Happy June Folks!

Our monthly newsletter is coming to you with info concerning our new classes, workshops, and events as well as some food for thought on dance shoes. We try to get as much crammed into one email as possible so you don’t miss out...but we don’t want you to be overwhelmed either. Check out our table of contents and Dates to Remember to navigate through and see what pertains to you.

Additionally, Sapphire has two Google Calendars you can subscribe to: Sapphire Classes and Sapphire Events (http://www.sapphiredance.com/calendars.php) Adding these calendars to your Google Calendar will keep you in the know about all the cool things we have going on all the time.

Viennese Waltz, “Slowing It Down” starts this Monday, June 5, at 7:00pm - read more Upper Level Workshops - It’s a Swing Thing! - Every Monday in June - read more Summer Group Classes in Blacksburg, All Levels, Lots of Styles = Something For Everyone - read more Junior Ballroom @ Sapphire - Partner Dance Classes Just for Teens and Tweens - read more Night Groove Dance Party, Saturday, June 10 - read more International West Coast Swing Flashmob 2017, Who Wants In? - read more Are Dance Shoes Really Worth It? - read more

Dates to Remember:

Spring is here and good fortune is in the air - it's time to make plans!

Monday, June 5 - Viennese Waltz Upper Level Class begins
Monday, June 5 - Swing Styles featured in ULWs
Friday, June 9 - Junior Ballroom Summer Session starts
Saturday, June 10 - Night Groove Dance Party with Nightclub 2-Step Lesson
Tuesday & Wednesday, June 6 & 7 - Blacksburg Group Classes begin
Saturday, July 8 - Back to the Beach Dance Party with Carolina Shag Lesson
Monday, July 10 - West Coast Swing Upper Level Class begins
Monday, July 10 - Smooth Styles featured in ULWs
Tuesday & Wednesday, July 11 & 12 - Blacksburg Group Classes begin

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We have a 4-week Upper Level Viennese Waltz “Variations” class coming up THIS Monday, June 5, at 7:00pm. While the title sounds like a contradiction in terms, since this dance it built for speed, there are lots of great ways to slow things down in Viennese Waltz, adding drama and style to your dance as well as giving yourself a needed breather. Thank goodness for hesitations….both practical and beautiful.

This class assumes Level 2 Viennese Waltz experience. As always, if you have questions about the class and if it’s right for you, don’t “hesitate” to get in touch!

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This Month we are getting in the Swing of things for Monday Night Workshops, taking a closer look at 4 favorite styles of Swing Dancing.

Starting June 5, at 8:00pm, get bouncy with East Coast Swing - Swingin’ Spins. East Coast is the Big Bopper of Swing styles, great for a huge variety of music and speeds, making it a must have in the Swing world. Unfortunately, a lot of dancers learn it early on (because it’s awesome and fun) and then don’t go back and improve it. If your swing is stuck back at Level 1 or 2 (or even higher, but just hasn’t changed in a while), be sure to check out this fun, informative workshop.

Next week, on June 12, Lane will refreshing, refining, and energizing one of Carolina Shag’s most pivotal moves - the Pivot! The options are endless for this very “Shag-a-rific” move, with entrances, exits, and cool things to do in the middle. We can’t get into them all, so you know the choice will be a good one. (If you’re interested in the a Level 2 Carolina Shag group class, check out the Blacksburg offerings this month: it’s on Wednesdays at 8:15.)

Moving along, on June 19, Hustle in for some Disco-tastic push turns. Push turns are the way that Hustle deals with double spins, keeping you going, even as you reach the end of the slot and have to change direction. Although Push Turns are unique to Hustle, the techniques you use in making them work are universal.

Finally - a super favorite of the Sapphire Dance Community - on June 26, get your West Coast Swing tuck turns working overtime as we examine the many, many possibilities for these turns.

All these workshops will start at 8:00pm, following the Viennese Waltz class. Check out the webpage http://sapphiredance.com/int-adv-wksp.php for more details.

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We already have a bunch of enthused, fun, new dancers registered for the next set of Blacksburg Group classes! Thanks to everyone who came out to the Summer Sampler….we had a great turn out and tons of fun (pictures are available on Sapphire's Facebook page).

June classes begin on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 6 and 7. Three wonderful classes both nights including a variety of styles and levels.

First time dancer?
Try out our Swing class that introduces East Coast Swing with both Triple Time and Single Time rhythms that allow you dance to almost any upbeat song that will come your way this summer at any the weddings or events you’re going to! You’re sure to have fun while burning calories, improving balance, and learning to groove in this peppy dance.
Or if you want to be slow and sauve you want to join the Fox Trot class. This dance will have you sauntering across the floor Fred Astaire style in no time. This is especially for you if you like listening to crooners such and Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Buble, or Harry Connick, Jr.

Still a relatively new dancer or ready to try a new style? We’ve got you covered too.
Nightclub 2-Step and West Coast Swing are both being offered as Level 1 classes. While no experience is required they will stretch you a little...which is a good thing, right?! Both dances are favorites in the Sapphire Community, getting played often at dance parties and frequent billing in Upper Level Workshops, so you will definitely want to learn both of these at some point. Nightclub 2-Step is great for slow ballads and will take you sailing across the floor as if on air. West Coast Swing, with it’s elastic stretch and smooth style, with have you grooving to R&B, blues, and contemporary pop music.

Ready for some upper level classes? Not to worry! We have two for you to choose from.
We have a West Coast Swing Variations which will be perfect if you have a solid foundation and understand sugar pushes, side passes, tuck turns and whips. There is also a Level 2 Carolina Shag which was formerly a “Class-By-Request”. This dance, commonly known as the southern Swing, is full of fancy footwork and chances to show your personal flair.

You can find the specific dates and times at http://www.sapphiredance.com/groupclasses.php. Feel free to respond to this email with questions or registrations.

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The Spring Session of Junior Ballroom @ Sapphire has ended, as always with a little bit of sadness, but mostly a great deal of fun at the Spring Dance Party. But don't worry - for the first time ever, Junior Ballroom classes are continuing through the summer. Both Teens and Tweens classes will continue to be offered at 5:00pm on Fridays, June 9 - August 25.

The Tweens Class (ages 10-13) will have 3 sessions: June 9 - 30, July 7 - 28, and August 4 - 25. Each session will cost $44/student or $39 with a Sibling discount.

The Teens Class (ages 12 - 18) will meet for 12 weeks, June 9 - August 25, and will cost the same as a regular 10-week session: $115/student. Monthly options are also available for $44/student.

Please let us know if you are interested.

If you cannot join us over the summer, look for the Fall Session to begin in early September.

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Let the sultry summer nights inspire you to a new groove on Saturday, June 10.
We'll be paying homage to the nighttime, stars, moons, and all the songs that make the night sing! Our lesson? The Nightclub 2-Step, of course, starting at 7:30pm. This dance starts simple - great for all levels of dancers - but we'll take it for 'a ride across the moon' by the time the lesson is done. And as a special feature, members of the Sapphire Staff and students will be sharing another snippet of the performances done at Mountain Lake Lodge for Dirty Dancing Weekends: a Nightclub 2-Step to “She’s Like the Wind.”

Nightclub 2-Step is an elegant, traveling dance meant for slow and smooth ballads. It is the perfect alternative to the middle school “swaying back and forth” and a Level 1 Group Class is being offered on Tuesdays in June (See above). For a preview, check out this routine from waaay back in 2012: https://youtu.be/d1EeKIdyxDA

Find all the details for all of Sapphire's upcoming events at http://www.sapphiredance.com/events.php.

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6 - International West Coast Swing Flashmob 2017, Who Wants In?

Who wants to learn a super cute West Coast Swing routine and perform it flashmob style?! This is what we’re talking about: https://youtu.be/Mv7gHFiwj28. If you just want to see the final product, start here: https://youtu.be/Mv7gHFiwj28?t=8m42s.

We are hoping to get a group going to promote this awesome dance here in our area. The date of the Flashmob is Saturday, September 2, and the place and time would be up to us. Any ideas?

As you can see from the video, the choreography is already laid out to Jason Derulo’s new song “Kiss the Sky.” All we need to know is if you want to join in so we can plan accordingly.

There is already a 4-week group class planned for West Coast Swing this summer starting Monday, July 10. The Flashmob Routine could definitely take over that class. But as most of you know, 4-weeks is usually not enough for learning a routine so we could offer other classes/workshops as needed.

Even if you don’t intend to perform on September 2nd, you can still join us to learn this awesome routine full of sweet moves and cool style. Learning routines is a great way to help you perfect techniques, learn new moves, and enjoy learning with your fellow dancers.

If you can’t wait until July to start working on your West Coast, no worries, we have several classes in June….check out our Blacksburg Group Classes and Monday Night Workshops.

Please respond to this email if you want to be a part of this, or want more information. Let us know what your schedule is like and whether or not you want to perform. We are looking forward to working on this routine with you all!

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If you have been in the dance community for very long, you have either already purchased a pair of dance shoes or have seen your fellow dancers religiously change their shoes before dancing and wondered if it’s worth it. This article is for the second group! Either way, read until the end for a insider tip. : )

In short, YES, they are worth it! And no, it’s not just so you will be recognized as a serious dancer who invested in “special” shoes. Your feet really get a workout when you dance and you want your shoes to help, not hinder, their movement. A good dance shoe will not only be durable but will also be light and flexible, allowing your foot to bend and get a full range of motion. Typically they will also have a thin, suede leather sole that gives you the perfect amount of traction. Rubber soles are too sticky and will slow you down while some hard soles will slide too much.

The selection of dance shoes available to the average “hobby dancer” has broadened dramatically over the years. While the traditional looking Latin and Standard shoes that you would see at competitions are still widely available, there are way more “practice” options including tennis shoes, boots, and sandals. You will even see people get a street shoe that they like and apply suede leather soles to them. Converse and Toms for example, are fairly common in the Swing community. In addition to the variety of styles, there are a variety of prices as well making them really accessible.

Here at Sapphire we carry several quality brands of shoes for sale. We keep a wide selection to help our dancers have access to shoes that will improve their dancing. Proper shoes will make it easier to use good foot technique and will make it more comfortable to spend more time on the dance floor. If we don’t have what you are looking for, we can usually order it. And if we cannot order it, we are more than happy to recommend on-line stores. Ultimately, we want you to find the best pair of shoes to fit your style and needs. Schedule some time to talk and instructor and try on some shoes. If you mention this article, we will give you 15% off one pair of dance shoes!

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Thanks for reading, we hope you found something you liked. Until we see you again, happy dancing!

To subscribe to Sapphire Dance News, our monthly e-newsletter, visit us at SapphireDance.com/email.php.