Ballroom Joe's Dance Links
The following links are all based on places/things/sites I've had a chance to check out and/or frequent, so they are listed here by my personal recommendation, as opposed to just links I've copied from other pages. Enjoy...
Places to Dance Dance Networking Dance Video Downloads Buy Dance supplies Dance Article Links
***For Country and Line Dancing***Michael's Cafe in Bensalem has a very popular country line dancing every Thursday night.
I like them because there is no cover, and they also have a second, separate dance floor where you can do other stuff
like Swing, Rumba and Cha Cha, to the same rythyms as music for the line dances. They also have a full bar and food menu.
http://www.michaelscafebensalem.comThere's also a place called "Low Places" in the Ramada Inn right across the street from Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster.
I've been there twice for Dances on Monday nights. It was a great crowd and a great dance floor, and a very lively lesson
with various demonstrations in not just swing, but in Rumba, Cha Cha, West Coast swing, and Country Line dances as well.
If they have a website, I cannot find it, but here is the address and phone number: 2250 Lincoln Hwy E, Lancaster, PA 17602(717) 393-5499 ***For Salsa and other Latin Dancing***
There's Cuba Libre, and Brasils, (and a few other places around the city which I don't really know anything else about since I've still have not been there yet.
If it was the 2nd or 4th Friday, check out La Luna in Bensalem.
They've got a great dance floor/studio and ambiance, and are known for their popular Salsa nights.
www.LaLunaDanceStudio.comIf it's a Wednesday night in the summer, I'd highly recommend Rock Lobster on the waterfront.
Only a five dollar cover after 8:00, hosted by Barbara Capaldi of the Atrium in Pennsauken http://www.rocklobsterclub.com***For Swing:***
There's the Philly Swing Dance society's dance every 2nd Saturday throughout the year.
I've always enjoyed their dances and recommend highly. If you see me volunteering at the gate, or refreshments, please say hi!
http://www.swingdance.org/For the 3rd Saturday, check out the University Arts League at Upenn.
Lots of great swingers there, and it's not just college kids either.
http://www.dancephiladelphia.com***For Ballroom and Ballroom related:***
First off, Every Wednesday night, you can practice in Media
at the Tango 411 studio.
Three hours of personalized music and
my own assistance all night long.
No partner necessary, all experience
levels. Drinks and Carbs provided. $10 cover.
www.tango411.com
And every Thursday night there is Argentine Tango. 8:30-11:30 for $8, with lessons beforehand. www.tango411.com
And once a month is the Monthly TangoHop. I love it because it
always goes nice and late (at least until 1:30 am)
I think this is one of the best places to not only try partner dancing
for the first time,
but also where you can feel comfortable just watching and
getting exposed to this exotic dance. All the details on the frequently
updated website:
www.tangohop.com
And Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, there's the Peppermint Club, at
Plymouth Meeting Mall.
They play a mix of all the dances (waltz, viennese waltz
tango, argentine tango, foxtrot, quickstep, west coast swing,
east coast swing, cha cha, salsa, merengue, rumba, bolero, country 2-step, nightclub 2-step, I
think I got 'em all)
Ten dollars for the lesson and dancing, and food (or five dollars if you get
there after the Mall closes and come in
through the back door)
http://www.peppermintdanceclub.com/
And then there's the Atrium in Pennsauken
Though I've only been there a
few times, I've always had a really good time and was quite impressed by not
only the ambiance,
the dance floor, the variety of dancing, the hospitality
of the staff and level of dancers, and the website for the
Atrium in Pennsauken:
http://www.atriumdance.com/
And once a month, on Sunday afternoons, there is a "Mostly
Waltz" Dance right in Broomall.
Though it's mostly waltz, they'll mix in other
traveling dances like country 2-steps, Viennese Waltzes, Polkas, Foxtrots, and
even a few Tangos.
http://www.mostlywaltz.com/
***And For Really Good Ice Cream***
I also want to mention a great place to go for desert before Midnight, right there in walking distance in Olde City.
The best Ice Cream parlor in the city in my opinion (and I'm not just saying that 'cause my friend Eric runs it). It truly is unique: www.franklinfountain.com
Searching for a partner? There is only one site I know of dedicated to helping individuals find dance partners of all levels of comitment.
You can literally search the entire world for age, height, experience, comittment level, relationship status, etc. Dancepartner.comIf anyone is traveling to Vancouver for a month or so, a contact of mine from danceway.com has a room for rent: http://www.danceway.com/room/
My local internet provider has set up these two forums for all things Dance Related in the Delaware Valley:
PhiladelphiaDANCE.org & PhiladelphiaDanceDirectory. Similar, but not exactly the same. Check them out.more links on the way...
Ballroom Dance Videos you can download
There are lots of performers out there who don't like their dancing
videotaped or downloaded for fear that people will steal their moves.
Luckily, there are some excellent dancers out there who do not feel this way.
These are links of cool videos I've seen and respect, each for a different reason.Canadian Champions Vadim and Nadiya demostrate the Samba! http://www.onlinevadim.com/links/videos.html
An amazing Lindy Swing routine. The only word that comes to mind is "surreal" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvHhaxgSs1U
An excellent Demo of Cha Cha with great form and style www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I6R4CF5prc
more on the way...
SHOES: This is a great store in Manhattan where I bought my first two pairs of dance shoes two years ago.
At the time, they didn't even have a website. They've evolved since then. But I still recommend driving up on a Sunday
and personally choosing from their selection. I'm still wearing my first pair. They're that durable!
www.worldtonedance.comSWING DANCE ACCESSORIES,
Including how-to videos, skirts for women, ties and sunglasses for men, videos, and a great breakdown of the different types of dance shoes.
I'm buying my very first pair of dance sneakers from here.
www.dancestore.com
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