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ballroom dancing AZ

Must-Have Social Dances for Holiday Parties and Weddings

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ballroom dancing in ArizonaSo Country dancing here in Arizona is just not your thing. You’re just not into Country music, even though you know how popular it is these days. Well that’s OK! There are plenty of other fun dances to explore that will keep you grooving’ to your favorite tunes at that next holiday party or wedding. Which dances should you know so that all of your nights out are covered? Let us give you our top three picks to get you through the holidays and beyond. (By the way, to become a confident dancer, private dance lessons are in order. Find a local social dance studio for adults and give their introductory lesson a try. Then you can see how exciting it really is to know how to dance!)

Swing: Swing dancing is THE must-have dance to cover almost all of your social dance opportunities. Did you know that there are more than 20 styles of Swing dancing? Swing can actually be danced slowly or very fast, depending on the particular style that you learn. For example, you can Swing dance to Rock and Roll, Reggae, Big Band, and even certain kinds of Hip Hop music. So, when you’re at your dance lesson to begin exploring Swing dancing, be sure to let your instructor know what type of music will be played at the event you are attending, and he/she can match the type of Swing dance that you will need to that genre of music.

In addition to being versatile, Swing dancing is awesome for crowded dance situations like weddings and parties because it doesn’t travel. Swing is a “spot dance”, meaning that it generally stays in one area, without requiring space to travel. Fun, useful and cool to know…that’s Swing dancing!

Slow Dancing: While the 8th grade prom sway may seem like enough, there actually are slow dances that make those romantic songs so much more fun to dance to. Here at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona, we teach Nite Club 2 Step as an option for slow dancing. With our style of Nite Club 2 Step dancing, all of your favorite slow jams can be covered with elegance and style. No more rocking back and forth when you can move with ease through romantic turns and rotations.

Foxtrot: Learn this favorite Ballroom dance and all of your Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble favorites will be covered! The Foxtrot is a mid-tempo, playful dance that gives you the feel of strolling through the park with the one you love.  The Foxtrot is great to know as an easy starter dance that blossoms into an elegant and beautiful dance as you learn more about it. On a social level, the movements are as simple as walking to a rhythm, making this dance fun to learn and very useful.

Discover social dancing with us at Dance FX Studios! We are located in the Phoenix East Valley, just off the 101 highway. it’s not too late to take dance lessons prior to those upcoming holiday parties so give us a call today and let us help you to become a comfortable social dancer in no time!

 

Contact us to begin your dancing journey…

 

Private dance lessons are available by appointment Monday-Friday from 12-8 pm and on Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm.

Swing Dance Party with Come Back Buddy

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Get ready for a night of Swing dancing that you won’t soon forget! It is that time again where we feature live music in different genres from Country to Swing and Argentine Tango to Salsa at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona. This time, Come Back Buddy, a throwback band who features oldies hits from Buddy Holly and beyond, will pay us a visit on Saturday, March 9th for great music and FUN!

Dance FX Studios’ Swing dance party kicks off at 8 pm with a complimentary Swing dance lesson for beginners. That’s right, bring your friends to this “open to the public” event and get them hooked on Swing dancing too! After our Swing dance class, you can get out on the dance floor with dancers of all levels, from beginners to advanced, in a non-intimidating space and enjoy great music until 11 pm.

“What is so great about Swing dancing?” you may ask. Well, how many hobbies can you think of that are not just fun and exciting, but are a great source of exercise, stress relief and romance? Swing dancing offers those benefits and so much more. If a challenge is what you are looking for, the amount of moves that you can learn while Swing dancing are endless! If you just want time with your special someone, what else can give you that “swept off of your feet feeling” besides Swing dancing? Lift your spirits with Swing dancing and swing dance music and learn to dance to see for yourself how much fun there is to be had.

For a great way for beginners to join in our Swing dance party with confidence, it’s not too late to try come in to Dance FX Studios for an introductory Swing dance lesson. Our introductory lessons are just $40 for an hour-long sampler of several styles of Swing dancing. Did you know that there are 24 variations of Swing dancing? We will show you just a few during your introductory lesson along with how to have a proper Swing dance frame and how to establish a connection with your dance partner. Private introductory lessons are set up by appointment Monday through Friday from 12 to 8 pm and on Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm. We would LOVE to share our passion for dancing with you!

Get your tickets now for our Swing dance party on March 9th! You will be guaranteed an evening of amazing music, dancing and FUN!

Swing Dancing Near Tempe, AZ

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Swing dancing is quite popular here in Arizona, and for good reason! With so many variations and styles, you can swing dance to all different genres of music from Country to rock and roll, oldies and big band. Did you know that you can even dance the West Coast swing to hip hop music? It’s true! Swing dancing itself can be everything to sweet and cute (Jitterbug swing) to sultry and playful (West Coast swing), making it a must-have dance almost anywhere you go. From weddings to dance clubs, learn to swing dance and you will find yourself out on the dance floor for at least half the night.

In Tempe, AZ and surrounding cities, swing dancing classes and places to go swing dancing can be found at the local bars, resorts and dance studios. This popular, ageless and timeless dance is a wonderful workout and too much fun to not know how to do. Here are a few of our favorite places to go swing dancing and to learn to swing dance in and around Tempe for you to enjoy:

Places to Go Swing Dancing:

Graham Central Station: Graham’s is located in Tempe near the I-10 highway on Priest and Elliot. We love to go swing dancing there for several reasons.

1. They play a large variety of music from Country to oldies. (You can even find disco, hip hop, techno and salsa dancing over at Graham’s)

2. The dance floor is huge! You can go into the main room for mostly a Country dance experience, or head into one of the smaller rooms for a variety of other dance styles and music.

3. Generally, the dancers who go to Graham’s are respectful of others and can actually dance quite well. With a large age group from young to old who attend Graham’s, you never know what you might get, but everyone seems to work it out on the dance floor. You won’t find too many crazy swing dancers looking to show off, but more of the refined dancers who appreciate the large dance space and who want to have fun with it.

San Tan Flat in Queen Creek: While San Tan Flat is about 30 minutes from Tempe, they offer a very different, yet equally fulfilling dance experience. The dance floor at San Tan Flat is very tiny, round and has a large, solid pole in the middle of it. Here’s why we love San Tan Flat for swing dancing:

1. Because of the small dance floor, everyone is extra mindful of their “dance space”. Generally, you can find real cowboys shuffling along to live Country music as they circle around the pole.

2. The dance floor at San Tan Flat is outside under the stars. On a nice evening in Arizona, it is wonderful to dance in open air. What a treat!

3. San Tan is authentically “Arizona”. As mentioned above, you will find real cowboys strutting their stuff on the dance floor, swing dancing with style!

If you live in Tempe, Arizona and want to know how to Country swing dance BEFORE you try out one of these places, come check us out! We love to share the fun and excitement of the swing! Beginner swing classes are offered as well as beginner private swing dance lessons. If you do have swing dance experience, we would love to show you even more! Try out our introductory offer for just $40 to learn to swing dance today.

See upcoming blog posts on the many more places that we recommend to go swing dancing near Tempe, AZ.

 

Did You Know??? Fun Facts About Swing Dancing

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Jitterbug Swing dancing for couples and singlesFun Facts About Jitterbug

The Jitterbug is a fun, playful, fast-paced swing style dance that everyone can fall in love with! But there’s more to it than meets the eye. Did you ever wonder where the name came from? Or why it’s one of the more upbeat social dances? The Jitterbug is full of fascinating history and facts:
* Jitterbug is a broad term that can cover a multitude of dances, including the Lindy Hop, Jive, West Coast Swing or East Coast Swing.
* The jitterbug is a partner dance that is usually performed to big band or jazz music. It consists of a variety of steps, kicks, jumps and turns that are based on set basic movements. It is more lively than salsa, country two step, or other popular social dances.
* The Jitterbug name came from witnesses of the dance style describing the dancer’s movement. The upbeat, bouncy movements from the swing dance appeared to be slightly frantic. The original word came from a description of alcoholics who suffered from the “jitters” or the shakes.
“Jittersauce” was once used as a slang word for alcohol.
* During World War 2, Europeans were warned not to involve themselves in Swing dancing because it was a “rude” American dance. However, in preparation for D-Day, thousands of people came out to learn the dance, which assisted in boosting Jitterbug dance popularity.
* The word Jitterbug was coined by trombonist and drummer Harry Alexander White for first using it in the 1900’s. However, Cab Calloway is often incorrectly given credit for the term because of his 1934 song titled “The Jitterbug”. The song is what made the swing style a household name.
* In the 1950’s, Jitterbug overtook the Lindy Hop as the more popular or “in” dance form. The Jitterbug is said to be a slightly less aerobatic version of its predecessor.