I Hope You Dance
Michael Hanrahan, AIA; Three Bridges, NJ; 37 years old
 “Oh, (fill in the curse word of your choice), is it that time of year again?” That panic started a mad dash to find the perfect birthday present for my then girlfriend, now wife, Beth. “I have 24 hours, what does she like? Disney. Nope, done that. Elvis. Too difficult to figure something out. Old Hollywood musicals. Possibility. Singing, Dancing, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, how can we make a gift out of this? Hmmm, dancing…Dancing Lessons! Perfect. It shows I know what she likes plus its time together. Introductory special for couples, all the better.” And so it began. What you must understand, I couldn’t dance. I had no rhythm, no musicality. I played sports growing up, my friends and I didn’t dance. I didn’t get up and dance unless the drinks were plenty and plenty stiff. But by week three, I was hooked. Flash forward, two lessons a week for two and a half years, I was having a blast. As an architect, I’m often required to work long hours with aggressive deadlines. It can be an all-consuming profession, however, what I loved most about dancing was that it provided a break for me. Dancing didn’t come easy, so I had to really focus and concentrate. I was fortunate to have Carrie Babcock as my instructor-someone my age who related to me, someone who tolerated me and my need for perfection, and someone who understood that I wanted to be challenged. For that hour each night, I didn’t think about anything other dancing, no thoughts of work, no thoughts of wedding planning, nothing. The culmination of all of these efforts came when Beth and I decided to get married. We had chose “From This Moment On” by Shania Twain as our first dance. The wedding is over, the reception starts and all eyes are on us. The dance was perfect, the choreography was perfect, the tone was set for a great party. Now I hadn’t really told many people I was taking dance lessons, there was still the stigma, at least I thought there was, that this wasn’t the cool thing to do. By the time the dance was over, my mother and sister were crying happy tears and we were immediately surrounded by our family and friends talking up our mad dance skills. I don’t think we left the dance floor the entire evening. As work forced us to relocate about an hour further away, all good things must come to end. I am so glad I learned to dance, I’m glad I got the confidence to get out on the floor and have a good time. Life’s only gotten more hectic with work, children and all the commitments that come with. Time is certainly at a premium. I keep telling myself and hoping that someday soon I’ll get to enjoy more lessons. I would recommend dancing lessons to anyone.
Alexandra's Testimonial 
Dancing has always been an integral part of my life, since childhood. Even though I am not a professional dancer by any stretch of imagination, I took many years of Classical Ballet while growing up and I think that created the bond in me between music and motion. My first ballroom dance lesson was when I was 15 years old, for a debutant party (15 years old) of a friend of mind. I learned the waltz and I absolutely fell in love with it.
From that point forward, every opportunity I had, I participated in a ballroom class. But it was not until the early 2000 that I decided to take classes. My husband is kind of shy, so that was his way of dancing with me without really having to go out in public.
Through our research, we found Fred Astaire Studio and we were BLESSED to have Carrie and Kostadin for our instructors for many years. It was a wonderful experience. We strived to come once a week, and it was amazing how quickly some of the steps came back to us (oh, I forgot to say that my husband had taken lessons when he was a teenager).
Dancing with Carrie and Kostadin became one of the highlights of my week, and during one hour they made me feel magical. From the ambience of the studio, the music selections to their unbelievable skill and patience, the experience was always memorable. I felt so fluid and flexible and light, we seemed to glide and float with the music.
Everyone at Fred Astaire is extremely talented and they always made us feel comfortable and welcome. It is a great place to lose your inhibitions and learn to have a lot of fun with dancing.
My favorite dance continues to be the waltz, and rumba comes in a very close second place. I used to close my eyes while we were turning around the room and I felt transported to a time of beauty and romance.
Dancing the Astaire Way in Upper Montclair  5
Love
dance? Love music? If the answer is yes, you'll love this studio. I've
been around dancers and dance studios my whole life; this school
delivers. It offers instruction for people of all levels, and the
teachers are pros. You can come in as an individual or as a couple.
There are no hard and fast requirements. What this studio appreciates
(when all is said and done), is the student's willingness to learn. And
if that's your goal, you couldn't find a better place to study
ballroom. There are some perks. For someone like me (who believes good
music stopped with Gershwin, Berlin, Kern, Porter, or Rodgers and
Hart), you may find some people to talk to. But most importantly,
you'll find teachers and an environment willing to nurture your dance
ambitions (whatever they are). If you're shy (and I certainly was)
about taking that first lesson, get over it. Like anything else, you
have to take the first step.
Fred Astaire Upper Montclair is the Place to Be! 5
Can't
dance? Neither could I! My wife and I walked into the studio with no
experience, but the teachers at Fred Astaire Upper Montclair are
excellent. They have a fantastic staff with tons of experience and
they'll have you dancing before you know it. Not only are the teachers
fantastic, but the other students are great and you'll quickly make new
friends. So whether you've seen "Dancing with the Stars" and want to be
like them, or if you just want to feel more comfortable on the dance
floor this is the place to be. I'd recommend them to everyone (and
frequently do!)!
As the only constant in life is change, we had to stop our classes. But for a good reason; we moved to California and we are very happy. But I take my dancing lessons and memories with me, wherever I go. As soon as I can, I plan to go back to ballroom dancing. I miss Carrie and Kostadin a lot and I will always remember the time we spent together fondly.
So if you are reading this because you are thinking about signing up for classes, then stop thinking and go for it! It is great, it is fun and it is healthy. You will love it, and in no time, you will be next one writing a testimonial.
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