Our APPROACH to DANCE LEARNING

The Center has just turned two, and is about to make tidal waves in the local ballroom scene. It came about as a result of our desire to share our dance knowledge with social dancers in the Philippines. Within its first six months of operations, the Center conducted several beginner classes in ballroom dancing, trained 3 dance instructors, and managed debutante balls.  
     The Center however encountered several organization problems while the one of its directors had to visit the United States in mid-1997, so that in the second half of the year, the Center concentrated on choreographies for special group presentations, as well as those for Christmas presentations and office dance competitions. All eight competition choreographies played either first or second overall among an average of 8 competing groups. 
    All the while up until recently, the principal teachers, long-time friends and dancing partners Vikky Bondoc-Cabrera and Rene "Smile" Canlas, have been conducting individual dance lessons for friends, completed a dance book as reference material for its students entitled "Secrets of Modern Ballroom Dancing", developed and managed its web home which was launched on 16 March 1998, and initiated the first steps in producing a series of individual dance books, instructional videos, and interactive CDs on dance. 
      Now, after months of concentrated vision, the Center is starting to be recognized for its comprehensive yet down-to-earth approach to dance education. Organizations have seen the potential of Heritage Dance Center's team as savvy event organizers and as serious yet bubbly teachers. Many of it's students have come back for more advanced private lessons.

      Together, Smile and I have developed a simple and easy style of sharing our combined knowledge and experience with those who care to listen, feel and move with us.
      We realized that Filipinos are so adept at copying the moves of professional dancers, and are especially challenged by the most intricate step patterns and exhibition moves. Visit any ballroom outlet and you'll see what I mean. There will definitely be at least a couple or two who'd challenge other dancers to a silent duel competition for the newest and most intricate step sequences and amalgamations.
      It's often very interested to watch these couples, except that most of the time, they show their amateurish moves and ignorance of the principles of body movement and even music. Often they'd look like waddling ducks, and at worse, simulate the 'tikling' bird.
      So, Smile and I thought, how can we get as many fun-loving dancers to dance with more grace and finesse?
      The answer: Teachers had to make learning to dance real fun and easy, so that even after the first lesson, they'd see dramatic changes. That gave birth to our teaching approach.

      We haven't allowed our lack of capital to set up our own studio to prevent us from sharing what we know. Thus we offer

Studio-based dance classes which we conduct in our partner studios.

 

Offsite dance lessons for groups and individuals conducted in their own residence, clubhouse or office.

 

Online dance lessons some of which are freely available on these pages, and others which are specialized and available for a minimal fee. SOON...

    Our dream for the Heritage Dance Center is quite extra-ordinary -- though for now it's still a dream -- not just a physical dance studio, but an honest-to-goodness center for dance addicts. Yet we can already see the glimmer of light leading to the long hard road to the dream. And we know that as long as we keep our focus and determination, we will be able to finally touch that dream, which we know we can share with all other dancers here and abroad.