April Follies--Classes

Local Dances/Classes/Workshops

Here are Bay Area organizations and teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area eager to assist you in preparing for the April Follies Dancesport Competition. All teachers and events listed here are welcoming of same-sex dancers.

Dancing with the Queers
Citabria Phillips
Emily Coles
Diane Jarmolow

Calendar of Weekend Events

Friday, April 23th, 7-9 PM

April Follies Welcome Party

Just Dance, 2500 Embarcadero, Oakland, CA, Sunset Ballroom

Free to all April Follies participants--competitors, performers, spectators, and their partners. Come say hi, be welcomed, meet and greet, dance a little.

Light refreshments will be served. No charge for admission! If you just can't get enough dancing, you're welcome to stay for Just Dance's Friday night Ballroom Dance.

Saturday, April 24th

Competition Day! Ballroom opens at 9 AM. Competition events begin at 10 AM. Detailed competition schedule will be emailed to all competitors, and copies will be available at the venue.

Sunday, April 25th

NASSPDA Open Meeting

10am -Noon
Allegro Ballroom, 5855 Christie Ave., Emeryville CA (510) 655-2888
Come hear about NASSPDA's 2nd annual meeting in Philadelphia March 28
Talk with your NASSPDA Board members.
Hear what your organization has been up to; discuss future plans; share what you'd like to see NASSPDA do going forward.
Open to everyone--you need not be a member to attend.
Coffee and bagels will be served!

Sunday Workshops
Presented by April Follies and Dancing with the Queers!

April Follies and Dancing with the Queers are thrilled to offer three exciting workshops featuring fabulous guest instructors. No pre-registration is required. Payment must be either in cash or by check. Prices are shown below. Volume discounts:

$45 for all 3 workshops
$2 discount if you take any 2 of the 3 workshops

Location for all workshops:

Lake Merritt Dance Center
200 Grand Ave Oakland, CA

Noon to 1 PM: Country Western with Lee Fox
Cost: $15

1 to 2:30 PM: International Rumba with Lemington Ridley and Solomon Singer
Lemington and Solomon combine Rumba and focus on stretching into your lines with a partner and reaching your full height and extension on the Dance Floor.
Cost: $20

2:30 -3:30: International Standard with Benjamin Soencksen
Explore with Benjamin how you can control your natural (right) and reverse (left) turns by directing your head weight in coordination with your foot pressure. Though a partner is not necessary for this exploration, we'll also be looking at how this will affect our partnering. We'll be using turn patterns that all participants are most familiar with (and if that is "none," you'll learn some).
Cost: $15

Come experience the amazing talent and expertise of visiting teachers who have come from around the country to judge or compete at April Follies!

Finding Dance Partners

If you are interested in competing and would like to find dance partner please join ItTakes2, a yahoo group for all those same-sex dancers looking for dance partners.

April Follies, Bay Area Dance, its organizing committees, board and the moderator of this mailing group disclaim any and all liability connected with your membership of this group, the contents of postings and any and all actions and events arising there from. Membership in this group constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Practice Space

The following Ballrooms are same-sex friendly and provide practice space at very reasonable rates:

Sunday Afternoon Workshop Instructors
(Click on instructor's name for complete bios)
	Lee Fox: Lee is the Director of Dance for the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC), a past president of the National Dance Teachers Association of America (NDTA), currrently on the Board of the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA), and is certified to do just about anything related to partner dancing!
	Lemington Ridley and Solomon Singer: Lemington has performed all over the world and is the 2005 Men's Latin A World Champion and 2006 Men's Latin A Pink Jukebox Champion. Solomon won a gold medal at the 2006 Chigago Gay Games in Advanced Country Western. They recently wowed the crowd in Sacramento with their competition and performance. They hope to bring the beauty of same-sex partner dancing to new audiences all over the world and will be competing at the Gay Games in Cologne, Germany this August.
	Benjamin Soencksen: Benjamin has had a 40-year career in International Standard and Latin dancing, teaching, choregraphing, adjudicating, you name it. He currently manages Stepping Out Studios, the only Studio in New York City to have OUTdancing as part of their programs and is on the Board of the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association (NASSPDA).