Learning to dance.
Free dance lessons coming up
Wanda Ross
Do you see others dancing and wonder if you might like to learn to dance? You’re in luck. September is less than a month away so the snowbirds will soon start returning to SaddleBrooke, and a full schedule of dance classes will be offered. Dance lessons are free for SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club members. Not a member yet? No problem, membership is only $15 per year, so join us for free lessons and much more. Find the membership form on our club website at www.sbballroomdance.com.
Classes will be held on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Vermilion Room at SaddleBrooke One and on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Mariposa Room at DesertView. Registration for each class begins one month before the class starts.
For the September morning class, Dave Poferl and Dottie Adams will teach the foxtrot. The foxtrot is a very easy dance to learn. If you hear a Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin song, it will be a foxtrot almost every time. Dave and Dottie will start the course at the beginner level and continue to the intermediate level. If time allows, they may even include some tango fusion steps. Dave and Dottie teach in a way that makes learning Foxtrot fun. Dance classes will be held on Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Registration for this class started on Aug. 1, so email Dave at [email protected] to sign up.
For the evening class will Silke Gsching will teach the samba, which is a fun, Latin American dance that challenges your aerobic skills with a the rhythm that will keep you going. You may know the samba from the Carnival in Brazil, but the ballroom samba is a bit tamer. Each class will be limited to ten couples. The beginner class will be geared towards dancers who have not yet tried the samba or want to review what they have learned in the past. The intermediate class is for dancers who attended the last samba intermediate level class or have danced samba in the past. It should be fun for all! The classes will move slowly until you have the technique down and can move to faster music. Dance classes will be held on Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Registration for this class started on Aug. 1, so email Silke Gsching at [email protected] to sign up, and be sure to indicate whether you are signing up for the beginner or intermediate class.
The full schedule of classes for the next few months are:
September
10:00 a.m.: Foxtrot (beginning and intermediate) with Dave Poferl and Dottie Adams.
6:00 p.m.: Samba (beginning and intermediate) with Silke Gsching.
October
10:00 a.m.: West Coast Swing (beginning and intermediate) with Dave Poferl and Mary Borkovec.
6:00 p.m.: Waltz (beginning and intermediate) with Silke Gsching.
November
10:00 a.m.: Argentine Tango (beginning and intermediate) with Tom and Mary Borkovec.
6:00 p.m.: Salsa (beginning and intermediate) with Bob Osborne.
December
Happy holidays, no classes.
January
10:00 a.m.: Cha Cha (beginning and intermediate) with Bob Osborne.
6:00 p.m.: East Coast Swing (beginning and intermediate) with Diana Durham and Lee Wille.
Dancers at the Beach Party Dance
Dancing through the summer
Wanda Ross
A dancing highlight of the summer was our Beach Dance Party on Saturday, July 20. The evening began with several people hula hooping. How’s that for keeping us young and bringing back memories? We enjoyed a dinner of burgers, salads and a brownie sundae and, of course, we danced lots of different steps to a variety of music provided by DJ Sheila Honey.
The SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club parties provide music for rock and roll dancing, western dancing, line dancing and, of course, ballroom dancing. It’s all lots of fun, plus every time you dance you get better and have more fun. Then, on Aug. 1, we enjoyed dancing at our monthly Dine and Dance Party at SaddleBrooke One. Our DJ’s Kaye and Rick Baumgartner played a variety of music for us.
Our next TGIF Afternoon of Dancing will be on Friday, Aug. 23, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the MountainView Ballroom at SaddleBrooke TWO. All SaddleBrooke dancers and guests are invited, and you do not need to sign up in advance. This free event includes a cash bar, fun dancing to music provided by DJ Sheila Honey and the option to join fellow dancers for the Friday Fish Fry (or your choice from the menu) at the MountainView Bar and Grill (formerly the Bistro). We have a private room booked. If you wish to join us for dinner, email Kathleen Dunbar at [email protected] to reserve a seat.
Our next monthly Dine and Dance Party will be on Thursday, Sept. 5 at SaddleBrooke One. We start with dinner at the Vistas Dining Room and then dance in the adjoining Vermilion Room. You can come dance with us or simply come for dinner and watch the dancing. It just might inspire you! Thursdays are Burger Nights, so reservations are required if you wish to be seated near the dance floor with our group. Dinner reservations start at 5:00 p.m., then we usually start dancing about 6:00 p.m. To reserve a seat, contact Rick Baumgartner at [email protected].
Membership in the SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club is only $15 per year, so join us for dance parties, free lessons and more. For more information and a membership form, visit www.sbballroomdance.com.