Polka
3 Wednesdays: August 2 - 16 7:00 - 8:00 PM
$112 per couple
Polka is a social dance commonly used at parties and weddings. Polka typically involves triple steps in a continuous forward movement combined with side by side patterns. It draws its background from German and Polish music. Although there are many ethnic variations, most involve triple steps in a continuous forward movement combined with side by side patterns. Polka music is evenly accented on all 4 beats. Listen for the “Oom-pah” rhythm usually played by a tuba player.
Instructor: Sherry Lynn Harshberger
All Log Art Dance group courses are PRICED PER COUPLE, and require a $40 deposit at registration, followed by the remainder of the balance being paid before the first lesson.
Hustle
3 Fridays: August 4 - 18 7:00 - 8:00 PM
$112 per couple
Hustle dances have strong roots in Swing, Samba, Cha Cha, Mambo and Tango. It is a fast, smooth dance involving the lady spinning and her partner drawing her close and sending her away.
Instructor: Sherry Lynn Harshberger
All Log Art Dance group courses are PRICED PER COUPLE, and require a $40 deposit at registration, followed by the remainder of the balance being paid before the first lesson.
Hustle
Most Hustle dances have strong roots in Swing, Samba, Cha Cha, Mambo, and Tango. The Hustle is believed to have originated in New York in 1970. It went through many variations in the seventies, with line dances for groups of people, solo movements that came and went, and partnership dances. These partnership dances include the Basic Hustle, Latin Hustle, Spanish Hustle, and Tango Hustle. The most popular is the Three Beat Hustle that originated in California. Hustle was originally danced to the Disco music of the seventies. However, it can be danced to any music heavily accented on all 4 beats.
Latin Dance Night (Salsa & Merengue)
Thursday, June 22 6:00 - 7:30 PM
M: $40 per couple NM: $45 per couple
Instructor: Angela R. Godin
Class Limit: 10 couples
Level: ★★ & Up
In this intro-level dance course, students will learn the basics of two Latin dances, Salsa and Merengue. Salsa is a mixture of Cuban dances, such as Mambo, Pachanga, and Rumba, as well as American dances such as Swing and Tap. Merengue, while in the same “family” as Salsa, is danced with “walking steps” with a step taken on each beat of music.
ABOUT THE DANCES:
Salsa
The origins of Salsa are not easily defined. Who invented Salsa? The Cubans, the Puerto Ricans? Salsa is a combination of many Latin and Afro-Cuban dances. Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight beats of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In the Salsa, turns and wraps have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are quite different from those of Mambo. Salsa is often danced smoother than traditional Mambo. Salsa has a similar rhythm to Mambo but does not contain the prominent conga drums.
Merengue
Two theories surround the creation of the national dance of the Dominican Republic, the Merengue. The first theory states that when an injured war hero returned home to the
Dominican Republic, the island natives threw him a huge party. While dancing, the natives felt obligated to imitate the way the war hero dragged his injured leg so as to not embarrass him. The second theory in the dance’s creation involved the slaves. The slaves who were, at that time, shackled to a ball and chain would be forced to cut sugar cane to the beat of a drum. Merengue music has a constant “scratching” sound in the background and should inspire a marching feeling.
East Coast Swing Dance
Thursday, August 17 6:00 - 7:30 PM
M: $40 per couple NM: $45 per couple
Instructor: Angela R. Godin
Class Limit: 10 couples
Level: ★★ & Up
In this intro-level dance workshop, students will learn the basics of East Coast Swing. Swing music is defined by the use of “Back Beat” or the accenting of beats 2 & 4. East Coast Swing music feels energetic, upbeat, and fun!
East Coast Swing
The history of Swing dates back to the 1920’s when the black community, while dancing to contemporary Jazz music, discovered the Charleston. This evolved into several other styles of dance including the Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug. In the 1930’s, during World War II, Swing music came into being with the music of Benny Goodman leading the way. Today, Swing is danced to songs like “Mony Mony,” “Twist and Shout,” and “Old Time Rock and Roll” just to name a few. Swing styles include: Savoy Swing, Lindy, West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, East Coast Swing, Jitterbug and Jive. Swing music is defined by the use of “Back Beat” or the accenting of beats 2 & 4. East Coast Swing music should feel energetic, upbeat and fun.