All of us at South Coast Dancesport hope that May’s edition of The Coaster finds you well, enjoying our late Spring warmth and anticipating an exciting Summer! We are settling in nicely to our new location: we’ve had two very successful Practice Parties (and look forward to our next Party on June 5th), teachers and students from all over southern California are making use of our large main ballroom floor, special classes (like Zumba!) are beginning regularly during the week, top level coaches like Tony Meredith and Ron Montez are on their way in, and our staff is growing!

By now, you have probably had the good fortune of meeting (or at least speaking to) our new Office Manager, Tera Davis. Tera is a charming addition to the South Coast Dancesport family and is already the one to ask if you need anything. Whether you need help with scheduling, have a question about your lessons, not sure about the best place to get a new pair of dance shoes, need a hand finding that jacket you left at the studio last week, or want directions to our next cocktail party, Tera is the one to ask. And that doesn’t take into account all she does behind the scenes. We all know a good business is only as good as its Office Manager. If that’s true, you are easily at the best dance studio on the West Coast.

Next, we cannot wait for you to meet Stephanie Olsen! Stephanie is the newest teacher at South Coast Dancesport. A native of San Diego, Stephanie is transitioning to living in Orange County full time. She is a successful competitive dancer in the American Smooth division, but teaches all styles! As soon as you meet her and see her smile and her love of dance, you will understand why we just had to have Stephanie teach for us. She is the perfect fit for our studio. Book a lesson with Stephanie and get to know her firsthand.

June 5th is the date for our next Practice Party. We’ve got some exciting parties planned for this year (including a disco night and a masquerade ball), but before we get too serious, let’s celebrate the Summer with a beach-themed Party! That’s right, this is your chance to wear those board shorts on the dance floor and see how good they look with your dance shoes! You can’t go wrong with a Hawaiian shirt or sarong (it will look fabulous while you’re dancing the Samba). Of course, linen pants, a little suntan lotion and a pair of sunglasses are perfectly acceptable, too. Please note that June’s party will be held on a Saturday night, rather than our typical Friday.

Beginning this week, South Coast Dancesport began our new intermediate Group Classes. Starting at 7:45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we are taking you just a little deeper into the steps, the partnership and the styling of your favorite dances. You can click here to take a look at our May calendar.

Next week, we are pleased to welcome Tony Meredith and Ron Montez as visiting coaches. On Monday, May 17th, Ron Montez will be hosting a Coach’s Seminar during the 7:45 Intermediate Group Class slot. Ron is a 7-time US Latin champion and host of PBS’ Championship Ballroom Dancing. Joining us from Scottsdale, Arizona, Ron will be teaching the basics of rhythm and musicality for Latin dance. This class will cost only $10 and will be 45 minutes in length. Designed for all skill levels with information that experienced dancers and beginners alike will be able to make use of immediately, our Coach’s Seminars are held periodically and give everyone the opportunity to work with our world-class guest teachers. Additionally, Tony Meredith will be here Friday, May 14th and Monday, May 17th to work with our showcase dancers and other visiting professionals. It’s going to be an exciting week at South Coast Dancesport! And mark your calendars now for Heather Smith, in the studio Thursday, June 3rd!

Lastly, our new location is bringing in lots of new faces with interest in movement and dance beyond simply our traditional partner dancing classes. We would like to welcome Maria Hansen and Dina Martin-Rusk to South Coast Dancesport on Tuesday nights from 5:15 to 6:15 in Room #1 for their Zumba class! Zumba is a dance fitness program which combines Latin and international music with dance in an effort to make exercise fun! A great way to get in shape, Maria and Dina would like to welcome you to South Coast Dancesport so you can experience this popular high-energy fitness program. Come check it out!

Our desire is that The Coaster will help you stay on top of all things dance related in your life. If you’d rather not receive this monthly newsletter or were mistakenly added to the list, please click the ‘unsubscribe’ link on the bottom of the page. But we hope you’ll stay subscribed and join us at any of the events listed above. See you on your next lesson! Have a great month dancing!