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Congratulations to all the excellent dancers from the Greater New York area who competed last weekend at the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships last weekend in Los Angeles. We can count numerous world representatives across several age categories in our midst (far too many to list in this limited space). When you see them practicing or taking lessons at various dance studios locally, be sure to congratulate them for their great results and for representing the Greater New York area so well. You do us all proud! For full results from Nationals, click here. Congratulations to all the volunteers from USA Dance whose hard work and dedication made this a successful and memorable Nationals.

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Dance Parade, an annual celebration of all forms of dance, returns on May 22 for its fourth year. Our chapter has taken part in Dance Parade from inception and we intend to continue that tradition this year. We are registered to dance in Dance Parade, and if you'd like to join us, let us know by sending an e-mail to info@nyusadance.org. Do not register yourself on the Dance Parade website because that may not put you with our group. By letting us know directly that you want to dance with us at Dance Parade, we can contact you to let you know where we are meeting and lining up. When you contact us, include an e-mail address and phone number where you can be reached. To learn more about Dance Parade, visit the website. Thanks for your interest in joining NY USA Dance at the Dance Parade.

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Thanks to all who came out for our Spring Social last Saturday at Dance With Me Soho. About 50 dancers filled the beautiful new space. There was plenty of room to dance and there was plenty of dancing to be had. We also had plenty of fried chicken, thanks to Popeye's (the one up by Co-op City in the Bronx -- and thanks to Brett for hooking us up). Click here to see some photos from the dance. Our next social is scheduled for May 8. Keep watching this space for that announcement.

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DWTS this week: On Monday night, the contestants danced rumba and tango and received two sets of scores, one for technique and one for performance. The overall impression I got was that by trying to focus on both, the contestants caused both the technique and the performance to suffer. No one displayed strong technique but with everyone trying to dance well technically, no one stood out in performing the dances. Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who blasted out of the gate in the first two weeks of the competition, seems to be faltering a little, as nerves overtook her rumba, making her look shaky and not-so-confident. For the second week in a row, Gold Medal Olympic figure skater Evan Lysacek claimed the top of the leaderboard. Although his tango was fine, it was nothing spectacular, and not as strong as his quickstep last week, which put him in the lead. The judges' favorite this week was Baywatch Babe Pamela Anderson for a rumba that they deemed to be "sophisticated" and "elegant." I thought it was modest and bland. As one of our party commented at ACME, "Why is she dancing in that bed sheet?"

This week's casualty was Aiden Turner, formerly of "All My Children." That's right, Kate Gosselin fans, your girl is still safe, even though she scored at the bottom of the pack. That just goes to show you the power of the vote. Will she survive another week? My guess is 'yes,' because she seems to have the support of the voting public. I would bet that Bachelor Jake Pavelka or Reno 911's Niecy Nash are more likely to go before Kate. Any contrary views out there?

We'll continue to watch the season unfold over some Cajun grub and brews at ACME, down in the Village, at the bar in the back. Join us there on Monday night!

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Ballroom Barre is back! Well, I'm not sure that it actually went away but it had gone missing from these pages for a while now. In case you need a reminder as to what Ballroom Barre is all about, here goes:

The Ballroom Barre prepares dancers to move individually and partnered with correct mechanics for Standard and Smooth Ballroom dancing. Each class will start with a 15-20 minute warm-up, followed by exercises designed to develop specific coordinations for each dance. The class will finish with a short combination that will change every couple of weeks. Michael Choi, Fellow I.S.T.D. Standard, draws from his experience with Gyrotonics and Hans Laxholm's system of Ballroom exercises to bring you a class that will have you moving with efficiency, grace, and musicality.

These weekly classes take place on Wednesday evenings at Chelsea Studios at West 26th Street, starting at 8:30 pm. For USA Dance members, the price is only $25 per person. What's that you say? You're not a ballroom person? Despair not; Michael also teaches a Latin Barre class on Thursday nights, at Basic Ballroom on West 35th Street, applying the same principles and concepts in the Ballroom Barre to the latin dancer. For more information, contact Michael at michael@dancemchoi.com.

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Note for those who were planning to attend Kristina Staykova's Master Class on Samba tomorrow, April 17, at Stepping Out: It's been cancelled. Stay tuned for any re-scheduling notices.

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If you're looking for practice space:

• Dance Chelsea is offering a special promotion of an $85 unlimited practice card. For more details about this great deal, contact the studio or log on to their Facebook page.
• 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.
• Check out the special rates for USA Dance members at Basic Ballroom: just $79 for a 10 session card and $90 for their unlimited monthly card.
• 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 just $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 some suggestions:

• Tonight, Hot Salsa Friday at the VIP Lounge at the Iguana. Doors open at 6 pm.
• Tonight, Monthly Dance Social at Dance Chelsea, starting at 8:30 pm.
• Tonight, Spring Social at Manhattan Ballroom Dance. $15 admission, $5 off if you bring a friend.
• Tomorrow, April 17, 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.
• Tomorrow, April 17: mixed ballroom dancing at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, starting at 7:30 pm with a free lesson. NOTE: The $10 discount for USA Dance members is no longer in effect; admission for all is now $15 per person.
• Sunday, April 18, Sunday Tea Party at Manhattan Ballroom Dance, mixed ballroom dancing starting at 3 pm.
• Monday, April 19, 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, April 20, Hot Salsa and Latin at Club 56 in Farmingdale, LI. Live music by Mambo Loco! Lesson in salsa. Doors open at 7 pm.
• Thursday, April 22, 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 Wayne's Dance Commentary or bailamosdance.com.

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Partner seekers: Did you try posting an ad last week only to have it declined? There was an error in the post but it got declined before we had a chance to contact you to tell you what the error was. Sorry! Please try again. Looking at the current set of posts, there seem to be a lot of advanced dancers looking for partners. Are there any beginners or intermediate level dancers? If so, don't be shy; post an ad. And if you're looking just for a social dance partner, you're welcome to post, too. Check out the Partner Search page, see if there are any ads that look promising, and post your own ad if the fancy strikes you. It's free, easy and quick. Do it now!

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That does it for this week. See you at the Rutgers DanceSport Competition on April 17!

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