He Dances, He Sings, He's our very own Jim Clemens!

Sometimes we have diamonds in our very own backyard and we never really see them.  One of our shining, multi-faceted diamonds is Jim Clemens, owner and instructor at Modern Steps School of Dance.  You have probably seen Jim at the studio teaching lessons, or dancing at a competition, winning great accolades with his students and for the studio.  But you may not know that he is also a popular singer with a local group of entertainers called the Consecutones.  The trio of Jim, Antoine "Motown" Walker and Steve Fenntiman perform a wide selection of favorites from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's and you can see them on Friday nights in July at Bill's Steak and Seafood Restaurant, located at the corner of Lakewood Blvd and Tamiami Trail East in Naples.  Not only can you get a great meal at Bill's, but you can enjoy this talented group of gentlemen as they bring back oldies and our favorite love songs from 6:30-9:30pm.
Social dancing is one of Jim's passions, and you usually see him on Friday night dancing with students at Bill's and enjoying the music from the dancer's shoes he wears so well.  He has another side that we don't see as often, but his wonderful renditions of our favorite songs are a testimony to the shiny facet that you don't want to miss on this gem we are proud to call one of ours

Jim and Tammy before the show.

Steve Fenntiman and Antoine "Motown" Walker are
the other two thirds of The Consecutones.

The Consecutones at Bill's Steak and Seafood Restaurant

In addition to enjoying the great music, friends get together to dance and enjoy an evening out at Bill's.  You will often see students and friends of Modern Steps out enjoying the music and dancing around town at various venues.  Social dancing is just that--a great way to meet friends, dance and feel the joy of the music, all wrapped up in one great package.

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What's Happening this Week

Saturday Dance Parties at Modern Steps are always fun and are open to everyone!  The party starts at 7pm and the music runs non-stop until 10pm with all your favorite dance music--ballroom, Latin and country.  And this Saturday, March 26, we want to extend a special invitation to our students to come out and dance with our instructors from 7:00-8:30pm, during the regular party.  Jim and Tammy, Mac and Justinas will be there to dance with their students and we will also have refreshments for everyone to enjoy.  Admission is $15 per person, and even if you're are not a student at Modern Steps, we hope you'll join us for a wonderful evening of dancing.  Save the date for next month's Teacher-Student night on April 23.

We will resume our Sunday Group Class on April 10, 17, and 24 at 2pm.  The dance in April will be the ChaCha, so make plans to join us--you'll be glad you did!  Each class is $25/person.

We're excited about this year's special performance night on Friday, April 29.  Our special Students in the Spotlight evening will be a great evening of entertainment and dancing, with special refreshments to celebrate after the show.  Tickets will be on sale beginning April 4.  Save the date and be sure to reserve your tickets in advance for this special night as seating is limited.

We want to wish you all a happy Easter this Sunday.  And to our northern friends who may be headed home, we will miss you and look forward to your return.  Keep dancing wherever you are and be blessed! 

Get out and Dance!

Dancing is a social activity.  For centuries, people on every continent have danced for all kinds of reasons--celebrations, holidays, and usually, just for the joy of dancing.  Assembly rooms in the 19th century were a great meeting place for young people and for older people to see their friends and neighbors.  And the primary activity was dancing!  Even today, we are "entertained" by watching others dance.  Look at the immense popularity of "Dancing with the Stars" and "So you think you can dance?" on television, as well as the long list of movies that are based on dancing.  In the 80's, "Dirty Dancing" took a look back at the dancing of the 1960's and in 2004, Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez asked us the question "Shall We Dance?"
      People still go out to watch people dance, even if they don't dance themselves.  It's fun.  It's social. It's dancing.  And you can be a part of it, too.
     At Modern Steps, we have a social dance party every Saturday night from 7-10pm.  Admission is $15/person.  It's a great time to dance, and for students, it's a great way to practice what you've been learning.  But it's also a different way to meet people, and make new friends.  Lots of people come for an evening out, even if they don't spend a lot of time on the dance floor.  You can relax, and enjoy the music, and have a great time just watching others dance.  We play all kinds of music, so if you don't want to do a particular dance, there's always another option coming up in the playlist.
We also encourage you to go social dancing at other venues around Naples.  On Wednesday and Friday nights, you may see our teachers out at Bills' Steak and Seafood restaurant or at Row Seafood  dancing to some of the live local entertainment here in Naples, like Manhatten Connection.        Wherever there is music, it's always a good time to dance.  So what are you waiting for?  Get out there and dance!

Thelma and Jim at Row Seafood