Red and Rusty take to the floor in Sarasota!

The Sarasota challenge on March 20, 2016 was the place to be if you were looking for great ballroom in SW Florida.  Two of our favorite gals, Thelma "Red" Negley and Pat "Rusty" Vautrinot were part of one of the largest competitions in our area.  With over 500 heats of dancing going on throughout the day, they were part of the non-stop action!  Dancing with our fabulous instructors, Jim Clemens and Justinas Maliaskas, they spent the day showing off their stuff in all the dance categories.  The 2 day event included workshops for participants to attend, as well as amazing professional shows in the evening.  Congratulations to both Thelma and Pat for their accomplishments!

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! 

Cool Cats at Modern Steps

Secret identities.  Mysterious strangers.  People in disguise.  What do these things have to do with ballroom dance, you ask?  Well, ballroom dancers come from all different walks of life and some of our favorite dancers at Modern Steps have another side to them that you may not even know about!

Deborah with her panther kitten

Deborah Jansen is one of those dancers!  Deborah started dancing at Modern Steps about three years ago, and she loves dancing!  You may have seen her in our Showcase last year, or you may have seen her at one of the local dance competitions, but have you ever seen her out in the Everglades?  Because that is where she spends her time at her day job, working with the National Park Service.  She loves that part of her life as well, and she sent us this great picture with a panther kitten she met last week at work.  Whether she is counting panthers or counting steps in the chacha, Deborah is a wonderful example of someone who has added some ballroom to her life and can say it is one of the best things she has ever done.  We're glad she has joined us on the dance floor!

Deborah in 2015 Showcase

Mac and Deborah at the Naples Star Ball

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

Have you seen our new daytime look at Modern Steps?

We love it when you come to our evening parties and see the studio glowing and the couples moving around the room in their party clothes, but have you been to our studio to see us in daylight?

We moved our main entrance and reception area   

What you may not have seen yet are the beautiful colors and new style of our studio.  We hope you will stop by and see the wonderful space that our students enjoy during their lessons.  

The DJ booth had a make-over!

And we'd like to invite you to join us for our Group Class on Sunday afternoons at 2pm.  This is a wonderful way to get more out of your dancing, even if you are a social dancer or haven't had a lesson for a long time. 

Like a new dress, we want to show it off!

 Of course, we would also love to have you become one of our private lesson students. Stop by soon and let's talk about how you can add some ballroom to your life!

Group Classes are Back at Modern Steps!

Be sure to come out for our Group Class on Sundays at 2pm.  This is a great way to really get quality teaching from our professional instructors at an affordable price.  Each class covers a particular dance--in February we will be teaching Rumba the first two weeks and the Waltz the last two Sundays of the month.  The instructors provide a technique, pattern and styling that can be used by every level of dancer.  Beginners should feel comfortable with the attention to basic movements, and advanced students always are given the more advanced recommendations for styling and body positions.  The cost for these classes is $25/person for a full hour of great instruction.  This is a fraction of the cost of private lessons and allows you to learn about dance in a relaxed atmosphere.   And you don't need a partner at a group class!  The gentleman and the ladies often work on their parts separately and then the class rotates partners, so that the everyone gets a chance to dance with the instructor, as well as the other dancers in the class.  SO come on out for some fun and some great dancing--you can always check our calendar at www.modernstepsnaples.com

First Party--Dancing on the New Floor!

The wait is over and the floor is glowing at our first party of 2016!  If you haven't stopped by yet, be sure to come out and dance on Saturday nights from 7-10pm--you're gonna love our new "make-over"!

First Party Night!

Marian and Michael

Jim and Pat

Jeff and Else and Friends

Lynn and Carla

Tammy with Bud and Diane

Old DJ--New DJ Booth!

Joanne and Nancy