Spring '24 Newsletter
A healthy dance diet includes all the “food groups”: classes, socials, and events. YOU can Nourish your dance with all of these this spring!
Sunday Socials at the YMCA for April and May, then back to the UUC for the rest of the year!
The headline says it all. We will be having our Sunday Social on March 10th at the usual location, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation (1301 Gladewood Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060). Then, we will dance at the YMCA (1000 N Main Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060) for both April and May socials. Then, in June, we will return to the UUC and stick to 1st Sundays for the rest of the year. You heard me! I have reserved the space and plan to keep the fun going for the rest of 2024.
West Coast Swing Fundamentals AND Next Steps
Each new West Coast Swing Fundamentals series brings a blend of old and new faces. This class series is perfect for beginning your West Coast Swing journey. We cover the patterns and concepts you will want as your foundation for this dance. But our regular dancers still come back for more depth, repetition, trying the opposite role, and a better understanding of the fundamentals; I don’t expect you to absorb it all in one go. I love seeing this. That is the aim of this class. Even though we cover “basics,” it is not necessarily beginner, but more of an “All Levels” approach to the basics.
Whether you are starting for the first time or want to improve your dance, join us while we begin a new set of fundamentals on April 14th, starting with pushes and passes.
What’s uniquely exciting about this round is that I am collaborating with Jennifer Speiden of Inner Awareness to design warmups for the beginning of each class to give us some somatic tools to enjoy our dance even more and prepare our bodies for learning. I have been interested in weaving this into our dance lessons for some time, and we will make it happen with Jennifer's expertise. Be our guinea pigs in this next series, and let us know what you think!
I am also stoked to offer the first “Next Steps” series in West Coast Swing. We have had a workshop here and there but will now have six consecutive weeks of creating new patterns by taking our fundamentals and playing with the timing, shape, direction, foot placement, style, etc. The class titles will remain the same, but the content will be different. We will begin on April 14th with Next Steps with Pushes and Passes. You may even choose to do the Fundamentals and Next Steps to get a good dose of WCS every Sunday!
Adela is BACK in the BBurg!
When we hosted Adela in October, we had such a good time that folks asked before she left when she could return. Well, friends, the time is nearly here! Mark April 27th on that calendar.
We are adding more to the agenda this time as well. Last time, we had one “All Levels” workshop, and that was it. This time, we will start with an ”Intermediate” workshop with heftier prerequisites so that we can dive into some heftier material. We will follow it with another “All Levels” workshop that only asks that you be familiar with five of the basics. Please check out the Facebook event or my website for information on both workshops, and let us know if you are coming!
And what better way to end an afternoon of learning than with a Social Dance? From 6:30 to 9:30, we will use what we learned and tear up the dance floor, starting with a beginner lesson by Adela. This is perfect for inviting friends you want to introduce to the world of social dancing.
Don’t miss it!
Other Upcoming West Coast Swing Opportunities
As we finish our current set of West Coast Swing and Argentine Tango Fundamentals, we will have an Open Practice on March 24th. This practice is intended for those in class but is open to all! There is no lesson, but I will be there to answer questions and troubleshoot some patterns with you.
Bonny Branch of Roanoke Westies is also starting a new set of classes: perfect timing to get ready for the workshops with Adela! You can also visit the Facebook Event or contact her directly at BonnyBranchMovementArts@gmail.com.
DETAILS: 6-Week WCS Class Series
• DATES: Wednesdays = Mar 6, 13, 27, April 3, 10, 17
(* NOTE = No class Mar 20th - Mark your calendars!)
• TIME: 7:15-8:45 PM
• PLACE: Carilion Wellness on Starkey (Studio A) - (Formerly The RAC) - 4508 Starkey Rd, Roa, VA 24018 (NOTE* - You do not need to be a member, but you will have to sign a waiver at the front desk before the class series.)
• COST: $12/person/class, or $60, if you pay at the first class for the whole series.
* Additional Practice Dance - Wed, April 24th from 7:15-8:45 PM - $5
Each class will be 90 mins:
The first 30 mins will be a beginner/fundamentals/warm-up level, the second 30 mins will build on those fundamentals, and the last 30 mins will be dancing/Q&A/social time.
• No experience necessary.
• No partner needed. We will rotate.
• Clean-soled, non-grippy, comfortable shoes and clothes you can move in, recommended. (No flip flops.)
• Dance at your own risk!
• Don't come if you're sick.