Now that midsummer heat is here to stay, it’s important to find ways to beat it. A great way to avoid the sun and have some fun is dancing! Susan’s Ballroom Dance is a great place to get your groove on and learn some new moves.
The school offers dance classes for all ages, and is offering different classes for children all summer. This week, the school is holding a dance and etiquette camp called Class Act, giving kids a chance to learn different classical dances, like the Foxtrot, and formal manners. Dr. Susan Quiring, owner of Susan’s Ballroom Dance and Class Act Etiquette, says during the class on Monday the dancers “learned basic Foxtrot, but in addition to the steps, worked on good frames for both the lead and follow, how leads can communicate clearly to their partner what they are leading, how followers can do their part to respond to the lead. It takes as much skill and understanding to be a good follow as it does to be a good lead. We worked on good connection with our partners.”
If you missed this Class Act course, there’s another fun option: Mini Class Act. Through this program, you can design your own etiquette seminar. It’s up to you to choose who can attend, the topics you want to focus on and the length of your class. No matter your skill level or age, Dr. Quiring invites everyone to attend her classes. In addition to owning the company, she has been the dance instructor for Texas A&M Ballroom Dance Association, the university ballroom dance club, for 21 years.
“Any of our dance classes are great fun,” Dr. Quiring says. “I try to make all the classes fun as a well as a learning experience. All girls like to dance, so a young man who learns to dance will be very popular among the girls.”
In addition to a course on dancing, manners and posture, you’ll also have fun! “A young man will walk into class with poor posture and an obvious look of not wanting to be there, you know, ‘mom made me come,’” Dr. Quiring says. “By day two they are smiling, having a great time, and starting to stand up straight. It seems to matter when I tell them that studies show that people with good posture are perceived to be more intelligent than those with poor posture.”
There are many classes to choose from, and there is sure to be a class that piques your interest, with classes for adults, college students, and kids. Etiquette Camps and Cotillon can be taken every summer or winter for kids aged 6-17. Depending on the pandemic’s upcoming restrictions, the company will hold a ballroom dance class as well as a country western style class in future weeks. Because of social distancing, the company has been holding virtual dance classes as well as the in person ones. Dr. Quiring also offers beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes for teens, and all teens are welcome to take adult classes. She also holds a Cotillon in the months of January and February on Tuesday and Thursday nights. After four weeks, the students have a showcase of everything they have learned.
“We meet weekly for four weeks of etiquette and dance instruction, then have a Formal Ball to practice all the dance and social skills learned,” Dr. Quiring says. “The Ross Volunteers come with their saber arch as the couples enter the room for their formal dinner.” The students normally get to dine, dance and showcase everything they have learned. Because of the pandemic, the Showcase was cancelled for 2020.
Whether you are looking for a fun class to take, or wanting to hone your dancing skills and manners, there’s something for everyone at Susan’s Ballroom Dance. To enroll in a class, head over to the company website or call 979-690-0606.
