Workshop Series at The Sou’wester
Partner Dancing 101 Workshop with Sarah Riddle
You want to learn to dance, but don’t know where to start? Perfect. There are many beautiful dances out there to learn, but sometimes just the fundamentals of how to move with rhythm and grace with another person are enough. This 3 hour workshop will focus on lead/follow technique that are universal, and the mechanics of traveling, turning, and moving as one. Students will learn how to find and keep a beat, and how to tailor each dance to the particular style of song they are dancing to and how to work with their own natural dance skills. This is not a ballroom course where you learn ‘forms’ and strict patterns. This class is about learning how to dance in any context with another person. Students leave this workshop not just being the masters of their own dance, but the creators as well. It is a valuable life skill!
What’s the biggest take-away from this workshop? You will learn how to love, not fear, partner dancing. This class is great for anyone looking to hone their partner dance skills without having to choose a specific dance style to master. No partner required. Wear layers and comfortable/thin soles shoes with little to no tread.
Sarah Riddle has been dancing, teaching, and performing Latin dances since 1997. Her lifelong training in Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Cabaret, and Jazz, which have deeply influenced her style of Latin dance, teaching, and choreography. A former member and co-director of Portland’s first Salsa dance company, Sabor Latino, and one of Portland early Salsa pioneers, Sarah has studied, performed, choreographed, and taught all over the world. Her training in african based social dances is vast (LA style, Puerto Rican, Columbian, Casino, Afro-Cuban, NY Salsa on ‘2’, Classic Mambo, Forro, Kizomba, Boogaloo, Plena, Bomba, and even Samba) making her approach to dancing and teaching not only well researched, but thorough. Sarah is a former PCC faculty member in the Humanities department teaching World Dance: History of Salsa, so if you have an interest in the history of Salsa, she loves to talk about it! That being said, her Salsa classes are taught on 1, and Cha Cha on 2, incorporating bits from all the other types of Latin dance out there, so that students are well informed of what they experience in the social scene, and in their travels! Don’t know what on 1 or 2 means? Don’t worry, she’ll explain it in class 😉 Her wedding prep and Partner 101 classes pull from her experience with other dances, such as Swing, Tango, Waltz, Zydeco, and NightClub 2-Step. She does not teach ballroom, or competitive dance. Her style of teaching is 100% client based. Sarah is able to articulate not just how the dance and music work, but why, and how to make it yours. Her classes are upbeat, fun, sometimes analytical, and full of dancing (not just demo). The material is dance-floor appropriate, meaning you can actually use it in a social setting. She applies a no-scold policy to all of her classes, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes 😉 Sarah plays in a local rock band (Ages and Ages) as a percussionist/vocalist, so be prepared to learn some rhythm! She also spent 10 years as an early childhood educator, so you can be sure that she will cover all styles of learning in her approach to teaching, and with supernatural patience.
COST: $40
BRING: No partner required. Wear layers and comfortable/thin soles shoes with little to no tread. (hot tea and coffee provided)
All workshops are open to the public.
All Skill Levels Welcome.
RSVP via souwesterfrontdesk@gmail.com or 360-642-2542
The Sou’wester Lodge at 3728 J Place, Seaview, WA 98644
This class is part of the Fall & Winter 2017/2018 Workshop Series at The Sou’wester. Visit www.souwesterlodge.com/calendar to see the entire schedule of more than 28 artist-led workshops.