Check Out Upcoming Free Dance Lessons for You
Leads learning their part at a novice dance lesson (photo by Richard Adinolfi)
Diana Wille
SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club (SBDC) Novice Classes
This program is designed for novice dancers who have little or no knowledge of dancing. Our instructors Ann and Dale Pizzitola are professional dance instructors who know how to get you on the dance floor quickly and easily, and you’ll have fun doing it! These classes are free to all residents of SaddleBrooke. Novice classes are held in the Vermillion Room in SaddleBrooke One at 4 p.m. Here are the dates of upcoming classes:
May 16: Focusing on Tango and Swing
June 6: Focusing on Waltz and Rumba
June 20: Focusing on Foxtrot and Hustle
July 11: Focusing on Tango and Merengue
SBDC Beginning and Intermediate Dance Classes
Sign up in May for the June Viennese Waltz classes. The Pizzitolas are well versed in this style of dance. The Viennese Waltz is a classic dance style that is featured in many romantic movies and animated films. It is characterized by sweeping, graceful turns that rotate quickly around the floor. Although it shares many similarities to the standard Waltz, it is danced at a much faster tempo—twice the speed of the standard Waltz. Beginning and intermediate dance classes are free to members, and a nonmember may attend one class for free to see if it’s a fit before joining.
Here’s the schedule for the month of June:
Beginning Viennese Waltz classes will be held on Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Mariposa Room at DesertView, SaddleBrooke TWO.
Intermediate Viennese Waltz classes will be on Mondays from 7 to 8 p.m. and Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Mariposa Room at DesertView, SaddleBrooke TWO.
Want to sign up? Here’s how to do it.
Just log into our website sbballroomdance.com or email us at [email protected] with your name(s) and what classes you want to attend.
We know that dancing is a great way to keep our brains healthy, bodies active, social connections close, and to just plain have fun! Check out our website sbballroomdance.com for our events, activities, and classes. Remember, SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club is where the learning continues and the fun never ends.
Our Popular Dine and Dance Schedule Is Now Available
A recent SBDC dance (photo by Wanda Ross)
Diana Wille
Our popular Dine and Dance series is back! Join us for dinner in the East Room at 4:30 p.m., then dance in the MountainView ballroom from 6 to 8 p.m. This is always a great time, with wonderful music provided by our DJs and, of course, great food from the MountainView Grill. There is a no-host bar available in the ballroom.
Dates are May 19, June 16, July 14, Aug. 11, and Sept. 15. Simply email [email protected] to let us know you are coming. Or you can log into our website www.sbballroomdance.com to register.
What’s It Take to Spin the Tunes to Dance the Night Away?
According to The New York Times, “A real DJ is part shaman, part tech wizard, part crowd psychologist, all artist.” Many people claim the title, but SaddleBrooke Ballroom Dance Club (SBDC) is fortunate to have quite a few volunteer DJs who have all those qualities to make our events and dances outstanding.
Our DJ chair Rick Baumgartner has coordinated the club’s DJs for many years. He and his wife Kaye have been instrumental in coming up with a list of more than 250 songs that they know are danceable. SBDC has a great deal of DJ documentation—in particular, how to make playlists that cover most of the dances and the length songs should be. Our DJs also learn how to shorten songs or amplify the bass. Rick has developed a very slick program that reads exported playlists and prints in a nice format and a program to keep track of our club equipment.
Kaye Baumgartner has DJed for years for the club. Her playlists are outstanding, and she keeps us all dancing! Sheila Honey is another volunteer DJ who has spent lots of time and effort helping to build our song list and DJing for our dances. Sheila is also our webmaster, dedicating many hours to the club. Bill Rigg joined SBDC in January 2020 and said, “Since I like music a lot, it was suggested that I volunteer to be a DJ. I enjoy DJing and making up new playlists.” He also reaches out to members to see what music they want to dance to.
Visit our website www.sbballroomdance.com to learn how to join SBDC, where the learning continues and the fun never ends.