How to do the time of my life dance

How “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” Saved ‘Dirty Dancing’

2020’s summer blockbuster season has been put on hold because of the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the movies from the past that we flocked out of the sun and into air conditioning for. Welcome to The Ringer’s Return to Summer Blockbuster Season, where we’ll feature different summer classics each week.

Surrounded by cassette tapes in her hotel living room, Eleanor Bergstein began to feel hopeless.

Throughout the production of Dirty Dancing, the writer-producer had been searching for a new song to play over her movie’s climactic last scene. Though she had already handpicked the entire 1960s soundtrack, for the final song, Bergstein wanted something that echoed the era while still sounding contemporary to the ’80s. So, each night, after long days of shooting in North Carolina, she gathered her exhausted team—director Emile Ardolino, choreographer Kenny Ortega, and stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey—onto couches and popped in recently submitted demos. “We didn’t like anything,” she says. “They were terrible songs … it was like listening to a drink of water.”

As the movie reached the finish line and their search remained fruitless, a worrisome realization set in. Although the climax of Baby and Johnny’s memorable stay at Kellerman’s Mountain House was mapped out, “We were going to be rehearsing, choreographing, and dancing to something that would not be the final song,” Bergstein says. “We would lose the emotional precision we wanted.” Then, just a day before the finale was scheduled to be filmed, musical supervisor Jimmy Ienner delivered one last box of tapes, highlighting for Bergstein a duet written by Franke Previte called “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

“This is the one,” he told her.

Within 30 seconds of hearing Previte’s falsetto bleed into a Latin-infused percussive beat, the entire group started prancing around the room. Bergstein knew she’d found the song that would save the movie. “We just got up and danced until it was over and said, That’s it!” Bergstein says. The next day, Ortega adjusted his choreography to the new rhythm and lyrics, and a few months later, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes replaced the vocals and polished the track.

When Dirty Dancing premiered on August 21, 1987, audiences left theaters buzzing. As the musical backdrop to Baby and Johnny’s last dance, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” gave them a euphoric high that sent them straight into record stores. Over the next four months, the indie-romance became an unlikely hit, and its catchy last song raced up the charts, turning into an award-winning, global sensation. “It was really kind of an out-of-body experience,” Medley says. “So much happened because of that record and that movie.”

Thirty-three years later, the song remains iconic, inseparably linked to the movie’s finale. It’s needle dropped into countless weddings and graduations, and its accompanying dance has become ripe for homage and parody—at once plucking heartstrings, revitalizing a classic melody, and introducing the movie (and “The Lift”) to new generations. It’s an eleventh hour symbiotic success story—one that required random phone calls, makeshift recording studios, and a pestering producer.

Vestron Pictures

When Ienner first contacted Previte with a songwriting opportunity, the New Jersey–born crooner was considering quitting music altogether. At 40, the lead singer of Franke and the Knockouts was in between record deals, writing lyrics that labels didn’t want and selling cars out of his driveway to make ends meet. Still, Previte’s parents encouraged him to stick with it.

“I go Nah, nah, time of my life … What the hell am I saying?” —Franke Previte, writer of “Time of My Life”

Though Previte hadn’t talked to Ienner in two years, the former head of Millenium Records was suddenly in his ear with a way back into the industry. “He goes, I’ve got this little movie, I want you to think about writing a song for it,” Previte recalls. Though he thought the offer was a dead end, Ienner insisted. “Make time, this is going to change your life.” When Previte heard the movie’s title, Ienner reassured him of the movie’s credentials, gave him a general description of the plot, and explained the parameters: The song needed to fill seven minutes and be ready in two weeks. “I’m like, Oh my god, I’ve got to write ‘MacArthur Park,’” Previte says.

But with just $100 in his bank account, Previte had nothing to lose. He called John DeNicola, a musician he’d written with before, and asked him to compose a backtrack. Previte explained the movie (“Baby meets Johnny in the Catskills”) and offered some structural notes: The chorus would begin at half-speed, he told DeNicola, and the verses would switch to double-time to become an upbeat dance tune. With those details, DeNicola called up Donald Markowitz for assistance. The two had collaborated before, and Markowitz was one of the few people he knew who had an eight-track sequencing machine. Inside his one-bedroom Upper West Side apartment, Markowitz took DeNicola’s notes and “wrote the music to it in 20 minutes,” Markowitz says. The next day, they began to tweak and record. “We went in there with a drum machine and bass guitar and a couple of keyboards [and] pounded out some music,” DeNicola says.

When Previte received their track, he played it over the phone for Ienner. “I like the feel of it,” the producer told him. “Make it a song.” The next day, on his way to a recording studio, Previte began listening to the chord changes and inspiration struck. “I’m on exit 140 on the Garden State Parkway in Union, New Jersey, paid the toll, the cassette goes into my dashboard and I hear the music,” he says. “I go Nah, nah, time of my life … What the hell am I saying? I’m scribbling ‘time of my life’ on an envelope.” Previte hashed out the remaining lyrics, sang both parts and sent the tape to Ienner. “We were the only ones that sent a duet,” he says. “When [Jimmy] said, ‘Boy meets girl,’ that stuck in my head—there’s two characters, so maybe they’re singing it together.”

Once the Dirty Dancing team approved the song, Previte paired up with Rachelle Cappelli to re-record the duet for the movie’s actual filming. As more notes and requests came in—the filmmakers wanted a slightly slower beat and more timbal drum sounds—Previte and DeNicola moved everything to a 24-track and sent in the finished product. Not long after, Previte and Cappelli’s harmonies were echoing around the movie set. Although it hadn’t been studio mixed and polished, the demo gave Ardolino and his crew exactly what they needed to complete the finale. Most importantly, it restored everyone’s faith in the movie. “Every time I hear the Franke original track, I start to cry because it just brings back those three exhausting, hopeful, terrified days,” Bergstein says. “It was everything that we hoped for. It was wonderful.”

While writing the script for Dirty Dancing, Bergstein had been simultaneously sorting through the records of her youth. Behind specific sections of dialogue, she inserted songs she’d once danced to in her friends’ basements, and later fought Vestron Pictures execs to keep them. For such a personal project, Bergstein wanted to accurately represent the musical flavor of 1963 and the changing, underground culture it represented. “I tried to pick songs that meant a lot to me,” she says. “They were emotionally tied into the movie.”

“Time of My Life” had the right mix of modern elements, but lacked an established 1960s voice that would sound authentic for the time period—though she adored Previte’s high-pitched voice, Bergstein knew it would need new vocals to capture her vision. “We tried very hard to make you believe that it was a song you never heard before,” Bergstein says, “but [still] one from the ’60s.” The anachronistic combination—nostalgic while looking forward—had a thematic purpose within the scene, too.

For Bergstein’s rousing conclusion, Johnny returns to the Catskills and interrupts the summer resort’s goodbye pageant. In what becomes a heart-thumping and exhilarating last dance, Baby redeems her previous missteps and leaps into Johnny’s arms, stretching her torso and limbs over his head and pulling off “The Lift.” It’s the joyful, orgasmic moment the movie has been building toward—the pair outwardly risking their love—and gives permission for parents and teenagers to celebrate their dramatic reunion and the sunsetting summer. In effect, the auditorium turns into a melting pot of sights and sounds—a kinetic space to resolve generational differences, unite a rapidly changing country, and acknowledge that the resort’s halcyon days “all seem to be ending.”

“If you don’t look deep enough, I think you can miss the fact that that movie has a lot of these anachronisms,” says Yannis Tzioumakis, a professor of film and media industries at the University of Liverpool and co-editor of The Time of Our Lives: Dirty Dancing and Popular Culture. “It doesn’t have a stable universe that is grounded in a particular reality. I think this is part of its success and timelessness.”

“You have to be careful what you record, because you might be doing it the rest of your life.” —Bill Medley, singer

To achieve Bergstein’s musical climax, Ienner called up Bill Medley. The Righteous Brother, who’d made his bones alongside Bobby Hatfield, had been a well-known voice for two decades and was still active in the industry. He’d recently established himself in Hollywood, recording a song with Gladys Knight for the Sylvester Stallone action flick Cobra. But Medley wasn’t sold on a title that had no major stars and sounded like a “bad porno.” “I’ve kind of done a lot of this stuff, and I’m not sure if I want to do it,” Medley told him. Ienner sent over the song anyway. And though the singer liked what he heard, he didn’t want to travel to New York City and leave his pregnant wife behind. Unable to find anyone else, “[Jimmy] would call about once a week,” Medley laughed. “Has Paula had the baby yet?” When his daughter McKenna was born in February, Ienner circled back with an added proposition. “Jennifer Warnes wants to do it if she can sing it with you.”

At that point, Warnes had a strong track record of Hollywood success. The song “It Goes Like It Goes” in 1979’s Norma Rae earned her an Academy Award, and in 1983, she’d won a second Oscar with Joe Cocker for “Up Where We Belong. ” Hot off the debut of her latest album, Famous Blue Raincoat, Warnes was concerned about attaching herself to a pop song that differed drastically from her own music. But Ienner told Warnes, like he’d told Previte, that the song would change her life. And after discussing the opportunity with her boyfriend at the time, she accepted. “I said, ‘Yeah I think I would like to do the song just to sing with Bill,’” Warnes remembers. “I’d like to hear the two of our voices together.”

Her commitment was enough to woo Medley; he had always enjoyed her singing style. Still, he played hardball with Ienner, only committing to the song if the production moved to Los Angeles. Ienner relented, and later that February, along with producer Michael Lloyd, Medley and Warnes shared a studio for a couple hours to record “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Enthusiastic about singing together, the pair hit it off right away. “We were facing each other not too far apart in the same room,” Warnes says. “They didn’t want it antiseptic, they wanted excitement to pour over into both microphones.” Medley loved the setup, and the creamy lower octave he chose to introduce the chorus matched his partner’s soaring alto. “That’s just real good energy when you have the other singer there with you and you can kind of play off each other,” he says.

Because it helped her in other movie experiences, Warnes wheeled in a playback machine so she could marry her high note to Grey’s lift. “I do well singing to picture,” she says. “That seems to be my skill.” After finishing the lyrics, Lloyd asked both of them to add a variety of harmonies and flourishes around the song, contributing to the tune’s ebullience. “I haven’t been involved in very many positive songs, and this was such,” Medley says. “I loved the lyrics and I really came to love the melody. It’s just one of those melodies that people want to sing or hum along with or makes you smile.”

Still, upon leaving the studio, neither Medley or Warnes thought they’d sung something as life-changing as Ienner had promised. They’d enjoyed meeting and felt all the vocal options they’d given Lloyd could potentially make a great track. But without having a real grasp of the movie’s romance and final dance, they moved on with little expectation.

“You have to be careful what you record,” Medley laughs knowingly, “because you might be doing it the rest of your life.”

Vestron Pictures

Six weeks before Dirty Dancing hit theaters, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” debuted to little fanfare. The song was scheduled to be released in conjunction with the movie, but Vestron had pushed back its opening without alerting RCA records. The nearly seven-minute song hit the radio without any context. “They were out of sync, which is never a great thing,” DeNicola says. “It was an odd piece of music because it was written for the movie. It wasn’t contemporary for the time. It wasn’t like people were dying for a Righteous Brothers–type song.”

Previte assumed the worst. “I was like, ‘Well, that’s it for that song. ’” But Ienner remained faithful, believing listeners just needed to see the movie to appreciate the song’s power. He went back to the studio and mixed a new track, cutting out the song’s long interlude for shorter radio play. When the songwriters saw the movie for the first time, they understood Ienner’s confidence. “I remember sitting there when it was over, and there was a group of people in the row ahead of us waiting [for] the song credit,” DeNicola says. “They were waiting to see what the name of the song was. That’s when I started to get excited that maybe we had something.”

“It was such a phenomenal ending, the climactic spot, like hitting the high note as you end a song and people stand out of their seats,” Previte notes. “I’m like, if this movie has any legs, this moment could be really historic.”

Eventually, synergy happened. The movie earned $3.9 million on its opening weekend and expanded into more theaters by Labor Day. Bergstein remembers fans picketing their local cineplexes to keep the movie open, and the studio’s predicted flop began skyrocketing. In the four months it stayed in theaters, Dirty Dancing earned $213 million globally. The song’s popularity, meanwhile, grew in tandem. “I would go to Tower Records every week,” recalls Markowitz. “Hey! Dirty Dancing, it’s no. 63. Next week, 37. OK, Top 20...” By early November, “Time of My Life” had become the no. 1 song in America; it would eventually sell over 32 million copies worldwide. “The movie’s popularity pushed the song, and then the song’s popularity pushed the movie,” DeNicola says. “It was a double whammy.”

Yet the blockbuster news hadn’t gotten to Medley—he forgot about the movie while touring over the summer. When a DJ finally told him he was playing his latest duet nonstop, Medley assumed he meant his song with Knight. “I came off that tour and right into the theater to watch that movie and kind of was blown away,” he says. “I think my voice was probably the perfect voice for Patrick, and I think Jen’s voice was the perfect voice for Jennifer. So it just worked out. ” Later that winter, the song began collecting hardware. “Time of My Life” won a Golden Globe, a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo, and finished its awards season sweep with the Oscar for Best Original Song. Just like Ienner had promised, the song catapulted its creators’ lives onto a new trajectory. Previte, even three decades later, has continued making music for charitable causes based solely on his authorship. “When I would send a song out, people would take their earmuffs off, and I would get through doors I couldn’t ‘t get through before,” says Previte.

“For a song that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do...” Medley says, “the girl that was born when I [recorded] it is now on stage, singing it with me.”

The first time Stephanie Klemons saw Dirty Dancing, she was 5 years old. Like many impressionable young girls, she fell in love with Baby and her transformation into an accomplished dancer. Now a 37-year-old Broadway choreographer who’s worked on Hamilton and In the Heights, it’s still her favorite movie of all time. So when the New York Giants requested she help them build a Super Bowl commercial that would replicate the movie’s final dance sequence and feature Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning, she burst with excitement. “That was auspicious,” she says. “I knew it quite well.”

Klemons had conquered challenging tasks before, but never with football players. Inside the team’s facility, Manning would dance and perform the lift with Beckham, the director explained to her, and she’d teach some background steps to the offensive linemen. After editing down “Time of My Life” into a 60-second clip—keeping Medley’s familiar intro and cutting ahead to the chorus—Klemons coached up her new dancers. And though Beckham’s body double struggled with the lift in rehearsals, she trusted the star wide receiver could figure out the scene-stealing vault. “Trust me, tomorrow it’s going to work,” she told her crew. The next day, Beckham nailed his first attempt. “He was incredible,” Klemons remembers. “They were doing the lift, they were actually touching each other and holding weight. ” In just two days, Klemons had gotten the footage they needed.

When the commercial aired in 2018, Medley was at a Las Vegas casino watching the big game with 1,000 others. Upon hearing his voice ring through the speakers, he laughed and figured someone was pulling a prank. Then his musical partner told him to look at the screen. “Here’s these two incredible football players singing the song and doing the dance,” Medley says. The spot became an instant classic. “I thought that was amazingly cool. It’s the gift that keeps giving.”

Indeed, in terms of pop cultural cache, Dirty Dancing and its final scene rank near the top. The climax and its song have been mimed and reinterpreted in countless ways and mediums, appearing in all kinds of commercials, musicals, television and movies. Among its most notable tributes, Black Eyed Peas used its chorus for its 2010 song “The Time (Dirty Bit),” which peaked at no. 5 on the Billboard Top 40. A year later, after Ryan Gosling admitted to his directors that he’d once performed the lift for another woman, the actor recreated the seduction for Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love. “We just loved it,” Bergstein recalls of the comedy. “Anybody who likes your work for any reason at all, you’re delighted.”

Bergstein has plenty of theories for why people keep returning to Dirty Dancing’s finale, but has most appreciated the conversations about the movie’s subversiveness in recent years. According to Tzioumakis, who teaches the movie to students each semester, the ending’s power is only possible because Johnny wants to dance to something new. The Latin drum elements of the song, combined with white singers and diverse dancers suggest that even in 1963, “everybody can be part of [the future],” he says. “It’s the perfect moment of euphoria.”

And now a modernized remake of ‘Dirty Dancing’ starring @ChancetheRapper and Francis and the Lights pic. twitter.com/5sGGBZF9kI
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 18, 2017

At the same time, the song’s past-tense title implies a reminiscence and beginning of a new chapter, which is partly why it filters into wedding receptions and banquet halls celebrating major milestones and transitions. Warnes agrees, and admits she hadn’t accounted for the joy factor the song supplied when she first recorded it. “I think that’s what people want when they want that song, they want to feel lifted up,” she says. “I’m really glad that it’s found a place in our social lives—to bring us out of the doldrums.”

“Time of My Life” is also, most simply, about a dream being fulfilled. Baby does, of course, nail the lift and stand up for Johnny in front of her father. She grows up, steps out of the corner and into the spotlight, and, for a moment, becomes exceptional. It’s an aspirational crescendo that’s hard to match, and for everyone involved in it, the way it all came together still feels like alchemy.

“The stars were aligned for this one,” Previte says. “If you separate any of that from the equation, I don’t think you have the same phenomenon.”

Jake Kring-Schreifels is a sports and entertainment writer based in New York. His work has also appeared in Esquire.com, GQ.com, and The New York Times.

The Story of... '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' from Dirty Dancing

The Story of... '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' from Dirty Dancing - Smooth

21 February 2020, 15:32

The famous Dirty Dancing lift. Picture: Vestron Pictures

By Tom Eames

It's one of the most famous movie songs of all time, helped by a certain dance routine by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

'(I've Had) The Time of My Life' by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes was used in the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, and has since become one of the world's most famous pop songs.

It's a song that is guaranteed to be heard at every wedding, birthday party and '80s cheese disco night.

But who wrote the song and what's the story behind it's creation? Here's all the fascinating facts you need:

Who wrote 'Time of My Life'?
Franke Previte (right) with Frank DiCopoulis. Picture: Getty
Singer-songwriter Frank Previte was the lead singer of the band Franke and the Knockouts. He had some success with the song 'Sweetheart' in 1981, but by 1986 he was without a record deal.
In late 1986, producer and head of Millennium Records, Jimmy Ienner, asked Previte to write some music for "a little movie called Dirty Dancing".
At first, Previte turned the request down as he was still trying to get a record deal, but took on the project and ended up writing several songs for the film, including 'Hungry Eyes', later recorded by Eric Carmen.
Previte wrote the lyrics, and the music was written by John DeNicola and Don Markowitz.
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced to Previte's demo version

Previte recorded a demo of the song, performing it himself, along with singer Rachele Cappelli.
The demo was a less polished version of the final track by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, but because the track was not ready by the time the finale of the movie was filmed, Previte and Capelli's much lighter demo was used as a backing track, so that actors Swayze and Grey, and the other dancers, could have something to dance to.
On how he first saw the final scene, Previte said: "My feelings were over the top. What can I say? Chills."
Swayze later said it was his favourite version, and it was eventually included on the 1998 CD reissue of Previte's 1981 album Franke and the Knockouts.
Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes weren't the first choices

The song was initially meant for Donna Summer and Joe Esposito to record, but Summer turned it down as she didn't like the title of the movie.
Righteous Brothers star Bill Medley was approached by Jimmy Ienner many times over two months to record it, but he also turned it down as his daughter McKenna was due to be born.
After the birth of his daughter, Medley was asked again, as Jennifer Warnes said she would record the song if she could duet with Medley.

Warnes later said of the song: "I think it was an accident that just blossomed. Nobody thought it would be this huge. It was just a surprise.
"And we did our best, Bill and I. The movie was great - still popular and always will be. But I've thought about it and I wondered why the whole world loves it so much and I think the answer is because it's real joyful. If you take the joy out of that song, it's not a hit."
Lionel Richie was meant to record the finale song
via GIPHY
A song by Lionel Richie was initially planned to be used as the finale of Dirty Dancing.
However, choreographer Kenny Ortega and assistant Miranda Garrison (who also played Vivian in the film) selected 'The Time of My Life' instead.
It became a MASSIVE hit

In the United States, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1987 for one week, and also reached number one on the Adult Contemporary for four weeks.
In the UK, it had two chart runs: in November 1987, the song peaked at number 6. In January 1991, after the film was shown on mainstream TV, the song climbed back up and reached number eight.
It won an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy in 1988.
Who has covered the song?

Among various cover versions include:
- Peter Andre and Katie Price recorded a cover for their 2006 album A Whole New World
- Barry Manilow covered the song on his 2008 album The Greatest Songs of the Eighties
- In 2010, The Black Eyed Peas sampled the chorus in their song, 'The Time (Dirty Bit)'
- In 2014, the song was covered by Kerry Ellis and Joe McElderry for Ellis' self-titled album.

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Madonna

The Story of... The Dirty Dancing Soundtrack: Kate Garraway speaks to iconic movie's songwriters

How to start dancing right now — choreographers tell

“It's easier to find yourself in dancing”.
How to take the first step towards the fact that you like

Four professional dancer
about where to find freedom and how to stop comparing yourself with the other

Text: Aina Preston

Dasha

Michelle Beatz

Tagir Gindullin

Eva UVAROVA

Music is a universal instrument that moves the world, it is literally inscribed in our DNA. With its help, we can inspire and shape the pop culture of the present and future here and now. Music is inextricably linked with dance. Dancers feel the rhythm and are able to harmoniously complement the musical composition with movements. It is dance that gives them a powerful emotional release and helps them relax. And to feel this, it is worth taking one small risk - allowing yourself to dissolve into the music and turn off your head. How to take the first step and not be afraid to try what you are drawn to? We deal with Tommy Jeans, PRODANCES and our heroes, who found a common language with their fears and learned to express emotions through music and movements.

DASHA ROLIK

Choice between directions

I consider myself a versatile artist, doing several types of dance, but most of all I am known for the Vogue culture. This is not just a dance style, but a whole culture about protecting the rights of sexual minorities. This culture is very daring: here and now you can look whatever you like - fully comply with fantasies, externally and internally, carry yourself proudly, inventing new images. Vogue is a great occasion to dress up, surprise, delight. Exactly 10 years I have been developing in this direction, and it does not bother me, I constantly learn new things.

Synergy of dance and music

Good composition inspires dance. First came the music, then came the dance. But it also happens that a dance is born in silence, without sounds: when you have the right mood and a visualization of movements is born in your head. But this comes with experience. Of course, dance and music are closely related.

An alternative to dancing

Now, in parallel with dancing, I am developing as a director, producer and co-organizer of dance events, doing photography and video. Therefore, it seems that if it were not for the dance, then my activity would be connected with the organization of cultural events. I like to create, develop and bring something new, inspire myself and others, reveal people, come up with new ideas. I also love to cook, so I could be a great cook.

How the image begins

I focus on my mood, how I look: I can be in different weights, with different colors and lengths of hair. Trends play an important role here. Of course, first of all, I start from my expectations and how I want to look. I try not to repeat myself, to be different. I ask myself what kind of makeup I want: bright, aggressive, calm, romantic, defiant. Do I want to be sexy or conservative. This is how I collect the image. I take things from my own wardrobe or turn to stylists, ateliers, sometimes I can rent something from showrooms. Creating an image is always very interesting, it helps to show creativity.

Uniqueness - awareness

Comparison does not give us anything, it takes energy and strength that can be spent on developing and multiplying potential. The uniqueness must really be realized, each person defines himself. Sometimes you need to think about what you want. As soon as you realize your own value, then claims to yourself will disappear. You can’t compare your beginning of the path with someone else’s middle.

Finding yourself

It is not worth holding on to people and things, no matter how selfish it may sound. Then you will understand what you like, and what is imposed by society. When looking for your own business, it is important to start from inner feelings, focus on those very “butterflies in the stomach”.

Philosophy of dance

Dance is body language. I dreamed of being a presenter, but oratory is difficult for me, it’s easier for me not to speak, but to dance. When I hear music, I breathe, the body emits vibrations, vibrations are reflected in the plasticity of forms, in movements, emotions. Dancing helps to develop personality. It's a unique way of expressing yourself. Sometimes words are not needed to understand us.

MICHELLE BEATZ

Sports and creativity

My dancing journey began 10-12 years ago. I quit playing professional football, where I got seriously injured, burned out emotionally and physically, and could not walk normally. A friend called me to support him at a dance performance, where I saw how people can control and feel their body, I missed this in football. I think dance and football are similar: football also has a pace, a rhythm, it's a dance with a ball. But the structure is different, football is a sport, and dance is creativity.

The right music

I'm looking for music on streaming services. Usually I think about which track is more suitable for a performance, I put on performers who meet the requirements, and I look for a suitable track. Everything is pretty simple.

WHEN THERE IS NO INSPIRATION

Usually at such moments I get distracted: I review some large-scale shows, performances of stars, listen to music. There is another way - to abstract. If everything is tired, you need to give yourself time to relax, switch to another activity. You can cook food, watch a movie. Taking a break from what you do all the time can provide inspiration and motivation.

Dance clothes

Clothes are one of the main attributes of dance. It gives character to movements, creates mood. I love to dance in jeans, voluminous t-shirts. It is very important for dancers that we ourselves like how we look, this sets the tone for the performance.

Comparing is okay

When you're at the start, it's okay to compare yourself to others. Helps you understand what you are missing. But then it is better to focus on your own feelings. Everyone has their own style, physiology and musicality, you just need to work on technique. When people follow someone, try to copy, it only leads them astray.

Tune TO

Friendship with Tommy Jeans

The first project with Tommy Jeans was something very unusual for me. I got to know the brand better, learned a lot of new things, despite the fact that I have been wearing their clothes for a long time. The collaboration was a pleasant surprise. The emotions are very cool, I hope that in the future we will be friends and work with Tommy Jeans.

MY JEANS

TAGIR GINDULLIN

The main thing is to continue

I have been dancing for 16 years and I never once thought of quitting. In 2012, I broke my arm, and after the operation there was practically no rehabilitation period - two weeks later I was already in the gym. For some time he danced only on his feet, with his hand bandaged, and two months later he already participated in the championship. With apprehension, of course, but he participated. The main thing here is to continue.

Hobby can become a profession

I have been dancing since I was 10 years old, but in childhood I did not realize what and why I was doing, did not set big goals. Some results began to appear in the first years of training. At the age of 14, I went to live in Moscow, without parents, then the realization came that dancing could become my life's work. This transition of a hobby into a profession happened very smoothly and organically, but it could not be otherwise.

Music is paramount

When it comes to performing, music is very important. If the audience likes the composition, then my solo will definitely be remembered. It is also important for me how my body and soul respond to the track. At competitions, the DJ is responsible for the music, the dancers do not know what they will perform under. This is freestyle, improvisation, connection with the composition. If you fall into a musical "pit" during a battle - this is the most difficult moment, you need the right settings. In general, music is paramount. If the dance has a great soundtrack, then there are more chances to show your maximum.

Clothing as a guide

I wear what I feel comfortable and easy to move in. I perform mainly in sports things. In breakdancing, style is very important. I always separate things: for everyday life, training, competitions, festivals. Each separate occasion requires a corresponding image.

Metamorphoses in a career

At the very beginning of the journey, it was not difficult at all: there were no obligations, deadlines, projects. I remember that in my childhood a bank was built next to my house and tiles were laid - I was happy just because I could spin on this tile. Now it is more difficult - more responsibility. You begin to treat your body differently, study yourself, fill bumps. For example, there is such an element of air twist (power rotational movement in breakdance), all my life I did it intuitively, and only after 10 years I realized that there is a technique that you just need to master.

The excitement hasn't gone away

I've competed in championships in over 30 countries, performed on big stages, acted in TV projects, but the excitement hasn't gone away. At small events, it is a little less, but at the World Cup, where legends look at you, this feeling pervades the body. I use it to my advantage - as soon as I take a step, I release adrenaline and accelerate.

Everyone is unique

We are all special, no two people are the same. Uniqueness is not something to strive for, it is already in everyone. You need to be able to feel yourself and your needs, to do what you really like. Working on oneself and realizing one's potential is what makes a person himself.

Eva Uvarova

restrictions and freedom

since childhood I have been engaged in gymnastics (until the video with my VOG was scattered on the Internet) and today I understand - both sports and dancing require a full return. In addition, they become part of your life, which brings you a storm of emotions. The main difference is that in sports you are limited, you adhere to discipline, and in dancing you are free, open to new things. It is easier to find yourself in dancing.

Dancing is an opportunity

A professional dance career has opened up many opportunities. Thanks to dancing, I met interesting people - sport would hardly have given me such a chance. The people who appeared in my life incredibly support and inspire me, it helps to develop. I was able to visit different countries, see what other dancers are capable of. I also starred in music videos, collaborated with major brands, for example, in October I participated in the Tommy Jeans x PRODANCE project for the first time. Then I was able to show my dance to a large audience and proved to myself that I can achieve a lot. I have long liked the Tommy Jeans brand, and the opportunity to work together made me very happy.

Style is a mix

Honestly, I can't describe my dancing style in one word. I tried many directions, most of all contemporary or modern dance resonates with me. The plasticity and technique of this style are very close to me, I like the sensations during movements. To summarize, my dance style is a mix of different directions, improvisation, taking into account different dance experiences.

Motivation and willpower

Willpower helps to achieve goals. I make decisions and start working and giving my best. If you really do what you love, then no additional motivation is needed. What you love doesn't require much effort.

Clothes are a reflection of yourself

Clothes help complete the dance. If I go to hip-hop, then I choose voluminous things. I associate this style with freedom, so clothes should not hinder movement. If I go vogue, I choose tight-fitting clothes that emphasize the curves of the body and help me feel more confident.

Music guides

Place of music in dance

Normally dancers choose music first. With the help of the body, we try to convey the lyrics of the song, the mood. I first look for a track, and then I select a choreography that describes the melody, words and feelings.

onward

Comparison is a fine line

By comparing, we evaluate ourselves, and this affects our confidence, general condition and desire to move on. Comparison sometimes helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, but most people tend to look for flaws in themselves, so more often it is quite destructive and interferes with the implementation of plans. There is a fine line here: if a person is able to objectively evaluate his own and other people's abilities, then the comparison is acceptable, but if not, it is better not to even start.

Become part of the community

Tommy Jeans Global Brand Initiative supports talented people who are disrupting the existing order for positive change.

Right now @tommyjeans is becoming a content platform where everyone can get creative and take the first step towards their dreams.

For example, take part in a competition and get the opportunity to win an online course, during which you will be supported by choreographers in a private chat. There will also be prizes from Tommy Jeans and PRODANCES.

WHAT TO DO?

Post your story on Instagram about why you want to dance. It can be a short video with a story, a dance, or a photo with text. The main condition is to mark three accounts: @tommyjeans, @tancy.pro, @theblueprint.ru.

On March 23, we will choose the 50 most inspiring stories, and their authors will receive prizes and the opportunity to completely change their lives.

Learn more about Tommy Jeans X PRODANCE

Tommy Jeans supports those who want to express themselves in a new way, discover new talents and emphasize their own uniqueness. Look for the brand's classics and the new spring collection in branded stores in Moscow:

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THE ROLE OF DANCE IN THE LIFE OF A MODERN CHILD.

Authors
Executives
Job files
Award documents

Yakovleva E.V. 1

1 branch of the municipal budgetary educational institution secondary school Subkhankulovo of the municipal district Tuymazinsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan - "Basic secondary school in the village of Agirtamak"

Gabdrakhmanova N.R. 1

Agirtamak

The author of the work was awarded a diploma of the winner of the III degree

Diploma of a school student Certificate of the head

The text of the work is placed without images and formulas.
The full version of the work is available in the "Files of the work" tab in PDF format

Introduction

Why did I choose this topic for research?

Watching my peers, I noticed when they heard the music, they begin to bounce and sway, tap their foot or sway from side to side. And I had a question: can these movements be called dance?

At the music lesson, Nafisa Rimovna told us that dancing has been a mandatory part of human life since time immemorial. Ancient people danced ritual dances, officers in the Middle Ages gave out beautiful “pas” with their young ladies at balls, in Soviet times, almost every schoolchild could dance a waltz.

And today we dance in ballrooms, at discos, on the streets, at home, we dance in company and alone, at holidays, competitions. Dancing makes our life rich, interesting and exciting.

The relevance of the topic lies in the fact that with the help of dance people have expressed and express their emotions, self-awareness. After all, dance performs important psychological tasks and is an integral part of people's everyday life.

Purpose of work : to determine the impact of dance classes on the overall development of students.

Based on the goal, it is possible to determine tasks:

1) Get acquainted with the history of the emergence of dances and their types;

2) Get acquainted with the literature about the benefits of dance in human life;

3) Summarizing information about the impact of dancing on the performance and health of students;

4) Present your experience in dancing;

5) Communicate this information to other students and give recommendations on the development of children's dance creativity

6) Develop skills and abilities to work with various information sources (printed, video, audio, Internet resources)

To achieve this goal, the literature on this topic was studied. In order to implement the tasks set in the practical part, a survey of first-grade students and parents, teachers, and a school health worker was conducted.

From the studied literature on the topic, we found out that at present the problem of maintaining and strengthening the health of children and adolescents is one of the most urgent, it attracts the attention of not only doctors, but also teachers and parents. To maintain mental and physical health, specialists in various industries use a variety of means, among which dancing occupies a special place. Choreography as a means of personality development is considered in many theoretical sciences: sociological, psychological, pedagogical. Thus, the scientists O. Avdeev, L. Blok, K. Bucher, I. Haizinga consider dance as a purely human property, a special socio-cultural phenomenon. A group of scientists (A. Morrey, R. Collingwood, A. Haskell) consider dance as a means of expressing emotions, as a substitute for language. In the works of Comenius Ya.A. various aspects of artistic education and creative development of the younger generations were taken into account.

Modern studies are devoted to various aspects of choreographic activity: Ivleva L.D., Koroleva E.A.

The game, as a means of artistic education, was studied in the works of Vygotsky L.S., Gazman O.S.

The novelty of the experience lies in the fact that the material is focused not only on the development of children, but also on improving the professionalism of the teacher.

As a result of the study, I found out that many children want to learn how to dance, that dance is beneficial for health, for the development of feelings, for communication, for appearance.

When writing the work, the abstract-research method was used.

Main part

1. Where did dance come from?

Even in ancient times, our ancestors attached great importance to dancing. Almost all important events in the life of a primitive man were celebrated with dances: birth, death, war, the election of a new leader, the healing of a sick person. The dance expressed prayers for rain, for sunlight, for fertility, for protection and forgiveness. Individually or in a group, they expressed their inner state to the rhythm of the simplest percussion instruments.

In the language of dance, primitive people communicated with their ancient gods. People asked their gods for a successful hunt or a bountiful harvest. Often the movements of such dances imitated labor movements, whole “scenes” of hunting or harvesting were played out.

As a rule, ritual dances were performed in a circle. Why? First of all, this is due to the magical meaning: the cult of the Moon and the Sun, an appeal to fertility, prosperity. On the other hand, this is the most convenient form of performing a mass ritual dance. Building in a circle was considered a talisman against evil forces and guaranteed a successful outcome of the ceremony. In hunting dances, the circle meant a round-up, in agricultural dances it symbolized fertility. In the circle they treated and married.

Conclusion: every dance among the ancients marked the experience of important events in their lives and the connection of man with the "higher forces of nature."

2. What kind of dances are there?

When I started looking for types of dances on the Internet, I was simply delighted, there are so many of them that it makes no sense to list them all, I will write only a few of the most common: Latin American dances (Jive, Paso Doble, Rumba, Cha-cha-cha, Samba) , European dances (Viennese Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot), Russian dances (ballet, Russian folk dances), Street dance style that came from New York - Breakdance, Czech dance - Polka, Ballroom dancing sports (Slow Waltz, Tango , Samba, Quickstep (fast foxtrot) and many others.

For many peoples, dances were an integral part of all feasts and holidays. Each dance is very interesting, has its own characteristics, as different dances originated in different countries. For example, the polka and mazurka came from Poland, and the waltz is a traditional Austrian dance. A lot of dances came to us from Latin America, which is famous all over the world for its dance festivals and parades.

Conclusion: dance has always been and continues to be an informer of the life, traditions and priorities of the people, their moral principles, passed down from generation to generation.

3. What is the significance of dance in a child's life?

1) Dance classes are of great importance for physical development of children. They begin to move easily and freely, acquire the correct posture, get rid of the stoop, lowered head when walking, the habit of putting their feet inward with their toes, and physical defects are gradually corrected. It also improves coordination of movements, muscle strength, develops dynamic capabilities and the respiratory system, strengthens the cardiovascular system. Also, dancing classes allow you to develop the spine, its flexibility, pump up the muscle corset and certain muscle groups, help stretch the child, relieve or prevent clubfoot, scoliosis, kyphosis.

2) The culture of behavior is growing : children become more polite, begin to be more attentive to others, find common interests with their comrades, feel part of the team. Friendship develops between boys and girls. The culture of behavior grows not only during classes, but also in everyday life.

3) Moral qualities are brought up through dance. While performing or watching a dance number, children evoke vivid emotions, they learn to feel the character and empathize, show their attitude, distinguish good from bad and draw conclusions. Those dance compositions that carry some morality teach children a good relationship with other members of the team, and as a result, children transfer this attitude into everyday life, into their communication with friends and parents. In addition, choreography, as a collective art, helps to develop a sense of collectivism, responsibility, independence, purposefulness, kindness, and integrity from an early age.

4) Dancing art also has cognitive significance. The dance reflects the feelings, emotions, life of people, which broaden the horizons of the child, enrich him with new knowledge and ideas. Depending on the plot of the dance, the choreography introduces literature, painting, the traditions of different peoples, teaches you to separate good and evil.

5) Dancing classes have a positive effect on the development of memory, imagination , help to navigate in space, feel the melody and rhythm. Studies have shown that children attending dance classes are significantly ahead of their peers in mental development and achieve better academic results.

6) Dance lessons influence the emotional sphere of children. After all, dance and music immerse a person in the world of emotions, contributing not only to their birth, but also to liberation. During the dance, the child learns to understand himself, to be aware of his emotions and subsequently express them. Unfortunately, modern society teaches people to be ashamed of emotions and be able to restrain them, which leads to stress and illness, the child will no longer be constrained, will not be afraid to be himself.

7) Dancing classes have a beneficial effect on the health of children. Psychologists have proven that after a dance lesson, children's mood improves, they more easily converge with their peers.

The acquired grace and plasticity will remain for life. While dancing, you need to breathe correctly, using both the upper and lower parts of the lungs. Thanks to proper breathing, many processes occurring in the body will return to normal, metabolism will improve.

Scientists believe that the brain activity of both hemispheres improves: one regulates the work of figurative thinking, which is activated during improvisation, the second is responsible for the logic of movements. This improvement contributes to the increase in the dancer's coordination of movements and dexterity. It also improves memory. And yet, in people involved in dancing, the risk of developing a disease such as Alzheimer's disease, which contributes to brain degradation, is minimized.

Dancing classes are also useful for vision problems, since it is necessary to change the focus of the gaze all the time. Thus, the eye muscles are also strengthened.

Dancing people have a sense of self-confidence, they know how not only to move beautifully, but also to wear clothes beautifully, to be in the spotlight.

Dancing fosters composure and organization. Being able to complete all the tasks, write essays, and then rush off to training is only possible for people with a strong will.

Dancing is the best stress reliever. Dance takes care of the spiritual well-being of a person.

Thus, dancing prolongs life, contributes to the maintenance of general tone and allows a person to maintain working capacity.

4. My research (on the example of our class)

During the research, various questions arose: Why does a child need to dance? Are dance classes good for kids? What is the significance of dance for the overall development of a person?

1. Study #1. One of the stages of the study was to find out how informed my classmates are on this topic. We conducted a survey in which 16 students and their parents of the 1st grade of our school took part.

We decided to ask our classmates:

1) Do you dance?

Yes – 11 students. No -5 students

2) Do you know how dance affects the development of a child?

Yes - 13 students. No -3 students

As a result, it was found that students believe that

3) Dance needed for:

health - 3 students, general development - 2 students, communication - 3 students, appearance - 2 students, flexibility - 6 students.

4) Would you like to learn how to dance beautifully?

Yes - 8 students. Very - 6 students. No -2 students

To the question of parents: "Would you like your children to go in for dancing"?

Of the 14 parents interviewed, 13 unambiguously answered “Yes”, 1 parent answered “No”

Conclusion: many of my classmates love to dance, but not everyone has the opportunity to attend dance clubs. The guys think that dancing is good for health, for the development of feelings, for communication, for appearance.

2. Study #2 .

Started dancing in our class:

Before entering school: 3 students

From Grade 1: 1 student

Want to join a dance club: 5 students

Don't want to dance: 7 students

To the question “Why don’t they want to dance?”, They answered:

1) "There is no way to go to the city" -2 students

2) “There is no way to pay for the circle” -3 students

3) "Parents do not want" -1 student

4) "Dancing does not interest me" - 1 student

Conclusion: The results of the survey of students confirmed the interest among students in dancing. Most of the children do not attend dance clubs for various reasons, which also depend on their parents.

3. Study #3.

In the 1st grade of the school, 3 people are engaged in dancing, 1 girl has been studying for 2 months.

How does dancing affect the health of my classmates?

During the conversation with the school staff, it turned out the following:

The physical education teacher confirmed that physical strength and coordination are developed in all 3 girls.

The school health worker said that all 3 girls have the main health group, there are practically no passes for illnesses.

Conclusion: Children involved in dancing get sick less, they have healthy backs, among them there are no children with weight gain and they are balanced.

The results of my research showed that parents want to send their child to development circles. Today, children sit a lot: first at school, then at home - at the computer, and most of today's children have scoliosis and generally back problems. But if the children are dancing, you can forget about it. No other sport corrects the back and contributes to the healing and alignment of the spine.

4. Study #4

How does dancing affect academic performance?

According to the results of a survey of employees of our school, we found out:

The music teacher confirmed that everyone, 3 girls and 1 boy, respects art and is very creative.

The psychologist believes that the memory of all 4 children is combined, which is based on visual and motor, this was undoubtedly influenced by dancing.

According to the class teacher, all 4 children have a high responsibility for assignments, there is always self-confidence. They are very sociable and sociable. All 4 children are active in the lesson and learn the educational material well.

Conclusion: Children involved in dancing achieve academic success, are ahead of their peers in development. These children are very disciplined and responsible. Therefore, they do a great job with the lessons.

5. Dance in my life

I have been studying at the choreographic studio "Grace" since the age of four. (Attachment 1). My mother brought me to the dance club, because she believes that it is especially important for a girl to be slim, flexible and have a beautiful posture. From the first lessons, dancing has become my favorite pastime. During this time, I learned to plan my time: to have time to do my homework, help my parents with the housework, attend additional circles, take a walk on the street. During this time I made many friends. Dancing classes give me the opportunity to participate in various competitions. (Appendix 2) In our piggy bank letters, diplomas. (Appendix 3)

Conclusion: dancing has become a part of my life for me. They give me health, self-confidence, and also inspire me, improve my mood. Dancing is an incentive for learning and active life at school. Me and the guys who work with me in the group are proud that we have the opportunity to prove ourselves in dancing and show our skills to others. (Appendix 4)

Conclusion

Thus, I made sure that dancing is a useful activity for a child. My guesses were confirmed: dance is a very special kind of art. It is more than just moving to music. Studying this issue, we came to the conclusion that dance is not only a set of movements connected to each other. Dance is a big concept that includes various movements, a certain composition, a suitable melody, and an idea. Without these components, the dance loses its meaning, ceases to be interesting to the viewer. This is a way of working on yourself, helping to achieve success in any field of activity. And dancing is a great medicine that helps get rid of many diseases and improve health!

In the process of writing the work, my mother and I read a lot of literature and learned the influence of dance on the body of a growing person. Working on this topic, I came to the conclusion that the study of dance will help to increase the level of my choreography.

Now, coming to a choreography lesson, I can say with confidence that doing what you love, you need to know its roots and origins. I have a new incentive to dance even more beautifully, even more correctly, because every dancer is a successor to the life of the dance, its development and, perhaps, the author of new dance styles!

And dance classes have a beneficial effect on thought processes and on our health.

I told my classmates everything I learned about dance.

My recommendations and wishes :

- Introduce dance classes at school:

1) since not all guys have the opportunity to visit dance clubs and studios;

2) to relieve stress; reduce anxiety, aggressiveness; release pent-up, repressed feelings and emotions of children;

- Particular attention should be paid to students and parents to foster a positive attitude towards dancing as one of the means of comprehensive development of the individual.

Conclusion: Dancing is not only a very pleasant form of leisure. When children dance, they throw out all the stress accumulated during the day, and this is very important - after all, children also experience a lot of negative emotions, no less than adults.

Thus, choreography develops the physical abilities of the child, his moral qualities, teaches him to be cultural, broadens his horizons, has a great power of emotional impact and therefore is an indispensable means of holistic formation of the child as a person.

How pleasant it is to look at a girl who walks with a beautiful and regal gait. Flat back, high head, smooth hand movements. And here is the boy, not bent by sitting on the Internet, but slender and with beautifully defined muscles, his shoulders are straightened, his movements are easy and confident.

The beauty of the body, the beauty of movement. This is laid in a person from childhood and precisely by dancing.

List of used sources and literature

Baryshnikova T. ABC of choreography [Text]. Guidelines to help students and teachers of children's choreographic groups, ballet schools and studios // T. Baryshnikova. - St. Petersburg: "LUX", "RESPEX". 1996. - 256 p.
Belikova A. Teach children to dance [Text]: Proc. allowance for students. inst. avg. prof. education // A. Belikova, T. Purtova, O. Kvetnaya. - M .: "Vlados", series: "For secondary specialized educational institutions". 2003. - 256 p.
Gorbacheva A.V. Features of motivational components of mental states of children involved in choreography [Text] / A.V. Gorbachev, O.I. Mukhrygina // Bulletin of the Samara Humanitarian Academy. 2014. - No. 1 (15). - pp. 16-26
Seiffert D. Pedagogy and psychology of dance [Text]: choreographer's notes: study guide / D. Seiffert. - St. Petersburg: Lan: Planet of Music, 2012. -128s.
Lobanova O.A. Dance-motor experience as a factor contributing to the development of personality adaptive properties [Electronic source] / O.A. Lobanova. - Access mode: http://nsportal.ru/nachalnaya-shkola/vospitatelnaya-rabota/2015/05/04/tantsevalnyy-opyt-kak-faktor-sposobstvuyushchiy
Schasnovich A.E. Dance education (first steps) [Text] / A.E. Schasnovich // Education and training: theory, methodology and practice Collection of materials of the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference.
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