StarsThrillerMovie

Here are some of the local glitterati at the recent movie premiere that featured LCB dancers. I think you can pick me out (ahem)

Sad to see Leti go!

Leti, who was one of the first teachers to bring her jazzercise class to Lake Chapala Ballroom, has moved on. We wish her well in her new consulting business, and know that her jazzercise students will find plenty to keep them busy with James Dancefit Classes on Monday and Wednesday at 10:00, and Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30. He'll be keeping the 10:00 oclock class at least through September, so if you've been putting off starting your fitness program, now's the time to do it!

 James and I have both been busy outside the ballroom. We hosted and judged a dance contest at a wonderful party Friday night. One or both of us is always happy to come out and provide an activity for your party. If you're tired of the same old thing, have your friends over for a Tango Lesson, or Salsa Dance. They always enjoy themselves, believe me.

 We have space available to exercise teachers who are looking for a home for their classes in Yoga, Pilates, Zumba or other forms. As the Season gets closer Lake Chapala Ballroom will be the headquarters for all thing dance, so it's a great way to ride the wave of publicity.
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 Speaking of seasons, it's almost Thriller time! Every year, I teach anyone who wants to learn the choreography for Michael Jacksons Thriller, and we all (last year we were up to 130!) dance it at the same time as other people all over the globe. It's fun and easy, and we raise money for the Red Cross. Please join us at the first rehearsal, September 13, 1:00 at Lake Chapala Ballroom!

 New private students are signing up every week, many of them single men! Soon I hope we'll have a balanced enough group of men and women for group classes that will be fun and rewarding for everybody. Look for West Coast Swing to start up first, and then Salsa /Cumbia. It may be after Thriller, so you don't have to hurry up and find a partner just yet

. I'm looking forward to seeing you all out on the dance floor! Dance Coach Elliott

I'm in trouble with James, as usual! He can't be blamed, he's been trying to get me to update this site since the end of June, when we had some significant schedule changes. I have no excuse, I've been traveling and taking classes all over the States, it seems, the better to torture our students once we get back in the swing of things. That includes a week in Las Vegas that was completely dedicated to ballroom dancing...I spent the time with some of the best teachers in the business today, picking their brains and updating my knowledge base. Now, before I forget...again! Let me tell you that Let's popular Jazzercise program has a new start time of 9:00 a.m., changed from 8:30.

As you can see, Lety is offering some great specials! In addition, James has added two 10:00 DanceFIT classes on Monday and Wednesday, along with his super popular Tuesday and Thursday DanceFIT Retro classes at 8:30 a.m. If you've never tried one of his classes, get over to Lake Chapala Ballroom! you will be amazed at how fast the time flies dancing to his private label music selections. I'll be back in August, and we have some terrific camasses planned for the Fall. thriller, of course, but also West Coast Swing, Ballroom, and coming soon, a wonderful ballroom/fitness program whose creator, Todd Borzych, I had the pleasure of dancing with in Virginia.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, believe me, but I want to get you all updated....more to come!

Summer Schedule in Effect at Lake Chapala Ballroom

I heard the first rainbirds yesterday! They let us know that the rain will come in six weeks, but I've been feeling drops every afternoon this week. James is in Buffalo for the whole month (!) looking after his interests up there. I will be taking over his Tuesday and Thursday morning DanceFIT classes. Mine are so retro that I don't even call it that, as some of my music is from the fabulous Latin era of the 40's and 50's. If you've been telling yourself you're going to try it out all year long, now is truly the time. The crowds have gone back home after the Easter Break, and the vibe in the Ballroom is laid back and fun. In fact, because it's been so hot, group classes in the afternoon have been suspended until late summer, when the first cycle of Ballroom Group classes is slated to begin. There's a huge amount of interest in that, so watch your inboxes for announcements We thank the community for the tremendous support for our first season. Don't forget, there are fun fitness classes every morning (see the calendar for deets) and if you're interested in private Ballroom lessons, I'm teaching every day. See you on the Dance Floor!

Bye Bye Snowbirds.

Our friend Norm Tihor sent us these..doesn't the Chili Cook Off seem like a long time ago? I notice in DanceFIT that our Snowbirds are already getting ready to wing it back to their Northern homes. Hopefully, by now they'll be safe from this long, strange, winter! As we come to the end of our first winter, I'm happy to be able to report that Lake Chapala Ballroom is thriving. The SalsaFIT class has moved to what looks like is going to be a permanent home on Monday and Wednesday at 5, and we have a lot of exciting activities planned for the "low season." Jazzercise has inaugurated the ballroom as a meeting space by renting it last weekend for an Instructors Conference. Represented were Guadalajara, Cancún, Hermosillo, and Argentina! The Ballroom is an excellent choice for workshops and seminars, so if you're planning that type of event, give us a call.

The LCB Beat Goes ON! Onstage, That Is.

  We had so much fun at the Chili Cook Off last weekend! The weather was gorgeous all weekend, and the Lake Chapala Ballroom booth was perfectly situated between the stage and the chili.I don't know who James paid off for that position, but we had a great time hanging out all weekend long.

It turned out to be a fantastic opportunity to spread the word to the community about all the activities at Lake Chapala Ballroom. On Saturday afternoon, all the instructors and representatives from their classes got on stage and showed the world what we're up to at LCB. (Thank you dancers- You were amazing!)  It was such a crowd pleaser that  LCB was voted the "BEST ENTERTAINMENT" at the Chili Cook Off and asked to return to the stage throughout the weekend.    

To celebrate, James is having a Special Promotion for DANCEFIT.  If you bring a friend to any of his classes at LCB  (Monday and Wednesday afternoons, Tuesday and Thursday mornings: see the calendar) during  the week of March 3rd - 6th and if either of you purchase a 10 CLASS PASS you will both get that class FREE.

 email James at lcdancefit@outlook.com if you have any questions.

New Classes for March!

  Lety's Jazzercise is so popular that she's adding two classes in the afternoon, on Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30.

  My SalsaFIT is also turning out to be a crowd pleaser (blush) I'm developing a class format that is definitely exercise, but focuses heavily on the techniques that will make you a great latin dancer. It is a partner free format, and we'll be moving to Monday and Wednesday at 5:00 in March.

  Also in our PM offerings, James NRG class at Monday and Wednesday at 4:00 will work you out from head to toe while you dance your booty off with his amazing music selections.

Chili Cook Off and Happy Hour Classes in the Ballroom

We are having a great time in the ballroom, with new classes and performances being booked every minute, or so it seems. Last week we had the first SalsaFIT class on Thursday afternoon, something that folks have been clamoring for.
   I've learned over time that people have different biological rhythms when it comes to exercise. Although it seems that most of us like it early in the morning, for many, later is better, so it wasn't that much of a surprise when the first afternoon class was so well attended. In addition, the format seemed to be popular. I described it as a Salsa class that might be a workout, and we all had fun. I'm going to do it again Tuesday this week for anyone who can't come on Thursday, and it will stay on the schedule.
   James is teaching his Dancefit NRG (get it? I say it stands for No ReGrets, but it's also energy, which is what you'll get when you hear the music) in the afternoons on Monday and Wednesday, and Salomae has Belly Dancing Classes after SalsaFIT on Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30.
    If you haven't had a chance to visit the ballroom yet, and would like to see demonstrations of all the different classes being offered, don't miss Lake Chapala Ballroom at the Chili Cook-Off! We'll be there all weekend, but on Saturday at 2:00 we'll all be on the big stage. Here's a tentative schedule for the order of presentation.

Elliott /James WALTZ  

Howard TAI CHI 

Lety JAZZERCISE 

Yvonne BELLY DANCE 

Elliott & James DANCEFIT 

Yvonne BELLY DANCE 

Ana ZUMBA GOLD  

Yvonne BELLY DANCE 

Hope to see you there!

    

By Popular Demand! Ballroom Group Lessons are Coming!

Group Classes Forming for Summer 2014!

These are our cornerstone classes. Every dancer, new and experienced, can come to our group lessons and follow the carefully planned road map to dancing. If you stay on this route, you can become an accomplished social dancer in just five months!

The Dances

The program covers Four Latin and Four Ballroom dances in a progressive series of fun and supportive group classes. Here are the dances you’ll be learning.

Latin Dances
Rumba
Cha Cha
East Coast Swing
Bolero

Ballroom Dances
Waltz
Foxtrot
Tango
Viennese Waltz

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• Classes will meet at the following times
• 1:00 Latin Level One
• 2:00 Smooth Level One
• 3:00 Latin Level Two
• 4:00 Smooth Level Two
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•  Five Months to Accomplished Social Dancing in any Situation!
• Local Restaurants, your daughter's wedding, a cruise or a competition, you'll be ready for any and everything.
• The classes are scheduled so that you can build on what you learned the previous month. If you are an absolute beginner, here’s the road you should follow:
  In your first month, you can sign up for the Rumba 1 and Waltz 1 classes. You’ll be dancing for an hour and a half and will learn the basic figures for these two dances.
  In your second month, you continue to sign up for Latin 1 and Ballroom 1. This month you’ll be learning Cha Cha and Foxtrot. But in your second month, you can also sign up for Rumba 2 and Waltz 2, because these classes will cover the next level of figures. Now you are dancing for three hours and learning four dances!
  In your third month, you can sign up for East Coast Swing 1 and Tango 1, and also Cha Cha 2, and Foxtrot 2.
  In your fourth month, you’ll learn the basic figures in Viennese Waltz and Bolero, and the Level 2 figures in Tango and East Coast Swing.
  And in your fifth month, you’ll learn the Level 2 figures for Viennese Waltz and Bolero.
  And now you are an accomplished social dancer with the world of dancing open to you! Once you’ve completed this five months session, you are ready for the Level 3 and Level 4 classes!
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We've Got Tai Chi!

       In China, it is believed that tai chi can delay aging and prolong life, increase flexibility and strengthen muscles and tendons, and aid in the treatment of heart disease,depression, cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, skin diseases,  and many other illnesses. 

I'm really excited to announce that we have added Tai Chi to the roster of classes at Lake Chapala Ballroom. We are always looking for complimentary styles of instruction, and James has had tons of requests for Tai Chi. Beginning February 3rd, Level 111 Tai Chi and Qui Gong Instructor Howard O'Connor will be teaching Tai Chi at LCB on Monday and Wednesdays at 11:00. Also on February 3rd, James will start his fabulous new Dancefit NRG class in the afternoon, from 4:00-5:00. Check the calendar to the right for updates on what else is happening in the ballroom.
 
   All the LCB instructors will join us at The Chili Cook off on Valentine's Day weekend. We'll have a booth all weekend, and look for us on the big stage Sunday morning. James and I will be dancing a waltz, Salomae is going to show off her belly dancers, and there will be lots of Jazzercise, Zumba Gold, and Dancefit,so come prepared!

 Speaking of Dancefit, I will be adding a Salsafit afternoon class on Tuesdays in February. That's next week! This will be a superfun cardio class, no partner required, that focuses on Salsa, Cumbia and slow Latin beats. You will learn everything you need to know to have fun when you're out and one of our awesome local Latin bands are playing. Let's try to get the gentlemen to join us for a fun exercise class that will teach you to dance!

 I am asked everyday about the schedule for ballroom. I'm adding more private lessons on a weekly basis, as my energy improves, and will have the first Bronze level group schedules ready to go for the Chili kick off.    James is constantly on the look out for people who have fun, quality programs to offer for our growing schedule of exercise classes. There is still room in the mornings and evenings, but it's being booked up pretty fast. Yay!
   
   Here's a fun video for inspiration. See you in the ballroom!


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2014 Already?

James Wayne, partner in Lake Chapala Ballroom and Dancefit Retro instructor extraodinaire has been on me to update the blog, pointing out that the last post was New Year's Eve. He's been busy with improvements in the ballroom, handling the day to day business of getting a new enterprise off the ground while I attend to recovering from surgery. Of course, by that I mean lot's of rest and relaxation, and the surgery was performed on November 23rd. James points out regularly that perhaps I could include a little ballroom blogging in my busy schedule..... It's been two months, so I guess it's time to start doing something about those New Years' Resolutions!

   We had an open house on New Years Day to celebrate our grand opening, and it was a huge success.

Friends of LCballroom Helena Feldstein, Pam Ladd, and Marcia Lavendar.

James entertaining guests at the New Years Day Open House