Studio in the Spotlight-'Enjoy Dance' in Greer, South Carolina

CLARE TRAPASSO, For County Line NewsPublished March 29, 2006

Entering the Starlight Ballroom, in downtown Greer, during a Saturday night ballroom dance is like stepping back in time. Elegantly dressed women and their male partners gracefully waltz around columns strung with twinkling lights in time to music of a bygone era.

In between numbers, couples of all ages sip bottled water and snack on popcorn at tables adorned with pink table clothes and fake roses, before getting up to cha cha or meringue on the wooden dance floor.
"It just takes you back. It's like old movies with the elegance, romance, and pizzazz," said Rhonda Lanier, a teacher at Pelham Road Elementary.

Rhonda, and her husband Wayne Lanier, have been Ballroom and Latin dance enthusiasts for five years. They became interested in dancing after watching guests at a Florida wedding ballroom dance at the reception. Shortly afterwards, the Laniers signed up to take dance classes at the Starlight Ballroom with Robert "Bob" Chandler, the owner of Enjoy Dance.

Chandler created Enjoy Dance, which offers ballroom and Latin dance instruction, 10 years ago. This March, Enjoy Dance won top small studio at the Heritage Classic Dancesport Championship held in Asheville. The championship, a five-day event held on Feb. 28- March 4, is the second largest ballroom dance competition in North America. Chandler, who danced with students Karen Wright and 86-year-old Jane Perkins, who danced in 93 competitions, also placed third in the top teacher category.

"I love the fact that ballroom dancing is a sport. It can be competitive and doing it is a total mind-body experience. It's not something you can do on a competitive level without a lot of thought and practice," said Wright who was first in the Top Overall Student category at the Championship.

Chandler and his wife, Helen, teach a wide array of dance classes, including the waltz, swing, cha cha, rumba, samba, mambo, tango, foxtrot, meringue, bolero, salsa, and shag dancing. Ballroom and Latin dancing has become popular, partly due to the success of ABC's reality television show Dancing with the Stars. The show teaches celebrities how to ballroom and Latin dance and then has them perform for judges and audiences at home. "Dance facilities are seeing a 30 percent plus increase in their business due to the hit series Dancing with the Stars," said Chandler.

Currently Enjoy Dance has over one hundred students. The most popular class is beginner ballroom. Chandler also teaches at The Asheville Racquet Club and on Sundays at the Cliffs of Glassy.
"I love my job. It is hugely rewarding, because I have the opportunity to share the gift of dance with people who never thought they could do it," said Chandler, who also believes that dance is an excellent way to exercise.

"Ballroom dancing is a lot of fun, it is good exercise, and it's challenging. It gives us something to do besides going out to eat and getting fat together," said Greer resident Dr. Karen Hunter, who has been dancing with her husband Dennis Watson at the Starlight Ballroom for three years.

Ballroom dances are held three Saturdays a month at the Starlight Ballroom. The Walkers host two of them on the last two Saturdays of every month. The events are alcohol and smoke free and there is a $10 admission charge. In addition, USA Dance holds dances there the first Saturday of every month. Admission is $10 for members and $12 for non-members.

Dancing enthusiasts can also enjoy shag dancing in downtown Greer every second Friday night at The Davenport, located on the corner of Trade and Randall streets. "Shag is kind of like an old-time jitterbug, except a little more laid back. It's done to beach music," said Lindsay Stevens, co-owner of The Davenport.
There is a $10 cover fee, which includes a 30- to 60-minute shag lesson at 7 p.m. The dance begins at 8 p.m. and usually includes a live band.

A Final Tip for Beginners

Most importantly of all, HAVE FUN! It's not a race or a competition, everyone arrives at the same place eventually, dancing with their partner and having a wonderful time. When you're dancing, you'll find yourself transported from the mundane routine of day-to-day life. For a while, you won't think about the boss, the bills or the undone chores at home. For a while, it's just you, your partner and the music as the two of you move as one, twirling, spinning and gliding around the dance floor. That's the magic of ballroom dancing.

You may experience moments of frustration with yourself or your partner, but don't let that overshadow all the benefits of becoming a ballroom dancer. If you find you're not enjoying what you're doing, or if the steps are a little intimidating, consider a different dance. Perhaps the foxtrot or waltz is not your cup of tea, try the cha-cha, tango or the swing. You'll discover that once you become proficient in one dance, each subsequent one becomes a little bit easier.

Given time, you'll find your favorite and you can focus on that. My guess is that you'll wind up like most ballroom dancers, loving them all and not wanting to stop until you've learned them all!

Tip Number Nine for Beginners

Enjoy all the non-dancing benefits of ballroom dancing. Through your dancing, you will discover a boost in self-confidence, an increase in balance and an improvement in posture. Through your dancing, you will raise your heart rate, thus improving your cardiovascular health. Through your dancing, you will meet new people, make new friends, improve your social skills, and possibly establish new business contacts.

The dance floor is a great equalizer. In a beginning class, everyone is a beginner, whether they're a doctor or lawyer, a construction worker, waitress or school teacher. For that hour each week, the stresses of daily life simply melt away as you immerse yourself in learning the steps, listening to the music and connecting with your partner. It's great therapy and a lot cheaper than a psychiatrist!

Stay tuned for the final tip in this series for beginners. And please, feel free to post your comments on this or any other topic or question related to ballroom dancing. If you'd like to have new posts sent directly to your email, enter your address in the subscription box on the left side of the page.

Have a great weekend....invite someone to go ballroom dancing!

Tip Number Eight for Beginners

Commit to practice. You will never become proficient in ballroom dancing, (or anything else, for that matter) without practice. If you're having a problem with a particular step or pattern, it's perfectly acceptable to hang around a few minutes after class and go over it a time or two with your partner. There's almost always more experienced dancers milling around and most are more than willing to help a beginner. (Ballroom dancers, as a whole, are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.)

Take a few minutes to practice the steps at home once or twice a day, you'll be amazed how much better you retain them throughout the week and it will make the next class just that much easier. This is another benefit of arriving early for class, it affords you the time to practice those steps once more before the instructor begins.

Most studios also offer a 'practice party' or 'studio dance' weekly or monthly. These are excellent for practicing what you've learned as well as seeing the more accomplished dancers, which is what you're striving to become! I can't emphasize enough the importance of the studio dances and the role they play in honing your dancing skills. These dances also benefit you by familiarizing you with the music appropriate for each particular style of ballroom dancing. We'll be discussing music in an upcoming post, so check back here often!

Make plans to attend these studio dances whenever possible, even when you're new and just starting out. Maybe even ESPECIALLY when you're new and just starting out! The seasoned dancers are always happy to help a newcomer and the dances provide a perfect complement to your classes. If you haven't been to a studio dance yet, this weekend would be a great time to start! If you've been attending regularly, have a wonderful time! And please post your thoughts, opinions and experiences right here!

Tip Number Seven for Beginners

Arrive a few minutes before the time the class actually begins. There is typically a sign-in sheet and many studios give out name tags to help you learn your fellow dancers. If you have dance shoes, you'll need those extra minutes to change from your street shoes. Arriving early also gives you the opportunity to mingle a bit with others who are there for the same class. Nothing disrupts a class more than someone rushing in late while the instructor is demonstrating a new step.

Often you'll see couples arrive early and retreat to a far corner or a back room and practice the steps they've learned. It's also a good time to ask for help if you're having trouble with a particular step or pattern. Those minutes before class also provide a good time for you to get to know some of the other students in your class. Sometimes there's a class just finishing up and I always enjoyed seeing the dances that others were learning.

After class is another good time to practice what you've just learned, as long as another class is not gathering on the floor. If it's the end of the night though, be considerate of the instructors and the studio owners and don't delay their closing. They work hard all day and when 'quitting time' comes, they're ready to call it a night.

You'll find the longer you take ballroom dance lessons, the more you'll look forward to spending time at the studio. You'll make new friends, meet new business contacts, and more importantly, constantly improve your dancing skills. Next week, try to make it a point to spend some extra time taking advantage of all the studio has to offer. The more time you invest in your dancing, the more you'll get out of it.