| Locations:
Chandler YMCA: 1655 West Frye Road ~ Chandler, AZ 85224
Tempe YMCA: 7070 South Rural Road ~ Tempe, AZ
Classes begin in January, April, July and September in each calendar year. Depending on the calendar,
class sessions will vary between 8 and 10 hours. The tuition fee will vary from $70 to $90.
Basic Social Dance
Be the Life of the Party! This class is designed for newcomers to the dancing scene. Learn basic rhythms of
dance and the principles of movement, timing, leading, following and at least 6 different steps you can do to ANY music. The steps you learn can be danced to FOX TROT, WALTZ, RUMBA, TANGO, CHA CHA and SWING
music. You’ll be out of your seat and moving before you know it.
Unlike “ballroom”, Social Dancing can be done on a small dance floor to music from a small combo or a DJ.
Mary Lou Kaye, DEA and PDF certified instructor and producer of several dance videos, is your instructor and
she takes partner dancing down to its simplest and easiest form ever. Walk In – Dance Out!
Basic Social Dance II
Now that you’ve learned the steps that allow you to dance all night, it’s time to recognize what dance
the music represents and learn additional new steps that apply to specific dances such as the hesitation
in the Waltz, foot movements in the Tango, 8 count steps in the Fox Trot, etc.
Partnering skills (leading and following) will be refined during the process of improving your movement and interpretation of the music you are dancing to. The real fun of moving skillfully with a partner on the dance floor begins to blossom at this point. You might even be able to smile!
The transition of learning to dance intellectually (BSD I) to moving to the music based on muscle sense is made at this level (BSD II). You’ll love the feeling !!!
East Coast Swing
This syncopated dance (taking more steps than beats of music) is a whole lot of fun and presents itself
in many different moods: upbeat and smooth ~ bouncy ~ down and dirty, to name just a few. Here
we add “and” counts to the basics of Slows and Quicks we were introduced to in the Basic Social
Dance I and II classes. The count begins to be “1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5, 6…..or…..Q and Q, Q and Q, Q, Q.
Rock and Roll, disco, big band and pop music all provide opportunities to dance this fun dance,
much of which is done in open break position, another new concept in the dance partnership development.
Cha Cha Cha
This is the most common of the Latin dances and, like the East Coast Swing, it has different moods
and can be found in a wide variety of music genres such as Country/Western, pop, Rock and Roll,
disco, ballroom, big band, etc. It’s always fun whether it’s softly romantic, sharp and staccato, or
hot and spicy.
Also, like the East Coast Swing, it uses “and” counts which has the dancer using more weight changes
than there are beats of music. Also similar is the amount of dancing that is executed in open break position. This is a spot dance in that the couple does not move around the floor but dances primarily in their own small space.
This dance has a tendency to make you look really good even if you only know 3 or 4 steps….probably because so few people have not developed their ability to do it well. You’ll really have fun in this class. Ole!
Progressive Class
A Progressive Group Class continues the learning process by always challenging the students to new and higher levels of movement and partnering skills. More advanced steps in all the dances are offered to keep the process fresh and new. We may spend 3 or 4 weeks working on a new combination of steps in the Tango for instance; then we may shift our attention to adding another advanced waltz combination.
Traditionally, the dancers in this class have gone through all the previous levels of classes.
Specialty Classes
When an opening in the schedule occurs, specialty classes such as Salsa, Polka, West Coast Swing, or
Fast Waltz may be offered. Information is provided when this is available. Technique of Movement and partnering are also important issues that might be addressed in a 1 or 2 session format.
Field Trips
Field Trips to a variety of dance venues in the Valley are also part of the program!!!
The Field Trips are an important part of the program. They are intended to provide you with your own feedback about your progress. Unless you take advantage of the opportunity for this facet of the Dance Program, you could very well negate the learning that takes place in the class. How many people do you know who said that they once took lessons and don’t remember a thing? This is because they didn’t use what they learned in the real dance world, assuming it would be there filed in their brain along side their multiplication tables if and when they needed it. Dancing is a physical skill and it must be put to use as often as possible. It is intellectual in the initial learning stages only. You need to feel the movement.
Private & Semi-Private Classes
Private classes (1 or 2 people) are available on a limited basis. These are good on an occasional basis if group classes are your primary source of learning……they allow for refining troublesome issues particular to a couple. They are also the answer if a student has a demanding and erratic schedule that prevents regular attendance in a group class.
Semi-private classes (2, 3 or 4 couples) are occasionally available. These work best for people who share similar approaches to learning and a desire for more individual attention from the instructor.
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