America Tonight with Kate Delaney features Jenell Maranto. Jenell is a National Professional Ballroom Dance Champion, and is the author of the book titled Life on the Wood Floor: Stories of Learning & Teaching Ballroom Dance.
In this one-on-one interview, Jenell Maranto discusses parts of her personal life, teaching career, and her progressive journey towards conceptualizing her book. In it, she recounts and chronicles the memorable and impactful experiences she has had as a professional and competitive dancer, a dance show contestant, and nationally recognized champ who has been invited to judge many national dance competitions. She has represented America in Europe and Asian countries. She also touches on dance instructions, tips, and techniques as well as stories about her travels and learning from other individuals along the way.
Tango
In this portion, Jenell tells us about the passion and beauty of tango, which she believes many people seek due to the soulfulness, sexiness, and expressiveness of the dance. Jenell briefly discusses the history of tango and explains that often times many people call her asking specifically to learn the tango. She believes that the passion infused with the soulful music and intimate themes is what really gives the tango its flare, and is what makes it very popular and desirable.
Teaching Ballroom Dance and a brief commentary on the dance’s aspects and cultural relevance
Jenell Maranto loves to teach and educate her students to understand what ballroom dancing really is. She tells us that ballroom dancing is not simply two people rocking from foot to foot, but rather a couple with the possibility of a sweeping and powerful movement.
When two people are connected and moving in opposition, swinging past one another to music amazing things can happen. Using natural forces such as gravity, pendular swing and centrifugal force two bodies can move to the rhythm and beat in harmony. It is the mood of the music and emotions that spur us into action. In the author’s opinion, she believes that the most exciting part about dancing as a couple is the feeling of movement together.
On the mainstream, people tend to associate it with their parents’ anniversary or old-time movies of people swirling around a dance floor. But in contrast, it’s actually more modern than we think, in the sense that it’s been here all along even though some of us didn’t realize it. She tells us that it’s the music that stirs us and influences us to dance and that it’s so much better with someone else.
“Anyone can learn to dance”, says Jenell Maranto. “If you can walk into a dance studio in the first place then you can learn how to dance. You don’t want to get too technical in the beginning, you just wanna have fun, learn how to stand with a partner and move without feeling awkward or uncomfortable. That can come rather quickly. Learning to understand a few steps at a time, the techniques, and the other types of music is the first thing. I never get bored with it, there’s just so many styles of dance, Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba, Cha-Cha, Swing that you could stay interested for years and years. I certainly have.”
For more information about Jenell Maranto’s Life on the Wood Floor: Stories of Learning & Teaching Ballroom Dance, visit the book’s Amazon page here at:
https://www.amazon.com/FloorJenell-MarantoProfessional-Ballroom-Dance-Champion/dp/0464042127
or visit Jenell and her husband’s official dance workshop page at:
http://www.academyofballroomdance.com/
This radio interview was made possible by ReadersMagnet’s book marketing services. Visit our Official Website: https://www.readersmagnet.com