We’ve been having some “hot fun in the summertime” and hope you have too. Between an exhilarating visit from Sam and Denise, a smooth 4-week class on Carolina Shag Pivots, and running our new Teen Dance Camps, this July has flown by!

Check out what August has to offer, along with a few announcements for the Fall including news about Junior Ballroom @ Sapphire, another visit from Karen Jaffe, and an Ice Cream Social to welcome back our beloved Virginia Tech students. Yum and fun!

Dance on friends!

Dates to remember:

Saturday, August 8 - Summer Sizzle Dance Party with Salsa Lesson
Monday, Aug 10 - High Powered Rumba begins at Sapphire Studio
Tuesday & Wednesday, Aug 11 & 12 - Group Classes begin in Blacksburg
Monday, Aug 31 - Samba hits the Upper Level Workshops
Saturday, Sept 5 - Ice Cream Social
Friday, Sept 11 - Junior Ballroom @ Sapphire Fall Session begins
Saturday, Sept 12 - Lucky Draw Dance Party with Cha Cha Lesson
Tuesday, Sept 15 - Fall Sampler: FREE Intro Lesson
Monday, Sept 21 - Waltz 4.5 begins at Sapphire Studio
Tuesday & Wednesday, Sept 22 & 23 - Group Classes begin in Blacksburg
Friday-Sunday, Sept 25-27 - Argentine Tango with Karen Jaffe

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We are going to be heating up the dance floor starting at 7:30pm with a Salsa lesson by Lane. We will keep “the fire burning” at 8:30 with a mix of favorite Latin, Swing, and Ballroom styles with a sizzling .

If you’ve never been to one of our Dance Parties, here’s some things you should know.

The music is always a combination of old favorites and new hits, and most (but not all) of it highlights our theme. If you have a request, we’d love to hear it - either for a dance style or a specific song - if we have it, we’d be happy to play it.

At every dance, we have 2-3 Sapphire staff members there to answer questions, help introduce you to new friend and new dances, but mostly to dance with you. Don’t hesitate to ask one of us for the next dance!

The majority of the snacks are provided by dancers like you. If you’d like to bring something to share, please do. If people like it, you just may win a prize.

Good music, good people, good food, and most of all good dancing make Sapphire Dance Parties a great night out any time of year!

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Want more in your Rumba? We plan to give you the technique to make your steps ooze power and the patterns to show off your skills in this high-powered class. Starting Monday, August 10, we will spend 4 weeks at 7pm charging up this classic Latin dance. If this useful Latin style has started feeling “reliable” and “familiar,” you need to take this class and add some electricity back into the mix. There will be nothing “same ol’” after we get a hold of it this August.

(Participants should already have taken through Level 2 Rumba before taking this class.)

Check out all the details at http://www.sapphiredance.com/groupclasses.php.

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The last of our summer group classes at Blacksburg Community Center will start August 11 & 12.

The intro-level classes include Salsa, Hustle, Swing, and Argentine Tango. A pretty fiery mix, if you ask me! Hustle and Swing will be good for easing into the world of partner dancing while Salsa and Argentine Tango are perfect for those looking for a challenge!

Based on your requests, we are also offering two high-level/continuation classes in Blacksburg:
On Tuesdays at 6:15, Lane will be teaching Level 4 Salsa + Merengue.
On Wednesdays at 6:00, Debbi will be teaching Level 3 West Coast Swing.

Both classes would welcome new faces, so if you’ve got the pre-reqs, feel free to join! If you don’t know if you have the Pre-reqs, ask Lane or Debbi - they’d be happy to help you out.

Find the full line up and details at http://www.sapphiredance.com/groupclasses.php

Don’t miss our Fall Sampler on Tuesday, September 15, at 7pm for a FREE sneak peak into what September through December will offer!

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“I scream, You scream, We all scream for Ice Cream!”

Intended to be a welcome back to our beloved Virginia Tech students, this light hearted dance is a great event to start off the school year, meet other dancers, and have some cool treats.

From 3-5pm, we will be dancing to some sweet music and serving up sweet treats. This is a great event to invite family and friends to, and to escape for a few hours from the last of the summer heat.

It is only $8 general admission and $4 for full-time students (any grade).

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It’s back!!!!

For ages 12 to 18, Junior Ballroom is not only a super fun extracurricular activity, it can also enhance your teen’s physical, emotional, and social health through dance. For our first session, September 11 through November 13, we will be spending every Friday at 5pm learning 2-3 different dance styles. We will be working on social dancing skills as well as preparing a routine for a performance at a Sapphire Dance Party on Saturday, November 14. The whole session is only $115 with an available sibling discount.

We will also be holding a winter and spring session featuring other dance styles to fit everyone’s unique schedules.

More details will be available soon. In the meantime, feel free to ask us any questions you have. And if you want to help us promote this new program, download and share this flier - let’s get those teens dancing!

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We are so thrilled to be welcoming back Karen Jaffe for the weekend of September 25-27 to bring another Tango infusion to Sapphire.

Karen has been dancing and studying Argentine Tango since 1997. In 2003, she began teaching classes in Asheville, NC. Committed to sharing this beautiful social dance, she has taught a fundamentals class consistently since 2006, as well as weekend intro-level courses and higher level workshops. She enjoys working with a variety of partners, striving to bring new ideas and creativity to the dance itself, as well as to teach in a way that makes the dance accessible and enjoyable to all who are interested. She has so much to offer to this dance!

We will begin the weekend with a Friday night workshop for beginners in place of our regular Cheaper-Than-A-Movie workshop then ramp it up with a “Next Steps” class on Saturday. There will be opportunities for private lessons and a practilonga to use what you have learned.

The details of scheduling and pricing will be available very soon! In the meantime, check out the pictures from the last time she visited Sapphire at
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.801082576623960.1073741861.100867479978810&type=3

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And we're jumping for JOY!

As you may be aware, at the end of June Sapphire Dance Center - the preforming arts aspect of Sapphire Ballrom & Dance Center - closed its doors. For many families, this studio was where they and their children spent so much time growing and learning that it became a home away from home.

A group of parents have been diligently working to reopen Dance Center doors and they have made a lot of progress in  just a few short weeks. In fact, we are thrilled to announce the Sapphire Dance Center will in fact be opening for the 2015-16 dance year! There will be an Open House on both August 15 and August 22 from 10am-3pm. There will be snacks, live demos and fall registration available, so mark your calendars to join us. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SapphireDanceCenter) for more exciting Sapphire Dance Center updates!

Looking forward to another amazing dance year,

The Parent Executive Committee

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