "We have tried to be fair within the restraints imposed upon us," he said. "For our competitors to qualify to go to an international event, we have to comply with the international rules."
The Olympics might well bring endorsements, exposure and respect to a sport that is just beginning to move into mainstream acceptance, said Jack Rothweiler, president of Fred Astaire Dance of North America, the nation's second-largest independent dance studio operator.
But while ballroom dancing has become steadily more popular over the last decade, especially with younger couples and singles, Mr. Rothweiler said that he attributed the upsurge in large part to Eastern European, Scandinavian and Latin American immigrants.
Same-sex couples, he added, "could hurt the image a little in the beginning, because the ballrooming image isn't there to begin with; sometimes it's too premature."
Gary Stroick, vice president of the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association DanceSport division, said that an increase in gay participation might discourage heterosexual men from participating.
"Eventually we're looking at televising the sport and obtaining sponsorship, and there may be implications there," he said.
Still, same-sex couples might be more warmly welcomed if, for example, the governing bodies were to afford them a division separate from male-female pairs — a move Mr. Halley and Mr. Guzman say they would applaud.
"With opposite-gender couples, the females are usually half a head to a head shorter and tend to be lighter, which makes it imperative that the female is the follower," explained Benjamin Soencksen, a former professional dancer and general manager of Stepping Out Studios in Manhattan, which has long endorsed same-sex dancing.
"Yes, they're developing a different dance, and yes, the artistry is changing as well," Mr. Soencksen said.
"But the artistic expression only has to do with the viewer viewing it differently," he added. "You cannot view it with the expectations of what an opposite-gender couple would look like. It's two men dancing, and they might feel the same love and passion but will have to express it differently based on the power structure within the couple."
For Mr. Halley and Mr. Guzman, who are not romantically involved, that means changing leader-follower roles many times during a single piece of music and coming up with choreographically exciting and innovative moves that catch the attention of both audience and judges.
"Women usually do all the extensions; they're flexible," Mr. Halley said. "I happen to have a good extension, and I'll do extensions with my legs that are on par with what some of the women are doing. And that's surprising because they don't expect to see a man stretch his leg over his head and then lean out into a split.
"We did that at M.I.T. in our rumba," he said with evident satisfaction and pride. "The audience went crazy."
Correction: July 21, 2004, Wednesday
An article in The Arts last Wednesday about same-sex couples' efforts to take part in competitive ballroom dancing included an incomplete paraphrase of a comment from Gary Stroick, whose title with the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association is vice president for DanceSport. He attributed to "some people" the view that an increase in gay participation might discourage heterosexual men from taking part; he did not say it was his own view. The article also gave a misspelled surname for the chairman of the legal commission of the International DanceSport Federation. He is Jim Fraser, not Frasier.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/14/arts/dance/14DANC.html?ex=1091405092&ei=1&en=2490d1d3c117731b
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F. In
response to The London Times debate: "Is this simply not Ballroom Dancing?",
which is the debate question after the London Time's follow-up on the New York
Times article, 'A Redifinition of 'Couple'. The London Times article is entitled
'It takes two to tango, but does it step on anyone's toes if both are men?'.
(The London Times article can be found on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-3-1181592,00.html)
Nobody asked for My Opinion...BUT...
My personal "Opinion" to the London Times debate question:
"Is this simply not Ballroom Dancing?"
It's about time that the ballroom & Latin dance community, as well as the
rest of humnity realize that same-gender couples have been here for centuries
and like it or not, they are here to stay. And if not welcomed to peform in
the environment of two-gender couples, the only alternative will be to ultimately
organize separate dance events for same-gender couples as the European dancers
are already very successfull at doing. "And" as some of us here in
America are committed to do, as well (and if you don't believe that, visit the
web sites at www.OutCountryDance.org or www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org [GayDanceSPORT.com]
and you'll see how serious about this some of us are). As one who has taught
dance for the past 30 years, who has a multitude of straight dancing friends
and who would love to see all of us compete and dance socially under the same
roof, I realize that there are still many who will always fight anything to
do with the homo-affectionate community and who will continue to raise ill feelings
about such possibilities in todays comps and elsewhere. After all, some people
must find some way to keep the century-old fear tactic of "Divide and Conquer"
going strong in an effort to win the power struggle that they seek. Sadly people
still fall for such tactics century afer century and regrettably in the end
all of us lose, not just those being discriminated against (this article
was written long before the 2004 US Presidential elections and as you can see
was more depictive of what was about to take place than even I who wrote it
could have possibly imagined at the time). But those who will lose
the most will be the organizers of the present-day events which now permit only
two-gender couples to compete.
I have never seen the excitement during any traditional two-gender Ballroom
or Latin dance competition (and I have witnessed a LOT of two-gender dance events
in my 56 years) as was witnessed by all of us during the very first International
Ballroom & Latin competition of Gay Games®.
That took place during Gay Games V, Amsterdam, '98 and at that
event, the male and female couples routinely changed roles back and forth in
both the Ballroom & Latin dances; sending the audience into orbit throughout
the evening. There is no reason why such events cannot be included right along-side
those of two-gender couples to maximize the enjoyment of everyone in the dance
community.
But if not, there are alternatives and such alternatives will only result in
loss to the event organizers from their fear of offending those who are more
conservative and often more vocal about what others do with their lives. As
the numbers of performing couples in some of the Ballroom & Latin dance
competitions continues to decline, the addition of separate same-gender couple
events during the same competition only makes common sense as the sport becomes
more and more popular. Naturally they don't really belong in the same category
as two-gender couples. You don't put male and female runners and weight lifters
in the same arena, so why would one do the same in Ballroom dancing? Mr Halley
is correct in his interview in that it's comparing apples to oranges. But until
the powers-that-be realize the benefits of creating a separate division, it's
all that is sometimes available, such as in the M.I.T. event, other than splitting
away from the two-gender events altogether. And again in that case, everyone
would lose all of the benefits of supporting Ballroom & Latin dancing as
a whole.
Up until now, MIT has been the only opportunity to demonstrate
the added excitement of a role-changing same-gender performance to the non-role-changing
public. The success of Russell and Jorge in this 23-couple event, even with
some of the judges being totally against same-gender dancing altogether is a
testimony of the potential of such a format. And the competitors, even though
most were defeated by the male couple, were just as enthusiastic about allowing
their involvement. The Country/Western dance community routinely offers "Jack
& Jack" and "Jill & Jill" events for same-gender couples
and has for years. And they've done so in spite of the supposed more conservative
reputations of the Country/Western dance community. In the process, these "Jack
& Jack" and "Jill & Jill" events have become some of
the most talked-about and popular events in the UCWDC (United Country Western
Dance Council) competitions. Hopefully someday the Ballroom and Latin dance
community will get away from their less open and accepting mind-set, as well.
I for one applaud Russell Halley and Jorge Guzman for their efforts, intestinal
fortitude and foresight in bringing Ballroom & Latin dancing for same-gender
couples into the limelight of the non-LGBT dance community for society to witness.
With all of the attention that their performance has gotten at the event, which
was extremely positive, as well as in the press (in addition to the publications
of the New York and London articles, I have personally been interviewed to date
by newspapers about to publish articles on same-gender dancing in both California
and Toranto because of the spread of information about MIT),
I'm convinced and delighted that we will be seeing more and more of these performing
couples in the future. And if I can find the right dance partner, I will hopefully
be one of them....
...But then that's just my opinion....
Terry Chasteen
TerryChasteen@hotmail.com
202-462-0870
www.GayDanceSPORT.com (www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org)
www.DanceTeamDC.us (www.OUTonTheDanceFloor.net)
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
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***********************************************
G. Effective
grass roots gay activism ...
... not in the Courts or at the end of a picket sign, but rather Out
On
The Dance Floor!!....
I've been there on numerous occasions and believe me when I say that you'd be
shocked at the response.
...Nobody asked for My LGBT Opinion...BUT...
Coming OUT in a Social Environment…we all need to do a better job of it. And Gay Dancing is one effective way of accomplishing that.
I am extremely pleased to hear about others within our community who are willing
to take their gay lifestyles out into the straight world on a social level,
unlike too many of us in our community in my opinion. I’m referring to
the June 3rd, 2007 article in the Washington Blade by John Siegfried about the
straight bus tours that he and his partner routinely take around the world and
how the response by the other tourists are anything but hostile. In fact their
participation is actually well-accepted by the straight tourists and better
yet, even educational for them about our same-gender
relationships.
I have felt for decades that though members of our community claim to be “OUT”,
we really aren’t…especially on a social level. We admit our sexuality
to family and friends and co-workers, all of whom we know and feel comfortable
with. But when it comes to socializing with strangers, we all slink back into
hiding in our gay bars, women-only dances and gay cabarets and pubs. Which is
regrettable, because when the right wing-nuts thump on their Bibles and Korans
and Torahs and complain about our incessant lifestyle of out-of-control sex,
drugs and alcohol, the walking public has nothing available to them to refute
those allegations, unless they actually know same-gender couples and have socialized
with them in the past. Unfortunately too many people in this country have to
just accept the right wing zealots for their word because they have no personal
experiences or examples otherwise.
And whose fault is that? It’s none other than our own. Consequently we
all need to become more comfortable with our relationships with each other and
with our lifestyles out in the real world. We all need make more of an effort
on occasion to spend more time socializing and meeting the non-LGBT population
head-on in a strictly social environment as gay and lesbian couples. Regardless
of what is decided in the courts, grass-roots gay activism is the only means
we have of truly changing people’s minds about our lifestyles and relationships.
And it’s changing those minds that will ultimately affect how people react
in the voting booths when it comes to providing to us the rights and freedoms
that we deserve. We could win every court case that comes down the pike concerning
gay marraige and other equal rights, but when the voting public enters the voting
booths and passes state and constitutional amendments and laws that deny us
our equal rights, what may happen in the courts suddenly becomes ineffective.
There are a number of us who are Ballroom, Latin, Swing and Country/Western
dancers who have routinely taken our talents out into the straight dance environment
where they rarely, if ever, see same-gender
couples dance together. We did so shyly at first, not knowing how
people would react, and I was warned over and over again by a number of those
attending that if I went through with this I would likely be killed on the way
out in the parking lot. But once Nate, the one other person that I knew would
be willing willing to dance with me arrived and we made our way around the floor,
none of us could believe the ensuing response. After our debut dancing as probably
the only same-gender
couple ever witnessed at this huge Country/Western dance event
at the former Country Junction in Rockville, Maryland (a packed venue that had
a capacity of over 500 people) a row of 10 to 12 women who were sitting along
a split-rail fence on one side of the huge dance floor immediately came over
to us to find out if we dance with straight women. Their comment was "We
can't believe that you guys can dance that well as leaders and then turn right
around and follow". Of course we danced with all of them before the night
was over and as a result made many new friends for the LGBT community before
it ended. I remember hearing only one negative comment during the whole evening
when one of the men made a remark about “Fags”. I don't know what
the remark was, but just the word alone indicated that it wasn't good. All I
remember after hearing it was seeing his girlfriend immediately turning to him
saying “Well let’s see you dance like that and then turn around
and follow it!”. It was great. The most ardent bigots couldn’t say
a word against us without being rebuked by their own peers.
It soon became apparent to all of us who attended that evening that Gay Dancing
and socializing in a straight social environment could be one of the best forms
of grass-roots gay activism that we had ever seen. And what is more, we never
had to demand or even ask for attention because there wasn’t a pair of
eyes in the whole crowd of nearly 500 people that wasn’t glued to us when
we entered the floor. I guarantee that there were minds changed during that
evening about disapproving gay and lesbian people.
On another occasion, my friend Jason and I (who do a very non-traditional and
highly conspicuous West Coast Swing together) were dancing on one end of the
huge floor while there was a line-dance going on in the center. I have never
before in my life seen 50 to 60 line-dancers with their bodies in one direction
doing their line-dance routine while their heads were twisted almost 180 degrees
backward so they could watch us. I could see one guy in the center who was pointing
toward us and obviously bringing our unconventional performance to everyone’s
attention. It was one of the most funny and bizarre sights ever that I will
never forget. And by the end of the night, we made more straight friends who
came up to us than we could ever have imagined. And remember this was not in
2007 or even 2006. It was at least a decade ago, so I'm sure the results today
would be even that much more positive.
On a third occasion I went with my male dance partner at that time to a West
Coast Swing all-day event of workshops being taught by Mario Robau who was 4-time
World Swing Dance Champion from Houston. Mario was highly respected in this
crowd of over 150 West Coast Swing dancers out in Odenton, Maryland and if God
himself had walked into the room, he wouldn’t have gotten more admiration
and attention from this group of impassioned Swing dancers than 4-time World
Champion Mario Robau. I contacted the organizers of the event beforehand to
see if my male dance partner could refrain from changing partners during the
classes since Todd was the follower and I didn’t want him to get stuck
with someone who might embarrass him by refusing to dance with him. The organizers
said that we should do whatever made us comfortable and most of all to be sure
to come.
Before Mario arrived and the teaching began, Todd and I spent a lot of time
dancing on the floor together, since they played music for everyone to warm
up with. We had been rehearsing for an upcoming ASGRA (Atlantic States Gay Rodeo
Association) dance competition that year and in the process had danced quite
a lot of Swing. I had plagerized all of my favorite Jive Choreography into our
routines from my favorite performing couples on PBS's "Championship Ballroom
Dancing" at the time (now called "America's
Ballroom Challenge") which I had saved on at least 15 years of videos.
This was long before "Dancing
with the Stars" and "So
You Think You Can Dance" and included not amateur couples or pro/am
couples of which one of the pair is an inexperienced amateur, but rather each
competition consisted of the 6 professional finalist couples from around the
globe who all threw everything-but-the-kitchen-sink into their technique and
choreography. Consequently Todd and I definitely had our act in order when it
came to putting on a show. To the amazement of everyone in the room (and probably
even moreso to our own amazement), we were both very comfortable with the situation
and danced our pea-pickin’ little hearts out before the workshops began.
Once again as at the Country Junction, we could feel every pair of eyes in the
room of more than 150 people watching us, since male
couples just don’t dance at these events. It was eerie to look out
and see everyone who wasn’t dancing (and most of those who were) just
staring at us. But Todd and I just went on dancing like maniacs, laughing and
enjoying ourselves as though we had no clue of how much of a spectacle we had
become.
When Mario finally arrived to start the classes, he yelled out to the crowd
“OK, everyone, let’s have the men on this side of the room and the
ladies over here”…after which he instantly looked into the center
of the floor and saw Todd and myself standing together. Immediately he called
out again, “OK, ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to be politically
correct…LEADERS over here and FOLLOWERS over here”. And for the
two full days of the event, not once did 4-time World Swing Dance Champion Mario
Robau use the words “men and women” when addressing the partners.
Once again, God, himself couldn’t have gotten more respect from these
people than Mario Robau received. And to have him completely change his teaching
style by calling everyone “Leaders and Followers” instead of “Men
and Women” for our benefit, and showing us so much respect and consideration
was monumental. I cannot tell you how many people came up to us by the end of
the day to say that they were glad that we came and wanted us to attend another
dance the next night in Bowie, Md. and to just introduce themselves and make
us feel welcome. I'm convinced that there were people in that crowd who had
issues with gay & lesbian couples when they arrived, but had a different
perspective about it by the end of the day.
Several of us also take our talents into the social Ballroom and Latin dance
world on occasion where again we dance together as same-gender
couples; something which was never heard of in this city more than
a decade ago when I first began teaching Ballroom & Latin in Washington
DC in 1995. In the process, it’s amazing how many of the straight guys
actually end up dancing with us before the night is over, since they become
comfortable with the concept and also since we’re accomplished at what
we do whether we’re leading or following. Everyone likes dancing with
those who are good at it, regardless of what gender they might be, so the same-gender
thing loses it’s significance. More than anything else, they just seem
to be amazed by the whole idea and almost excited about being a part of it.
Another similar incident occured with two very close friends of mine from New
York City who I've known for years as Country/Western dancers through our local
Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association dance events here in washington DC. Several
years ago Jorge Guzman and Russell Halley began to train for competition as
a male couple in International Latin and have since become one of the top male
Latin couples in the European competition events. Something which before now
was unheard of, since many of the Europeans start Ballroom and Latin dancing
practically at birth. And for an American couple to do well in the European
events is definitely the exception as opposed to the rule. On April 24th &
25th, 2004, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ballroom Dance Team held
it's 2004 Open Ballroom Dance Competition on the MIT Campus, in Cambridge. The
MIT Open is one of the largest ballroom dance competitions in the Northeast,
attracting some of the top dancers from all over the country. Russell and Jorge
entered as the only same-gender
couple in the event to compete against a total of 25 other entries
in the upper level pre-championship division. It wasn't even certain at the
time of entry that they would be allowed to compete because they weren't a man
and a woman, like everyone else on the floor. Also my understanding was that
one of the judges was totally against their participation, though the rest of
the 25 participating couples were all in favor of allowing them to dance; giving
them a place on the dance floor along with everyone else. The Latin Show was
provided by Bryan Watson and Carmen, the reigning World Professional
International Latin Champions from Great Britain at the time, which
is an indication of the caliber of and the focus on professionalism in this
event. As the day progressed, the current U.S. International Latin Champion
male couple from New York City literally CLEANED HOUSE!!!
Russell and Jorge's stellar performance ultimately put them in second place
out of 26 top, top International Latin contenders! Keeping in mind that as a
male couple, they did not have the luxury of going out every weekend to other
competitions to compete and gain the experience and practice in a competitive
environment as do all of the traditional mixed-gender couples. What a catharsis
that must have been. And they said that the response to their "antics"
Out On The Dance Floor were remarkable, both during and after the performance.
As one who has experienced dancing as a male couple in many non-LGBT environments
and on numerous occasions, I guarantee that Russell and Jorge have changed many
a once-bigoted opinion toward the LGBT community through this and other such
endeavors where they've performed and danced together socially. And once again,
I'm more convinced than ever that Gay Dancing in the non-LGBT social environment
could be one of the most effective forms of grass-roots gay activism available
to us today if we would only take advantage of it. Especially when we're exceptional
at what we do and when we change leader and follower roles at the drop of a
hat right in the middle of the dance (an action which literally makes the the
straight audience gasp in amazement and brings them to their feet on every single
occasion). Such bold and daring activities as these are eventually beneficial
to all of us in changing the minds of the voting public.(You may visit www.pleasedancewithme.com/ghalleyguzmanphotogallery.htm
for photos and accomplishments of Russell Halley and Jorge Guzman, our U.S.
International Latin Champion male couple)
All of theses examples are the kinds of situations that may have a tremendous
effect when people finally vote for or against gay rights and anti-gay constitutional
amendments in the future. And consequently, these are the things that we all
need to make more of an honest effort to engage in, at least on occasion, if
we are ever going to attain the rights and privileges that should already be
available to us in America today. It doesn't mean that we have to go into major
competition mode or devote our lives to our dancing (as some of us maniacal,
obsessive-compulsive beings have already chosen to do...). If we merely prepare
ourselves to dance well and confidently at family weddings and social events,
just imagine the impact that such activities may have. When was the last time
you saw a same-gender
couple at a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or a black-tie affair of any type
dance together? I'll bet a "LOT" of money that 95% or more of you
never have. And we need to change that. I have only experienced it very few
times, myself, but in each of those occasions, I was one of the members of the
dancing same-gender couple.
Again, we can carry as many picket signs and fight as many court cases as we
care to, but without grass-roots acceptance by the American population in general,
that will all be in vain when people walk into the voting booths and vote against
us because they don't know us. We must all stop hiding in our "gay only"
social events and make more of an effort to take our social lives right out
into the straight environment so that when the right wing zealots complain about
our ungodly, sex-crazed, alcohol and drug-dominated lifestyles, those in the
general public can be well-informed that the social lifestyles of same-gender
couples aren’t actually that much different than their own. In fact, they
might even be a LOT more fun! And without their being so informed, we are at
the mercy of those who would rather see our demise when it comes to adoption,
inheritance rights and the 1,049 privileges of marraige that non-LGBT Americans
can enjoy in America on a daily basis.
My personal goal is to encourage as many male and female couples to take their
talents in Gay DanceSport out into the real world so others can experience our
presence not in the closet but rather "Out
On
The Dance Floor!!"....
To cause as many of us as is possible in our LGBT community to meet in friendly,
but competitive environments to share and perfect our dancing skills and talents
during numerous upcoming same-gender DanceSport events, including the annual
New York City 5-Boro
Dance Challenge, the Philadelphia
Liberty Dance Challenge, and more throughout the U.S.,
Europe and around
the world, such as Gay
Games and World
Outgames. Then to spread ourselves and our talents around the globe so that
in just one more small way we may change the opinions of some of those who really
don't know us. As one who danced in the very first Ballroom & Latin competitions
offered during Gay Games in Amsterdam of 1998, I know for a fact that the level
of enthusiasm and excitement that audiences portray by such activities of same-gender
couples on the dance floor will be like none ever before witnessed.
Especially when the dancers switch back and forth in their leader and follower
role-changing antics, which in Amsterdam literally brought the house down. I
had never in my 50 years at the time witnessed an audience of any type with
so much enthusiasm as the audience that watched the first Gay Games DanceSport
competition in Amsterdam. And I'm convinced that the increased publicity and
coverage planned for such events in the future will do wonders in our fight
against the bigotry and discrimination that we endure on a daily basis in this
country every day. After which all of those attending, whether as competitors
or spectators, will feel that much more comfortable and encouraged to take their
social talents "Out of the Closets" for a change
and "Out
On
The Dance Floor!!"
...But then that is just my opinion....
If you have single, one-time or ongoing LGBT dance events in your area,
regardless of where you are located, please send the information and links to
TerryChasteen@InternationalDanceSport.net or TerryChasteen@hotmail.com for posting
on the World-Wide GayDanceSPORT.com
and LambdaDanceSPORT.org
web site (or www.BrokebackMountain.us
for those who have a hard time remembering the first two).
DanceSport training opportunities for same-gender
couples may be found both locally and around the globe by visiting
the GayDanceSPORT.com
and LambdaDanceSPORT.org
web sites. For those interested in dancing locally, whether for social
dancing or future Gay DanceSport competion, you may also visit the web site
of Lambda DanceSPORT DC at www.LambdaDanceSportDC.org
(an affiliate of DC's organization of sports teams, TEAM
DC ).
This site maintained by:
Terry Chasteen's "International DanceSPORT and
Entertainment"
(Providing
entertainment plus easy, affordable and fun instruction in every style of social
dance from around the globe)
TerryChasteen@yahoo.com, TerryChasteen@InternationalDanceSPORT.net
202-462-0870
www.PleaseDanceWithMe.com
www.DanceSportOfAmerica.com
www.InternationalDanceSPORT.com
www.InterNationalDanceSPORTcompany.com
www.TangoDanceSPORT.com
www.DanceAtYourWeddingWorkshops.com
www.TheDancingKidsNetwork.com
www.MichaelJackonsThriller.com
www.Learn-to-Dance-athon.org
www.DancingWithTheDCStars.info
(www.OutOnTheDanceFloor.net)
(the web site
for the annual 1st Saturday in June "Out
on The
Dance Floor
Charity Ball"
plus monthly "So
You Think You
Can Dance DC"
and "Dancing
with the DC
Stars"
mini-dance
competitions (plus occasional "Dancing
With The AC/DC
Stars"
mini-comps for same-gender couples...any orientation,
however competing couples must be of the same gender) in all styles open to
anyone .....
so join us "Out
on The
Dance Floor")
www.LambdaDanceSPORT.org
www.GayDanceSPORT.com,
www.LambdaDanceSportDC.org
(www.DancingWithTheACDCStars.com)
www.BrokebackMountain.us
(the web site of the Brokeback Mountain Photo Gallery)
www.LambdaDanceSportNews.com
----------------------------------------------------------
A reply to "Out on the Dance Floor" by DinoInDC:
Terry,
Thanks for the inspirational message. I just wanted to share a personal
story,that you might enjoy.
My previous lover was terrified to go out onto the dance floor with me at a
GAY BAR. And he loved to dance. He hadn't been out of the closet a long time
and could hang out with comfort at the bar and go to gay parties and our families
even knew that we were a couple, but it was a whole other step in his coming
out process to venture onto the dance floor.
I told him angrily, "You'll f@&% me but you wont dance with me?!"
and I stormed out of the bar. We worked it out, and later dancing was one of
our favorite things to do together.
You are so right though about just how "out" some of us really are.
Looks like dancing might be a good baramoter.
Thanks for the Dance,
John DINO
Thanks, John...there are so many stories like this. If we would only get past
our fears that we have to be "invited" by the public to dance in front
of them. This is our privelage just as marraige, tax advantages, showing our
respect and affection toward each other in public and everything else should
be, except this is a privelage that we don't have to wait for new laws to take
advantage of and one that we just need to have the courage to take. And in the
process those other privelages will come that much sooner. Either way they will
come, I'm positive of that. Look how long it took to fight the right wing-nuts
and bigots to get black equality in this country and who used the Bible for
centuries to justify slavery. But it happened and this will happen as well.
Also the discrimination against women which is better, but still notoriously
present in most religions which use their interpretations of the writings of
the Bible to justify it. That too will come to pass, I am sure of it.
I like the recent remarks by Former NBA center John
Amaechi, who disclosed that he's gay in his book 'Man in the Middle".
"Then there are those who say their opinions on homosexuality are taken
from the Bible. Many wondered whether I’d even read that book.
The answer is, yes, I’ve read the Bible — cover to cover —
and I wonder why homosexuality is the one sin out of the hundreds catalogued
there that anyone still cares about?
The Bible also forbids you to wear clothing made from two different fibers,
so if that shirt you’re wearing is a cotton/poly blend, then 'You’ve
got some ‘splainin’ to do, Lucy!' If you’re a man and you’ve
made contact — even inadvertently — with a woman who is having her
period, do you perform the purification rituals? Because if you don’t,
God’s going to be very unhappy with you.
I hope you haven’t eaten shrimp or lobster, because that’s a no-no,
too.
(If you want the straight dope from the King James edition, just read Leviticus.
In the interests of ecumenism, find the sacred texts of all religions here.)
While we’re on the subject of the Bible, would anyone care to explain
which of the two accounts of creation in Genesis is the right one?
Take Care and Be Well,
John Amaechi
(Regarding the remarks from John Amaechi about the Bible. I've always wondered why the
