News from Modern Steps

Don't forget our Open Dance Party tonight from 7:00-9:30 and be sure to come early for the COMPLIMENTARY DANCE LESSON at 6:30!!  It's a great night of fun, friends and music to dance all your favorite dances!  Ballroom, Swing, Latin--we've got it all at Modern Steps.  $15/person for fun, the lesson, admission, a little wine, a few munchies...all included!

Next week:

Monday Night Social Dancing Group Class 7-8pm

Tuesday Night West Coast Swing Class 6-7pm

Friday Night Salsa/Bachata Class 7-8pm and Latin Party from 8-10pm

And save the date:  Wednesday, February 28  MOD SQUAD @ Bill's!

Come to one or come to all!  We love to see you dancing!

February Events at Modern Steps

March Happenings at Modern Steps

Spring has Sprung at Spotlight 2017!

It was a fabulous show at Modern Steps last Friday night.  Thanks to Joe Parisi of Frame, Focus, Shoot Photography, here are some of our best moments from the 2017 Spring Spotlight!

It's Show time at Modern Steps!

Don't miss our Spring Spotlight Show this Friday night, March 3, 2017 at 7pm at Modern Steps School of Dance!  Our students and staff have been working hard and now its time to show their stuff!  Doors open at 6:30 and we'll have a great show starting at 7pm showcasing our students in their favorite dances.  We'll also have a fun celebration after the show with refreshments for everyone.  Don't miss this great opportunity to watch ballroom at its best at Modern Steps in Naples!

January 23 2017--the Start of a Great Week at Modern Steps!

It's a beautiful week in Southwest Florida and we want to see you smiling!  Here are the great activities happening at Modern Steps this week that are sure to put a smile on your face:

Tonight, Monday, January 23 and next Monday, at 7pm, Jim is teaching a Technique Group Class--this is a great opportunity to learn from one of the best dance instructors in SW Florida.  Group Classes are $25 per person and there is no partner required.  All levels of dancer are welcome!

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am we hit the Barre with Eden to get those long and lovely muscles moving and grooving.  All are welcome!  Ballroom students $10/others $15.  If you are slipping in your New Year's resolutions, this is a great week to get back on track with this fun class!

Wednesday at 6pm--Attention Couples!!  Come to the first Couples' Class with Tammy!  This first class will be an Introduction to Formation Dancing and Ballroom Technique for Couples.  Come see what all the excitement is about!  All levels of dancers welcome.

Thursday Night is Girls' Night Out!  We will be meeting at Thelma Negley's home at 5:30 for a fun appetizer/potluck and a movie night!  Please call the studio for directions and let us know what you will be bringing (you know-so we don't all bring popcorn and have to send out for pizza!)  GNO is always a great time and you don't want to miss this!

And of course, be sure to come to our weekly Saturday party from 7-9pm.  Social dancing at it's best on our beautiful floor in our friendly club-style studio.  Wine, refreshments and great music always make it a happy place for friends to meet.  $15/person

PS--No group class this Saturday--Watch next week for our February Calendar when Saturday classes start again!

Valentine Special for New Dancers

January 2017 Calendar

Sip and Paint is Super Fun @ Girls' Night Out!

Super fun times for the Leopard Ladies of Modern Steps and their newest girlfriends!  The fun started with dinner at one of favorite places, The Village Pub, in Venetian Village off ParkShore Drive in Naples.  Jennifer and Kent Schooley were our fabulous hosts at the newly remodeled restaurant, overlooking Naples Bay.  The lovely ladies enjoyed cocktails and fabulous selections from their new menu, including scrumptious mussels and refreshing pico de gallo and chips.

Tammy and Eden, with Deborah and Kate
enjoying the view at The Village Pub

Front, Left to right: Eden, Tammy, Deborah, Kate
Back: Jennifer and Brenda
Everyone is wearing their GNO corsages
that Tammy gifted us.

From The Village Pub, it was off to Estero to Pinot's Palette for a fun night of creativity and ...well, some good old-fashioned hootin' and hollarin' from these gals!  We sure know how to have a good time, and the artists at Pinot's Palette will surely remember the gals from the dance studio!  We all created our own masterpieces from the lesson on "Autumn Reflections" and each lady took home her own unique style of art.  Everyone was encouraged to explore a new type of art, but instead of dancing on the ballroom floor, we took our brushes and put them to the canvas.  What a night to remember!

Arrived at Pinot's Palette in Estero!
Let the good times roll!

We are already having a good time and the
fun hasn't even started!

Our fearless leader, Miss Tammy!
A Pinot's Palette virgin!

The artists in their workshop-
go for it, Deborah!

Eden is one of our new Leopard Ladies-
welcome to the party, Eden!

Our fabulous instructor!

Something for everyone!
A truly wonderful evening!

Backseat drivers on the way to the fun!
It's a miracle we got there

Special corsages from Tammy for everyone-
'cuz everyone is special at Modern Steps!

Each Girls' Night Out event is something special, that brings us all together to have some fun off the dance floor.  Our next event is November 16, 2016 at 4pm.  We'll be having a special English Tea Party at Brenda Griebahn's on Marco Island.  Come and join us for a lovely cuppa and maybe a special craft project too!  You don't want to miss the fun at GNO!

Eden Rocks at Modern Steps!

It was a fortunate day when Tammy went to a class at the Marco Island YMCA and met Eden Looney.  Eden is the "Barre-ista" of EdenRocks and has brought her own special fitness program to Modern Steps.  Working with some great, ultra cool, ultra hip and ultra fun music and a barre just like the one you see in a ballet class, Eden is teaching us how to train our bodies to be leaner, stronger, and longer.  Her focus in the class is working on posture and finding balance in your body position.  Imagine that!  Posture and balance while dancing!  There's a connection here for students of ballroom dance!  Eden's story combines her love of dance, tennis and the need to train using less brawn and more brain.  Each class is an hour long, and meets three days a week at Modern Steps (Tuesday and Thursday at 9am, and Saturdays at 10am.)  She combines elements of barre exercise and ballet movements, with yoga and pilates, and then she throws in some serious cardio and ab workouts. And at the same time, she makes this a class for all ages and all levels of student ability.  If you are looking for a new dimension in fitness, come to Modern Steps and try this amazing hour of exercise--you just might get hooked!

Eden Looney leading the Barre Class.
Check her out on youtube.com.

Students lining up at the barre for warm-ups

Posture and balance are at the center of the class philosophy

Increasing flexibility is one of the class objectives.
Flexibility has been shown to decrease the
effects of aging.

Working on abs, or your core, strengthens back muscles
and reduces risks of osteoporosis and its symptoms.

Each student is encouraged to work at their own comfort level
and the community that builds in the class is also
a key to reducing depression and improving mental health.

For more information about the class, call Modern Steps at 239-775-3445 or email questions to modernsteps@gmail.com.

Girls' Night Out! It's A Hit!

Ladies!  If you haven't been coming to our Girls' Night Out events you must start!  Quickly becoming one of our favorite days of the month, we are pushing the envelope and trying to find out how much fun a group of gals can have!

Last month, we had a Fashion Show at Modern Steps.  Carla Bobka, a CAbi Style Consultant from Pennsylvania, brought her trunk of fabulous clothes to Naples, so that we could touch and feel and walk the runway!  What could be better than a little wine, some hors d'oerves and good friends going shopping?

Carla takes her CAbi Show on the road for
our Girls' Night Out

Pat V. models one of the great sweaters from the
cabionline.com collection

We're all looking forward to a spring show in February--be sure to stay in touch for details.

Coming Up in October

Our October GNO event has a different twist--we'll be Sipping and Painting at Pinot's Palette, Coconut Point, 23050 Via Villagio #109, Estero, FL 33928 on Thursday, October 20, 2016.  Meet at Modern Steps at 5:30pm and we can caravan to the party that is from 7-9pm.  Then dinner at Angelina's Ristorante to make it a night out!  Sign up using the Pinot's Palette link and be prepared for a good time!

Summer Adventures for Modern Steps Students Part 1

We all love living in Southwest Florida, but as everyone knows, it gets a little quiet in Naples during the summer.  So where do all those people go?  A lot of our students "fly north" for the summer, but some of them have interesting adventures that take them away.  Pat Vautrinot is one of our students who went on a grand adventure this summer, exploring the two youngest states of America.  She traveled with her family, first to Alaska and the Denali National Park, and then also to the western United States' Paradise of the Pacific, Hawaii.  Here are some of the spectacular areas that she was able to enjoy last month.  Thanks for sharing your journey, Pat!

The Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley
The peak itself in all it's glory!  Usually covered by clouds,
Denali is only visible about 30% of the time.

Pat flying out from Kanchitna, after a 6 hr ride in a park service bus to get in!
Living strong, Pat went white-water rafting while visiting the National Park.

Pat and children, Frosty and "almost" son Ralph were
 part of a larger family reunion.

Little store that is home to "Mayor Murphy," the cat!
You expect a moose to stroll by at any minute.

Pat's son, Ted, giving our own private concert, though
many passersby dropped in to enjoy his music.

Saw the calving of this glacier!  Calving is when a chunk
of ice falls off the glacier, creating an iceberg.
Learn something new everyday!

Just your normal, friendly, grizzly bear.
(We'll assume Pat was in a vehicle of some kind and not asking the bear for a dance!)

View of a waterfall inside an old volcano on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Pat's riding in a helicopter, one of several modes of transportation
needed for these great views.

Aboard the museum of the USS Arizona

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.

.

Lynn and Brenda Shine in Baltimore at National Competition

It was raining in Baltimore last weekend, but there were bright lights shining on the dance floor at the USADance National Championships. And Modern Steps was proudly represented by Lynn and Brenda Griebahn, who earned silver medals in Senior II and III Gold American Rhythm and Senior II American Smooth, as well as bronze medals in Senior III Gold and Senior III Silver American Smooth.  Lots of hard work paid off, and the Griebahns were very happy with their dancing.  "We have made great progress in our Rhythm dancing, thanks to Justinas and Tammy," Brenda said when they returned to Naples.  Lynn was delighted with the results: "We were very happy to do so well in such a large national competition.  The competition was really tremendous, and the fields were very large, especially in the Silver divisions."  Over 500 couples competed in divisions from Pre-Teen through Senior III in the USADance National events, as well as the World Dancesport Federation ranking events in Adult and Senior I International Standard and Latin events, which qualify those couples to compete at World Championships throughout the coming year.  Modern Steps was proud to sponsor this event this year by providing scholarships in two of the Senior III divisions.  Congratulations to Lynn and Brenda on great dancing at this important event!

Brenda and Lynn with coach Tammy Clemens

Bronze medal in Bonus Bronze Standard Division

Celebrating after the competition,  Sarah Griebahn, Tammy and Brenda

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