Fred Astaire Tampa Bay Blog

Last Free Latin Dance Lesson

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:38:43 GMT

Make sure to join us this Wednesday for our last free Latin dance lessons at the St. Petersburg Ceviche! Learn to do a little salsa, cha-cha, or maybe a rumba.

Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant

95 Central Avenue

St Petersburg Florida

RSVP to IconicEvents@Icon-B.com

Free Latin Dance Lesson at Ceviche in St Petersburg

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:57:38 GMT

Every Wednesday in the month of September from 6pm-7pm, Fred Astaire Dance Studio instructors will be offering FREE Latin dance lessons at the Ceviche in Downtown St. Petersburg. Singles and couples welcome!

Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant

95 Central Avenue

Saint Petersburg Florida

RSVP to IconicEvents@Icon-B.com

Proud Sponsor for the Florida Bride Show

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:38:41 GMT

We are a proud sponsor for the Florida Bride Show and we will be performing this Sunday!

Come check us out from 11am to 4pm at T. Pepin’s Hospitality Centre.
Tampa Bay Bridal Show, Wedding Guide and Bridal Directory

The Tampa Tribune's Wedding Guide - A guide to planning a wedding from The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and WFLA News Channel 8 including details to Tampa’s annual premier bridal fair.

Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Brandon - Student Spotlight: Bridget Sardone, Lakeland, FL

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:44:38 GMT

David and Kelle Chancellor are very proud to announce June’s Student Spotlight for the Brandon Studio is Bridget Sardone. She is an accomplished dancer and a tremendous joy to have as a part of our dancing family. She holds a special place in our hearts because she is the first student to take a private lesson in our new studio. We look forward to watching her grow and progress in her already talented dancing and we are thankful she has chosen our studio to make that happen in.

Here is a little bit about Bridget, in her own words.

I started dancing in early 2006 to get ready for my wedding in fall of 2007. I had always loved dancing and wanted to learn formally so it was a match made in Heaven.

The Milwaukee Wales studio owned by Greg Garrison was the launching pad of my dancing career. I fell madly in love with it, so much so that in November of 2006 I went to work as a receptionist at the Milwaukee Downtown studio owned and operated by Stacy and Dan Potter. I was actively involved in all that was Fred Astaire Dance Studio and competed in several regional events.

By the time my wedding had arrived, my then husband and I had a beautifully choreographed first dance, prepared for us by Eddi Apolonov, the regional dance director for Wisconsin. A few short months later in February of 2008, my husband got a job requiring us to move to Florida. To say I was devastated would be an understatement; I was away from all that I had ever known, including my family and friends.

The first few months were very difficult and in order to feel a sense of belonging I traveled 1.5 hours one way to dance at the St. Petersburg Central studio. It helped me cope with my new environment and work through the culture shock of being alone in a new place.

As the summer went on and the gas prices skyrocketed, I had to end my dancing career once more. Last October at the national competition in Orlando, I found out that there was going to be a studio opening in Brandon and I was ecstatic! I had been missing my time in the ballroom terribly and felt a hole in my creative outlets. After many phone calls back and forth between Kelle, David, and me it was finally time for the new studio to open and I was more than ready to get back to a feeling of home.

It was strange to be the first student in a brand new studio, but I was ready to get my dancing shoes on again and get back in the groove of things so I eagerly arrived to the first lesson taught in the studio. Starting out with a new teacher is kind of like going on a first date, there are nerves involved and hope for some chemistry and I was VERY lucky! David and Kelle made the studio warm and welcoming and let me into their lives right away.

I feel truly lucky and blessed to be back in the ballroom and working with some very wonderful and talented staff, they have made this studio into a great place to spend time and I am so happy here. I'm looking forward to competing in my very first national competition this coming October and am hoping to represent the studio with flair.

If you are even considering the idea of taking dance lessons, stop by and visit. It has made me truly happy and I love every minute of my time in frame.

Happy dancing!

Brandon Grand Opening

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:01:49 GMT

Our Brandon Grand Opening was a huge success! Don't miss the great photos in our gallery!

Fred Astaire dance Studio - Brandon Location

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:48:08 GMT

Tampa Bay’s newest Fred Astaire dance Studio in Brandon is starting a Training Class. Energetic, athletic individuals who may be interested in becoming a ballroom dance instructor and competitor can contact Kelle Chancellor for more information. No experience necessary. Walk in, Dance out! 813-438-5963.

It's All In The Hips...Or Is It?

Mon, 02 May 2011 14:26:46 GMT

As the temperatures heat up in Florida, so does the dancing at Fred Astaire Tampa Bay! Here are some tips and tricks to use on the dance floor to get you started with Rhythm/Latin dances: Contrary to popular belief, Latin motion is more than just your hips moving from side to side. Actually, Rhythm dances involve movement of the entire body…from your fingers to your toes. The action of one part of the body requires an equal action from another part, so that the next thing you know, your whole body is moving like a well-oiled machine. The Latin hip motion is the result of the alternate bending and straightening action of the knees, therefore, most people are more comfortable with and responsive to the idea of learning “knee motion” rather than “hip motion”. The most common mistake with beginners learning hip motion is the desire to sway the whole body in one direction rather than separating their hips from the spine. The general concept of Latin hip motion is the rotation of the hips around the spine, caused by the alternate bending and straightening action of the knees. When you want to create a shifting or "settling" action of the hips, you will bend one knee while leaving the other straight. Once you’ve mastered this movement, you’ll be able to spice-up the dance floor with Latin dances that sizzle!

Fred Astaire Tampa Bay's Rising Stars

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:00:58 GMT

Congratulations are in order to several of the Fred Astaire Tampa Bay professional dance instructors! The Fred Astaire Cross Country Dance Championships were held in Las Vegas and featured several placements from the Central Ave studio including Tiana Ramirez and Jordan Simon who placed 5th in the Mixed/Novice Closed division and Jessica March and Michael Housel who placed 5th in the Closed American Smooth division and 5th in the Rising Star American Smooth division. This national competition also brought home 3^rd place for Tiana Ramirez and Robert Rocha in the 3rd in the Closed American Rhythm division. Congratulations to all who competed and we look forward to next years championships!

Fred Astaire Tampa Bay Dancing Facts

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:49:42 GMT

Have you wanted to know where certain dances come from? How do they come up with the dance moves? Fred Astaire Tampa Bay has some fun facts about the origin of 5 popular dances to learn about and then put into practice!

The Cha Cha was born in Cuba and has roots in the Mambo and Danzon, a dead dance. The name “cha-cha-cha” came from the rhythmic shuffle the steps make during the dance.
The Lindy Hop comes from the Charleston and was named after American pilot Charles Lindbergh. Why you ask? Because he made his famous journey across the Atlantic around the time that swing dance became popular.
The Foxtrot is believed to have come from vaudeville actor Harry Fox, who would dance, somewhat unusually, to ragtime music for the amusement of his audience.
The Waltz comes from the German word “waltzen” which means “to turn.” Austrian peasants first did the dance before it became popular with higher society. It is considered to be the first real ballroom dance.

Fred Astaire Tampa Bay Goes Club'n!

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:43:59 GMT

Fred Astaire Tampa Bay is dancing at the clubs...yacht clubs that is. Fred Astaire Dance Studios is teaching a “members only” ballroom dance class at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club on the first Tuesday of every month! We’ll also be at The Club at Treasure Island on April 28 getting members prepared to Mexican folk dance the night away for Cinco de Mayo! Are you a member of a Tampa Bay social club that wants to learn how to parley the art of dancing? Then call 727-347-7700 to find out how Fred Astaire Tampa Bay can take you and club members from two-left-feet to ballroom bliss!