Embrace Ballroom
About
We are the only ballroom dance program in Idaho that services adult couples only. We never rotate out group classes, so you are encouraged to stay with whom you came in with. You can walk in with your partner; dance out with your parnter.
Strong support in the physics of couple dancing. Strong focus is given to the men as they are required to lead and understand the scientific dynamic of accomplishing their goal.
I have been teaching almost 30 years in my industry. I am credentialed with a highly commended rating. I hold professional medals in both smooth and Latin. I have competitive background and have been mentored by some of the best dancers in the U.S.
I have ballroom comepetitive background. A few of the competitions that I have competed as a Pro and Pro/Am are: The Autumn Dance Classic, The San Fransico Open, The California Star Ball, The Emerald Ball and The Desert Classic.
First of all, I enjoy witnessing a dancer excel. I love seeing the incremental learning that dancers achieve when they apply themselves.
Secondly, I love the creativity that can be applied through couples dancing together. My greatest love lies in challenging a couple into the creativity that comes with open choreography.
Although I love teaching couples, I have on occation danced pro/am with single men. This provides both of us with a lot of fun challenge. I love perfomance.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
New students are encoraged to enroll in the Social Success for Beginners Course. This course isn't meant to teach profound or embellished dancing. It is provided only to introduce dances to new dancers. It's primary function is to lay foundational groundwork in lead, follow, timing, footwork and beginning dance vocabulary and knowlege. Students in this course should never feel compelled to memorize all material.
After the beginning course there is a choice that students can take. They can either move into a full Bronze class and focus on learning more embellished dance patterns for social dancing or they can move into private format so that they can focus on only the dances that they enjoy most.
All student have the option of working in private format to learn a routine for showcase or competitive work. I prefer that those who want to compete or perform go through group class first to lay foundational material. That way, they can save money by not using private format to accomplish something that can be done in a class.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
*Highly commended ratings in credentialed exams. I scored an average of 90 out of a possiable 100.
* Competiitve background.
* Almost 30 years in my industry.
* Professional medals in both smooth and Latin.
* Trained with national and world champions.
* Teaching beginning through advanced.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Yes.
PRIVATE LESSONS:
I rate my private lesson pricing according to comittment. If a single or couple comes in and wants to use only one or two lessons, they are charged the premium rate.
Those who are willing to take three lessons without a comittment agreement get a small price break.
Those that are willing to take out a monthly block of three months with a comittment agreement get a large price break.
Those that are willing to take out a monthly block with a comittment agreement of four months get a larger break.
Those that are willing to take out a three month package with a performance and comittment agreement get the most substaintial price break of $40 per lesson.
GROUP CLASSES.
Group classes are less expensive as you are actually splitting the cost of your instruction with a group of people. Pricing also is depenant on comittment. Group lessons are priced as follows:
DROP-IN RATE: $25/couple.
CLASS PASS: A class pass of 5 lessons: $100/couple with a yearly registration fee. You are given 8 weeks to use your pass.
DIAMOND PASS: A pass of 15 lessons: $200/couple with a yearly registration fee. You are given 5 months to use your pass. This pass is only offered in the fall months of October & November.
How did you get started teaching?
I had a lot of traditional dance background: Jazz & Ballet. I answered an add for free training as a ballroom instructor. I was the only person who answered the ad and stuck it out as long as I did. It was pretty hard. Most who were attracted to the word "free" didn't count on it being so demanding and quit after a few weeks. I had no idea that after trianing for almost 5 years, I would become credentialed with all kinds of experience. I will forever be grateful to my mentors who had the patience with me to keep letting me fall and get back up again!
What types of students have you worked with?
BEGINNERS
I mostly teach adults. Adult classes are not sustainable as people have lives filled with work and families. Most beginners are only interested in light social dancing, and that is okay by my book. This class usually drops off when the weather warms up. So my beginning group classes and my dance events only run from Novemeber through May.Those that are interested in more embellished dancing move into intermediate before late spring.
INTERMEDIATES
Intermediate classes have been able to tough it out year around, so we allow it to continue year round. It gets spotty through the summer, but they always come back for more fun. Intermediates have found their feet and have learned to enjoy looking much more polished on the floor. They are the backbone of our dance family.
ADVANCED
I teach more technique to more hard core dancers through private lessons. These students want more than just social dance and have moved into more beautiful dancing. They are usually open to dancing more expressively and are not afraid to set goals of performance.
KIDS/TEENS
I would love to teach kids and teens, and I have tried. I have never been able to get boys interested or parents who are dedicated enough to let their children push past some of the hard stuff. Sadly, you can't teach a kids class without boys and I can't provide great instruction without students and parents support in this area.
BRIDES/GROOMS
I worked with over 30 bridal couples in 2016.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
I did rather enjoy our Valentines Ball this year. we had a big crowd and a lot of excitement.
I do also very much enjoy the intermediate and advanced parties. I find them to be so much more relaxing.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Check for creditailing and how long they have been teaching. Some instructors only know the men's part or the woman's part. You want someone who knows both parts.
You also want someone who is not afraid to teach technique, even to beginners. Anyone can learn to dance a pattern, but how good it looks and feels depends on the technique that is used to make it glide.
Keep in mind it will not glide in the beginning. You will feel like you are bumping and hiccupping all the time. This is normal. Once you have been dancing a while your instructor should be giving you enough information to be able to smooth it out over time.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
How long have you been teaching?
Doyou know both lead and follow?
What process do you recommend for dancing at (beginning), (advanced), (competitive) level?
What should I expect as I learn? Pay careful attention to the answer. Most instructors may tell you it will be easy. I don't like to tell my student that because it is challenging at first. It becomes easier as you progress. I prefer to be transparent and provide a lot of patience through the process.
Please don't ask how long it will take you to learn to dance..it is too open of a question. Too much depends on your dedication, your patience with yourself, how fast you learn, what dance you choose to learn (some dances are harder to learn than others) and what level you want to accomplish.