Dance to Your Own Beat

When music hits the body, it’s an instant reaction that your body desires to move. I love dancing and I one thing I know about it is that is a universal language.

 Being Latina, I grew up within two worlds, my Spanish side as well as American. I learned how to dance by standing on my father’s feet following his steps to Spanish music. Being involuntary forced to dance when I was younger with my family was probably the best thing that could have ever been forced from me. Looking back I can only laugh about it because in a way it seemed like dancing was a “rite of passage,” for my family.

Fortunately, today I have the confidence to dance with anyone because when I listen to music and watch various forms of dance, I see it as a way to build special relationships, whether it is with significant others or even complete strangers. It can either be intimate or friendly, but it's purpose is to connect an internal emotion with external beats, harmonies and sounds.

Dance is an art that anyone can perfect to their own beat. Having this Latin upbringing, I believe it has largely helped to form who I am today. Music is a part of my everyday life that has had a large impact on me as a young adult. Being young and having this energy and physical capability to dance is truly fascinating. Being able to dance to the different kinds of Latin dance has helped to me find rhythm in all genres of music. I have been able to see people’s confidence grow through music and dance. I firmly believed dance is a form of expression that everyone must attempt because the difference between dancing and other things is that you cannot fail.

I couldn't agree more with one of Lykke Li's contagious songs says, "having trouble telling how I feel, but I can dance, dance, dance..."

The amount of emotions running through one’s body in that moment is a beautiful work of art being painted on the dance floor; it’s a live progress painting and when you're done you feel as if you aren't. Whether you're a professional or an amateur, anyone and everyone can dance. Finding the rhymes within music is something I love to be apart of and see people find.

One person that encourages me to find that beat is my friend Brandon Gonzalez, he always is dancing and just watching him dance makes you feel happy and makes you want to join, please watch. :)

Rob Alvaro

Photo by Victoria Benitez & article by Chelsea Bahk

Sources:

1. http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2014/4/19/5631726/jim-kelly-buffalo-bills-ownership-despite-cancer

2. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/science/space/keplers-tally-of-planets.html?_r=0

3. http://www.buzzfeed.com/mrloganrhoades/this-millionaire-playboy-is-the-most-interesting-man-on-inst

Rob's first article was about Jim Kelly, former quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, who has been diagnosed with cancer in March, but still plans to go through with plans to buy the Bills.

Rob's second article is an interactive New York Times piece that shows all the planets that were discovered by NASA's Kepler mission and are orbiting distant stars.  Rob pointed out that there was a planet that is similar in size to Earth that's been discovered, and it is in the "habitable zone."

Rob's third article, from Buzzfeed, provides a look into the life of one of the rich and famous, Dan Bilzerian, and does it entirely through his Instagram pictures (and captions by the Buzzfeed writer).  He is a poker player whose account chronicles the most extravagant lifestyle - the stereotypical quintessential life of a man, full of expensive cars, guns, and hordes of women.

Behind Google Glass

This past Tuesday, April 15th, Google Glass went on sale to the public for $1,500. However, there have been many negative opinion articles putting down this new and upcoming revolutionary invention. Paul Saffo from CNN, writes, "Google Glass is doomed to become a clunky eBay collectible..." Now that Google Glass is on the market, competing developers are now looking to make newer designs and better apps to improve this first generation model. With this new age of technology, our generation's privacy is more susceptible to shrink. Reading this article has me curious to see where the world of technology will soon take us!



Google Glass article

Regulations on Ethnic Hair

Earlier this month the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to the Defense Secutary in hopes of further revisions within army regulations for ethnic hair. In recent revised regulations, it is said that black women may wear their hair natural in twists or braids, however, they must be no bigger than a quarter-inch in diameter. Black women members of the caucus have spoken out against these regulations, one even stated, "African American women have often been required to meet unreasonable norms as it relates to acceptable standards of grooming in the workplace." Although, these regulations are not meant to target anyone many women have complained against them. These regulation's main purpose is to have a "more professional looking" army, however, petitions have been signed and debates have begun for further review of professional ethnic hairstyles. 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/04/11/301509842/congressional-black-caucus-urges-rethink-of-army-hair-rules