Instructors Winston Fine and Stephanie Akasha |
Are you brand new to the passion and glamour of ballroom dancing? This page will educate you about different levels and styles of dance and go into more detail about the history and scope of our company, plus explain the methods of teaching used at Fred Astaire Dance Studios.
DANCE LEVELS
Basic Level
All beginner students start their lessons with a basic package designed for the novice dancer. Basic elements in the common, popular social dances are introduced in order to determine a student's learning rate and style, retention level, interests and goals. Students generally try to get through this initial awkward level as quickly as possible and at least into the Social Foundation level where they will begin to feel more comfortable. Social and Advanced Foundation Programs
A socially comfortable level, the Social Foundation Program is an individually planned and personalized dance program. The student is introduced to a limited number of step patterns and basic techniques of lead and follow which allow them to have fun and get by in many social dance situations.
Bronze Trophy Program
The Bronze Trophy level is designed for the person who wants to become a confident, master social dancer. It is the most popular standard for our students, and the first Trophy Program available to new students. A Bronze dancer is considered fun to dance with because they know enough different dances and patterns to be able to cope with almost any dance situation and they are beginning to learn the technique and style that makes the dances look and feel the way they should on the dance floor.
Silver Trophy Program
The Silver Program is for the person who wishes to become an expressive, polished dancer distinguished by versatility and style in all the popular social dances. Silver dancers stand out on the floor but not just becaue of the intricate steps they can do. It's also the way they carry themselves, their ability to maneuver in a crowd and the fact that they don't appear to be thinking, but can laugh and talk while they dance! Gold Trophy Program
The Gold level dancer is an outstanding ballroom dancer. It is the highest level an amateur dancer can achieve. To a non-dancer, the Gold dancer may be mistaken for a professional because they have developed the poise and polish that comes with a complete and thorough knowledge of all the major ballroom dances. Advanced style and poise in all of the ballroom dances sets the Gold dancer apart from all others.
History
The first Fred Astaire Dance Studio was opened in New York City in 1947, on famous Park Avenue. Today, numerous Fred Astaire Dance Studios are located in cities in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and a world-wide network of studios have been established in Europe, South Africa and Australia.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios are franchised to individual owners who are required to maintain the highest standards of excellence. Fred Astaire Dance Studios are furnished with music and sound equipment of the finest quality. Dance floors are beautifully maintained for your dancing pleasure. Afternoon and evening lessons are available.
We, who have privilege of carrying the tradename of Fred Astaire Dance Studios, are immensely proud to do so. We have an obligation to uphold the fine reputation of the master dancer in everything we do from the moment you walk though our door for the first time until you leave as a better dancer.
Your Fred Astaire Dance Studio is a positive, happy place because our students are having a great time while engaging in a pleasing, beneficial activity... DANCING.
"Dancing," wrote Havelock Ellis, "is the loftiest, the most moving of the arts, because it is no mere abstraction from life... it is life itself."
The Fred Astaire Curriculum
Occupying several volumes and covering the full range of American, Latin American, International Style and Exhibition/Theatre Arts dancing, the Fred Astaire Curriculum is the most fully documented and up-to-date fund of ballroom dance knowledge available in the world. Originally inspired by Mr. Astaire's superb style of dancing, it is the subject of regular study by our highly skilled dance directors and teachers. Private and Group Instruction
The unique Fred Astaire teaching method includes regularly scheduled private instruction as well as group technique lessons. Private instruction with one or more key teachers provides each student with specialized and personalized attention necessary to develop the ability to lead or follow a partner. Group lessons are an important aid to private instruction, in that patterns, technique and style are featured in these lessons. More importantly, group lessons provide every student with the opportunity to meet other students with similar dancing goals. Practice Lessons And Studio Clubs
Practice lessons are scheduled in all Fred Astaire Dance Studios to provide an ideal atmosphere in which to practice with teachers and other students. Regular practice lessons are usually held bi-weekly or monthly for current students. Special Share the Experience Guest Parties introduce new people and friends of students to the studio activities where they can enjoy the new experience of being among people who actually know how to dance well. Music and refreshments abound, and a good time is had by all. Most Fred Astaire Dance Studios sponsor one or more special Dance Clubs for their students. Club members usually enjoy special privileges and benefits. They are fun-loving and active group within each studio. The Fred Astaire Trophy System and Conceptual Method of Teaching
The Fred Astaire Trophy System and the Conceptual Method of Teaching combine to create a unique method of dance instruction. Providing structure while allowing for individual goals and interests, the Fred Astaire Trophy System is an exciting way for you to gauge your progress in receiving the benefits you expect from the investment you have made in your dancing. Depending upon the particular program you choose and your progress to various levels of accomplishment, you may earn a coveted Fred Astaire Dance Studio Trophy, awarded to you at a Trophy Ball held semi-annually. Competitions and Showcases
Competitions and Showcases are a regular part of every Fred Astaire Dance Studio's yearly calendar. At local, regional and national competitions, students enter at levels appropriate to their experience and teacher-student teams rival each other in spirited contests. At competitions students meet, mingle, and compete with other student dancers. Beautiful Bronze, Silver, or Gold medallions are awarded at the national championships. Orlando, Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas and the Bahamas are frequent locations for these gala national events. Participating in our competitions gives every student the opportunity to progress more rapidly and become a better dancer sooner. Showcases are designed for students who find exhibition dancing exciting. Special choreography is incorporated in solo or group routines to suit each student's ability and interest. They often take place in a public theater where the lights, curtains, green room, etc. provide an element of the theatrical. Participating in a Showcase is a long remembered experience, and something that many students derive pleasure in year after year.
American Style
From the time of the Castle Walk and the Charleston, through the jazz era with the Boogie Woogie and Swing, and by the adoption of Latin rhythms, such as the Rumba and Cha Cha, the United States has developed a style of social dancing unique in the world today. The American Style of dancing, as adapted and refined by the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, enables its adherents to dance comfortably at any social function, on every dance floor, to the greatest variety of rhythms, with any partner. The American Style syllabus of the Fred Astaire Dance Studios offers a variety of social dance programs from beginner to professional levels and includes the Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Mambo/Salsa, Merengue, Eastern Swing, Western Swing, Bolero and Paso Doble.
International Style
Although it is a more standardized form of dancing, International Style shares similar dances and techniques with American style. It is becoming more popular in this country but is used in the US primarily in competitions. The dances include the Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Paso Doble and Jive.
Exhibition Style
Exhibition dancing is an exciting form of choreographed ballroom dancing, where movements and lines of a theatrical nature are used to enhance the atmosphere of a dance. Students who undertake the study of Exhibition Ballroom dancing derive much pleasure from the preparation of specialized dance material used to choreograph routines in the dances of their choice. Theatre Arts/Cabaret Style
This exciting course was developed by the Fred Astaire Dance Studios many years ago to offer the creative dancer an opportunity to express individual choreography in conjunction with the standardized ballroom dances, thus ever insuring fresh and innovative interpretations of the common dances. The dramatic movements of lifts and drops and techniques drawn largely from Ballet, Modern Dance and Jazz were carefully selected for appropriate adaption to ballroom dancing. The elements taught are used within the framework of any dance to bring a new dimension to the art of ballroom dancing.
The Popularity of Dancing
It’s always fund to be with a good dancer so being a good dancer is a tremendous social asset. If you are a beginner, we at Fred Astaire Dance Studio will make you a good dancer. If you are already a good dancer we make you a better one. In either case your social life improves naturally, and so does your creativity, expression, physical fitness and sense of fun. Dancing expresses the joy of living, therefore it brings out people’s best qualities when they are dancing together. And good social dancing as taught at Fred Astaire Dance Studios brings with it a tradition of courtesy, consideration and friendliness. We teach our students to express a positive attitude, accept compliments graciously and never take complaints and problems to the dance floor. Inspired by the talent and career of the man who started our company in 1947, every independently own and operated Fred Astaire Dance Studio franchise strives to maintain its status as the very vest in social dance instruction. There is continuous development of teaching methods, keeping abreast of dance trends, ongoing teacher training, social programs and activities, exciting local, regional and national activities and competitions. Our standard of excellence is unparalleled in the dance world. This is why millions of people have become good dancers at Fred Astaire Dance Studios, and why for almost 60 years we have proudly said, “At Fred Astaire Dance Studios you have confidence in our reputation.”
The Master’s Touch
Social dancing is one of the most popular pastimes in the world – enjoyed in every country, by persons of every age. In the art of living, the art of knowing how to get along with people, dancing is a social necessity – and to realize the full enjoyment of this experience you must know how to dance well. We invite you to learn the easy Astaire way so that you too can enjoy the pleasure of accomplishment on the dance floor. You’ll learn so quickly and easily that you’ll be dancing with grace and assurance in no time at all. Fred Astaire once said, “Some people seem to feel that good dancers are born that way. All the good dancers I’ve known have been taught or trained.” People who believe they can't dance or even learn to dance do not fully understand that dancing is a natural form of self-expression – and that every person is a potential dancer. You’ll find learning to dance, like dancing itself, is filled with fun and delight. As you master this ageless art, you will feel pride of accomplishment – and you will realize the countless social, physical and esthetic benefits that dancing provides.
If you decide to enroll, whether you are a beginner or already good ballroom dancer, we can assure you that our staff will bring out the best dancer you are capable of being. While you're learning, you'll be associating with other students in a whole new world of fun, glamour and social activity.
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