More News in March

Two amazing new ongoing classes:

• Tribal Belly Dancing with Vila, Saturdays 10:30 to noon. It is the ancient dance celebrating birth, marriage, love and life. Tribal basics include strength, posture, isolations, dance moves, and choreography. The introductory workshop was a huge success.
  
• Beginners Brazilian Samba with Katie starting Tuesday, 6:00-7:00pm. Experience the exuberant and sensual dances of Brazil. This class provides beginners an introduction to carnival style choreography with traditional and contemporary rhythms. $12 per class, please ask for student or multiple class discounts.
  

Workshops:

• Saturday, March 24, Argentine Tango workshop with George Garcia from Hawaii who teaches and performs with world renowned tanguera Christy Cote. 3:00-7:00pm, Leaders & Followers Technique, Figures for the Salon, and Tango Vals. 7:00-8:00 Practica.
• Saturday, March 31, Casino Rueda with Al Watts, 3-6, $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Al will continue with the group who came to the first workshop, AND incorporate newcomers.
• Sunday, April 1, West Coast Swing workshop with Randy and Stephanie Krul, 2:00-5:00pm. Flavor your Basics, Spins and Turns, and Dancing outside the slot. $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
  

Friday/Saturday Dance Parties:

Saturday, March 10, Salsa with Andrea and Hector, 7-7:45pm Beginners, 7:45-8:30pm Intermediate, Salsa Dance party 8:30-10:30pm, $10

Friday March 16, Waltz lesson and Ballroom Dance Party, 7-10pm, $10

Saturday March 17, Country 2 Step 6-7pm, Country Waltz 7-8pm, Country Dance Party 8-10pm, $10

Class Success Story:

Tuesday’s Beginners Social Dance Boot Camp and Monday’s Ballroom Beginners series that started in the first week are almost filled to full capacity, there are a few spaces left. We will still allow newcomers to join in the second week (March 12 and 13), after this the series will be closed. Due to huge success, we will continue to offer these series in the future, and adding part 2 for students who wish to continue.

If you wish to know about a " simply exciting dance which is fun to do and a pleasure to watch", please read on.

Casino Rueda – the Salsa “Wheel”. We are extremely happy to be able to offer this workshop again with Al Watts, Saturday March 31.

During the 1950's a dance called Casino Rueda, or Rueda de Casino, or simply Rueda became popular in Cuba. It started in El Casino Deportivo, a Havana social club. The name Casino, which comes from the social club in which the dance began, refers to the style of dancing. It refers to the kinds of turns and steps you would normally do in ordinary salsa dancing, but which make Casino Rueda unique in that the dancing is done in a circle or wheel, as a group. In Rueda the followers are passed around in the circle, with the leaders rapidly exchanging of partners, and numerous complicated moves are done in synchronization, all done to the beat of Salsa music. Each move has a name and many have hand signals, and are called by the leader of the Rueda. Moves, which are also known as "calls", are sometimes called in extremely quick succession, creating a very dynamic and exciting atmosphere for everyone involved. The hand signals are designed people to be able to dance a Rueda in a loud club setting. In addition, Rueda allows many to take part in the action! As few as two couples can dance Casino Rueda, but also as large as a space can hold! Sometimes as many as fifty couples dance the Rueda, even in circles within circles!!

A wonderful new group dynamic occurs when dancing Casino Rueda. There is a unique level of awareness, unmatched in other dances, required by the group for the dance to look stylish, flow smoothly, and above all, to keep it entertaining and fun for those dancing and even for those watching! Dancers learn to open their sphere of awareness, their peripheral vision, beyond the normal restricted space of solo or partner dancing. In this way, dancers coordinate and adjust their individual feel, timing and style so as to make the Rueda work. It is very exciting when the entire Rueda is moving smoothly and on beat! A unique group atmosphere develops as you feel the whole Rueda flow, listening to the wonderful Afro-Cuban/Latin-American music. It is simply an exciting dance which is fun to do and a pleasure to watch.