June 25th, 2008

Happy 4th of July!

Our biggest summer holiday is quickly approaching and it's not too late to get in shape! Whether you are staying in town or traveling away, make sure you prioritize your exercise. Burn extra calories at that BBQ by putting on some fun music and dancing!

For a serious fitness fix take advantage of our new Monday lunchtime Boot Camp class (11:30-12:30)- start the week working out hard then dance the rest of the week away. Remember the most effective fitness plan incorporates cardio AND strength training.

We will be closed in observance of the 4th of July Holiday on Friday July 4th and Saturday July 5th.
Wishing everybody a happy 4th!

The Truth About Water

How Much Water Do You Really Need?

Article Excerpt by Catherine Guthrie

For the past 50 years, nutritionists and other health experts have been exhorting Americans to drink more water. And if the ubiquity of the water bottle is anything to go by, this message has been heard loud and clear. Everywhere you look-college campuses, commuter trains, yoga classes-you see the plastic water bottle in all its variations. But now that it's been firmly established in your psyche, and you either dutifully swig water constantly or feel guilty for not doing
so, new research lets you off the hook. As it turns out, much of the water craze springs from a deep well of misinformation. Experts debunk some of the most popular water myths and relieve your guilty conscience in the process.

MYTH: You need eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to be healthy.
TRUTH: The familiar "8 x 8" rule is based not on ironclad scientific certainty but more likely on a misinterpreted recommendation from the 1940s, says Heinz Valtin, M.D., a kidney specialist and retired professor at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire. The crux of the miscalculation hinges on the definition of water. "The consumer ended up thinking only plain water counts," says Ann Grandjean, Ph.D., a hydration researcher and the executive director of the nonprofit Center for Human Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska. But almost all liquids-including tea, coffee, and beer-count toward the daily water intake, she says. So, how much should you be drinking? The average American gets 20 percent of his or her water intake from food. Even spaghetti is 66 percent water (see the chart at the end of this article). The remaining 80 percent comes from all beverages. Taking that into account, by the institute's reckoning a woman should drink 72.8 ounces (nine 8-ounce glasses) daily and a man 100 ounces (12.5 glasses). But, unlike what you may have heard before, those 72.8 ounces can come from coffee, tea, or soda-not just water.

MYTH: Caffeinated beverages zap your body's water reserves.
TRUTH: Grandjean first became interested in the reputed link between dehydration and caffeine while working as a consultant to the United States Olympic Committee. "I worked with elite-level athletes, and I noticed they drank a lot of caffeinated beverages without showing any sign of dehydration," she says. In 2000, she published a study on caffeine consumption and hydration in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. For the study, Grandjean and her colleagues recruited 18 healthy men and on various days had them drink 59 fluid ounces of liquid that included varying amounts of plain water, diet cola, and coffee, depending on subjects' body mass. Researchers tested each participant's body weight, urine, and blood before and after drinking. The authors discovered the body doesn't discriminate between regular and decaf beverages when it comes to hydration. After the study exonerated caffeine, Grandjean, like Valtin, was stunned by the public's reaction. "Consumers started calling and saying 'This is wonderful,' " she recalls with a chuckle. "All those closet caffeine addicts-it was as if they'd all been liberated."

MYTH: If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.
TRUTH: While thirst is an accurate barometer of when to imbibe, the notion that thirst signals a dehydrated body is not true, says Valtin. Dehydration occurs when the blood's concentration of solid particles rises by 5 percent. Thirst is triggered when blood concentration rises by 2 percent. So thirst sets in before dehydration. (The exception is older people, who may not feel thirsty even when they're slightly dehydrated.) That said, the fact that you're not dehydrated yet is no reason to avoid water. "Thirst is the first indicator of the body's need for water," says Dee Sandquist, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. And people who shrug off their thirst will find themselves on the path to dehydration. Signs to look for include headache, dry mouth, rapid pulse, and light-headedness.

MYTH: Urine should be clear.
TRUTH: Perpetually clear urine can actually be a sign of drinking too much water, which can dilute the body's electrolytes, according to Grandjean. "Healthy urine should have some color," she says. Certain vitamins, such as riboflavin (B2), can darken urine. If the flow is unusually dark or cloudy-and you know that it's not from supplements-see your doctor to rule out any health problems.

MYTH: Drinking lots of water suppresses the appetite.
TRUTH: While being adequately hydrated helps your metabolism run at its optimal level, drinking vast quantities of water won't affect the amount you eat. Because water empties from the stomach very quickly, it has little effect on appetite, says Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University. A better way to feel sated with less, studies show, is to eat foods that have a high water content: fruits, vegetables, soups, and grains (see the chart at the end of this article).

MYTH: Bottled water is always better than tap water.
TRUTH: Although much ink has flowed on the pros and cons of tap versus bottled water, there is no simple answer. The government keeps tabs on the safety of tap water, but the water from your sink may have trace levels of contaminants, such as lead from old pipes. To determine the health of your municipality's water supply, visit the Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water site EPA Safe Water Info. To find out if lead from old pipes is seeping into your taps, consider a home water test, such as Watersafe ($17 at Watersafetestkits.com). If any contaminants show up, try using a filter appropriate for the type of contaminant, suggests Jeff Migdow, M.D., a holistic physician affiliated with Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. If you'd rather buy bottled, splurge on spring water from a reputable source. "Much of bottled water is simply tap water that's been filtered," says Migdow. Indeed, a 1999 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council cites government and industry findings that roughly 25 percent of bottled water is nothing but plain tap water. If you're curious about the source of your favorite brand of bottled water, go to www.nsf.org/consumer and click on "bottled water."

Water in Food Chart:
Drink your food! No more eight glasses a day: New research says you can get your water from food and even coffee.

Article Link

New Pre-Ballet Class (3-5 yr. olds)

8 Week Session starts July 19th

Sign your little dancers up for Karen's Saturday morning pre-ballet class for 3-5 year olds!

Pre-ballet introduces ballet technique, vocabulary and choreography with a creative and playful approach. Children learn the structure of ballet class and are taught proper technique using creative imagery and storytelling though movement. Each session they learn the story, music and choreography from a different ballet. This summer they will explore ballet though the eyes of the popular storybook character Madeline, and her adventures around the world. Class ideal for beginners or students with 1-2 experience with ballet or
movement-based classes.

Saturdays 8:15-9:00 AM
8 Week Session begins 7/19/08
$96/8 weeks, pre-registered
$14 Drop In
Pre-registration recommended to guarantee spot.

Karen Hayes began her study of ballet, tap and jazz at the age of 4 in St. Louis, MO. As a child she performed with the Missouri State Ballet and in various Musical Theatre Productions. At eighteen she entered the BA program in Modern Dance with a Minor in Education and Creative Movement for Children at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Karen has danced professionally with David Dorfman, Hand/Foot Ensemble and other notable modern dance companies.

After completion of her degree she continued to perform and began her career in dance education. She moved to Los Angeles where she began working as an artist in residence in many local schools and non-profits. She went on to direct the children's program at Pacific Dance Center in Manhattan Beach and co-directed many ballets, including The Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty. Her specialty and passion is teaching young children's dance. In 2005 she created her own youth dance company, Twinkle Toes Dance, and has been teaching and choreographing for kids in the Hollywood/Silverlake area for over 5 years.

NEW Bootcamp Class

Mondays 11:30 AM-12:30 PM

It's official! The response was so great, we added a Monday Bootcamp class to our regular class schedule! Get ready to BLAST your body into shape with weights, plyometrics, & interval cardio blasts. This is the fastest way to get your body in top shape.

Mondays
11:30-12:30 PM

Dianna Howe earned her various certifications including: group exercise instructor, indoor cycle, mat pilates, kick boxing, yoga and many others in 2004. For the past 4 years, she has been teaching children and adults in various schools, gyms and studios throughout Los Angeles area and most recently she worked as a coordinator running the group exercise program for L.A. Fitness. She was introduced to yoga at an early age by her yogi parents and believes that wellness and happiness are truly achieved through yoga and fitness. Dianna enjoys teaching a peaceful but challenging and soothing class.

Heartbeat House Apparel

On Sale Now!

Now on sale in the lobby, Heartbeat House T Shirts, Tank Tops, Capri Pants, and
bags! All with our signature logo and our favorite dance quote:

"We should consider everyday lost on which we have not danced at least once." -Fredriche Nietzche

New Referral Promotion

Spread the Word and SAVE Money!

With every 5 new people you refer to the studio, we will give you $5/class for a week!

Make sure the person you refer writes your name down on their registration form so we can keep track in our system. We will monitor every month and contact you if you have won the promotion- we will also be announcing those names in the next newsletter.

So, start talking, start sharing, and save money!

Take Our Survey-Win Classes!

Please Participate!

In our continuing effort to serve you, our customer, we need all the feedback we can get! In our lobby you will see, we have a questionnaire for you to fill out- please just take a little bit of time to answer the questions as honestly as possible, and be entered into our drawing to win a 4 Class Package! We appreciate it so much.

Schedule Updates

Subs, Class Postponement, New Class, 4th of July Schedule

SUBS:
Total Body Sculpting will be taught by Kumbi on Thursday 6/26, Tuesday
7/1, and Thursday 7/3 9:30-10:30 AM.

Community Kundalini Yoga will be taught by Lauree on Sunday 6/29 9:15-10:45 AM.

Hip Hop (Cardio Soul) will be taught by fantastic guest teacher RICKY
on Sunday 6/26 2:00-3:00 PM.

Community Candlelight Yoga will be taught by LeTania on Sunday 6/26
and 7/6 7:15-8:45 PM.

Community Slow Flow Yoga will be taught by Lindsey on Tuesday 7/1 and
7/8 8:30-9:45 PM.

Still Moving will be taught by Daphne on Wednesday 7/2 10:00-11:00 AM.

POSTPONED CLASS
Community Tai Chi will be postponed for 2 Sundays, 6/29 and 7/6 4:00-5:30 PM

Kids Hip Hop on Fridyas at 4:00 PM will be postponed until further
notice after 6/27.

NEW CLASS:
Pre-Ballet (for 3-5 yrs.) with Karen begins an 8 week session on
Saturday 7/19 8:15-9:00 AM.

Afro-Brazilian will be coming to Saturdays at Noon- more info coming soon!

WE ARE CLOSED FRIDAY JULY 4TH, AND SATURDAY JULY 5TH.

DANCE EVENTS

Dance Downtown

No matter what your dance style of choice or level of expertise, Dance Downtown provides a fun and free Friday evening from May through September. Friday nights in Downtown LA will never be the same!

WHERE: Music Center Plaza
WHEN: 6:30pm - 10:00pm
ADMISSION: FREE
First come, first served.

DJ/LIVE MUSIC from 7:15pm to 10:00pm
BEGINNER DANCE LESSON at 6:30PM
Dance floor provided. Dancers of all levels are encouraged to attend.

JUNE 27- Swing featuring The Jonathan Stout Orchestra
JULY 11- Bollywood/Bhangra featuring DJ Sandeep Kumar
JULY 25- Samba
AUGUST 8- Zydeco featuring TLou and his Superhot Zydeco Band
AUGUST 22- Cha Cha & Salsa
SEPTEMBER 5- Argentine Tango - a special evening at
BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall
SEPTEMBER 19- Disco

Volunteer/Work Exchange

Work For Your Classes

Want to dance, but low on funds? Sign up for our Volunteer/Work Exchange Program! Help us out at the studio- cleaning, filing, errands, organizing, etc. and we'll give you Free Class Passes! Every hour and half you work, you receive a Free Class Pass- good for any of our regularly scheduled classes.

Email us with your availability: heartbeathouse@hotmail.com. Our studio runs smoothly only because our volunteers are so great!

Contemporary Corner

Kid Sister

Every week in Jasmine's Contemporary Ballet class (Wednesdays 6:30 PM), she features ecelctic new music from different indie artist performing locally- this week is Kid Sister:

"it was 106 degrees in her heart and she felt like Cleopatra. she had a huge gap in her teeth that wistled when she talked. as a little girl, she used to paint her fingernails black and wear the same shoes for a week. it was her birthday tuesday and she knew of only music. to her, music had no time. music was all the romance she needed. at night, she pretended to be a mathematician and spoke a language of shapes, yelling squares and burping triangles. a giant moth landed in her mouth, two wings and big black dots that reminded her of the night sky. tomorrow she would go to france and join the circus. her curiosity drove some people mad and others madly in love with her. as for today, she spoke of movement, pushing her hair out of her yellow eyes and chomping the carrots that turned her pale skin orange. she planned to take ballet class wednesday night where she was told a particular gangster wished to point his feet next to hers. this week it could be calm, but kid sister tells me of a storm." -jasmine

Contemporary Ballet:
Wednesdays 6:30 PM
Optional Warm Up 6:00 PM

Promotions

New Student Promotion:New Students can try any class they want their first week for only $5/class!
Birthday Promotion:
Come dance off that birthday cake with $5 classes the week of your birthday!
Referral Promotion:
Receive 20% off a 4 Class Package when you refer a new student who buys a Class Package.

FEEDBACK and TESTIMONIALS

We appreciate any and all feedback you have about our studio, our classes, our teachers, requests, etc.

If you love our little studio and have had experienced some real fitness and fun results- please help us promote by sending us testimonials. Email or write!

Thank you!