C O U P L E    D A N C I N G    Tuesday night classes by Richard Powers with Mirage Marrou    at the First United Methodist Church

BEGINNING SALSA and CHACHA      7 pm

• This class is a fun place to start partner dancing, or continue from Beginning Swing and Waltz.
  
  
• The emphasis will be on ease, comfort and pleasure.  Richard teaches accessible styles of noncompetitive Latin dance with a focus on partnering and flexibility, to enable students to dance comfortably with partners whose experience comes from any dance tradition.  This informal style of dancing allows personal expression without requiring rigid technique.  The resulting flexibility will give you the confidence to lead and follow anybody, to either fit in or stand out as you wish.
  
  
• Learn how to dance Salsa and Latin dances without feeling like a poser!
  
  
• Salsa and ChaCha share all of the same figures, so every pattern you learn in one also works in the other.  This makes the classes moves faster and easier, and helps you remember the figures.
  
  
• Learn how to dance through an entire piece of music without feeling repetitious, with specific suggestions on how to borrow motifs from swing and other dances you already know.
  
  
• Then we'll go beyond the basics into the figures that stand out — cross-body lead, Sombrero, and shine steps.
  
  
• No dance experience is required, just a fun-loving attitude and lots of enthusiasm.
  
  
• If you already dance, bring a friend who doesn't.  This is a great way to introduce someone to couple dancing.
  

MASTERING THE VIENNESE BALL DANCES      8 pm
            Beyond the steps -- to the magic of the most romantic partner dances.

• You've learned the basic waltz step but you see others effortlessly spinning, sometimes at high speeds, with a look of absolute bliss.
  
  What's their secret?
  
• That's what this series is about — the difference between learning the steps and mastering them.  Several kinds of waltzing will be covered, including the original waltz from the Strauss Era, still popular today, the waltz that travels faster at the same tempo, and reversing (modern ballroom Viennese waltz).
  
  
• Learn easygoing creative variations like free spins, cradles, "wedding cake" variations, hesitations and more.
  
  
• Plus Viennese underarm turns, as performed at the Viennese Ball Opening.
  
  
• Learn the spins and dips which usually conclude the Opening waltz with flair.
  
  
• Plus the Redowa, the closest thing to flying on a dance floor.  With an extra sixth class we'll also do Reverse Redowa!
  
  
• This series will finish before the February 10th Stanford Viennese Ball.
  
  
• If you've already mastered waltzing, bring a friend who hasn't yet.  This is a great way to introduce someone to the Viennese waltz and variations.
  
  
  
  
• Richard Powers is one of the world's experts in this field, noted for his choreographies for dozens of stage productions and films, and his workshops across the country.  You just can't get better instruction in this material.
  
  
• Prerequisite:  Most participants will have already learned the basic rotary waltz so some dance experience of any kind is recommended.  The basics will be quickly covered before moving on to the fine points and variations.
  

Intermediate/Advanced  CLUB TWO-STEP — Beyond the Basics      9 pm     

Give your dancing more style and depth -- learn some new figures, technique and styling in noncompetitive Club Two-Step.

Club Two-Step, also called Night Club Two Step, is an easygoing dance.  The variations come naturally and intuitively.  And it's one of the most useful couple dances because it can be done to more than half of today's popular music.

Once you've learned the new figures, all of them can be used in Waltz Swing and Cumbia, which are essentially the same dance but in a different timing or style.  Waltz Swing is a great dance for those times when you don't have a large dance floor (perfect for elevator music). Cumbia is the other form of salsa.

Richard and Mirage also emphasize partnering, enabling you to lead a dance partner through something you just invented, or follow anyone through variations you've never seen before.

These classes will help you find the freedom to express yourself on the dance floor and will allow you to dance well with anyone you meet.  You'll also become more comfortable with the dancing you've already learned.

Prerequisite: comfort with basic couple dancing.



        Register here before classes fill (they usually do).

View the Couple Dancing Main Page here

Click for directions to the First United Methodist Church

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Questions? e-mail StanfordDance (at) stanford (dot) edu