Post by Brooke on Apr 14, 2004 12:52:41 GMT -5
Posted on Mon, Apr. 12, 2004
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
Pati Ventre and Dancer cut a rug on the dance floor. Dog dancing is an exciting idea to owners looking for ways to spend time with their pets.
Dogs are stepping into freestyle on dance floors
Patie Ventre is ready. The sequins edging her costume and the rhinestones in her earrings scatter light from the overhead fluorescents. A crowd rings the dance floor, curious to see this new craze. On the beat, Ventre and her partner twirl and strut. They crisscross the floor, working together, then moving apart. They spin, they weave, they quick-step around each other in coiling twists to Lou Bega’s hip-shakin’ “Mambo No. 5.”
Ventre’s smile radiates her love of performing. Her partner’s excited response means the same thing – in border-collie dialect, of course.
Musical canine freestyle, also known as dancing with your dog, is the latest trend in the pet world, and it’s picking up speed faster than a retriever bounding after a tennis ball. Like pairs figure skating, freestyle involves partners performing a choreographed program to music. Imagine Olympic ice dancers Torville and Dean, only Torville has four legs and a tail.
The “steps” can include obedience exercises, movements inspired by equine dressage, even standard dog tricks. In competition, tandems are judged on creativity, athleticism and how well the human-canine team works together.
Although the premise of dancing with a dog might make some people snicker, it’s an exciting idea to dog owners looking for new ways to enjoy the company of their animals. And in a society that may be shifting toward seeing dogs more as family members than pets, the reward of learning a routine together offers a satisfying bond.
“Some people think I’m crazy,” said Anna Schloff, who has been involved in the sport for several years. “I’ve had people laugh out loud. But when they see it, they are impressed.”
Along with Ventre and her dog, Dancer, Schloff was in Minneapolis last month demonstrating canine freestyle at the Twin Cities Pet Expo. She and her 2-year-old yellow lab, Danny, danced to “Soul Man.” Schloff donned dark glasses and a black cap. Danny wore a black tie on his collar. The crowd cheered the pair each time a series of steps culminated with Danny zooming backwards through Schloff’s legs.
Jean Joslyn of Champlin, Minn., was among those applauding from the sidelines. “Freestyle is amazing, but I don’t think she could do it,” Joslyn said, gesturing toward Bailey, a St. Bernard sprawling at her feet. “She doesn’t have the energy.”
But Ventre says virtually any dog can do freestyle if handlers work with the natural strengths of the breed. For instance, many small dogs can stand on their hind legs, and most herding dogs tend to circle instinctively.
“A bloodhound is going to dance differently than a border collie,” Ventre said. “That’s the beauty of it. You can pick music and match it to the dog. You can bring out their personality. You can make the audience laugh. You can do serious stuff and make them cry.”
Freestyle started in Canada and Europe 15 years ago. Since then, word has spread fast among dog enthusiasts.
The World Canine Freestyle Organization, an advocacy group founded by Ventre, currently has 850 active members. At least two other organizations are devoted to canine freestyle, as well, as are as many as 7,000 participants in the sport worldwide (twice that if you count the dogs).
Although freestyle is already popular in the southern and eastern United States, Schloff, Ventre and many other performers tour extensively to demonstrate dog dancing to audiences at nursing homes, classrooms and obedience schools around the country. Videos of performances have introduced thousands more to the sport through the Internet. Participants have appeared on Animal Planet’s “Pet Star,” “Oprah” and “Good Morning America.” There are even clubs devoted to canine freestyle in Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
The Bloomington, Minn., Obedience Club began offering a canine freestyle class this month – the first in the Twin Cities area. It filled and the club is still fielding inquiries about it. Some who weren’t able to secure a spot in the class say they will buy training videos and meet informally to teach themselves the sport.
Handlers cue these movements by voice command or body position, patiently building from simple to more complex moves. Choreographing and mastering routines can take months. Even then, human partners must be ready to ad-lib if a yummy smell or interesting sight distracts a dog during the performance.
“Every routine is slightly different because dogs are unpredictable,” said Schloff, who was not too surprised when Danny’s attention wandered while they were doing the seventh or eighth demo of the day. She kept dancing and gently called Danny’s name to remind him that his soft-paw shuffle was on display.
Of course, there is one other thing. Both partners have to come to terms on the music. Ventre says that both she and Dancer like Latin sounds, and the tempo suits the sprightly way each of them moves. But like all-human dance teams, they don’t always agree.
“I love Judy Garland,” Ventre said. “Dancer’s favorite song is from Eminem.”
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
Pati Ventre and Dancer cut a rug on the dance floor. Dog dancing is an exciting idea to owners looking for ways to spend time with their pets.
Dogs are stepping into freestyle on dance floors
Patie Ventre is ready. The sequins edging her costume and the rhinestones in her earrings scatter light from the overhead fluorescents. A crowd rings the dance floor, curious to see this new craze. On the beat, Ventre and her partner twirl and strut. They crisscross the floor, working together, then moving apart. They spin, they weave, they quick-step around each other in coiling twists to Lou Bega’s hip-shakin’ “Mambo No. 5.”
Ventre’s smile radiates her love of performing. Her partner’s excited response means the same thing – in border-collie dialect, of course.
Musical canine freestyle, also known as dancing with your dog, is the latest trend in the pet world, and it’s picking up speed faster than a retriever bounding after a tennis ball. Like pairs figure skating, freestyle involves partners performing a choreographed program to music. Imagine Olympic ice dancers Torville and Dean, only Torville has four legs and a tail.
The “steps” can include obedience exercises, movements inspired by equine dressage, even standard dog tricks. In competition, tandems are judged on creativity, athleticism and how well the human-canine team works together.
Although the premise of dancing with a dog might make some people snicker, it’s an exciting idea to dog owners looking for new ways to enjoy the company of their animals. And in a society that may be shifting toward seeing dogs more as family members than pets, the reward of learning a routine together offers a satisfying bond.
“Some people think I’m crazy,” said Anna Schloff, who has been involved in the sport for several years. “I’ve had people laugh out loud. But when they see it, they are impressed.”
Along with Ventre and her dog, Dancer, Schloff was in Minneapolis last month demonstrating canine freestyle at the Twin Cities Pet Expo. She and her 2-year-old yellow lab, Danny, danced to “Soul Man.” Schloff donned dark glasses and a black cap. Danny wore a black tie on his collar. The crowd cheered the pair each time a series of steps culminated with Danny zooming backwards through Schloff’s legs.
Jean Joslyn of Champlin, Minn., was among those applauding from the sidelines. “Freestyle is amazing, but I don’t think she could do it,” Joslyn said, gesturing toward Bailey, a St. Bernard sprawling at her feet. “She doesn’t have the energy.”
But Ventre says virtually any dog can do freestyle if handlers work with the natural strengths of the breed. For instance, many small dogs can stand on their hind legs, and most herding dogs tend to circle instinctively.
“A bloodhound is going to dance differently than a border collie,” Ventre said. “That’s the beauty of it. You can pick music and match it to the dog. You can bring out their personality. You can make the audience laugh. You can do serious stuff and make them cry.”
Freestyle started in Canada and Europe 15 years ago. Since then, word has spread fast among dog enthusiasts.
The World Canine Freestyle Organization, an advocacy group founded by Ventre, currently has 850 active members. At least two other organizations are devoted to canine freestyle, as well, as are as many as 7,000 participants in the sport worldwide (twice that if you count the dogs).
Although freestyle is already popular in the southern and eastern United States, Schloff, Ventre and many other performers tour extensively to demonstrate dog dancing to audiences at nursing homes, classrooms and obedience schools around the country. Videos of performances have introduced thousands more to the sport through the Internet. Participants have appeared on Animal Planet’s “Pet Star,” “Oprah” and “Good Morning America.” There are even clubs devoted to canine freestyle in Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
The Bloomington, Minn., Obedience Club began offering a canine freestyle class this month – the first in the Twin Cities area. It filled and the club is still fielding inquiries about it. Some who weren’t able to secure a spot in the class say they will buy training videos and meet informally to teach themselves the sport.
Handlers cue these movements by voice command or body position, patiently building from simple to more complex moves. Choreographing and mastering routines can take months. Even then, human partners must be ready to ad-lib if a yummy smell or interesting sight distracts a dog during the performance.
“Every routine is slightly different because dogs are unpredictable,” said Schloff, who was not too surprised when Danny’s attention wandered while they were doing the seventh or eighth demo of the day. She kept dancing and gently called Danny’s name to remind him that his soft-paw shuffle was on display.
Of course, there is one other thing. Both partners have to come to terms on the music. Ventre says that both she and Dancer like Latin sounds, and the tempo suits the sprightly way each of them moves. But like all-human dance teams, they don’t always agree.
“I love Judy Garland,” Ventre said. “Dancer’s favorite song is from Eminem.”