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    • Final bloc of classes for 2024
      • Kia ora koutou We’ve got just three more classes before we take a rest over December and January. But it’s never too late to Cha Cha Cha - we’d love to see you in 2024. Otherwise, we hope to see you in 2025. Sunday 17 November Beginners class 7:00 pm-8:00 pm: Cha Cha Cha / Rumba Intermediate class 8:00 pm-9:00 pm: Samba / Paso Doble Sunday 24 November Beginners class 7:00 pm-8:00 pm: Waltz / Quickstep Intermediate class 8:00 pm 9:00 pm: Charmaine/ Swing Waltz Sunday 1 December Beginners class 7:00 pm-8:00 pm: Revision Intermediate class 7:00 pm-8:00 pm: Revision

    • Our next bloc of classes ...
      • Kia ora koutou, our next block of classes for the year begins Sunday 29 September. That leaves just one more bloc before we hang up our dancing shoes for the year, so come along and get some dancing in! 29th September Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Rhythm Foxtrot / Samba Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Swing Waltz, Samba 6th October Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Merrilyn Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Gypsy Tap / Paso Doble 13th October Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Revision Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Revision 20th October Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Waltz Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Viennese Waltz / Jive 27th October NO CLASS – LABOUR WEEKEND NO CLASS – LABOUR WEEKEND 3rd November Beginners: 7pm to 8pm -Quickstep Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - (Proper) Foxtrot / Quickstep 10th November Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Revision Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Revision

    • July/August classes
      • Kia ora koutou Beat the winter blues with some same-sex dancing. Here are the classes for the next few weeks: Sunday 14th July Beginners 7:00-8:00 pm: Quickstep Intermediate 8:00-9:00 pm: Rumba/Paso Doble Sunday 21st July Beginners 7:00-8:00 pm: Revision Intermediate 8:00-9:00 pm: Revision Sunday 28th July Beginners 7:00-8:00 pm: Waltz Intermediate 8:00-9:00 pm: Viennese Waltz/Gypsy Tap Sunday 4th August Beginners 7:00-8:00 pm: Tango Intermediate 8:00-9:00 pm: Proper Foxtrot/Waltz Sunday 11th August Beginners 7:00-8:00 pm: Revision Intermediate 8:00-9:00 pm: Revision

    • April-May timetable
      • Kia ora everyone - here’s the timetable for the next six weeks. Hope to see you at DANSS! 7th April Beginner - 7:00-8:00 pm: Tango Intermediate - 8:00-9:00 pm: Rumba and Quickstep 14th April Beginner - 7:00-8:00 pm: Waltz Intermediate - 8:00-9:00 pm: Jive and Paso Doble 21st April Beginner - 7;00-8:00 pm: Revision Intermediate - 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Revision 28th April Beginner - 7;00-8:00 pm: Cha Cha Cha Intermediate - 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Cha Cha Cha and Waltz 5th May Beginner - 7;00-8:00 pm: Evening Three Step Intermediate - 8:00 - 9:00 pm: (Proper) Foxtrot and Samba 12th May Beginner - 7;00-8:00 pm: Revision Intermediate - 8:00 - 9:00 pm: Revision

    • Get your cheeky Cha Cha Cha out of the closet - DANSS resumes for 2024
      • Kia ora koutou - welcome back to DANSS for 2024. Apologies for not doing a great job keeping the schedule up to date on the website in 2023 - we’ll do a better job of it this year. We hope to see at our classes sometime … 11th February Beginners 7-8 pm: Rhythm Foxtrot/Samba Intermediate 8-9 pm: Rumba/Quickstep 18th February Beginners 7-8 pm: Waltz Intermediate 8-9 pm: Waltz/Paso Doble 25th February Beginners 7-8 pm: Revision Intermediate 8-9 pm: Revision 3rd March Beginners 7-8 pm: Cha Cha Cha Intermediate 8-9 pm: Cha Cha Cha/Waltz 10th March Beginners 7-8 pm: Evening Three-Step Intermediate 8-9 pm: Proper Foxtrot/Samba 17th March Beginners 7-8 pm: Revision Intermediate 8-9 pm: Revision 24th March Beginners 7-8 pm: No class tonight Intermediate 8-9 pm: No class tonight

    • DANSS gets underway in 2023
      • Kia ora koutou Just what you’ve been waiting for! We are back underway with our Sunday night classes from tomorrow. We hope to see you there. 12th February  Beginners 7-8 pm: Cha Cha Cha; Rhythm Foxtrot Intermediate 8-9 pm: Tango Terrific; Paso Doble  19th February  Beginners 7-8 pm: Rumba; Waltz Intermediate 8-9 pm: English Foxtrot; Tango 26th February  Beginners 7-8 pm: Revision Intermediate 8-9 pm: Revision 5th March  Beginners 7-8 pm: Jive; Quickstep Intermediate 8-9 pm: Rumba; Waltz 12th March  Beginners 7-8 pm: Samba; Merrilyn  Intermediate 8-9 pm: Cha Cha Cha; Viennese Waltz 19th March  Beginners 7-8 pm: Revision Intermediate 8-9 pm: Revision 26th March  Sorry - no classes this Sunday

    • Final bloc of classes for 2022
      • Kia ora koutou - we’re now into our final bloc of classes for the year. We’ll be finishing with a revision night on 4 December and then taking a well-earned break until early February. Watch this space for when we start again in 2023. Meanwhile, here are the remaining classes for 2022. 6 November Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Cha Cha Cha, Rhythm Foxtrot Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Cha Cha Cha, Viennese Waltz 13 November  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm  - Rumba, Waltz  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Rumba, Waltz   20 November  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Samba, Merrilyn   Intermediate: 8pm to 9 pm - Foxtrot , Tango 27 November  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Jive, Quickstep  Intermediate: 8pm to 9 pm - Tango Terrific, Paso Doble   4 December  Revision  Revision   

    • http://www.danss.org.nz/news/2022/9/25/f815g2zanz0btmpf9y49x33b4fha83
      • Our next bloc of classes starts tonight! Kia ora koutou, here’s the new bloc of classes, starting this evening. We hope to see you there! 25th September  Beginner: 7 pm - 8 pm- Cha Cha Cha/Waltz  Intermediate: 8 pm - 9 pm - Rumba/Viennese Waltz  2nd October  Beginner: 7 pm - 8 pm - Guest teacher  Intermediate: 8 pm - 9 pm - Guest Teacher  9th October  Beginner: 7 pm - 8 pm - Samba / Evening 3-Step   Intermediate: 8 pm - 9 pm - Foxtrot/Tango  16th October  Beginner: 7 pm - 8 pm - Rhythm Foxtrot/Quickstep  Intermediate: 8 pm - 9 pm - Tango Terrific/Paso Doble   23rd  October  No classes - it’s Labour Weekend 30th October  Beginner: 7 pm - 8 pm - Revision Intermediate: 8 pm - 9 pm - Revision

    • September update
      • Whoops, we're a bit slow in posting the current bloc of classes - sorry about that! There's a class tonight, 11 September, and we have the wonderful Keri and Philip Porter back as guest teachers. They’ll be focussing on the exciting Paso Doble. Next week will be a revision class, before we start a new bloc. We’ll be going over the Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Tango Terrific, Rhythm Foxtrot, Quickstep, Tango, Merrilyn, the Slow Foxtrot and the Paso Doble! Wow, that’s a lot for one night but it’ll be fun.

    • DANSS classes to 10 July
      • Kia ora koutou Here is the Sunday night DANSS timetable at Thistle Hall through to 10 July - hope to see you there! 12 June Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Cha Cha Cha/Rumba Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Waltz/Jive  19 June  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Gypsy Tap/Evening 3-Step  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Merrilyn/Charmaine  26 June  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Quickstep/Waltz  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Foxtrot/Tango  3 July  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm -Guest Teachers, Keri and Philip Porter, on basic Rumba theory Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Guest teachers, Keri and Philip Porter, on basic Waltz theory  10 July  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Revision Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Revision

    • Latest bloc of classes through to the end of May
      • Under the Orange setting, we are able to dance with others in the class again. Wearing a mask is no longer mandatory, but you may still do so if you wish. Please observe the usual measures: in particular, please stay home if you’re not feeling well and wash or sanitise your hands regularly. Sunday 8th May  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Quickstep  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Waltz / Jive    Sunday 15th May  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Guest teachers, Keri and Phillp Porter, teaching Cha Cha Cha theory Intermediate: 8 pm to 9pm - Guest teachers, Keri & Phillip, teaching tango theory    Sunday 22nd May  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm  - Merrilyn  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Cha Cha Cha/Rumba   Sunday 29th May  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - REVISION NIGHT  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - REVISION NIGHT    No class on Sunday of Queen’s Birthday weekend (5 June). The next block of classes will start Sunday 12 June.

    • New DANSS timetable to 24 April
      • Kia ora koutou, it’s great to have our Sunday night classes back, even if we have to run them with a few pandemic-related restrictions for the time being. Hoping to see you on the DANSS floor. Here’s our timetable for the next few weeks: Sunday 20th March  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Rhythm Foxtrot Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Samba  Sunday 27th March  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Gypsy Tap  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Merrilyn    Sunday 3rd April  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Jive  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Quickstep  Sunday 10th April  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm  - Guest teachers, Keri & Philip Porter, on Ballroom theory  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm  - Guest teachers, Keri & Philip Porter, on Latin theory  Sunday 17th April : No classes – Easter Sunday weekend    Sunday 24th April   Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - REVISION NIGHT Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - REVISION NIGHT  

    • Kia ora anō - we're back 'danssing'!
      • Kia ora koutou We hope you have been keeping well. It’s been some time since we glided across the floors of Thistle Hall but we’re able to get ‘danssing’ again, albeit with some restrictions in light of the current settings under the traffic light system (see below): Here’s what we’ll be doing in the first bloc of dances for 2022. Hoping you can join us! Sunday 13th February  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Cha Cha Cha  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Viennese Waltz/Waltz  Sunday 20th February  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Rumba  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Cha Cha Cha  Sunday 27th February  Beginner Class: 7pm to 8pm - Waltz  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Rumba  Sunday 6th March  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Guest Teacher, Murray Bootten, taking a class on Latin theory  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Guest Teacher, Murray Bootten, taking a class on Ballroom theory Sunday 13th March   Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - REVISION NIGHT  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - REVISION NIGHT  Under the Red traffic light settings: You need to have a Vaccination Pass and show it on request. Please scan the Thistle Hall QR code when you arrive. Please wear your mask to the hall and throughout the classes. We’ll have some disposable masks, in case you need one, and hand sanitiser. Please keep 1 metre from others, including when you are dancing. There will be no changing of dance partners in the classes but, if you come with someone who is in your bubble, you can dance with that person. We won’t be able to provide refreshments so please bring your own, full water bottle. Finally, if you are feeling unwell, please stay at home.

    • Kia ora koutou - here's the latest lesson schedule. Looking forward to seeing you!
      • Sunday 18th July  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Rumba  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Rumba Sunday 25th July  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Waltz Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Waltz Sunday 1st August  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Jive Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Cha Cha Cha  Sunday 8th August Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Quickstep Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm  - Quickstep Sunday 15th August  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Revision night Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Revision night

    • COVID-19 update
      • Kia ora everyone Because Greater Wellington is currently at Alert Level 2, we have decided to cancel the classes for tomorrow, 27 June. Hopefully we’ll be back to Level 1 in a jiffy and will be able to cha cha cha again. Take care out there!

    • Latest lesson schedule
      • Kia ora tatou - apologies for not having kept you up-to-date recently. Here are the classes for the next few weeks: Sunday 20th June  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm  - Waltz Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Waltz Sunday 27th June   Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Jive Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Cha cha cha Sunday 4th July  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Quickstep Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Quickstep Sunday 11th July  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Revision night Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Revision night

    • Latest lesson schedule
      • Sunday 20th June  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Waltz Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Waltz   Sunday 27th June   Beginner Class: 7 pm to 8 pm - Jive  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm  - Cha Cha Cha  Sunday 4th July  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Quickstep  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Quickstep  Sunday 11th July  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Revision night Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Revision night 

    • http://www.danss.org.nz/news/2021/3/13/ul6s1ndeb1ia8nw1ed4rgx0pgh94e1
      • We’re at Alert Level 1 and so it’s back to DANSS Kia ora koutou - here’s the schedule for the next few weeks. See you there! Sunday 14 March Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Cha Cha Cha Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Waltz  Sunday 21 March – with guest teachers Phillip & Keri Porter  Beginner Class: 7pm to 8pm - Charmaine Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm  - La Bomba Sunday 28 March  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm  - Quickstep  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm  - Cha Cha Cha Sunday 4 April – No Class - Easter weekend Sunday 11 April  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Waltz  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm  - Jive  Sunday 18 April  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - REVISION NIGHT  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm  - REVISION NIGHT 

    • No classes under Alert Level 2
      • Kia ora koutou To help keep everyone safe, we’ve made a decision not to hold Sunday classes under Alert Level 2 (or higher). Hopefully we’ll be able to waltz and cha cha cha again soon - we’ll let you know once it’s good to DANSS.

    • 2021 - the first block of classes for the year
      • Kia ora koutou me nga mihi o te tau hou! We hope your summer is going well and you can find some time for some fun same-sex dancing on Sunday evenings at Thistle Hall. Here’s the programme for the first few weeks: Sunday 31st January  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm  - Cha Cha Cha  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Waltz Sunday 7th February  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - Quickstep  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Cha Cha Cha Sunday 14th February  Beginner Class: 7pm to 8pm - Merilyn  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Tango Terrific  Sunday 21st February  Beginner Class: 7pm to 8pm - Foxtrot and Samba  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Quickstep  Sunday 28th February  Beginners: 7pm to 8pm - REVISION NIGHT Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - REVISION NIGHT

    • Final classes for 2020
      • Kia ora everyone, we’re now into the final bloc of classes for the year, so there’s still time to come and cha cha cha (or waltz or jive …). After some rest and sunshine, we’ll be starting again on 31 January 2021, so watch this space. Sunday 8th Nov  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Palma Waltz  ( with a Guest Teacher)  Intermediate: 8pm to 9pm - Swing Waltz (with a Guest Teacher) Sunday 15th Nov  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Foxtrot / Samba  Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Jive  Sunday 22nd Nov  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Clap Dance x 2 Variations   Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Cha cha cha Sunday 29th Nov  Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Quick-Step Beginner Class: 8 pm to 9 pm - English Foxtrot   Sunday 6th Dec Beginners: 7 pm to 8 pm - Revision Intermediate: 8 pm to 9 pm - Revision

    • Next bloc of social classes
      • Kia ora koutou, here’s the next bloc of Sunday night classes. For the first class, we are lucky to have professional teachers, Keri and Phillip Porter, giving us some technical tips on a couple of fun New Vogue dances. And note that, on 18 October, we will be holding our AGM at 7 pm, with the beginners class to follow. We are looking forward to seeing you. Sunday 4 October  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00pm  - Gypsy Tap  (Guest Teachers)  Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Tango Terrific (Guest Teachers)  Sunday 11 October  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Rumba  Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Jive  Sunday 18 October  7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - DANSS 2008 Incorporated AGM Beginners: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Cha cha cha (No Intermediate class) Sunday 25 October: No class - Labour weekend Sunday 1 November  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Revision night Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Revision night  

    • New dance floor, new class
      • It’s been a year of interruptions, what with the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently Thistle Hall being unavailable while a new floor has been constructed. Anyway, glad to say we are good to cha cha cha again. Here’s the latest bloc of classes, which we will run in conformity with Alert Level 2 requirements. We hope to see you there! Sunday 6th September  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Theory Work  (Guest Teacher)  Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Theory Work  (Guest Teacher)  Sunday 13th September  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Rumba  Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Jive  Sunday 20th September  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm -  Waltz  Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - English Foxtrot  Sunday 27th September  Beginners: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - REVISION NIGHT  Intermediate: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - REVISION NIGHT 

    • We're back dancing
      • Kia ora koutou, dust off those dance shoes, we’re back dancing after the lockdown. It’s the usual story: Thistle Hall on Sunday evenings, with a beginners’ class from 7:00-8:00 pm and an intermediate class from 8:00-9:00 pm. We hope to see you there! Here’s the programme through to 26 July: Sunday 28th June Beginners: 7:00 to 8:00 pm - Waltz Intermediate: 8:00 to 9:00 pm - English Foxtrot Sunday 5th July Beginners: 7:00 to 8:00 pm - Merrilyn Intermediate: 8:00 to 9:00 pm - Quickstep Sunday 12th July Beginners: 7:00 to 8:00 pm - Rumba Intermediate: 8:00 to 9:00 pm - Waltz Sunday 19th July Beginners: 7:00 to 8:00 pm - Gypsy Tap Intermediate: 8:00 to 9:00 pm - Cha Cha Cha Sunday 26th July Beginners: 7:00 to 8:00 pm - REVISION NIGHT Intermediate: 8:00 to 9:00 pm - REVISION NIGHT

    • COVID-19 Response - 2020 competition cancelled and Sunday classes suspended
      • We hope you, your families and your friends are doing well as the country responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It will come as no surprise to you that, because of the pandemic, we have had to cancel the 2020 same-sex dance competition scheduled for 16 May. Given so much uncertainty in our world at the moment, we're not planning to shift it to another date in 2020.  Instead, we hope to run a competition next year, provided the circumstances are right.  Sunday night social classes in Thistle Hall are also suspended for the time being. We’ll let you know when dancing resumes. Meanwhile take care and kia kaha

    • DANSS classes start 2 February
      • Our first block of social classes for 2020 starts Sunday 2nd February with the Beginners class at 7:00 pm and the Intermediate class at 8:00 pm. Sunday 2nd February Beginners: 7-8 pm - Rhythm Foxtrot/Cha Cha Cha Intermediate: 8-9 pm - Jive Sunday 9th February Beginners: 7-8 pm - Waltz Intermediate: 8-9 pm - Cha Cha Cha Sunday 16th February Beginners: 7-8 pm - Guest Teachers – Merrilyn Intermediate: 8-9 pm - Guest Teachers – Tango Terrific Sunday 23rd February Beginners: 7-8 pm - Tango Intermediate: 8-9 pm - Quickstep Sunday 1st March Beginners: 7-8 pm - Revision night Intermediate: 8-9 pm - Revision night  

    • 2020 DANSS Competition
      • Welcome to a new decade of same-sex dancing! This year our annual competition will be on Saturday 16 May. Find the events list and registration form on the “Upcoming Competitions” page of this website. We’ll need entry forms in - or at least confirmation of your intention to dance - by 18 April. Let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you!

    • Milestone for same-sex dancing in New Zealand!
      • Congratulations to the New Zealand Ballroom Dance Council, which has changed its rules so that "A couple of the same gender can dance in any event in New Zealand". This is a great step forward for equality and all the more reason to get involved in same-sex dancing.

    • Willem DeVries Makes A Statement Through Same-Sex Ballroom Dancing
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(Shweta Saraswat/Neon Tommy) Photography © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved. " class=" sqs-block-image-button lightbox " data-lightbox-theme="" > <img class="thumb-image" data-image="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52647e4de4b0469f698aa444/1386386589058-42XK4Z2HFC2WD0ENMN6H/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kD2z-LLWBH7obTt8oweMjYNZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PImOHbQbjXasSwxFcLdk_scOGqT4Z6kt8j9Nmw5KBS9fwKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/image-asset.jpeg" data-image-dimensions="800x534" data-image-focal-point="0.5,0.5" alt="Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0mm 5.4pt 0mm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0mm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;} World same-sex ballroom champion Willem DeVries demonstrates a routine. (Shweta Saraswat/Neon Tommy) Photography © Copyright  Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved." data-load="false" data-image-id="52a2949be4b0f6c360997556" data-type="image" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52647e4de4b0469f698aa444/1386386589058-42XK4Z2HFC2WD0ENMN6H/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kD2z-LLWBH7obTt8oweMjYNZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PImOHbQbjXasSwxFcLdk_scOGqT4Z6kt8j9Nmw5KBS9fwKMshLAGzx4R3EDFOm1kBS/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w" /> World same-sex ballroom champion Willem DeVries demonstrates a routine. (Shweta Saraswat/Neon Tommy) Photography © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved. The recent battle over same-sex marriage in California has produced several leaders to create policy change in gay rights. But while many of these activists operate on the streets or in City Hall, one West Hollywood resident is using the dance floor as his space for social change. Willem DeVries is a professional dancer and ballroom instructor, and his specialty is same-sex ballroom and Latin dance. A former world champion in men’s same-sex Latin dance, DeVries also teaches traditional ballroom, known as mainstream ballroom, in West Hollywood. In his classes, it’s all about options. “When people would walk in the door I would say: ‘Would you like to lead, would you like to follow or would you like to do both?’” DeVries, 32, said. “Whether they’re a man or a woman I’d ask ‘Would you like to dance with a male instructor, would you like to dance with a female instructor or would you like to dance with both?’” Though he dances both forms, DeVries and his then-partner Jacob Jason chose to perform a same-sex ballroom routine during an audition for the popular Fox show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” in 2009 after same-sex ballroom competitors from the year before were mocked by judges. “Naturally as the world same-sex champions, we were pretty upset,” DeVries said. “So we decided to go on the show just to make a stand and be like ‘hey you know what, knock this. This is what it’s meant to look like, with proper technique, with real control from dancers that are of a higher level.” They wowed the judges, advancing to the next level of competition. Though DeVries and his partner didn’t make it to the finals on that show, they did leave a new impression of what same-sex ballroom is all about. “We went on the show expecting to get attacked and ridicule,” DeVries said. “It was a breath of fresh air to get positive feedback…from a platform nationally that had frowned on it so heavily.” Despite his now very modern take on ballroom dance, DeVries’ first experiences with dance are reminiscent of Gene Kelly, tagging along to his sister’s dance classes near his hometown of Mount Kisco in New York. “I first started dancing when I was seven…my mother was a single mother, so I would always go with her to pick up my sister,” DeVries said. “Whenever my sister and her friends practiced, they’d always screw up their routines, and I’ll always be like ‘No, no, no, this is how it’s done’ and show them how to do it.’” After winning a scholarship to learn dance at the Walter Schalk School of Dance, DeVries started training in ballroom at age ten. “We all wore our suits, and the girls had their dresses and little white gloves,” he said. “It was just traditional stuff, but all my friends did it and it was fun. But then after the first year I started to realize that I was kind of good at it, and I became a little rebellious 11-year old. And so I started re-choreographing the routines.” His teachers noticed, and made him an assistant instructor at age 12. Still, DeVries didn’t know dancing was for him until he turned professional five years later. “I never saw myself being a dancer. I was going to be a businessman or lawyer or something,” he said. “I ended up loving it, so I turned pro and started teaching and performing for Fred Astaire the franchise back when I had just turned 17, competing first nationally and then internationally, kicking butt and all these years later here I am, still doing it.” <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > Photography © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved. " class=" sqs-block-image-button lightbox " data-lightbox-theme="" > Photography © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved. But there was a time when DeVries thought his dance life would be cut short. In 2004, he was involved in a car accident that blew out his shoulder and broke his hand. The doctors said he would never dance again. He could barely lift his arm, let alone lead a lady in turns around a ballroom floor. “It was pretty devastating,” DeVries said. “But I loved dancing, and I really, really missed it. So I started dancing with a male friend of mine, and it was just in the clubs at first, and any time when it came time for a turn, I would switch arms and do the follower’s part, and use my right arm to follow, then switch back and do the lead. So it was a way that I was able to get back to dancing.” DeVries used to work as a same-sex and mainstream ballroom instructor at Bailamos Dance Studio in West Hollywood, until a disagreement with investors over the inclusion of same-sex dance classes led to DeVries’ departure from the studio. Now, he teaches private lessons across the city in addition to working as a professional chon get started with danreographer for TV and film, choreographing for shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and movies like “Puss in Boots.” Just as same-sex ballroom allowed DeVries to get back to dancing, it helped student Michael Azariacing. “I didn’t actually consider dancing with a girl,” Azarian said. “I’m gay and when I go out I dance with guys. That’s normal for me.” Azarian takes private lessons from DeVries, and in addition to learning how to cha-cha and salsa, he said he’s learning to step out of his shell. “I love it,” he said. “It pushes me out of my everyday normal life into something my brain’s not used to, my mind’s not used to and my body’s not used to.” David Nash, however, had been dancing for most of his life before he met DeVries at the Bailamos studio. Nash, 57, was used to leading, and with that was used to standing by as the woman in the couple performed many of the spins and tricks. “Boys are always in the Fred Astaire role, not enjoying the fun of being spun around, the feeling of being led by someone,” Nash said. “I’m 6’ 2”, so for someone to even think about leading me, it’s just something I hardly dreamed would happen. And that’s what happened with the same-sex thing. You get to lead and follow, the full spectrum. You don’t have to just be the boy who stands behind the girl, a step behind.” Same-sex couples have been performing ballroom for a while before DeVries stepped on the scene, but initially the second man in the pair would simply take the place of the woman and imitate her role. <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > Photography © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved. " class=" sqs-block-image-button lightbox " data-lightbox-theme="" > Photography © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved. “Originally, it just used to be two partners of the same-sex would dance together, one would lead and one would follow—one would be the guy’s part, one would be the girl’s part,” DeVries said. “But because of the injury with my shoulder, we created what’s now known as versatile dancing, where the partners would switch roles in the middle of dancing. So they would actually switch back and forth between who’s leading and whose following and it actually upped the ante on same-sex dancing and has it being recognized as a much higher level of dancing.” Despite the versatility and technical demands of same-sex ballroom, there were some who could not accept the changes being made to the traditionally heterosexual dance form. “It was pretty tough,” DeVries said. “At first a lot of people looked at it as though it were a mockery. They were like ‘Oh, look at those gays, trying to be taken seriously.’” But as DeVries continued to teach and perform same-sex ballroom, support from the community grew. “Most of the students who threw a lot of support my way were all in straight families but they were like ‘You know what, we love that spirit, we love that energy, bring it,’” he said. Not all of the same-sex couples that learn from DeVries are gay. Rather, the flexibility of the dance form attracts people just looking for a new way to do ballroom. “I’ve had some girls who have come in for lessons whose boyfriends wouldn’t take them out dancing,” DeVries said. “They wanted to come in and learn how to dance with each other…and that was something that was never really offered before.” According to Nash, DeVries work towards bringing same-sex dance to general public has been an example in social progressivism. “I think it’s great that barriers are being broken down here and around the world,” he said. “I mean, within my life time, not just same-sex dancing, but even interracial marriage was scoffed at, let along same-sex marriage. There are so many walls of prejudice to knock down and it’s because of pioneers like Willem that we are stepping into that world that was formerly taboo. It’s brave and bold for the students and the teachers.” Beyond his interest in learning same-sex ballroom, Nash said one of the reasons he frequented the Bailamos dance studio was DeVries himself. “It was so welcoming to always be greeted and encourage by someone whose talent I immediately saw as awesome,” Nash said. “I have met and worked with professional dancers at the top level in Vegas, and I have never met anyone that was quite so strong and multitalented and had the love as strong as Willem.” Though DeVries is now fully healed from his injuries and partakes in the mainstream ballroom scene as his work demands, same-sex dancing remains his passion. “There shouldn’t be any aspect where people can’t just be themselves, where they’re frowned up or attacked or made fun of because they’re trying to express themselves,” DeVries said. “I love that same-sex dancing was my outlet back to dancing and I was able to up the ante on that and make a spotlight for it so it’s actually respected and so people know that they do have that option.” Reach reporter Shweta here. Video © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved Uploaded by ShwetaSaraswat17 on 2012-02-16. Video © Copyright Shweta Saraswat. All rights reserved Permission for the reproduction of this story kindly given by the author Shweta Saraswat Permalink

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