2009 - What a Year!

Wow - this year has really zipped along quickly! In just a little over 3 weeks, we'll be celebrating the birth of a new year. A lot has happened around The Dance Place in the past 11 months. We've had many new people join our ever growing family of dancers. Our Friday Night Practice Parties have grown to the point that we have 65-70 people attend them regularly. Our 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Stars Dance Tournament was quite successful. Our classes have been quite well attended this year despite the dismal economy, and the private lessons have also been a very steady and stable part of our business during the year. All in all, we have a lot to be thankful for, and once again want to thank all of the teachers and students who have made 2009 such a successful year for The Dance Place.

Congrats
We want to extend our congratulations to Lisa Rae Hernandez and her husband on the birth of their son, Levi Hernandez, on Saturday, October 24th, and to Vika Belova Soto and her husband on the birth of their 2nd daughter, Angel Valentina Soto,on Wednesday, December 2nd. Also, Milana Pliner and husband Viorel Balan had twin boys last year and recently celebrated Danny and Maks' first birthday.

25 Years of Dancing Excellence
2009 is a special year for The Dance Place. On Saturday, December 19th, we will hold our 25th Annual Holiday Show. It is sometimes very difficult to realize that so much time has passed since we first opened in January of 1985 in our tiny little studio at 2143 Portsmouth Street between Greenbriar and Shepherd. We've witnessed a lot of changes in the past 25 years, in the city, the state, the nation, the world and the dance business. Somehow, The Dance Place has always been able to navigate through the sometimes murky waters of business and move forward. We've grown a lot over the years, having moved to Richmond and Fondren in late 1987, then to suite 303 of the Chimney Rock Plaza in 1992 and again into our present facilities in suite 500 of the Chimney Rock Plaza in 2002. We've moved into bigger and nicer facilities each time, and have been fortunate enough to have students and teachers that have supported us over the years to help us grow into what we feel is unquestionably the best dance studio in Houston and probably all of Texas. We thank each and every one of you for your support over the years, and hope that you will be with us for many years to come.

Holiday Show
As stated above, this year The Dance Place will present its 25th Annual Holiday Show. The festivities will begin at 7:30pm on Saturday, December 19th, and the whole affair should finish by 10:30pm. There will be 3 acts containing 12 or so routines each, and we will play general dance music during the intermissions. Soft drinks and juices, water, etc, are available for purchase, and you can bring your own bottle if you like. At the end of the show, we will have a "snack buffet". but this will be rather late and you should eat something before coming to the show. The doors will open at 7pm. Performers should be here by no later than 6:45pm if you are in the first act. Tickets are still available, but you should get with Phillip or Michael soon if you want to make a reservations. You can call us at 713-266-0066 or send an email to info@theplace2dance.com.

Show Rehearsal
The studio is reserved beginning at 12noon on Saturday, December 19, 2009, for folk who are participating in our Annual Holiday Show. Please respect this and do not schedule any lessons or rehearsal time between 12noon and 4pm on Saturday, December 19th, 2009, unless you are actually participating in the show. Also, please be good enough to share the floor and avoid getting in the way of those who are spacing their routine on the floor. If you have any questions, send an inquiry to info@theplace2dance.com

Are you SUPPOSED to be here???
The studio will be open during the holidays, but the schedule will be very sporadic. You should check with your instructor before showing up for group classes or private lessons to make sure the lessons will actually take place.

Party Schedule Change
There will be a Friday Night Practice Party on December 11, but that will be the last Friday Night Party until January 8, 2010.

USA Dance will hold their Christmas Dance on Saturday, December 12. That is also the night they will elect officers and board members for 2010, so all USA Dance Members are urged to come in and attend the dance and cast their votes in the election.

West Coast Swing Night Takes a Break
Due to the hectic schedule of the holidays, we decided to postpone the 3rd Saturday West Coast Swing Night for a while. So there won't be one in December because of Christmas, but we also will skip January because of a competition that lots of West Coast Swingers will attend. The West Coast Swing dances will resume on February 20, 2010 - see you then!

Classes in the New Year
Classes will resume normal schedules during the first week of January. First Steps classes will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7pm. Those classes teach the fundamental timing, hold, footwork and steps of Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Rumba, Cha-cha and Swing, and are a great way for new students to become acquainted with the joy of dancing.

Beyond the Basics
Once you've passed through the First Steps classes, you should move into the Second Steps class that Michael Schedler teaches at 7pm on Fridays. In that class, you learn the next level of Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Rumba, Cha-cha and Swing. More is taught about the footwork and leg actions of each dance, how to lead the patterns, more precision in your footwork, how to follow various leads, and, naturally, slightly more advanced patterns and steps. January's schedule will be Foxtrot (1/8), Rumba (1/15), Waltz (1/22) and review (1/29)

Pre-Advanced Dancers
Phillip Stephens will start the New Year with a class on Bolero at 8pm on Wednesday evenings in January, teaching the fundamentals of the dance. This will include the Basic figure (naturally), but will also cover Cross Body Leads, Left Side Pass, Underarm Turns, Cuban Rocks, Point Breaks, and many other beautiful actions associated with the Bolero.

Advanced Ballroom
On Wednesdays at 9pm in January, Phillip Stephens will cover Tango in the Advanced Ballroom Class, starting at the Silver Level and working upward from there. We'll learn moves like Pivots to Fallaway Corte, Open Fans, Corte With Rollout and other exciting Tango figures.

Of course, there are lots of other great classes at The Dance Place. You can check the schedule at the web sites listed below.

Happy Dancing
and remember

www.theplace2dance.com  is also  www.the-dance-place.com