What a fun night Saturday night was! We had 40 dancers in the house who came to dance the night away. I was quite nervous going into this event because I wasn't sure if there would be enough people to fill our large dance floor. Even with all the other events going on in the area, we still had an amazing group of dancers come to support our Social Dance Night in Norwalk, CT.
The evening started with Janice and I arriving early to decorate the studio. We put up glitter curtains on the door frames to the studio and added bistro tables, chairs, and glowing table toppers to give a welcoming, party atmosphere to the studio. I also ordered a delicious penne alla vodka to add to our table of desserts, drinks, and snacks. With the ambiance set up, I was ready to open the doors for the dancers who were going to take the free West Coast Swing lesson.
The West Coast Swing lesson was light and fun, with about 20 people. The dancers learned a Sugar Push, Right Pass, and Left Pass; and I even added some styling for the followers. The remainder of the dancers arrived between 8 and 8:30pm.
During the party, I played a mix of West Coast Swing music (R&B, Blues, Pop, and Soul), Hustle, Salsa, and Nightclub Two Step. I felt the dance floor stayed pretty balanced with dancers either doing the dance they knew or trying one of the dances at which they were new. By 9:45pm, it felt like the hotness of Hustle and Salsa needed to cooled off with some R&B music typical of West Coast Swing. The best part about R&B is that people can also do Hustle to it. In future parties, I will explore playing some Merengue, Bachata, and even a Tango just to give dancers some more alternatives.
I personally enjoyed dancing with many people and letting out some of my pent-up dance energy. I really enjoyed dancing with people who were new to either West Coast Swing or Hustle because I'm able to just have a good time instead of being an instructor. It allows us to create a partnership that is based on fun rather than the exact steps or patterns.
Overall, I feel like the night was very fulfilling, and I'm already looking at my calendar for the next date.
