Night Club 2 Step

Tonight we finished a 5 week class on the Night Club 2 Step. This class was taught by Cookie at the Center for the Arts in the old Candy Factory in Manassas. The 2 Step is a good dance for those ballads and slow songs where a Foxtrot just doesn't fit. We got to see Janet and Jeff who were also taking this class.

There was an interesting photo exhibit in the foyer of the theater/dance hall. It is titled "Reality Imagined" by Laurie Sand. It is a photographic exhibit inspired by tanqueros who dance milongas at Freedom Plaza in DC. These images are captured in low light situations using hand held camera techniques and digital processing. We especially found these photos intriguing as we love Argentine Tango and have danced at Freedom Plaza. These pictures are a wonderful collection that really capture the movement and beauty of Tango.

Sock Hop

We have been taking lessons on the Night Club 2 Step from Cookie at the Candy Factory for the last couple of weeks. The Candy Factory has a variety of group classes and Cookie is one of their regular instructors. She is currently having an 8 week session on beginning Swing and Night Club 2 Step. Last night we attended a Sock Hop from 8 to 10 PM at the Candy Factory that was set up so students could practice their new steps.

The Candy Factory has a real nice dance floor with plenty of room to shake a leg. They had a snack stand in the back that was serving finger foods and ice cream sundaes. There was good attendance at this dance but still space to dance. We saw some old friends including Janet and Jeff. Elvis took time off from his job at the 7-Eleven in Vegas to make an appearance. Our friend Stella was showing him some of her steps.

We got to practice the Night Club 2 Step and picked up the steps for The Stroll. There was a dance contest where Kathy and Randy picked up First Prize. There was also a contest for the best costume where I picked up top honors. Many thanks to Henry for the loan of his hat. I think that was what made the difference. Kathy and Randy did a short exposition on Swing. They really enjoy dancing and it shows.

First Sunday in Manassas

We went to the Candy Factory in Manassas, VA this afternoon for their first Sunday dance. Every month they have dancing from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM on the first Sunday. We weren't expecting a big crowd this afternoon because of the Super Bowl. However, there were quite a few people today. The dance was held on the first floor instead of the third because of a schedule conflict. This made dancing more challenging because there are partitions going down the middle of the room. You have to squeeze pretty tight to get around the ends of the partitions. Moving dances kind of bunch up and you have to be careful not to run other dancers over.

Bobbie Brennan gave a class on the El Paso. The El Paso is a country line dance. It was good to practice it because it is the only country line dance that we know. Below is a picture of Bobbie instructing the El Paso.