Buffalo Makes Me Want to Dance!

Buffalo Salsa

I didn't know what to expect when I signed up for a series of salsa classes. I purchased the series on a whim when LivingSocial.com was offering a deal of four classes for $20. Salsa for the Soul offers classes for beginners as well as more experienced dancers at the Configuration Dance Studio on Lexington Ave. I was intrigued but also a little intimidated by the idea of salsa, not only because it looks like a complicated dance, but also because those salsa girls always make it look so damn sexy! I don't think I'll ever move quite like the pros, but after two classes I'm at least somewhat comfortable with the basic steps. The instructors take their time explaining everything we do in the class, and there is a lot of repetition to help everyone get used to the movement. It's not only fun, but also a pretty decent workout! All that moving definitely gets the heart pumping. Anyone who is interested in Salsa for the Soul can check out their facebook page. For info about upcoming classes you can also email Sarah Hooper (Salsa Sarah) at Salsaforthesoul@gmail.com.

There is actually more of a salsa dance scene in Buffalo than I ever realized. I first saw Salsa Sarah doing a Salsa for the Soul workshop at a Latin Jazz Project performance on Bidwell this summer. She performed again at the Party for the Olmsted Parks last month (which was a great time.) The Latin Jazz Project performs every Friday night at Barcelona on Pearl. Anyone can go to dance, or just listen to some excellent Latin music. They also play at the Anchor Bar (home of the original Buffalo Wing) on Saturdays. Chow Chocolate  has a "noche de salsa" event every Wednesday which includes a lesson followed by open dancing.

Take a dance class in Buffalo!

In addition to Salsa for the Soul, there are other organizations that offer Salsa and other Latin dance classes such as the Latin American Institute, and Folkloric Productions.

As a matter of fact, there are all kinds of dance classes available in Buffalo. Kineo Lab offers contemporary dance classes for both children and adults. The American Academy of Ballet offers classes in ballet for children and adults as well as modern, jazz and tap. For the tango enthusiast, there's Buffalo Tango. Anyone interested in ballroom dancing can check out the Arthur Murray Studios, and there is a surprisingly large amount of studios and teachers offering Belly Dance including Ilya's on Hertel Ave, The Belly Dance Academy in Kenmore, and the Western New York Bellydance Association. For the daring and adventurous, there is the Pole Play Dance Studio on Hertel Ave. They offer pole dancing classes as well as chair dance, flexibility, and hoop dancing.

Buffalo's Own Dance Company

If you're more interested in watching a dance performance than in learning to dance yourself, Buffalo also has its own touring dance company. I took in a performance by the Lehrer Dance company last Friday at UB. I was absolutely blown away by the raw athleticism of the dancers. These people were doing things with their bodies that mere mortals should not be able to do. They were balancing on each other and holding postures that would make bodybuilders tremble.

image courtesy of lehrerdance.org

I've never really attended a dance performance (other than the Nutcraker ballet at Christmas time - check it out at Shea's) but what intrigued me enough to check this one out was a dance entitled "An American Siddhartha: The Way Within" which was performed to a soundtrack of Led Zeppelin and The Guess Who. Not what I expected to see on a modern dance program. I know very little about modern dance, but I enjoyed the performance and noticed how the piece utilized color and lighting along with song and movement to tell a story. Very cool.

The Lehrer Dance company was founded in 2007 by UB alum Jon Lehrer. Since then, the company has spent time touring the country, receiving rave reviews in cities such as Chicago and Houston, as well as from national dance publications including Dance Magazine. In addition to touring, the company also has a home season during which they perform here in Buffalo at the UB Center for the Arts. Not only is Lehrer Dance based out of Buffalo, the company has also recruited some dancers from the Western New York community. I am proud to say that Buffalo has a world-class touring dance company, and I am sure that they are equally proud to call Buffalo home. We need organizations to be out there sharing positive ideas about Buffalo, so I hope my readers will join me in supporting them.

  Buffalo on the cheap!

I purchased my salsa lessons through LivingSocial, a Web site that offers one local deal per day to members. As I have yet to find employment since moving back to Buffalo this summer (someone please hire me!), I have had to learn how to be frugal in this city. Luckily for me, LivingSocial isn't the only Web site to offer the specials. Groupon and Seize the Deal are similar sites. It's free to sign up for all three services, and members will receive daily emails letting them know about that day's deals. I love these services, which feature deals from restaurants, salons and spas, theatres, boutiques, local attractions, and more.

Other sites that help you save money and find deals in the area are the Deal Map and Channel 2's Discount Deals. If anyone knows about any additional sites for finding local savings, please send them my way and I will share them here!

A visit to the Buffalo Zoo

I took advantage of yesterday's sunshine by finally paying a visit to the Buffalo Zoo. I've been meaning to go all summer and am glad I made it before the really cold weather came. The zoo is one of the area's biggest tourist attractions. It was designed as a part of the Buffalo park system by Frederick Olmsted in 1875. In more recent years, it was a controversial topic among area residents. The zoo's accreditation was jeopardized when it was accused of having substandard care facilities for the animals. There was also talk of the zoo moving from its historic location in order to expand. Ultimately, in 2002, the Buffalo Zoo finalized plans to rennovate and update many of its facilities. In 2008, many of the updates were completed including Sea Lion Cove and the impressive Rain Forest Falls. The updates will continue for years and I am optimistic about the zoo's future.

Upon arriving, I noticed signs instructing me to try out the Buffalo Zoo iPhone app. I'm told that Buffalo is the first zoo in the country to have developed such an app. It features a map that pinpoints your location in the zoo and shows you what animals and exhibits are nearby. It also has schedules of upcoming events such as zookeeper talks, tours, demonstrations, and feedings. The app even includes audio and video clips about some of the animals in the zoo.

 

One of everyone's favorite animals to visit in any zoo is the polar bear. The Buffalo Zoo is home to two. While seeing any animal held in captivity can be a little sad, the polar bears seemed especially depressed to me. They were pacing back and forth in their small and bare enclosures. I am delighted to report, however, that the Buffalo zoo just announced today that they will be developing a new habitat for the bears, to be called the Arctic Edge habitat. The update to the habitats, which were originally designed in 1930 comes just in time, as the zoo's 10 year old female polar bear may be expecting cubs soon.

Some of the other highlights of my visit included the new Rainforest Falls exhibit, the adorable snow leopard cubs, and my favorite animals, the tigers.

 

The Buffalo Zoo is open year-round. It is available for birthday parties, and holds events throughout the year such as Halloween hayrides, holiday parties, and more. The Buffalo Zoo always needs funding to continue renovations and to improve the quality of life for the animals. I encourage everyone to visit the zoo and to donate to support its continued growth.

Buffalo's Got Architecture, and Tours too!

One of my favorite things about Buffalo is our architecture. Though I love the beautful old buildings, I don't know all that much about them. I made my first attempt to rectify that last night on the Open-Air Autobus of Buffalo. The bus tours are operated by the Campaign for Great Buffalo and focus on the historic architecture in the area. Among other things, I learned that there were three great American architects: Henry H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright; and that Buffalo is one of only two cities to have buildings designed by all three (the other city being Chicago.)

Our first stop was the Richardson complex on Forest Ave. Almost everyone in Buffalo is familiar with the complex even if they don't know the name of the building or its designer. The main building's towers are recognizable and can be seen from various points all over the city. It was originally designed by Henry H. Richardson to house the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. Though I recognize it as a beautiful building, I've always imagined it to be haunted by the tormented souls of the insane who lived and died there.

Another beautiful building we visited was the Ellicott Square building downtown.When it opened in 1896, it was the largest office building in the world. I love the ornamental sculpture all over the building's exterior, as well as (though we didn't see this from the bus) the intricate glass and steel ceiling that covers the lobby.

Louis Sullivan was one of the three great American architects, and until last night I didn't know he had existed. He designed the Guaranty Building (now the Prudential building) in 1895 and it was built the following year. When our bus parked directly beside it, I was able to get a close look at the gorgeous and intricate terra cotta blocks that make up the building's exterior.

One of Buffalo's most recognizable buildings, and certainly my favorite, is City Hall. The first style of architecture I was ever familiar with was Art Deco, and that is because I was familiar with Buffalo's City Hall.

This was the "Whirlwind Tour" so we covered a little bit of everything. The group also offers more specialized tours such as the Frank Lloyd Wright tour. There are a few weeks of bus tours left for this season and the schedule is available here.

More Buffalo Tours

Another group that offers architecture tours is Buffalo Tours. I've never been on one of their tours, but telling by their Web site, they offer a variety of specialized tours. After familiarizing myself with their offerings, I certainly plan to attend some of their events. Their site also features a free audio tour. Anyone who wants to check out some interesting sites on their own need only print out the map and call a phone number for the audio tour.

Forgotten Buffalo offers a more quirky selection of tours. Events include historic bar crawls, neighborhood visits, and Irish Buffalo tours. A Polish princess myself, I can't help but be intrigued by the Polonia Pride tour.

Best Buffalo Tours seem to offer mostly mafia-themed tour events, which could certainly be interesting.

The tours and walks guided by Mason Winfield are definitely for thrill seekers! They offer ghost walks in various areas of Buffalo as well as some of the surrounding towns. In a city as old as this one I'm sure there are plenty of great ghost stories to be heard. In the past, they've done a haunted pub crawl through Allentown. I'm hoping to attend that event this Halloween season!