Sign up for three one hour classes in August, 2013 and learn the basics of dancing as a couple. These three classes will be held on Saturdays (Aug. 10, 17 and 24) at 5pm in Evanston. Fee is $50 per person for the series.

Email shirley@comeoutdancing.com for more details.

Class is limited to 7 individuals.

A chance to ‘Dine and Dance’ in Evanston. Pete Miller’s  has created a ‘SpeakEasy’ event with live music and dancing on Wednesday, Jan.16. Period costumes optional. See details on their website at http://www.petemillers.com/events.html.

You may drop by after 4:30pm any evening and buy a ticket or you can take your chances and buy one that night. Tickets are $15 for members of the frequent diners program and $20 for the public. Call 847-328-0399 to join the diners club and get more info. I remember you need a couple of weeks to join the frequent diners club – because they mail you a card.

We have been assured that dancing will be encouraged this evening.

These are beginning classes in social dance. Open to individuals and couples. This series has also been known as the “I Can’t Dance” class.It is a great class for getting you moving on the dance floor.

The class will meet on three Saturdays in January, 2013. The cost of the series is $50 per person for  the 3 classes.

Email or call using the Contact Us page to register.

See the calendar page for details.

We have three Saturday afternoons scheduled for the first three “I can’t dance” dance classes:

Saturday, June 16, June 23 and July 9 (yes we skip June 30).

Time is 5pm and classes last an hour.

Place is Unitarian Church of Evanston at corner of Ridge and Greenwood. Parking is in lot off of Greenwood but address is 1330 Ridge Ave.

Course content will include but not be limited to:

Dance frame – how to connect to a partner as a lead or a follow.

Outside and inside turns in closed and in open position for both the lead and the follow.

A few fun moves that work in many dances for example, the cuddle and the promenade.

We will practice the steps in first the merengue and then in the merengue hustle. Both of these are simple dances that work to lots of music.

We will waltz in the country style (as opposed to the american or international style) and incorporate all the steps into the waltz.

We will focus a bit on rhythm and ways to help leads get their ‘footing’ in tempo with the music.

And of course we will learn a simple ‘dip’ to incorporate into your dances.

Hooray! After a lovely rest from teaching, I am happy to be offering my favorite class again – this time in Berkeley, CA.  So many people think that they can’t dance but this three session series will change your mind.  I will offer a different series each month starting January 12.  Class one is about how to ‘hold’ your partner so you can actually move together – comfortably. You will do some ‘slow dancing’  or the one step, incorporate some turns and close the hour with the merengue – a two count dance. Merengue music and dance is some of the happiest music I know.

Class two advances to a simple four count hustle step that works to so much music. It introduces the connection you need for swing and salsa and faster dances.  The turns are easy once you understand how to connect with your partner.

Class three includes a bit of waltz, actually country waltz,  a three count walking dance that is challenging because it ‘travels’ but oh so useful at those weddings and bar mitzvah’s.  The class chooses one more dance – often swing or rumba – to close out the sessions.

It is great fun and in a small class, you learn so much.  Email shirley@comeoutdancing.com for registration or with questions.

Monthly dances offer you a chance to learn some contra dances during the early part of the evening and to do some more complicated patterns later in the evening. Live music.

Next Dance is Saturday, April 4 in the UUCA social hall off of Briarcliff Road.

Their website has some photos of basic contra dance moves like the Star left shown here.

And you can carry a picnic and even dance a little on the sidewalk.

Terry  Harper and her Quartet are featured on  Thursday April 14.

Terry Harper has been performing as both a pianist and vocalist for over 25 years and has a smooth skilled group of musicians to entertain you.

The lesson is at 7pm. The band plays from 8pm until 11pm and there is some really good Louisiana food catered at the Knights of Columbus for these monthly dances.

Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys will keep you moving, there is a cash bar and lots of friendly people. Email shirley@comeoutdancing.com if you want to go. We save a little off the entry price if we can get a group of 5 dancers to go. More details on their website www.aczadance.org or mine on the calendar at www.comeoutdancing.com.

The rumba rhythm is a four count rhythm – and most songs are written in four or eight count phrases, so this dance ‘works’ or fits a huge amount of music.

Ballads especially make great rumbas. So do love songs. Often half of the Grammy nominees are a rhythm that fits either American rumba or its European cousin, the bossanova. (Adele, Duffy, Maroon 5, Sara Barielles, Leona Lewis, even Ne-Yo are some of the Grammy 2009 artists whose songs include some rumbas.)

If you are still on the fence, remember that rumba is essentially slow salsa and is also related to Country Western Nightclub two step. Since rumba is a slow dance, it is useful to learn some moves in rumba and then transfer them to salsa.

We dance at the studio on the square in Decatur – next door to the Raging Burrito restaurant.

This Friday, we will have supper at Raging Burrito before the lesson.  We usually gather about 6:30pm.

The lesson fee on Fridays is a sliding scale of $7 to $15.

The second hour of dance in the studio at 9pm varies a bit each week and those present usually request music and dances.

We review the dances we have learned recently: Two step, waltz and tango are the last 3 dances we learned.

Contra dancers take over the social hall at UUCA on Saturday March 7.

Waltz lovers dance Sunday, March 8 at Knights of Columbus.

Cajun Dancers enjoy live music on Saturday March 14 at Knights of Columbus.

Dance to the the Atlanta Blue Notes at Trilogy on Saturday, March 21.