East Bay Waltz is a casual social dance held each month on the second Saturday, featuring mostly waltz and cross-step waltz, with polka, swing, schottische, and latin dances thrown in to mix things up.
Every month, there is a class for beginners and a class for more experienced dancers, each running simultaneously from 7-9 p.m. Then, there's DJ'd social dancing and fun times from 9-midnight. $12 gets you the lesson and dance, or $8 for just the dance.
Come by yourself, or with a friend, or a crowd. People of all ages are welcome. Dress in jeans and a t-shirt, or dress up all fancy-like if you've the inclination.
We dance at the Finnish Hall in Berkeley:
1970 Chestnut St (at University), Berkeley, CA.
Lessons: 7 - 9 p.m.
Dancing: 9 p.m. - midnight
The introductory class will be on rotary waltz, which is so important that it's usually just called the "waltz". Remington Stone teaches. No experience or partner necessary!
The intermediate class will be blues from 7-8, taught by Christophe Taylor, then west coast swing from 8-9, taught by Alan Kline.
Our DJ from 9-midnight will be MacKenzie Stuart.
It's prom night! Dress in your finest rented tuxedo or polyester dress, or something involving a cummerbund, or crash it in your ripped acid-wash jeans and metal band t-shirt. (Dressing up/down/sideways is admired but not required. Dressing in some way is required.)
East Bay Waltz takes place in the wonderful Berkeley Finnish Hall at 1970 Chestnut Street in Berkeley. The Hall is a 7 to 10 minute walk from the North Berkeley BART Station and is easily accessible by the 51 Bus.
1970 Chestnut Street
Berkeley, CA 94702
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, Friday Night Waltz, 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!
Kathy LowyKathy Lowy has been a dancer since the age of 4, when she started ballet. She taught ballet for 3 years, and is venturing into the world of teaching vintage ballroom. She began ballroom dancing with Fezziwig's 2 years ago and fell in love with it at once. You can find her out dancing most nights of the week. (Image credit: Dave Price)
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
When we're not at East Bay Waltz, we're here:
Friday Night WaltzSite Header Photo - David Bedno
Description Tab Photo - Matt Rollefson
Code of conduct: EBW is a welcoming and friendly place to dance, and to learn to dance. We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment, discrimination, or violence. In the unlikely event that such unpleasantness should happen, please contact the DJ, teacher, or person at the door, and we will gladly deal with the issue as soon as possible.