Waltz etcetera

Every Monday evening, a 2-part dance

Starting at 7:30 we play a mix about half waltzes & half other dances, mainly Latin dances, blues & foxtrot/swing: the mix we've been playing for years (we've had a weekly dance since the beginning of 1999).

Around 9:30 we start mixing in more blues, slower waltzes and more sensuous Latin, plus sweet & sultry ballads, cool jazz and other downtempo stuff. We go as long as there's a good core of dancers, usually until 10:30 or 11.

Current class: Cross-step Waltz (including transitions to & from turning waltz)

Cross-step waltz is our favorite dance, and one you will see many dancers doing at Waltz etcetera; read more about Cross-step Waltz; watch videos of us dancing it. This class will include easy, intuitive transitions from cross-step into regular turning waltz & back again, which we haven't taught before. We will begin at the beginning; there's no previous dance experience required, but if you're a beginner, be sure to get in on the first few classes in March for the fundamentals. There are literally hundreds of cross-step moves & variations, and we'll be teaching some we've never taught before. This class will run through March, maybe longer depending on the level of interest.

Class details: You can drop in anytime. No need to sign up, just show up. Classes are 6:30 - 7:30 pm every Monday, $15 per class, right before the dance, at the Lake City Community Center. No partner required; we rotate partners frequently. The dance afterward always includes plenty of music for you to practice what you got in the class. In all our classes we teach humane, egalitarian leading & following, lead-follow dancing that's 100% voluntary for both partners, rather than shoving your partner around, however gently, or being shoved. Everybody dances; nobody gets danced; partner dancing's more fun if no one's in charge.

What's it like?

Waltz etcetera feels warm & easygoing, where some dances feel impersonal & disconnected, or worse, competitive. It feels like home, relaxed, undemanding & cheerful. People discover us, then keep coming for years. There's a quality and depth of connection between partners; the dancers are playful, friendly, kind, generous with each other. Here are some qualities & characteristics that make Waltz etcetera what it is.

Dancers at Waltz etcetera (pix of individual couples here)
Dancers at Waltz etcetera
Dancers Waltz etcetera