East Bay Waltz hosts a 2nd Saturday night dance, originally hosted by Friday Night Waltz. Waltz, Swing, Latin, and related social dances from the 19th and 20th centuries. Two lessons to choose from 7-9pm.
Superstar DJ Sam Simmons plays the best music you've ever heard 9pm-Midnight. Your ears will cry tears of joy and... actually, they won't do anything, because they're ears. They just sit there, on the sides of your head, which is a good thing, I guess. YOU however will cry tears of joy because your ears are having such a good time!
Todi Teaches: Waltz FundamentalsThis class in rotary waltz fundamentals is good for beginners---and for the folks who have taken classes, but are finding new variations difficult to learn or find that their skill level rises and falls depending on "who" they are dancing with! Often, by going back to the fundamentals of the dance---focusing on balance, alignment, weight transfer and partnering skills---a good foundation can be built, making variations and reverse waltz easier to master. And making you the good dancer everyone wants to partner with! (Beginner - Low Intermediate)
Sam Teaches: Intermediate Mazurka WaltzThis is not your Mother’s Mazurka.
7pm: Beginning/Intermediate Mazurka – We'll start at the very beginning, learning the "Gaskells/Fezziwigs" Mazurka step, before quickly moving on to replacing the basic waltz with fun Mazurka steps and variations!
Knowledge of basic turning rotary waltz required.
8pm: Intermediate/Advanced Mazurka – Starting where the last class left off, these steps will take you soaring around the floor in a variety of ways in a great alternative to the Redowa.
Knowledge of basic (Gaskells/Fezziwigs) Mazurka a must. Willingness to fly and 7pm class highly encouraged.
The Redowa, everyone’s favorite beautiful “flying” waltz step is actually a Mazurka variation. While we won’t go over Redowa, we will go over the funnest complimentary Mazurka variations.
FUTURE SATURDAY DATES TO SAVE FOR EBW
March 13, April 10, May 8, June 12
Lessons run from 7-9pm. Beginner lessons are always available as well as an Intermediate class for more advanced dancers.
$12 for both the classes and the dance
$8 for the dance. Students only pay $8 for the whole evening.
Please bring non-marking shoes to dance in. Attire is casual, and water will be provided.
Singles, couples and herds welcome. All Ages.
A beautiful dance hall, with 3,500 square foot hardwood floor, easy access, great parking.
Join our google group to get news on upcoming dances and classes: groups.google.com/group/eastbaywaltz
Or check out the facebook group: www.fbook.me/ebw
DJ'd music by Sam
Todi wil be teaching beginning waltz
Sam will be teaching intermediate mazurka
DJ'd music by Bob Galloway
Beginning Waltz class taught by Christophe
MacKenzie will be teaching Irish Ceili in the intermediate class
We're moving to the Finnish Hall in Berkeley
1970 Chestnut Street
(between Berkeley Way & University Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94702
We'll be closer to the UCB campus, more bart accessible, and closer to public transit.
East Bay Waltz takes place in the wonderful main ballroom of the
Oakland Veterans Hall at 200 Grand Ave in Oakland. The Main Ballroom is a
beautiful high ceiling squarish room a gorgeous motif in the ceiling.
The Hall is a 7 to 10 minute walk from the 19th Street Bart Station and is
easily accessible by the 51 Bus.
200 Grand Ave
Oakland, CA 94610
We have a wide variety of teachers from all sorts of different backgrounds who teach on occasion.
Christophe TaylorChristophe Taylor picked up dancing while an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley and has been addicted ever since he first took a Tango class there. He has competed in International Syllabus Dansport, performed at PEERS and with the Can Cannibals, and is also a member of Fezziwigs, the ballroom dancing group at Dickens Fair. Now, he teaches a weekly dance class in Oakland at the Sunshine Biscuit Factory and performs regularly with the burlesque troupe - the Can Cannibals.
TodiTodi has been teaching and dancing for a long, long time. Check out this article from her days at Yale: http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v27.n26/story8.html
Sam SimmonsSam Simmons is well versed in Balboa, Blues, Can-Can, Cha-Cha, (Lindy/Tandem) Charleston, Collegiate Shag, Cross-Step Waltz, Danse Macabre, East Coast Swing, English Country, Foxtrot, Gallop, Hambo, Hustle, Irish Ceili, Jitterbug, Jive, Lindy Hop, Maxixe, Mazurka, Merengue, Morris, Nightclub Two-Step, One-step, Polka, Redowa, Rumba, Salsa, Samba, Schottische, Scottish Country, Tango, Valse, Varsovienne, Waltz (Shadow, Rotary, Viennese, Hesitation, Reverse), West Coast Swing, 20's Charleston, and probably a few others.
In addition to teaching & DJing, Sam performs with the girls of Le Cancan Bijou and The Deco Belles. In his copious spare time (sic) he can also be found rock climbing around the bay and studying aerial arts (rope/tissu/trapeze).
MacKenzie StuartMacKenzie Stuart is a teacher, dancer and DJ with a love of Irish, English, waltzing and other vintage dances. Comfortable with classes from six to sixty students, she teaches Irish weekly at the Alameda Ceili and has also enjoyed teaching beginning waltz. She performs with the Vintage Invaders as well as the Merrie Pryanksters. Look for her running out onto the floor for a hambo or calling a polka set at dance events across the Bay Area.
Bob GallowayBob Galloway started social dancing in 2007, when Ms. Stuart and two other excellent people dragged him into and through a 4-Hand Reel. It wasn't long before he was waltzing, polkaing, schottisching, jigging, lindying, chachaing, bluesing, etceteraing, and recategorizing his music collection by dance type. He DJs for Vintage Invasion and EBW, dances at many of the Bay Area's fine waltz, swing, Irish, and blues parties, and can be found (politely) dragging strangers onto Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig's dance floor at Dickens Fair. Bob enjoys dancing with newcomers and old hands alike, as a lead or follow, so ask him to dance!
The evening begins with either a basic dance class for beginners and those new to dance, or an intermediate class for those who want to build up their dance skills.
During the dance, water and light refreshments will be available. There is a coat rack available for use and chairs available to relax and socialize.
Below is a sample set list of music and dances for an evening
Site Header Photo - David Bedno
Description Tab Photo - Matt Rollefson