From Ballroom to Boardroom – Ignite Phoenix 5

Hello friends!

First and foremost thank you for allowing me to share my passion for Ballroom dancing! I’ve put this post together as a follow up to my Ignite Phoenix 5 Presentation in order to share more information with anyone inspired to try Ballroom dance.

The valley has a plethora of wonderful social dance venues, most of which offer a lesson as part of the evening’s cover. Average price for the lesson/evening of dancing varies, but it’s typically under $10. The venues themselves come in all types and shapes from Bars to Dance Studios. The really exciting part is that these group classes are tailored to beginners fresh off the street, offering a fun alternative to private lessons. They also don’t require that you bring a partner, though it’s never a bad idea!

My personal recommendation is that those new to Ballroom/Latin/Swing dancing start with the social salsa evenings. Salsa dancing is one of the less intimidating dances, and also one of the easiest dances to pick up and begin dancing socially.

The Presentation:

Where To Go?

I’ve included the following links to venue and calendar information for social dance venues around the valley:

AZSalsa.net – Salsa Dancing

PhoenixSalsa.com – Salsa Dancing

GPSDC.com – Swing Dancing

AZ Lindy Hop Society – Swing Dancing

Phoenix USA Dance – Mixed Venues

Tango Arizona – Tango Dancing

*If you know of another dance resource here in the valley, please post it in a comment and I’ll get it added ASAP!

Other Resources

In 2008 I wrote two posts geared towards helping people interested in getting into Ballroom. While they’re slightly dated, they’re still worth a look if you’re on the hunt for more information:

Ballroom Dancing – It’s Not Just Social, It’s Business

10 Tips For Ballroom Success

Questions?

Have questions or need clarification? Post a comment or shoot me a tweet @AlexBerger with whatever is on your mind and I’ll see what I can do to help!

A Quick Thank You

My personal relationship with Ballroom dance began 5+ years ago, through the Ballroom/Latin/Swing courses at Arizona State University.  It is truly amazing how diverse and unexpected Ballroom’s benefits are – regardless of your vocation.  Over the last five years I’ve seen it transform everyone from collegiate athletes to budding engineers.

When I started dance classes at ASU, dancing was still anything but cool and to say I lacked an aptitude for it would be…well…an understatement. Luckily I ended up getting Larry Caves as my professor. Larry’s mentorship stretched beyond his fun-first approach to Ballroom and was instrumental in helping me realize that dance was far more than just a social outing.  Not a day goes by in my professional career as a Mergers and Acquisitions Analyst or entrepreneurial pursuits that I don’t rely on the skills I learned dancing.