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Spring officially starts in less than twenty-four hours. Not a minute too soon after the winter we've had. Hope you've all been able to get out and enjoy some of the spring-like weather we've been having. Now on to the dance news!

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More than two months have passed since the running of the 20th annual MAC, and we are already looking ahead to the 21st annual MAC. We are pleased to inform you that it will be taking place from January 14 through 16, 2011, in the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center. Even though that's ten months away, it will be here before you know it, so please mark the dates on your calendar and make plans to come to New York City. Your participation in MAC 2010 made it our biggest to-date, with 27 states and the District of Columbia represented, and we hope you will add MAC 2011 to your competition calendar. With your support, we hope to make MAC 2011 even bigger and better than MAC 2010. If you have any ideas on how we can do that, please send them to mac@nyusadance.org. Hope to see you there!

MAC 2010 may be a distant memory for some, but if you'd like to be reminded, take a look at the current issue of American Dancer, which features an article about the event written by yours truly. If you have not yet received the hard copy in your mailbox, you can read the March/April issue right now on-line.

As promised, we have more MAC 2010 photos: Here's a set of more than 1400 photos from Saturday and part of Sunday from Krista Fogle, and more from Joey Pasaoa (six albums' worth, in fact). Both Krista and Joey took a ton of shots and they are not yet done uploading all of them. We'll let you know when they are, of course; in the meantime, there should be plenty of good shots to hold your attention. (Photo, above r., by Krista Fogle.)

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Also featured in the March/April issue of American Dancer is a cover story about the USA Dance Nationals Showcase being presented by Victor Fung and Anastasia Muravyova and Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova. If you will not be competing at the USA Dance Nationals, taking place from April 9 through 11, you may want to attend as a spectator to catch the showcase by our champions in Standard and Latin. Also, there will be a full weekend of great dancing, with our top couples vying for the right to represent the United States in no less than 14 world championships (listed on page 35 of the current issue of American Dancer). When you are not spectating, you can enjoy a host of social events, and when you are not in the ballroom, take in the sights in sunny Los Angeles. There will be lots to do, so make your travel plans today!

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DWTS Season 10 premieres on Monday, March 22, at 8:00 pm on ABC. If you'd like to catch it with a group of fellow dance fans, join us at the ACME Bar & Grill, 9 Great Jones Street, near Lafayette. Just look for the rowdy bunch in the bar at the back. Enjoy some good Cajun eats and drink while you're back there, as this season's crop of "celebs" take their best stab at becoming ballroom dancers in a few easy (and not so easy) lessons while tens of millions of fans watch week after week. Early word is that reality tv mom Kate Gosselin (paired with Tony Dovolani) is a total diva who refuses to get chummy with her fellow "celebs." We'll see how true those reports are come Monday night. Hope you can join us there.

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Latin dancers: Former World Champion Beata Onefater will be giving a workshop on Rumba and Cha Cha on Sunday, March 21, at Dance Chelsea, starting at 2 pm. You can take one or both. The workshops are open to all levels, no partner necessary. For more details, click here.

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Tango fans: The New York Tango All-Stars will be performing tomorrow night, March 20, at NYU's Skirball Center, featuring an evening of music, dance and art. Composer Gustavo Casenave will lead his quartet in the premieres of new tango compositions accompanied by electrifying tango performances and a live painting demonstration. The show starts at 8 pm and tickets are $30 and $35, with 15% discount for NYU faculty, staff, administrators and alumni. Click here for more information.

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Reminders:

• The Inaugural Celebration of the Rutgers DanceSport Alumni Club will take place next Saturday, March 27. Its mission, as described by Club President Sharon Hubberman, "is to bring dance to our community and foster your dancing abilities to their fullest potential, whether on a social or competitive level, in an environment which welcomes its members as part of the Rutgers Family." The celebration takes place at Trayes Hall, Douglass Campus Center, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6 pm, followed by a workshop given by former United States Professional Latin Champions Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, followed by a dance social starting at 8:00 pm. Visit the club's website for more details.
• Rufus Dustin will be coaching at the end of this month at Basic Ballroom, right before USA Dance Nationals, and if you'd like to book some lessons, now would be the time to do it, as his schedule fills up quickly. Contact Basic Ballroom to reserve your spot.
• Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio has Standard rounds on Thursdays, from 9:30 to 10:30 pm. The floor is huge, with plenty of space to swing out, so if you're looking for a good place to run your standard routines, visit Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio on Thursday nights.
• Anyone needing practice space for any upcoming competitions, including USA Dance Nationals, should check out the special rates for USA Dance members at Basic Ballroom on West 35th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.
• Dance with Me Soho will be hosting Practice Sessions, and they are offering both an unlimited option and a 10 practice session card. For the unlimited option, the cost is $100 per person, with a 15% discount to USA Dance members, so our members can get unlimited practice time at Dance with Me Soho for $85 per person per month. If you would prefer to go for the 10 practice session card, the cost for that will be $100 per couple, with a 25% discount for USA Dance members, or $75 per couple. Questions? Please call the studio at (212) 840-Dance (3262).

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Looking to social dance? Here are a few suggestions:

• Tonight, Hot Salsa Friday at the VIP Lounge at the Iguana. Doors open at 6 pm.
• Tonight, OUTdancing Spring Celebration at Stepping Out with multiple performances, including our own Daphna Locker dancing with Meredith Stead. Free lessons in swing and salsa at 8:30 pm, dancing starts at 9:30 pm. Hot catered buffet. OUTdancing is the first and largest LGBT partner dancing program in the country and has been going strong since 1992.
• Tonight, FREE open house social at Dance Chelsea, starting at 8:30 pm.
• Tomorrow, March 20: mixed ballroom dancing at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, starting at 7:30 pm with a free lesson. Just $10 for USA Dance members. Enter the Jack and Jill contest and win free admission to the Saturday night socials or five hours of practice time. Click here for details.
• Tomorrow, Millennium Dance Party at Club 412/YSBD, three DJs in three rooms, spinning hustle, salsa and ballroom. Lesson at 8 pm, dancing starts at 9 pm.
• Sunday, March 21, Sunday Tea Party at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, mixed ballroom dancing starting at 3 pm.
• Monday, March 22, Salsa at Taj, with live band and special performances. Arrive before 7 pm and get in for $6 (admission price doubles after 7 pm).
• Tuesday, March 23, Hot Salsa, Hustle and West Coast Swing at Club 56 in Farmingdale, LI. Lesson in Salsa. Doors open at 7 pm.
• Thursday, March 25, Thursday Night Dance Club at Mirelle's, in Westbury, featuring Latin, Hustle and West Coast Swing. Lesson at 7:30 pm, dancing starts at 8:15 pm.

For other ideas, check Wayne's Dance Commentary or bailamosdance.com.

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Partner seekers: If you're in the market, visit our Partner Search page to see who's looking or to post your own ad. It's free, easy and quick, so give it a try today.

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Finally, the Queens Chronicle just published a piece by Judith Aquino about Joseph's Dance Studio in Maspeth, home to many of our Polish-American junior dance competitors. To read the article, entitled "Dancing Queens: borough kids take up ballroom," click here.

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That does it for this week. Good luck to everyone competing at Tri-State Challenge and at the Clover Star Classic this weekend!

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Yang Chen
President
Greater NY
USA Dance
(NY USA Dance)