Dancing With City Cars
International dance lessons for the urban traveller
By Jeff Cameron

From Kristi Yamaguchi gracefully strutting across the stage to Warren Sapp methodically shuffling his considerable frame to the beat of the tango, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars offers viewers a unique opportunity to watch their favorite celebrities either dazzle or dissolve in an equally hazardous environment: the dance floor. Regardless of how you feel about the celebrities involved or dance in general, it is hard to ignore the appeal of the two combined. Inspired by this pop culture phenomenon I decided to put on my dancing shoes and check out some of the highly touted dance classes available through The Hub at Hart House.

Upon my arrival at the exercise room for my first-ever dance class, I began to get those all too familiar butterflies that accompany most new experiences. However, as I regarded the other participants in the mirror-walled studio I was somewhat comforted knowing that I, at least, did not have to attempt the cha-cha in high-heeled shoes (my sympathies, ladies). Each of us reacts differently when confronted with an occasion that involves dancing in public—are you someone who glues yourself to the wall in abject terror, or do you revel in moving and grooving to the beat? The fact that we all have our own personal experiences with this terrifying moment of truth is part of the fascination with watching Dancing with the Stars; we get to witness inexperienced dancers strut their stuff on the most public of all forums: national television.

Before the DanceFit class began I introduced myself to the dance instructor, Mandy Hanafi. With a display of charm that seems to be inherent to all successful teachers, Mandy was able to brush aside my reservations about the class and immediately make me feel welcome. Having no previous experience with the cha-cha, the first thing that struck me was how much fun the music was! To the beat of this fabulous Latin tune Mandy led us through a series of dance moves that included the Whisk, the Alemana and the Hockey Stick. Although I struggled at times, eventually I was able to put it all together and experience that strange elation of moving to the beat in unison with the rest of the class. DanceFit is Mandy’s favorite class to teach because of the fast pace and high energy level: “We learn the basics and proper techniques of the various Latin dances, but because we are dancingwithout partners we are able to learn much higher level choreography than would normally be possible in such a short time.” Spurred on by my success in the DanceFit class I decided to stay for International Dance, Mandy’s next class. I enjoyed continued success as we learned the basic steps of the International waltz together with the proper form of how to hold one’s partner. But I soon realized why professional dancers are in such good shape. Just holding my partner’s hand with my arm elevated for a couple of minutes was no easy task. According to Mandy, “dancing is an excellent way to get and stay fit. It isn’t so exhausting or boring like going to a gym, so once people get into dancing it is usually something that they will continue for a lifetime…It’s a bit addictive—the more you learn, the more you WANT to learn.” I would have to agree, and am returning for more lessons in the New Year. However, until then I will have to be content with two-stepping through traffic on my way to campus.

ABOUT MANDY: Mandy Hanafi started competing and training in ballroom dance in 1986 and spent the early part her career in England, the world headquarters of ballroom dancing. Twice she had the honor of representing Canada at the World Professional 10-Dance Championships in Germany, as well as the World Professional Standard Championships in Denmark. She has now been dancing professionally and teaching classes at Hart House for 23 years and loves the genuine interest that students bring to her classes. Her favorite Dancing with the Stars contestants are Cloris Leachman and Jerry Springer because they “demonstrate exactly what is typical about most people interested in starting to dance…and that dancing is beautiful and fun for every age and everybody.”