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The mission and goal of Tri-State Social Dance, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and surrounding areas is to educate and support the full experience of social partner dancing.
How is Tri-State Social Dance different from other schools? Many studios and instructors focus on steps and sequences, aiming primarily for an attractive appearance and entertainment for audiences and judges (indeed, we enjoy and train in this artistic aspect of dancing ourselves.) However, our real passion is for helping people reach the joyful creativity and spontaneity that dancing can provide, when truly communicating with a partner rather than just dancing nearby and at the same time. Conventional training often leaves even accomplished dancers with a sense of constraint and limitation from their pre-arranged and learned sequences. Further, they frequently find that they can dance easily only with their accustomed instructor or partner. In general, ladies almost always enjoy dancing with gentlemen who lead clearly and confidently (commenting from time to time on the relative scarcity of such partners.) Men, on the other hand, sometimes report feeling unsure of themselves (wondering if a missed lead is totally their responsibility, or whether the woman needs to have learned the same patterns.) Our different approach to teaching and learning avoids these obstacles from the beginning and remediates previously formed limitations.
Tri-State Social Dance offers private lessons and group classes designed to build and enhance both men’s and women’s fundamental partner communication skills and their resulting enjoyment of social dancing. All of the usual ballroom, latin, swing, etc., dances are taught. We can also assist in making any dance occasion more participatory and fun. The owners of Tri-State Social Dance originally met at a dance, and 42 years later are still learning, dancing and enjoying sharing their enthusiasm with others.
Tri-State Social Dance offers the following:
- Private Lessons for individuals, couples or small groups, by appointment, in the central downtown area or other locations in greater Cincinnati.
- A 10-week Introductory Social Dance series (1 hour per week, introducing Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Swing, Cha-Cha, Rumba and Salsa) for individuals who:
- Have always wanted, but never had the time or opportunity, to learn to dance,- Used to dance, have not done it for a while and want to shake the rust off, or- Have an event coming up (wedding, family or company party, etc.) at which they would like to dance.
No partner is required. This course represents the best value for students’ time and money, and has produced hundreds of happy dancers over many years! The next iteration of this course is planned for Monday nights, 7:30-8:30 PM, starting January 3, 2011; please email or call to register.
(A Single-Weekend Version of Introductory Social Dance above is also available, but covering six dances only, for people who may find it easier to schedule one concentrated weekend rather than 10 successive weeks. The weekend version of this course is obviously more physically demanding than the 10 weekly sessions, but will get you there faster. Please write or call to indicate interest.)
- 10-week (or other formats arranged for specific groups) Intermediate Social Dance series (1 or more hour per week, extending knowledge of the dances introduced in the Introductory courses, or learning new dances, such as Bolero, Mambo, Quickstep, Samba, Viennese Waltz, etc. by participant choice.) No partner is required, but either of the Introductory Social Dance courses, or comparable experience, is assumed. Please write or call to indicate interest.
- Full-Day Dance WITH Your Partner © (although no partner is required) Workshops (usually Saturdays), in which we focus on one dance per day. After three 90-minute training sessions, a 90-minute open dance is held, with mixed recorded music (welcoming requests) covering many styles but emphasizing the dance featured earlier in the day. In the three training sessions, a series of standard dance sequences is introduced or reviewed. Then (and this is the gist of our unique approach), emphasis is placed on the branch points (options) where leaders signal and initiate different figures, and followers receive these signals and respond instantly and appropriately. Several branch points are explored and practiced each workshop day, and all participants rotate partners frequently for greater practice (and feedback) in communicating and dancing together. Such training leads to greater skill and enjoyment in social dancing for both women and men, with regular or changing partners, and is worthwhile even for competitors or performers. Other teachers are welcome to propose, or will occasionally be invited to present, cooperative workshops. Cost is $50/person for the entire day, payable on registration. Please write or call to indicate interest.
- Dance Excursions, in which groups of participants travel together for dance events or activities locally or elsewhere, at least once per month.
- Participation or assistance with Dance-Related Events and Activities.
Please call or email for more information, to make suggestions and requests, or to register (payments accepted by cash, check or credit card.) Check back often as this web site and the offerings of Tri-State Social Dance are updated regularly. We hope to see you dancing!e to see you dancing!
Tri-State Social Dance
Cincinnati, OH
513-265-1309
