Rotating partners in a group class is always different depending on the class. The class's size, lead-follow ratio, the instructor, sense of community, and your personal preference all contribute to the decision, so it can seem kinda complicated. In all Sapphire classes and workshops (except the Sweetheart classes), the instructor will encourage rotation and yet always make it optional because of a few things. As teachers we love to see dancers making friends and building a heathly, supportive dance community; to help our students improve and build their skill level; and to see everyone having fun.
 From a sense of community standpoint, making our classes and Dance Parties inclusive, welcoming, and productive spaces for beginners, singles, and groups is a top priority at Sapphire. The best way to include new people (singles or couples) in the community, and the best way to join a dance community, is to change partners freely and frequently. None of our dance lessons get into the kind of steaminess you might see pros engage in on TV, so dancing with someone you've never met should not make you blush.
 From a skill-improvement standpoint, it depends on your goal as to whether or not you choose to rotate. But if you have a regular partner, wouldn't sticking together be your best bet for success? No, not really. If you are looking to work on a routine, or get ready for an event (like a wedding!), then staying with your partner DOES make sense to get as much time together as possible. But, if you are looking to work on being a better dancer, understand your patterns more fully, improve your leading or following, and be able to improvise and adjust on the dance floor, then you are missing out if you don’t rotate partners. You can’t help but fall into routines and habits (not necessarily good ones!) by always dancing with the same person. Dancing with someone new can really give you insight and feedback on what you are doing. You also get the experience of dancing with people at different points in their dancing journey than you, which helps you become a more versatile dancer.
 From a fun standpoint, meeting new people and making dance friends is always fun. When you are on a date, feeling like you're coming down with a cold, or feeling like you just need to dance with your special someone: these are all exceptions and we totally get that.
Even though changing partners is encouraged for all these reasons, rotating is NEVER required in our classes. And, rotating once does not obligate you to rotate the entire lesson, all the classes in the session, or vice-versa. The choice is yours and you can change your mind as many times as you want. Liberating, isn't it?!
 So, you can probably see now how Sweetheart Classes are different from the Friday Beginner Workshops or Blacksburg Group Classes. Sweetheart classes are for couples who are preparing for an event or want a class where rotation will not come up much, if it all. If this is the type of class that interests you, check out our Summer Sweetheart Class, which will feature Carolina Shag and Rumba... perfect for that summer romance! Also, we have three different Sweetheart classes geared towards wedding couples, but any couple can join.
If you are still feeling unsure about this whole rotation thing, you can always chat with your instructor before class to let them know your preferences and/or concerns. We are here to help you feel comfortable and have a blast while learning to dance!
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We feel like we have some explaining to do.
“It was the summer of 1963...” 
Dancers and instructors from Sapphire get to travel up to Mountain Lake Lodge to teach and entertain the guests at the 
So, after being part of the Dirty Dancing legacy for years, we have decided to bring a little bit of that to you for our April Dance Party!
If you enjoy that sort of thing, it would be totally awesome for people to dress as someone from the move: not only Baby and Johnny, but Lisa (the sister), Penny, Billy (aka “Cuz”), the Schumacher's, Max or Neil Kellerman, Vivian… they all had their own look for you to imitate. 
