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The weather was warm and sunny with the official arrival of spring last Saturday at 1:34 pm but Old Man Winter is stubborn and not quite ready to loosen his grip on New York City. If you find yourselves indoors again, let's hope it will be in the warm confines of a ballroom where you can take a few spins around the dance floor with your favorite dance partner.

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First bit of news: Our chapter's next social will be A Spring Social, to be held on Saturday, April 10, at the newest studio in Manhattan, Dance with Me Soho. For those of you who may be taking a pass on USA Dance Nationals that weekend, and you're looking to dance, please join us at Dance with Me Soho in two weeks. It's a fabulous, brand new space, and we're looking forward to having you dance with us there. The admission is just $15 for USA Dance members and students and $20 for the general public. And if you correctly answer a simple question at the door, you get $3 off. The question will be chosen randomly, and it will likely have something to do with Dance with Me, Maks Chmerkovskiy or Dancing with the Stars. Hope you can make it. Please save the date!

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This week on DWTS: Thanks to all who came out to ACME on Monday night to usher in season 10 of DWTS. We can count ourselves among the 39 million viewers who tuned in for the season premiere, although I'm sure we're only one of a handful of DWTS fans who gathered at a bar to watch the show.

Now that the list of "celebs" has been pared down to a more manageable size, the show seems less frantic. The set has been modified somewhat, with the contestants moving into an offstage area that is visible to the audience rather than tucked away backstage and visible only to the cameras. Also new is Brooke Burke as co-host with Tom Bergeron, and she has already made us forget old What's-her-name.

Going in to week 1, the two stars who were expected to do well were Olympic figure skating Gold medalist Evan Lysacek and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Based on previous triumphs of Olympic athletes on the show, my money was on Evan to dominate the field. Evan put in a credible and well-danced Viennese Waltz. Nicole followed with her rendition of Viennese Waltz which proved to be graceful and elegant. She received raves from Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba which translated to 9s. Len played the curmudgeon and awarded her a measly 7. With a total score of 25 in the first week, Nicole pulls ahead of the other contestants. She looks like the one to beat so far and will give Evan more than a run for his money.

Buzz Aldrin, of Apollo 11 fame, was another highly anticipated contestant, and I have to say, his launch in week 1 sputtered. It didn't quite crash, but if he keeps on this trajectory, he's headed for a tailspin.

Who will be the first one off the show? I'm going to bet on Niecy Nash. As funny as she is, I just don't think she has the fan base. On the dancing, there were worse dancers on the show, such as Kate Gosselin, who appeared very tense and stiff. But she mostly likely will have the votes from "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" fans. Aiden Turner was also nothing to write home about, but he'll probably have all his "All My Children" fans in his corner. I don't know that fans of Niecy's work on "Reno 911" and "Clean House" will be enough to keep her on the show past week 1. But we shall see.

All 11 couples return for week 2 on Monday, March 29. We'll be gathering at ACME to see how they all do. If you're in the 'hood, join us!

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News flash from Basic Ballroom: Former US Amateur Latin Champion Valeriya Khozarinova and her new partner Ruslan Aydaev will be practicing and teaching out of Basic Ballroom from now until Nationals in two weeks. If you are interested in taking lessons from Valeriya and Ruslan, contact Basic Ballroom for more information.

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Reminders:

• The Inaugural Celebration of the Rutgers DanceSport Alumni Club will take place tomorrow, 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? For those who may be up by International House, in the vicinity of the Columbia University campus, you may be interested in attending the I-House Spring Ball tomorrow night. There will be a live band and DJed music between sets. The cost is just $20 per person for non-I-House residents. Click here for more details. Or you may want to sample the following FREE open houses around town tonight:

• Sundown Friday at Stepping Out, lessons at 8:30 pm, dancing starts at 9:30, with a performance by USA Dance National Theater Arts champions Jack Kellner and Miyoung Kim.
• Dance Manhattan, free class at 8 pm, dancing starts at 9:30 pm.
• Sandra Cameron Dance Center, starting at 9:30 pm, free to SCDC students and guests and those new to the studio.

Other suggestions:

• Tonight, Hot Salsa Friday at the VIP Lounge at the Iguana. Doors open at 6 pm.
• Tonight, Friday Night with Abakuá at YSBD/Club 412, hosted by Frankie Martinez and Manny Blackett, featuring salsa/mambo and cha cha, starting at 9:00 pm.
• Tomorrow, March 27: mixed ballroom dancing at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, starting at 7:30 pm with a free lesson. Just $10 for USA Dance members.
• Tomorrow, March 27, Swing 'n Salsa Saturday at YSBD/Club 412, with two live bands in separate rooms. Lessons at 7 pm, dancing starts at 8 pm.
• Tomorrow, March 27, DancXchange Lounge at Dancesport, two DJs, two rooms for dancing hustle and ballroom, starting at 9:30 pm.
• Sunday, March 28, Sunday Tea Party at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, mixed ballroom dancing starting at 3 pm.
• Monday, March 29, 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 30, Hot Salsa, Hustle and West Coast Swing at Club 56 in Farmingdale, LI. Lesson in Salsa, performance by the Fuzion dancers and live music by Mambo Loco. Doors open at 7 pm.
• Thursday, April 1, 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 more ideas, check NJoy Dancing News & Notes or bailamosdance.com.

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Partner seekers: We have an advanced follower in the adult division looking for "a prechamp latin leader who enjoys dance and wants to do well and is a good sport about it!" If that sounds like you, visit the Partner Search page and answer the ad. Or feel free to post your own. It's free, it's easy, it's quick. Do it today!

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Finally, word comes from Championship Dance Camps that the Independence Day Ball is halfway sold-out. The organizers tells me that they sell out every year so even though July 4th weekend may seem far off, don't wait until the last minute to register. In fact, if you register before April 30, you can save $100 per couple. There will be more than 150 workshops for you to attend, with a star-studded faculty that includes the likes of Maks Chmerkovskiy, Karina Smirnoff, Victor Fung, Anastasia Muravyeva and many, many other world-class instructors. You can also book private coachings with these fantastic pros and there will also be social dancing, space to practice and a performance class with a special show. Sounds like a great way to spend the Independence Day Holiday. The fun takes place from July 3-7 at the Hilton Washington, DC/Rockville Executive Center in Rockville, Maryland. To register, click here.

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That does it for this week. Good luck to everyone competing at the Harvard Invitational, the Philadelphia Liberty Challenge and the NJ DanceSport Classic Spring Fling this weekend!

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