For years, a highlight of Shelley Alexander and Kirt Smith’s annual vacation to British Columbia was watching other couples rhythmically glide and spin across the floor at a local nightclub. "Some people barely sit down,” recalls Alexander who found herself compelled to graduate from wallflower status. “We were in awe, thinking ‘This would be so cool.’ That was my goal, to get up to speed.”
To accomplish that graceful goal, the husband and wife did what hundreds of other Bellevue Club couples and singles have done over the past 16 years. They signed up for ballroom dance lessons with instructor Charles England. Except for the last 50 years, partner dance lessons have been a mainstay of social education. The classic cinematic image of a pair moving in unison called countless would-be Rogers’ and Astaire’s to the dance floor. More recently,
partner dance styles like ballroom, swing and salsa are more popular than ever thanks to televised contests like “Dancing With The Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Luckily, new dancers don’t require the time and financial commitment it takes to make someone a dancing star. “You don’t need a lot of patterns to look good on the dance floor,” England explains. “You just need to look good doing the ones you know.” England offers five sessions of group ballroom and salsa lessons each year at the Club, as well as private lessons. All ages enroll, England says, with the majority being couples. Whether 25 or 65, single or married, England says his group-lesson students share the common factor of few scuffs on their dancing shoes. “The skill level
Dance instructor Charles England.
in general is very, very beginning. Usually students have never taken an organized dance step in their life.” So England introduces himself
to his new class, lets people get acquainted and then proceeds to teach them their very first “dance” step: walking.
“The first thing people learn is
how to walk, how to walk in time, and how to walk in time with music,” he says. “It’s a good 10 to 15 minutes of the first class before they’re even touching their partners.” The simple approach helped Kirt Smith get started on the right foot and enjoy himself along the way. “For a guy who can be rhythmically challenged, I was surprised how Charles made it fun for everybody. He reduced the steps to basic walking steps almost.”
The class progresses to basic dance rhythms and footwork patterns, with men and women learning their respective leading and following parts. Each lesson reviews previously learned dances and introduces at least two new patterns, with plenty of practice time. Bob Kendrick, who enrolled in the Ballroom Dancing class with wife Susan Stanley, saw himself and his fellow novice classmates make the transition from two left feet to light on their feet. “It feels like you’re six inches off ground when it does click. In five to six weeks there was a waltz on. I looked around the room, and everyone was in unison, all going in the same direction. I thought ‘This is just like the movies.'" After a series of group and private lessons with England, Smith and
Alexander have a handful of dances they can match up with
live music rhythms, and five to six moves for each dance. “Sometimes I’ll look at us in the mirrors and think ‘Wow, we’re really doing it,'" Alexander says. In addition to the waltz, Ballroom Dancing students practice the foxtrot, East Coast Swing and tango. The Salsa Dancing class shimmies to salsa, mambo and meringue styles. Ball gowns, strappy sandals and tuxedos aren’t necessary, England says. “Business casual usually works, and leather-
soled shoes. Most come to class like they’re going out to eat at Splash.” Private lessons move at a faster pace, England says, and appeal to people who have graduated from group lessons or have specific events on their calendars where they want to look good on the dance floor. Most often, that event involves “I do” vows. “Sometimes it’s parents, or an entire party will get together, but most often a bride and groom are preparing for a first dance,” says England, who creates a choreographed routine to the pair’s selected song. Most couples need at least six private lessons to feel ready for their big debut, England says.
Not just brides- and grooms-to-be gain more confidence from dance classes. Kendrick was pleased to discover that he was able to learn a new trick or two. “I think a lot of people think their brain’s already filled up and there’s no room for anything else,” he says. “You find out that you can learn new things, and learning with other people is fun.” Sharing the experience was also important to Stanley. “It’s time for the two of us to be together and be learning something together. It’s been a very special thing for us. It’s also a really enjoyable way to get to know other members of the Club.”
England often sees new friendships form and romances rekindle in the studio. “A couple discovers and works and builds on a set of skills that they can enjoy together,” he says. “It’s something they can use for the rest of their lives.” Though dancers wear oxfords, loafers or heels instead of cross-trainers, they reap fitness benefits from this low-impact activity. Alexander likes outdoor exercise, but doesn’t otherwise have a gym routine. “It is a lot of core strength and it’s a good workout. When you do it on a regular basis, your legs feel stronger and your coordination improves,”
she says. Dancing keeps the muscle between the ears in shape too, says Smith. “To get the mind to sync with the feet, core and arms is a good mental test.” Sometimes the rhythm of slow-slow-quick-quick is more of a brain break. “Dancing is a mental health program,” Kendrick says. “You have to concentrate during the class. You can’t be thinking about work and can’t be thinking about anything else. It relaxes you and you get to escape a lot better than going out and having three martinis.”
Alexander and Smith packed their dancing shoes for their own escape across the Canadian border last December. It was a challenge to move from the Bellevue Club to a nightclub, but they were wallflowers no more. “It’s totally different to get out there on your own,” Alexander says. “We learned we still have so much to learn, but the main thing is to go out and have fun.”
