Summertime may mean beaches, barbeques, fireworks, and pool time for most people, but for dancers… Well, we think of Carolina Shag! Be sure to check out the details of the Back to the Beach Dance Party below, where you can get your fix of this classic swing style, the perfect addition to all those summertime events.

This is a great time to try something new: a new style, new format (workshop, private, group class), with new friends. Take your pick! With a new set of 4-week Group Classes in Blacksburg, a great selection of Upper Level Workshops, plus Friday Night Beginner Workshops, there is a class out there for you. No matter your preferred dance - Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Country, etc - we have a little something for you this summer!

Teens continue... Tweens begin... Join in this Friday! - read more Back to the Beach Dance Party with Carolina Shag lesson, this Saturday, July 8 - read more Monday Night Workshops just got smooth - read more West Coast Swing: Musicality starts Monday, July 10 - read more A delectable new set of Blacksburg Group Classes starts next week - read more Sapphire Out & About: Dirty Dancing Movie & Dance Fest - read more

Dates to Remember:

Friday, July 7 - Junior Ballroom July Session starts
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
Friday, July 21 - Sapphire teaches East Coast Swing at Salem Senior Center
Friday, August 4 - Junior Ballroom August Session starts
Monday, August 7 - "Country" Styles featured in ULWs
Monday, August 7 - Quickstep Foundations Upper Level Class begins
Saturday, August 12 - Summer Sizzle Dance Party with Salsa Lesson
Tuesday & Wednesday, August 15 & 16 - Blacksburg Group Classes begin
Sunday, August 27 - Junior Ballroom Summer Dance Party

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The first ever Summer Session of Junior Ballroom @ Sapphire is off to a swinging start! With lots to learn, and new dances to try, both Teens and Tweens classes will continue through the summer at 5:00pm on Fridays.

Both classes have two more sessions this summer, July 7 - 28 and August 4 - 25, with space for your favorite young dancer to join in. Previous dance experience is not required, just an interest in good music and fun times.

Each session costs $44 per student or $39 with a sibling discount.

Please let us know if you are interested.

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Love beach music? Love summertime? Love dancing?

Join us on July 8th when all of these great things collide into one awesome beachy keen Dance Party! Only thing missing is the sand….thankfully ; ) Kick the night off with a Carolina Shag lesson at 7:30, starting simple and smooth for newcomers and ending with something flashy and twirly for seasoned shaggers.

Come groove to a fantastic blend of your favorite summertime songs, mixed with nice variety dance styles. The great thing about Carolina Shag music….beyond just dancing Shag….is that it is often good for Rumba, Cha Cha, and East Coast or West Coast Swing as well. So get ready to see a variety of dances on the floor happening at one time.

We look forward to taking a trip to the “beach” with you!

Check out more Sapphire events at http://www.sapphiredance.com/events.php.

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Get ready to feel like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on Monday Nights at Sapphire. July’s workshops will glide across the floor with the stars of the Ballroom world: starting with Waltz, then Fox Trot, followed by Tango, and finishing with a bang: Silver Waltz. All workshops will be at 7pm in July. The first three weeks each require Level 2 experience in the subject, or equivalent experience. Silver Waltz assumes Level 3 of Bronze Waltz, so if you’ve never tried Silver, come out to add even more shine to your dancing.

There is nothing like the smooth styles to make you feel graceful and debonair. Come learn tips and tricks to make your dances soar! Find specific details at http://www.sapphiredance.com/int-adv-wksp.php.

And get ready for August; next month's workshops will have a country twang to them. : )

PS - if you are wondering where Quickstep is….Check the 4-week classes - we have it coming in August as well!

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It's all part of the learning process, right? Learn to hear the beat, to move to the beat, to lead/follow on a specific beat… but is the beat all there is to music? No way!

A good dance song provides a reliable framework to build a dance on. A great dance song calls to you to do more: to accent pops and stops, highlights and restful pauses. Learn to understand the structure and opportunities available in dance music and to take advantage of those opportunities to make your dancing really work with the song. In this class, Lane will teach you techniques and patterns to help you give the music form through your movement.

Listed as one of the “High Powered” classes on our website, http://www.sapphiredance.com/class.php#wcs this class begins on Monday, July 10, at 8pm.

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Goodbye June, Helloooo July! Are you ready for another helping of awesome, fun, friendly (economic) group classes? Check out all the options starting next week on July 11 & 12.

If it's Latin dance you crave, then Level 1 Cha Cha (6:15pm, Tuesdays) is the class for you. This class will introduce you to the fun and flirty “Cha-Cha-Cha,” popping with it’s fast footwork and snappy turns.

Ballroom Styles, you say? Well, with three stellar options, we’ve got you covered.
A Level 1 Waltz (7:15pm, Tuesdays) would be an appetizing introduction to wonderful world of partner dance! A classic dance that reflects refined taste, Waltz will get you sweeping across the floor.
Level 1 Tango (7:15 pm, Wednesdays) is a spicer choice, if it’s drama you are looking for. Power and passion are the meat of this feisty Ballroom style, making it just a little challenging, but oh so fun.
And last but not least, a Level 2 Fox Trot (6:15pm, Wednesday) is filling the Wednesday “Class-By-Request” slot. This class requires Level 1 experience (or equivalent) and will have you sauntering across the floor as you choose from an ever-expanding selection of moves.

And if Swing is your thing, you’ve got 2 options! For a super beginner-friendly dance, you definitely want to treat yourself to the Level 1 Hustle (8:15pm, Wednesdays) class. This fun dance is perfect for gettin’ on the dance floor at weddings… and an excellent choice for dancing in the kitchen.
For those with a little experience in either Single-Time or Triple-Time Swing, Level 2 Swing (8:15pm, Tuesdays) will keep the spins going! Get a little more into the technique of the dance and add some new patterns to your plate.

If you need help choosing from this appetizing smorgasbord, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: info@sapphiredance.com or 540-382-8782. We will gladly help you decide which style or styles are right for you.
Find the full line-up of summer classes at http://www.sapphiredance.com/groupclasses.php

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6 - Sapphire Out & About: Dirty Dancing Movie & Dance Fest

The Lyric Theatre has teamed up with Mountain Lake Lodge to present a special 30th Anniversary screening of "Dirty Dancing," a movie dear to every dance-fan’s heart. This ballroom-dance-filled period flick was principally filmed at Mountain Lake Lodge in Giles County, in 1986-87.

Following the movie, join teachers and dancers from Sapphire outside on College Avenue for a special "Dirty Dancing Street Dance Fest," featuring live music from Blacksburg's very own "Breakfast Club Band." We will be dancing to favorite hits from the movie, performing a dance or two, and giving a short lesson in Single Time Swing - the perfect dance for rocking out to songs from the Dirty Dancing era.

Tickets, available for purchase now, the movie and dance fest are $10 for Lyric Members, and $12 for non-members. Check the Lyric’s webpage for more details: http://www.thelyric.com/event/dirty-dancing-30th-anniversary-screening/

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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.