Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom Dancing is one of the most elite form of dance. It originated from a Latin word 'ballare', which means 'to dance'. All it requires is grace, discipline and a certain tempo with the music. Ballroom dancing and romance go hand in hand, where a couple forgets all their grudges and bond with each other in the romantic aura. It brings in closeness between the partners when their eyes meet, bodies get closer, thereby giving a feeling of immense pleasure to be in each other's arms. It gives you quality time to talk, share your experiences and relax with each other. Ballroom dance includes different forms of dance like Slow Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep, Tango, Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Jive, Salsa.

Irish Dancing

Irish dancing is a type of recreational and competitive folk dance that has been popularized by the stage productions such as Riverdance" and Lord of the Dance." Although it is most widespread in Ireland, it is also found in other parts of the world. When performed as a solo dance, a stiff upper body and the quick and precise movements of the feet generally characterize it. Couples also dance with other couples, in a manner similar to a square dance, and larger groups of people can dance traditional céilí dances, in which the steps are prescribed. This section features various online resources on Irish dancing.

Hip Hop Dancing

Hip Hop Dancing is one of those urban ethnic dances which have gained tremendous popularity among the masses of late. Originated among Hispanic communities, it is rapidly evolving in various directions.
Hip Hop is a cultural and artistic movement (even a way of life) which appeared in the United States in the middle of the 1970. Originated from the black ghettos from New-York, it combines feast aspects with revolted ones. Hip Hop dancing is the best known element of this culture.

The four main elements of hip hop culture are the rap and more generally hip hop music dancing graffiti, DJ work, break dance and the other hip hop dances. Sometimes one can add beat box, even street fashion, street language, street entrepreneurialism and street knowledge.

French New Year

In France, the New Year’s eve is called “Le reveillon de la Saint Sylvestre”. This celebration consists of the special dish: champagne, foie gras, seafood such as oyster, prawns… The celebration can be a dinner between friends or in family. Young people will be partying in the nightclub, or at home with all their friends. At midnight, we can see in big cities, many people reach the principal square to celebrate as the new year with a glass. At midnight, all people say “bonne année”, happy new year and kiss them.
The 1st of January, the meal is often between family members. All people are exchanged greeting such as Happy new year, good health, full of love… and then eat.
The cooking is usually the same of the New Year ’s Eve, Mothers prepares toasts with salmon, slicing sausage, crisps… in aperitif serving with champagne. The starter forms a dish of seafood (oyster, prawns) with sauces and bread.
After, the mothers are prepared meat such as beef, mutton, duck… with potatoes, green beans, mushrooms or a fish accompany rice’s and sauce with butter.
In dessert, French people prepare Yule log, a ice cream of different perfume: chocolate, strawberry, lemon…
Concerning other traditions, French people draw up a list with all the good resolution for this New Year, for example, stop smoking, become a good worker in the school, …
Generally, adult people give a piece of money for children, it’s the tradition.

Peruvian New Year

Each member of the Peruvian family has a mission during the day of 31st of December.
The father will set about the refresh of the house’s facade: it must pass a coat of paint on exterior walls. As the family will begin a new year with a new home.
Sisters, Brothers, cousins are sent to into the fields to get some of wisp of straw. With this straw, young people manufacture the “muneco”, a large jumping jack that will burn at midnight. All worn clothes of the year cover the jumping jack. Two grapes represent the eyes and a stick for the pipe.
The mother is more active. Get u before the dawn, the mother has already started the housework. She empties all of the furniture in the living room and the kitchen, and will continue in other parts if she has the time. After emptying the furniture, she changes places of the furniture which permits to dislodge spiders. Women wash all the objects that were in the furniture and the father will take in the opportunity to repaint the walls of the room.
For the dinner, it is very important to prepare many ready cooked meal , there is abundance of food in this special day. And yet it is not unusual that the mother started the preparation of cooking only around 7 or 8pm.
There is a superstition: if people wear a color clothe during twelfth ring of midnight, people can receive the lucky in certain domain for the New Year. The yellow is for the money, Red for the love. In the same principle, if people want to travel during all the year, he takes a suitcase and run around block of houses at midnight.
These activities will occupy he entire family during the day of 31st December. The festivities will begin with twelve rings of midnight. People eat grapes. A grape at each ring of the clock. This is the starting signal to burn the jumping jack under tons of applause, as the very special “good bye” of the year ends. Children explode firecrackers. Around half past midnight, people will eat, drink, dance often until dawn. Some people will see friends, neighbors and then return to dance and drink with their families. This is the rule during the Peruvian new year, on January should be a sign of abundance and sharing.

Spanish New Year : Feliz Ano Nuevo !

The New Year’s Eve is a custom of western. This eve consist to celebrate the arrival of New Year, staying up until midnight, a night of 31st of December, last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.
In most of country, the New Year’s Eve is celebrated with friends.
The celebration of the Spanish New Year begins with family dinner including lamb, prawn and Turkey. The countdown is followed on the clock in the building “CASA de CORREOS” in Madrid. The tradition in Spain, to eat 12 grapes each stroke of the midnight ringing on the bells.
This custom date of 1909 by wine grower of Alicante. This idea was for to remedy surplus of production of this year.
Today this custom was celebrated by all of Spanish people during the New Year’s Eve. This 12 of Grapes are become indispensable during the New Year. After the twelfth stroke of ringing on the bells, people congratulate them and celebrate the New Year with champagne, cider…
After the dinner with the family and the twelve grapes, young people go to the party to celebrate the happy new year in night club, pub… This party is called in Spanish: “cotillones de nochevieja”.
The festivities usually last until at dawn and can bring together thousands of people. Early morning, fun-loving person bring together for the traditional breakfast of chocolate con churros ( chocolat and donuts).

Japan New Year

The Japan New Year is celebrated since few centuries and has their own customs.
It is the most important celebration in the year and last several days.
In the past, the Japan New year has the same title of the Chinese, Korea, and Vietnam New Year. It was based on the Chinese calendar and was celebrated at the start of the spring. Since 1873, Japan function with the Gregorian calendar and the first January is become the official day of the Japan New year.
Japanese people like to begin the New Year with the good resolution. As they practice a big cleaning called “ōsōji” the last days of December, it’s the rite of purification of the house. People replace damage object and air the Tamami. Japanese people must settle all the currents affairs and pay all the debts before to start the “omisoka”, the New Year’s Eve of 31st of December.
In Japan, people decorate the door of their house with a “Kadomatsu” and “shimenawa”. They depose as well an offertory in the “tokonoma” of the house surmount with a “shimenawa” : a rice cake pile up called “Kagami mocha” with an bitter orange ”daidai”.

Temple

Around the midnight, Japanese people go to the Shinto temple or the Buddhist temple for the “Hatsumode”, the first visit in the temple and to prey and to know the prediction of the New Year. They drink a “Toso”, medicinal herb and permit to guarantee the good health during all the New Year.

Greeting and Christmas box

For politeness, Japanese people return a visit of their family and friends. They give Christmas box for the children called “otoshidama”. The second custom is to depose underside of pillow of children, a picture of “takarabune”, the ship of seven divinities of the luck, for to do good dreams.

Cooking

For the New Year’s Eve, Japanese people eat a hot soap with “soba” called “kake” (doubts), this food symbolize that people are paid all of doubts. They eat also “Zoni”, a stock with vegetables and soya sauce chocks tick.
During the first days of the New Year, the tradition is to do anything similarly the cooking. The mother must to prepare the cooking in advance.