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AZ Country dance instructors

Meet Dance FX Studios’ Staff: Jessie!

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Arizona Country dance instructorsHey there! Jessie here. I thought I’d take a little moment of your time and introduce myself.  I’m a dance instructor here at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona.  I wasn’t always a dance instructor though. Before dancing, I did many different things.  I love exploring new avenues and am always seeking growth, so exploring dance and all of the exciting popular styles from the Country Two Step to Salsa dancing has been a blast!  I think I’m a fairly eclectic individual, and have always imagined being the kind of person to grow old and share all of my experiences and stories with my grandkids.  Some other things I’m passionate about outside of dancing are:  hot yoga, music (going to shows, sharing it, blasting it in my car and singing at the top of my lungs), the outdoors, books, geology, theology, behavioral psychology, and road trips.  I know, I’m all over the board.  Below is a Q&A section covering more about me and of my dance background.  Enjoy!
Q: What is your dancing background?
A: I grew up dancing.  I did jazz and clogging as a kid.  I loved to make up dancing routines in my living room with my friends to all our favorite pop songs.  We even did a couple talent shows and festivals around the Phoenix valley.  When I got older, I started going out to clubs and bars to dance.  It was at that time that I discovered Country 2-Step dancing.  WOW! I was entranced by it, and desperately wanted to learn.  Apparently those vibes were noticed because someone immediately asked me to dance and offered to teach me.  I’ve been in love with partner dancing from that moment on.
Q: Why Dance FX Studios?
A: Well, I was actually working as an Office Manager before I became a Dance Instructor.  I was steadily becoming discontent with this position.  I have always considered myself to be a very creative, artsy person, but I love helping people too.  My job situation, at the time, was not harnessing either skill.  I went away on holiday one day, and stumbled across a book in a tiny boutique.  It seemed to know exactly the discontent my heart felt.  It spoke of finding your “bliss” or “calling in life” with beautifully painted pages.  I sat down and considered my skills and the desires of my heart.  It was during this time of reflection I ran across Dance FX Studios. I knew the moment I saw it that I had to be there.  I love helping people above all things, and I love social partner dance too!  The combination of the two seemed absolutely golden, and I’ve not looked back since.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Dance FX Studios?
A; The people!  I’ve never been someplace where the people I am surrounded with everyday are so friendly, encouraging, and inspiring!  How often does one person get to say they genuinely love and enjoy their job and the people they work with?  Staff and students included,  Dance FX Studios attracts incredible individuals that are a joy to be around.
Q: What is your favorite style of dance to teach and why?
A: I love teaching the Nite Club 2 Step (Dance FX Studios version).  I love how romantic and smooth it feels.  It’s elegant and beautiful.  I think I also like the type of song that goes along with such a dance.  I’m a sucker for music that makes you feel things, and Nite Club seems to encompass the emotion of a song better than most other partner dances.
Q: What three words would you use to describe yourself?
A: I would say that I am passionate, creative, and empathetic.
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: I would love to own a motorcycle and road trip across the U.S. one day.
So there you have it folks!  Hopefully I’ll get to see you at Dance FX Studios soon, teach you some more about dance, and learn a bit about you too! And…since I get to work with newbies, check out our New Student Offer for beginner dance lessons with me! At the studio, you can learn everything that you will use out in the “real world”, from wedding dances to how to twirl your lady at your favorite Country bar in Arizona. I can’t wait for the opportunity to meet you and share my passion for dance with you!
Arizona dance lessons

How To WOW Your Woman This Valentine’s Day

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Arizona dance lessons for couplesAlright guys, you have less than two weeks to find that perfect gift for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day. So you know that you’re NOT getting flowers and a stuffed bear this time around, but how creative and exciting do you really want to get? Well…if your answer is “I’d love to wow my woman this Valentine’s Day”, then we have the perfect present for you!

What most of us ladies, myself included, really want, regardless of the time of the year, is quality time with our guy. We long for the experiences that we can remember of being together and doing something fun, adventurous and romantic with you!

This Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th, 2015, we have the greatest gift ever for you to really make an impression: Couple’s Dance Lessons! That’s right. Think of private dance lessons as the gift that keeps on giving. Once you start with beginner’s dance lessons, you can take her to date nights that include dinner and dancing at your favorite Country bar or Latin club. That is soooo much cooler than watching a movie or playing pool.

Since Country music is extremely popular these days, you’ll be the best boyfriend in the world if you brought your lady in for a Country Two Step or Country Swing dance lesson. Country dancing is here to stay, and if you live in Arizona like we do, it’s literally part of our culture, so you know you’ll be able to use your moves for years to come.

The same goes for your Latin dances. Learn to Salsa and Bachata with your lady, or even to do the hot, hot, hot Argentine Tango and watch what those dances do for your love life. She’ll be so impressed that you even entertained the idea of learning to dance, that you’re sure to score major points.

At the end of the day, what’s truly amazing about Country dancing, Swing dancing, Salsa dancing, and the like, is that you get to hold your special someone tight and truly be intimate with each other on a whole new level as you learn a new hobby that promotes teamwork and togetherness. For new couples, dance lessons will offer a skill that will keep the romance alive as you learn more about each other daily. For couples that may be empty nesters, or even ones that have kids at home, social partner dancing is the perfect retreat, away from it all, to re-connect and remind each other of why you fell in love in the first place.

Make this Valentine’s Day unique by taking the opportunity to share in a new interest that you can both be excited about. Couple’s dance lessons are fun and a wonderful way to escape it all, so come join in the fun. The bottom line…couple’s that dance together, stay together. 🙂

How to Guarantee She Will NEVER Dance With You Again

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Are you a guy that takes dance lessons? If so, that’s wonderful! For a man, Salsa, Swing, Country or Tango dance lessons build confidence, help to relieve stress and are a great way to develop self-expression. Dance lessons also give you a chance to be romantic with your sweetheart. They even help balance, coordination and rhythm, of course. Whether you started learning to dance because you have come to the conclusion that every woman loves a guy that can dance or you are learning for yourself, a guy that can dance is a hot commodity in any social situation. That is, until he does one of the following 3 things below taking himself from “HOT!” to “NOT!”. Men, read the following information carefully. If you want to ensure that she will NEVER say yes to a second dance, try any of these things below and see what happens for yourself. Here we go….

1. Don’t shower: While a “manly man” is attractive from afar, close up, it’s just not that much fun to be pressed against someone smelly. Before heading out to any dance floor, make sure that your teeth and hair are brushed and that you are smelling clean. A little cologne never hurts, but please don’t overdo it.

2. Yank her around the dance floor: There is nothing more uncomfortable that being treated like a rag doll on the dance floor. Finesse is key while dancing with a lady. Yes, even in Country Western dancing, finesse makes us ladies feel like princesses instead of a wild horses that need to be tamed. You CAN show her a great time on the dance floor and still keep her arms in their sockets. As a dance instructor, I like to teach my leaders to protect their followers on the dance floor. I use the analogy of treating her like an egg that is delicate. This is not to say that she needs to be treated with kid gloves, but she should be cared for and looked after on the dance floor to give her a good time and allow her to feel swept off of her feet.

3. Show Off: Listen carefully guys…partner dancing is about your lady. Yes, you get to be in control, but it is for the purpose of taking care of her (see above), not making it a competition on the dance floor as to who everyone should watch. A common analogy that I often use in my dance lessons is that he is the frame and she is the picture. He needs, therefore, to be a support for her to be able to shine. Eyes should be on the lady because the guy is making her look so amazing.

While some of these “don’ts” are obvious, many leaders are unaware of how and what partner dancing is all about. Two people moving as one happens when we have a leader that can take care of his follower. Get these great tips and more in your private dance lessons at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona. We offer social dance lessons for beginners, couples or singles, who want to feel comfortable and confident on any social dance floor.Thinking about going Salsa dancing or hitting up a Country bar? Try dance lessons from us first and move with ease in no time!

Dance FX Studios is minutes away from Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert, Arizona in the East valley of Phoenix. Our introductory offer will give you a chance to see why we are the best fit for all of your social dancing needs.