Welcome to LaBlast What is LaBlast?

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Hope Williams
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1 Welcome to LaBlast The idea for LaBlast came about after the second season of Dancing with the Stars, when Louis celebrity partner, Lisa Rinna, confided that she had an amazing experience working with him and wanted to keep dancing after the show season ended. As far as she knew there weren t any classes offered that fit exactly what she d been doing with Louis, and after a discussion between the two friends, it quickly became apparent to Louis that he had an opportunity to create something new and exciting something that wasn t already out there. The premise was simple: create a partner-free dance program that anyone could participate in to learn to dance, get fit, and have fun. With Lisa s help, Louis launched his first class in a small dance studio with five friends. In just a few weeks, the classes were packed! More classes were added and before he knew it, Louis was teaching eight classes, 6 days a week. After two years, the classes had become so popular that he had no choice but to expand by developing a dance program that would be suitable for both dance and fitness facilities worldwide. In 2009, Louis was partnered with Kelly Osbourne for the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars. The pair had a very successful season and Kelly lost 25 pounds in three months dancing. Following that season Louis decided to turn LaBlast into a worldwide program where fitness professionals, dancers, and dance lovers can get certified instructors. Currently LaBLast has over 600 instructors worldwide and is growing at a fast steady pace. Louis s mission for LaBlast is simple: to get people moving from all corners of the world, regardless of their fitness level, age, or background, all through the power of dance! What is LaBlast? LaBlast is a dance fitness program based on all the dances you see on Dancing with the Stars It is partner free and uses a wide variety of music. The program uniquely fuses fitness routines and movements into dance training. Music is a key component to the classes, using a wide variety of genres, ranging from pop, rock, hip hop, country and disco to create a fun, energetic club-like atmosphere. The result is a high-energy class experience that makes you want to dance! LaBlast is designed for all levels from the absolute beginner to the experienced dancer. It is a multi-level program at which students can progress at their own rate. Students begin with an introduction to the program providing the foundation and base techniques used in LaBlast. As the program progresses, the intensity of the workout increases, dances and choreography are expanded, and technique and details are refined.

2 What sets LaBlast Apart? No monthly fees for certification Built in continuing education-no re-certification requirements, but multiple certifications with more material, higher intensity, and additional teaching techniques You truly learn the skill of dance It s a multi-level program providing variety and challenges for students of all skill levels Free access to updates, music playlists, and more! You can dance to your favorite music! LaBlast uses all music from every artist, every genre, and every era. LaBlast is not based on choreography but on interchangeable movement patterns It s a lifestyle-students will build confidence, improve their health, and raise their spirits! Movement Movement has no beginning and no ending. Therefore, change becomes very important. Movement transitions, patterns and directions change, but movement never stops. The changes and transitions are what makes dancing creative and creates a natural flow, which in return makes the students feel satisfied and successful. Another important aspect is that the movement is experienced by the entire body; not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Dance is not just merely doing choreography to the music, but rather moving the whole body with the music. Becoming the dance holistically, that is with mind, body and soul, is what makes dance not only fulfilling, but it also creates the best fitness benefits. To make LaBlast accessible to everyone, it is imperative to teach the patterns with absolute clarity, especially when executing and anticipating change of direction. This gives the student the opportunity to follow instantly without getting lost and frustrated. LaBlast emphasizes the importance of watching and listening. Seamless transitions, while moving the entire body make LaBlast the most accessible for everyone, both for students new to dance and experienced dancers. Twisting Twisting is the number one action in the LaBlast dance fitness program that works the entire midsection, including the abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back. Twisting also works the quadriceps and calves. Twisting is the pattern that works the most muscle groups at the same time. It is important the instructor explains the execution of twisting clearly, both visually and by choice of words. It is the hardest to teach and execute. Twisting is turning two body parts in opposite directions at the same time. This is also referred to as in opposition. The ribcage turns opposite in relation to the hips at the same time, while the feet swivel diagonally side to side. The leg movement is like prancing. One leg is bent while the other is straight. Twisting is also a great way to reestablish the phrasing in music application. It can be used as filler during a dance to work with

3 music/phrasing pattern of a particular song. Even though each pattern in each dance is done four times, with the twisting pattern the instructor can decide to increase the amount of times to strengthen the core and stamina of the students. Twisting is a great way to intensify the workout. To increase the intensity of the workout, the arms can be lifted above the head when twisting. Be mindful not to keep the arms elevated for an extended period of time. The instructor should tailor the intensity of the workout based on the class population. LaBlast classes attract students of different ages, goals and fitness levels. Cueing Cueing is a very important part of LaBlast. The instructor should monitor the class for safety and be aware of the students at all times. Each cue should be brief and should be anticipated to provide the students with enough time to move smoothly from one movement pattern to the next. Both audio and visual cueing is used in LaBlast classes. Students are encouraged to watch and listen to learn the dances. It is important that the instructor anticipates each pattern within each dance by visually indicating the new direction before the new pattern begins. Audio cueing is also very important, especially when teaching the patterns in between songs. During LaBlast classes the music may be loud, therefore visual cueing takes precedent over audio cueing. Visual cueing can help to protect the instructor s voice. When beginning a routine, the instructor should clap the rhythm first or march the rhythm with the feet. There are five types of cueing: Footwork cueing indicates which foot moves in which direction such as left foot in front when you move to the left or right foot in front when you move to the right. Directional cueing tells the students which direction to move: forward and back, up and down or wall to wall. Rhythmic cueing indicates the correct rhythm of the routine, such as single, single, double. Numerical cueing refers to counting the rhythm such as 1 and 2, 3, 4. Step cueing refers to the name of the step, such as chasse, triple step, or rock step. As students become proficient at executing movement patterns, they will need fewer verbal cues. The instructor can then rely more on nonverbal cues, such as using the hands or head to indicate direction. For beginner students, it is very helpful to be dramatic about visual cueing using over the top gestures. The over the top gestures can also be amusing, which makes the class light hearted and fun.

4 The Dances Hustle The hustle is traditionally called the "New York Hustle" but frequently referred to by other names including "Le Hustle" or "Latin Hustle". The Hustle became highly popular in the mid to late 70 s. While many of the famous Disco moves were done individually, the Hustle was a three count partner dance with elaborate lifts and free spirited moves. It bears resemblance to, and has common movements with the Swing and Salsa dancing. Paso Doble The Paso Doble is a Spanish dance based on the bull fight influenced by Flamenco. This dance is all about strength, pride, and passion. Students can play the role of the Matador, Cape, or a Flamenco dancer. The changing of roles within the dance makes the Paso Doble both fun and exciting. Samba The Samba is a very old Brazilian dance, also with an African heritage. It has been around for almost 100 years. The Samba has many different variations from the slow and sultry Bossa Nova, the moderately fast Bahia, to the fastest hip shaking Batucada. There are many Samba schools that compete at the world famous Sambodromo, which is Brazil s most famous stadium where the annual Samba competition takes place. Jive The Jive is a swing dance and a lively, uninhibited version of the Jitterbug. This dance originated in the United States in the 1930 s in the African-American community. The Jive, like the Salsa, has influences from many different swing dances such as the Lindy Hop, Rock n Roll, the Twist, East Coast Swing, and the West Coast Swing. Merengue Like the Cha-Cha-Cha and Salsa, the Merengue was also born in Caribbean, but originated in the Dominican Republic in the 1800 s. It is considered the national dance of the Dominican Republic. Most Latin dances are partner dances, but the Merengue started off as a group dance executed in a circle. The lively and upbeat heritage of this dance includes a lot of hip movement and makes it a very accessible and fun dance. Salsa Salsa is a dance of Cuban origin with strong roots from Africa and also has a direct relationship with the Mambo. Salsa started in the 1960 s influenced mostly by the Son and Rumba. It has grown to be one of the most popular dances worldwide. Due to the social character of the Salsa this dance is very accessible, which makes it very popular.

5 Disco Disco dancing originated in the United States in the late 1960 s but did not gain huge popularity until the mid to late 1970 s. The Disco era was all about line dancing, platform shoes, and dressing to impress. Cha-Cha The Cha Cha is a dance of Cuban origin. Most Latin dances like the Cha-Cha were given life and were created by a mix of jazz and African beats. The Cha-Cha became very popular in the 1950 s and has strong roots to the Mambo. The Cha Cha was the result of the Mambo being simplified and slowed down. Most social dances in the Caribbean have African roots because of the slave trade. The many ships arriving from African brought with them a wealth of musical heritage, which strongly influenced all Latin music. West Coast Swing Common belief is that the origins of the West Coast Swing are rooted in the Lindy Hop. The West Coast Swing was developed in the 1930 s and is considered the slowest of the swing dances. The West Coast Swing is also called the Western Swing, California Swing, or Sophisticated Swing. In 1988 the West Coast Swing was officially announced as the California state dance. Viennese Waltz What is now called the Viennese waltz is the original form of the waltz. It was the first ballroom dance performed in the closed hold or "waltz" position. The Viennese Waltz is a rotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either toward the right (natural) or toward the left (reverse), interspersed with non-rotating change steps to switch between the different directions of rotation. In a properly danced Viennese Waltz, couples do not pass, but turn continuously left and right while travelling counterclockwise around the floor following each other. In the modern ballroom dance world, two versions of Viennese Waltz are recognized: International Style and American Style. Tango The Tango, from Argentina, is derived from the Cuban habanera, the Argentine milonga and candombe, and is said to contain elements from the African community in Buenos Aires, influenced both by ancient African rhythms and the music from Europe. The present forms were developed in Argentina from the mid-19th century, but there are earlier written records of Tango dances in Cuba and Spain. Like the music, the Tango is based on Staccato and Legato movement and is considered one of the sexiest ballroom dances, due to the intimate character of the dance. Even though the Tango comes from a Latin-American country, within the Ballroom dance world it is part of the ballroom dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Walz), not the latin dances (Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive). There are three different Tango forms - the International Tango, American style Tango, and the Argentinean Tango.

6 Rumba The Rumba is a family of percussive rhythms, song and dance that originated in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions. The Rumba first emerged in Cuba during the 1880s, at the time when slavery was finally abolished on the island. There are quite a few different interpretations of the dance and also various paces/bpms. In LaBlast we focus on the American style, which is a moderately paced dance. It is considered a slower version of Salsa. Lindy Hop Lindy Hop was made popular in the United States in the 1920s and was developed in the African American communities. For many Lindy Hop historians, the Charleston is Lindy Hop's most influential predecessor. The Lindy hop is a swing dance like the Jive. This is a high-speed dance expressing freedom with a lot of arm and leg swing movement. Since the original Lindy hop tempo is the fastest dance on the planet, it s really important to relax the body to be able to swing the arms and legs as necessary. Quickstep The Quickstep originated in the mid 19 th century as a military exercise. The dance was developed in England in the early 20 th century and was influenced by the Fast Foxtrot and Charleston. The Quickstep dance is the fastest of the competitive ballroom dances with fast footwork and yet a very cool calm and collected upper body. The Charleston s Flapper feet are very apparent in the Quickstep and the upright posture of the dance is taken from the tight corset era of the roaring twenties. Like the Lindy Hop, the Quickstep is upbeat and all about joy. For more information on how to become a LaBlast instructor, please go to For any questions on hosting a certification, please contact info@lablastfitness.com Like us! Louis van Amstel LaBlast Fitness

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