A Unique African Dance DVD

African Dance is the perfect antidote to stress and that down-in-the-dumps feeling. Give yourself a tonic which leaves your Mind, Body and Spirit feeling refreshed and invigorated. Dance to the exhilarating rhythms of Africa. Nuna and Charlie are both beginners. If they can get the hang of it so can you. Have fun!

The instructors in the video teach at the Centre for National Culture, Tamale Ghana where the video was filmed.

Invite your friends round and learn the dances together! In a relaxed party-mood it's much easier to overcome any feelings of shyness or inhibitions about dance.Poor co-ordination can be overcome and so can two left feet. You don't need any dancing experience to successfully "Dance in Our Footsteps". Nor do you have to be any particular shape, size or age. Let the music take over and you will have an enjoyable, relaxing time which will leave you feeling refreshed, de-stressed and uplifted. Your cares and worries will have been forgotten.

Dance is now recognized as an effective form of exercise. It can be a really excellent Mind-Body-and-Spirit workout. Dance is the key to keeping ones body and brain healthy as we age. Bones and muscles are strengthened without stressing the joints. Cardio-vascular efficiency is improved. Dance tones the whole body and improves posture and balance. It also greatly assists people both in losing and maintaining their weight which in turn helps in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, gallbladder disease, depression and some forms of cancer.

A person weighing 147 lbs loses 3.5 calories per minute. Therefore 45 minutes dancing would burn up 157 calories which is equivalent to about half a chocolate bar.

However, a word of caution. If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions please seek medical advice before using this video:-

Do you have a heart condition and your doctor recommended that you consult before undertaking an exercise program?

Do you have chest pains when you do physical activity?

In the past month have you suffered chest pains while not doing physical activity?

Do you suffer from dizziness and balance problems?

Do you have bone or joint problems made worse by changes of physical activity levels?

Are you taking prescription drugs for blood pressure or a heart condition?

Any other reasons (such as pregnancy) which make you wonder if this physical activity might not be good for you?

I am a Dance and Movement Therapist and Cultural Anthropologist who has lived and worked in England, Ghana and Nigeria.

I really hope you enjoy "Dance in Our Footsteps".

P.S To help the party along you can download some Ghanaian recipes for free.

"Dance in Our Footsteps" can be purchased from:-

Click here to buy my DVDs
or
http://www.lulu.com/content/5418026
You may enjoy my book of children's stories "Tales My Ghanaian Grandmother Told Me" by Dzagbe Cudjoe available through Amazon.com
http://www.squidoo.com/DonnetteDavisSMMarketing

Liturgical Dance

Liturgical dance is being increasingly re-introduced into services of Christian worship. Behind the choreography is the belief that the dance must be a heartfelt expression of faith and prayer. It is a physical expression of worship.Young people especially need to see a connection between body, movement and spirit. The aim is not to dazzle audiences but to deepen their religious experience,to make dance a prayer. However, the dance must not become such a personal expression that it means nothing in particular to the rest of the congregation.

Liturgical dance can include Folk dance, modern dance, jazz, interpretive dance, spontaneous dance, and circle dance to name a few. There are many starting points for the choreography . For example a song which has "danceability" and allows the word to be interpreted as movement. The dancers could also move to the music and see what emerges. Facial expression is also important. Sign language can be used as a basis to create dance moves. Some Christian church groups have been inspired to create dance by the exercises of St.Ignatius Loyola.

The dance can express many aspects of worship. Praise where the dancers are offering thanksgiving. Worship when intimacy between the performers would be expressed through reverent, yielding movements.There are celebratory dances and those expressing the fight against evil which would be forceful, bold and full of confidence. Expressing travail and trouble would suggest movements conveying reaching out to God for help, guidance, direction and relief.

Simplicity and humility are characteristics which are emphasized. Liturgical choreographers have to carefully integrate their choreography into rites that have been established for generations. All works have to be created with the peculiarities of each sanctuary's architecture. Sometimes obstacles such as stairs have to be taken into account. Sometimes the altar is in the middle of the dancing space and must be worked into the choreography.

Dance might accompany the entrance of the clergy and choir into the church, might replace the sermon, serve as a meditation or accompany an ancient prayer.

Christian women's groups are at the forefront of introducing liturgical dance. Interpreting scripture through movement can in fact be done by anyone, anywhere. Neither physical ability or experience with dance are required. Dancers need to work together for a significant period of time before dancing in the actual service. This develops rapport between dancers in both faith and movement. If there are great differences in technical ability then the choreography must be levelled at the least experienced to preserve integrity of movement and its meaning.

Some groups only dance for their own congregations while others tour to other places of worship.There are congregations who are involving the youth in dance, fitness and nutrition education. Christian based dance schools impart character development, self-discipline, self-control and self-esteem. The students are taught in a positive atmosphere with strong dance technique. Some dance ensembles have women's groups, young adults and children's groups.

Many videos, articles and books exist with instructional material for liturgical dance.

What liturgical dancers wear is not a costume. It is a garment of praise, symbolic and meaningful in design, colors and fabrics .Modesty is the key. There is much advice on the type of undergarments, the depth of necklines and the appropriate length of dresses and skirts.

The International Christian Dance Fellowship is an ecumenical fellowship that links individuals and organizations involved in dance and movement ministries around the world.


http://www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com
http://www.dance-in-our-footsteps.com
http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/Donnette

Dance Can Be An Effective Tool in the Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is already a very serious and disturbing problem in the United States of America and many parts of Europe where obesity in general is increasing.The problem looks set to spread to other parts of the world as their standard of living improves.A diet with a high fat, sugar and salt intake and a sedentary lifestyle have all been major contributing factors in childhood obesity. As a result children are getting Type 2 diabetes and other illnesses usually associated with middle age. We have a generation of children who may well die before their parents.

It seems that the present generation is no longer keen on traditional competitive team games. Modern technology has led to children wanting to entertain themselves and to be personally in charge of the activity. Television and computer games loom large in their lives.

Overweight and obese children need to follow a strict weight loss regime and take increased exercise to help burn up the calories. The difficulty is that children who have a problem with their weight don't enjoy the changes in their eating habits and are unenthusiastic about exercise. Cajoling, bribery, and threats do not work. The trick is to find an activity which burns calories but is not necessarily immediately seen as exercise. It also needs to be interesting and fun. This is where dance comes into its' own as a calorie burning aerobic form of exercise.

Dance, partially due to television shows, is now the "in" way to exercise. Increasing numbers of people are using dance workouts as a way of exercising. You don't need to be a great dancer to enjoy the health benefits of dancing. The main purpose is to enjoy moving to music and music plays a large role in young peoples lives these days

Dancing can be a really good Mind-Body-Spirit workout. Physical activity in general keeps body and brain healthy by increasing the amounts of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. Dance helps people of all ages and physical limitations to get and stay in shape. There is chair and wheelchair dancing for people (including children) who have mobility difficulties.

The benefits of dancing are the same as other low-impact weight bearing activities such as walking fast, cycling or aerobics. This form of exercise also strengthens bones and muscles without stressing the joints. It tones the whole body and improves posture and balance. There is an increase in stamina and flexibility and a reduction in stress and tension which are often a problem for overweight children.

There are numerous forms of dance which may appeal to children and which could help in the battle against childhood obesity

Hip Hop and Capoeira are two dance forms which children may find appealing. Capoeira is a Brazilian hybrid dance and martial art. Cardio Capoeira is very challenging indeed. An exercise session involves heavy sparring (i.e dancing ) that can be done either solo or with a partner. It involves a lot of kicking, spinning and cartwheels. In this workout the buttocks, quadriceps and hamstrings are really exercised due to the multiple repetitions of a deep side-to-side lunge which links one capoeira movement to the next.

Cardio Salsa is a low-impact but high intensity workout combining prcise, fast-paced Latin choreography - merengue, mambo, cha-cha, samba - with traditional aerobic dance steps (such as the grapevine), repeated lunges, and arm raises. The great advantage of this exercise programme is that what is learned can be practised on the dance floor. Knowing the steps and being able to move to complex rhythms is likely to increase self-confidence and poise.

Masala Bhangra , is a challenging workout, based on the traditional folk dance of India. It involves a choreographed series of hops, foot stomping and hip gyrations accompanied by hip-hop influenced bhangra music and live drumming. Most moves are performed while vigorously shaking the arms at 45 degree angles to the side of the body and doing multiple, rapid-fire shoulder raises. This form of dance workout results in firm arms and sculpted shoulders. The same sort of classes are also known as Bhangra Aerobics.

There is now a dance form which is proving highly popular with people in general and is proving to be a great hit with children. The video game Dance Dance Revolution (D.D.R) is made by Konami of Japan where it was located in arcades in that country.It is now more usually played on Sony's Playstation 2 and Microsoft's box game consoles.
There are a number of other games such as Red Octanes's In the Groove, Pump It Up, Exceed, Dance Along and Para Para Paradise.

The video game Dance Dance Revolution and other such games may be a means of helping children loose weight. As a song plays (and all sorts of music is suitable) arrows pointing forward, back, left and right, appear on the screen in various sequences and combinations. The players must step on the matching arrows on a mat on the floor. Players can dance by themselves, with a partner or in competition

Some states in the U.S are already using it as a regular part of their physical education curriculum. Dance Dance Revolution offers excercise without children having to possess the skills demanded by sport and games. As a result it appeals to children across the board.

A study was carried out last year in Rochester, Minn. an area which has a particularly severe problem with childhood obesity. The research team from the Mayo Clinic found that children playing Dance Dance Revolution used significantly more energy than children watching television and playing traditional video games. D.D.R does meet standards for aerobic fitness by raising the heart rate sufficiently for the required period of time.

In Redmond, Oregon In the Groove was installed in third and fourth grade classrooms for a five-month study. The most "at risk" students were chosen to become "Groove Masters", mentors to other children. Some of the results from the study included:-

1. Absenteeism dropped by more than 50%

2. 85% of the mentors grew in social skills

3. 94% of the students who took part showed increases in leadership skills and confidence, which increased self-esteem and improved academic performance.

4. 4th grade students who took part in the study improved their mile run by 13.8%

5.Students became more enthusiastic about sports, fitness and dance,

The games were shown to give a good aerobic workout and to assist in weight loss, a very important factor in the battle against childhood obesity.

Dr Debra Liebermann of the Dept. of Communications, at UC Santa Barbara calls this video activity "exergaming". She described Dance Dance Revolution as a game, a social activity, a dance and performance platform, a workout and weight loss tool, and a classroom and workplace activity. She lists a number of reasons for its appeal:- the games challenges, the music, the joy of movement, the work out, and social interactions.

There are versions that allow aerobic instructors to work with a group.

Dr Liebermann's conclusions regarding these games was that they "make a very positive contribution to player's stress management, weight management, fitness and health".

This is perhaps a form of dance which will be acceptable to overweight children in that it is a fun happening which they will be happy to take part in.

Parents do take medical advice before putting your overweight child on a diet and exercise programme.

If children are not immediately attracted to a specific kind of dance - experiment. There's a dance out there for everyone. Have fun finding it!

http://www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com
http://www.squidoo.com/DonnetteDavisSMMarketing

1000 hands kuan yin dance(Goddess of Mercy) dance

This dance is called "Buddha with thousand hands".
It is performed by
a group of Chinese girls who are both deaf and
mute.They dance by
reading the signs given by the 2 teachers standing
at each side of
the stage, They are so famous now that they are
being invited by
countries around the world at $400,000 a
performance.

The flow of life's energies in dance is a source of endless fascination to me. Here the core energy is very strong and flows through the dancers fingers uniting them as a beautiful whole.

http://www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com

http://www.squidoo.com/St-Aidens-Homeschool

Slide Show of my Trip to South Africa

Trip to South Africa My Thoughts on Life, People and Politics

I arrived in South Africa under the impression that everything functioned with the efficiency associated with an industrialized society. This was a misconception on my part.

When I arrived, Donnette, whose work depends entirely on the internet had not had e-mail access for two weeks as Telcomsa was having problems. The telephone landlines are totally erratic. Getting anything fixed involved many long and expensive calls on a cell phone reporting the problem. Getting to someone who actually knew what they were talking about was a long, frustrating process.

People in the service sector, in the main were,pleasant enough and there were some who positively bowled me over with their charm. But businesses do not seem, to me at least, to be interested in creating long term customers The emphasis is on the here and now. Donnette and I went to print flyers. We were charged separately for 10 minutes of computer time, downloading the pdf file and printing the files - Fair enough. Donnette then asked the assistent if he would guillotine the pages. Yes, he could at fifty cents per page. Donnette and the assistants started laughing at the shocked expression on my face. We only had a few pages so Donnette did the job. The things that can be charged for as extras are amazing showing great ingenuity.

Public services which fail to offer a regular, efficient service are particularly fierce when it comes to settling bills. If customers are even one day late in settling telephone, water or electricity bills the service is disconected and a 50% late charge added.

Another misconception of mine was as to how the countryside and people would look. Perhaps I have watched too many wildlife programmes filed in the dry season when all looks, brown and dessicated. My visit co-incided with an exceptionally wet summer which had led to rivers bursting their banks. KwaZulu Natal is incredibly beautiful and was a radiant green while I was there. It soon became apparent to me how many common English garden plants are actually indigenous to Southern Africa. The trees were of indigenous species unknown (or so it seemed to me) in West Africa. The Drakensberg Mountains rose in the background and the landscape in a strange way reminded me of parts of England - no wonder English settlers were attracted here. I never stopped exclaming how beautiful the views were.

The West African urban street scene is vibrant, bustling and colourful. The areas if Pietermarizberg that it was safe to visit were dull and lifeless as if time had stood still. It had not always been like that I was assured. Many people remembered a time when it was safe to sit in a park or attend some event or other. It was only later that I realized central Pietermaritzberg (the capital of KwaZulu Natal) must have been very much a "White" area in the days of apartheid.

To experience a more lively atmosphere it is necessary to venture into what were formerly the areas exclusive to the "Indians" and "Blacks". In West Africa people are out and about wearing bright prints fashioned into traditional garments. At least in the areas of KwaZulu Natal which I visited people were dressed in a very drab and uninteresting manner. I realize that there are still beautiful traditional costumes which are worn on special occassions. My remark is specific to everyday wear.
Women from the less affluent groups seemed to all wear long skirts or dresses with what to my eyes was an odd assortment of accompanying garments. I remember one "Zulu" lady wrapped in a heavy winter coat proceeding with great dignity along the road. She looked like a Guy Fawkes figure but was quite beautiful in her dignity and strength.

I have never in my life encountered so many seriously overweight people of both sexes. I was told that this is due to poor diet on the part of both the "Afrikaans" and "Zulu" populations. The "Afrikaaners" and "White" population in general love meat - biltong (dried meat) boereworse (sausage), droe worse (dry salami) and incredibly calorific pastries such as koeksister (a fried plaited sweet soaked in syrup). There are advertisements for slimming salons and slimming pills and potions everywhere. I did not gain the impression that exercise was on such peoples agenda. Having made that comment there were many young people to be seen out cycling and jogging.

The Zulu diet is very heavy on carbohydrates and people seem to gain weight even though they work hard physically. What really upset me was seeing children who are already reaching morbidly obese proportions. The link between obesity and ill health does not seem to be made.

Everyone is affected by the Global Economic Recession. Young people of all races are trying to emigrate and find jobs overseas. The New Constitution of South Africa is not, very unfortunately, a level playing field for all its citizens. I was informed that "Whites" are not eligible for state child maintenance or for free schooling or free health care.. If this is so (while personally understanding the psychology behind the ruling) still cannot condone any laws which do not give all citizens equal rights. While it may be that "White" South Africans still belong to the more affluent strata of society there are many who are struggling to pay school fees and pay medical bills. Not everyone can afford medical insurance. I know of people who can no longer afford to buy their long-term prescribed medication.

As everywhere there are always people who are not prepared to do anything to help themsleves. There is a well known "White" woman who stands in the middle of the road at a crossroads holding a cardboard sign. She is a beggar and has operated on this spot for years. Morning and evening she is transported to and from her pitch by car. She owns a house. Many years ago the owner of a local restaurant offered to train her as a waitress. He was prepared to pay her a basic wage (not normally offered) and said she would also get commission. The offer was refused because the woman maintained she could make more money by begging. I was not able to find out who actually gave her money. One suggestion was that the "Indian" Muslim community might be generous to her.

KwaZulu Natal has the largest population of "Indian" origin in South Africa. Some people have been in South Africa for so long that where they came from on the Indian subcontinent is unknown to them and they have never been out of South Africa. There are two distinct groups some being Muslims and others Hindu. Many people of "Indian"descent feel that their contribution in the struggle against apartheid has not been sufficiently recognized and that they are still discriminated against.

The Malls are filled with frail, ancient and often disabled "White" South Africans. Somewhat to my surprise I felt deeply sorry for them. It is not easy in the later years of life to adjust to massive social and economic changes.

In the same way I felt incredibly sad at the thought that so many "Black" South Africans are still without basic amenities, schools and often without hope. Things are improving but the question is will they improve fast enough for the masses who were promised so much.

All the people who I met on my trip were open and friendly - truly delightful. But it will always be a searing pain and deep sadness to me that I as a fellow African was never able to meet any "Black" South Africans on a social basis. My friends one "White" one "Indian" do not see and have never seen people in terms of colour. They behave in the same friendly and courteous manner to everyone. One friend got herself into trouble with the authorities for helping "Black" South Africans . The father of my other friend was a political activist who had to flee the country and spent twenty years in exile in England.

Once this friend and I were on our way to the Ladies rest Room with women of all colours when I remarked that not so long ago we would all have had to use different facilities. My friend started to tell me about that period. Suddenly I felt that the subject would be too painful for both of us and I backed off.

Apartheid created for South Africans a life where everything from birth to death was regulated by skin colour. Real social contact between groups became virtually impossible. Now South Africa finds itself in a position where people do want to get to know each other but do not necessarily know how to build bridges. It appeared to me that the different groups do not seem to know a great deal about one another. Out of this diversity a common South African culture needs to be built. A culture which everyone can identify with. The "Rainbow Nation" still lies in the future.

This will clearly not happen overnight. Schools are integrated and all pupils must learn Afrikaans and an African language. This is a big step forward but real integration will take time. I went to South Africa to promote my children's book "Tales My Ghanaian Grandmother Told Me" but I would dearly love to return to do work connected with culture and education or lecturing teachers on the benefits of Dance and Movement Therapy for children with Special Needs.

http:www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TalesMyGhanaianGrandmotherToldMe.html
http://www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com
http://www.squidoo.com/journey-South-Africa-book-launch

Thoughts on My Trip to South Africa - Security

My first few weeks in south Africa to publicize my children's book were spent in a state of extreme culture shock. Nothing was as I had been led to believe - not even the weather. It was winter in Andalucia, Spain when I left for what was supposed to be mid-summer in South Africa. The first few days were so cold I ended up wearing the same winter clothes I had arrived in. And it rained and rained and rained.

Though I had lived and worked in West Africa I knew that South Africa was very different. One of my misconceptions was that I would be able to take public transport and travel around on my own. It was soon made clear to me that this did not come into question. It was far too dangerous.

At this point I must emphasize that anything I write is based on my experiences in a suburb of Pietermaritzberg. What I describe may or may not be representative of of South Africa in general.

Security is everybody's overriding concern. I had expected security to be an issue but not to the extent that it is. Every house seems to have strong fencing topped by razor wire and most have electric gates. Prominently displayed signs reading "Twenty Four hour surveillance. Armed response" are standard.Armed response means just what it says. In addition most people in the area have terrifyingly large guard dogs. My hostesses neighbour has two ferocious mastiffs. Apparently before buying or renting a property the first consideration is the security arrangements.

I know that I am going to really upset many people by using the terms "White", "Black", "Indian" etc but the fact of the matter is that it is not yet possible to describe the situation in South Africa without employing these terms. There are no value or moral judgments attached to my use of these terms.

All the shopping malls have tight security. Armed guards are positioned outside banks and ATM's. Security personnel in the malls are well trained and have found themselves involved in shoot outs. A shop in a mall with bullet damage which was pointed at to me. An outlet in a mall was selling guns and had the most vicious-looking , large knives on display. I noticed one guard was wearing navy combat gear who was standing with his arms held clear of his torso like a cowboy in a film at the start of a shoot out. He reminded me of a perfect, efficient android. The steely watchfullness in all the guards eyes made my hair stand on end. South African security personnel are much sought after in the Middle East.

The police are also much in evidence. They are very well paid and enjoy benefits such as good health insurance, generous housing mortgages and the use of a police vehicle.

The local paper seemed to regularly feature details of robberies (mostly with violence). While I was there a shoot out occurred in Pietermaritzberg which caused two fatalities. The incident was suspected to be connected to "taxi wars".

One afternoon we were all sitting at home when there was a sharp report from further up the road. When I enquired what it was Donnette replied completely unperturbed that it was a gunshot.

People seem to take the violence calmly and fatalistically . They avoid certain areas of town, take all security precautions knowing full well that really determined burglars will get in anyway. Such times bring out the best and worst in people.