Dancers of the Month
Meet David and Kathy, our Dancers of the Month. David and Kathy took ballroom dance classes at the Chicago Park District for about one year, and then decided to take 25 years off before coming to BDC for lessons back in August 2018. They’ve been learning waltz, foxtrot and swing (swing being their fave). The Latin dances will come later!
What brought you to Ballroom Dance Chicago?
Even though it had been a very long time since we had taken dance lessons, it never left the list of things we wanted to do. A few summers ago, we attended one of the Chicago Summer Dance events. Before the actual dancing began, a teacher gave instructions for the foxtrot and tango to the mob of people attending, including us. We did not do well, but we were not discouraged and promised that we would sign up for dance lessons somewhere. About a year later, we found the somewhere in a search on the internet, Ballroom Dance Chicago. It was close enough to our home (Rogers Park) and had the teaching approach we needed. Also, it was a comfortable setting with teachers who wanted dancing to be fun, which was apparent in the BYOB suggestion, among other things. When a place is encouraging you to bring a bottle of wine, you know it is the right kind of place!
Why do you keep coming back to BDC?
We have a great time at our dance lessons, learning new steps and choreography. Matthew is an excellent teacher, which would be apparent to anyone who saw our first lesson. He is encouraging and kindly pushes us to do more than we think we can.
Our daily lives take us in different directions so it is good for us to dance at least once a week. We get to work together and have fun trying to get it right. The wonderful music is an extra bonus.
Do you use your dance skills in any social settings?
We have not gone out dancing very much — a few times only. Once was this past October when we were in Australia. It was difficult to find a place in Sydney to dance, but we found an old speak-easy that had a swing band one day a week with dancing. We went and found that a kind of swing dance club of young, very experienced dancers were regulars. It took us a while to get the courage up to dance, but the band played a song we couldn’t resist, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, and we just had to dance. It wasn’t easy to be on the same dance floor with all those very skilled dancers, but we did and we did okay. Knowing that we would never be back certainly helped get us out there too.
We also went to one of the dance events at the BDC studio. Because it has such a supportive and relaxed atmosphere, it was easier to dance than at the swing bar in Sydney. Still, it may take some time before we are really comfortable dancing in public, but we are working on it.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking a dance class?
If you are thinking of taking a dance class, we would tell you to stop thinking about it and start dancing. BDC instructors are supportive and encouraging and make dancing so enjoyable and rewarding. If you are self-conscious, you are not alone. But from your first lesson you will feel like you belong at BDC — all it takes is that first step. You can’t learn to dance and develop confidence in your dancing if you don’t try. It takes work and perseverance, but it is worth it to be able to take your turn on the dance floor.
Anything else you want to add?
We have seen many soon-to-be-married couples at BDC learning dances for their upcoming weddings. They all seem to enjoy the experience and do well with their choreography. We would encourage all these couples to continue their dancing at BDC, not let it go once the wedding is over. They will find, we are sure, that their dancing will continue to bring them happiness and be for them something special they share. Please do not wait 25 years to begin dancing again!